Postpartum Labial Adhesion Presenting with Apareunia: A Case Report

Labial adhesion is commonly seen in the paediatric and post-menopausal age groups and treatment of this condition with oestrogen cream is effective. On the other hand, postpartum labial adhesion is an unusual complication of vaginal birth except when it associated with trauma to the perineum. In that situation, treatment with oestrogen cream is usually in-effective. A 19-year-old primipara presented 15 months after vaginal birth with difficulty in having sexual intercourse. She had sustained a perineal tear during her last childbirth at home. Pelvic examination revealed fusion of the medial aspect of the labia minora with a membrane inferior to the external urethral opening completely closing the vaginal orifice. A surgical division under anaesthesia was carried out and she resumed sexual intercourse within five days. Postpartum labial adhesion is an uncommon complication of vaginal births and surgical division of labial adhesions is the first line of management. Good postpartum perineal care for perineal laceration following vaginal births should be encouraged to prevent apareunia.&nbsp

Variation of interception loss with different plant species at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria

Interception studies of six plants groups were carried out at the campus of University of Agriculture, Abeokuta in Nigeria, using three different sample sites. These sites were the Arborea plantation, cashew plantation and College of Environmental Resources Management premises of the University. The field work was carried out between 15th June and 28th September, 2009. Of the 22 rainfall events recorded for each plant species, at least 13 produced measurable through fall and stem flow and a maximum of 18 measurable records. Through fall showed a very strong linear correlation against daily rainfall for different plant species. The r2 values varied between 0.841 (Teak) to 0.963 (Gmelina). This trend also followed for stem flow since without rainfall no stem flow. This was not the case for interception loss which showed only a moderate correlation against rainfall amount for each plant species with r2 value ranging from 0.058 (Teak) to 0.716 (Neem). This implied an inverse relationship between interception rate and rainfall amount. Interception ratio for coniferous plants was more than deciduous plants, both having average values of 32.01 and 26.54% respectively when interception loss was considered per storm or event. But when considered at the end of observation, deciduous plants had more interception ratio than the coniferous plants with average interception values of 26.54 and 32.01% respectively. At the end of the observation, the interception loss for each plant, Pinus leuceana sp, cashew, Neem, Gmelina and Teak were 18.77, 21.04, 31.96, 26.16, 11.1 and 38.05% respectively. The values changed when considering average interception loss per storm and the values for the plants species as arranged above were 28.60, 30.18, 31.96, 37.26, 17.78 and 29.89% respectively. This showed that interception loss varied from one plant species to another. With these, one will know which can best be used for conservation purpose.Key words: Through fall, stem flow, canopy

An assessment of the effect of industrial pollution on Ibese River, Lagos, Nigeria

This paper deals with pollution aspect of environmental management and monitoring of the river for its sustainable development. The water quality assessment of Ibese River, which is the principal river of the Igbogbo Abayeku Areas of Ikorodu in Lagos, was performed. Assessment was undertaken according to different physical and chemical parameters including biological oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen (DO), electric conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), alkalinity, acidity, total hardness (TH), grease content, major cation and anion, and some heavy metals. Results showed that the river, which was of good water quality at its upstream, in terms of the aforementioned parameters, becomes progressively polluted by the waste materials discharged along its course. A general downstream trend of increase in organic and inorganic pollution was declared. Thus, Ibese River currently faces a number of serious environmental and ecological challenges. Urbanization and industrialization of the watershed at Ibese area in Ikorodu contributed to the water quality deterioration with regional consequences on the aquatic ecosystem and on the health of the downstream’s user groups. This synergetic effect is of concern for the sustainable use of the resources.Key words: Nigeria, Ibese River, water pollution, major cation and anion, heavy metals, water quality deterioration

Geographical information system (GIS) application for planning and improvement of public water supply in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria

Geographical information system (GIS) technique is a useful tool for spatial analysis which has not been fully exploited in solving water issues in Ota hence the study. The study applied the tool of GIS in the planning and improvement of water supply system in Ota, Ogun state. This study harnessed the synergy of GIS and engineering designs to proffer an acceptable solution to the problems of water supply in the study area. Primary data generated on the field with GPS and spatial information were analysed with the aid of GIS to produce contour pattern and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) in form of maps. The study noted that the population would increase to almost double the present population by the year 2040 invariably resulting to an increase in water demand of the population beyond the capacity of the existing water supply facilities. Results also showed that water demand by the projected population by year 2040 will increase to 68.37 million litres per day while the existing facility has the capacity to produce about 9.2 million litres per day. Maps produced by the study included Contour, Digital Elevation and Existing and proposed pipeline network maps. These maps made available more information which can then be used for improving the water supply system. The study proffered a lasting solution through design of water scheme with capacity large enough to cater for water requirement of the population for the next twenty-five years irrespective of variation in water need of individual residents in the area with designs to improvedistribution system through extension of pipelines and identification of various locations for service reservoirs.Keywords: GIS, design period, per capita

Defective platelet function in Niemann-Pick disease type C1

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is a neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in either NPC1 (95% of cases) or NPC2. Reduced late endosome/lysosome calcium (Ca2+) levels and the accumulation of unesterified cholesterol and sphingolipids within the late endocytic system characterize this disease. We previously reported impaired lysosome-related organelle (LRO) function in Npc1−/− Natural Killer cells; however, the potential contribution of impaired acid compartment Ca2+ flux and LRO function in other cell types has not been determined. Here, we investigated LRO function in NPC1 disease platelets. We found elevated numbers of circulating platelets, impaired platelet aggregation and prolonged bleeding times in a murine model of NPC1 disease. Electron microscopy revealed abnormal ultrastructure in murine platelets, consistent with that seen in a U18666A (pharmacological inhibitor of NPC1) treated megakaryocyte cell line (MEG-01) exhibiting lipid storage and acidic compartment Ca2+ flux defects. Furthermore, platelets from NPC1 patients across different ages were found to cluster at the lower end of the normal range when platelet numbers were measured and had platelet volumes that were clustered at the top of the normal range. Taken together, these findings highlight the role of acid compartment Ca2+ flux in the function of platelet LROs

Energy and macronutrient intake and dietary pattern among school children in Bahrain: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Obesity is increasing in Bahrain and there is lack of information on the energy and macronutrient intake of children. The objective of this research was to study the energy and macronutrient intake as well as food frequency pattern of Bahraini school children. Methods This is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted on Bahraini school boys and girls aged 6-18 years from all the 11 populated regions of the country. Data on food intake consisted of a 24-hour dietary recall and was obtained by interviewing a sub-sample of the study population. Information was also obtained through a self-administered questionnaire for the entire sample on the weekly frequency of food items that were grouped into 7 categories based on similarity of nutrient profiles. Dietary analysis was performed using the Nutritionist 5 (First Data Bank Version 1.6 1998). Results While the average energy intake of students was close to the Estimated Average Requirements of the UK Reference standards, protein intake substantially exceeded the Reference Nutrient Intake values as did daily sugar consumption. Dietary fiber fell short of the Dietary Recommended Values (UK) and 36%-50% students exceeded the Energy % limits for total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. The Polyunsaturated: Saturated fat ratio remained at an unacceptable level of 0.6 for girls and boys. While sweets, snacks and regular soda drinks were popular, milk, fruits and vegetables were not commonly consumed. Conclusions High sugar consumption, low intake of dietary fiber and high energy % of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol by many Bahraini children, is likely to increase their risk of obesity and cardiovascular diseases in later life. Nutrition education programs in schools should emphasize the importance of healthy balanced diets for growth and health maintenance of children as well as dietary prevention of diseases.</p

Hypercoagulability progresses to hypocoagulability during evolution of acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury in pigs

Increases in prothrombin time (PT) and international normalised ratio (INR) characterise acute liver injury (ALI) and failure (ALF), yet a wide heterogeneity in clotting abnormalities exists. This study defines evolution of coagulopathy in 10 pigs with acetaminophen (APAP)-induced ALI compared to 3 Controls. APAP administration began at 0 h and continued to ‘ALF’, defined as INR >3. In APAP pigs, INR was 1.05 ± 0.02 at 0 h, 2.15 ± 0.43 at 16 h and > 3 at 18 ± 1 h. At 12 h thromboelastography (TEG) demonstrated increased clot formation rate, associated with portal vein platelet aggregates and reductions in protein C, protein S, antithrombin and A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease with Thrombospondin type 1 repeats–13 (ADAMTS-13) to 60%, 24%, 47% and 32% normal respectively. At 18 ± 1 h, INR > 3 was associated with: hypocoagulable TEG profile with heparin-like effect; falls in thrombin generation, Factor V and Factor VIII to 52%, 19% and 17% normal respectively; further decline in anticoagulants; thrombocytopenia; neutrophilia and endotoxemia. Multivariate analysis, found that ADAMTS-13 was an independent predictor of a hypercoagulable TEG profile and platelet count, endotoxin, Protein C and fibrinogen were independent predictors of a hypocoagulable TEG profile. INR remained normal in Controls. Dynamic changes in coagulation occur with progression of ALI: a pro-thrombotic state progresses to hypocoagulability

Equivalent forms of Dirac equations in curved spacetimes and generalized de Broglie relations

One may ask whether the relations between energy and frequency and between momentum and wave vector, introduced for matter waves by de Broglie, are rigorously valid in the presence of gravity. In this paper, we show this to be true for Dirac equations in a background of gravitational and electromagnetic fields. We first transform any Dirac equation into an equivalent canonical form, sometimes used in particular cases to solve Dirac equations in a curved spacetime. This canonical form is needed to apply the Whitham Lagrangian method. The latter method, unlike the WKB method, places no restriction on the magnitude of Planck's constant to obtain wave packets, and furthermore preserves the symmetries of the Dirac Lagrangian. We show using canonical Dirac fields in a curved spacetime, that the probability current has a Gordon decomposition into a convection current and a spin current, and that the spin current vanishes in the Whitham approximation, which explains the negligible effect of spin on wave packet solutions, independent of the size of Planck's constant. We further discuss the classical-quantum correspondence in a curved spacetime based on both Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of the Whitham equations. We show that the generalized de Broglie relations in a curved spacetime are a direct consequence of Whitham's Lagrangian method, and not just a physical hypothesis as introduced by Einstein and de Broglie, and by many quantum mechanics textbooks.Comment: PDF, 32 pages in referee format. Added significant material on canonical forms of Dirac equations. Simplified Theorem 1 for normal Dirac equations. Added section on Gordon decomposition of the probability current. Encapsulated main results in the statement of Theorem

Classical and quantum: a conflict of interest

We highlight three conflicts between quantum theory and classical general relativity, which make it implausible that a quantum theory of gravity can be arrived at by quantising classical gravity. These conflicts are: quantum nonlocality and space-time structure; the problem of time in quantum theory; and the quantum measurement problem. We explain how these three aspects bear on each other, and how they point towards an underlying noncommutative geometry of space-time.Comment: 15 pages. Published in `Gravity and the quantum' [Essays in honour of Thanu Padmanabhan on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday] Eds. Jasjeet Singh Bagla and Sunu Engineer (Springer, 2017

Bi-allelic mutations in uncoordinated mutant number-45 myosin chaperone B are a cause for congenital myopathy

Congenital myopathies (CM) form a genetically heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by perinatal muscle weakness. Here, we report an 11-year old male offspring of consanguineous parents of Lebanese origin. He presented with proximal weakness including Gower's sign, and skeletal muscle biopsy revealed myopathic changes with core-like structures. Whole exome sequencing of this index patient lead to the discovery of a novel genetically defined CM subtype based on bi-allelic mutations in the uncoordinated mutant number-45 myosin chaperone B (UNC45B) NM_173167:c.2261G > A, p.Arg754Gln. The mutation is conserved in evolution and co-segregates within the pedigree with the phenotype, and located in the myosin binding armadillo repeat domain 3 (ARM3), and has a CADD Score of 35. On a multimeric level, UNC45B aggregates to a chain which serves as an assembly line and functions as a template defining the geometry, regularity, and periodicity of myosin arranged into muscle thick filaments. Our discovery is in line with the previously described myopathological phenotypes in C. elegans and in vertebrate mutants and knockdown-models. In conclusion, we here report for the first time a patient with an UNC45B mutation causing a novel genetically defined congenital myopathy disease entity