Balance Performance of Professional Footballers with Long Term Lower Limb Musculoskeletal Injury in Borno State, Nigeria

Balance has been reported to have an effect on athletic performance; therefore impairment in the sense of balance may result in reduced athletic performance. Lower limb musculoskeletal injury (LLMI) is the most common injury found among footballers, and most commonly-cited risk factor for poor balance performance. However, there is a disagreement over balance impairment persisting in Professional footballers with long term LLMI after the initial rehabilitation upon resuming normal sporting activities. This study therefore aimed at determining the BPF of Professional footballers with long term lower limb musculoskeletal injury, the effect of time lapse since occurrence of injury on BPF, compare BPF of injured professional footballers and uninjured footballers and to compare BPF and site/segment of LLMI among Professional footballers in Maiduguri, Borno State Nigeria. Sample of convenience was used to recruit 41 professional footballers. The participants comprised of 28(68.3%) injured players (IP) and 14(31.7%) uninjured players (UP) whose ages ranged from 17 to 30 years. Sociodemographic information of age, limb dominance, onset of injury and sites/segments of injury were obtained. Participant’s weight and height were measured using standardized procedure. Balance Performance (BPF) was assessed using the Stork balance stand test. The results indicated that lower balance performance was observed in the injured limb compared to the uninjured limb in IP (P<0.001). BPF was lower in the dominant limb of IP compared with the dominant limb of UP (P<0.001). Time lapse since injury and sites/segments of the LLMI did not have any effect on BPF (P>0.05). It was concluded that balance problems persist in professional footballers with long term LLMI irrespective of time lapse since injury and sites/segments of the LLMI. Coaches and rehabilitation personnel should pay particular attention on balance retraining of players with LLMI using balance exercise programs that will mainly improve/centered on their balance performance. Keywords: Balance performance, Footballers, LLM

Isolation of Fungal Flora in Carpet and Floor Dust Samples As an Indicator of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ): A Case Study of a Nigerian Institution

Abstract- Porous surfaces such as carpets have been examined as a possible source for the introduction of indoor particle levels. Indoor airborne mold and/or mycotoxin exposure causes many multi-system adverse human health effects. This study is aimed at isolating and identifying fungal flora in the dust samples of various indoor environments in Usmanu Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, Nigeria. Samples were obtained from six (6) carpeted old buildings, two (2) carpeted new buildings, two (2) uncarpeted old building and two (2) uncarpeted new buildings. Samples were inoculated onto Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and identified. Ten (10) fungi species from 12 dust samples involving 12 indoor environments were isolated and identified. Total mean microbial concentration was 1.65x10 3 cfu /g, average concentration 1.37x 10 2 cfu/g and standard deviation of 6.73 x 10 1 cfu/g. The isolates include Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Apsergillu

Artocarpus altilis extract effect on cervical cancer cells

This paper elucidate on the effects of Artocarpus Altilis Pulp part on cervix HeLa cancer cell. IC50 values of pulp extract were determined on HeLa cell with different concentration (12.5µg/ml, 25µg/ml, 50µg/ml, 100µg/ml). Cell viability and cell growth were observed up to 72 hours with comparative to control cells. The results obtained in this research quantitatively revealed the dependence of cell proliferation on extract concentration. Control, 12.5µg/ml, 25µg/ml, 50µg/ml, 100µg/ml of concentration showed 100%, 90%, 80%, 50%, 44% cell viability after 72 hours in culture respectively. This study result demonstrates that Artocarpus Altilis has the ability to inhibit cervical cancer cell proliferation

Isolation and characterization of some flavonoids from the leaf of Tapinanthus globiferus growing on Acacia nilotica

Tapinanthus globiferus is used ethnomedicinally for the treatment of bacterial infections, inflammation, stomach pain, ulcers among others. The aim of the study was to isolate bioactive compounds from the leaf of T. globiferus growing on Acacia nilotica. The powdered plant material was extracted with 90 % methanol using cold maceration and the resulting crude methanol leaf extract was partitioned into n-hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate and n-butanol fractions. The ethylacetate fraction was chromatographed on a silica gel, sephadex LH-20 column and preparative thin-layer chromatography. (-)-Epicatechin and Quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside were isolated and characterized by means of physiochemical and spectroscopic (1D and 2D-NMR) analyses for the first time from T. globiferus growing on A. nilotica. Keywords:  Tapinanthus globiferus; Flavonoids; Isolation; NM

Intimacy in marital relationship: effect of internet usage

The internet and its usage into the everyday lives of a significantly large population has tremendously changed the way people communicate and interact. Since the advent of the internet, couples, families, and individuals of all ages are being impacted by the internet in many ways. This article takes a closer look at how the internet can affect the marital intimacy on married men and women. The purpose of this study is to examine any possible impact internet use may have on an intimate marital relationship. The present study sought to examine the time spent on the internet, as it relates to intimacy and relationships satisfaction experienced in marital relationships. This study analyzed data from a survey of 300 Malaysian married men and women in Selangor, Malaysia. Data was presented on the level of their awareness and knowledge concerning to the relationship between their marital intimacy and internet usage. The findings indicated that married men and women understand that controlling of internet usage is vital because this may affect the relationship in a marriage. This study showed that the majority married men and women remain faithful and trust each other. The results also found that they still can regulate their internet usage and time spent online. Hence, this shows that they give priority to their marriage. The result from this study may offer valuable information about the level of internet usage among married couples in Malaysia that also can be used as a baseline to guide treatment programme and assessment

Optimisation of Synthesis Parameters for Co-Mo/MgO Catalyst Yield in MWCNTs Production

This study examined the impact of synthesis parameter on Cobalt-Molybdenum supported with magnesium oxide (Co-Mo/MgO) catalyst yield in production of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT). Wet impregnation was used to synthesis the Co-Mo/MgO bimetallic catalyst, while a catalytic chemical vapour deposition reactor (CCVD) was used for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Factorial and central composite design techniques were used to optimise the catalyst and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Thermogravimetric analysis/ Differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), selected area (electron) diffraction (SAED), X-Ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) were used to characterise the catalyst and MWCNTs that were produced. The Co-Mo/MgO catalyst had an optimal yield of 93.22%, 247.30 m2/g of specific surface area at 120 oC drying temperature, 16 g of mass support, and a 10-hour drying time. The maximum catalyst yield of 40.62% was obtained at calcination temperature of 500 oC and a holding period of 2 hours. The catalyst with the highest degradation temperature of 398.21 oC was observed at 600 oC, when calcined for 4 hours. It was discovered that the surface area of Co-Mo/MgO catalyst from the BET analysis under ideal conditions varied depending on the holding time. The XRD and SAED revealed the growth of CNTs of concentric graphene pattern with the Co-Mo/MgO catalyst

Alcohol Use and its Associated Factors among Residents of an Urban Community in Plateau State Nigeria

Background:According to the World Health Organization (WHO), alcohol use contributes about 2.3 million deaths globally and accounts for 3.8% of global mortality. Nigeria ranks as the leading country in alcohol consumption in Africa. In view of this, this study was conducted to assess the level of alcohol use and its associated factors among residents of an urban community in Plateau state, Nigeria.Methodology: A cross sectional study carried outnbsp among 212 adult residents of AngwanRukuba community of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau Statenbsp using quantitative method of data collection.nbsp Epi info statistical software version 7.0 was used for data analysis with adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence intervalused in the study while a p-value of le 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Result: The average age of the respondents in this study was 28.2plusmn10.4 years with majority being 30 years and below. More of the respondents 142(60.8%) were current consumers of alcoholic drinks with harmful level of alcohol intake found to be 32.0%.Sex, quantity of drinks adjudged as normal in one sitting and age of onset of alcohol use were found to significantly predict harmful intake of alcohol containing drinks in the study.Conclusion: A relatively high level of alcohol use was found in this study with a corresponding level of harmful use. Sex, age of onset of alcohol use and quantity of drinks adjudged as normal in a sitting were significant contributors to harmful alcohol use.nbs

Diagnostic power of resting-state fMRI for detection of network connectivity in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review

Resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) detects functional connectivity (FC) abnormalities that occur in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). FC of the default mode network (DMN) is commonly impaired in AD and MCI. We conducted a systematic review aimed at determining the diagnostic power of rs-fMRI to identify FC abnormalities in the DMN of patients with AD or MCI compared with healthy controls (HCs) using machine learning (ML) methods. Multimodal support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was the commonest form of ML method utilized. Multiple kernel approach can be utilized to aid in the classification by incorporating various discriminating features, such as FC graphs based on "nodes" and "edges" together with structural MRI-based regional cortical thickness and gray matter volume. Other multimodal features include neuropsychiatric testing scores, DTI features, and regional cerebral blood flow. Among AD patients, the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/Precuneus was noted to be a highly affected hub of the DMN that demonstrated overall reduced FC. Whereas reduced DMN FC between the PCC and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was observed in MCI patients. Evidence indicates that the nodes of the DMN can offer moderate to high diagnostic power to distinguish AD and MCI patients. Nevertheless, various concerns over the homogeneity of data based on patient selection, scanner effects, and the variable usage of classifiers and algorithms pose a challenge for ML-based image interpretation of rs-fMRI datasets to become a mainstream option for diagnosing AD and predicting the conversion of HC/MCI to AD

Functional mechanisms underlying pleiotropic risk alleles at the 19p13.1 breast-ovarian cancer susceptibility locus

A locus at 19p13 is associated with breast cancer (BC) and ovarian cancer (OC) risk. Here we analyse 438 SNPs in this region in 46,451 BC and 15,438 OC cases, 15,252 BRCA1 mutation carriers and 73,444 controls and identify 13 candidate causal SNPs associated with serous OC (P=9.2 × 10-20), ER-negative BC (P=1.1 × 10-13), BRCA1-associated BC (P=7.7 × 10-16) and triple negative BC (P-diff=2 × 10-5). Genotype-gene expression associations are identified for candidate target genes ANKLE1 (P=2 × 10-3) and ABHD8 (P<2 × 10-3). Chromosome conformation capture identifies interactions between four candidate SNPs and ABHD8, and luciferase assays indicate six risk alleles increased transactivation of the ADHD8 promoter. Targeted deletion of a region containing risk SNP rs56069439 in a putative enhancer induces ANKLE1 downregulation; and mRNA stability assays indicate functional effects for an ANKLE1 3′-UTR SNP. Altogether, these data suggest that multiple SNPs at 19p13 regulate ABHD8 and perhaps ANKLE1 expression, and indicate common mechanisms underlying breast and ovarian cancer risk

Functional mechanisms underlying pleiotropic risk alleles at the 19p13.1 breast-ovarian cancer susceptibility locus

A locus at 19p13 is associated with breast cancer (BC) and ovarian cancer (OC) risk. Here we analyse 438 SNPs in this region in 46,451 BC and 15,438 OC cases, 15,252 BRCA1 mutation carriers and 73,444 controls and identify 13 candidate causal SNPs associated with serous OC (P = 9.2 x 10(-20)), ER-negative BC (P = 1.1 x 10(-13)), BRCA1-associated BC (P = 7.7 x 10(-16)) and triple negative BC (P-diff = 2 x 10(-5)). Genotype-gene expression associations are identified for candidate target genes ANKLE1 (P = 2 x 10(-3)) and ABHD8 (PPeer reviewe