A comparative study of EEG abnormalities among subjects with inter-ictal psychosis and those with schizophrenia

Background: Electrophysiological investigation is an integral part in the management of neuropsychiatric disorders; but this is rare in developing countries including Nigeria.Objectives: The study aims to determine EEG abnormalities among subjects with inter-ictal psychosis in comparison to those with schizophrenia.Methods: A cross-sectional study of subjects with inter-ictal psychosis and those with schizophrenia. Each of the subjects that met the inclusion criteria had an awake EEG recording that lasted 45 minutes.Results: For PWEIP, the mean age was 23.9 (±13.8) years; and made up of 53 (53.0%) males; and for PWS, the mean age was 24.2 (±13.5) years; and there were 51 (51.0%) males. The EEG was normal in 53 (53.0%) of PWEIP and in 83 (83.0%) of PWS. EEG was abnormal in 47 (47.0%) of PWEIP, and 17 (17.0%) in those with PWS, and these were all ‘epileptiform’ activities, and the difference was statistically significant with X2 =20.7 (Fisher’s exact test), df=1 and p=0.00**. Conclusion: A number of subjects in our sample with inter-ictal psychosis and PWS had EEG epileptiform activities reflecting cerebral insults in early life. Thus, preventive measures such as good antenatal care are advocated to minimize the occurrence of these neuro-psychiatric disorders.Keywords: EEG abnormalities, inter-ictal psychosis, schizophreni

Antioxidant and DPPH-Scavenging Activities of Compounds and Ethanolic Extract of the Leaf and Twigs of Caesalpinia bonduc L. Roxb.

Antioxidant effects of ethanolic extract of Caesalpinia bonduc and its isolated bioactive compounds were evaluated in vitro. The compounds included two new cassanediterpenes, 1α,7α-diacetoxy-5α,6β-dihydroxyl-cass-14(15)-epoxy-16,12-olide (1)and 12α-ethoxyl-1α,14β-diacetoxy-2α,5α-dihydroxyl cass-13(15)-en-16,12-olide(2); and others, bonducellin (3), 7,4’-dihydroxy-3,11-dehydrohomoisoflavanone (4), daucosterol (5), luteolin (6), quercetin-3-methyl ether (7) and kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1Ç2)-β-D-xylopyranoside (8). The antioxidant properties of the extract and compounds were assessed by the measurement of the total phenolic content, ascorbic acid content, total antioxidant capacity and 1-1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide radicals scavenging activities.Compounds 3, 6, 7 and ethanolic extract had DPPH scavenging activities with IC50 values of 186, 75, 17 and 102 μg/ml respectively when compared to vitamin C with 15 μg/ml. On the other hand, no significant results were obtained for hydrogen peroxide radical. In addition, compound 7 has the highest phenolic content of 0.81±0.01 mg/ml of gallic acid equivalent while compound 8 showed the highest total antioxidant capacity with 254.31±3.54 and 199.82±2.78 μg/ml gallic and ascorbic acid equivalent respectively. Compound 4 and ethanolic extract showed a high ascorbic acid content of 2.26±0.01 and 6.78±0.03 mg/ml respectively.The results obtained showed the antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extract of C. bonduc and deduced that this activity was mediated by its isolated bioactive compounds

A review of assessment methods for river hydromorphology

The work leading to this paper has received funding for the EU’s FP7 under Grant Agreement No. 282656 (REFORM

Pengaruh Penambahan Virgin Coconut Oil, Minyak Ikan dan Minyak Zaitun dalam Pengencer Tris terhadap Kualitas Semen Cair Babi Landrace

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menemukan kombinasi pengencer dan antioksidan terbaik dalam pengencer tris dalam mempertahankan kualitas semen cair babi landrace. Penelitian ini menggunakan rancangan acak lengkap dengan 4 perlakuan: P0 (tris kuning telur), P1 (tris kuning telur + VCO 6%), P2(tris kuning telur + minyak iakan 6%) dan P3(tris kuning telur + minyak zaitun 12%) dengan 5 kali ejakulat dari 3 ekor ternak babi Landrace jantan berumur 3-4 tahun. Semen segar yang ditampung dievaluasi secara makrosopis dan mikroskopis kemuadian diencerkan dan holding time selam 2 jam. Setelah holding time kemudian disimpan pada suhu 18-200C dan dievaluasi setiap 8 jam terhadap motilitas, viabilitas dan membran plasma utuh (MPU) hingga motilitas 40%. Hasil penelitian ini disimulkan bahwa kombinasi pengencer dan antioksidan terbaik dalam pengencer tris untuk mempertahankan kualitas semen babi landrace hingga jam ke-56 adalah P3:tris kuning telur + minyak zaitun 12% (T-KT + MZ) karena memiliki presentasi motilitas (44.00±1.41%), viabilitas (54.78±1.50%) dan MPU (55.66±1.64%) yang tertinggi dibandingkan dengan kombinasi pengencer lainyan