Evaluation of antiplasmodial effects of the ethanolic leaf extract of Salacia lehmbachii on Plasmodium berghei infected mice

Salacia lehmbachii leaves are used in Nigerian traditional medicine for the treatment of malaria and other diseases. The ethanolic extract was tested for its activities against suppressive, prophylactic and established infections in Plasmodium berghei infected albino mice at dose levels of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg; while chloroquine (10 mg/kg) was used as positive control. The extract exhibited significant dose-related antiplasmodial activities on parasites with the used-dose levels, showing significant mean survival time. The results, therefore, co-relate with claims by traditional users for the treatment of malaria and other feverish conditions; and could serve as source of potential new antimalarial  agents. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.55610

Maternal death and obstetric care audits in Nigeria: A systematic review of barriers and enabling factors in the provision of emergency care.

Acknowledgements We would like to thank Yutaka Osakabe for co-ordinating the retrieval of full text articles. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation supported this study, grant number 12-100074-000-INPPeer reviewedPublisher PD

A study of the formability of Nigerian clays

79-84The flow properties of a Nigerian clay has been examined. The results show that partial deflocculation of the clay slip for casting can be achieved by the addition of 0.14 wt% sodium carbonate without resorting to a mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium silicate. Weibull distribution has been used to predict the green strength of the crucibles. Cheap clay crucibles for melting aluminium have been produced by sintering the unfired clay crucibles at 1250°C for one hour

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF ACTIVE LEARNING AND THE TRADITIONAL LECTURES IN PHYSIOLOGY: A CASE STUDY OF 200 LEVEL MEDICAL LABORATORY STUDENTS OF IMO STATE UNIVERSITY, OWERRI.

Currently, understanding of Physiology and disease patterns is undergoing a fundamental paradigm shift with attendant shift in education of health professionals worldwide towards active learning to encourage exploration of connections and their relationships. We introduced problem-based learning to Physiology teaching of medial laboratory students to confirm worldwide reports that active learning environments offer better learning opportunities over the traditional methods which is the predominant teaching method in Nigerian universities. Our findings indicate that Problem-based learning increases students’ attendance/participation in classes and performance in examination. We recommend the integration of active learning into physiology curriculum of Nigerian Universities

Effect of Electrode Types on the Solidification Cracking Susceptibility of Austenitic Stainless Steel Weld Metal

The effect of electrode types on the solidification cracking susceptibility of austenitic stainless steel weld metal was studied. Manual metal arc welding method was used to produce the joints with the tungsten inert gas welding serving as the control. Metallographic and chemical analyses of the fusion zones of the joints were conducted. Results indicate that weldments produced from E 308-16 (rutile coated), E 308-16(lime-titania coated) electrodes, and TIG welded joints fall within the range of 1.5≤Creq./Nieq.≤1.9 and solidified with a duplex mode and were found to be resistant to solidification cracking. The E 308-16 weld metal had the greatest resistance to solidification cracking. Joints produced from E 310-16 had Creq./Nieq. ratio < 1.5 and solidified with austenite mode. It was found to be susceptible to solidification cracking. E 312-16 produced joints having Creq./Nieq. ratio > 1.9 and solidified with ferrite mode. It had a low resistance to solidification cracking

The reproductive dysfuction effects of gasline inhalation in alation in albino rats.

Daily exposure to fuel vapour may pose significant health risk to exposed individuals. Fifteen each of male and female albino rats weighing between 110-230g were divided into test (10) and control (5) groups each. The test animals were exposed to inhalation gasoline for one hour daily for twenty-one consecutive days. All animals were then bled and the serum levels of the reproductive hormones determined. The results showed significant (P<0.05) reduction in the serum levels of all the hormones of reproduction in both the male and female test animals. The results suggest that inhalation gasoline exposure significantly (P<0.05) lowers the levels of reproductive hormones in albino rats and may thus interfere with reproduction

The Effects of Health Education on Knowledge and Attitudes to Emergency Contraception by Female Students of a Tertiary Educational Institution in Enugu, South East Nigeria.

This was an intervention study to assess the effects of health education on the knowledge and attitudes to emergency contraception (EC) by female students of University of Nigeria in southeast Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 337 female students of a tertiary educational institution (150 in the study group and 187 from the control group) who were selected by multistage sampling. Subsequently, health education was conducted only among students in the study institution. Three months after this intervention, its effects were assessed through a survey using the same structured questionnaire employed in the baseline survey. Unlike the pre-intervention results, knowledge of EC was significantly higher (P < 0.05) among the study group than the controls. Attitudes to EC were also more favourable at the post- intervention survey among the study group. Health education can effectively improve knowledge and attitudes to EC among female students of tertiary institutions and this should be encouraged

The prevalence of overweight/obesity and dyslipidemia amongst a group of women attending "August" meeting

Background: Obesity and dyslipidemia are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease while obesity is a leading determinant for hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight/obesity and dyslipidemia amongst a group of women attending "August" meeting. Methods: A total of 186 women attending the 2006 "August" meeting at Naze, Owerri North Local Government Area, Imo State, were recruited into the study but only 183 had complete data. The Blood Pressure (BP) was measured using a Standard Mercury Sphygmomanometer with appropriate cuff size. BMI was calculated as weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in meters) squared. Based on the WHO classification overweight was defined as BMI between 25 and 29.9kg/m 2 , and obesity was defined as BMI ≥ 30kg/m 2 . Total serum cholesterol was determined by the method of Trinder 1969, triglycerides by the method of Jacobs and van Demark 1960 while LDL-C and HDL-C were determined by the method of Assmann, Jabs Kohnert et al 1984. Hypercholesterolemia was defined as total cholesterol 6.20mmol/L (240mg/dl), reduced HDL less than 1.29mmol/L (50mg/ dl), Hypertriglyceridemia as triglycerides greater than 1.7mmol/ L (150mg/dl). Result:The mean age is 54.84yrs ± 10.76, the mean BMI 26.47 ± 4.50, mean SBP 132.38mmHg ± 21.94, mean DBP 77.07mmHg ± 12.25, mean TC 5.29 mmol/L ± 1.76, mean HDL 1.14mmol/L ± 0.83, mean LDL 1.39mmol/L ± 0.63, mean TG 1.49mmol/L ± 0.63. The prevalence of overweight was 38.5%, obesity 20.7%, hypertriglyceridemia 34.1%, hypercholesterolemia 31.4%, low HDL 37.6%, hypertension 44.3% and dyslipidemia 60.5%. BMI correlated with DBP r =.290, P < .000; TC r = .246, P < .001; LDL r = .172, P = .024 but did not correlate with age SBP, TG and HDL. Age correlated with SBP r =.321, P < .000 and LDL r =.163, P =.031. TC correlated with SBP r =.370, P < .000, DBP r = .274, P < .000, TG r = .441, P < .000 LDL r = .757, P < .000 but did not correlate with HDL. Conclusion: In conclusion this study has shown a high prevalence of Obesity/Overweight, Hypercholesterolemia, Hyperglyceridemia as well as low HDL amongst a group of women attending "August" meeting

Biological and practical considerations regarding circadian rhythm and mental health relationships among nurses working night shifts: a narrative review and recommendations

Background. Sleep is a vital physiological process regulated by the circadian clock and homeostatic mechanisms. Shift work is necessary to ensure continuity of healthcare provision. Worldwide, nurses work night shifts on a rotational or permanent basis. Objective. To analyse the impact of circadian rhythm disruption due to night shift work on the mental wellbeing of nurses. Methods. The literature search was conducted using PubMed and Scopus electronic databases. Selection criteria include studies published in English between 1997 and 2021 that examined the impact of night-shift work on the mental health of nurses. Results. The searches generated a total of 22 records on the PubMed database, and 9 records on the Scopus database, and a total of 31 studies. 29 papers were identified after removal of duplicates. However, 29 articles were screened based on the review of titles and abstracts. 19 articles were identified for full-test review. Seven papers were included in this review. Conclusions. Disrupted circadian rhythms and poor sleep quality and quantity have been identified as two of the most significant elements in the long-term effects of night-shift work on nurses' mental health. Strategies and policies to promote workplace health may reduce the occurrence of mental health disorders among night-shift nurses, whether the shifts are rotational or permanent. Nursing supervisors and hospital administrators should consider developing new guidelines to minimize the negative impact of night shift rotations on mental health and the quality of life among nurses