Dietary supplement using cockroach meal: impact on growth indices and biochemical responses in hybrid catfish

Globally the need to substitute fishmeal with other animal protein sources in the fish diet has gained more attention; which is occasioned by the increasing cost of fish. A 12-week trial was conducted to ascertain the growth indices and biochemical response of hybrid catfish (Clarias gariepinus(♀) and Heterobranchus bidorsalis (♂)) fed cockroach meal supplement. A total of 800 hybrid catfish were randomly distributed into four dietary treatments (Diet A- control feed), Diet B (50 % cockroach and 50 % fishmeal), Diet C (100 % cockroach meal) and Diet D (100 % fishmeal). Each treatment was replicated with 35 fish per experimental pond in a completely randomized design. Progressive weight gain was determined bi-weekly. At the end of the study period, fishes were randomly sacrificed for proximate compositions and plasma biochemical analyses (glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, total protein, albumin) using standard protocols. The study revealed that growth parameters (Weight gain, Average weight gain, Protein efficiency ratio, Feed Conversion rate, Specific growth rate and Survival rate (SR) were influenced by the dietary treatments (p>0.05). The highest weight gain was recorded in Diet 1 (8847.73±292.65 g) > Diet 2 (7816.33±121.71 g)>Diet 3 (7811.67±566.08 g) >Diet 4 (7022.00±44.193 g). Similarly, the best feed conversion ratio was found in fish fed Diet A (10.12±0.01),>Diet B, C and D had the same values of 0.11 g respectively. There was no significant (p>0.05) difference in plasma biochemical indicators measured when compared to the control (Diet A). Thus, indicating that all the fish were healthy and had normal physiological activities. Cockroach meal can therefore, be used as a feed supplement without having any adverse effect on the growth and well-being of hybrid catfish fingerling

Reference values of somatometric and sonographic renal parameters of apparently healthy Hausa children in Kano metropolis, Nigeria

Accurate measurement of organ size is important in children to estimate adequate growth. Among various growth parameters, kidney size is an important parameter used for the clinical evaluation of renal growth and renal abnormalities. The study is aimed at evaluating the renal volume using ultrasound scan in normal Hausa primary school children in Kano aged 2 to 13 years. The study design was prospective cross sectional conducted among healthy Hausa children, aged 2 to 13 in Kano metropolis from October 2017 to October 2019. Approval to carry out the study was obtained from the State Universal Basic Education, Kano, Ministry of Health, Kano. Informed oral and written consent were obtained from the child’s parents or caregiver. A simple random sampling was employed in the study and a total of 457 subjects were recruited. The instrument used was MindrayDigiprince DP4900 ultrasound machines with 3.5 – 5.0MHz curvilinear transducer. Renal ultrasound scan was performed on all the selected subjects. SPSS version 22.0 was used for the data analysis. The mean heights, weights and BMI of the subjects were 1.21±0.11m, 20.46±4.92kg and 13.93kg/m2. The mean renal length, thickness, width and renal volume were 7.69±0.71cm, 3.31 ± 0.42cm, 4.80 ± 0.49cm and 64.79±16.13cm3 respectively. This study provides data for normal sonographic renal volume and length in Kano metropolis, a Hausa dominated Nigerian population

Human rhinosporidiosis of the nasal cavity: a case report.

Rhinosporidiosis is a rare chronic granulomatous disease caused by Rhinosporidium seeberi. It is endemic in some parts of Asia and commonly involves the mucous membrane of the nose presenting with nasal obstruction, a nasal mass, and epistaxis. The main treatment for rhinosporidiosis remains surgical excision, although it may recur after excision. Rhinosporidiosis is a condition that clinicians should keep in mind when managing patients with nasal masses even in non-endemic areas. Case presentation: A 52-year-old housewife presented with a 9-month history of left progressive nasal obstruction and progressive enlarging left nasal growth associated with recurrent nasal bleeding and nasal discharge. She had a history of rearing animals and bathing in ponds as well as engaging in farming activities. Examination revealed a fleshy polypoid mass attached to the nasal septum by pedicle and filling the whole of the left nasal cavity covered with a mucopurulent nasal discharge with associated contact bleeding. She had endoscopic resection under local anaesthesia with cauterization of the base of the mass with a silver nitrate pencil. A histopathological diagnosis of rhinosporidiosis was made. Conclusion: Rhinosporidiosis is rare in our environment, its presentation mimics that of nasal tumours. Therefore, it should be part of the differential diagnosis; both clinicians and pathologists should have it at the back of their minds when managing patients with nasal masses even in non-endemic areas

Bacteria and fungi analyses of fish diets with grasshopper and cockroach meals: the potential replacement of fishmeal in fish diets

The need to further ascertain the quality of fishmeal with biological indicators has poised this study to determine the biological characterisation of formulated diets with supplemented insect protein (variegated grasshopper and American cockroach). The diets (A–F) were prepared with local ingredients (A, 100% grasshopper meal; B, 100% fishmeal; C, 1:1 grasshopper:fishmeal; D, 1:1 cockroach:fishmeal; E, 100% cockroach meal; F, commercial diet). Samples of prepared diets ready to be stored for use were subjected to bacteria and fungi test. Diet F recorded the highest (4.60±1.10×102 cfu g–1) total viable bacteria count. The highest (3.00±0.05×102 cfu g–1) fungi count was recorded in diet A. Six probiotics bacteria were isolated from the diets. Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus was only isolated in grasshopper containing diets; as Pediococcus pentosaceus, Bifidobacterium longum, Mycobacterium marinum, Bacillus subtilisand, Lactococcocus lactis were only isolated in diets F, E, D, A and B respectively. Two pathogenic bacteria isolated were Streptoccoci pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. Aspergillus flavus and Penicillum sp. are the two species of fungi isolated from diet A, and diets C and E respectively. The diets with insect proteins were rich in probiotic bacteria than other diets may be considered to replace fishmeal in fish diet

Characteristics of Different Type of Coarse Aggregate on Properties of High Performance Concrete

The weakest links of conventional cement concrete is often occurred at the transition zone around coarse aggregate particles and the bulk of the compressive load is also borne by the cement paste. However, in special concrete such as High Strength Concrete (HSC) and High Performance Concrete (HPC) where, the water/cement ratio is low and high content of cement constitute their characteristics, the bulk compressive load is borne by the aggregate. Therefore, the failure in such concrete is mostly through the aggregate. This study discussed the characteristics of different type of coarse aggregate with distinct size range, 20-14mm and 10-5mm on properties of high performance concrete. In this project, investigation such as Slump test and Unit weight were carried out on fresh properties, and also compressive strength and water absorption on hardened properties, in which, readings were taken at curing days of 7 days, 14 days, and 28 days. The water to cement ratio used is 0.35, 1% super plasticizer of  Conplast SP-430 were added, and the dosage of meta kaolin added was  0%, 7.5% and 15%. The HPC mix, grade M40concrete is designed as per ACI method. The result of the study indicated that the compressive strength increases with an increase in percentage of Metakaolin between 0% to 15% replacements. Basalt-mixed concrete gives higher compressive strength, followed by gneiss-mixed concrete, then granite-mixed concrete. It was also discovered that larger aggregate sizes (20mm-14mm) gives high compressive strength than smaller sizes (5mm-10mm). Therefore for optimum performance up to 15% replacement of Metakaolin can be used with 20mm-14mm sizes of basalt aggregate

Prevalence of bacteria isolates in water and some biota of Lapai-Agaie Dam, Nigeria

Lapai-Agaie dam play a pivotal role as primary source of domestic water supply, agricultural (irrigation and fisheries) activities to the host communities. Therefore, this study assessed the prevalence of bacterial isolates in water and on some biota (macrophytes and fishes) in order to provide basic information on bacterial diversity of the dam. The water pH and temperature of the identified sample sites were determined. Water sample for bacteria isolation was collected across water surface at each sites into 500ml sterile container. Macrophytes from the sampling sites were wholly collected with forceps into a sterilized plastic container; while fish samples were obtained from the landing site and placed in sterilized polythene bag for subsequent analyses. The standard procedures for bacteria sampling and identification were employed using phenotypic identification techniques. Water pH was significantly different (p<0.05) between sampling sites. Six bacteria isolates were identified from the two water sampling sites. Site A recorded the highest average bacterial colony count of 0.96x22x108 cfu/ml with Escherichia coli (12(29 %)) as the most frequent isolate. A total number of seventeen (17) genera of fishes where eleven bacteria were isolated. The fish coded FS3 recorded the highest distribution bacteria isolates. Three species of macrophytes were identified in the dam, with the highest bacteria population of 1.85±0.24x107cfu/ml in the stem of Leerisia havedra as it had the highest bacterial population of 16.42±0.43x107 cfu/ml. Twelve (12) bacteria isolates where identified from the macrophytes with Klebsiella pneumonia recording the highest frequency of 8(16 %). However, the distribution of pathogenic bacteria in water was lower than that on the fishes and macrophytes. An indication that the biota may act as causative agent of epidemic disease. Therefore, the existence of these isolates pose challenges to human health, if proper hygiene and implementation of aquatic water policy and regulations are not properly enforced to discourage anthropogenic pollution.Keywords: Lentic, Biodiversity, Fish, Macrophytes, Bacteri

Pediatric Bacterial Meningitis Surveillance in Nigeria From 2010 to 2016, Prior to and During the Phased Introduction of the 10-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine.

BACKGROUND: Historically, Nigeria has experienced large bacterial meningitis outbreaks with high mortality in children. Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus), and Haemophilus influenzae are major causes of this invasive disease. In collaboration with the World Health Organization, we conducted longitudinal surveillance in sentinel hospitals within Nigeria to establish the burden of pediatric bacterial meningitis (PBM). METHODS: From 2010 to 2016, cerebrospinal fluid was collected from children <5 years of age, admitted to 5 sentinel hospitals in 5 Nigerian states. Microbiological and latex agglutination techniques were performed to detect the presence of pneumococcus, meningococcus, and H. influenzae. Species-specific polymerase chain reaction and serotyping/grouping were conducted to determine specific causative agents of PBM. RESULTS: A total of 5134 children with suspected meningitis were enrolled at the participating hospitals; of these 153 (2.9%) were confirmed PBM cases. The mortality rate for those infected was 15.0% (23/153). The dominant pathogen was pneumococcus (46.4%: 71/153) followed by meningococcus (34.6%: 53/153) and H. influenzae (19.0%: 29/153). Nearly half the pneumococcal meningitis cases successfully serotyped (46.4%: 13/28) were caused by serotypes that are included in the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. The most prevalent meningococcal and H. influenzae strains were serogroup W and serotype b, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccine-type bacterial meningitis continues to be common among children <5 years in Nigeria. Challenges with vaccine introduction and coverage may explain some of these finding. Continued surveillance is needed to determine the distribution of serotypes/groups of meningeal pathogens across Nigeria and help inform and sustain vaccination policies in the country

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P &lt; 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Measuring routine childhood vaccination coverage in 204 countries and territories, 1980-2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020, Release 1

Background Measuring routine childhood vaccination is crucial to inform global vaccine policies and programme implementation, and to track progress towards targets set by the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) and Immunization Agenda 2030. Robust estimates of routine vaccine coverage are needed to identify past successes and persistent vulnerabilities. Drawing from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020, Release 1, we did a systematic analysis of global, regional, and national vaccine coverage trends using a statistical framework, by vaccine and over time. Methods For this analysis we collated 55 326 country-specific, cohort-specific, year-specific, vaccine-specific, and dosespecific observations of routine childhood vaccination coverage between 1980 and 2019. Using spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression, we produced location-specific and year-specific estimates of 11 routine childhood vaccine coverage indicators for 204 countries and territories from 1980 to 2019, adjusting for biases in countryreported data and reflecting reported stockouts and supply disruptions. We analysed global and regional trends in coverage and numbers of zero-dose children (defined as those who never received a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis [DTP] vaccine dose), progress towards GVAP targets, and the relationship between vaccine coverage and sociodemographic development. Findings By 2019, global coverage of third-dose DTP (DTP3; 81.6% [95% uncertainty interval 80.4-82 .7]) more than doubled from levels estimated in 1980 (39.9% [37.5-42.1]), as did global coverage of the first-dose measles-containing vaccine (MCV1; from 38.5% [35.4-41.3] in 1980 to 83.6% [82.3-84.8] in 2019). Third- dose polio vaccine (Pol3) coverage also increased, from 42.6% (41.4-44.1) in 1980 to 79.8% (78.4-81.1) in 2019, and global coverage of newer vaccines increased rapidly between 2000 and 2019. The global number of zero-dose children fell by nearly 75% between 1980 and 2019, from 56.8 million (52.6-60. 9) to 14.5 million (13.4-15.9). However, over the past decade, global vaccine coverage broadly plateaued; 94 countries and territories recorded decreasing DTP3 coverage since 2010. Only 11 countries and territories were estimated to have reached the national GVAP target of at least 90% coverage for all assessed vaccines in 2019. Interpretation After achieving large gains in childhood vaccine coverage worldwide, in much of the world this progress was stalled or reversed from 2010 to 2019. These findings underscore the importance of revisiting routine immunisation strategies and programmatic approaches, recentring service delivery around equity and underserved populations. Strengthening vaccine data and monitoring systems is crucial to these pursuits, now and through to 2030, to ensure that all children have access to, and can benefit from, lifesaving vaccines. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

Mapping geographical inequalities in access to drinking water and sanitation facilities in low-income and middle-income countries, 2000-17

Background: Universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities is an essential human right, recognised in the Sustainable Development Goals as crucial for preventing disease and improving human wellbeing. Comprehensive, high-resolution estimates are important to inform progress towards achieving this goal. We aimed to produce high-resolution geospatial estimates of access to drinking water and sanitation facilities. Methods: We used a Bayesian geostatistical model and data from 600 sources across more than 88 low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) to estimate access to drinking water and sanitation facilities on continuous continent-wide surfaces from 2000 to 2017, and aggregated results to policy-relevant administrative units. We estimated mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive subcategories of facilities for drinking water (piped water on or off premises, other improved facilities, unimproved, and surface water) and sanitation facilities (septic or sewer sanitation, other improved, unimproved, and open defecation) with use of ordinal regression. We also estimated the number of diarrhoeal deaths in children younger than 5 years attributed to unsafe facilities and estimated deaths that were averted by increased access to safe facilities in 2017, and analysed geographical inequality in access within LMICs. Findings: Across LMICs, access to both piped water and improved water overall increased between 2000 and 2017, with progress varying spatially. For piped water, the safest water facility type, access increased from 40·0% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 39·4–40·7) to 50·3% (50·0–50·5), but was lowest in sub-Saharan Africa, where access to piped water was mostly concentrated in urban centres. Access to both sewer or septic sanitation and improved sanitation overall also increased across all LMICs during the study period. For sewer or septic sanitation, access was 46·3% (95% UI 46·1–46·5) in 2017, compared with 28·7% (28·5–29·0) in 2000. Although some units improved access to the safest drinking water or sanitation facilities since 2000, a large absolute number of people continued to not have access in several units with high access to such facilities (>80%) in 2017. More than 253 000 people did not have access to sewer or septic sanitation facilities in the city of Harare, Zimbabwe, despite 88·6% (95% UI 87·2–89·7) access overall. Many units were able to transition from the least safe facilities in 2000 to safe facilities by 2017; for units in which populations primarily practised open defecation in 2000, 686 (95% UI 664–711) of the 1830 (1797–1863) units transitioned to the use of improved sanitation. Geographical disparities in access to improved water across units decreased in 76·1% (95% UI 71·6–80·7) of countries from 2000 to 2017, and in 53·9% (50·6–59·6) of countries for access to improved sanitation, but remained evident subnationally in most countries in 2017. Interpretation: Our estimates, combined with geospatial trends in diarrhoeal burden, identify where efforts to increase access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities are most needed. By highlighting areas with successful approaches or in need of targeted interventions, our estimates can enable precision public health to effectively progress towards universal access to safe water and sanitation