Quality Academic Process: A Panacea for Student Development in University Education

There has been a discussion on the quality of student development in the Nigerian university system as one of the roles of university education, is a manpower development. However, there has been a decline in the quality of graduates produced. This study was carried out to determine the impact of quality academic process on student development. The study adopted a survey research method where an instrument titled quality academic process questionnaire (QAPQ) and student development questionnaire (SDQ) were administered on faculty members in public universities in Nigeria. Out of 450 questionnaires that were given out, only 305 were returned and usable for data analysis after the data cleaning. The findings of the study revealed that university curriculum, instruction, assessment, research and development significantly determined the quality of student development while service learning was found not to be significantly related to student development. Therefore, some practical and theoretical implications were made and future research directions were suggested

Effects of crude ethanolic extract of Garcinia cambogia on the reproductive system of male wist ar rats (Rattus novergicus)

15 male rats were grouped and administered crude ethanolic extracts of Garcinia cambogia seeds to test the effects on the histology of the testis and sperm counts. Group A served as the control while Groups B and C received 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight of extracts, respectively. The administration was done orally once a day, six days a week for six weeks. The routine histological preparation at the end of administration revealed increase in the interstitial spaces, degeneration of the Ledgid cells and distortion in the arrangement of the cells of spermatogenic series. The sperm counts revealed a significant increase in the experimental groups when compared statistically with the control (p<0.05). It was 81.5 ± 13.62 ´ 10^6/ml and 70 ± 12.98 ´ 10^6 /ml in groups Band C, respectively, as compared to 59.8 ± 2.14 ´ 10^6/ml in the Control group

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Underweight, overweight and obesity in adults Nigerians living in rural and urban communities of Benue State

Objective: To assess the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among Nigerians aged 18-45 years, living in urban and rural settlements in one state in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and thirty-five subjects between 18 and 45 years of age were recruited for height, weight and waist circumference (WC) measurements. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated (weight/height 2, kg/m 2 ); WHO criteria determined BMI and WC categories. Results: Based on BMI, about 2% of the study population was underweight, 22% was overweight and 4% was obese. There were more normal weight persons in rural than in urban settlement. About 40 and 30% of females in urban and rural settlement, respectively, were either overweight or obese. Based on WC of the sample population, 10.34% had increased risk for metabolic syndrome [action level I (defi ned as WC 6594 cm in men and 6580 cm in women)] and 2.8% had substantially increased risk [action level II (defi ned as WC 65102 cm in men and 6588 cm in women)]. At action level II, there was no obese male. Conclusion: This study revealed that underweight, overweight and obesity exist in young adults, but overweight and obesity are more prevalent. Therefore, concerted efforts should be made to control this in young adults for their present well-being and to possibly avoid the risk of disease later in life

Underweight, overweight and obesity in adults Nigerians living in rural and urban communities of Benue State

Objective: To assess the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among Nigerians aged 18-45 years, living in urban and rural settlements in one state in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and thirty-five subjects between 18 and 45 years of age were recruited for height, weight and waist circumference (WC) measurements. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated (weight/height 2, kg/m 2 ); WHO criteria determined BMI and WC categories. Results: Based on BMI, about 2% of the study population was underweight, 22% was overweight and 4% was obese. There were more normal weight persons in rural than in urban settlement. About 40 and 30% of females in urban and rural settlement, respectively, were either overweight or obese. Based on WC of the sample population, 10.34% had increased risk for metabolic syndrome [action level I (defi ned as WC ≥94 cm in men and ≥80 cm in women)] and 2.8% had substantially increased risk [action level II (defi ned as WC ≥102 cm in men and ≥88 cm in women)]. At action level II, there was no obese male. Conclusion: This study revealed that underweight, overweight and obesity exist in young adults, but overweight and obesity are more prevalent. Therefore, concerted efforts should be made to control this in young adults for their present well-being and to possibly avoid the risk of disease later in life

Hypokalaemic nephropathy secondary to enterocutaneous fistula: a rare complication of abdominal hysterectomy - case report

A case of severe hypokalaemia due to enterocutaneous fistula as a post surgical complication of total abdominal hysterectomy is described. The severity of the hypokalaemia resulted in hypokalaemic nephropathy. The polyuria, nocturia and polydipsia were all reversed with appropriate fluid and potassium replacement after the closure of the fistula. Tropical Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Vol. 22(2) 2005: 200-20