Assessment of the Efficacy of Some Carbonate Minerals as Energizers in Pack Carburisation of Mild Steel

The efficacy of some carbonate minerals (marble, limestone and dolomite) as energizers in pack-caburisation of mild steel has been compared with that of barium carbonate. Mild steel samples were pack-carburised for suitable lengths of time at 9000C in carburising compounds containing charcoal plus varying amounts (up to a maximum of 20%) of BaCo3 and/or either marble, limestone or dolomite as energizers. The resultant carburisation depths obtained with different compounds were compared by means of hardness measurements using a microhardness testing .machine. The results showed that BaC03 can almost be completely substituted with marble or limestone, and that a combination of BaC03 and marble was a more effective energizer than solely Baco3; whereas dolomite was the least effective energizer. The deepest and best3defined case was obtained with a combination of 15% marble and 5% BaC03

A Five Year Review of the Complications of Progestogen only Injectable Contraceptive at the University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital

The injectable progestogen only contraceptive is a widely accepted method of contraception in our environment and very little has been reported on its complications in our environment. The aim of the study was to highlight the complications associated with use of Injectable Medroxyprogesterone Acetate and Norethisterone Enanthate in clients at the University of Port- Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port-Harcourt, South- South Nigeria It was a 5 year retrospective study of the clients who accepted and used progestogen only injectable contraceptives (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate and noerthistherone enantate) at the family planning units of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2004. The case files of these clients were retrieved their data extracted. The information included the clients sociodemographic characteristics, the types doses of of injectable contraceptives received and the side effects reported at the follow up visits. The data was coded and entered into a data bank and analysed using SPSS for windows11.0 version. Seven hundred and seventy seven (777) injectable contraceptive acceptors out of the 1720 contraceptive acceptors during the study period. This accounted for 45.17% of the new acceptors over the 5 years period, making the injectable contraceptives the most commonly used method of birth control in UPTH. Five hundred and five (505) clients took depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) while 272 used norethesterone enanthate (NE-ET). The mean age of the injectable contraceptive users was 31.31±5.5 years and the mean parity was 5.5±2.5 deliveries. The users reported multiple side effects with 579 episodes. Secondary amenorrhea was the commonest side effect occurring in 350 (45.34%) clients. Others were hypertension in 17 (2.94%) and metabolic disturbances in 14 (2.41%). Conclusion: Injectable progestogen only contraceptive is associated with multiple side effects, with secondary amenorrhoea being the most common. The contraceptive failure rate of thismethod in ourwomenis low.Keywords: progestogen injectable contraceptive, medroxyprogesterone acetate, norethisterone enanthate, complicat ions, secondary amenorrhoea

Perinatal Outcome of Macrosomic Births in Port Harcourt

Background: Macrosomic babies are at increased risk of adverse perinatal outcome and therefore constitute a high risk group of neonates and the incidence appears to be rising. The objective was to determine the incidence of fetal macrosomia, and the perinatal outcome of macrosomic babies, compare with matched term, appropriate weight neonates in the booked antenatal population of the UPTH. Methods: It was a- one year prospective study of the perinatal outcome of singleton babies whose birth weights were 4000g and above (macrosomia) delivered to booked antenatal mothers in UPTH between 1st October 2003 and 30th September 2004, comparing them with term appropriate (2500-3999g) weight babies. The birth weight, sex, perinatal and maternal complications documented from direct observations, questioning and other information extracted from patients' case notes, were entered into a personal computer, analysed and presented as frequency tables, percentages, Chi-square x2, calculated as appropriate using Epi info version 3.4.3 statistical soft ware. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Fetal macrosomia occurred in 354 out of 2417 singleton term deliveries, giving an incidence of 1in 7 deliveries or 14.65%.The birth asphyxia (7.90% vs 2.60%, p= 0.011), Neonatal admission (29.54% vs 2.85%, p= 0.001) and perinatal mortality (48/1000 vs 23/1000 births, p=0.001), caesarean delivery (55.70% vs18.64%, p=0.001) rates were significantly higher in the macrosomic than the control group. Conclusion: There is a high incidence of fetal macrosomia in Port Harcourt with associated relatively higher adverse perinatal outcome compared to singleton term normal weight babies. Keywords: Fetal macrosomia, incidence, perinatal outcome, perinatal mortality, Port Harcour

Spindle cell tumours of the female genital tract

Background: Our aim is to describe the clinicopathology features of spindle cell tumors of the female genital tract seen in our hospital and to compare the findings with what is seen in other parts of the world. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of all spindle cell tumors diagnosed in the department of Morbid Anatomy and Forensic medicine of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2022. Results: Leiomyoma was the most common spindle cell tumour seen. Only 570 cases met the inclusion criteria. Only one nodule was removed in 130 cases (22%) while greater than one nodule was excised in 432 cases (75.8%). The mean age of patients was 40.77 years while the age range was 19-79 years. About three-quarters of leiomyomas are removed in the age-group 31-50. There was no correlation between the number of nodules removed and the age of the patient. The next second most common spindle cell tumor seen was malignant mixed mullerian tumour. Eleven cases were seen in the study period, The average age was 57.7 years. The age range of cases was 27-72 years. Conclusions: Our study supports the general observation that leiomyomas commonly cause symptoms in the reproductive age group and that most patients with leiomyoma frequently have more than one nodule. Our study further reinforces the widely established knowledge that MMMT is found in older post-menopausal women and can occasionally be seen in younger pre-menopausal women

Sexual Harassment in Nigeria: Lessons from the United Kingdom

This paper showed that laws in Nigeria are not adequate to protect workers from sexual harassment and are needed to curb the societal menace. International and regional provisions on sexual harassment at work were examined as well as the applicable laws in the UK with a view to recommending changes to the Nigerian laws. The author showed that perception of sexual harassment can vary from one society to another and with that in mind, suggested that any enactment of laws in Nigeria to eliminate sexual harassment should take account of the patriarchal nature of the Nigerian society

Mechanical and Structural Properties of Eastern Nigeria Tortoise Shell

Macro-structural and mechanical properties of tortoise shells of Nigeria indigenous specie were studied to reveal its evolution as a natural load-bearing protective amour. The shell is revealed in this study to be a natural sandwich composite made of keratin, dorsal cortex, porous bone and ventral cortex. Indications of delamination which help the tortoise to absorb shocks were seen in the keratin. The dorsal and ventral cortexes were seen to be load bearing members with distribution of fibers in a manner that sustain dead load. The porosity seen in the middle porous layer ensures that the carapace is not too heavy for the tortoise to carry thus guarantees ease of locomotion, strength and damping. The average porosity of the studied shells is determined to be 31.0425% which as expected is smaller than the value 48.9% reported for porosity of shell of the turtle Terrapene Carolina in literature. The suture of the shell is revealed to house a zigzag interlocking design that allow slight deformation of the shell under light loads required for respiration, locomotion and metabolism but stiffen under excessive deformation. Stiffness of two specimens was determined to be and for the shells with masses 0.2362 kg and 0.2764Kg respectively. These stiffness values were as expected higher the typical values for those of turtles. The stiffness to mass ratio(k/m) for the two shells were respectively calculated to be and . The conditions established for equivalent synthetic shells to have less stiffness to mass ratio were and respectively. These conditions were shown not to be because of problems of stress concentration and weakness at the joints and delamination of the biological shells

Gross architecture of ovarian specimens from a southwest Nigerian tertiary healthcare facility

Background: The aim of our study is to describe the gross morphology of ovarian specimens and to see if some entities can be distinguished based on their gross morphology. Methods: We did a cross-sectional study of all ovarian specimen received by the department of morbid anatomy and forensic medicine of Obafemi Awolowo university teaching hospitals complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, Nigeria from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2022 (Five-year period). OAUTHC is situated in the southwestern part of Nigeria. Results: We examined 225 right ovarian specimens. Non- neoplastic lesions were the most common lesions of the right ovary accounting for 52 cases followed by malignant tumour accounting for 25 cases. We examined 233 specimens of the left ovary of which 133 were normal. Eighteen (72%) of malignant tumors of the left ovary had cystic cut surfaces. The spectrum of lesions of both ovaries has different average widest diameters with significant overlap in their distribution. Metastatic carcinoma is seen to involve both ovaries and found to mainly have a solid cut surface. We found that the average widest diameter of a normal left ovary is 3.6 cm while that of a normal right ovary is 4.9 cm. Conclusions: The ovarian lesions have different widest diameters and are usually larger than that of a normal ovary. Benign ovarian tumours are generally larger than their malignant counterparts but cannot be distinguished based on size alone. Metastatic carcinoma involved both ovaries and had a predominantly solid-cut surface. The normal left ovaries were smaller than the normal right ovaries