Ecological assessment of a coastal shallow lagoon in Lagos, Nigeria: A bio-indicator approach

Benthic macro-invertebrates of the Northern axis of metropolitan segment of Lagos Lagoon sediments, Nigeria were investigated for six months (April – September, 2010). The study was aimed at using benthic macro-invertebrates to assess the water quality of this part of the Lagoon. A total of ten taxa belonging to three major animal phyla from a total of 2,672 individuals were encountered. The dominant taxa throughoutthe study and stations were Pachymelania aurita, Aloidis trigona, and Neritina glabrata. Station A (Ikorodu port) had seven taxa, station B (Ibese) had five while stations C (Ofin) and D (Oreta) had eight taxa each.Stations A(Ikorodu port), B(Ibese), C(Ofin) and D(Oreta) accounted for 8.19%, 0.94%, 79.83% and 11.04% respectively in all the individuals collected. Gastropoda was highest and accounted for 54.83% of all individuals collected from all stations contributing 2.58% at station A and 0.49%, 48.39% and 3.37% respectively at stations B, C and D, while Polychaeta had the least (0.97%) with station A, B, C and D constituted 0.82%, 0.04%, 0.04% and 0.07% respectively. Sediment type of the study areas was predominantly muddy sand. The presence of more pollution tolerant species (Nereis spp, Capitella capitata and Polydora ciliata) in station A may serve to confirm that the community has been impacted by pollution. The low faunal abundance and diversity observed in station B could be attributed to stress imposed by effluents from industrial sources. The information of this study will be very useful in formulating policies and regulatory framework for sustainable management of Lagos Lagoo

Study of physico-chemical characteristics of the westernmost part of the barrier Lagoon complex, Western Nigeria

Some physico-chemical parameters of Badagry Creek and Ologe Lagoon in the Barrier Lagoon Complex of western Nigerian coastal zone were measured on quarterly basis from June 2011 to May 2012. Water samples were collected and analyzed using standard methods at five stations in each of the two water bodies. A brackish condition was observed in Badagry Creek with salinity range of 2.00 ± 3.8 ‰ to 3.85 ± 4.48 ‰ while entirely freshwater condition was recorded in Ologe Lagoon. Surface water temperature, pH, alkalinity, nitrate and phosphate at every station in the two water bodies were within the normal ranges considered suitable for tropical aquatic life. However, high levels of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) were recorded at a station in Badagry Creek (8.15 ± 1.66 mg/l) and two stations in Ologe Lagoon (16.9 ± 10.46 and 9.40 ± 7.56 mg/l), where untreated municipal wastes are being discharged into the water bodies. These stations also had relatively low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels (3.30 ± 0.22, 1.08 ± 0.96 and 3.68 ± 3.2 mg/l respectively). Relatively high levels of lead were also recorded at these stations (0.50 ± 0.42, 0.85 ± 0.07 and 0.35 ± 0.35 mg/l respectively). The implications of the physico-chemical conditions on bio-communities as well as the imperativeness of regulating the discharge of untreated wastes into the water bodies for their sustainable management and conservation are discussed.Keywords: Physico-chemical parameters, Badagry Creek, Ologe Lagoon, untreated waste discharge, Organic pollution

Pooled analysis of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist use and mortality after emergency laparotomy

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist has fostered safe practice for 10 years, yet its place in emergency surgery has not been assessed on a global scale. The aim of this study was to evaluate reported checklist use in emergency settings and examine the relationship with perioperative mortality in patients who had emergency laparotomy. Methods In two multinational cohort studies, adults undergoing emergency laparotomy were compared with those having elective gastrointestinal surgery. Relationships between reported checklist use and mortality were determined using multivariable logistic regression and bootstrapped simulation. Results Of 12 296 patients included from 76 countries, 4843 underwent emergency laparotomy. After adjusting for patient and disease factors, checklist use before emergency laparotomy was more common in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI) (2455 of 2741, 89.6 per cent) compared with that in countries with a middle (753 of 1242, 60.6 per cent; odds ratio (OR) 0.17, 95 per cent c.i. 0.14 to 0.21, P <0001) or low (363 of 860, 422 per cent; OR 008, 007 to 010, P <0.001) HDI. Checklist use was less common in elective surgery than for emergency laparotomy in high-HDI countries (risk difference -94 (95 per cent c.i. -11.9 to -6.9) per cent; P <0001), but the relationship was reversed in low-HDI countries (+121 (+7.0 to +173) per cent; P <0001). In multivariable models, checklist use was associated with a lower 30-day perioperative mortality (OR 0.60, 0.50 to 073; P <0.001). The greatest absolute benefit was seen for emergency surgery in low- and middle-HDI countries. Conclusion Checklist use in emergency laparotomy was associated with a significantly lower perioperative mortality rate. Checklist use in low-HDI countries was half that in high-HDI countries.Peer reviewe

Global variation in anastomosis and end colostomy formation following left-sided colorectal resection

Background End colostomy rates following colorectal resection vary across institutions in high-income settings, being influenced by patient, disease, surgeon and system factors. This study aimed to assess global variation in end colostomy rates after left-sided colorectal resection. Methods This study comprised an analysis of GlobalSurg-1 and -2 international, prospective, observational cohort studies (2014, 2016), including consecutive adult patients undergoing elective or emergency left-sided colorectal resection within discrete 2-week windows. Countries were grouped into high-, middle- and low-income tertiles according to the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI). Factors associated with colostomy formation versus primary anastomosis were explored using a multilevel, multivariable logistic regression model. Results In total, 1635 patients from 242 hospitals in 57 countries undergoing left-sided colorectal resection were included: 113 (6·9 per cent) from low-HDI, 254 (15·5 per cent) from middle-HDI and 1268 (77·6 per cent) from high-HDI countries. There was a higher proportion of patients with perforated disease (57·5, 40·9 and 35·4 per cent; P < 0·001) and subsequent use of end colostomy (52·2, 24·8 and 18·9 per cent; P < 0·001) in low- compared with middle- and high-HDI settings. The association with colostomy use in low-HDI settings persisted (odds ratio (OR) 3·20, 95 per cent c.i. 1·35 to 7·57; P = 0·008) after risk adjustment for malignant disease (OR 2·34, 1·65 to 3·32; P < 0·001), emergency surgery (OR 4·08, 2·73 to 6·10; P < 0·001), time to operation at least 48 h (OR 1·99, 1·28 to 3·09; P = 0·002) and disease perforation (OR 4·00, 2·81 to 5·69; P < 0·001). Conclusion Global differences existed in the proportion of patients receiving end stomas after left-sided colorectal resection based on income, which went beyond case mix alone

Distribution of phytoplankton in some parts of Lagos Lagoon, Southwest Nigeria

Investigations were carried out on spatial and seasonal composition and distributions of phytoplankton in some parts of the Lagos Lagoon. Phytoplankton samples were collected from twelve stations during the wet(July, 2008) and dry (March, 2009) seasons. A typical freshwater condition prevailed in the study area during wet season with salinity of 0 parts per thousand (o/oo) at every station, whereas during the dry season, relativelyhigh salinity levels were recorded from all the stations with decreasing trend toward the river mouth. The two seasons had the diatoms (Bacillariophytes) of the Orders Centrales and Pennales as the dominantphytoplankton taxa. A total of 2896 phytoplankton belonging to  twenty-seven species, eight orders and four classes were recorded during wet season while the dry season had a total of 1550 phytoplankton, which cut across sixteen species, three orders and two classes. Wet and dry seasons respectively had Aulacoseira granulata and Coscinodiscus sps. as the dominant phytoplankton taxa. Higher dominance (0.33) and Margalefdiversity (3.26) but lower Shanon-Wiener diversity (1.94) and evenness of distribution (0.26) indices were recorded during the wet than dry seasons. The findings show the influence of seasonality on phytoplanktoncomposition and distributions in the Lagos Lagoon and suggest relatively stress-free environmental conditions within the study area

Dietary Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Alter the Fatty Acid Composition of Hepatic and Plasma Bioactive Lipids in C57BL/6 Mice : A Lipidomic Approach

Background Omega (n)-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are converted to bioactive lipid components that are important mediators in metabolic and physiological pathways; however, which bioactive compounds are metabolically active, and their mechanisms of action are still not clear. We investigated using lipidomic techniques, the effects of diets high in n-3 PUFA on the fatty acid composition of various bioactive lipids in plasma and liver. Methodology and Principal Findings Female C57BL/6 mice were fed semi-purified diets (20% w/w fat) containing varying amounts of n-3 PUFA before mating, during gestation and lactation, and until weaning. Male offspring were continued on their mothers’ diets for 16 weeks. Hepatic and plasma lipids were extracted in the presence of non-naturally occurring internal standards, and tandem electrospray ionization mass spectrometry methods were used to measure the fatty acyl compositions. There was no significant difference in total concentrations of phospholipids in both groups. However, there was a significantly higher concentration of eicosapentaenoic acid containing phosphatidylcholine (PC), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), and cholesteryl esters (CE) (p < 0.01) in the high n-3 PUFA group compared to the low n-3 PUFA group in both liver and plasma. Plasma and liver from the high n-3 PUFA group also had a higher concentration of free n-3 PUFA (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in plasma concentrations of different fatty acyl species of phosphatidylethanolamine, triglycerides, sphingomyelin and ceramides. Conclusions/Significance Our findings reveal for the first time that a diet high in n-3 PUFA caused enrichment of n-3 PUFA in PC, LPC, CE and free fatty acids in the plasma and liver of C57BL/6 mice. PC, LPC, and unesterified free n-3 PUFA are important bioactive lipids, thus altering their fatty acyl composition will have important metabolic and physiological roles