Protective Effect of Hesperetin on Nicosulfuron-Induced Testicular Oxidative Stress in Male Wistar Rats

Nicosulfuron is a post-emergence herbicide used to control weeds while hesperetin found in citrus fruits has been reported to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antioxidant properties. This study was designed to investigate the ameliorative properties of Hesperetin on Nicosulfuron-induced reproductive oxidative stress in male Wistar rats. Twenty-four male wistar rats weighing 200 ± 20g were assigned to different groups, each with six animals. Group A serves as the control group and were administered distilled water only. Group B received 25 mg/kg body weight (B.W.) Nicosulfuron. Group C were co-administered with 25 mg/kg B.W. Nicosulfuron and 100 mg/kg Hesperetin while animals in group D received 100 mg/kg B.W. Hesperetin. All treatment lasted for 14 days. An increase in the percentage of sperm with abnormal morphology (23.07%) in the group exposed to Nicosulfuron was observed. Sperm motility, testicular Ascorbic acid, reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were reduced significantly in the Nicosulfuron-treated group by 20.33%, 48.11%, and 41.10% respectively. Also, GST, Catalase, and SOD activities were significantly down-regulated in the Nicosulfuron-treated group. Furthermore, as compared to the control group, the Nicosulfuron-treated group had significantly higher activity of testicular acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), MDA, and NO levels. However, co-treatment of Nicosulfuron and Hesperetin significantly ameliorated the Nicosulfuron-induced changes in sperm morphology, motility; testicular ascorbic acid, GSH, NO levels; SOD, CAT, GST, ALP, and ACP activities. The result from this study indicates that Hesperetin, due to its antioxidant properties, protects against testicular oxidative stress induced by Nicosulfuron exposure

Prevalence and Speciation of Non-albican Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Zaria

Candida species are versatile microorganisms which live normally in the skin, mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and genitourinary tract. In healthy people, Candida species usually live as benign commensals and produce no disease. However, they are the most common cause of fungal infections in immunosuppressed individuals, leading to a range of non-life threatening mucocutaneous diseases to threatening invasive systemic diseases. Among Candida spp, the more important pathogenic species are Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis and C.krusei. The research set out to determine the prevalence of non albicans vulvovaginal candidiasis and pattern of distribution of the different Candida species in Zaria.A cross sectional study of female genital swabs collected from 400 women with features suggestive of vulvovaginal candidiasis attending Gynaecology clinics in four selected hospitals in Zaria. The swabs collected between a period of February 2012 to March 2013 were analysed by microscopy and culture in the Medical Microbiology laboratory, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.  Data on demographic details were also obtained; using structured questionnaires. Of the 400 patient samples examined 163(40.8%) were culture positive for Candida spp. Of these 163 isolates, 84 were germ-tube negative giving a prevalence of 21% for non albicans candida (NAC). Of the 84 isolates of NAC, 51(60.7%) were Candida parapsilosis, 18 (21.4%) were Candida tropicalis, while 15 (17.9%) were Candida glabrata. Vulvovaginal candidiasis was found to be more prevalent among the age group 21-30 years in general. Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a prevalent infection among women. More than half of the infections are due to non-albicans Candida.  NAC is becoming increasingly relevant in the aetiology of Vulvovaginal candidiasis and health providers need to be aware of this as the treatment options differ. Keywords: Non albicans Candida, Vulvovaginal candidiasis, Vulvovaginiti

Prevalence of Trichomonas Infection among Women Attending Antenatal Clinics in Zaria, Nigeria

Background: Trichomoniasis has emerged to be one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. Methods: High vaginal swabs (HVS) were collected from randomly selected 300 women attending antenatal clinics in three public health facilities within Zaria. Results: The prevalence of trichomoniasis amongst three hundred randomly selected women attending three antenatal clinics in Zaria was determined by the direct wet mount examination and culture techniques on high vaginal specimens collected with sterile swabs. Of the total patients screened for trichomoniasis, there was an18.66% prevalence rate 35.71% of which were diagnosed by direct microscopic examination of HVS wet mount preparations. The infection rate was highest among the age group of 16-25 year \u2013which had a prevalence rate of 53.57% followed by the 26-35 year age group with 32.14%. Conclusions: The high recovery rate obtained in this study demonstrates the importance of employing both direct microscopic examinations of wet mount preparation and culture techniques in the diagnosis of trichomoniasis. These findings also confirm the advantage of using culture techniques over the wet mount direct microscopic examination of HVS in the diagnosis of this disease.Introduction: La trichomonase est devenue comme des infections sexuellement transmissible le plus ordinaire. M\ue9thodes: Tampons vaginal \ue9lev\ue9 (TVE) ont \ue9t\ue9s collection\ue9s chez 300 femmes choisises au hasard qui consultent des cliniques ant\ue9natales dans trois centres hospitaliers publiques \ue0 Zaria. R\ue9sultats: La fr\ue9quence de la trichomonase chez trois cents femmes choisises au hasard qui consultent trois cliniques ant\ue9natales \ue0 Zaria \ue9tait d\ue9cid\ue9e par l'examen mouill\ue9 mount directe et techniques de la culture sur des sp\ue9cimens \ue9lev\ue9s vaginal collectionn\ue9s avec tampons st\ue9rile. Parmi toutes les patientes s\ue9lection\ue9es pour la trichomonase, il y avait 18,66% taux de la fr\ue9quence de 35,71% parmi lesquels ont \ue9t\ue9 diagnostiqu\ue9s par examen microscopiques directe de TVE pr\ue9parations mouill\ue9es mounte. Le taux de l'infection \ue9tait le plus \ue9lev\ue9 chez la tranche d'\ue2ge de 16 \u2013 25 ans qui avait un taux de la fr\ue9quence de 53,57% suivie par la tranche d'\ue2ge de 26 \u2013 35 avec 32,14%. Conclusion: Le taux \ue9lev\ue9 de la qu\ue9rison obtenue dans cette \ue9tude indique l'importance de l'utilisation de la pr\ue9paration d'examen microscopique mount mouill\ue9 directe et technique de la culture dans le diagnostique de la trichomonase les deux. Ces r\ue9sultats \ue9galement confirment l'avantage microscopique du mount mouill\ue9 directe de TVE dans le diagnostique de cette maladie

WITHDRAWN: Dataset on performance of solar dryer for scotch bonnet pepper drying

The use of solar drying systems to preserve agricultural products has been proven to be cheap, reliable, and environmentally friendly. Solar dryers offer advantages of shorter periods of drying, reduced loss of raw materials and larger scale of production. This paper presents method followed in evaluating the performance of three different solar dryers with different materials used for solar collectors in order to determine the best among the three. The evaluation was performed twice, and each evaluation was done for three weeks. The parameters recorded in these experiments are drying chamber temperature and humidity, solar collector temperature, ambient temperature and humidity and the weight loss of the pepper. It was observed that the temperature of all drying chambers was higher than ambient temperature during most hours of the day. While three different metals were used as solar collectors in dryers and attained significant different temperature through radiation from the sun, the energy transmitted through natural convection to the drying chambers of the dryers was not significantly different (at p ≤ 0.05) from one dryer to the other. The efficiency of the dryers was an average of 29.7%, 29.1% and 30.3% for stainless steel, mild steel and galvanized steel solar collectors respectively

Dataset on noise level measurement in Ota metropolis, Nigeria

Datasets contained in this article are noise level measurementcarried out at 41 different locations in Ota metropolis, Nigeria. Thenoise readings were measured at a time interval of 30 min for eachsite considered using a precision grade sound level meter. Theanalysis was based on the noise descriptors LAeq,L10,L90,LD, TNIand NEI. Results from the study reflects that the highest and lowestequivalent noise levels (LAeq) were recorded at commercial areas(96 dB (A)) and residential areas (52 dB (A)), respectively, thebackground noise level (L90) has the highest and lowest values atcommercial areas (77 dB (A)) and residential areas (44 dB (A)),respectively and the peak value (L10) has the highest value andlowest value at the commercial areas (96 dB (A)) and residentialareas (56 dB (A)). Based on the WHO recommendations and stan-dards, only 2 out of the 41 locations considered are under normallyacceptable situation while the noise levels of other areas are notacceptable. Noise map developed in this study provides enoughinformation for technical controls and interim legislation againstenvironmental noise pollution in the metropolis. Moreover, con-sidering the noise emission standards, planning and promoting thecitizens awareness about the high noise risk could help to mitigatethe effect of noise in Ota, Metropolis. The noise data in this study are useful as reference and guideline for future regulations onnoise limit to be implemented for urban areas in Nigeria anddeveloping countries at large