PRACTICE POINTS - Natural history and epidemiology of post transplantation diabetes mellitus

Objective: High patient mortality continues to be the major threat to the success of solid organ transplantation despite improvements in the control of immunologic phenomena post-transplantation with improvements in grafts survival. Post transplantation diabetes mellitus (PTD) occurring commonly in patients receiving immunosuppressives has been identified as a major culprit. Aim: This paper reviews the current concepts of PTD. Methods: A Medline literature search limited to research / review articles in English language, spanning 1984 January – 2004 June on post transplantation diabetes mellitus or hyperglycemia was done. Results: Post transplantation diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous condition of abnormal glucose tolerance with a variable onset, duration and severity. It is defined as a fasting plasma glucose = 7.0 mmol / L (126 mg / dL) and / or a 2 hour plasma glucose during an OGTT = 11.1mmol / L (200 mg / dL), or a casual plasma glucose = 11.1 mmol / L (200 mg / dL), on 3 or more occasions over a period of at least 3 months. The risk factors predisposing to PTD are age, recipient's ethnicity, immunosuppressive regimen and family history of diabetes. The condition not only increases the risk of graft – related complications such as graft rejection, graft loss and infection,but also is a major determinant of the increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Conclusions: The most important risk factor predisposing to the development of PTD is the immunosuppressive drugs. The selection of immunosuppressive regimen should take into account individuals diabetes risk profile and the relative diabetogenicity and risk for diabetes of each immunosuppressant, balancing minimal risk of diabetes with effective immunosuppression. Keywords: Current concepts, Definition, Diabetes, Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Post transplantation, Management. African Health Sciences Vol. 5 (3) 2005: pp. 255-26

Leaf anatomy and pollen morphology: sources of additional taxonomic characters in delimiting species of Duboscia Bocq. (Malvaceae S.L.) occurring in parts of southern Nigeria

Duboscia is a genus of two species native to tropical Africa. It belongs to the Malvaceae family. The composition of the genus has been a subject of controversy since its establishment. Leaf anatomy and pollen characters of the Duboscia species were investigated using light microscopy with a view to provide additional taxonomic characters in delimiting species boundary in the genus. Dried leaves rehydrated in boiled water were used for the anatomical studies while flow-er buds were used for pollen morphological studies. Epidermal cells were isodiametric, polygonal to irregular with straight to wavy anticlinal cell walls. Leaves were bifacial and hypostomatic with anisocytic and staurocytic stomata types. Pollen grains were small (21.3 – 23.5 μm) and tricolporate. A combination of characters such as type of trichomes, number of glandular trichome head cells in leaves and petioles, shape of the midrib and petiole vascular bun-dle, petiole vascular bundle isolates, petiole outline, number of chlorenchyma cell layers and secretory ducts in midrib and petiole, exine surface, Amb and colpi length can be used as additional taxonomic characters to distinguish the two species and to determine their phylogenetic relationship between related genera in the tribe Grewieae. A key is provided for the identification and delimitation of the species

Occurrence of hydrocarbon-degrading nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the rhizosphere of Paspalum vaginatum Sw.

Several nitrogen-fixing and hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of the turf grass Paspalum vaginatum Sw. using four different hydrocarbons; crude oil, decane, diesel and engine oil as substrates. The isolates showed between 98%-99% 16S rRNA gene similarity with species of Alcaligenes, Brevundimonas and Klebsiella. Only Alcaligenes faecalis C1B, Klebsiella varicola C3B and Klebsiella varicola C3BB had the nifH gene; and the genes responsible for nitrogen-fixing abilities of all the isolates were not plasmid borne. Three of the isolates, Brevundimonas diminuta C4B, Alcaligenes faecalis B5 and Alcaligenes faecalis D4A with the ability to grow well in crude oil as carbon and energy source were selected for further studies. Alcaligenes faecalis B5 had the highest growth rate constant of 0.038 µ-1 with a mean generation time of 18.46 h. Analysis of culture extracts by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector showed that Alcaligenes faecalis B5 degraded 90.5% of crude oil in 24 days, while Alcaligenes faecalis D4A and Brevundimonas diminuta C4B biodegraded 84.6% and 82.1% of the oil respectively. Confirmation of nitrogen fixing ability was determined by the acetylene reduction assay (ARA). Alcaligenes faecalis B5 produced the highest amount of ethylene (15.18 nmol) after 24 h of incubation, while Alcaligenes faecalis D4A and Brevundimonas diminuta C4B produced 12.10 nmol and 9.60 nmol of ethylene respectively. Nitrogen-fixing hydrocarbon utilizers are therefore potential seeds in the bioaugmentation of nitrogen-limited hydrocarbon-polluted environments

Occurrence of hydrocarbon-degrading nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the rhizosphere of Paspalum vaginatum Sw.

Several nitrogen-fixing and hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of the turf grass Paspalum vaginatum Sw. using four different hydrocarbons; crude oil, decane, diesel and engine oil as substrates. The isolates showed between 98%-99% 16S rRNA gene similarity with species of Alcaligenes, Brevundimonas and Klebsiella. Only Alcaligenes faecalis C1B, Klebsiella varicola C3B and Klebsiella varicola C3BB had the nifH gene; and the genes responsible for nitrogen-fixing abilities of all the isolates were not plasmid borne. Three of the isolates, Brevundimonas diminuta C4B, Alcaligenes faecalis B5 and Alcaligenes faecalis D4A with the ability to grow well in crude oil as carbon and energy source were selected for further studies. Alcaligenes faecalis B5 had the highest growth rate constant of 0.038 µ-1 with a mean generation time of 18.46 h. Analysis of culture extracts by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector showed that Alcaligenes faecalis B5 degraded 90.5% of crude oil in 24 days, while Alcaligenes faecalis D4A and Brevundimonas diminuta C4B biodegraded 84.6% and 82.1% of the oil respectively. Confirmation of nitrogen fixing ability was determined by the acetylene reduction assay (ARA). Alcaligenes faecalis B5 produced the highest amount of ethylene (15.18 nmol) after 24 h of incubation, while Alcaligenes faecalis D4A and Brevundimonas diminuta C4B produced 12.10 nmol and 9.60 nmol of ethylene respectively. Nitrogen-fixing hydrocarbon utilizers are therefore potential seeds in the bioaugmentation of nitrogen-limited hydrocarbon-polluted environments

Metal analyses of ash derived alkalis from banana and plantain peels (Musa spp.) in soap making

The objective of this work was to determine the metal content of plantain and banana peels ash derived alkali and the possibility of using it as alternate and cheap source of alkali in soap industry. This was done by ashing the peels and dissolving it in de-ionised water to achieve the corresponding hydroxides with pH above 12. The solution was then analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The analytical measurements were carried out in triplicate and the multi elemental solution was used for calibration of equipment. The abundance of essential metals was in these orders in both the banana and plantain alkalis: K > Fe > Ca > Mg > Mn > Zn > Na and Fe > K > Ca > Mg > Zn > Mn > Na, respectively. The presence of other metals besides K and Na at higher concentrations limits the foamability of the soaps but could be adapted as thickeners and emulsifiers in greases. The concentrations of elements with health risk in the ash derived alkalis are within the allowable range of the Commission of European Communities (2008) limit.Key words: Banana, plantain, ash derived alkali, major elements, minor elements

Nigerian Schizophrenia EEG Dataset (NSzED) Towards Data-Driven Psychiatry in Africa

This work has been carried out to improve the dearth of high-quality EEG datasets used for schizophrenia diagnostic tools development and studies from populations of developing and underdeveloped regions of the world. To this aim, the presented dataset contains international 10/20 system EEG recordings from West African subjects of Nigerian origin in restful states, mental arithmetic task execution states and while passively reacting to auditory stimuli, the first of its kind from the region and continent. The subjects are divided into patients and healthy controls and recorded from 37 patients and 22 healthy control subjects identified by the Mini International Schizophrenia Interview (MINI) and also assessed by the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS). All patients are admitted schizophrenia patients of the Mental Health Ward, Medical Outpatient Department of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC, Ile-Ife) and its subsidiary Wesley Guild Hospital Unit (OAUTHC, Ilesa). Controls are drawn from students and clinicians who volunteered to participate in the study at the Mental Health Ward of OAUTHC and the Wesley Guild Hospital Unit. This dataset is the first version of the Nigerian schizophrenia dataset (NSzED) and can be used by the neuroscience and computational psychiatry research community studying the diagnosis and prognosis of schizophrenia using the electroencephalogram signal modality.Comment: Manuscript being updated as more data-acquisition proceeds. Link to dataset will be added on next updat

SHORT COMMUNICATION: HYDROCARBON ACCUMULATION AND DISCHARGE BY THE CRAYFISH IN SOME RIVERS OF LAGOS, NIGERIA

Crayfishes exposed to 14C-naphthalene-5% of an aqueous fraction of crude oil in open non-aerated glass jars for 4 h at 25 0C showed no significant differences (P > 0.25) in the amount of naphthalene uptake. Different parts of the crayfishes were quantified for naphthalene uptake and cephalothorax containing hepatopancreas (a food absorption organ) was found to have greater uptake than the tail flesh or tail skeleton. Release of the oil from the crayfishes that were exposed for 1, 2, 3 or 4 h and later placed in open non-aerated jars containing oil-free water showed greater loss of most of the 14C activity during the first 24 h, there was little losses at 48, 72 and 96 h. There was significant volatilization (P < 0.04) of 14C-naphthalene in a 5% of crude oil placed in open, non-aerated, oil-free glass jars for 24 h at 25 0C. (Received May 2, 2001; revised October 19, 2001) Bull.Chem.Soc.Ethiop. 2001, 15(2), 167-17

Microbial assessment of the armpits of some selected university students in Lagos, Nigeria

A study of the carriage of microorganisms in armpits and prevailing factors was carried out on 80 students of the University of Lagos. The armpits were swabbed and the microbiological analyses were carried out on the swab samples. The organisms isolated include Staphylococcus epidermidis (35%), Staphylococcus aureus (3%), Staphylococcus cohnii (3%), Staphylococus haemolyticus (15%), Staphylococcus hominis (25%)

Influence of pH, temperature and nutrient addition on the degradation of atrazine by Nocardioides spp. isolated from agricultural soil in Nigeria.

Aims: To effectively exploit the atrazine degrading capabilities of Nocardioides spp. isolated from agricultural soil samples in Nigeria and ascertain the effect of pH, temperature and nutrient addition on the degradation process. Methodology and results: Isolates were cultivated on atrazine mineral salts medium at a temperature range of 4 °C - 45 °C and a pH range of 3-10. An optimum atrazine degrading activity was observed in the isolates between temperatures of 25 °C and 37 °C and between pH 5 and 8. Different carbon sources (glycerine, glucose, chitin, cellulose and sodium citrate) and nitrogen sources (urea, biuret, cyanuric acid, potassium nitrate and ammonium chloride) were also added to the medium. The addition of carbon and nitrogen sources did not increase degradation rates although urea and glycerine repressed the degradation ability of the isolates. Statistical analyses of variance at P < 0.05 showed no significant differences in the growth and degradation rates by both bacterial isolates under these conditions. Conclusion, significance and impact study: Atrazine degradation by Nocardioides spp. is pH and temperature dependent, and requires no additional sources of carbon and nitrogen. Hence, its use in bioremediation of atrazine contaminated agricultural soil should be explored