An exploration of symptom burden among breast and gynaecological cancer patients accessing care at University of Ilorin teaching hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

Background: Breast and gynaecological cancers are the leading causes of cancer morbidity and mortality among women in developing countries. Advanced stage diseases with limited availability for treatment imply significant symptom burden; the relief of which poses a challenge for the health care providers. Aim: This study was conducted to measure symptom burden and relief among breast and gynaecological cancer patients accessing care in a tertiary health institution in Nigeria. Objectives : 1)To determine the prevalence of symptoms among breast cancer and gynaecological cancer patients accessing care in UITH, Ilorin; 2) To determine the most distressing symptoms experienced by breast and gynaecological cancer patients accessing care in UITH, Ilorin and 3) To assess symptom relief in the two studied groups. Methods: Both inpatients and outpatients with breast and gynaecologic cancers accessing care during the study period were recruited. All patients completed an interviewer administered MSAS-SF which assesses a 7-day prevalence and distress/frequency of 32 physical/psychological symptoms. Symptom relief was assessed 7 days later. Demographics, cancer stages, treatments received and palliative care referrals were obtained from the case notes. Karnofsky Performance Status Scale was used to assess functional status. Results: Fifty breast and 49 gynaecological cancer patients were studied. Eighty percent of breast cancer and 91.9% of gynaecological cancer patients had advanced cancer. The overall mean number of symptoms was 5.8 ± 4.5 for breast cancer while gynaecological cancers had 8.1 ± 4.6. The top 5 symptoms in breast cancer patients were pain (62%), worrying (44%), feeling sad (42%), weight loss (40%) and difficulty sleeping (38%). Gynaecological cancers had weight loss (67.3%), pain (65.3%), worrying (53.1%), feeling sad (51.0%) and lack of energy (46.9%) as the top 5. The most distressing symptoms were cancer-site specific such as fungating breast masses in breast cancer patients and vaginal bleeding/discharges in gynaecological cancer patients. Both groups similarly had pain and "don't look like myself" as most distressing too. Symptoms reliefs were poor and comparable between the two groups and palliative care referrals were also generally low but worse among breast cancer patients. Gynaecological cancer patients had higher Global Distress Index (GDI= 0.88 Vs 0.48), were more physically distressed (MSAS-PHYS= 0.67 Vs 0.40) and had a poorer KPS (77 ± 17.41 Vs 85 ± 16.91) compared to breast cancer patients. Conclusions: This study shows higher symptom burden in gynaecological cancer patients, a comparably poor symptom relief in both groups and poorer palliative care referrals among breast cancer than the gynaecologic cancer patients. Gynaecological cancer patients had higher symptom prevalence and higher symptom distress scores and lower performance status compared to the breast cancer patients

Studies of ionic liquid modified materials for adsorption of organic pollutants from aqueous media.

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2015.Abstract available in PDF file

The Role of Academics in the Attainment of National Integration in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and The Wayforwad

This presentation is a review of the roles of Nigerian academics in relation to national integration. At the background is the perception of the troubling times in Nigeria occasioned by socio-economic and political turmoil. It is thus premise that, academics in higher institutions of learning have been an integral part of nation integration drives and attempts in Africa and Nigeria in particular. However, it is noted with greater concern such the momentous of the academics to critically participate in the drive for national integration especially in this crucial time of Nigeria’s national development have been subdued by serious political and administrative mismanagements in the nations and the contagious effectives such have on the ivory towers. This ugly development has depleted the quality and quantity of the academics, often reducing its impact to campuses. Secondary data were used to described and justify this revelations. The presentation holds that the academics world over and in Nigeria with significance motivation and improved and robust working environment remains the government best bet to institutionalizing and sustaining national integration

Agricultural Extension Agents’ Awareness Of Ict Potentials And Training Needs On Usage For Improved Extension Service Deliv- Ery In Selected Southwest States Of Nigeria

The   study   examined   the   agricultural   extension   workers’ awareness   of   ICT   potentials   and   training needs on ICT usage for improved extension service delivery in selected southwest states of Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select a total of 132 extension workers’ from Lagos and Ogun States Agricultural Development   Programmes   (LADA  and OGADEP).   A  validated  and  reliable questionnaire was used to obtain primary data on socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents, their awareness of ICT potentials and training needs on ICT usage for improved extension services delivery. Data collected were analysed using frequency counts, percentages and chi-square statistics. Result of the analysis showed that most of the respondents were the Village Extension Agents (78.8 %,), and about 34.1% of them were within the age range of 41 and 45years. About 72.7% the exten- sion agents had first degree (HND/BSc) as the least educational qualification and about 57.6% of them have spent between 11 and 20 years in the extension services. The result also showed that all the extension agents were familiar with the Global System Mobile communication (GSM), 58.3% with the computer and 38.6% of them with the internet. About 43.2% of the extension workers were moderately aware of the ICT potentials for improved extension service delivery based on their mean awareness score of 8.5 (53.1%). The chi-square test of the relationship between the extension workers’ socioeco- nomic characteristics (education: χ² = 45.5,  df = 12; professional rank: χ² = 38.7,  df = 9; working ex- perience χ² = 65.2, df = 12) and level of awareness of the ICT potentials showed a significant relation- ship at p < 0.05. Similarly, a significant relationship was observed between the extension agents’ level of awareness of ICT potentials and their needs for training on usage for improved extension service delivery (χ² = 71.3, df = 18) at p < 0.05. In the light of this, it was concluded that the extension workers had moderate level awareness of ICT potentials for improved extension services and were in need of training on usage in their extension activities. It was recommended that education on ICT potentials and   training on  usage for improved  extension service delivery   should   be promoted and intensified among the extension workers.      &nbsp

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oils from the rhizomes of Cyperus papyrus L. grown in South Africa

Essential oils hydrodistilled from the rhizomes of Cyperus papyrus L. growing wild in two localities (KwaDlangezwa and Richard’s Bay) of uMhlathuze City, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa has been studied. The major components of KwaDlangezwa oil were caryophyllene oxide (12.7%), cyperene (10.2%) and 1,8-cineole (8.4%). The oil of Richard’s Bay comprised mainly of caryophyllene oxide (24.4%), humulene epoxide II (13.2%), aristolene (9.1%) and aromadendrene epoxide II (7.3%). The antibacterial activity of the oils was assayed using agar-disc diffusion and broth-microdilution methods. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) revealed that the oil samples inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 3983 and ATCC 6538), with MIC of 1.25 and 0.31 mg/mL for each oil. Streptococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212; MIC of 1.25 and 0.6 mg/mL, respectively) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 4983; MIC of 1.25 mg/mL for both oils). Only the Richard Bay oil showed activity against Bacillus cereus and Bacillus pumilus with MIC of 1.25mg/mL, respectively

Factors affecting entrepreneurship development among the food marketers in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria

The study assessed the factors affecting entrepreneurship development among Food Marketers in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria. One hundred and ten respondents were randomly selected in four markets in Ilorin. The data was analyzed using frequency count, percentage, mean and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The result reveals that mean age of the respondents was 30.5 years and about 58.2% were female. Record keeping skills (mean score =2.42) was the highest ranked entrepreneurial information needs of the respondents while lack of start-up capital (mean score =2.40) was the most severe factor affecting entrepreneurial activities of food marketers. There is a weak positive significant relationship between the entrepreneurial information needs and factors affecting entrepreneurial development of the respondents (r=0.407, p=0.0001). The study recommends that there should be provision of training on entrepreneurial skills based on the identified areas of needs and there should be provision of credit facilities to the food marketers as these will enhance their productivity. Keywords: Entrepreneurial Development, Factors, Information Needs, Food Marketers, Ilorin Metropoli

Effects of Graded Levels of Xylanase-Treated Rice Husk on Nutrient Digestibility and Growth Performance of Broiler Chickens

This study investigated the feeding value of Aspergillus tubingensis xylanase-treated rice husk in broiler chickens. The objectives of the study are (I) to investigate the effect of xylanase treatment on the utilization of rice husk in broiler chickens and (II) to determine the optimum level of xylanase-treated rice husk that can be tolerated by broiler chickens. Xylanases are hydrolytic enzymes that degrade xylan and hemicelluloses located in plant cell walls, into xylose which is a reducing sugar and enhancing nutrient digestibility in animal feeds. The production of extracellular xylanase by a locally isolated Aspergillus tubingensis was conducted using solid-state fermentation. The selected isolate was identified by cultural techniques and verified by molecular identification. Conventional feed ingredients such as maize is the primary cereal as source of energy in broiler diet. High cost, availability and competition existing among man, industry and livestock has necessitated the need to find cheap and available alternative feedstuffs for maize in poultry diet. Rice husk is one of the alternative feedstuffs but characterized by high fibre content and Non-Starch Polysaccharide (NSP) (Dalibord, 2006). Thus, addition of the xylanase enzyme breaks the NSPs resulting in plant cell wall destruction after releasing the trapped nutrients such as starches and proteins within fibre-rich cell walls (Gade et al., 2017). Crude xylanase produced was used for enzymatic degradation of rice husk to improve its nutritional value. The rice husk was initially subjected to physical pre-treatment by soaking in water for 24 hours or ground to increase the surface area. Pre-treated rice husk was treated by spraying xylanase onto the rice husk at 100g/ 0.2mL representing the concentration level that recorded the best degradation of fibre content in the treated rice husk. Xylanase-treated rice husk (XTRH) was used with other ingredients in formulating a broiler chicken diet at different inclusion levels. The experiment was a complete randomized design with five experimental diets containing xylanase-treated rice husk at different inclusion levels 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 kg/100kg. The control diet contained no xylanase-treated rice husk (XTRH). There were five (5) treatments each with three (3) replicate cages of eight (8) broiler chicks totalling 120 birds for the feeding trial. One hundred and twenty (120) day-old chicks with an average weight of 54.85g were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments formulated with 0 (control), 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% (XTRH), and fed for eight weeks. There were three replicates of eight (8) birds per treatment. Results showed that the performance of Broiler chickens such as feed intake, and weight gain feed fed diet containing a 20% inclusion level of xylanase-treated rice husk was significantly higher (p<0.05) compared to other treatment diets. This showed an improvement in the utilization of a high-fibre diet, nutrient digestibility, growth performance, and carcass characteristics which can be beneficial to farmers in reducing the cost of feed, and increasing savings and profit margin. Conclusively, the application of xylanase produced by Aspergillus tubingensis on rice husk may have enhanced efficient enzymatic hydrolysis of its fibre fractions and improved its nutritional values. Supplementation of rice husk treated with xylanase at 100g/0.2mL concentration level and included at 20% in broiler chicken may enhance nutrient digestion and utilization and improve the growth performance of broiler chickens

Entrepreneurial information needs of Agricultural Students of Tertiary Institutions in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria

The study assessed the entrepreneurial information needs of Agricultural students in tertiary institutions in Ilorin metropolis. One hundred and  twenty-three respondents were randomly selected among the final year students of Agriculture in University of Ilorin and Kwara State Polytechnic  Ilorin. The data was analyzed using Frequency count, Percentage, Mean and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). The result reveals that majority (91.1%) of the respondents were willing to go into entrepreneurial activities after graduation from the tertiary institution. The highest  ranked entrepreneurial information need was decision making skills ( = 2.79). Lack of start-up capital was the most severe factor affecting  entrepreneurial activities ( = 2.79). The result reveals that there was a significant relationship between the income (r=-0.356, p=0.0001), factors affecting entrepreneurial activities (r=0.509, p=0.0001) and entrepreneurial information needs of the respondents. The study recommends that there should be creation of more awareness on entrepreneurial opportunities to Agricultural Students of tertiary institutions. Key words: Entrepreneurial activities, Information Needs, Agricultural Students, Tertiary Institutio

Chemical constituents and insecticidal activity of essential oil of Paullinia pinnata L (Sapindaceae)

The chemical constituents and insecticidal activity of essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of the leaves of Paullinia pinnata Linn (Sapindaceae) are being reported. The essential oil were analysed by using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Different concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg/mL) of P. pinnata essential oil prepared separately and diluted in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were tested on the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais. The main constituents of the oil were pentadecanoic acid (17.9%), isoaromadendrene epoxide (11.5%) and wine lactone (11.2%). Other significant compounds of the essential oil were eremophilene (6.9%) and phytol (6.2%). The essential oil displayed 100% mortality (fumigant toxicity) against S. zeamais adults at tested concentration of 150 mg/mL with lethal concentrations (LC50) of 51.87 mg/mL air. This is the first report on the chemical constituents and insecticidal activity of essential oil of P. pinnata and may be explore as a potential natural herbal plant for the control of insect pest