Radioprotective effects of rooibos herbal tea on the developing central nervous system of wistar rats

Magister Scientiae - MScBackground: Early postnatal radiation exposure from environmental, diagnostic or therapeutic sources is potentially deleterious to the developing nervous system resulting in oxidative stress, structural damage, altered neurochemistry, DNA damage, inflammatory stresses as well as correlating cognitive impairment during adult life. Numerous studies in literature have investigated the radioprotective effects of medicinal plants and beverages. However, only a few studies have focused on the radioprotective effects of rooibos, an indigenous South African herbal tea, well known for its many acclaimed health benefits. Aims: This study was done to investigate the diverse radioprotective potential of fermented Rooibos herbal tea (FRHT) consumed ad libitum by pregnant rats on the adult offspring rats exposed to a once-off 6 Gy dose of gamma irradiation on postnatal day 3. Methods: Twenty-four (24) adult female rats were equally divided into four groups (6 per group) as control (NS), radiation (X), tea (RT) and their combination. On PND 30, offspring rats were subjected to neurobehavioural assessment for open field and novel object recognition parameters and later sacrificed, the brain tissues removed and processed for histological, immunohistochemical and neurochemical analyses, using standard techniques. Results: Pre-treatment with FRHT showed overall protection against radiation-induced distortions in offspring rats by significantly improving exploratory activity, the frequency of central square entry, rearing episodes, cumulative freezing time and memory retention as indicated by a relatively higher recognition index. FRHT was also found to significantly improve the antioxidant defence mechanisms in the offspring rats by reversing lowered FRAP levels, increasing superoxide dismutase and catalase enzyme activities and reducing lipid peroxidation. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses showed that morphological alterations were generally attenuated in the RTX group and the high number of caspase-3 and Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells was significantly reduced, indicating protective effects against apoptosis and gliosis. Conclusion: Taken together, our findings tend to suggest that the potential radioprotective effects of FRHT are multimodal, possibly executed through the anti-apoptotic, antioxidative, anti-gliosis and other mechanisms, as observed in this study, and this is often attributed to the high polyphenol content in Rooibos tea

SPARC 2018 Internationalisation and collaboration : Salford postgraduate annual research conference book of abstracts

Welcome to the Book of Abstracts for the 2018 SPARC conference. This year we not only celebrate the work of our PGRs but also the launch of our Doctoral School, which makes this year’s conference extra special. Once again we have received a tremendous contribution from our postgraduate research community; with over 100 presenters, the conference truly showcases a vibrant PGR community at Salford. These abstracts provide a taster of the research strengths of their works, and provide delegates with a reference point for networking and initiating critical debate. With such wide-ranging topics being showcased, we encourage you to take up this great opportunity to engage with researchers working in different subject areas from your own. To meet global challenges, high impact research inevitably requires interdisciplinary collaboration. This is recognised by all major research funders. Therefore engaging with the work of others and forging collaborations across subject areas is an essential skill for the next generation of researchers

Vernacular architecture in Libya : a case study of vernacular dwellings in the Nafusa mountain region

This research offers a systematic analysis of the physical features of residential VernacularArchitecture (VA) of Nafusa Mountain Region (NMR) in Libya, linking them to the governancesystem of heritage conservation in Libya and to the Responsible Institutions (RIs). Libya hasexperienced different historic stages, such as the Amazigh, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans,Muslims, and Italian colonization. It is distinguished by a historic continuity, which has enrichedits historic and architectural features. This study investigates and documents the main physicalunique features of residential VA in NMR and related factors that influence ConservationProcesses (CPs) within the current governance system delivered by the RIs. By clarifying theelements that make residential VA unique and by understanding current issues undermining itseffective conservation, this study offers valuable and original insights for informing futureconservation policies and for putting in place measures aimed at restoring, preserving, andmaintaining this unique architectural and historical heritage. This research also produces newknowledge about VA of the NMR in Libya, a topic on which no studies have been available sofar. By filling the gap in current knowledge, this study raises awareness about the value of theVA in the NMR and contributes to support the conservation of such a unique heritage.The research methodology for this study uses both qualitative and quantitative approaches(Mixed Methods). The researcher has selected and justified three examples of VernacularDwellings (VDs) in NMR and collected the data through observation, analysis of dwellingsmaps, photos, interviews and a questionnaire. Visual survey has been conducted by visitingrelevant sites and systematically collecting visual evidence, such as photographic and technicalsurvey including structures and technological spatial details. Spatial analysis methods havebeen adopted to uncover the rationale of the VA development and construction. Semi-structuredinterviews with relevant parties have been administered at senior, middle, and juniormanagement level of the RIs and complemented with the review of archival documents andrelevant government reports. Findings from the research outline the main challenges to VA inNMR that include a lack of appreciation and understanding of heritage among owners, scarcityof local materials and traditional building skills, lack of government support as well asinsufficient documentation. All the findings were triangulated prior to the development of theinitial recommendations and further decision-makers and expert validation was obtained toestablish the final recommendations. Conclusions and recommendations on how to preserveresidential VA in NMR context will assist policy makers in Libya, when setting strategic nationalplans for VA conservation, and will provide a useful point of reference for academics andresearchers

The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator: development and validation of a tool for identifying African surgical patients at risk of severe postoperative complications

Background: The African Surgical Outcomes Study (ASOS) showed that surgical patients in Africa have a mortality twice the global average. Existing risk assessment tools are not valid for use in this population because the pattern of risk for poor outcomes differs from high-income countries. The objective of this study was to derive and validate a simple, preoperative risk stratification tool to identify African surgical patients at risk for in-hospital postoperative mortality and severe complications. Methods: ASOS was a 7-day prospective cohort study of adult patients undergoing surgery in Africa. The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator was constructed with a multivariable logistic regression model for the outcome of in-hospital mortality and severe postoperative complications. The following preoperative risk factors were entered into the model; age, sex, smoking status, ASA physical status, preoperative chronic comorbid conditions, indication for surgery, urgency, severity, and type of surgery. Results: The model was derived from 8799 patients from 168 African hospitals. The composite outcome of severe postoperative complications and death occurred in 423/8799 (4.8%) patients. The ASOS Surgical Risk Calculator includes the following risk factors: age, ASA physical status, indication for surgery, urgency, severity, and type of surgery. The model showed good discrimination with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.805 and good calibration with c-statistic corrected for optimism of 0.784. Conclusions: This simple preoperative risk calculator could be used to identify high-risk surgical patients in African hospitals and facilitate increased postoperative surveillance. © 2018 British Journal of Anaesthesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Medical Research Council of South Africa gran

Maternal and neonatal outcomes after caesarean delivery in the African Surgical Outcomes Study: a 7-day prospective observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Maternal and neonatal mortality is high in Africa, but few large, prospective studies have been done to investigate the risk factors associated with these poor maternal and neonatal outcomes. METHODS: A 7-day, international, prospective, observational cohort study was done in patients having caesarean delivery in 183 hospitals across 22 countries in Africa. The inclusion criteria were all consecutive patients (aged ≥18 years) admitted to participating centres having elective and non-elective caesarean delivery during the 7-day study cohort period. To ensure a representative sample, each hospital had to provide data for 90% of the eligible patients during the recruitment week. The primary outcome was in-hospital maternal mortality and complications, which were assessed by local investigators. The study was registered on the South African National Health Research Database, number KZ_2015RP7_22, and on ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT03044899. FINDINGS: Between February, 2016, and May, 2016, 3792 patients were recruited from hospitals across Africa. 3685 were included in the postoperative complications analysis (107 missing data) and 3684 were included in the maternal mortality analysis (108 missing data). These hospitals had a combined number of specialist surgeons, obstetricians, and anaesthetists totalling 0·7 per 100 000 population (IQR 0·2-2·0). Maternal mortality was 20 (0·5%) of 3684 patients (95% CI 0·3-0·8). Complications occurred in 633 (17·4%) of 3636 mothers (16·2-18·6), which were predominantly severe intraoperative and postoperative bleeding (136 [3·8%] of 3612 mothers). Maternal mortality was independently associated with a preoperative presentation of placenta praevia, placental abruption, ruptured uterus, antepartum haemorrhage (odds ratio 4·47 [95% CI 1·46-13·65]), and perioperative severe obstetric haemorrhage (5·87 [1·99-17·34]) or anaesthesia complications (11·47 (1·20-109·20]). Neonatal mortality was 153 (4·4%) of 3506 infants (95% CI 3·7-5·0). INTERPRETATION: Maternal mortality after caesarean delivery in Africa is 50 times higher than that of high-income countries and is driven by peripartum haemorrhage and anaesthesia complications. Neonatal mortality is double the global average. Early identification and appropriate management of mothers at risk of peripartum haemorrhage might improve maternal and neonatal outcomes in Africa. FUNDING: Medical Research Council of South Africa.Medical Research Council of South Africa