Antibacterial screening of the root, seed and stembark extracts of Picralima nitida

Ethanol, benzene, chloroform and aqueous (cold and hot) extracts of Picralima nitida (seed, stembark and root) were tested against five bacterial strians using the agar-well diffusion method. The ethanol extracts of the root and stembark (Er and Esb) were active against 100% of the test organisms, repectively. The benzene and chloroform extracts exhibited no activity. Of the fifteen extracts teated, 40.0% were active against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12600, 20.0% each against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145 and Escherichia coli ATCC 11775, 33.3% against Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051 and 13.3% against Salmonella kintambo Human 1,13,23:mt: -. The MIC values for the ethanol extracts range from 6.25 to 50 mg/ml, while the MIC values for the cold water seed extract (CWs) was 50 mg/ml. The results provide a rationalization for the traditional use of P. nitida for the treatment of various diseases.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (6), pp. 522-526, 200

In vivo evaluation of the antiviral activity of Cajanus cajan on measles virus

Cajanus cajan, a tropical shrub, serves as source of food and traditional medicines. The evaluation of aqueous and ethanol extracts for activity against measles virus and toxicity to embryonated chicken eggs was carried out in this study. In vivo and in vitro assay techniques using embryonated chicken eggs and tissue culture (Hep-2 cell lines) as media for both virus cultivation and anti-virus assay showed that a hot-water extract yielded higher activity against measles virus. The hot-water extract of the stem yielded a Log2 titre of 0.1 for the in vivo assay and an inhibition of cytopathic effect (CPE) in Hep-2 cells by 100% for the in vitro assay. At all concentrations of the extracts, there was a lowering of virus concentration (p = 0.05), indicated by hemagglutination (HA) titration, which is the advantage of HA titration over the tissue culture technique using CPE. This study validates embryonated chicken eggs as suitable media for anti-virus assay and the use of C. cajan in the treatment of some diseases of viral origin

Effects of deposition time and post-deposition annealing on the physical and chemical properties of electrodeposited CdS thin films for solar cell application

CdS thin films were cathodically electrodeposited by means of a two-electrode deposition system for different durations. The films were characterised for their structural, optical, morphological and compositional properties using x-ray diffraction (XRD), spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) respectively. The results obtained show that the physical and chemical properties of these films are significantly influenced by the deposition time and post-deposition annealing. This influence manifests more in the as-deposited materials than in the annealed ones. XRD results show that the crystallite sizes of the different films are in the range (9.4 – 65.8) nm and (16.4 – 66.0) nm in the as-deposited and annealed forms respectively. Optical measurements show that the absorption coefficients are in the range (2.7×104 – 6.7×104) cm-1 and (4.3×104 – 7.2×104) cm-1 respectively for as-deposited and annealed films. The refractive index is in the range (2.40 – 2.60) for as-deposited films and come to the value of 2.37 after annealing. The extinction coefficient varies in the range (0.1 – 0.3) in asdeposited films and becomes 0.1 in annealed films. The estimated energy bandgap of the films is in the range (2.48 – 2.50) eV for as-deposited films and becomes 2.42 eV for all annealed films. EDX results show that all the films are S-rich in chemical composition with fairly uniform Cd/S ratio after annealing. The results show that annealing improves the qualities of the films and deposition time can be used to control the film thickness. Keywords: Electrodeposition; two-electrode system; CdS; annealing; deposition time; thin-film

Prognostic model to predict postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery based on a national prospective observational cohort study.

Background: Acute illness, existing co-morbidities and surgical stress response can all contribute to postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of this study was prospectively to develop a pragmatic prognostic model to stratify patients according to risk of developing AKI after major gastrointestinal surgery. Methods: This prospective multicentre cohort study included consecutive adults undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection, liver resection or stoma reversal in 2-week blocks over a continuous 3-month period. The primary outcome was the rate of AKI within 7 days of surgery. Bootstrap stability was used to select clinically plausible risk factors into the model. Internal model validation was carried out by bootstrap validation. Results: A total of 4544 patients were included across 173 centres in the UK and Ireland. The overall rate of AKI was 14·2 per cent (646 of 4544) and the 30-day mortality rate was 1·8 per cent (84 of 4544). Stage 1 AKI was significantly associated with 30-day mortality (unadjusted odds ratio 7·61, 95 per cent c.i. 4·49 to 12·90; P < 0·001), with increasing odds of death with each AKI stage. Six variables were selected for inclusion in the prognostic model: age, sex, ASA grade, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, planned open surgery and preoperative use of either an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker. Internal validation demonstrated good model discrimination (c-statistic 0·65). Discussion: Following major gastrointestinal surgery, AKI occurred in one in seven patients. This preoperative prognostic model identified patients at high risk of postoperative AKI. Validation in an independent data set is required to ensure generalizability

Dominant hemisphere and upper cervical cord tumefactive multiple sclerosis in a Nigerian teenager initially misdiagnosed and managed

A 13-year old right handed Nigerian girl presented with eleven weeks history of progressive visual loss, three weeks right hemi-body weakness which progressed to quadriparesis, dysphasia, severe headache, tonic-clonic seizures, neck pain, vomiting and fever.Examination revealed Glasgow Coma Score (E4M6V2), expressive dysphasia and depressed mood. Visual Acuity was counting finger bilaterally. Neck was supple. She had global hypotonia, grade 3 hyper-reflexia and extensor Babinski bilaterally. Power was 0/5 in the right upper limb and right lower limb, 2/5 in the left lower limb and 4/5 in the left upper limb. Other examinations were unremarkable.Contrast enhanced brain MRI revealed three cystic ring enhancing masses at left fronto-parieto-occipital region, associated oedema, midline shift and C2-C4 intramedullary mass with cord oedema. The ring enhancement was incomplete towards the cortex.Following initial suspicions of cystic brain tumour with spinal cord metastasis, she had decompression biopsy. Histology was inflammatory lesion, clinically assumed to be from brain abscess. Failure of antibiotic treatment and the deteriorating neurology prompted mini-craniectomy and biopsy of the cyst wall. Final diagnosis was tumefactive multiple sclerosis. She was successfully managed with methylprednisolone. Follow-up clinical condition has been satisfactory.Keywords: TMS, cranial masses, multiple sclerosis, visual los

Histologically Confirmed Intracranial Tumors Managed at Enugu, Nigeria

Background: There is controversy about the global distribution of intracranial tumors (ICTs). The previous reports from Africa suggested low frequency and different pattern of distribution of brain tumors from what obtains in other continents. The limitations at that time, including paucity of diagnostic facilities and personnel, have improved. Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the current trend and distribution of histology confirmed brain tumors managed in Enugu, in a decade. Methods: A retrospective analysis of ICTs managed between 2006 and 2015 at Memfys Hospital, Enugu. Only cases with conclusive histology report were analyzed. The World Health Organization ICT classification was used. Results: This study reviewed 252 patients out of 612 neuroimaging diagnosed brain tumors. Mean age was 42.8 years and male-to-female ratio was 1.2:1.0. Annual frequency increased from 11 in 2006 to 55 in 2015. Metastatic brain tumors accounted for 5.6%, and infratentorial tumors represented 16.3%. Frequency of the common primary tumors were meningioma (32.9%), glioma (23.8%), pituitary adenomas (13.5%), and craniopharyngioma (7.5%) (P =0.001). Vestibular schwannoma accounted for 1.2%. Meningioma did not have gender difference (P =0.714). Medulloblastoma, glioma, and craniopharyngioma were the most common pediatric tumors. About 8.7% presented unconscious (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between radiology and histology diagnosis (P =0.932). Conclusion: Meningioma is the most frequent tumor with increasing male incidence, but the frequency of glioma is increasing. Metastasis, acoustic schwannoma, lymphoma, and germ cell tumors seem to be uncommon. Late presentation is the rule