Prevalence of intestinal parasitic protozoan infections among female HIV/Aids patients attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Kano State, Nigeria

Intestinal protozoan parasites are the major cause of morbidity and mortality killing millions of patients with HIV/AIDS each year; causing diarrhea especially in infants and immunocompromised people worldwide. HIV infection has been modifying both the epidemiology and outcome of parasitic infections. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic protozoan infections among women patients with HIV/AIDS attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano from October - December, 2016. Stool samples from 82 HIV/AIDS women patients were analyzed for protozoan parasite using direct wet mount, formol-ether concentration techniques and modified Ziehl-Neelson staining techniques whereas the blood samples collected were analyzed for CD4+ T-cell estimation using flow cytometry. Sociodemographic variables were collected by using questionnaire. Chi-square test was used to test the associations between CD4+ T-cell count and protozoan infections. A total of three (3) protozoan parasites were encountered among the HIV- positive individuals. These include Giardia intestinalis (33.4%), Entamoeba histolytica (27.8%) and E. coli (22.2%). The result indicated that the parasitic infection with Giardiaintestinalis was significantly higher among HIV-positive women (P>0.05). The age group with the highest prevalence was that of 40-49 years (29.2%). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of intestinal parasitic protozoan infection with regard to age, CD4+ count, job type of the patients (P>0.05) but there was a significant association between the residence area, pregnancy status and intestinal parasitic protozoan infection (P<0.05). Prevalence was also significantly higher in the rural areas (39.1%) than in the urban areas (11.4%). Routine screening for intestinal parasites in HIV-positive patients among others are advocated in the study area.Keywords: AKTH; CD4+ count; HIV/AIDS; Immunocompromised; Intestinal Protozoa; Prevalenc

Interaction between phosphorus fertilizer and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculants on yield components of cassava in northern Guinea savanna alfisols of Nigeria

Field experiment was carried out in the Northern Guinea Savanna agro-ecology of Nigeria to examine the interaction between Phosphorus (P) fertilizer and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal (AMF) inoculants on cassava yield components. The experiment was laid in a split plot design with P fertilizers as main plot and AMF inoculants as subplots. There were three rates of P (0, 17.5, and 35 kg P2O5 ha-1) and three levels of AMF inoculants (Control, Glomygel and Mycodrip). The result showed a significant interaction between P and AMF in root/shoot ratio and mycorrhizal response ratio. Highest root/shoot was recorded with combination of 17.5 P2O5 ha-1+ control which depict increased sink strength. However, at 0 kg P2O5 ha-1, Glomygel and Mycodrip were 65.5% and 21.5% respectively greater than control. Mycorrhizal response was also shown to be highest with application of 0 kg P2O5 ha-1 + Glomygel showing much influence of the inoculants where no P was applied. Single effects of P and AMF showed that dry yield components were significantly (p<0.01) increased. The root dry weight was increased by 3.21 and 5.16 t ha-1as a result of application of 17.5 kg P2O5 ha-1 and 35 kg P2O5 ha-1respectively over application of 0 kg P2O5 ha-1. Glomygel and Mycodrip inoculants recorded 28% and 4% total plant dry yield increment respectively over control. This study shows that both P and AMF increased dry yield of cassava in Northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria. The reproducibility at scale and in time is required for proper recommendation.Keywords: AMF inoculants, Cassava, Alfisol, Mycorrhizal response, P fertilizers

Response of grain legumes to rhizobial inoculation in two savanna soils of Nigeria

Three inoculation trials with soybean, cowpea and groundnut were conducted on Eutric Cambisols (EC) and Rhodic Nitisols (RN) in a greenhouse. Five rhizobial inoculants: MAR 1495, TSBF Mixture, Legumefix, HiStick and IRJ 2180A were tested on each crop to determine their response to soil type and ability to form symbiotic relationship with the crops. Generally, response to inoculation was found to be significantly higher (P < 0.05) in EC than RN. In soybean and groundnut trials, highest nodulation in both soils was recorded by strain MAR 1495 followed by TSBF Mixture and these were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than other inoculants and control. A similar trend, though only in EC, was observed in N uptake and in nitrogen fixation but no significant difference was observed in dry matter yield. Cowpea trials did not show response to inoculation nor was there difference between the soils. Instead, control treatment surpassed all the inoculated treatments in nodulation at P < 0.05. Nitrogen uptake and N2 fixation of control also surpassed those of inoculated treatments. Rhizobia strains MAR 1495 and TSBF Mixture showed similar ability to improve the productivity of soybean and groundnut thus can be used as common inoculants for the two crops

Eating Pattern, Dietary Diversity and Nutritional Status of Children and Adolescents Residing in Orphanages in Southwestern Nigeria

Background: The population of orphaned children is increasing at devastating levels especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, only very little is known about the eating pattern, dietary diversity and the nutritional status of children living in orphanages. This study therefore aimed to assess the eating pattern, dietary diversity and the nutritional status of children residing in orphanages in southwestern Nigeria.Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study among 260 children in selected orphanages in Lagos State, south-western Nigeria, selected using two-stage sampling technique. The nutritional status of the respondents was assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) growth reference values of 2007. Data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS version 24.0. The confidence interval was set at 95% with significant level at p&lt;0.05.Results: Majority of the respondents (52.7%) were adolescents (10-19 years), 54.6% were females, 90.4% were attending schools and 90.0% were single-orphans. Majority of the respondents consumed fruits (97.7%), vegetables (80.0%), animal proteins (96.2%) and carbohydrates (96.2%) more than 3 times in the week preceding the study. The mean dietary diversity (DD) score was 4.6 ± 0.5, with 150 (57.3%) of the respondents having a high dietary diversity. Using BMI-for-age, 177 (68.1%) of the respondents were underweight and 23 (8.9%) were overweight/obese.Conclusion: Majority of the children living in orphanages were underweight, despite the reported healthy eating patterns and high dietary diversity. There is the need for nutritional interventions targeted at children living in orphanages in Nigeria. Keywords: Children; Dietary diversity; Eating pattern; Nutritional Status; Orphanag

An evaluation of safety risk factors during installation and dismantling of tower cranes in construction sites

The construction industry plays a central and significant role in the economy of any nation. One of the major reasons for ineffective project delivery in the Nigerian construction industry is the improper assessment of risk factors. The industry however is currently facing a lot of challenges which include constant increase in the rate of accidents on construction sites which could be dueto ineffective safety management as construction companies are usually interested in maximizing their profit in order to secure funds for new investments, and cover possible expenses associated with the occurrence of risk factors during construction. Installation anddismantling of tower crane had been previously looked at as a general safety issue until, recent research showed that about 69% of accidents related to tower cranes in Korea from 2001-2011, occur during installation and dismantling process. In view of this, this paper aimed at evaluating safety risk factors during installation and dismantling by determining their probability of occurrence and degree of impact with a view to establishing the most significant ones. This is why a well-structured questionnaire was designed to collect data with respect to their probability of occurrence and degree of impact using a 5 point Likert scale. Responses from the administered questionnaire and interactions were collated, interpreted and analysed using descriptive statistics (mean) and results presented in tables. Results showed that abrasion (wear and tear of components such as bolts, nuts, or pins) is the most probable factor with a mean value of 3.63. Fracture of a wire rope during dismantling had the highest degree of impact with a mean valueof 4.63. The research concluded that fracture of a wire rope during dismantling and abrasion (wear and tear of components such as bolts, nuts, or pins) are highly affecting factor on safety during installation and dismantling. Adoption of a preventive maintenance strategy or routine check on the tower crane parts and components could help minimize the probability of occurrence and impact of the safety risk factors on site. Keywords: Accident, Hazard, Safety risk, Tower crane, Probability, Construction industry.&nbsp

Comparative Study of Patients' Adherence between Hospital-based and Communitybased Treatment for Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Kaduna State,

Background: Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) epidemic is threatening the global control of TB. It is driven by the programme, health system&nbsp; and patient related factors. This study aimed at comparing the level of adherence to treatment among MDR-TB patients treated in hospital-based and&nbsp; community-based models of care. Methods: This was a comparative cross-sectional survey conducted in 2019 with mixed methods of data collection. The study population were 360 MDR-&nbsp; TB patients treated in hospital-based and community-based facilities in Kaduna between 2013 and 2018. Questionnaire, FGD and KII guides respectively&nbsp; were the quantitative and qualitative data collection tools used. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 was used to analyze the&nbsp; quantitative data while thematic analysis was used for analysing qualitative data. The quantitative results were presented in descriptive statistics with&nbsp; level of significance set at p&lt;0.05 and the qualitative results were presented as prose. Results: The majority were males in the community-based 135 (71.8%) and the hospital-based model 126 (73.3%), with median (IQR) ages of 33 (27-40)&nbsp; years and 34 (27-43) years respectively. Adherence to treatment was significantly higher among patients in hospital-based (64%) compared to&nbsp; community-based (36%), (p 0.001). Availability of family and community support encourages adherence while lack of food supplies, dissatisfaction with&nbsp; services and drug side effects were factors against adherence to treatment. Treatment success rate was similar in both models. Conclusion: Adherence was better among patients initiated on treatment in the hospital-based model. Adherence should be strengthened in the&nbsp; community-based model by regular counselling and health education

Effects of climate change on pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L. R. Br.]) production in Nigeria

This paper attempts to examine the relationship between climate change and pearl millet production in Nigeria. It discusses the origin, distribution of the species with some of their properties including production constraints in the Sub Saharan Africa and Nigeria in particular. Northern states of Nigeria were found to be the dominant producers of pearl millets with Sokoto state having a total cultivated area of 747,580ha. Pearl millet was also found to be the major crop amongst others, useful for minimizing the adverse effect of climate change, hence facilitating income and food security among farming communities. Major production constraint of the crop in the Sub Saharan Africa, particularly in Nigeria is yield reduction and/or total crop failure caused by erratic seasonal rainfalls, floods, failing soil fertility and poor crop management practices. Biotic stress due to weeds such as Striga spp as well as insect pests and diseases pestilences is a constraint. Therefore, appropriate climate change mitigation efforts to improve pearl millet production and enhance food security should be adopted in the Sub Saharan Africa and Nigeria.Keywords: Climate change, pearl millet, Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeri

Individual differences in perception and response to experimental pain in a young Nigerian population

Background: Pain is a protective sensation that alerts an individual to injury from the environment. Experience of pain is characterised by robust individual differences and complex environmental and genetic factors lead to individual variations in pain. Studies of experimental pain are free from the confound of disease progression, but can be highly relevant to clinical pain states. The aim of this study is to evaluate individual differences in perception and response to experimental pain among young Nigerian population. Methods: One hundred and thirty apparently healthy subjects (age 12 to 20 years) were used. Pain was accessed using cold pressor test and ischemic pain models. VAS and VRS were used to access pain catastrophizing. Data were presented as mean ± SD. Differences and statistical significance between the means were determined using t test. Values of P &lt; 0.05 were considered significant. Results: The results showed significant differences among the study population in experimental pain threshold and tolerance. Conclusion: The study proved that there is variation in perception and response to experimental pain among secondary school students in Zaria, Northern Nigeri

Climate Change Awareness and related Tree Planting Practices in a Rural Community in North-Western Nigeria

Background: Tree cutting is one of the causes of climate change and a common practice in Africa, a continent under significant threat from climate change. Therefore, climate change awareness and mitigation are vital to reducing its impacts in the region. Reforestation through planting of trees is an important carbon emission reduction strategy. This study assessed climate change awareness and related tree planting practices among household heads in a Nigerian rural community.Methods: A community-based descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2019 among all household heads in Nasarawan Buhari community. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the 104 household heads (or their representatives). Data was analyzed using SPSS (version 21.0) and statistical significance was set at p value of &lt; 0.05.Results: The mean age of respondents was 40.6±12.6 years, and most of them (87.5%) were males. Half (50.0%) were aware of climate change, and their main source of information was radio (63.5%). Most (98.1%) used fire wood for cooking. Only a minority (27.9%) planted at least a tree in the year preceding the study. There was a statistically significant association between climate change awareness and occupation (p=0.038) but not with tree planting (p=0.827).Conclusion: The results indicated that only half of respondents were aware of climate change. There was high use of wood as cooking fuel with low tree planting. Tree planting was not associated with climate change awareness. There is therefore a need for continuous climate change education and mitigation campaign in the community

Patients’ Perspectives on Their Safety: A Qualitative Study in Two Public Health Facilities in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Background: Safe healthcare environments influence patients’ valuation of care received and impact on better health outcomes. It has been recognized that patients can contribute invaluably in improving the quality and safety of healthcare services they receive.Objective: To explore the perspectives of patients on their safety in healthcare.Methods: A qualitative study comprising of four (4) focus group discussions (FGDs) with six to eight participants was conducted in two public health facilities in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Patients admitted in medical wards (male and female) were recruited through a purposive sampling technique after obtaining their verbal informed consent to participate. A topic guide, containing open ended questions that explored patients’ opinions on their safety in healthcare was used for the discussions. All FGD sessions were recorded, transcribed and coded using thematic analysis.Results: The participants consisted of 15 females and 13 males in FGD sessions that lasted between 55 to 90 minutes. All participants were Hausa speaking, with varying levels of education. Six (6) themes were generated which the patients perceived to play a role in their safety in healthcare. These themes are: choice of hospital, patient satisfaction, patient experiences, patient engagement, communication openness and suggestions by patients for improvement.Conclusion: The findings of this study have highlighted both positive and negative perspectives of patients regarding their safety in healthcare. The patients provided some recommendations for areas where improvements are required for improved patient safety. These include infrastructural improvements, staffing, and availability of medicines, amongst others