Branchial cleft anomaly of external auditory canal: a case report

A 15 year old male with a first branchial cleft anomaly seen at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto is presented. He had recurrent preauricular swelling, which was continuous with three fistulous openings in the left external auditory meatus confirmed by sinogram. It may be mistaken for chronic suppurative otitis media or lymphadenitis, hence the need for a detailed clinical assessment. Surgical excision of the tract is the treatment of choice. Keywords: Branchial cleft anomaly, external auditory canal, sinogram, surgery Annals of African Medicine Vol.2(2) 2003: 83-8

Surgical Management of Cystic Lesions of the Upper Jaw

Objective: Tumors of the nose and paranasal sinuses are of various aetiology. They originate from different sites and cause facial asymmetry. Cystic lesions are rare but may mimic tumours. This study reports surgical excision of cystic upper jaw lesions. Materials and methods : A prospective recruitment of all cases of cystic lesions of the upper jaw seen in two tertiary health centres and analysis of surgical management were carried out over a nine and a half year period (Sept1999-feb 2009). Results:Ten cases of cystic lesions were seen 6 in females and 4 males aged between 13 and 45years.They accounted for 9% of 111cases of tumours of the nose and paranasal sinuses seen during the period. Five cases were naso-alveolar or nasolabial cysts, 3 were dentigerous cysts, while 2 were mucoceles of the maxillary sinus.These were excised without recurrences after a minimum period of one year follow up for nine cases while one case is still being followed up. Causes and management of cystic swellings of the maxilla are discussed and compared with world literature. Conclusion: Cystic lesions of the maxilla causing facial asymmetry constituted 9% of cases of tumours of the nose and paranasal sinuses seen in north western Nigeria. Although cystic lesions of the upper jaw are rare, they are amendable to surgical excision if the root or sources are completely extirpated. Keywords: Nasoalveolar cysts, Dentigerous cyst, Mucocoele Maxilla, Excision

The Speaking Ability of Eleventh Grade Students of SMK Rohmatul Ummah Jekulo Kudus in Academic Year 2011/ 2012Taght by Using Speech Technique

Speaking is the productive skill in the oral mode. It is not like the other skills, is more complicated than it seems at first and involves more than just pronouncing words. The purpose of speaking is to deliver information, idea, concept, and opinion orally. Speaking is also one of four English skills that should be possessed by everybody. In fact, there are many people or students especially eleventh grade students of SMK Rohmatul Ummah Jekulo Kudus, they still get difficulty when they get speaking lesson. From the fact, teacher should have a technique that is able to facilitate and improve the students’ speaking ability. One of the techniques is speech technique. Speech is a speaking activity in front of the public or oration to deliver an idea, or giving detail for something. It means that in application, students compulsory to be able to deliver speech or idea to anybody else. It aims to get the students brave, especially the eleventh grade students of SMK Rohmatul Ummah Jekulo Kudus in delivering an idea and opinion that they deliver by speech. Besides, it is also to improve the students’ speaking ability. Design f this research is Classroom Action Research. This research is conducted at SMK Rohmatul Ummah Jekulo Kudus in academic year 2011/ 2012, especially the eleventh grade students of Rohmatul Ummah Jekulo Kudus. The number of students is 28 students consist of 15 gentlemen and 13 ladies. This research consists of three cycles and every cycle has instrument as follows: observation, test result, questioner. Besides, writer applies the research design in every cycle such as: planning, observing, analyzing, and reflecting. The result of this research shows that using speech technique in teaching speaking in English is effective to improve the students’ speaking ability. It can be seen from the increase the test result in every cycle and the teaching learning process in the classroom that is going better. The average score percentage of students’ speaking ability in cycle I is 53.14% and cycle II is 57.29%. Based on the data, it can be seen there is an improvement of students speaking ability average score percentage between cycle I and II around 4.15%. The average score percentage of students’ speaking ability in cycle III is 62.43%. The improvement of students speaking ability average score percentage between cycle II and III around 5.14%. While the improvement of students speaking ability average score percentage from cycle II up to cycle III around 9.29%. In every cycle is also seen the improvement of students activities and the decrease of teacher’s problem in the classroom during teaching learning by using speech technique. In cycle I there are many students not giving respond when the teacher gets them practice their speech. Eventhough there are some students giving good respond. While from the questioner, it shows most of activity is always felt difficult/ problem by teacher during the teaching learning process. Eventhough some other activities are seldom even never felt difficult. In cycle II, there are many students giving a good respond, even some of them still chat with friends. While from the questioner, it shows most of activity is seldom felt difficult/ problem by teacher. Few activities are always felt difficult. In cycle III, almost all students are active in teaching learning process even though few of them are silent. While from the questioner, it shows most of activity is never felt difficult by teacher. Few of the activity are seldom felt difficult and no activities are always felt difficult. The writer suggests to teachers able to use speech technique as one of alternative technique to teach English. In usage of this technique, it is suggested to choose an interesting and updated material. For the students, it is suggested more active in every activity during teaching learning process both in asking question and practice the speech. And last for further researcher, in usage of speech technique, they should pay attention the process in the class more. This technique is also available for tenth and twelve grade of Senior High School

Environmental Sustainability through Non-destructive Core Testing for Petroleum Reservoir Characterisation

There is growth in environmental concern associated with increase in petroleum production as energy demand continues to increase. Reduction in each of the several inter-related activities of petroleum production will ultimately lead to environmental sustainability. Conventional core testing is expensive, has little regards for environmental concern and is not based on geological, statistical and petrophysical criteria. Probe permeability and magnetic susceptibility measurements correlates well with conventional core testing results, and are possible ways to reduce environmental impact petroleum reservoir characterization Keywords: Environmental, Non-destructive, Petroleum, Characterisation Core-testing, Magnetic, Permeability

Branchial Cleft Anomaly of External Auditory Canal

A 15 year old male with a first branchial cleft anomaly seen at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto is presented. He had recurrent preauricular swelling, which was continuous with three fistulous openings in the left external auditory meatus confirmed by sinogram. It may be mistaken for chronic suppurative otitis media or lymphadenitis, hence the need for a detailed clinical assessment. Surgical excision of the tract is the treatment of choice

The Effect of Sorbitol Addition in Bioplastic from Cellulose Acetate (Sugarcane Bagasse)-Chitosan

This study aimed to determine the effect of sorbitol addition into cellulose acetate-chitosan bioplastic and its biodegradation properties. Cellulose was isolated from the pulp of sugarcane bagasse and acetylated to be cellulose acetate. Cellulose acetate was characterized by FTIR, the results of FTIR characterization contained C=O and C-O functional groups with wavenumbers of 1644.99 cm-1 and 1059.86 cm-1 which indicated the formation of cellulose acetate. Cellulose acetate-chitosan bioplastic and cellulose acetate-chitosan-sorbitol bioplastic has been successfully synthesized and characterized. The results of FTIR characterization showed that bioplastics had C=O and C-O functional groups at wavenumbers of 1644.99 cm-1, 1059.86 cm-1 which was indicated as cellulose acetate and  N-H functional group at wavenumber of 1559.66 cm-1 which was indicated as the presence of chitosan in bioplastics and there is an increase in absorption intensity of the O-H functional group which indicates that sorbitol has been successfully added to bioplastics. The addition of sorbitol could improve the percent of elongation from 14.0635% to 19.9379% and decrease the tensile strength from 6.3049 MPa to 0.6309 MPa. It also could increase water absorption from 16.68% to 88.73%, and could accelerate the bioplastic degradation process from 24 days to 8 days

The Effect of Sorbitol Addition in Bioplastic from Cellulose Acetate (Sugarcane Bagasse)-Chitosan

This study aimed to determine the effect of sorbitol addition into cellulose acetate-chitosan bioplastic and its biodegradation properties. Cellulose was isolated from the pulp of sugarcane bagasse and acetylated to be cellulose acetate. Cellulose acetate was characterized by FTIR, the results of FTIR characterization contained C=O and C-O functional groups with wavenumbers of 1644.99 cm-1 and 1059.86 cm-1 which indicated the formation of cellulose acetate. Cellulose acetate-chitosan bioplastic and cellulose acetate-chitosan-sorbitol bioplastic has been successfully synthesized and characterized. The results of FTIR characterization showed that bioplastics had C=O and C-O functional groups at wavenumbers of 1644.99 cm-1, 1059.86 cm-1 which was indicated as cellulose acetate and  N-H functional group at wavenumber of 1559.66 cm-1 which was indicated as the presence of chitosan in bioplastics and there is an increase in absorption intensity of the O-H functional group which indicates that sorbitol has been successfully added to bioplastics. The addition of sorbitol could improve the percent of elongation from 14.0635% to 19.9379% and decrease the tensile strength from 6.3049 MPa to 0.6309 MPa. It also could increase water absorption from 16.68% to 88.73%, and could accelerate the bioplastic degradation process from 24 days to 8 days

Smokeless tobacco use in adult Nigerian population

The study aim was to establish the prevalence and determinants of smokeless tobacco use in Nigerian adults' population.Across-sectional survey of 1776 adults inYola, North-East Nigeria was carried out in June 2007.A modified World Health Organization (WHO) tobacco survey questionnaire was used for interview and datacollection. Out of 1776 interviewed respondents, 133 (7.49%) were user of smokeless tobacco. Snuffing of tobacco powder was the most common method of using smokeless tobacco (6.8%). Fifteen (0.9%) chewedtobacco while only 2(0.1%) both chewed and snuffed tobacco. Social acceptance (21.8%) was the major reason for using smokeless tobacco. Males, 5th and 6th decades of life, poor education, lower socioeconomic class, Margi, Hausa and Fulani tribes were the determinants of smokeless tobacco use.About 89.5% of the smokeless tobacco users believed that smokeless tobacco was not harmful to their health. : Although the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use was low among Nigerian adult population in this study. Ignorance of the potential health dangers of smokeless tobacco was rampant therefore; concerted efforts should be made to discourage the use of all forms of tobacco rather than concentrating on cigarette smoking

Assessment of Nutritional Status and Knowledge of Students from Selected Secondary Schools in Sokoto Metropolis, Sokoto State, Nigeria

The significance of improving nutrition knowledge in order to have a positive influence on food choices and health should not be underestimated. This study assessed the nutritional status and knowledge of school children attending selected secondary schools in Sokoto metropolis. The study population was purposively drawn from secondary school students in Nigeria attending Federal Government College and State Government-owned schools. Four secondary schools were used for the study: Federal Government College (FGC), Sani Dingyadi Secondary School (SDUSS), Nagarta Secondary School (NSS) and Army Day Secondary School (ADSS). A sample of 240 school students, aged 10 to 25 years participated in the study. The measuring instruments included a questionnaire to determine the nutrition knowledge of the students. Anthropometric measurements included weight, height and mid-upper arm circumference, measured using standard methodologies. The mean age recorded for male and female students were 18.0±1.90 and 15.7±1.20 years, respectively. The result showed that 27.9% were underweight, 7.5% overweight and 64.6% had normal BMI status. Nutritional status was significantly related with sex (χ2 = 16.169, p<0.05) but not with age (χ2 = 1.368, p>0.05). The prevalence of underweight was higher among the males (33.9%) compared to the females (13.9%), while more females were overweight (15.3%) compared to the males (4.2%). Seventy one percent performed poorly in the nutrition knowledge assessment rating. The overall performance of the female students was significantly higher (χ2 = 46.386; P<0.05) than their male counterparts. Furthermore, 5, 12 and 12% had excellent, very good and good nutrition knowledge, respectively, while 33% and 38% had fair and poor nutrition knowledge, respectively. The results further revealed that the students were deficient in knowledge and understanding of the facts about energy and nutritive values of foods. Therefore, adequate nutrition education is needed at the secondary school level; this will enable the students to make good food choices and positively influence their eating habits thereby ensuring better nutritional status.Keywords: malnutrition, knowledge, school, anthropometry, Sokot