time effect of exercise on intraocular pressure in a Nigerian population

Numerous international studies have indicated that several physiological changes can influence the intraocular pressure (IOP) of subjects. In order to assess visual health status through physiological changes, the effects of rest and exercise on IOP were investigated in a Nigerian community. The research involved 24 healthy normotensive subjects who were made to serve as their own control. They were subjected to exercise for 10 minutes after taken their IOP at rest for an hour. Result immediately after the exercise showed that there was a significant decreases in the mean initial IOP (

Prognosis of senile cataract extraction with increasing age

In order to determine the prognosis of senile cataract extraction with increasing age, a case series of 240 patients without ocular or systemic comorbidity aged 51 to 80 years who underwent intracapsular cataract extraction (ICCE), and extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE), between January 1991 andDecembers 2000 was studied. The results revealed a significant difference in the visual acuity outcome between the different age groups (

Can tight necktie be a risk factor in development and progression of primary- Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG)?

Tight neckties have been documented to alter intraocular pressure (IOP) and thus may be a risk factor in the development and progression of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). Many professionals and white- collar jobs require the use of neckties for the greater part of the day. Tight neckties wearers are unaware of its effect on intraocular pressure and glaucoma. This study investigated the effect of tight neckties on intraocular pressure (IOP)measurement using Perkins applanation tonometry method. Eighty eyes of normal 40 subjects and 40 primary open angle glaucoma patients were enrolled. IOP, blood pressure and pulse rate were measured with an open shirt collar and 5 minutes after placing a tight necktie. All measurements were made by the same examiner. The results showed significant (

Comparative efficacy of Berenil and Samorin in albino rats experimentally infected with current field isolates of Trypanosoma brucei brucei

The efficacy of two standard veterinary trypanocides, diminazene aceturate (Berenil-therapeutic) and isometamidium chloride (Samorin-prophylactic) was compared in albino rats experimentally infected with current field isolate of Trypanosoma brucei brucei (Federe strain). The study consisted of forty albino rats, divided into 8 groups of five animals each. The negative control was uninfected and untreated (Group 1), whereas the positive control was infected and untreated (Group 2). Other groups were treated intramuscularly with either 0.5 mg/kg or 3.5 mg/kg body weight of Samorin or Berenil respectively adopting different protocols. Groups 3 and 4 were treated the same day of infection with Berenil and Samorin respectively (treatment was before infection). Groups 5 and 6 were treated at patency (4 days post infection) with Berenil and Samorin respectively. Groups 7 and 8 were infected before treatment on the same day with Berenil and Samorin respectively, and re-challenged with the T.brucei brucei after four days. The results obtained 60 days post treatment showed that the difference between the efficacies of the two drugs was significant (P< 0.05). Berenil cleared the parasites more from the blood of the albino rats than Samorin. From the recorded values of the parameters (body weight, temperature, packed cell volume and parasitaemic profile), it was concluded that Berenil is a more efficacious trypanocide than Samorin, and is recommended as the drug of choice in the treatment of animal trypanosomiasis.Keywords: Laboratory, animal, trypanosomiasis, treatment, trypanocides

Survey of the Problems of Girl Child in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of teenage pregnancy and knowledge of reproductive health problems among adolescent girls in Ekiti State, Southwest Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional community based study was conducted. Using convenient random sampling technique, four local government areas were selected. Eligible participants were both in and out of school children between the ages of 13 -18 years. A hundred respondents were sampled from each selected local government, making a total sample size of 400. Consenting participants were administered questionnaire in their homes by trained LGA enumerators. It elicited information on socio-demographic and reproductive health issues. Data collected were subsequently collated and analyzed.Results: Majority of the girls (78%) were still in-school. All were already menstruating, mostly attaining menarche between the age 15-16years. Only 212 (53%) could remember their last menstrual period. Sexual derby mainly occurred around age 15-16years; 53.3% were already sexually exposed. A quarter of respondents had been pregnant before. Only 187 (46.8%) were aware of modern contraception. The girls had a fair knowledge of implication of early sexual derby and unprotected intercourse, though it did not translate to behavioural change.Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of teenage pregnancy and poor reproductive health knowledge among teenagers in Ekiti State. More collective efforts involving parents, community heads, opinion leaders, civil societies and the state are needed to help our girls attain and sustain healthy reproductive behaviours

Trends in semen parameters of infertile men in South Africa and Nigeria

There are conflicting reports on trends of semen parameters from different parts of the globe. However, in recent times there is dearth of information on the trend in Sub-Saharan countries. Therefore, in this study we aimed at determining the trends in semen parameters in Nigeria and South Africa between 2010 and 2019. A retrospective study of semen analyses of 17,292 men attending fertility hospitals in Nigeria and South Africa in 2010, 2015 and 2019. Patients who had undergone vasectomy and those who had a pH less than 5 or greater than 10 were excluded from this study. The following variables were assessed: ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, progressive motility, total progressively motile sperm count (TPMSC), total sperm count, and normal sperm morphology. Between 2010 and 2019, significant trends of decreasing values were observed in normal sperm morphology (− 50%), and the ejaculatory volume (− 7.4%), indicating a progressive deterioration of the values in both countries. In Nigeria, there were significant decreases in progressive motility (− 87%), TPMSC (− 78%), and sperm morphology (− 55%) between 2010 and 2019 (P < 0.001). Spearman`s rank correlation revealed significant negative associations between age and morphology (ρ =  − 0.24, P < 0.001), progressive motility (ρ =  − 0.31. P < 0.001), and TPMSC (ρ =  − 0.32, P < 0.001). Patients in South Africa were younger than those from Nigeria, with also a significantly higher sperm morphology, sperm concentration, progressive motility, total sperm count and TPMSC. Our findings provide a quantitative evidence of an alarming decreasing trend in semen parameters in Nigeria and South Africa from 2010 to 2019. It also proves that astheno- and teratozoospermia are the leading causes of male infertility in these regions. In addition to this, it also shows empirically that semen parameters decrease with advancement in age. These findings are the first report of temporal trends in semen parameters in Sub-Saharan countries, necessitating a thorough investigation on the underlying factors promoting this worrisome decline

Examining equity in access to long-lasting insecticide nets and artemisinin-based combination therapy in Anambra state, Nigeria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In order to achieve universal health coverage, the government of Anambra State, southeast Nigeria has distributed free Long-lasting Insecticide treated Nets (LLINs) to the general population and delivered free Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) to pregnant women and children less than 5 years. However, the levels of coverage with LLINS and ACTs is not clear, especially coverage of different socio-economic status (SES) population groups. This study was carried out to determine the level of coverage and access to LLINs and ACTs amongst different SES groups.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A questionnaire was used to collect data from randomly selected households in 19 local government areas of the State. Selected households had a pregnant woman and/or a child less than 5 years. The lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) methodology was used in sampling. The questionnaire explored the availability and utilization of LLINs and ACTs from 2394 households. An asset-based SES index was used to examine the level of access of LLINS and ACTs to different SES quintiles.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>It was found that 80.5 % of the households had an LLIN and 64.4 % of the households stated that they actually used the nets the previous night. The findings showed that 42.3 % of pregnant women who had fever within the past month received ACTs, while 37.5 % of children ≪5 years old who had malaria in the past month had received ACTs. There was equity in ownership of nets for the range 1–5 nets per household. No significant SES difference was found in use of ACTs for treatment of malaria in children under five years old and in pregnant women.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The free distribution of LLINs and ACTs increased household coverage of both malaria control interventions and bridged the equity gap in access to them among the most vulnerable groups.</p

Dielectric disorder in two-dimensional materials

Understanding and controlling disorder is key to nanotechnology and materials science. Traditionally, disorder is attributed to local fluctuations of inherent material properties such as chemical and structural composition, doping or strain. Here, we present a fundamentally new source of disorder in nanoscale systems that is based entirely on the local changes of the Coulomb interaction due to fluctuations of the external dielectric environment. Using two-dimensional semiconductors as prototypes, we experimentally monitor dielectric disorder by probing the statistics and correlations of the exciton resonances, and theoretically analyse the influence of external screening and phonon scattering. Even moderate fluctuations of the dielectric environment are shown to induce large variations of the bandgap and exciton binding energies up to the 100 meV range, often making it a dominant source of inhomogeneities. As a consequence, dielectric disorder has strong implications for both the optical and transport properties of nanoscale materials and their heterostructures