EVALUATION OF PRIMING ON ANTINUTRITIONAL FACTORS IN LEAF OF CUCURBITA MAXIMA IN RIVERS STATE NIGERIA

The capacity of priming agents on the management of antinutritional factors in the leaf of Cucurbita maxima (duchesne Linn) winter squash was evaluated using hydro-prime agent (Biomagnetic treated water) and Bioprime agents (Biochar and Bacillus licheniformis with control at Rivers State University Teaching and research farm Port Harcourt, the leaf of Cucurbita maxima primed plant was harvested and further processed for the reduction of antinutritional factors using standard methods. The harvested data was subjected to ANOVA of variance-(DUNNETT and Turkey means comparison), Microsoft test and Statistical analysis system-john Macintosh project. However, the test results inferred that Biomagnetic treated water and Bacillus licheniformis had highest positive and negative percentage difference while biochar treated sample showed equilibrium in both negative and positive percentage different but reduced more negatively on phenol antinutritional value all on the leaf and seed sample plant. Moreover, the variational analysis confirmed the efficacy of biomagnetic treated water followed by Bacillus licheniformis and biochar sample plant informed importance of ipomea aquatica as biomass for biochar production verified via sequenced result obtained

Technology enhance learning: A case study of the potentials of mobile technologies in Nigerian College of Education

Technology has proven to be an effective tool and a driving force for developments in the education sector, hence the term “technology enhanced learning” (TEL). Despite the continuous impact of technology in education, the lack of TEL in teacher education institutions in Nigeria has created a technological gap between learners in the teacher training institution (College of Education), and their contemporaries in other higher institutions. The primary goal of College of Education is to train students in various fields of expertise to become teachers. However, if they must function in the imminent digital era as educators, they need to learn with, and learn how to teach with technology. Using the cultural historical activity theory (CHAT), this qualitative study adopted a phenomenological case study methodology, to understand the factors affecting technology integration in Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba, and to reveal the potentials of mobile technologies to enhance learning. The findings revealed the need to re-evaluate the structure of teacher education as poor infrastructure, unproductive professional development training on ICT integration in the classroom, lack of emphasis on teaching with technology in the curriculum, and the perception of stakeholders towards technology, has trampled its integration. Although some educators and students have adopted mobile technology and digital platforms to enhance communication, and collaboration within and outside the classroom, the consolidation of such practices within the college to meet their demands, is dependent on the perception and attitude of management towards technology. This is due to lack of knowledge of the possibilities of mobile technology in enhancing learning, and the funding to support its implementation in this institution. Therefore, this calls for a review of the curriculum and the development of new ICT policies in education to incorporate teaching and learning with mobile technology. Measures and actions to foster teacher development and training, as well as the resources to promote the digitalization of teacher education institutions in Nigeria must be ensured

The Effect of Nucleotide Transfer from Some Microbes to Improve Plants for Biotechnological Advancement

The advance in plant biotechnology has some challenges with the evolutionary trend and methods adopted to resolve some of these problems: to improve the host morphological and genotypic features by nucleotide alteration leading to changes in mitochondrial molecular structure in the eukaryotic and prokaryotic plants. However, some biotechnological designs used in this research are DGGE, Phoretix 1D, and the Shannon-wiener index (H). While the microbial DNA concentration,  virulent qualities coupled with the adaptative features of both the microbes and host plant and bioactive compounds reduction effects on the transformed host plant were the findings from this research

Essential oils from the leaves of six medicinal palnts of Nigeria

The chemistry of Cassia siamea L., C. occidentalis L. (Fabaceae), Cnestis ferruginea Vahl ex DC (Connaraceae), Anthocleista djalonensis A. Chev (Loganiaceae), Solanum torvum Swartz and S. erianthum G. Don (Solanaceae) volatiles grown in Nigeria have been studied. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The main compounds of C. siamea were (E)-geranyl acetone (5.8%), 1-octen-3-ol (5.8%), linalool (7.8%), iso-italicene (15.4%) and (E)-β-damascenone (11.0%). On the other hand, C. occidentalis consisted mainly of (E)-geranyl acetone (8.0%), hexahydrofarnesylacetone (24.0%) and (E)-phytol acetate (40.7%). The oil of C. ferruginea was comprised mainly of (E)-geranyl acetone (13.7%), (E)-α-ionone (9.5%), phytol (5.8%), pentadecanal (6.1%) and 1-octen-3-ol (5.5%). The main compounds of A. djalonensis were α-humulene (31.9%), β-caryophyllene (17.8%), humulene epoxide II (12.7%) and caryophyllene oxide (5.9%). The main volatiles of S. torvum were (E)-phytol acetate (38.7%), pentadecanal (25.3%) and (E)-geranyl acetone (5.0%). Apart from methyl salicylate (4.5%), tetradecanal (2.2%), 2-pentyl furan (1.8%), hexahydrofarnesylacetone (1.6%) and hexadecanal (1.1%), all other compounds were either present in trace quantity or in amounts less than 1%. On the other hand, α-humulene (46.6%) and β-caryophyllene (20.6%) were the compounds occurring in higher quantities in S. erianthum. The volatile oil contents of Cassia siamea, Cnestis ferruginea, Anthocleista djalonensis and Solanum torvum are being reported for the first tim

Essential oils from the leaves of six medicinal plants of Nigeria.

The chemistry of Cassia siamea L., C. occidentalis L. (Fabaceae), Cnestis ferruginea Vahl ex DC (Connaraceae), Anthocleista djalonensis A. Chev (Loganiaceae), Solanum torvum Swartz and S. erianthum G. Don (Solanaceae) volatiles grown in Nigeria have been studied. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The main compounds of C. siamea were (E)-geranyl acetone (5.8%), 1-octen-3-ol (5.8%), linalool (7.8%), iso-italicene (15.4%) and (E)-β-damascenone (11.0%). On the other hand, C. occidentalis consisted mainly of (E)-geranyl acetone (8.0%), hexahydrofarnesylacetone (24.0%) and (E)-phytol acetate (40.7%). The oil of C. ferruginea was comprised mainly of (E)-geranyl acetone (13.7%), (E)-α-ionone (9.5%), phytol (5.8%), pentadecanal (6.1%) and 1-octen-3-ol (5.5%). The main compounds of A. djalonensis were α-humulene (31.9%), β-caryophyllene (17.8%), humulene epoxide II (12.7%) and caryophyllene oxide (5.9%). The main volatiles of S. torvum were (E)-phytol acetate (38.7%), pentadecanal (25.3%) and (E)-geranyl acetone (5.0%). Apart from methyl salicylate (4.5%), tetradecanal (2.2%), 2-pentyl furan (1.8%), hexahydrofarnesylacetone (1.6%) and hexadecanal (1.1%), all other compounds were either present in trace quantity or in amounts less than 1%. On the other hand, α-humulene (46.6%) and β-caryophyllene (20.6%) were the compounds occurring in higher quantities in S. erianthum. The volatile oil contents of Cassia siamea, Cnestis ferruginea, Anthocleista djalonensis and Solanum torvum are being reported for the first time

Comparative Study of Knowledge on Team Building Between Healthcare Workers in Two Federal Tertiary Health Facilities in Different Geo-political Zones of Nigeria

Introduction: Team building has been found to improve effectiveness and efficiency of workforce in the healthcare system generally.The objective of this study was to compare knowledge of team building between healthcare workers in two federal tertiary health facilities in South-South and South-East geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross sectional study carried out using multistage sampling technique to select a total of 242 subjects from ten categories of health professionals working in South-East(SE) geopolitical zone (Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, NAUTH Nnewi) and South-South(SS) geopolitical zone (Federal Medical Centre , FMC Asaba) with 121 subjects in each geopolitical zone. Respondents participated in the study using same self-administered questionnaire for both geopolitical zones. Results: A total of 242 respondents participated, 121 each from the two different geopolitical zones. Majority were in the age group of 41-50 years and 21-30 years for SE and SS zones respectively. Majority were female and had first degree education for SE and SS zones respectively. Seven variables of knowledge of team building were collected and analysed with SPSS version 22 with results for SE and SS zones respectively with statistical significance set at p< 0.01 . This consisted of respondents that heard of team in healthcare 74.4 % and 91.0% (p<0.01), those that heard of inter-professional team composition in healthcare 65.9% and 78.7% (p>0.01), those that defined correctly team building 75.6% and 91.0% (p< 0.01), those that defined correctly inter-professional team building to involve different professionals 73.5% and 81.4% (p>0.01), those with sources of information on team building in health healthcare 57.3%(mainly health publication) 65.1% (mainly lectures/conferences) (p <0.01), those that defined correctly a team 70.4% and 88.4% (p< 0.01), those that had good knowledge of competencies to possess to be an effective team member 65.9% and 69.6% (p>0.01). Conclusion and recommendations: Proportion of respondents for the seven variables were higher for the South-South geopolitical zone tertiary health facility than the South-East geopolitical zone tertiary health facility though with no statistical significant difference across all seven variables. It is ,therefore, recommended that needs assessment for team building knowledge be done for healthcare workers in health facilities located in different geopolitical zones before team building training and re-training institutionalization building in order to persistently improve their knowledge of team building as a mechanism to reduce inter-professional conflicts and ultimately improve health outcomes in line with the National Health Policy 2016 of the Federal Government of Nigeria. More research is needful to assess intra- and inter-departmental/ and -professional level of knowledge on team building among healthcare workers  in any health facility in a geopolitical zone. Keywords: Team building, Knowledge, Health facilities, Healthcare workers, Geo-political zones, Nigeri

Which method is best for the induction of labour?: A systematic review, network meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis

Background: More than 150,000 pregnant women in England and Wales have their labour induced each year. Multiple pharmacological, mechanical and complementary methods are available to induce labour. Objective: To assess the relative effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of labour induction methods and, data permitting, effects in different clinical subgroups. Methods: We carried out a systematic review using Cochrane methods. The Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group’s Trials Register was searched (March 2014). This contains over 22,000 reports of controlled trials (published from 1923 onwards) retrieved from weekly searches of OVID MEDLINE (1966 to current); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library); EMBASE (1982 to current); Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (1984 to current); ClinicalTrials.gov; the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Portal; and hand-searching of relevant conference proceedings and journals. We included randomised controlled trials examining interventions to induce labour compared with placebo, no treatment or other interventions in women eligible for third-trimester induction. We included outcomes relating to efficacy, safety and acceptability to women. In addition, for the economic analysis we searched the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, and Economic Evaluations Databases, NHS Economic Evaluation Database and the Health Technology Assessment database. We carried out a network meta-analysis (NMA) using all of the available evidence, both direct and indirect, to produce estimates of the relative effects of each treatment compared with others in a network. We developed a de novo decision tree model to estimate the cost-effectiveness of various methods. The costs included were the intervention and other hospital costs incurred (price year 2012–13). We reviewed the literature to identify preference-based utilities for the health-related outcomes in the model. We calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, expected costs, utilities and net benefit. We represent uncertainty in the optimal intervention using cost-effectiveness acceptability curves. Results: We identified 1190 studies; 611 were eligible for inclusion. The interventions most likely to achieve vaginal delivery (VD) within 24 hours were intravenous oxytocin with amniotomy [posterior rank 2; 95% credible intervals (CrIs) 1 to 9] and higher-dose (≥ 50 μg) vaginal misoprostol (rank 3; 95% CrI 1 to 6). Compared with placebo, several treatments reduced the odds of caesarean section, but we observed considerable uncertainty in treatment rankings. For uterine hyperstimulation, double-balloon catheter had the highest probability of being among the best three treatments, whereas vaginal misoprostol (≥ 50 μg) was most likely to increase the odds of excessive uterine activity. For other safety outcomes there were insufficient data or there was too much uncertainty to identify which treatments performed ‘best’. Few studies collected information on women’s views. Owing to incomplete reporting of the VD within 24 hours outcome, the cost-effectiveness analysis could compare only 20 interventions. The analysis suggested that most interventions have similar utility and differ mainly in cost. With a caveat of considerable uncertainty, titrated (low-dose) misoprostol solution and buccal/sublingual misoprostol had the highest likelihood of being cost-effective. Limitations: There was considerable uncertainty in findings and there were insufficient data for some planned subgroup analyses. Conclusions: Overall, misoprostol and oxytocin with amniotomy (for women with favourable cervix) is more successful than other agents in achieving VD within 24 hours. The ranking according to safety of different methods was less clear. The cost-effectiveness analysis suggested that titrated (low-dose) oral misoprostol solution resulted in the highest utility, whereas buccal/sublingual misoprostol had the lowest cost. There was a high degree of uncertainty as to the most cost-effective intervention

Low dose intravaginal misoprostol versus intracervical balloon catheter for pre-induction cervical ripening

Background:The efficacy and safety of low dose misoprostol as a ripening agent compared to the widely used balloon catheter in developing countries is undetermined. Objective:To compare the safety and efficacy of a low dose intravaginal misoprostol and intracervical Foley's catheter for cervical ripening. Design:A prospective randomized controlled trial. Setting:Zonal General Hospital, Kwale, Nigeria from June 1, 1998 to May 30, 2001. Methods:Candidates for pre-induction cervical ripening were randomized to receive either 250 mcg of intravaginal misoprostol every four hours (n = 60) or intracervical Foley's catheter (n = 61). Main outcome measures:Failure to achieve cervical ripening within 24 hours, need for augmentation, maternal and foetal complications. Results: Failure to achieve cervical ripening within two hours was reduced with misoprostol (Relative Risk [RR] 0.63, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.43 - 0.92). Need for oxytocin augmentation was less in the misoprostol group (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.91). No significant differences existed in rates for uterine hyperstimulation, Caesarean section, maternal and neonatal morbidity. Conclusion:Intravaginal misoprostol in a low dose was compared to intracervical balloon catheter for pre-induction ripening of the cervix. (East African Medical Journal: 2003 80(2): 91-94

Estimation of reference values for liver function test analytes in apparently healthy adults of Southern Nigeria.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine age and sex based reference ranges for liver function test biochemical parameters for adult population.Methodology: This was a cross sectional study carried out at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri, Bayelsastate, Southern Nigeria. A total of 200 volunteers were screened (106males and 94 females) with exclusion criteria free from HIV,Hepatitis B and C infections. The piccolo expressanalyzer screened for Albumin, Alanine Transaminase (ALT), AspartateTransaminase (AST), Total Protein (TP), Gamma Glutamine Transferase (GGT) and Total Bilirubin (TBIL).Results: Reference ranges were constructed using non-parametric methods to estimate 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles of distribution as lower and upper reference limits respectively. Significant age and sex difference was observed in the reference ranges for AST, ALT, GGT and TBIL. The developed reference ranges also differed from kit (manufacturer’s values) and other literature.Conclusion: This study provides age and sex specific liver function test analytes to be used in Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital,(NDUTH)Okolobiri. It recommends the adoption of these values in NDUTH, other regions of Bayelsa state and Southern Nigeria.KEYWORDS:Age,sex, adult reference ranges, liver function parameters