Fast food consumption pattern and body weight status among students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

The study assessed fast food consumption pattern (FFCP) and body weight status among the undergraduates of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, living in different halls of residence on the university campus during the Rain semester of 2011/2012 session. The study employed survey research design to give an insight into the pattern of fast food consumption and its consequent risk of obesity among undergraduates. The campus has thirteen faculties which have their pivots in science, technology, arts and social science, and nine undergraduate halls of residence. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select 40 students from each hall of nine kinds. The sum total of respondents was 360.The specific objectives were to: investigate the body weight of undergraduates using Body Mass Index (BMI), determine the gender of undergraduates who indulge most in fast food consumption, and examine the influence of fast food consumption pattern on body weight of undergraduates in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. The study relied on primary data which was collected through personally administered questionnaires. The respondents’ weight and height were taken using a weighing scale and meter rule, respectively to determine the Body Mass Index (BMI) which was used to assess students’ body weight status among the respondents. Data collected were summarized and presented using means and percentages. The hypotheses were tested using t-test to determine the significant difference in the Fast Food Consumption Pattern (FFCP) between male and female undergraduates while correlation was employed to test the significant relationship between fast food consumption (FFC) and body weight status. The findings revealed that there was a significant difference (t = 7.14; df = 1; p<0.05) between the FFC of male and female undergraduates. The study further showed from the correlation coefficient analysis that there was a significant relationship between FFC and Obesity (r= 0.47, p<0.05). Based on the findings, the study recommended that the university commission should postulate a compulsory general elective course on physical health and nutrition education across board to give fitness to students and teach them nutrition information and knowledge.Key words: Overweight, Students, Obesity, Fast-food, Food consumption, Binge, BMI, Universit

Investigating groundwater pollution at an open dumpsite using 2D geoelectrical resistivity imaging and vertical electrical sounding

Geoelectrical resistivity survey has been conducted within the Kurata dump site in Ota, south-western Nigeria. This present study focuses on the use of 2D resistivity imaging and Vertical Electrical Sounding to delineate conductive leachate point and degree of movement within the subsurface for conceivable groundwater pollution. The 2D resistivity survey was carried out using the ABEM Terrameter (SAS 1000/4000) System with multiple-gradient array electrode configuration. The Vertical Electrical Sounding was conducted using the schlumberger electrode configuration. One 2-D imaging profile of length 100m and one Vertical Electrical Sounding of length 200m were acquired on the established traverse. The resistivity data was inverted utilizing RES2DINV and WinResist to obtain the inverse model resistivity distribution. The 2D inverse resistivity models of the subsurface showed that the study site has a multi-layered aquifer system, four geoelectrical layers were inferred from the resistivity imaging and they are lateritic clay, clayey sand, sandy clay and coarse sand units. There is one aquifer system about 13 m which is highly polluted. The unpolluted aquifer system is localized around 19 m with inverted resistivity range 498Ωm – 685Ωm in the traverse. Also there might be conceivable sullying of deep groundwater system in the long term if appropriate moderation procedures are not thought about at the area

Antibiotic Resistance and Public Health Perspective of Bacterial Contamination of Nigerian Currency

Nigerian bank notes like other currencies in the world pass through different hands and have been implicated in the carriage of medically important pathogens. This study was undertaken to determine the types of bacteria present on Nigerian currency in Ile-Ife, Osun State, with a view to determining the potential of naira notes as environmental vehicle for the transmission of potential pathogenic bacteria.  Standard microbiological methods were used to isolate, characterize and identify the bacterial isolates from different banknotes. Disc diffusion method was used to determine the sensitivity of the isolates to ten antibiotics. Representative multiple antibiotic resistant isolates were profiled for plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). A total of three hundred and five comprising 216 Gram positive and 89 Gram negative bacteria were isolated from two hundred and five bank notes sampled; naira in mint condition was used as control. Thirteen bacterial genera namely Bacillus, Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Lactobacillus, Micrococcus, Aeromonas, Citrobacter, Edwardsiella, Klebsiella, Moraxiella, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter and Proteus were recovered. Resistance to antibiotics was generally high and varied among the isolates. Resistance ranged from 18.18% to 100% in Gram negative bacteria and 26.6% to 100% in Gram positive isolates. Enterobacter sp. and Edwardsiella sp. recovered were 100% resistant to all the antibiotics except septrin. All the isolates were resistant to more than one antibiotic. Multiple antibiotic resistant isolates harboured plasmids of various sizes, ranging from 1,356 bp to 17,367 bp in Gram- positive bacteria and 1815 to 23130 bp in Gram negative isolates. Nigerian currency harboured different types of multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria which can be implicated in human infections; hence constituting a potential public health hazard. Keywords: bacteria, multiple antibiotic resistance, currency, plasmids, pathogens, min

Regulatory mutations affecting the synthesis of cellulase in Pseudomonas fluorescens

Pseudomonas fluorescens, was cultured in basal medium containing carboxymethyl-cellulose (CMC) as inducer and glucose or glycerol as carbon and energy sources. Ethylmethanesulphonate (EMS) was used to mutagenize the wild-type organism to produce mutants. The isolated mutants were screened for the isolation of catabolite repression resistant mutants in the presence of 1% (w/v) glucose as carbon source. A total of fifty mutants were isolated. All the mutants produced cellulase in the presence of CMC as an inducer with specific activity of 0.057, 0.088 and 0.074 units/mg protein for the wild-type, catabolite repression resistant mutant4 (CRRmt4) and catabolite repression resistant mutant24 (CRRmt24), respectively. It was observed that addition of glucose or glycerol as carbon and energy sources to the culture medium resulted into considerable reduction in the cellulolytic activity. However, glycerol appeared to be a better carbon and energy source than glucose which inhibited enzyme expression in most of the strains used in this study. It was also observed that potent cellulase production occurred at the exponential growth phase of the organism. The isolated mutants were grouped into three classes based on their induction ratios namely; unimproved mutants, catabolite repression resistant mutants and mutants with highest induction ratio but sensitive to catabolite repression in the presence of high glucose concentration. The overall results obtained showed that cellulolytic activity in P. fluorescens was regulated by catabolite repression.Key words: Pseudomonas fluorescens, ethylmethanesulphonate, mutants, cellulose, catabolite repression, induction ratio.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (8), pp. 838-84

Genotoxicity assessment of a pharmaceutical effluent using four bioassays

Pharmaceutical industries are among the major contributors to industrial waste. Their effluents when wrongly handled and disposed of endanger both human and environmental health. In this study, we investigated the potential genotoxicity of a pharmaceutical effluent, by using the Allium cepa, mouse- sperm morphology, bone marrow chromosome aberration (CA) and micronucleus (MN) assays. Some of the physico-chemical properties of the effluent were also determined. The A. cepa and the animal assays were respectively carried out at concentrations of 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5 and 10%; and 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50% of the effluent. There was a statistically different (p < 0.05), concentration-dependent inhibition of onion root growth and mitotic index, and induction of chromosomal aberrations in the onion and mouse CA test. Assessment of sperm shape showed that the fraction of the sperm that was abnormal in shape was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than the negative control value. MN analysis showed a dose-dependent induction of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes across the treatment groups. These observations were provoked by the toxic and genotoxic constituents present in test samples. The tested pharmaceutical effluent is a potentially genotoxic agent and germ cell mutagen, and may induce adverse health effects in exposed individuals

Brief report: Validity and reliability of the Nigerian Autism Screening Questionnaire

Informant-report measures for screening symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are needed for low-resource settings if early identification is to be prioritized because early developmental concerns are likely to be expressed by parents and other caregivers. This paper describes the initial psychometric evaluation of the Nigeria Autism Screening Questionnaire (NASQ). Parents and other caregivers completed the NASQ on 12,311 children ages 1 to 18 in a Nigerian population sample as part of the World Bank National General Household Survey conducted in the country in 2016. Factor analyses indicated a parsimonious three-factor structure with social communication/interaction, repetitive sensory motor, and insistence on sameness dimensions. Measurement invariance was excellent across age and sex. Reliability of the subscales and total scale was good, and item response theory analyses indicated good measurement precision in the range from below average to high scores, crucial for screening, and tracking ASD symptoms. Studies with gold standard ASD diagnostic instruments and clinical confirmation are needed to evaluate screening and diagnostic accuracy. The NASQ appears to be a reliable instrument with a clear factor structure and potential for use in screening and tracking ASD symptoms in future Nigerian samples

We need to talk about manels: the problem of implicit gender bias in sport and exercise medicine.

In 2015, a website (www.allmalepanels.tumblr. com/) began documenting instances of all-male panels (colloquially known as a ‘manel’). This, along with the Twitter hashtag #manel, has helped drive recognition of the persistent and pervasive gender bias in the composition of experts assembled to present at conferences and other events. Recent social media discussions have similarly highlighted the prevalence of all-male panels in Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM). While, to our knowledge, all-male panel trends in SEM have not yet formally been documented or published, one need look no further than SEM conference committees, keynote speaker lists, panels and other events to see that it exists in practice. Why, in 2018, is SEM and its related disciplines still failing to identify and acknowledge the role that implicit bias plays in the very structure of our own research, practice and education? SEM is, after all, a profession that contains experts, and serves populations, of all genders. This editorial will introduce the definition, implications and manifestations of implicit gender bias and then explore how the SEM community can begin to address this issue, advance the discussion and develop a more equitable global community

Does the spillage of petroleum products in Anopheles breeding sites have an impact on the pyrethroid resistance?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The emergence of <it>Anopheles </it>populations capable of withstanding lethal doses of insecticides has weakened the efficacy of most insecticide based strategies of vector control and, has highlighted the need for further studies on the mechanisms of insecticide resistance and the various factors selecting resistant populations of mosquitoes. This research targeted the analysis of breeding sites and the oviposition behaviour of susceptible and resistant populations of <it>Anopheles </it>in localities of spilled petroleum products. The aim was to establish the possible contribution of oil spillage in the selection of pyrethroid resistance in malaria vectors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>Anopheles </it>breeding sites were identified and the insecticide susceptibility of the <it>Anopheles gambiae </it>populations mapped in 15 localities of South Western Nigeria. The presence of oil particles as well as the turbidity, the dissolved oxygen and the pH of each identified breeding site was recorded. Data were cross-analysed to correlate the habitat types and the insecticide susceptibility status of emerging mosquitoes. The second phase of this study was basically a laboratory model to provide more information on the implication of the spillage of petroleum on the selection of pyrethroid resistance in <it>An. gambiae</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Moderate levels of resistance following exposure to permethrin-impregnated papers were recorded with the majority of <it>An. gambiae </it>samples collected in the South Western Nigeria. Data from this study established a link between the constituency of the breeding sites and the resistance status of the emerging <it>Anopheles</it>.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study has revealed the segregational occupation of breeding habitats by pyrethroid resistant and susceptible strains of <it>An. gambiae </it>in south-western Nigeria. Compiled results from field and laboratory research point out clear relationships between oil spillage and pyrethroid resistance in malaria vectors. The identification of this factor of resistance could serve as strong information in the management of insecticide resistance in some West African settings.</p

Achromobacter xylosoxidans respiratory tract infection in cystic fibrosis patients

The aims of this study were to evaluate the frequency of Achromobacter xylosoxidans infection in a cohort of cystic fibrosis patients, to investigate antimicrobial sensitivity, to establish possible clonal likeness among strains, and to address the clinical impact of this infection or colonization on the general outcome of these patients. The study was undertaken between January 2004 and December 2008 on 300 patients receiving care at the Regional Cystic Fibrosis Center of the Naples University “Federico II”. Sputum samples were checked for bacterial identification. For DNA fingerprinting, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was carried out. Fifty-three patients (17.6%) had at least one positive culture for A. xylosoxidans; of these, 6/53 (11.3%) patients were defined as chronically infected and all were co-colonized by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Of the patients, 18.8% persistently carried multidrug-resistant isolates. Macrorestriction analysis showed the presence of seven major clusters. DNA fingerprinting also showed a genetic relationship among strains isolated from the same patients at different times. The results of DNA fingerprinting indicate evidence of bacterial clonal likeness among the enrolled infected patients. We found no significant differences in the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and body mass index (BMI) when comparing the case group of A. xylosoxidans chronically infected patients with the control group of P. aeruginosa chronically infected patients

Comparison of major depression diagnostic classification probability using the SCID, CIDI, and MINI diagnostic interviews among women in pregnancy or postpartum: An individual participant data meta-analysis

Objectives A previous individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA) identified differences in major depression classification rates between different diagnostic interviews, controlling for depressive symptoms on the basis of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. We aimed to determine whether similar results would be seen in a different population, using studies that administered the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in pregnancy or postpartum. Methods Data accrued for an EPDS diagnostic accuracy IPDMA were analysed. Binomial generalised linear mixed models were fit to compare depression classification odds for the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID), controlling for EPDS scores and participant characteristics. Results Among fully structured interviews, the MINI (15 studies, 2,532 participants, 342 major depression cases) classified depression more often than the CIDI (3 studies, 2,948 participants, 194 major depression cases; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.21, 11.43]). Compared with the semistructured SCID (28 studies, 7,403 participants, 1,027 major depression cases), odds with the CIDI (interaction aOR = 0.88, 95% CI [0.85, 0.92]) and MINI (interaction aOR = 0.95, 95% CI [0.92, 0.99]) increased less as EPDS scores increased. Conclusion Different interviews may not classify major depression equivalently