Indole -3- Butyric Acid Induces Plant Regeneration From Stem Cuttings Of Three Medicinal Plants

Field regeneration of three (3) medicinal plants - Securidaca longepedunculata (violet tree), Ocimum gratissimum (scent leaf) and Pterocarpus mildebraedii by means of rooting of stem cuttings at different lengths of 10 -15 cm and 15 -20 cm were studied. The effect of the plant hormone Indole-3-Butyric acid (IBA) at 5g/l was tested on rooting, bud sprout and leaf formation of the rooted stem cuttings of the plant species as well as the effect of the length of the stem cuttings on their growth and survival rates. The results of the study revealed that stem cuttings of O. gratissimum treated with IBA and the control treatment sprouted within 5 - 8 days. The treated O. gratissimum stem cuttings produced a slightly higher number of buds (2.58 ± 0.86) when compared to the control (2.00 ± 0.89) with no significant difference at P ≤ 0.05. Stem cuttings of the treated P. mildbraedii cuttings sprouted within 8 -10 days with 1.40 ± 0.37 number of buds, with the control showing no sprouts. Consequently, IBA application produced more leaves (13.00 ± 5.58) and roots (1.33 ± 0.01) than the control. However, O. gratissimum stem cuttings had the highest leaf (13.08 ± 4.47) and root numbers (135.00 ± 13.45) followed by the control with values- 13.00 ± 5.58 for leaf development and 61.66 ± 2.34 for root number respectively. Irrespective of the treatments, none of the stem cuttings of S. longepedunculata sprouted. This study showed that exogenous application of IBA to stem cuttings of the tested plants, except S. Longepedunculata, improved the root number, number of leaves and number of buds. Keywords: Stem cuttings, Indole-3-Butyric acid (IBA), Rootin

Combler l’écart : amélioration de la confiance et des compétences des candidats issus de minorités sous-représentées en médecine à l’examen CASPer au moyen de l’apprentissage interactif entre pairs

Background: The Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics (CASPer) is a situational judgement test (SJT) adopted by medical schools to assess applicants’ interpersonal skills. CASPer applicants must compose their responses to ethical dilemmas, thereby highlighting the applicant’s rationale for ethical decision-making. Minority applicants usually lack access to a network of individuals who can offer guidance and expertise on ethical decision-making. As such, this study investigated the impact of a CASPer coaching program designed for minority applicants. Methods: A free online intervention was designed to help minority applicants prepare for the CASPer test. The program consisted of 35 learners and three medical student tutors. Important attributes of the 4-week program included free access to a medical ethics book, feedback provision to in-class and homework student responses, and facilitation of a mock CASPer. Course feedback was collected. Additionally, a pre and post-program survey was administered to assess learners’ competence and confidence surrounding CASPer test-taking. Results: Our pre and post-program survey showed significant student improvement in familiarity with the test, increased competence, confidence and preparedness, as well as reduced anxiety (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Through peer-to-peer teaching and access to medical student mentors, our program addresses socioeconomic barriers that several minority applicants face when applying to medical school.Contexte : L’évaluation informatisée des caractéristiques personnelles (CASPer) est un test de jugement situationnel (TJS) adopté par les facultés de médecine pour évaluer les compétences interpersonnelles des candidats à l’admission. Les candidats à l’examen CASPer sont invités à répondre à des dilemmes éthiques pour montrer leur raisonnement dans la prise de décisions éthiques. Les candidats issus de minorités n'ont souvent pas accès à des personnes qui peuvent leur offrir des conseils et une expertise en matière de prise de décision éthique. La présente étude examine l'impact d'un programme de soutien du CASPer conçu pour les candidats issus des minorités. Méthodes : Un programme d’assistance gratuite en ligne d’une durée de quatre semaines a été conçu pour aider les candidats issus de minorités à se préparer à l’examen CASPer. L’encadrement était offert à 35 apprenants par trois tuteurs étudiants en médecine. Les principales caractéristiques du programme comprenaient l'accès sans frais à un manuel d'éthique médicale, un retour sur les réponses en classe et sur les devoirs, et l'animation d'un examen CASPer simulé. Nous avons recueilli les réactions des apprenants au programme et nous avons réalisé un sondage avant et après le programme pour évaluer les compétences et la confiance des étudiants en ce qui concerne l’examen CASPer. Résultats : Le sondage a montré qu’après le programme, les candidats avaient une bien meilleure connaissance du test, que leurs compétences, leur confiance et leur préparation s’étaient améliorées, et que leur niveau d'anxiété avait baissé (p < 0,05). Conclusions : Grâce au recours à l’apprentissage entre pairs et au mentorat par des étudiants en médecine, notre programme s'attaque aux obstacles socio-économiques que les candidats qui sont issus de minorités rencontrent dans le processus d’admission dans les facultés de médecine

MEMS 411 Design Report - Modular Do-It-All Drone

The main objective of this senior design project is to design and build a capability that allows different attachments (i.e. camera, flashlight, speakers, hook) to be attached and detached electromechanically from a drone. The main challenge in this project was our cost constraints. Weight is one of the most important constraints in aerial vehicles, and with a small budget, it was very challenging to find a powerful drone and manufacture light and durable parts. The modular system involved two general components: a drone retrofit and the attachments. The drone needed to be retrofitted to house additional electronics (i.e. Arduino, remote control sensor, USB port) and a mechanical attachment mechanism. The attachments complemented the attachment mechanism on the drone retrofit, and some contained complementary electronics (i.e. USB connector). The attachments needed to be able to be attached and detached by a single person, and the design needed to be simple enough that it could be automated. Our reach goal was to design a port that allowed attachments to be attached and detached autonomously, but we were focused on primarily designing modularity. We were not able to get to constructing our autonomous port, but we were successfully able to meet all of our primary goals, key design metrics and user needs

Application of the Galerkin-Vlasov method to the flexural analysis of simply supported rectangular Kirchhoff plates under uniform loads

Plates are important structural elements used to model bridge decks, retaining walls, floor slabs, spacecraft panels, aerospace structures, and ship hulls amongst. Plates have been modelled using three dimensional elasticity theory, Reissner’s theory, Kirchhoff theory, Shimpi’s theory, Von Karman’s theory, etc. The resulting plate equations have also been solved using classical and numerical techniques.In this research, the Galerkin-Vlasov variational method was used to present a general formulation of the Kirchhoff plate problem with simply supported edges and under distributed loads. The problem was then solved to obtain the displacements, and the bending moments in a Kirchhoff plate with simply supported edges and under uniform load. Maximum values of the displacement and the bending moments were found to occur at the plate center. The Galerkin Vlasov solutions for a rectangular simply supported Kirchhoff plate carrying uniform load was found to be exactly identical with the Navier double trigonometric series solution. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v35i4.

Stress-related massive gastrointestinal bleeding in a diabetic and obese woman following double leg amputation.

Foot ulceration is a leading cause of hospital admission for patients with diabetes mellitus and the main reason for major amputation. This study presents the rare association of double amputation of both legs within 16 months of each other, a rarer outcome of diabetic foot ulcer disease, and the fatal complication of massive stress-related gastrointestinal bleeding that occurred thereafter leading to haemorrhagic shock and sudden death. On an index patient the clinical management was reviewed, a detailed autopsy performed after demise, and an extensive literature review including MEDLINE searches were carried out. Autopsy study revealed 3 ulcers in the gastric body and 1 in the gastric antrum measuring between 0.5 and 1cm and associated with about 2.5 litres of clotted blood in the gastrointestinal lumen extending from the stomach to the sigmoid colon. The patient combined physical stress factors for gastric ulceration which include uncontrolled diabetes mellitus prior to amputation, massive trauma from lower limb amputation with delayed wound healing, intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the setting of past medical history of successfully treated peptic ulcer disease and the emotional stress factor of depressive illness related to the loss of her second lower limb. This association has not been reported in literature and with this we wish to warn clinicians to look out for this fatal complication in managing patients with advanced diabetic foot ulcer disease especially those going for a second limb amputation

COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS STUDY OF COMBINED ANTIHYPERTENSIVES FOR NIGERIAN PATIENTS

Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the clinical and economic effectiveness of four combination antihypertensives recommended for Nigerians. Methods: An open, randomized, controlled, and longitudinal double-blind trial of four groups of antihypertensives combinations: Telmisartan/ chlorthalidone/amlodipine (TCA), TC, CA, and TA was conducted among hypertensive patients. The participants were recruited from three hospitals in Enugu, and randomly assigned to the study groups. The primary outcome for this study was blood pressure (BP) control, based on Joint National Committee-8 and cost per BP control. The secondary outcomes were cost per quality adjusted life years (QALY) and patients’ self-reported health status. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for statistical analysis. Results: Of the 110 patients enrolled in the study, more than half were women (55.5%). The mean age of patients was 54.93±12.38. The enrollees had hypertension for over 9 years (9.17±8.40). About 77% of the patients completed the study in all the groups except for TA (66.7%). There was no difference in BP in all the groups at baseline and at end-of-study (p>0.050). However, the probability of BP control was highest in TCA group (0.37±0.01), followed by TC group (0.23±0.02). The TA group showed the most favorable cost per QALY, then CA, TC, and TCA in that order. The group with the most favorable cost per BP control was TCA (70.92±0.04), then TA (94.16±0.05). Conclusion: The triple combination therapy of TCA had the best cost per BP control in the management of hypertensive patients. It demonstrated the highest probability of BP control

Tax-financing of Budget Deficits in LDCs: Re-validation of Laffer Curve Theory

Urgent need for quick action to put Nigeria and other developing economies back to the path of economic recovery has almost imposed state of emergency on these economies. Most LDCs are faced with acute shortage of development funds due to recessions accompanying incessant crashes in international financial market. Raising existing tax rates to finance budget deficit in LDCs often generates public debate on pros and cons of such policy option. Study considered Nigeria as typical case of LDCs. Study focused on establishing the effectiveness of tax-financing of budget deficit under Laffer curve theory. Study spanned across 1970-2015. Data were analyzed using ADF, CUSUM, heteroskedasticity, multiple regression, Johansen cointegration and ECM. Results indicate that: (1) Custom and exercise duties, petroleum profit tax and value-added tax contributed significantly to the reduction in budget deficit while company income tax had nonsignificant impact(2)Total government revenue constituted major chunk of planned income for budget deficit financing(3) Deficit financing of capital health expenditure yielded high returns while that of recurrent education expenditure and capital education expenditure was accompanied by low returns (4)Growth and employment generation accelerated deficit financing while private investment decelerated it (5) There were long and short-run relationships among budget deficit, taxes, human capital investment and macroeconomic indicators with significant rate of adjustment of short-run disequilibrium. Study concluded that tax-financing of budget deficit was effective under Laffer curve effect. It was recommended, among others, that LDCs should enlarge their tax bases through inclusion, to finance budget deficit

Tax-budget Deficit Relationships: Fiscalists’ Platform for Deficit Financing Policy

With heavy debt burden on developing economies accompanied by their low credit worthiness rating, developing economies often resort to taxes for financing development projects. Raising tax rates and expanding tax bases have become frequent government activities in developing economies. Without dynamic deficit financing policy which takes into cognizance the conflicting arithmetic and economic effect of Laffer curve analysis, financing budget deficit through taxation has remained largely unsuccessful. Perhaps, what was required is to constitute latent factors operating along Laffer curve into major theoretical construct of a deficit financing policy. Therefore, study focused on identifying latent factors influencing the inter-relationship among budget deficit finance, taxes, human capital and macroeconomic indicators. Study spanned across 1970-2015. Data were sourced from Central Bank of Nigeria, National Bureau of Statistics and World Development Indicators. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. Results indicate that: (1) Tax contributed significantly to budget deficit financing (2)Tax spending and disposable personal income were latent factors influencing the effectiveness of deficit financing (3) Tax spending activated government revenue to contribute significantly to budget deficit reduction (4) Disposable personal income boosted GDP to cause reduction in budget deficit . It was concluded that, with the taxonomy of highly significant factor correlates of tax spending and disposable personal income, a viable deficit financing policy was devised with component tax, budgetary, pricing, credit and macroeconomic policies. It was recommended, inter alia, that developing economies should activate their current deficit financing policies by adapting them to their tax spend and macroeconomic policies

Eye health myths, misconceptions and facts: results of a cross-sectional survey among Nigerian school children

Background. Vision is critical in the development and performance of children. Factual knowledge of eye health is important for preventive and promotive eye health. Objectives. To identify eye health myths and misconceptions that are considered true in a population of Nigerian school children, with the aim of prioritizing eye health messages. Material and methods. In a cross-sectional survey, self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain pupils’ views, which were elicited using statements presented as 22 ocular health myths/misconceptions and three facts in two selected secondary schools in Enugu state, Nigeria in October 2014. Frequency counts and percentages were generated using SPSS v18. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. The sample comprised 404 males (48.5%) and 429 females (51.5%), age range 10–17 years, median 13–14 years; IQR –6). More pupils in the senior classes had previously listened to eye health talks. The most common beliefs concerned the statements “staying close to the television set will damage vision” 782 (93.9%), and “reading in dim light will damage vision” 758 (90.8%). The least commonly-held misconception was “children do not need regular eye checks” 119 (14.3%). The greatest amount of uncertainty concerned the statements “short-sightedness is worse than long-sightedness” 421 (51%), and “crossed-eye disorders cannot be corrected in children” 383 (46%). Conclusions. The majority of the children do not have information on eye health. Despite the persistence of these myths and misconceptions, this study has demonstrated that the children had a reasonable level of knowledge in terms of safe eye care practices. However, appropriate eye health messages still need to be provided