Preliminary Investigation on In Vivo Trypanocidal Activity of Hydroethanolic Extracts of Calotropis procera and Parkinsonia aculeata

Effect of extracts of Calotropis procera and Parkinsonia aculeata in the treatment of Trypanosoma brucei brucei infected rats was studied. The albino rats were treated for 7 days with 200mg of the plant extracts intraperitoneally (ip) after establishment of parasitaemia. No significant(p>0.05) changes in weights were observed in all the groups. The results showed that Calotropis procera (root) was 96.43% as effective as Diminazene aceturate (berenil) in clearing parasitaemia. Significant(p<0.05) improvements in parked cell volume (PCV) were observed in the rats treated with Calotropis procera (root) and berenil. However, Calotropis procera (leaf) and Parkinsonia aculeata (leaf and stem bark) depressed red blood cell production. Total white blood cells (WBC) and differential count did not change significantly (p>0.05) in Calotropis procera (root) and berenil (positive control drug) treated groups. These observations were reversed in leaf and stem bark and leaf extracts of Calotropis proceraand Parkinsonia aculeata, respectively. In conclusion only the root extracts of Calotropis procera has demonstrated effective treatment of  trypanosomiasis, possibly due to its phytochemical contents.Key words: <i>Parkinsonia aculeata, Calotropis procera, Trypanosoma brucei brucei</i>, Haematological parameter

Effect of Guanidium Hydrochloride on the Stability of Horse Skeletal Muscle Myoglobin

The stability of the three dimensional structure of horse skeletal muscle myoglobin was investigated using visible spectroscopy. Guanidium hydrochloride (GuHCl) of concentrations 0.4 – 0.8M have no observable effect on the three dimensional structure as indicated by monitoring the absorbance at 420nm. However, higher concentrations (1.0-3.0M) resulted in unfolding of the protein as indicated by the dip in absorption from 0.535 to 0.350.The requirement for high denaturant concentration to perturb the structure of myoglobin indicates the high stability of the protein. We conclude that high concentrations of the denaturant GuHCl, disrupts the 3-dimensional structure of myoglobin causing its unfolding, in a two- state process, due to weak binding to the protein, which can be studied spectrophotometricall

Terrorism in Nigeria: Theories and Practice

Hence there is concern that in it’s over 50 years of existence as an independent nation, Nigeria has faced diverse forms of security challenges. These challenges which emanate mostly from within had consistently over the years, disrupted governance, caused massive deaths, created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity, threatened the corporate existence of the nation and portrayed Nigeria poorly at the international scen

Effect of Aqueous Fruit Extract of Cucumis Sativus on Some Biochemical Parameters in Streptozotocin Induced-Diabetic Rats

Diabetes mellitus is among the major global public health problems and its prevalence is currently increasing at an alarming rate. The research was carried out to evaluate the effect of aqueous fruit extract of Cucumis sativus on blood glucose, total protein, total bilirubin, cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), urea, creatinine levels as well as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) and electrolytes (Na+, Cl- and HCO3-) levels on normal and streptozotocin induced-diabetic rat. The aqueous fruit extract was administered orally at a dose of 400mg/kg body weight to both normal and streptozotocin induced-diabetic rat. Twenty adult male rats were divided into four groups of five rats each, two groups were made diabetic and the other two groups were non-diabetic. One of the diabetic groups were administered with the aqueous fruit extract and the second served as diabetic control. The streptozotocin was administered intraperitoneal at a dose of 55mg/kg per body weight. The administration of the aqueous fruit extract lasted for 28 days. Effect of aqueous fruit extract on blood glucose, total protein, total bilirubin, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, urea, creatinine, and electrolytes (Na+, Cl- and HCO3-) levels were analysed. The toxic effect of the aqueous fruit extract was determined using biochemical enzymes markers. The photochemical screening of the aqueous fruit extract showed the presences of Alkaloids, Balsam, Cyanogenic glycosides, Flavonoids, Saponins, Resins and Carbohydrate. Administration with the fruit extract showed significant (P<0.05) reduction on the serum blood glucose level and other biochemical parameters analyzed. The extract possesses no toxic effect as indicated by lowered AST and ALP levels and may be used for the management of diabetes mellitus. Keywords: Cucumis sativus, Phytochemicals, Diabetic Mellitus, Liver enzymes, hypoglycemic activity. DOI: 10.7176/JNSR12-2-04 Publication date: January 31st 202

Uterine Prolapse Following Fundal Pressure in the First Stage of Labour: A Case Report

The use of fundal pressure to assist a woman in labor is a controversial procedure. Its benefits are yet to be scientifically confirmed and it is associated with complications such as perineal lacerations, uterine rupture and uterine inversion. A case is reported of a 28year old Gravida 5 Para 4\u2009+\u20090 (3 Alive) who presented to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, (AKTH) Kano, Nigeria with uterine prolapse following fundal pressure done in the first stage of labor in a peripheral hospital. She was delivered by Cesarean section and the prolapse successfully reduced under general anesthesia. Health workers need education on the risks associated with fundal pressure. Alternative methods of aiding women in labor should be promoted.L'utilisation de la pression fundale pour assister une femme en travail est une proc\ue9dure controversiale. Ses b\ue9n\ue9fices m'ont pas encore \ue9t\ue9 scientifiquement confirmes et il est associe aux les complications tels que: lac\ue9ration perinale, rupture de l'ut\ue9rus et inversion de l'ut\ue9rus. Il y a eu un reportage d'une femme de 28 ans, G5P4+0 (3 envie) qui s'est pr\ue9sent\ue9e au centre universitaire hospitalier de Kano, Nigeria avec une prolapse ut\ue9rine sur venue apr\ue8s une pression fundale faite pendant la premi\ue8re \ue9tape de l'accouchement dans un autre h\uf4pital. L'accouchement s'est fait par caesarienne et la prolapse a \ue9t\ue9 r\ue9duite sous anaesthesie g\ue9n\ue9rale. Les personnels de sant\ue9 ont besoin d'\ueatre \ue9duquer sur les risques associes a la pression fundale. D'autres m\ue9thodes pour aider les femmes en travail doivent \ueatre encourag\ue9es. Les personnels de sant\ue9 doivent \ueatre \ue9duquer sur les dangers associes a la pression fundale et sa pratique doit \ueatre d\ue9courager

Expedition 381 Summary

The primary objective of International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 381 was to retrieve a record of early continental rifting and basin evolution from the Corinth rift, central Greece. Continental rifting is fundamental for the formation of ocean basins, and active rift zones are dynamic regions of high geohazard potential. However, the detailed spatial and temporal evolution of a complete rift system needed to understand rift development from the fault to plate scale is poorly resolved. In the active Corinth rift, deformation rates are high, the recent synrift succession is preserved and complete offshore, and earlier rift phases are preserved onshore. Additionally, a dense seismic database provides high-resolution imaging of the fault network and seismic stratigraphy around the basin. As the basin has subsided, its depositional environment has been affected by fluctuating global sea level and its absolute position relative to sea level, and the basin sediments record this changing environment through time. In Corinth, we can therefore achieve an unprecedented precision of timing and spatial complexity of rift-fault system development, rift-controlled drainage system evolution, and basin fill in the first few million years of rift history. The following are the expedition themes: High-resolution fault slip and rift evolution history, Surface processes in active rifts, High-resolution late Quaternary Eastern Mediterranean paleoclimate and paleoenvironment of a developing rift basin, and Geohazard assessment in an active rift. These objectives were and will be accomplished as a result of successful drilling, coring, and logging at three sites in the Gulf of Corinth, which collectively yielded 1645 m of recovered core over a 1905 m cored interval. Together, these cores provide (1) a long rift history (Sites M0078 and M0080), (2) a high-resolution record of the most recent phase of rifting (Site M0079), and (3) the spatial variation of rift evolution (comparison of sites in the central and eastern rift). The sediments contain a rich and complex record of changing sedimentation, sediment and pore water geochemistry, and environmental conditions from micropaleontological assemblages. The preliminary chronology developed by shipboard analyses will be refined and improved during postexpedition research, providing a high-resolution chronostratigraphy down to the orbital timescale for a range of tectonic, sedimentological, and paleoenvironmental studies. This chronology will provide absolute timing of key rift events, rates of fault movement, rift extension and subsidence, and the spatial variations of these parameters. The core data will also allow us to investigate the relative roles of and feedbacks between tectonics, climate, and eustasy in sediment flux, basin evolution, and basin environment. Finally, the Corinth rift boreholes will provide the first long Quaternary record of Mediterranean-type climate in the region. The potential range of scientific applications for this unique data set is very large, encompassing tectonics, sedimentary processes, paleoenvironment, paleoclimate, paleoecology, geochemistry, and geohazards