Symptomatology of menopause among suburban Nigerian women

Background: It is believed that the perception and attitude of women to menopause are strongly influenced by several variables which are largely social, cultural, and economic and may reflect in the differences in the mode of treatment. The objective of this study is to determine the age of attainment of menopause and the perception of the symptomatology of menopause among Nigerian women of different backgrounds.Materials and Methods: Information was obtained with the aid of a structured questionnaire from 543 women who had attained natural menopause. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21. Data analysis was descriptive and inferential at 95% confidence interval, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: The mean menopausal age was 49.1 ± 4.54 years. The commonest early symptom of menopause was hot flushes (45.8%). The commonest late symptom of menopause was pain in the joints (57%). A majority of the women (82.4%) did not think that any of the symptoms may have been associated with cessation of their menses. However, the better educated the women were, the more knowledgeable they were about the symptoms of menopause P < 0.01.Conclusion: The age at which Nigerian women attain menopause is comparable to that of other populations. The manifestation of menopausal symptoms in our women may constitute a significant health burden and it is imperative that healthcare providers should be knowledgeable about the manner in which these groups of women perceive menopausal symptoms. Education improves perception and may be the link to promoting better health‑seeking behavior among menopausal women.Keywords: Menopause; suburban; symptomatolog

Exploring the Knowledge Sharing Practices among Medical Doctors in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria

Medical doctors constitute a vital component of the health sector’s workforce. One major factor that aids their efficiency is knowledge of practice and what they do with it. Literature is replete with knowledge-sharing cases among other professionals but less visible concerning physicians, especially in Nigeria. This study investigates the knowledge-sharing practices among doctors in Ibadan, one of the country’s major cities. The descriptive survey research design was adopted, and data collected through interviews with sixteen doctors selected through convenience sampling. Findings show that the doctors shared knowledge regularly through social media, formal discussions, and informal deliberations. The findings also indicated that the doctors derive benefits from exchanging information, while the knowledgesharing process challenges stem from adverse social factors. This study is useful to medical practitioners, medical associations, and policymakers who need data for staff development and how that impacts the health sector

Digital Inclusion and the Elderly: The Case of Internet Banking Use and Non-Use among older Adults in Ekiti State, Nigeria

The level of acceptance and use of Internet banking (IB) among older adults is a major issue toward the advancement of banking operations in Nigeria. So far, there has been little or no representation of older adults (60+) in studies conducted on IB adoption and use in Nigeria. Hence, this study investigated the use of IB among older adults in Ekiti State Nigeria. The selection of the sample was made through purposive, convenience, and snowball sampling techniques. Nine local government areas were purposively selected to have a mix of urban and rural areas. Convenience and snowball sampling techniques were used to select 384 older adults, while questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data. Findings reveal that most of the elderly have not adopted the use of IB as they preferred and used the traditional banking system. Those that have adopted IB for their banking transactions averagely used it majorly for funds transfer, bills payment, and airtime top-up. Convenience was the major reason for using IB by the users, while the non-users mentioned unawareness and security concerns as reasons for not using. The users have the intention of continuing using the technology, while the non-users have the intention of using it in the future. It is recommended that banks should intensify efforts at creating awareness of IB as well as its benefits to this group of customers to ensure they are digitally included in the transformations going on in the financial sector

Microbial Qualities of Vegetables, Water and Soils from Vegetable Gardens in Lagos State, Nigeria

The presence of coliforms in vegetables, water and soil samples from gardens in Lagos State was assayed for. The vegetables sampled were cabbage, waterleaf, carrot, lettuce and cucumber collected from five sites representing five geograpical zones. The isolates obtained were cultured on MacConkey (MAC) agar, Sorbitol MacConkey agar, Eosine Methylene Blue (EMB) agar and Salmonella-Shigella (SSA) agar. They were identified using morphological, biochemical and Analytical Profile Index 20E and 20SA kit. Hemolytic activity of the isolates was assayed for using Blood agar. The aerobic plate counts of soil, water and vegetable samples ranges from 8.80 x 107 to 8.00 x 109 cfu/g, 3.90 x 109 to 6.15 x 109 cfu/ml, and 3.30 x 109 to 1.08 x 1010 cfu/g, respectively. Coliforms were the predominant bacteria isolated from the sites. The coliform counts of cabbage, waterleaf, carrot, lettuce and cucumber were5. 01 x 109cfu/g, 6.76 x 107cfu/g, 5.49 x 107cfu/g, 1.58 x 108cfu/g and 4.67 x 104cfu/g respectively. The fecal colifom population range was between 2.51 x 103 and 1.31 x 108 cfu/g, while Salmonella and Shigella species ranged from 1.38 x 102-3.09 x 104 cfu/g. Escherichia coli 0157: H7 was not isolated from any of the sites. The study showed that washed vegetableswere contaminated with high microbial load especially coliforms

Fine needle aspiration cytology of breast lumps with histopathologic correlation in Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria: a five-year review

Objective: To determine the histopathologic correlation of fine needle aspiration cytology FNAC of breast masses seen in the department of histopathology of the Federal Medical Center Owo, Southwestern Nigeria.Design: This is a 5-year retrospective study of breast lumps seen at Department of Histopathology, Federal Medical Centre Owo, a tertiary health care facility in Southwestern Nigeria between January 1 2010 and December 31 2014.Participants: All patients who had Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology of Breast lumps with subsequent histological confirmation over this period were included in the study.Results: In the five years under review (2010-2014), a total of 289 FNAC of breast lumps were done. The aspirates were obtained from 275 (95.2%) females and 14 (4.8%) males. There were 161 cases of FNAC with corresponding tissue for histological correlation giving a biopsy rate of 55.7%. The sensitivity of FNAC in determining the final histologic diagnosis was found to be 99.4% while the specificity was 100%. FNAC was able to determine final histologic diagnosis conclusively in 86.3% of cases.Conclusion: We therefore concluded that FNAC is a reliable diagnostic tool of breast lumps in our centre. Being a fast and cheap diagnostic tool as highlighted by previous studies, we advocate that clinicians should continue to embrace this diagnostic technique in the surgical management of breast lumps.Funding: This study was entirely funded by the authors

Biodegradation of p-Chloroaniline by Bacteria Isolated from Contaminated Sites

Enrichment of water from a contaminated site in a textile industry in Ikeja resulted in the isolation of two bacteria belonging to the genera Alcaligenes and Cellulomonas. These bacteria were able to mineralize para-chloroaniline (p-chloroaniline). Time course degradation of p-chloroaniline using pure cultures of these organisms showed that p-chloroaniline supported the growth of these isolates. An initial increase in cell densities of 7.50-9.46 cfu/mL was recorded from day 0-9th day for Cellulomonas sp. while for Alcaligenes denitrificans it was 7.20-9.40 cfu/mL. After day 9, a decrease in population occurred, indicating non-availability of nutrients or toxicity of the medium. Simultaneously, a decrease in the pH, indicative of increased acidity of the medium, was also observed from the first day. The result of the GC analysis of the pure isolates on p-chloroaniline shows that 86.5% of the p-chloroaniline was degraded by the Cellulomonas sp. while 81.2% was degraded by the A. denitrificans in 30 days. These bacterial isolates utilized other hydrocarbons such as pyrene, anthracene, crude oil and chlorobenzoates as sole source of carbon and energy but not phenanthrene, naphthalene and biphenyl. The two isolates tolerated NaCl concentration of up to 5%

An Empirical Study of Gender Discrimination and Employee Performance among Academic Staff of Government Universities in Lagos State, Nigeria

Research has shown that a recruitment policy devoid of gender discrimination enhances employee performance in an organization. Previous studies in Nigeria show that gender discrimination against men and women based on their ethnic, religious and geographical identity is common. This survey, however, focuses on discrimination against women on the basis of gender and performance in government universities in Lagos State, Nigeria. The model used for this study was developed and tested in which one hundred and eighty seven copies of the questionnaire that were administered to respondents as completed by the academic staff of government universities in Lagos State were retrieved. Pearson correlation and regression were utilized for the analysis of the study, and the result showed that managerial roles based on gender discrimination against women in government universities in Lagos State have affected employee job performance negatively. The study concludes that for as long as gender discrimination rather than merit remains the basis for staff employment into positions of authority in Nigerian Universities, enhanced performance is more likely to elude employees and the educational sector in general

Evidence in Support of Potential Applications of Lipid Peroxidation Products in Cancer Treatment

Cancer cells generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting frommitochondrial dysfunction, stimulation of oncogenes, abnormal metabolism, and aggravated inflammatory activities. Available evidence also suggests that cancer cells depend on intrinsic ROS level for proliferation and survival. Both physiological and pathophysiological roles have been ascribed to ROS which cause lipid peroxidation. In spite of their injurious effects, the ROS and the resulting lipid peroxidation products could be beneficial in cancer treatment. This reviewpresents research findings suggesting that ROS and the resulting lipid peroxidation products could be utilized to inhibit cancer growth or induce cancer cell death. It also underscores the potential of lipid peroxidation products to potentiate the antitumor effect of other anticancer agents.The review also highlights evidence demonstrating other potential applications of lipid peroxidation products in cancer treatment. These include the prospect of lipid peroxidation products as a diagnostic tool to predict the chances of cancer recurrence, to monitor treatment progress or how well cancer patients respond to therapy. Further and detailed research is required on how best to successfully, effectively, and selectively target cancer cells in humans using lipid peroxidation products.This may prove to be an important strategy to complement current treatment regimens for cancer patients

PRICE TREND ANALYSIS OF SELECTED FOOD GRAINS IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA (1988-2012)

The study examined the price trend of some selected food grains in Ogun State, Nigeria, using descriptive statistics, graphical representation and growth model to analyze its dynamic behaviour over the period of 1988-2012. The study was based on secondary data obtained from Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme for the period (1988-2012) and it covered the rural and urban monthly retail prices of three (3) food grains viz: maize (white and yellow), rice and cowpea (white and brown). Results of analysis revealed a consistent long-term movement or change in the prices of the food grains for both markets.  While price fluctuation was observed more with maize and cowpea, minimal adjustments were observed in rice. Exponential regression analysis showed a positive significant coefficient i.e. an upward trend in prices of both rural and urban markets with a significant F-statistics (p<0.01). The highest growth rate was seen in white cowpea in the urban market (i.e. 4.78%) while the least growth rate was in white maize in the rural market (i.e. 3.50%).Â

Evaluation of equivalent delamination driving coefficient in bonded concrete overlays

This study investigates failure due to interfacial delamination in a bonded concrete overlay system comprising Polymer Modifies Roller Compacted Concrete (PMRCC) overlay and substrate Ordinary Portland Concrete (OPC). Optimum overlay mix was designed using Composite Desirability Analysis (CDA). Intrinsic complex stresses along the plane of the interface resulting from differential length change and elastic mismatched properties between the two bonded layers were investigated. Distinct delamination cases involving variable structural scales were investigated using both laboratory determined fracture parameters and ANSYS zero-thickness Interface Cohesive Zone Model (ICZM) concept. The FEA results showed that the restraint capacity of the interface varies as a function of overlay structural scale and its associated mismatched elastic parameters