Electronic Fare Collection Systems in Public Transits: Issues, Challenges and Way-Forward

With an estimated 174 million in 2013, Nigeria is faced with innumerable challenges. One of such challenges is ensuring that public transit systems within its metropolitan areas are fast and effective. Our system of interest is the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. This paper looks at the present challenges in deploying Electronic Fare Collection Systems for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Lagos state, Nigeria.  The study sampled commuters with questionnaires administered using a simple random sampling technique. The study also interviewed a representative of the Electronic Fare Collection System Technology Provider (e-Purse). Findings revealed commuter’s adoption of Electronic Fare Collection System remains low due to amongst other factors a lack of knowhow on the smart card usability. We propose an extended technical requirement for the Fare Collection system as well as modifications of the Lagos BRT policies that will ensure its effectiveness.                             

Comparison of changes in serum prostate specific antigen in prostate cancer patients treated either with flutamide or stilboestrol monotherapy

Prostate cancer is a disease of males. Though commoner in the elderly, cases are beginning to be reported in the younger population. It is thecommonest cancer diagnosed in males. Risk factors include ageing, genetic/familial factors, racial predilection, increased fat diet, and hormonal imbalance. It is a slow-growing tumour but can be associated with severe morbidity. The commonest histologic type is adenocarcinoma (>95%). When detected early, cure may be possible. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is the major serum marker used to monitor progress of the disease and its' response to therapy. Several treatment modalities have been used in the management of prostate cancer. This includes watchful waiting, prostatectomy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy. These treatment options are not without devastating and sometimes life-threatening adverse effects; hence the choice of therapy depends on patient's age, stage of disease, other co-morbidities, and even patient's choice.Aims and Objectives: This study aimed at establishing the variation in PSA among patients with advanced CaP treated either with Flutamideor Stilboestrol monotherapy in UCTH, Calabar. This helped in choosing an agent with better patient compliance, better therapeutic effect, minimal side-effects, and cost-effectiveness.Method: All newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients in the Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, UCTH, Calabar that met certain inclusion criteria were treated either with Flutamide or Stilboestrol monotherapy over a period of one year. Patients enrolled into the study were shared into two equal groups based on certain considerations. Response to therapy was monitored by conducting a three-monthly PSA check and results from the groups compared.Results: Fifty patients were enrolled into the study. The mean age was 70.12±8.93, and age range was 51-93 years. The peak age range was 61-70 years constituting 40.0% of total number of patients. The decline in serum PSA caused by flutamide and stilboestrol during each quarter of the year was 8.0%, 12.0%, 12.0%, 4.0% and 28.0%, 4.0%, 28.0%, 4.0% respectively. Overall flutamide caused a 36.0% reduction and stilboestrol 64.0% reduction in serum PSA over the period. In all, stilboestrol caused a greater decline in serum PSA compared to flutamide, and this became statistically significant at 9 months (p=0.044) and one year (p=0.048) of therapy.Conclusion: Patients who are on androgen deprivation therapy for CaP have their serum PSA reduced by either flutamide or stilboestrol monotherapy. However, over time, the PSA is more rapidly reduced by stilboestrol monotherapy compared to flutamide monotherapy. Keywords: Prostate Cancer, Flutamide, Stilboestrol, PSA

Replicating Intermittent Fasting in Human Skeletal Muscle Cells: A Pilot Study

Type 2 diabetes (T2D), the most common form of diabetes (90-95% of diagnoses), is marked by decreased insulin sensitivity (insulin resistance) or a defect in insulin secretion. T2D disrupts nutrient signaling where the body cannot maintain adequate blood glucose levels. Inability to receive glucose in skeletal muscle due to insulin resistance in T2D results in oxidative stress and increased muscle atrophy. Properly regulated glucose uptake is pivotal for healthy aging and maintenance of the skeletal muscle system. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of nutrient deprivation on human skeletal muscle metabolism, with an emphasis on oxidative stress and atrophy markers in healthy and T2D cell models. METHODS: Healthy human skeletal muscle myoblast cells (HSMM) and diabetic human skeletal muscle myoblast cells (DHSMM) (Lonza Inc, Walkersville MD) were cultured in a 37°C with 5% CO2 incubator in a T-75 flask. At confluency, cells were transferred into four 24-well plates and were incubated for 48h with standard culture media (Lonza Inc, Walkersville MD). The cells were then incubated for 12 or 24 h in media containing varying serum concentrations: 5%, 10%, and 15%. The media contained either fetal bovine serum (FBS) (Lonza Inc, Walkersville MD) or pooled human serum (HS) from either healthy or diabetic patients (Doctors Regional, Corpus Christi TX). Following the 24 hours, cell viability and density were determined, and sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits (RayBiotech, Norcross GA) were performed to measure the amount of superoxide dismutase (SOD1) present in each sample. RESULTS: A treatment effect was found using T2D HS which had a significant influence on mean SOD1 levels (range of SOD1 pg/mL; p=0.0423). There was no significant effect of time between 12h and 24h (p=0.1100). In the FBS models, a significant effect of concentration HSMM is seen (p=0.0263). Incubation time had little effect on FBS DHSMM (p=0.2671) and HSMM (p=0.2780) models. CONCLUSION: As serum concentration increases, the level of SOD1 present in the samples also increases. This suggests that treatment concentration may influence the activity of SOD1. This may be due to exogenous SOD1 already present in the serum. However, we did not asses the rate of appearance and decay of SOD1 already present in the serum. Incubation time shows little difference in all models. These results suggest that compositional environment can influence SOD1 levels and that a higher concentration may promote oxidative stress more so than a lower concentration environment

Anxiolytic Effects, Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activities of the Methanol Extract of Jatropha tanjorensis Leaf

The methanol leaf extract of Jatropha tanjorensis was analyzed for its bioactive components, in-vitro antioxidant, antidepressant, anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory activities using established methods. The phytochemicals detected were saponins, tannins, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, flavonoids and eugenols. The total phenolic content (TPC) was 36.48 mgGAE/g, while the total flavonoid content (TFC) was 145.92 mgQE/g of the extract. 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity gave an IC50 of 185.02 and 5.15 µg/mL for the extract and ascorbic acid (standard), respectively. The 50% lethal dose (LD50) was greater than 5000 mg/kg, while graded doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of the plant extract relieved depression in mice to 93.3, 100 and 80.8%, respectively when compared with 10 mg/kg amitriptyline (positive control). A significant anxiety reduction, exemplified by a decrease in the frequency of head dip, was observed for animals administered with the plant extract compared with untreated control (p < 0.05). The reduction of formalin-induced paw edema was significant (p < 0.01) at 50 mg/kg of the plant extract, when compared with the control. The methanol extract of J. tanjorensis leaf is therefore a potential source of plant medicine with remarkable pharmacological activities. Keywords:    Jatropha tanjorensis; anxiolytic; antidepressant; anti-inflammatory; antioxidant; phytochemical

Overcoming the Cardiac Toxicities of Cancer Therapy Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have led recent advances in the field of cancer immunotherapy improving overall survival in multiple malignancies with abysmal prognoses prior to their introduction. The remarkable efficacy of ICIs is however limited by their potential for systemic and organ specific immune-related adverse events (irAEs), most of which present with mild to moderate symptoms that can resolve spontaneously, with discontinuation of therapy or glucocorticoid therapy. Cardiac irAEs however are potentially fatal. The understanding of autoimmune cardiotoxicity remains limited due to its rareness. In this paper, we provide an updated review of the literature on the pathologic mechanisms, diagnosis, and management of autoimmune cardiotoxicity resulting from ICIs and their combinations and provide perspective on potential strategies and ongoing research developments to prevent and mitigate their occurrence

Modulation of ex-vivo uterine contraction by the methanol leaf extract of Alchornea laxiflora Benth. (Euphorbiaceae) and preliminary spectrometric identification of associated secondary metabolites

Background: The leaves of Alchornea laxiflora are traditionally used in the south of Nigeria to prevent preterm births.   Aim: This study was designed to investigate the activity of A. laxiflora on uterine contractility.   Setting: The leaves of the plant were collected from forests in Egor, Benin City, Nigeria.   Methods: The leaves were cleaned and extracted in methanol. The extract (0.005 mg/mL–3.5 mg/mL) was tested on spontaneous uterine contraction and on oxytocin-induced contraction in normal and Ca2+-free media. The plant extract (0.0035 mg/mL, 0.035 mg/mL, 0.35 mg/mL and 3.5 mg/mL) was tested on high KCl-induced uterine contractions (80 mM). The plant extract (3.5 mg/mL) was also studied in the presence of amiodarone and glibenclamide in separate experiments. Mass spectrometric analysis was additionally performed on the plant extract in order to identify significant secondary metabolites that may have contributed to the activity of the plant.   Results: The plant extract inhibited spontaneous, oxytocin and high KCl-induced uterine contractions and also significantly inhibited (p < 0.01) oxytocin-induced uterine contraction in Ca2+-free medium. The plant extract significantly inhibited (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05) oxytocin’s amplitude in the presence of amiodarone and glibenclamide, respectively. Secondary metabolites belonging to classes of fatty acids, glycols, terpenes, flavonoid glycosides and porphyrins were identified.   Conclusion: Alchornea laxiflora inhibited mouse uterine contractility possibly through interaction with potassium and calcium channels. Of the known metabolites identified, 3-deoxy-arabino-hept-2-ulosonic acid, 17-hydroxyingenol and phaeophorbide-a methyl inhibit uterine contractility and may contribute to the activity of A. laxiflora in utero

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

Investment in SARS-CoV-2 sequencing in Africa over the past year has led to a major increase in the number of sequences generated, now exceeding 100,000 genomes, used to track the pandemic on the continent. Our results show an increase in the number of African countries able to sequence domestically, and highlight that local sequencing enables faster turnaround time and more regular routine surveillance. Despite limitations of low testing proportions, findings from this genomic surveillance study underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic and shed light on the distinct dispersal dynamics of Variants of Concern, particularly Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron, on the continent. Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve, while the continent faces many emerging and re-emerging infectious disease threats. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Emergence and spread of two SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest in Nigeria.

Identifying the dissemination patterns and impacts of a virus of economic or health importance during a pandemic is crucial, as it informs the public on policies for containment in order to reduce the spread of the virus. In this study, we integrated genomic and travel data to investigate the emergence and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.318 and B.1.525 (Eta) variants of interest in Nigeria and the wider Africa region. By integrating travel data and phylogeographic reconstructions, we find that these two variants that arose during the second wave in Nigeria emerged from within Africa, with the B.1.525 from Nigeria, and then spread to other parts of the world. Data from this study show how regional connectivity of Nigeria drove the spread of these variants of interest to surrounding countries and those connected by air-traffic. Our findings demonstrate the power of genomic analysis when combined with mobility and epidemiological data to identify the drivers of transmission, as bidirectional transmission within and between African nations are grossly underestimated as seen in our import risk index estimates

A year of genomic surveillance reveals how the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic unfolded in Africa.

The progression of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in Africa has so far been heterogeneous, and the full impact is not yet well understood. In this study, we describe the genomic epidemiology using a dataset of 8746 genomes from 33 African countries and two overseas territories. We show that the epidemics in most countries were initiated by importations predominantly from Europe, which diminished after the early introduction of international travel restrictions. As the pandemic progressed, ongoing transmission in many countries and increasing mobility led to the emergence and spread within the continent of many variants of concern and interest, such as B.1.351, B.1.525, A.23.1, and C.1.1. Although distorted by low sampling numbers and blind spots, the findings highlight that Africa must not be left behind in the global pandemic response, otherwise it could become a source for new variants