Soil chemical properties and heterotrophic bacterial population in the rhizosphere of oil palm plantations under different ages

This study was carried out to determine the soil chemical properties and heterotrophic bacterial population and species that are predominant in the rhizosphere of oil palms (Elaeis guineensis. jack) and to compare the bacteria population in the rhizosphere of matured (10 years and above) fruit bearing palms with those present in young (3 – 6 years) palms that are just bearing fruits for the first few years. Four plantations of different ages were sampled at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) main station located in Ovia North Local Government Area of Edo State at soil depth of; 0 – 15 cm, 15 – 30 cm, 30 – 45 cm and 45 – 60 cm. The soil samples obtained were analyzed for their physical, chemical and microbial compositions and the bacteria counts found in the various oil palm plantations were tested for significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) using Duncan multiple range test in a Completely Randomized Design. The soil texture of Field 52 (3 – 6 years) was sandy in both top and sub soil (0 – 60 cm) while the older plantations had sandy-loam and loamy-sand at some depth. The nitrogen, phosphorus and organic carbon content of the soil were also observed to increase with age. The investigation further showed a high presence of bacteria at the top soil (0 – 15 cm and 15 – 30 cm) than in the sub soils (30 – 45 cm and 45 – 60 cm). This was in close relationship with the high presence of carbon and other primary nutrients that were also more at the top soils. On the basis of plant age, the heterotrophic bacteria populations were greater in the older plantations than found in the young (3 - 6 years) plantations. The specific bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere soils were Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Micrococcus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Coryrubacteria spp. &nbsp

Prevalence of Pin Tract Infection: The Role of Combined Silver Sulphadiazine and Chlorhexidine Dressing

Infection at the pin tract is a common complication of external fixation. This study was done to compare the rate of pin site infection following combined 1 % silver sulphadiazine and 5 % chlorhexidine dressing with 5%chlorhexidine dressing alone. This was a prospective controlled study which compared the results of pin site dressing using a combination of chlorhexidine and silver sulphadiazine cream(Study group)with dressing using chlorhexidine alone. Eligible patients had external fixation in the treatment of open fractures or orthopaedic conditions. Pintract infectionwas deemed to be present if erythema, cellulitis or purulent discharge occurred around a pin site. We did not distinguish between deep and superficial infection. The study group had one hundred and seventy pin sites while the control group had one hundred and sixty-four pin sites. Thirty-eight patients, in whom thirty-seven uniplanar external fixators and one Ilizarov ring fixator were used, made up both groups. Three patients (7.9%) had pin tract infection in the study group while nine patients (23.7%) had pin tract infection in the control group. Therewas a significantly lower prevalence of pin-tract infection amongst patientswhose external fixation pins were dressed with 1 % silver sulphadiazine and 5 % chlorhexidine than in those dressed with chlorhexidine alone (P=0.03). Therefore, we advocate the use of a combination of silver sulphadiazine and chlorhexidine for pin site dressing.Keywords: External fixation, Prevalence, Pin-tract Infection,Dressings

Open Inter Locked Nailing Without Targeting Device or X-Ray Guide in Revision Surgery for Non-Union of the Femur: A Case Report

We present a patient with non-union of the femur and fracture of the nail after Kuntscher nailing who went on to have union after interlocked nailing with a modified Kuntscher nail (K-nail). The interlocked intramedullary nailing was done without X-ray guide or targeting device. The essence of this report is to highlight the possibilities inherent in modification of devices and established procedures. The early result calls for a closer look at this cheap, safe and effective means of handling femoral non-union in third world societies where instrumentation and implants for interlocked nailing may not be readily available. Key Words: Interlocked-Intramedullary nail, Femur, Cortical window

Response of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) and soil chemical properties to different amendment types in an ultisol

A field experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of different organic manure on the growth and yield of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) at the teaching and research farm of the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria between April to August, 2016. Four treatments; control (T1), cattle dung + poultry manure + pig manure (T2), poultry manure + foliar blend (T3) and bacterial inoculant (T4) were laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Data were collected on growth (plant height, number of leaves, stem girth and leaf area) and yield parameters of okra plant. Results obtained from the research indicated that the growth and yield of okra was lowest in control (T1). These results further suggest that, the organic manure used in the study especially in a combined form (cattle dung + poultry manure + pig manure) positively influenced the agronomic performance of the okra plant. T2 increased okra plant height and, leaf area compared with the control. T3 recorded significantly higher number of leaves (7.188), compared with the control (3.375) whereas, fresh fruit weight from the various treatment plots were in the following order; T2 (79.15g) > T3 (53.58g) > T4 (22.53g) > T1 (20.24g). Although the nitrogen content of the soil was higher (21.33 g/kg) with T4, the highest fruit weight was obtained in T2 treated soils. It was also observed from the microbial analysis carried out on the soil samples obtained from the various plots that, soils with organic amendments (T2, T3 and T4) generally had higher microbial population, relative to control (T1). Based on the findings of this experiment, it could be deduced that cattle dung, poultry manure and pig manure promotes higher performance of okra. &nbsp

Long-term evaluation of a hospital-based violence intervention program using a regional health information exchange

BACKGROUND: Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIP) aim to reduce violent-injury recidivism by providing intensive case management services to high-risk patients who were violently injured. Although HVIP have been found effective at reducing recidivism, few studies have sought to identity how long their effects last. Additionally, prior studies have been limited by the fact that HVIP typically rely on self-report or data within their own healthcare system to identify new injuries. Our aim was to quantify the long-term recidivism rate of participants in an HVIP program using more objective and comprehensive data from a regional health information exchange. METHODS: The study included 328 patients enrolled in Prescription for Hope (RxH), an HVIP, between January 2009 and August 2016. We obtained RxH participants' emergency department (ED) encounter data from a regional health information exchange database from the date of hospital discharge to February 2017. Our primary outcome was violent-injury recidivism rate of the RxH program. We also examined reasons for ED visits that were unrelated to violent injury. RESULTS: We calculated a 4.4% recidivism rate based on 8 years of statewide data, containing 1,575 unique encounters. More than 96% of participants were matched in the state database. Of the 15 patients who recidivated, only five were admitted for their injury. More than half of new violence-related injuries were treated outside of the HVIP-affiliated trauma center. The most common reasons for ED visits were pain (718 encounters), followed by suspected complications or needing additional postoperative care (181 encounters). Substance abuse, unintentional injuries, and suicidal ideation were also frequent reasons for ED visits. CONCLUSION: The low, long-term recidivism rate for RxH indicates that HVIPs have enduring positive effects on the majority of participants. Our results suggest that HVIP may further benefit patients by partnering with organizations that work to prevent suicide, substance use disorders, and other unintentional injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study, level III

Adaptation of the rubber bandage for safe use as tourniquet

The safety of the pneumatic tourniquet lies in the fact that the pressure generated beneath it can be determined and is reproducible unlike the rubber bandage tourniquet with subjective and irreproducible tissue pressure. Application of the rubber bandage over the cuff of an aneroid sphygmomanometer enabled direct determination of tourniquet pressure in sixty-four patients with associated low rate of tourniquet related complications. Seventy-eight limbs, in sixty-four patients, were operated using this composite tourniquet and evaluation after surgery as well as out-patients' clinic follow-up for tourniquet complications revealed complications in six out of eight patients in whom the tourniquet time exceeded 120minutes. In conclusion, the inclusion of an aneroid sphygmomanometer to record tourniquet pressure enhanced the safety of the rubber bandage tourniquet in our study and offers an alternative to the pneumatic type in the attainment of bloodless field where the latter is unavailable

Bibliometric Analysis of the English Musculoskeletal Literature over the Last 30 Years

Publication and authorship are important in academia for career advancement, obtaining grants, and improved patient care. There has been a recent interest in bibliometric changes over time, especially regarding the gender gap. The purpose of this study was to explore bibliometric changes in the musculoskeletal literature. Bibliometric variables (number of authors, institutions, countries, pages, references, corresponding author position, author gender, geographic region of origin, and editorial board makeup) were analyzed for 5 basic science and 12 clinically oriented musculoskeletal journals from 1985 through 2016. Statistical analyses comprised bivariate analyses, multifactorial ANOVAs, and logistic regression analyses. A  < 0.005 was considered significant. Nearly, all variables increased over time. Asia had the highest number of authors and corresponding author positions, Australia/New Zealand the highest number of institutions and references, North America the highest number of pages, and Europe the highest number of countries. Those with a female first author had more authors, institutions, countries, references, and pages. Likewise, those with a female corresponding author had more authors, institutions, countries, references, and pages. Single-authored manuscripts decreased over time. The percentage of female first authors rose from 10.8% in 1985–1987 to 23.7% in 2015–2016. There were more female 1st authors in the basic science journals compared to the clinical journals (33.2% vs. 12.7%). Single-authored manuscripts were more likely to be written by males (5.1 vs. 2.4%) and decreased over time. The many differences by geographic region of origin likely reflect different socio/cultural attitudes regarding academia and research, as well as the gender composition of the disciplines by geographic region. Overall, there has been an increase in the number of female 1st and corresponding authors, editorial board members, and chief editors, indicating a slow but progressive narrowing of the gender gap

Improving mechanical and thermal properties of graphite–aluminium composite using Si, SiC and eggshell particles

Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstract

European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT) Consensus Statement on the Role of Pancreas Machine Perfusion to Increase the Donor Pool for Beta Cell Replacement Therapy

The advent of Machine Perfusion (MP) as a superior form of preservation and assessment for cold storage of both high-risk kidney’s and the liver presents opportunities in the field of beta-cell replacement. It is yet unknown whether such techniques, when applied to the pancreas, can increase the pool of suitable donor organs as well as ameliorating the effects of ischemia incurred during the retrieval process. Recent experimental models of pancreatic MP appear promising. Applications of MP to the pancreas, needs refinement regarding perfusion protocols and organ viability assessment criteria. To address the “Role of pancreas machine perfusion to increase the donor pool for beta cell replacement,” the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT) assembled a dedicated working group comprising of experts to review literature pertaining to the role of MP as a method of improving donor pancreas quality as well as quantity available for transplant, and to develop guidelines founded on evidence-based reviews in experimental and clinical settings. These were subsequently refined during the Consensus Conference when this took place in Prague.</p

Bicuspid aortic valve with dissecting aortic aneurysm in an African

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is a relatively rare congenital heart disease (CHD) in Africans compared to caucasians and it is an independent risk factor for aortic aneurysm and dissection. We therefore report a case of a 51-year old farmer who presented with clinical features of heart failure (HF). He had a diastolic murmur loudest in the aortic area. Echocardiography revealed BAV with regurgitation. The aortic root and ascending aorta were dilated with dissection flaps which mimicked a double aortic valve. Computed Tomography angiography of the aorta confirmed Debakey’s type 1 (Stanford A) dissecting aortic aneurysm (DAA). He was managed for HF due to chronic aortic regurgitation and referred for surgery. BAV is a relatively rare CHD in Africans and is a strong risk factor for DAA. Long-term monitoring of the aorta and timely surgical intervention are recommended when indicated