SONOGRAPHIC REFERENCE LUMINAL DIAMETER OF THE ABDOMINAL AORTA AMONG SUBJECTS IN NIGERIA

Objective: The objective of the study was to develop a reference luminal diameter (LD) of the abdominal aorta (AA) in Abuja, Nigeria. Methods: The LD of the AA of 422 male and female healthy subjects was measured sonographically using standard protocol. The relationship between age, body mass index (BMI), gender, and the LD of the AA was determined in the subjects. Statistical analysis was performed by the Student’s t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient at p < 0.05 level of significance. Results: The values of the LD of the AA in the healthy subjects were 15.16 ± 0.55 mm in males and 15.15 ± 0.55 mm in females. The 5th and 95th percentile normal reference limits of the AA were 14.20–16.10 mm, respectively. There were no significant differences in the LD measurements in male and female subjects. Age correlated strongly positively with LD (ɼ=0.90) of the AA in both genders. BMI showed weak positive correlation with LD (ɼ=0.136) of the AA in female healthy subjects only. Conclusion: The reference LD of the AA in the study population was 15.16 ± 0.55 mm in males and 15.15 ± 0.55 mm in females. The LD of the AA increased proportionately with age

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Self‑Testing: Perspectives from Primary Healthcare Workers in Enugu State, Southeast Nigeria

Background: Stigmatization remains an intractable issue surrounding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) management. Testing services are the gateway to treatment and prevention. HIV‑self testing (HIVST) is a panacea to this stigmatization. It is a simple friendly testing technique. This study assessed issues surrounding the HIVST from the perspectives of the primary health‑care workers in Enugu State. Methods: A cross‑sectional study was carried out using a semi‑structured interviewer‑administered questionnaire. A convenience sampling of 238 respondents were sampled from the 17 local government areas of the state. Analyses were performed using IBM‑SPSS version 23. Ethical approval was obtained from the Enugu State Ministry of Health. Results: The majority of the respondents were within the age of 31–50 years 84 (35.3%), predominantly females 203 (85.3%) and mainly married 191 (80.3%). Half of them had practiced for over 10 years and 145 (60.9%) had good knowledge of HIV screening. However, 23.9% understood HIVST as a  testing modality approved by the World Health Organization. A handful of them, 25 (10.5%) correctly identified the 5Cs of HIV testing. Only 162 (68.1%) of the health‑care workers reported stigma as the most perceived problems of the present testing modality and 146 (61.3%) expressed a  preference for HIVST over previous methods. Age was found to be a determinant of good knowledge of HIVST, as being within the age group of  20–40 years has a 1.83 greater odds of good knowledge of HIVST than, 41–60 years age group (Adjusted odds ratios = 1.830; 95% confidence interval  1.081–3.099). Conclusion: Most of the Primary health‑care workers in Enugu State had poor knowledge of HIVST. These workers could benefit from awareness creation and training on HIVST by public health specialists to improve their knowledge. Keywords: Enugu state, human immunodeficiency virus self‑testing, perspectives, primary health‑care worker

Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure and Serum Cortisol Level as Stress Index in Symptomatic HIV/AIDS Male Subjects on Antiretroviral Therapy Negative to Malaria Parasite in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

Background: HIV infection is a risk factor for a variety of endocrine problems. Objectives: This study investigated the body mass index (BMI), Systolic blood pressure (SBP), Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and serum cortisol level as stress factor/index symptomatic HIV/AIDS male subjects on ART who are negative to malaria parasite in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 274 adult male participants aged between 18 and 60 (42 ±13) years were randomly recruited at the Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Centre in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital and grouped based on WHO criteria for staging HIV into symptomatic HIV (stage 11) infected male participants on ART (A: n=69), Symptomatic HIV subjects not on ART (B: n= 69), Asymptomatic HIV positive subjects (C: n= 68) and HIV seronegative subjects (D: n= 68). Blood samples were collected from the participants for the determination of HIV status by immunochromatography and HIV confirmation by Western Blot. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to assay for cortisol level. Results: The results showed a significantly increased BMI and decreased mean serum cortisol level in HIV/AIDS seropositive participants on ART than in those, not on ART (p<0.05). Also, the BMI and mean serum cortisol level were significantly decreased and increased respectively in  HIV/AIDS seropositive participants not on ART than in Asymptomatic HIV positive subjects and control respectively (p<0.05). However, the mean SBP and DBP did not differ significantly between the groups studied (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study revealed a decreased stress index in HIV/AIDS subjects on ART with hypercortisolism and lower BMI in symptomatic HIV participants, not on ART. Keywords: HIV; AIDS; Malaria uninfected male subjects; Cortisol; Blood pressure; Antiretroviral therapy

Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure and Serum Cortisol Level as Stress Index in Symptomatic HIV/AIDS Male Subjects on Antiretroviral Therapy Negative to Malaria Parasite in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

Background: HIV infection is a risk factor for a variety of endocrine problems. Objectives: This study investigated the body mass index (BMI), Systolic blood pressure (SBP), Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and serum cortisol level as stress factor/index symptomatic HIV/AIDS male subjects on ART who are negative to malaria parasite in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 274 adult male participants aged between 18 and 60 (42 ±13) years were randomly recruited at the Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Centre in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital and grouped based on WHO criteria for staging HIV into symptomatic HIV (stage 11) infected male participants on ART (A: n=69), Symptomatic HIV subjects not on ART (B: n= 69), Asymptomatic HIV positive subjects (C: n= 68) and HIV seronegative subjects (D: n= 68). Blood samples were collected from the participants for the determination of HIV status by immunochromatography and HIV confirmation by Western Blot. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to assay for cortisol level. Results: The results showed a significantly increased BMI and decreased mean serum cortisol level in HIV/AIDS seropositive participants on ART than in those, not on ART (p<0.05). Also, the BMI and mean serum cortisol level were significantly decreased and increased respectively in  HIV/AIDS seropositive participants not on ART than in Asymptomatic HIV positive subjects and control respectively (p<0.05). However, the mean SBP and DBP did not differ significantly between the groups studied (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study revealed a decreased stress index in HIV/AIDS subjects on ART with hypercortisolism and lower BMI in symptomatic HIV participants, not on ART. Keywords: HIV; AIDS; Malaria uninfected male subjects; Cortisol; Blood pressure; Antiretroviral therapy

Consumer Motivation and Multilevel Marketing on Health Products

Multi Level Marketing (MLM) for healthcare product is one of the dramatic transformations that have emerged in contemporary times with varying behavioral responses. Its increasing acceptance in Nigeria is because people find it an alternative option to addressing diverse health concerns amidst other economic benefits. The study considered multilevel marketing in health with a key focus on the relationship between multilevel health products and continuance intention

Phytochemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Potentials of some Indigenous Plants in Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria

Twenty four ethanol leaf and stem bark extracts of 17 indigenous plants were examined for their phytochemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Phytochemical compositions were analysed with GC-MS while antimicrobial activities on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were investigated by the agar well diffusion method. The antioxidant activities were determined with Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), total phenolic content (TPC) and 2, 2,-dihenyl-1-picryhydazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assays. The antibacterial activity was more towards the gram positive S. aureus than the gram negative P. aeruginosa for all the plant extracts.  A wide range of phenolic concentrations among the aqueous plant extracts which varied from 28.04 to 500.26mg GAE per gram were observed.  Inhibition percentages of DPPH ranged from 19.13 to 95.77% showing effectiveness in radical scavenging. GC-MS characterization of the plant extracts showed a total of 18 components including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, terpenoids, steroids and glycosides. Irvingia gabonensis leaf (IGL) extract and Tamarind stem bark (TSB) exhibited excellent ferric reducing abilities of 2.11 and 1.56 respectively while Voucanga Africana leaf (VCA) extract indicated the lowest ferric reducing power of 0.50. Extracts of IGL and TSB exhibited the highest antioxidant capacities and therefore could be the main sources of natural antioxidant. An important relationship between total phenolic content was observed showing that the major contributor to the antioxidant properties were phenolic compounds

Stroke prevalence amongst sickle cell disease patients in Nigeria: a multi-centre study

Background: Stroke is a life-changing, debilitating complication of sickle cell disease (SCD). Previous studies had recorded high stroke prevalence amongst this group of patients. Nigeria has a large population of people affected by this condition and this study aims to assess the stroke prevalence in this large population.Methodology: Stroke prevalence data from 14 physicians working in 11 tertiary health centres across the country was collated by doctors using the sickle cell registers and patient case notes. This data was then collated and used to obtain the overall stroke prevalence in adult and children.Results: The stroke prevalence in sickle cell disease patients in Nigeria was observed to be 12.4 per 1000 patients. Prevalence in the adult patients was 17.7 per 1000 patients and 7.4 per 1000 patients in children. Twenty three percent of the affected patients had more than stroke episode.Conclusion: The stroke prevalence in Nigeria is lower than previously recorded rates and further studies will be required to investigate other factors which may play a role.Keywords: sickle cell, stroke, Nigeria, prevalenc

CO2 dissolution and design aspects of a multiorifice oscillatory baffled column

Dissolution of CO2 in water was studied for a batch vertical multiorifice baffled column (MOBC) with varying orifice diameters (d0) of 6.4-30 mm and baffle open area (α) of 15-42%. Bubble size distributions (BSDs) and the overall volumetric CO2 mass transfer coefficient (KLa) were experimentally evaluated for very low superficial gas velocities, UG of 0.12-0.81 mm s-1, using 5% v/v CO2 in the inlet gas stream at a range of fluid oscillations (f = 0-10 Hz and x0 = 0-10 mm). Remarkably, baffles presenting large do = 30 mm and α = 36%, therefore in the range typically found for single-orifice oscillatory baffled columns, were outperformed with respect to BSD control and CO2 dissolution by the other baffle designs or the same aerated column operating without baffles or fluid oscillations. Flow visualization and bubble tracking experiments also presented in this study established that a small do of 10.5 mm combined with a small value of α = 15% generates sufficient, strong eddy mixing capable of generating and trapping an extremely large fraction of microbubbles in the MOBC. This resulted in increased interfacial area yielding KLa values up to 65 ± 12 h-1 in the range of the UG tested, representing up to 3-fold increase in the rate of CO2 dissolution when compared to the unbaffled, steady column. In addition, a modi fied oscillatory Reynolds number, Re′o and Strouhal number, St' were presented to assist on the design and scale-up of gas-liquid systems based on multiorifice oscillatory ba ffled columns. This work is relevant to gas-liquid or multiphase chemical and biological systems relying on efficient dissolution of gaseous compounds into a liquid medium.BBSRC -European Commissio