Determination of systolic blood pressure recovery time after exercise in apparently healthy, normotensive, non-athletic adults and the effects of age, gender, and exercise intensity

The aim of this study was to determine in statistical terms, the systolic blood pressure recovery time (SBPRT) and the effects of age, gender and exercise intensity in a large sample of apparently healthy non-athletic adults (n=597, aged 18-68). Subjects performed mild, moderate, and severe ergometer exercise tests. Blood pressure was measured before exercise (after 10 and 15 minutes of rest), during exercise (at 2-minute intervals) and at every minute of post-exercise recovery until systolic blood pressure (SBP) returned to baseline. The present findings indicate that the average values of SBPRT were between 5 and 7 minutes regardless of age, gender or exercise intensity. Systolic blood pressure recovery time increased with each age group (p\u3c0.001) in all the exercise intensities. Young and middle-aged men indicated higher SBPRT than females (p\u3c0.001) in mild and moderate exercise regimens. In men, SBPRT appeared to decrease with increase in exercise intensity (p\u3c0.001) but indicated no significant differences amongst the exercise intensities in women. The present study therefore indicated mean SBPRT values that were consistent with previously reported values and which indicated age and gender effects following three exercise intensities of cycle ergometer. The reported data will help clinicians to define post-exercise SBP responses in statistical terms stratified by age, gender and exercise intensity in future investigations and during clinical assessment of individuals

Age-Related Differences in Systolic Blood Pressure Recovery after a Maximal-Effort Exercise Test in Non-Athletic Adults

The present study investigated the rate of systolic blood pressure recovery (SBPR) amongst three male age groups. Ninety-six apparently healthy, non-athletic adult males (48 young [23.91±4.58 years], 32 middle-aged [41.78±5.98 years] and 16 elderly [62.87±2.57 years]) participated in the study. Subjects performed a maximal-effort ergometer exercise test. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was measured during the exercise protocol; heart rate (HR) and SBP were measured before exercise (after 10 and 15 minutes of rest), during exercise (at 2-minute intervals), and at the first minute of post-exercise recovery and subsequently at 2-minute intervals until the recovery of SBP. Results showed that third-minute SBP ratio relative to 1 minute of recovery (SBPRy) was significantly lower (p\u3c0.01; p\u3c0.001) in the young (0.87± 0.06) when compared to middle aged (0.91 ± 0.05) and elderly adults (0.93 ± 0.04). Using bivariate correlation analysis, VO2max and %HR decline at 1 minute and 3 minutes of recovery, correlated with SBPRy in all age groups but after controlling for their confounders, only %HR decline in 3 min remained significantly correlated with SBPR in all the age groups. This study therefore showed age differences in SBPR after exercise with younger adults indicating faster recovery than older adults. After controlling for factors influencing SBPR, %HR decline in 3 min of recovery appeared to be a stronger contributor to age differences in SBPR than %HR decline in 1 min and VO2max. The reported data indicate the need to take age into account when interpreting SBPR after exercise during physical assessment of healthy individuals

Variability and Heritability of Yield and Yield Components of Various Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Varieties in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Field experiments were conducted at the Rivers State University Teaching and Research Farm Nkpolu, Port Harcourt, during the 2019 planting season under rainfed condition and complimented by irrigation in two different planting dates to access the genetic variability and heritability in yield and yield components of twenty-five rice varieties. The experiments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data were collected on eleven yield and yield components. Results from the analysis of variance indicated significant differences (P < 0.01 < 0.05) among the varieties for all parameters except plant height and tiller number in planting date one. Combined analysis of variance across planting dates showed that there was significant variation (P < 0.01) among the rice varieties for all parameters evaluated. The varietal mean performance for phenological parameters showed significant differences (P < 0.05) for all parameters except tiller number in planting date one. Variability evaluation of varieties for yield parameters showed significant differences (P < 0.05) for all parameters evaluated except for 100-grain weight in planting date two. The pooled mean values of the varieties differed significantly (P < 0.05) for all yield parameters evaluated. The highest grain yield per stand was recorded in UPIA 2 with 7.41 g/stand, and was significantly different from FARO 67 with the least (1.70 g/stand). The estimate of variance components showed that phenotypic variance (Vp) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PVC) were higher than their corresponding genotypic variance (Vg) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all the parameters studied. Heritability estimates in broad sense were found to be moderate for majority of the parameters, except leaf area (68.12%), panicle number (63.41%), spikelet fertility (50.23%) and grain yield per stand (55.87%) that had high heritability estimates and tiller number (15.93%) which had a low estimate. However, only leaf area, panicle number and grain yield per stand had high heritability estimates which were accompanied by high genetic advance. There was considerable variation among the 25 rice varieties evaluated. UPIA 2 and FARO 44 had the best agronomic performance. However, UPN 324, UPN 228, FARO 61 and 66 could be selected for onward improvement programme. Keynote: Grain yield, heritability, Oryza sativa, variation, yield components DOI: 10.7176/ALST/86-04 Publication date:March 31st 202

Effect of Ethanoic Extract of Treculia Africana Seeds on Total Cholesterol, Total Protein, and Nitric Oxide

Treculia africana is well known and eaten by the people of South-South and South-East region of Nigeria. T. africana can be eaten alone or process and combine it with other fruits. It is nutritious and provide natural bioactive substance to the body. This study was aim to evaluate the Effect of Ethanoic Extract of Treculia africana Seeds on Total Cholesterol, Total Protein, and Nitric Oxide. It was an experimental research. 20 male rats were randomly selected into four groups (control, low dose, moderate dose and high dose groups) with five animals per group.  Group A served as control and received only water and pellet feed, Group B (low dose) received 250mg/kg, group C (moderate dose) received 300mg/kgand group D (high dose) received 350mg/kg of aqueous extract of Treculia africana seed respectively. The extract was administered orally to the rats once a day for a period of 10days. On the 11th day, the animals were anaesthetized with chloroform soaked in cotton wool and blood tissues were collected. The results revealed that,there is significantly increase in the serum levels of total protein in all the treated groups when compared with control (Total protein control 51.40±0.51, low dose 61.60±0.51* medium dose 71.60±0.51*, and 71.80±1.07*). Total cholesterol significantly decreased when both medium and high dose were administered when compared with control (Total cholesterol control 2.34±0.05, medium dose 1.90±0.07*, high dose 1.96±0.19*). Also, nitric oxide significantly increases serum levels in the groups treated with T. africana when compared with control (Nitric oxide control 7.16±0.14, low dose 8.98±0.09*, medium dose 8.50±0.15* and high dose 8.02±0.11*)

Ascertaining the Overall Occurrence of Dental Fluorosis in Students of Selected Secondary Schools in Rivers State

Public health places a premium on understanding the amount of fluoride in potable water and other toothpastes, as well as how it affects skeletal and dental tissues to cause fluorosis. Fluorosis is, however, poorly understood and known in Nigeria. The goal of this research was to Ascertain the Overall Occurrence of Dental Fluorosis in Students of Selected Secondary Schools in Rivers State. A cross-sectional survey of 541 students from selected secondary schools in Rivers State who were between the ages of 9 and 17 was carried out. All students present at school on the day of data collection had their mouths examined by oral health professionals as part of a quasi-experimental method. Each subject was supported by a torch light while seated on a chair, and their teeth were examined for dental fluorosis in their wet state. The presence of dental fluorosis and the severity of it were documented using Dean's Dental Fluorosis. The presence of dental fluorosis and the severity of it were documented using Dean's Dental Fluorosis. (358) Dental fluorosis impacted 66.17% of the students, varying in severity from very mild to severe cases

Hepatotoxic Effects of Potassium Bromate on Adult Wistar Rats

Objective: We aimed to demonstrate the histopathologic effects of potassium bromate (KBrO3) on the liver cells of rats following oral administration. Method: Twenty young Wistar rats of weights 196-215g were divided into four groups. The control group A was orally administered with 1ml of distilled water daily; the experimental groups B, C and D were orally administered with 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight/day dosages of KBrO3 for 35 days. Both the control and experimental groups were sacrificed using the chloroform inhalation method at the end of study period.Results: Rats which received 200 mg kg-1 b.wt. of KBrO3 died within the 20th day of administration. The body weights were significantly increased (P<0.05) in the experimental groups from the 3rd to the 5th week of study while the relative weight of their liver were not affected compared to the control group. Histopathological examination of the experimental groups indicated; little sinusoidal dilatation in rats treated with 50 mg kg-1 b.wt. of KBrO3; hepatic vacuolation, large sinusoidal dilatation, degenerative changes and cellular congestion in rats, which received 100, 200 mg kg-1 b.wt. of KBrO3 compared with the control group, which maintained normal kidney tissues. These histological alterations appeared marked in rats administered with 200 mg kg-1 b.wt. of KBrO3.Conclusion: The present study indicated dose-dependent, histopathologic effects on the liver cells of rats administered with KBrO3. Our findings therefore suggest that chronic KBrO3 consumption may put the liver at some risk of adverse histopathological conditions. Keywords: Liver, histopathology, potassium bromate, hepatotoxicity

Splenotoxic effect of radiographic developer effluent on Wistar rats

Background: Histological changes associated with toxicity of radiographic developer effluents on spleen tissues have not been previously studied. The present study therefore aimed at demonstrating the histopathological changes in splenic tissues of Wistar rats following exposure to developer effluent.Methods: Eighteen young Wistar rats weighing 140-220g were used for the study. The animals were divided randomly into three groups of 6 rats each based on the dose of developer effluent administered to them – i.e. control group I (0 dose) and experimental groups II (lower dose, 200 mg/kg) and III (higher dose, 400 mg/kg) respectively. The groups were further classified as either A or B sub-groups of three rats each, depending on the duration (14 or 28 days) of effluent administration. The effluent administration was done by oral gavages.Results: Normal spleen histology was observed in the control group. In contrast, tissue degeneration and necrosis; lymphocytic infiltration as well as reduction of splenic follicles were observed in some of the test groups (IIA, IIB and IIIA). Interestingly, the toxic effects of the developer effluent on group IIIB administered with higher dose for a longer period of 28 days were not as severe as observed in the other test groups.Conclusions: The present study which indicated adverse effects of exposures to sub-lethal doses of developer effluent on Wistar rats’ spleen tissues suggests the need for proper management and disposal of radiographic effluents.

Urinary Tract Infection in Okada village: Prevalence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern

The antimicrobial sensitivity pattern of bacterial isolates from suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) patients at Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital was carried out from November 2004 to November 2005 using the disc diffusion method. The subjects were made up of 330 (60%) males and 220 (40%) females. The commonest isolates were Escherichia coli (51.2%), Staphylococcus aureus (27.3%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (12.8%) respectively. Both methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and methicillin sensitive (MSSA) S. aureus were isolated in the study. The isolates were highly sensitive to ofloxacin but low to moderately sensitive to gentimicin, tobramycin, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, nitrofurantoin, and cefuroxine. The MSSA isolates were highly sensitive to ciprofloxaxin and ofloxacin while the MRSA were sensitive to ofloxacin. In addition, the isolates showed multi-drug resistance

Adaptive remodeling of the bacterial proteome by specific ribosomal modification regulates Pseudomonas infection and niche colonisation

Post-transcriptional control of protein abundance is a highly important, underexplored regulatory process by which organisms respond to their environments. Here we describe an important and previously unidentified regulatory pathway involving the ribosomal modification protein RimK, its regulator proteins RimA and RimB, and the widespread bacterial second messenger cyclic-di-GMP (cdG). Disruption of rimK affects motility and surface attachment in pathogenic and commensal Pseudomonas species, with rimK deletion significantly compromising rhizosphere colonisation by the commensal soil bacterium P. fluorescens, and plant infection by the pathogens P. syringae and P. aeruginosa. RimK functions as an ATP-dependent glutamyl ligase, adding glutamate residues to the C-terminus of ribosomal protein RpsF and inducing specific effects on both ribosome protein complement and function. Deletion of rimK in P. fluorescens leads to markedly reduced levels of multiple ribosomal proteins, and also of the key translational regulator Hfq. In turn, reduced Hfq levels induce specific downstream proteomic changes, with significant increases in multiple ABC transporters, stress response proteins and non-ribosomal peptide synthetases seen for both ΔrimK and Δhfq mutants. The activity of RimK is itself controlled by interactions with RimA, RimB and cdG. We propose that control of RimK activity represents a novel regulatory mechanism that dynamically influences interactions between bacteria and their hosts; translating environmental pressures into dynamic ribosomal changes, and consequently to an adaptive remodeling of the bacterial proteome