WebSocket in real time application

There has been an increase in request for real time data feeds, teleconferencing and group communication which entails full duplex connection amongst client and server. Real time web application involves clients which is also known as a browser getting updates from the server as they happen. with regards to the limit observed in old-style real-time communication which include long polling, polling server-sent events and comets, this paper recommends using upcoming Web Socket technology when dealing with real time. The Web Socket offers improved result as compared to the conventional approaches that are considered to be the good solution of providing real time information and lessens overhead acquired while communicating over the internet and offers stateful, efficient communication among Web Servers and Clients.Keywords: WebSocket, Http Polling, Http Streaming, Server-Sent Events, Come

Controlled-scattering resonances in a spherical potential well

Understanding of collision processes is required in designing robust nano-particles for future applications. This study proposes a technique for controlling scattering resonances by using the tuning of well parameters to impose pre-determined thresholds on resonances and bound states in collision processes. The theoretical concept of scattering in a spherical potential well, at varying depths was adopted. A scan of q from 0 to 5π at incremental steps of q= π/p yields (p x 5)+1 number of state(s), and p-1 state(s) resonate(s) at each bound state

COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF CARBON STORAGE IN BIOMASS AND SOIL ORGANIC CARBON IN TEAK PLANTATION OF DIFFERENT AGES IN YEWA NORTH, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Tree act as a sink for CO2 by fixing carbon during photosynthesis and is a vital tool to alleviate climate change through CO2 absorption from the atmosphere. This study was conducted to assess carbon storage in tree biomass and soil carbon stock in Teak (Tectona grandis) plantations of different age series (5, 9 and 12 years). Data were collected on diameter at breast height (Dbh) and total height (TH) of all the trees in a sample plot of 1000 m2 in each plantation of age series. Carbon stored was evaluated based on tree growth variables, soil parameters and above ground biomass. Topsoil and subsoil (0-15 and 15-30 cm) samples collected from three sites were analyzed for organic carbon (OC) following standard methods.  Mean diameter at breast height were 67.11, 45.42, and 21.35 cm ha-1 and the mean volumes were 0.39, 0.16 and 0.02 m3ha-1 for 12, 9 and 5 years old were significant different (p<0.05). The highest value of total soil organic carbon (TSOC) was 8464.65 t.ha-1 for the 12year-old followed by 4430.25 t.ha-1 for 9 years old stand and 3004.95 t.ha-1 for 5years old were significant different (p<0.05) respectively. The total soil organic carbon per hectare were higher for the older than the younger Tectona grandis stand (8464.65 t.ha-1, 4430.25 t.ha-1 and 3004.95 t.ha-1) were significant different (p<0.05). Total carbon storage by soil and in biomass (CSB) was 15899.85 and 49.31 tons.ha-1 and total carbon accumulated by the plantation under investigation was in the order of 12 years old > 9 years old > 5 years old, respectively. The results of this study confirm that teak has good potentials to offer carbon sequestration through its soil and accumulate large amount of biomass carbon. The plantation ownership should be guided properly on the management activities such as thinning, pruning and weeding operation as well as indiscriminate removal of individual caused by anthropogenic activities should be avoided.     &nbsp

Patterns of Morbidity and Mortality amongst Motorcycle Riders and their Passengers in Benin-City Nigeria: One-year Review

Objective: To evaluate patterns of morbidity and mortality among bike riders and pillion seat passengers involved in road traffic accidents in Benin-City Nigeria between August 2003-July 2004. Methods: A total of Fifty-one bike riders and pillion seat passengers, who participated in this study were part of a larger study, involved in a road traffic accident and were brought to the accident and emergency unit of either the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) or the State Specialist Hospital between August 2002-July2003.The injured ones were examined and dead patients had an autopsy done on them Results: A total of 51 cases of bikes riders/pillion seat passenger accidents were recorded representing 18% of total accidents. 35 motorbike riders/pillion seat passengers were struck down by cars (68.6%). Seven bike riders/pillion seat passengers (13.5%) were struck by articulated vehicles. 7 bike riders/pillion seat passengers representing 13.5% of cases were stuck by buses, 2 (3.9%) pillion seat passengers fell of bikes from epilepsies and sustained secondary injuries. Males were more in number with a ratio of 2.5; 1. One hundred percent (100%) or all motorcyclist and their passengers did not use helmets. Conclusion: Cars struck down most bike riders and their pillion seat passengers. Males were more than females in number. The commonest autopsy findings as cause of death was intra-cranial hemorrhage preventable by the use of crash helmets.Objectif: pour \ue9valuer la morbidit\ue9 et la mortalit\ue9 parmi les motocyclistes et leur passagers qui sont victimes des accidents de circulation dans la cite de B\ue9nin au Nigeria entre Ao\ufbt 2003 et Juillet 2004 M\ue9thodes: une cinquante des motocyclistes et leurs passagers participants dans cette \ue9tude, \ue9taient victimes d'un accidents de circulation et ont \ue9t\ue9 amen\ue9 a la salle d'urgence et d'accidents du centre hospitalier universitaire du B\ue9nin ou de l'h\uf4pital sp\ue9cialiste de l'\ue9tat entre Ao\ufbt 2002 et juillet 2003. On a examine les blesses et quant aux gens morts, on leur a fait une autopsie. R\ue9sultat: on a not\ue9 une cinquantaine des motocyclistes et leur passagers qui \ue9taient victimes d'accidents routiers. Ce bilan repr\ue9sente 18% de tous les accidents. Trente-cinq motocyclistes \ue9taient renverses par les voitures (68%), sept motocyclistes et passagers 13.5% \ue9taient renverses par les autobus, deux passagers sont tomb\ue9s du moto pendant une attaque d'\ue9pilepsie et \ue9taient gri\ue8vement bless\ue9s Pratiquement tous les motocyclistes se sont m\ue9pris\ue9s de casque protecteur. Conclusions: la plupart des motocyclistes et passagers \ue9taient renvers\ue9s par les voitures. Parmi les victimes, les hommes \ue9taient plus nombreux que les femmes. Partout dans les r\ue9sultats de l'autopsie, la cause la plus courante des morts \ue9tait l'h\ue9morragie intracr\ue2nienne

Relevance of the MicroRNA (Mirna) Processor DICER Expression in the Biological Behaviour and Pathological Response of Nigerian Breast Cancer Tissues

Background: Breast cancer (BC) among Nigerians is characterised by high grade, triple negative, basal-like phenotype tumours with high proliferation indices and poor prognosis. The loss of Dicer expression has been speculated to play a key role in BC with similar features among the women in the Western countries. Objectives: To demonstrate the role of the Dicer expression in relation to pathological response in BC, in order to determine the biological behaviour and its prognostic significance in BC among Nigerian women using immunohistochemistry and Tissue microarray (TMA). Methods: This study investigated the immune profiles of the Dicer in 241 tissue microarray of breast cancer tissue of Nigerian women and correlated the protein expression with the pathological response and the other biomarker expressions to determine the functional significance in Nigerian women. Results: Protein expression of Dicer as compared with other biomarkers expression showed there was significant association between the loss of Dicer expression and the down-regulators of Breast Cancer Associated Gene-1 (BRCA1), metastasis tumour antigen-1(MTA 1) (p = 0.004), Inhibitor differentiation-4 (ID4) (p = 0.002), ubiquitin conjugating enzyme-9 (UBC9) (p = 0.008) and protein inhibitor of activated signal transducer gamma PIASγ (p = 0.002). Other relevant Homologous repair pathway markers included poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1(PARP1) (p < 0.001) and RAD51 (p < 0.001), cell cycle regulator protein-27(p27) (p = 0.024), the proliferation kinetic protein ( Ki-67) (p = 0.003) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression (p = 0.013). Survival analysis also showed that there was no significant correlation between tumours negative for Dicer and patient outcome. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the loss of Dicer is associated with intermediate to higher grade tumour, discrepant MI/Ki-67 expression, p27 loss, homologous recombination response dysregulation, high EGFR and Ki-67 expression. Therefore, Dicer expression appears to play a major role in the biology of BC among Nigerian women. A targeted therapy on Dicer expression would enhance the management of BC among Nigerian women

Knowledge of breast cancer and its early detection measures among rural women in Akinyele Local Government Area, Ibadan, Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the commonest cancer among women in Nigeria and globally. In Nigeria, late presentations of breast cancer cases have also been consistent for three decades. In an environment where there is no established national screening program for breast cancer, it is pertinent to assess the knowledge of breast cancer and its early detection measures. The objective of this study therefore, was to assess rural women's level of knowledge of breast cancer and its early detection measures. METHODS: The knowledge of various aspects of breast cancer; etiology, early warning signs, treatment modes and early detection measures; was assessed among women in two randomly selected health districts in Akinyele Local Government in Ibadan. The assessment was performed with the use of a self-structured validated questionnaire administered by trained interviewers to 420 women randomly selected from the two health districts. The various aspects of facts about breast cancer were scored and added together to determine respondents' level of knowledge RESULTS: The mean score of knowledge of breast cancer was 55.4 SD 5.4 (range of scores obtainable was 26–78), while the mean score for knowledge of early detection of breast cancer was 24.8 SD 2.3 (range of scores obtainable was 12–36). The leading source of information about breast cancer was "elders, neighbors and friends" and 63(15.4%) acknowledged this source, while only 18 (4.4%) respondents acknowledged health workers as source. Only 54 (13.3%) claimed to have heard about breast self- examination (BSE) however, and the leading source of information about BSE were health workers. Nine (2.2%) of respondents claimed this source. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that respondents lacked knowledge of vital issues about breast cancer and early detection measures. It also revealed that health workers were not forthcoming with information to the public thereby constituting a challenge to community health nurses and other health workers, to provide vital information to the public

Clinicopathological and molecular characteristics of Ku 70/80 expression in Nigerian breast cancer and its potential therapeutic implications

Ku 70/80 is a regulator of the Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) roles in clinicopathological features, and has prognostic significance in breast cancer (BC) in Caucasian populations. However, its significance in the Nigerian BC population, which is characterized by a higher rate of the triple-negative and basal phenotype, p53 mutation rate and BRCA1 deficiency, still needs to be investigated. We hypothesize that Ku70/80 expression shows adverse expression in Nigerian BC and, furthermore, that it is likely to have a therapeutic implication for Black BC management.This study investigated the biological, clinicopathological and prognostic significance of Ku 70/80 expression in a BC cohort from a Nigerian population. Ku 70/80 expression was determined in 188 well-characterized formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) BC samples using tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry. Ku 70/80 expression was correlated with clinicopathological, molecular and prognostic characteristics of patients.Ku 70/80 was expressed in 113 (60.1%) tumors, and was positively associated with metastatic disease, triple-negative and basal phenotype, BRCA1 down regulators (MTA-1 and ID4), p-cadherin, PI3KCA and p53 expression. It inversely correlated with BRCA1, BRCA2, BARD1 and p27. Ku 70/80 was predictive of breast cancer-specific survival in multivariate analysis, but not of disease-free interval.This study demonstrated that Ku 70/80 expression is associated with triple negativity and down-regulation of the homologous recombination pathway of DNA repair. Therefore, the development of novel drugs to target KU70/80 may improve the patients’ outcome in the treatment of Black BC

Physician Attitudes towards Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement: Safety Concerns Are Paramount

The ethical dimensions of pharmacological cognitive enhancement have been widely discussed in academic circles and the popular media, but missing from the conversation have been the perspectives of physicians - key decision makers in the adoption of new technologies into medical practice. We queried primary care physicians in major urban centers in Canada and the United States with the aim of understanding their attitudes towards cognitive enhancement. Our primary hypothesis was that physicians would be more comfortable prescribing cognitive enhancers to older patients than to young adults. Physicians were presented with a hypothetical pharmaceutical cognitive enhancer that had been approved by the regulatory authorities for use in healthy adults, and was characterized as being safe, effective, and without significant adverse side effects. Respondents overwhelmingly reported increasing comfort with prescribing cognitive enhancers as the patient age increased from 25 to 65. When asked about their comfort with prescribing extant drugs that might be considered enhancements (sildenafil, modafinil, and methylphenidate) or our hypothetical cognitive enhancer to a normal, healthy 40 year old, physicians were more comfortable prescribing sildenafil than any of the other three agents. When queried as to the reasons they answered as they did, the most prominent concerns physicians expressed were issues of safety that were not offset by the benefit afforded the individual, even in the face of explicit safety claims. Moreover, many physicians indicated that they viewed safety claims with considerable skepticism. It has become routine for safety to be raised and summarily dismissed as an issue in the debate over pharmacological cognitive enhancement; the observation that physicians were so skeptical in the face of explicit safety claims suggests that such a conclusion may be premature. Thus, physician attitudes suggest that greater weight be placed upon the balance between safety and benefit in consideration of pharmacological cognitive enhancement