Taxonomic implications of foliar epidermal anatomy of Jatropha tanjorensis J.L. Ellis & Saroja and its putative parents

This study was aimed to determine the relationship among three Jatropha taxa for their reliable identification. Data from reviews showed that J. curcas and J. gossipifolia are the putative parents of J. tanjorensis. Standard method of using Premier Light Microscope, concentrated Trioxonitrate (V) acid, Petri dishes, Methyl-blue and glycerol was employed to carry out the study. Results of the study showed that the three taxa possessed paracytic stomata on both surfaces except in J. gossipifolia where the stomata were only observed on abaxial surface. The cell shape was oblong in J. tanjorensis with undulate anticlinal wall patterns. In J. curcas and J. gossipifolia, the cell shapes and anticlinal wall patterns were irregular and straight, respectively. The stomatal length of the taxa ranged from 11.2 μm to 43.0 μm while the cell length was from 25.0 μm to 84.0 μm. The oblong cell shape and undulate anticlinal walls of J. tanjorensis are its diagnostic characters while the irregular cell shape and amphistomatic leaves are the diagnostic features of J. curcas. Absence of stomata on the adaxial surface with irregular cell shape is unique to J. gossipifolia. The data obtained could be used in conjunction with other characters for reliable identification of the three taxa

Management of the spinal cord injured using a 12-week programme in which patients' relations are involved: a report of 10-year experience

Background: There is dearth of designated spinal centers in Nigeria and in Enugu state, there is none. Therefore, spinal injured patients go to teaching and government-owned orthopaedic hospitals to be treated and these are not able to absorb all. Hence, private orthopaedic hospitals are flooded by the spinal injured. Due to this, a 12-week programme of management of the spinal cord injured in which patients' relations were actively involved was initially studied at privately-run Hilltop Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu for 5years and later expanded to a consultant orthopaedic unit in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu and extended to10years. The aim is to get such patients quickly back into the society as useful and independent as possible and to see if the outcome achieved in the preliminary study could be reproduced in this extended study. Methods: Staged weekly programmes of assessment and treatment were mapped out to end at the 12th week. Spinal cord injured patients were entered onto the programme as they come. The study was from January 1996 to December 2005. Outcome for each patient was assessed at the end of the 12th week. Results: 256 patients were admitted into the study. 98 patients had incomplete cord injury of Frankel B and C grades while 158 had clinically complete cord injury of Frankel A on admission. 58 patients died on the whole, of which only 2 were from incomplete cord injury. 90 of the incomplete cord injured improved from Frankel B and C to D during the 12-week programme and walked home. From the clinically complete cord injured, 62 were found to still be in spinal shock phase. 16 of these recovered from Frankel A to D and walked by the 12th week. The remaining surviving 86 ended up as permanent cord injured. 82 of these were conversant with wheelchair use at the 12th week. Conclusion: The outcome of this programme is similar to that of the preliminary study. Keywords: spinal cord injured; management; relation involvemen

Epidemiology of injuries seen in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Background: The study aimed to describe the pattern of injuries among patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital in Enugu southeast Nigeria.Patients and Methods: A retrospective review of records of all injured patients seen in our hospital over a 12‑month period was done.Results: A total of 789 patients had complete medical records and were included in the study. Road traffic accident (RTA) was the most common cause of injury. Lacerations/abrasions, fractures, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) were the most frequently seen injuries. The injury severity score (ISS) of the patients ranged from 1 to 50 with a mean score of 8.9 ± 3.5. RTAs were responsible for 90.8% of patients with ISS >15. Patients with ISS >15 contributed to 64.1% of all deaths. The mortality rate was 4.5%. Most deaths resulted from RTA and were associated with TBI (P = 0.001).Conclusion: Lacerations and fractures were the most common injuries. RTA was the leading cause of injury. TBI was the most common cause of injury‑related death.Keywords: Epidemiology, injuries, Nigeria, pattern, road traffic accident

Investigating the impact of 5G radiation on human health using machine learning

The advent of 5G has improved greatly the speed of data transmission in wireless mobile technology. On the other hand, it has put society in suspense due to ailments that came along with its deployment. Many attributed the emission of 5G radiation as the main cause of cancer today and that has led to the writing of this article paper. The research study employed a machine learning technique that is based on an artificial neural network in modeling the 5G wireless technology. MATLAB, Simulink was used to analyze the absorption and penetration level of 5G electromagnetic energy pattern into biological tissue Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA). Our research result revealed that the energy produced by 5G radiation at the non-ionizing region of the electromagnetic spectrum is small and cannot break into the chemical bonds of biological tissue Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) or cause changes to cells that will result in either cancer or viral disease

Skull traction for cervical spinal injury in Enugu: A 5‑year retrospective multicenter analysis of the clinical outcomes of patients treated with two common devices

Background: Treatment of cervical spine injury is the most challenging of all the injuries of the spine, and there is yet no agreement on the best method of care.Objective: We studied the complications and outcome of two skull traction devices used to treat cases of cervical spine injury in three centers in Enugu, South East Nigeria.Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with cervical spine injury managed with skull traction as the definitive treatment using either Crutchfield or Gardner‑Wells tongs over a 5‑year period (April 2008–March 2013). The traction was applied for 6 weeks, and the patient was subsequently mobilized with either hard cervical collar or Minerva jacket for another 6 weeks.Results: One hundred and five patients with complete records out of 127 cervical spinal injured patients treated were studied. Forty‑one had the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Grade A whereas 64 had incomplete cord injury of ASIA Grades B–E. Forty‑eight had Crutchfield traction whereas 57 had Gardner‑Wells traction. At the end of treatment, no patient improved among those with ASIA Grades A and B. All the 12 cases of mortality were recorded as well among ASIA A (n = 9) and B (n = 3) Grades. Over 50% of ASIA Grades C and D patients improved to Grade E. The complication profile varied significantly between the traction subgroups with those treated using Crutchfield tongs experiencing more events (χ2 = 6.5, df = 1, P < 0.05). However, there was no significant statistical difference in the Association Impairment Scale (AIS) outcome (P = 0.55) as well as mortality rates (χ2 = 0.97, DF = 1, P > 0.05) between those treated with Crutchfield and Gardner‑Well traction.Conclusion: Crutch field tong traction may be associated with more complications when compared with Gardner‑Wells traction. However, from our study, the final American Spinal Injury AIS outcome, as well as the overall mortality rates associated with the two traction techniques, did not vary significantly.Keywords: Cervical spine injury, conservative treatment, outcome, skull tractio