Current Status of Canine Babesiosis and the Situation in Nigeria: A Review

Nigerian Veterinary Journal, Vol. 32(2): 2011; 69 - 7

A Holistic Approach to Reproductive Health Interventions: Talk 2 Me Case Study

The Talk 2 Me project is a good example of putting knowledge into action and trying out best practices gained from conferences. The design of this project was based on knowledge shared by Straight Talk Foundation of Uganda duringthe 2008 “Investing in Young People's Health and Development: Research that Improves Policies and Programs” in Abuja, Nigeria. The idea was to use peer educators in secondary schools to facilitate discussions on sexuality,HIV/AIDS, STIs, and other reproductive health issues. The innovative strategy was to record the stories of students as they were discussed and to publish them in a monthly newsletter (Talk2Me). The newsletters were shared among young people in and out of school, so they could learn from the discussions in the different school groups (Afr J Reprod Health 2010; 14[4]: 147-148)

Promiscuous, non-catalytic, tandem carbohydrate-binding modules modulate the cell-wall structure and development of transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants

We have compared heterologous expression of two types of carbohydrate binding module (CBM) in tobacco cell walls. These are the promiscuous CBM29 modules (a tandem CBM29-1-2 and its single derivative CBM29-2), derived from a non-catalytic protein1, NCP1, of the Piromyces equi cellulase/hemicellulase complex, and the less promiscuous tandem CBM2b-1-2 from the Cellulomonas fimi xylanase 11A. CBM-labelling studies revealed that CBM29-1-2 binds indiscriminately to every tissue of the wild-type tobacco stem whereas binding of CBM2b-1-2 was restricted to vascular tissue. The promiscuous CBM29-1-2 had much more pronounced effects on transgenic tobacco plants than the less promiscuous CBM2b-1-2. Reduced stem elongation and prolonged juvenility, resulting in delayed flower development, were observed in transformants expressing CBM29-1-2 whereas such growth phenotypes were not observed for CBM2b-1-2 plants. Histological examination and electron microscopy revealed layers of collapsed cortical cells in the stems of CBM29-1-2 plants whereas cellular deformation in the stem cortical cells of CBM2b-1-2 transformants was less severe. Altered cell expansion was also observed in most parts of the CBM29-1-2 stem whereas for the CBM2b-1-2 stem this was observed in the xylem cells only. The cellulose content of the transgenic plants was not altered. These results support the hypothesis that CBMs can modify cell wall structure leading to modulation of wall loosening and plant growth

The role of spirituality and religiosity in psychoactive substance use among adolescents in a Nigerian Hospital

Objective: Adolescence is a transition period where drug experimentation is common. Spirituality and religiosity have been recognized by literature as having a possible role in stabilizing good physical and mental health. To compare the religiosity and spirituality among adolescents abusing a psychoactive substance and those not abusing psychoactive substances in a Nigerian hospital Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted among adolescent patients admitted to the drug rehabilitation unit and adolescents attending the General Outpatient Department of the ABUAD Multisystem Hospital, Ado-Ekiti. The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale and Centrality of Religiosity Scale were used Results: The prevalence of high religiosity and spirituality among the respondents was 57.9% and 56.1%. The prevalence of high religiosity and spirituality among respondents not abusing psychoactive substances was 62.9% and 62.6% respectively, while the level of high spirituality and religiosity among respondents abusing psychoactive substances was 53.0% and 49.1% respectively. A significant proportion of the respondents who had a low level of religiosity (55.9%) abused psychoactive substances than respondents who do not abuse psychoactive substances (45.7%) (X2=7.694 p=0.006). Similarly, more proportion of respondents who had a low level of spirituality (57.4%) abused psychoactive substances than respondents who do not abuse psychoactive substances (44.2%). The observation is statistically significant (X2=11.1, p<0.001). In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the spirituality and religiosity scores among the respondents (r =0.50, p<0.001)  Conclusion: Psychoactive drug use among the respondent was associated with both low religiosity and spirituality. Therefore, religious activities should be encouraged among adolescents

Vision of Strabismic Children in Ilorin, Nigeria

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the visual pattern of strabismic children. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among primary school children in Ilorin South Local Government Area. A cluster random sampling technique was used to select the subjects for this study. The pattern of vision of children found to have ocular misalignment was studied. Results: A total of 7288 school children were screened and this yielded 22 cases of esotropia and 10 cases of exotropia. Their ages ranged from 2 to 16 years; 78.1% of the study group had normal vision; 3.1% had low vision and another 3.1% was blind. Eight-two per cent (82%) of the children with esotropia had normal vision, while 4.5% were blind; 70% of the children with exotropia had normal vision; 10% of exotropics had low vision. Twenty-five per cent(25%) of the strabismic population was amblyopic, and the majority of the cases of amblyopia (62.5%) were associated with esotropia. The prevalence of strabismic amblyopia was found to be 0.11%. Conclusion: The majority of strabismic children had normal vision. The prevalence of low vision and blindness was low. The prevalence of strabismic amblyopia was also low in the study population and most of it was associated with esotropia. Keywords: esotropia, exotropia, amblyopia, children, NigeriaNigerian Journal of Ophthalmology Vol. 16 (1) 2008: pp. 12-1

Short-duration exposure to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation induces DNA damage in Sprague Dawley rat’s reproductive systems

The genotoxic effects of 2.45 GHz microwave (MW) radiation on the testis and ovary of Sprague Dawley rats was investigated. The animals were exposed to varying levels of specific absorption rate (SAR) of 0 (control), 0.48, 0.95, 1.43, 1.91, 2.39, 2.90, 3.40, 3.80 and 4.30 Wkg-1, for 10 min. The induction of DNA damages was assessed using DNA direct amplification of length polymorphisms (DALP) and validated with single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) comet assay for same cells at SAR 2.39 Wkg-1. Potential damage at the organ level was assessed by histopathological study. The results show significant differences in the Olive moment and % DNA in the blood of the exposed animals when compared with the control (p < 0.05). Hyperchromasia was observed in the ovary of the animals exposed to MW radiation. Also, there was reduction in the number of germ cells and cell disorganization in the testis of exposed group with increasing SARs. These results suggest that MW radiation has the potential to affect both male and female fertility adversely.Keywords: 2.45 GHz microwave radiation, histopathology, DNA single strand break, ovary, testisAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(2), pp. 115-12

Epidermiology of Hand Injuries Seen at Two Teaching Hospitals in Sothern Nigeria

No Abstract

Expression of an expansin carbohydrate-binding module affects xylem and phloem formation

Expansins are believed to be involved in disrupting the non-covalent adhesion of cellulose to matrix polysaccharides, thereby promoting wall creep. We have targeted a putative potato expansin (EXPA)carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) to the cell walls of tobacco plants. Histological examinations and electron microscopy indicated that 30% of the xylem cells of the transgenic stems with high expressionof the expansin CBM are wider (radial surface area) than those of the controls. Similarly, 37% of the xylem cells of the stems of the high expressers have thinner cell walls than those of the controls. Therewere no such phenotypes in the low and none expressers, as well as in the control plants. The transgenic tobacco plants expressing the potato expansin CBM did not exhibit marked change in plant morphology. Analysis of cellulose content in the stem cell walls was similar between the high expresser of the transgene and the control plants. Nonetheless, our results taken together demonstrate that expansin CBM alone can bring about changes in the plant cell walls

Sound absorption performance of sustainable foam materials: Application of analytical and numerical tools for the optimization of forecasting models

Traditional models used to predict acoustic properties of poroelastic materials are usually applied to fibrous layers or polyurethane foams. However, for new materials like complex cellular foams these procedures may not be applied due to the different cell microstructure. To this aim, the sound absorbing properties of novel sustainable foam materials are investigated as a function of the nature and loading of waste powders and their effects on the microstructure and the acoustic properties. The foams are prepared from naturally occurring alginates that are in situ polymerized. The morphology and the acoustic properties of the foam-cells appear linked to the particle size distribution of the starting powder. Determination of the parameters of Johnson\u2013Champoux\u2013Allard acoustic model (tortuosity, viscous characteristic length, thermal characteristic length, porosity and flow resistivity) was performed using five different forecasting methods, including traditional analytical model for fibrous materials as well as inverse procedure. A new procedure for tortuosity computation of foam is proposed and validated. Transfer Matrix Method calculation of the absorption coefficient was performed and compared with the experimental data, in order to assess the validity of the model. Indirect method technique is demonstrated to be dependent on experimental measurement of thermal characteristic length