The Impact of Intervention on Sexual Practices of HIV Positive Individuals in Southeast Nigeria

Objective. To describe the impact of repeating behavioral educational intervention on sexual practices of HIV positive individuals. Method. A prospective cohort study of HIV positive individual was conducted in southeast Nigeria from June 2007 to May 2008. Information on sexual practices was collected at initial visit; education was given and its impact was evaluated afterwards. Results. Knowledge about risk of unprotected intercourse increased by 41%, condom use by 27% (P < .001) and consistent condom use by 55% (P < .001). The significant predictors of consistent condom use include male gender, multiple sexual partner, as well as good knowledge of HIV transmission, higher educational status and being married. Non use of condom at postintervention survey were characterized by female gender (n = 4), monogamous relationship (n = 10), little or no education (n = 10), and unmarried (n = 7) respondents. Conclusion. Repeated behavioral education intervention improves consistent condom use among HIV positive individuals and will help curb the spread of HIV/AIDS

Investigating Government Sectoral Spending and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Nigeria

This paper investigated the empirical relationship between government sectoral spending and economic growth in Nigeria following cointegration approach and ending with error correction framework. The result of the study confirms a longrun relationship between GDP and its explanatory variables which are government expenditures on Education, Health and Agriculture.  The explanatory variables conform to apriori expectation and were individually statistically significant in explaining changes in GDP. This implies that government expenditures on Education, Health, and Agriculture in Nigeria has been productive over the period covered.  Based on these findings, the study recommends among other things, that there is the need for improved and committed funding of the Educational, Health and Agricultural sectors for a more vibrant economy. Keywords: Government Expenditure, Stabilization and Economic Growt

Antimicrobial activities of Carica papaya leaf against diarrhoea causing agents

The advent of science to the search for antibiotics principally depends on medicinal plants as raw materials. This present study evaluated the antimicrobial effect of Carica papaya leaf extracts against bacterial and fungal agents that causes diarrhoea. Fresh tender roots and leaves of this plant was collected, air-dried, powdered and percolated in n-hexane, methanol and aqueous solvents. The antimicrobial activities of the extract against test organisms were tested by using agar well diffusion assay and the MIC, MBC and MFC values were determined by agar dilution assay. The results revealed that the crude methanol and aqueous extracts of Carica papaya had no anti-fungal activity, but have antibacterial activity. N.hexane extract of C. papaya had most activity than other solvents with MIC ranged from 25 mg/ml to 50 mg/ml and MBC ranged from 50 mg/ml to 100 mg/ml.These results suggest that paw paw leaf extract is recommended as a diarrhoea disease remedy

Microbial Analysis and Sensory Attributes of Garri Produced and Marketed in Bida Niger State, Nigeria

Garri is one of the most preferred cassava products due to its less expensive nature, less bulky, easy to cook and not readily perishable. This study was carried out to ascertain the microbial analysis and sensory attributes of garri produced and marketed in Bida Niger state, Nigeria. The collected samples were analyzed using standard methods and procedures. The results show moisture content of the garri sample ranged from 7.0 to 11.0%. The swelling index ranged from 2.0 to 4.0%.&nbsp; The mean bacteria count ranged from 4.04±3.98 to 4.11±3.98 Cfu/g and the mean fungal count ranged from 3.57±3.50 to 3.62±3.50 Cfu/g. There was no significant difference (p&gt;0.05) in the mean bacterial and fungal count observed among the samples from the studied garri production area. The bacterial isolates encountered were Micrococcus sp., Streptococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella sp. While the fungal isolates were Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium sp., Rhizopus sp., Penicillium sp. and Fusarium sp. Most of the isolates are of public health importance and there is need to maintain a clean, safe personal and environmental hygiene in garri producing areas of Bida Niger state to avoid microbial contamination

Centaur 1947

Digitised by the Faculty of the Veterinary Scienc

Josephson effect in double-barrier superconductor-ferromagnet junctions

We study the Josephson effect in ballistic double-barrier SIFIS planar junctions, consisting of bulk superconductors (S), a clean metallic ferromagnet (F), and insulating interfaces (I). We solve the scattering problem based on the Bogoliubov--de Gennes equations and derive a general expression for the dc Josephson current, valid for arbitrary interfacial transparency and Fermi wave vectors mismatch (FWVM). We consider the coherent regime in which quasiparticle transmission resonances contribute significantly to the Andreev process. The Josephson current is calculated for various parameters of the junction, and the influence of both interfacial transparency and FWVM is analyzed. For thin layers of strong ferromagnet and finite interfacial transparency, we find that coherent (geometrical) oscillations of the maximum Josephson current are superimposed on the oscillations related to the crossover between 0 and $\pi$ states. For the same case we find that the temperature-induced $0-\pi$ transition occurs if the junction is very close to the crossovers at zero temperature.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

Investigating people’s attitudes towards participating in longitudinal health research: an intersectionality-informed perspective

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence suggests that participation proportions in longitudinal health research vary according to sex/gender, age, social class, or migration status. Intersectionality scholarship purports that such social categories cannot be understood in isolation and makes visible the co-dependent nature of the social determinants of health and illness. This paper uses an intersectionality-informed approach in order to expand the understanding of why people participate in health research, and the impact of intersecting social structures and experiences on these attitudes. METHODS: A sample of 80 respondents who had previously either accepted or declined an invitation to participate in the German National Cohort (NAKO) participated in our interview study. Interviews were semi-structured and contained both narrative elements and more structured probes. Data analysis proceeded in two steps: first, the entire data set was analysed thematically (separately for participants and non-participants); second, key themes were compared across self-reported sex/gender, age group and migration status to identify differences and commonalities. RESULTS: Respondents' attitudes towards study participation can be categorised into four themes: wanting to make a contribution, seeking personalised health information, excitement and feeling chosen, and seeking social recognition. Besides citing logistical challenges, non-participants narrated adverse experiences with or attitudes towards science and the healthcare system that deterred them from participating. A range of social experiences and cultural value systems shaped such attitudes; in particular, this includes the cultural authority of science as an arbiter of social questions, transgressing social categories and experiences of marginalisation. Care responsibilities, predominantly borne by female respondents, also impacted upon the decision to take part in NAKO. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that for participants, health research constitutes a site of distinction in the sense of making a difference and being distinct or distinguishable, whereas non-participants inhabited an orientation towards science that reflected their subjective marginalisation through science. No clear relationship can thereby be presumed between social location and a particular attitude towards study participation; rather, such attitudes transgress and challenge categorical boundaries. This challenges the understanding of particular populations as more or less disadvantaged, or as more or less inclined to participate in health research

Effect of coffee consumption on liver enzymes (alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase), total and conjugated bilirubin levels among students in Nnewi

Background: Coffee has a number of bioactive compounds that have beneficial effects on human health in general and more importantly is the fact that coffee consumption has positive impact on the liver function. The present study investigated the effect of coffee consumption on liver enzymes: alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TB) and conjugated bilirubin (CB) levels among student in Nnewi.Methods: A total of twenty-five (25) apparently healthy participants aged between 18 and 30 years which were randomly recruited from College of Health Sciences’ students to serve as both test and control group. Each participant was advised to abstain from coffee and similar beverages for a period of three weeks prior to the commencement of the study. Subsequently, in addition to their normal diet, each of the subjects was given 2 gm of coffee dissolved in 150 ml of hot water in which 50 mg of non-dairy creamer was added before breakfast daily for 28 consecutive days. 6 ml each of baseline and test samples (after an overnight fast) were collected at day 0 and 29 respectively from each participant. Liver enzymes such as ALT, AST, and ALP activity as well as TB and CB levels was determined using standard laboratory methods.Results: This showed significant reductions in the mean serum AST and ALT activity, TB and unconjugated bilirubin (UB) levels with no significant alterations in the mean ALP activity and CB level in participants studied after short-term coffee consumption.Conclusions: This study revealed the hepatoprotective effect of coffee intake at short term basis

Inhomogeneous magnetism induced in a superconductor at superconductor-ferromagnet interface

We study a magnetic proximity effect at superconductor (S) - ferromagnet (F) interface. It is shown that due to an exchange of electrons between the F and S metals ferromagnetic correlations extend into the superconductor, being dependent on interface parameters. We show that ferromagnetic exchange field pair breaking effect leads to a formation of subgap bands in the S layer local density of states, that accommodate only one spin-polarized quasiparticles. Equilibrium magnetization leakage into the S layer as function of SF interface quality and a value of ferromagnetic interaction have also been calculated. We show that a damped-oscillatory behavior versus distance from SF interface is a distinguished feature of the exchange-induced magnetization of the S layer.Comment: 10 pages, 7 Postscript figure

Critical Review of Mouse Models of Venous Thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are a significant health care concern, representing a major source of mortality and morbidity. In order to understand the pathophysiology of thrombogenesis and thrombus resolution, animal models are necessary. Mouse models of venous thrombosis contribute to our understanding of the initiation, propagation, and resolution of venous thrombus, as well as allow for the evaluation of new pharmaceutical approaches to prophylaxis and treatment of deep vein thrombosis. In this work we review the ferric chloride model, the inferior vena cava ligation model, the inferior vena cava stenosis models, and the electrolytic inferior vena cava model and compare their advantages and disadvantages