Heavy metal in banana (Musa acuminata) varieties sold by fruit vendors in Enugu state, Nigeria

Background: The use of ripening agents to trigger uniform and quick ripening of banana have been associated with heavy metal intoxication. Determining the levels of heavy metals in banana which is a common fruit consumed in Enugu State and Nigeria guides relevant authorities to regulate the use of pesticides and ripening agents used by banana sellers to make every food safe for consumption. Objective: The study evaluated the presence of heavy metals in four varieties of banana consumed in Enugu State. Methods: Samples of each banana variety were obtained from different banana vendors at different markets in Enugu State respectively. Edible portion of similar varieties from different vendors were homogenized after removing the peel. The homogenized samples were analyzed for heavy metal (arsenic, mercury, lead and cadmium) content using standard methods. The weight of the banana varieties were measured to estimate the average size of the edible portion of a single banana. The data were subjected to statistical analysis to compare the mean of the heavy metal scores of the banana samples. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Green Mutant banana variety had the lowest lead content (0.0107 mg/kg). Mercury was not present in all the banana samples. Arsenic was only found in Red Dacca banana variety, (0.0007 mg/kg). Red Dacca banana variety presented the highest value (0.0030 mg/kg). Conclusion: The study provided invaluable information on the heavy metal composition of banana varieties commonly consumed in Enugu state. The findings revealed that Red Dacca banana variety contains a significant amount of heavy metals which can contribute significantly to its build up in body cells. Keywords: Banana; heavy metals; food contaminants; fruit

The practice of hepatocellular cancer surveillance in Nigeria

Background: Hepatocellular cancer is a disease of global and public health importance due to the widespread distribution of risk factors and associated high case fatality. Hepatocellular Cancer (HCC) in Sub-Saharan Africa is commonly seen among the younger age groups (<45 years) who present mostly in the terminal stage, when the disease is not amenable to any curative therapy. Hepatocellular Carcinoma surveillance employs the use of simple, cheap and readily available investigations, to detect early curable cancer in individuals with risk factors for HCC.Objectives:The aim of this study is to assess the practice of hepatocellular cancer screening among physicians.Methodolgy:This is a nationwide online survey carried out among physicians who care for patients with HCC. A questionnaire was sent out via a web link to all consenting doctors in Nigeria. The responses were collated in a cloud-based application and data was analysed using Epi-info version 20.Results:Atotal of 218 respondents, 142 were males (65.1 %) with a mean age of 37.6 ± 5.7 years. The modal age group was 31-40 years 153 (69.5%). The main factors considered as a hindrance to surveillance were; the cost of the tests (57.7%), failure of return of patients (50.5%) and not being aware of a surveillance program (45.2 %). The majority of the respondents were Gastroenterologists and Family Physicians. 54% of the gastroenterologists and 64% of the family physicians have never offered HCC surveillance to their patients.Conclusion:This survey highlights a knowledge gap in HCC surveillance among physicians. There is a need to make HCCsurveillance a daily routine among patients at risk by all physicians. Keywords: Surveillance, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, HBV, HCV, Cancer screening

Subdural empyema: Clinical presentations and management options for an uncommon neurosurgical emergency in a developing country

Background: Controversy regarding the best management strategy for subdural empyema (SDE) attests to the persisting poor outcomes for this uncommon life threatening intracranial suppurative process. Late presentation confounds the problem in developed countries. While craniotomy is commonly recommended, it is not always possible in late presentation with advanced morbidity. The aim of this study was to identify the pattern of clinical presentation and explore the outcomes following management of SDE using burr hole, aspiration, and drainage (BAAD) in resource poor settings.Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective review of prospectively collected data of 18 patients presenting with SDE over a period of 10 years from two neurosurgical centers. Data was abstracted on patients’ demographic characteristics, sources of SDE, clinical  presentation and site of infection, methods of diagnosis, organisms isolated, treatments received, and outcome. Collected data was entered into the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 17 software and subjected to descriptive analysis for all variables.Results: Majority of the patients presented late with Glasgow Coma Scale score GCS of 9/15. Altered sensorium was noted in 14 (77.8%) of the patients, 11 (61.1%) out of the 14 patients had ≤ grade 3 of Bannister and Williams level of consciousness. The mainstay of treatment for all patients was BAAD of abscess and administration of appropriate antibiotics. Fourteen patients (77.8%) were discharged on grade A of H.W. Mauser’s grading system. Three mortalities were recorded only in patients who had grade 4 Bannister and Williams grading.Conclusion: BAAD is the near approximated option to standard craniotomy management in a limited resource facility and it has a very good clinical outcome. However, more studies are required to draw the final conclusion. Keywords: Burr hole, drainage, outcome, presentation, SDE

Effect of quantum dot size on frequency of confinement potential

The effect of quantum dot size on frequency of confinement potential was investigated using the modified single band toy model. The three different semiconductor quantum dots considered are Cadmium Selenide (CdSe), Zinc Sulphide (ZnS), and gallium Arsenide (GaAs). The sizes of semiconductor quantum dots considered are the same as the nano-size of the Bohr exciton radius of electron-hole pairs in solids. Due to this fact, they exhibit effects of quantum size as particles in a three dimensional box. The frequency of the confinement potential and confinement energy of electrons in semiconductor quantum dots increases with decrease in the size of the nano-crystal. The graphs of the frequency of confinement potentials as a function of quantum dot size plotted for each of the three different semiconductor quantum dots show an exponential decay curves. This is in agreement with the fact that the lowest possible energy for a quantum dot sample is never zero.Keywords: Quantum dots, confinements, exciton, frequenc

Outcome of management of elevated skull fractures in Enugu, South-East Nigeria

Introduction: Elevated skull fractures, previously thought of as a very rare variety of fractures, are no longer very uncommon. They are expectedly gradually finding a slowly growing list of references in neurosurgical literature. They are mostly posttraumatic compound fractures due to the mechanism of injury. Outcome of operative neurosurgical care is generally rewarding.Materials and Methods: A 4‑year retrospective study of case notes, operation registers, and radiology records of patients diagnosed with elevated skull fractures who had neurosurgical care at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria, between 2012 and 2015, was done. Only patients with evidence of elevated skull fracture on head computed tomography scan were included. The presenting Glasgow Coma Score and Extended Glasgow Outcome Score (GOSE) at the time of discharge from the hospital and 6 months thereafter were analyzed.Results: Out of 209 patients managed with skull fractures over the study period, eight met the inclusion criteria. Seven (87.5%) were males. The latency to presentation was 6 h in one case and >8 h in the other cases. All the patients had operative care involving debridement, duroplasty, and bone‑fragment realignment (cranioplasty) either primarily or on an interval basis. The GOSE at 6 months was at least 7 in 87.5% of the patients.Conclusions: Despite the grotesque appearance at presentation, outcome of properly managed elevated skull fractures is good.Keywords: Cranioplasty, duroplasty, elevated skull fracture, extended GlasgowOutcome Scor

Thermodynamic functions for Boron nitride with q-deformed exponential type potential.

Within the framework of the supersymmetric quantum mechanics, the energy spectrum of the six-parameter exponential-type potential model was obtained. The partition function for this energy has been calculated in a closed and compact form and was used to obtain an expression for the ro-vibrational mean free energy F (T), mean free energy U (T), entropy S (T), and the specific heat capacity C (T). The thermodynamic functions obtained were then applied to study the behaviour of the zinc-blende BN crystal structure and the results obtainedshow fair agreement with reported experimental data for the specific heat capacity

Antimicrobial evaluation of crude extract of Synclisia scabrida miers (fam: menispermaceae) against some enteric pathogens

Plant parts have been widely used in the treatment of human diseases and the use of herbal medicine is the major form of medicine in Nigeria and other parts of the world. Synclisia scabrida (Miers) is an important medicinal plant that is widely distributed and valued for its vast therapeutic properties. The root bark of Synclisia scabrida (Miers) was collected, air-dried and extracted with ethanol using soxhlet extraction apparatus.. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the extract and the standard antibiotics were determined by agar dilution method..Preliminary sensitivity test showed that Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis were susceptible to the plant extract. The MIC values of the extract against the organisms ranged from 1.25-2.50 mg/ml. Those of standard drugs ranged from 0.00625-0.0125 μg/ml for ciprofloxacin, 0.0015625-0.006250 μg/ml for levofloxacin and ofloxacin and 0.0015625-0.0031250 μg/ml for pefloxacin. The results of this work support the traditional use of the plant in the treatment of enteric disorders. Keywords: Antimicrobial; Crude extract; Synclisia scabrida Miers; Menispermaceae; Enteri

Shannon entropy and complexity measures for Bohr Hamiltonian with triaxial nuclei

The Shannon entropy, disequilibrium, and complexity measures for n=0,1 in position and momentum space are investigated within the framework of Bohr Hamiltonian for triaxial nuclei with Davidson potential. The effect of the angular momentum quantum number L and that parameter of the minimum potential βo on the quantum information theoretic measures are studied in detail. The results for the disequilibrium, Shannon entropy, and complexity measures in position and momentum spaces are reported. Finally, the BBM for the Shannon entropy and the minimum inequality relation for the Lopez-Mancini-Calbet CLMCxCLMCp⩾1 are validated