Histological study on the staining potentials of Aqueous extract of Ceratonia Siliqua bark

This study was designed to determine the staining potentials of aqueous extract of Ceratonia Siliqua bark adapted for the first time as a counter stain in Haematoxylin and Eosin staining reaction. The staining solution was used to stain liver, lung and kidney sections. Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of tannin (hennatonic acid or Lawsone), while results of the staining reactions showed that Ceratonia siliqua at a low pH, has intense staining qualities, confirming further that the effectiveness of a stain is influenced by the pH of its environment.Key words: Ceratonia siliqua, Extract, Haematoxylin and Eosin, Counterstain, General tissue structure

Incidence of Candida Albicans in Pregnent Women: A Case Study of Ekpoma, Nigeria

This study examines the incidence of Candida albicans among pregnant women of varied age range/occupation, within any of the three trimesters, and attending antenatal clinic in Ekpoma and its environs. A total of 100 high vagina swab- samples were collected from women and then transported to the Medical Laboratory at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo, Nigeria, for analysis. The samples were inoculated on CHROMagar Candida medium and incubated at 370C for 48hours to isolate and presumptively identify the Candida species. The  results  revealed that 40% of the samples tested positive for Candida species (Candida albicans (75.0%), Candida krusei (2.5%), Candida novergensis (7.5%), Candida parapsilosis (5.0%), Candida dublinensis (2.5%) and mixed Candida species  (7.5%). The colonization of the vagina by Candida species was found to be statistically  significant  (P< 0.05)  in  the  third trimester (21%) when compared to the second (16%) and first (3%) trimesters. On the other hand, Candida species colonization was statistically insignificant (P> 0.05) when compared with the occupation of the women. These findings therefore, indicate that Candida albicans is more predominant in pregnant women than the other non-albicans species and tends to increase as gestation period progresses.Keywords: Pregnancy, Candida species, Candida albican, Ekpoma

Weight changes induced by ingestion of Alomo bitters (A combination of herbal constituents): Experimental study on wistar rats

This study investigates Weight changes induced by ingestion of Alomo bitters (A combination of herbal constituents): Experimental study on  Wistar rats. The sixteen Wistar rats (151.67 ± 2.89 grams) involved in thestudy were divided into four groups; a control (Group A) and three test groups (B, C and D). For 3 weeks, group A (control) received normal feed (growers mash) with distilled water only, while groups B-D (test) received normal feed with water mixed with graded quantities of Alomo Bitters: B (7.5ml/kg), C (15ml/kg) and D (22.5ml/kg). Comparatively, the results showed that body weight gain was highest in the test groups (B-D) in a dosage duration fashion and lowest in the control group (22.40 ± 11.21g). Also, a non-significant variation in organ-weight was observed for the testis. The observed changes on body weight and weights of the liver, kidney and testis were dosage and duration dependent. Thus, alomo bitters may be important in weight and appetite management considering its effect on body weight. However, further investigations are required in this regard.Keywords: Mondia whitei, Herbs, Weight, Obesity, Appetite, Public Health issues

Knowledge, Awareness and Practice with Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes among Healthcare Providers in a Ghanaian Tertiary Hospital

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant problem in global health today, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where antimicrobial stewardship programmes are yet to be successfully implemented. We established a partnership between AMR pharmacists from a UK NHS hospital and in Ho Teaching Hospital with the aim of enhancing antimicrobial stewardship knowledge and practice among healthcare providers through an educational intervention. We employed a mixed-method approach that included an initial survey on knowledge and awareness before and after training, followed by qualitative interviews with healthcare providers conducted six months after delivery of training. This study was carried out in two phases in Ho Teaching Hospital with healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, medical doctors, nurses and medical laboratory scientists. Ethical approval was obtained prior to data collection. In the first phase, we surveyed 50 healthcare providers, including nurses (33%), pharmacists (29%) and biomedical scientists (23%). Of these, 58% of participants had engaged in continuous professional development on AMR/AMS, and above 95% demonstrated good knowledge on the general use of antibiotics. A total of 18 participants, which included four medical doctors, five pharmacists, four nurses, two midwives and three biomedical scientists, were interviewed in the second phase and demonstrated greater awareness of AMS practices, particularly the role of education for patients, as well as healthcare professionals. We found that knowledge and practice with AMS was markedly improved six months after the training session. There is limited practice of AMS in LMICs; however, through AMR-focused training, we demonstrated improved AMS skills and practice among healthcare providers in Ho Teaching Hospital. There is a need for continuous AMR training sessions for healthcare professionals in resource-limited settings

Closed-form analytical expressions for the potential fields generated by triangular monolayers with linearly distributed source strength

The solution of the mixed boundary value problem of potential theory involves the computation of the potential field generated by monolayer and double layer source distributions on surfaces at which boundary conditions are known. Closed-form analytical expressions have been described in the literature for the potential field generated by double layers having a linearly distributed strength over triangular source elements. This contribution presents the corresponding expression for the linearly distributed monolayer strength. The solution is shown to be valid for all observation points in space, including those on the interior, edges and vertices of the source triangle

Population Structure of Staphylococcus aureus from Remote African Babongo Pygmies

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that colonizes humans worldwide. The anterior nares are its main ecological niche. Carriers of S. aureus are at a higher risk of developing invasive infections. Few reports indicated a different clonal structure and profile of virulence factors in S. aureus isolates from Sub-Saharan Africa. As there are no data about isolates from remote indigenous African populations, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of S. aureus nasal carriage in Gabonese Babongo Pygmies. The isolates were characterized regarding their susceptibility to antibiotic agents, possession of virulence factors and clonal lineage. While similar carriage rates were found in populations of industrialized countries, isolates that encode the genes for the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) were clearly more prevalent than in European countries. Of interest, many methicillin-susceptible S. aureus isolates from Babongo Pygmies showed the same genetic background as pandemic methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) clones. We advocate a surveillance of S. aureus in neglected African populations to control the development of resistance to antibiotic drugs with particular respect to MRSA and to assess the impact of the high prevalence of PVL-positive isolates

The universal declaration of human rights: Legal and philosophical appraisal

No Abstract. Sophia: An African Journal of Philosophy Vol. 7(2) 2005: 114-12

The Christian concept of marriage

Christian marriage is a relationship between two matured adults. It is an opportunity for those who are already matured to co-exist. It is a monogamous relationship with a spiritual dimension. Couples are expected to exercise maximum prudence, magnanimity, temperance, fairness, fortitude and abiding faith in their daily relationship. The purpose of this paper is to define the concept of Christian marriage from the perspective of the New Testament

The Influence Of Age And Diurnal Periods On Duration Of Seed Selected Activities Of The Broiler Chickens In The Humid Tropics

The influence of age and three diurnal periods 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. (period 1), 12 noon – 4 p.m. (period 2), and 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. (period 3) on duration of feeding, drinking, resting and movement of broiler chickens were studied. Mean feeding, drinking, resting and movement durations varied between 429.39 ± 8.25 Sec. and 430.71 ±3.73 Sec., 194.82 ± 1.91 Sec. 202.29 ±2.26 Sec., 251.64 ± 4.25 Sec and 3.61.23 ± 5.90 Sec., 126.32 ± 1.13 Sec. and 181.70 ± 1.24 Sec. for the different diurnal periods respectively. Consequently, diurnal periods significantly (P < 0.01) affected movement and resting durations. There was no significant (P > 0.05) effect of diurnal periods of feeding and drinking durations. Results showed that age had significant (P < 0.01) effect on feeding, drinking and resting durations with mean values of 1287.66 ± 43.35 Sec., 595.33 ± 22.88 Sec. and 939.91 ± 43.01 Sec. respectively. Besides, age had no significant (P> 0.05) effect on movement duration with a mean value of 475.45 ± 24.88 Sec. These revealed that as birds advanced in age, feeding, drinking, and resting durations increased. Journal of Applied Chemistry and Agricultural Research Vol. 1 (1) 1994: pp. 42-4