Homo sapiens are bilaterally symmetrical but not with toe length and toe-length ratios among Nigerians

The concept of bilateral symmetry in organisms involves the division of the body plan along a plane that splits the animal's body into right and left sides that are mirror images of each other. However can this be true for toe lengths and ratios? The present study evaluates the symmetric differences in toe length and toe-length ratios among the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. A total of 1574 adult Nigerian Hausas (664), Igbos (420) and Yorubas (490) of equal sex were included in the study. Aged between 18-65 years, were randomly selected from various states. Written informed consent was taken from each participant, sample size was determined by proportion, using Cochran formulae for infinite population. A digital Vernier caliper was used to obtain direct linear measurements of the toe length of both feet; hallux (1T), second toe (2T), third toe (3T), fourth toe (4T), and the fifth toe (5T). Ten (10) possible toe-length ratios were also determined and named as follows; 1T/2T, 1T/3T, 1T/4T, 1T/5T, 2T/3T, 2T/4T, 2T/5T, 3T/4T, 3T/5T, and 4T/5T. Data were analyzed using SPSS (IBM®Armonk, New York, USA) and Minitab V17 (Minitab® Inc. State College, Pennsylvania) statistical software. Paired-sample t-test was used to evaluate symmetry; Pearson’s Correlation was used for inter-prediction of the toes and ratios. Confidence level was set at 95%; as P-values ≤0.05 were considered significant. The result showed that some of the toe length of both feet were significantly assymetrical among the studied ethnic groups; Hausa males (1T df=1.35 and 5T df=0.55; P<0.05) and females (1T and 3T; (1T df=0.27, 3T df=0.47) P<0.001), Igbo males (1T, 3T and 4T(1T df=0.47, 3T, df=-0.53, 4T df=-0.58) ; P<0.05 and females 1T and 3T(1T df=0.40, T3 df=-0.64) ; P<0.01) and Yoruba males(1T, 2T, 3T and 5T(1T df=1.29, 2T df=0.47, 3T df=0.15, and 5T df=0.55,); P<0.001) and females (1T and 5T(1T df=0.77; 5T df=0.23) ;P<0.001). The toe-length ratios also displayed symmetrical differences for Nigerian male population; 1T:2T [t=3.78, P<0.001], 1T:3T [t=6.27, P<0.001], 1T:4T [t=6.04, P<0.001], 1T:5T [t=2.43, P=0.015], 2T:3T [t=2.23, P=0.026], 3T:5T [t=-3.78, P<0.001] and 4T:5T [t=-3.77, P<0.001].For the female population, all ratios were not significantly different except for1T:4T [t=2.56, P=0.011]. However, both feet displayed significant positive association for co-estimation of the corresponding toe length and toe-length ratios (r-values ranging from 0.20-0.70 at P<0.05).Ethnic and sex specific asymmetry were observed in the toe length and toe-length ratios; thus suggesting that anthropometrically, organisms are not completely bilaterally symmetrical.Keywords: Asymmetry, Bilateral symmetry, Toe length, Toe-length ratio, Ethnic group

Foot Length and Preference: Implication in Footwear Design

Introduction: The foot bears great anatomical function and therefore needs to be protected. The design and engineering of footwear for diverse population is subject to accurate anthropometric data provided for the population.Aims and Objectives: The present study therefore evaluates foot length difference in relation to foot preference and their implication in footwear design.Methods: A total of 1154 adult Nigerians comprising of 577 males and 577 females were included in the study. Direct linear measurements of the left and right foot length were measured using a metric tape. Foot preference (RT, LF or both) and longer foot (RT, LT or EQ) were also determined. Data were analyzed using SPSS (IBM®Armonk, New York, USA) and Minitab V17 (Minitab® Inc. State College, Pennsylvania) statistical software. Paired-sample t-test was used to evaluate symmetry; student t-test was used to compare sex differences while Chi square analysis was used to evaluate the association of foot preference with sex, side and longer foot. Confidence level was set at 95%; as P-values ≤0.05 were considered significant.Results: The mean (S.D) of the right and left foot length (RFL and LFL) of male was 270.20±13.25mm and 270.46±12.94mm while female was 248.90±12.07mm and 249.52±11.81mm respectively. The population RFL and LFL was 259.55±16.56mm and 259.99±16.22mm. The paired sample t-test showed significant symmetric differences in RFL and LFL for females (P=0.033) and total population (P=0.011) but not males (P=0.168). Males displayed significantly higher mean values than the females (P<0.001). Results of the Chi-square analysis showed that, when sex was related to foot preference, the right foot was observed to be dominant for both males (88%) and females (87%), while dual-footedness presented least (2.4% males and 1.7% females). However, there was no observed association of sex and the foot preference neither was there any proportionality difference (P>0.05) but there was association between sex and foot-length difference (P<0.01), with more females having a longer left and right foot while more males had relatively equal foot length.Conclusion: This study suggests the avoidance of assumption of equal foot length; hence, length difference must be considered when constructing footwear for the Nigerian population, most especially for the females, as the study observed bilateral asymmetry in foot length

Prevalence of clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia amongst community-dwelling men in a South-Western Nigerian rural setting: A cross-sectional study

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and correlates International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), peak/maximum flow rate (Qmax), quality of life (QoL) score and prostate volume (PV) amongst male adults in a rural setting in Nigeria.Subjects and methods: This is a community-based cross-sectional survey conducted amongst 615 men. Subjects selected using multi-staged sampling technique were interviewed for presence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in their houses. Severity of symptoms was assessed using International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire. Digital rectal examination (DRE), uroflowmetry and prostate scan were carried out in nearby primary health centres. Criteria for diagnosis of BPH were prostatic volume ≥ 30 cm3 with moderate/severe LUTS and/or Qmax < 15 mL. Relationships between variables were determined using Pearson’s Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests. Results: The overall prevalence of LUTS was 57.4% while 28.5% had moderate-to-severe IPSS with averagescore of 12.3 ± 5.2. More than half (56.1%) reported impaired QoL with average score of 3.4 ± 1.3. TheDRE and ultrasound prevalences of enlarged prostate were 68.3% and 64.9% respectively. About 29% hadabnormal Qmax. Both QoL and Qmax had significant relationship with IPSS (p < 0.001) while none existsbetween prostate size and IPSS (p = 0.339). The overall prevalence of BPH was 237 per 1000 men (23.7%).The age-specific prevalence rates increased from 104 per 1000 men in the fifth decade to 429 per 1000 in men >90 years.Conclusion: The burden of clinical BPH is very high amongst Nigerian men and the prevalence increaseswith age. There is need for more public awareness because of the significant impairment in the QoLassociated with BPH symptoms.Keywords: BPH; Community-dwelling men; IPSS; LUTS; Prevalenc

Antioxidant status, hematology, performance, organ and carcass evaluation of heat_stressed broiler chickens fed with dietary Bambusa vulgaris leaf meal

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of bamboo leaf meal (BLM) in broiler chicken feed to alleviate heat stress. Materials and Methods: This investigation was conducted following institutional policies guiding the handling of animals as approved for scientific research. 150 heat-stressed Arbor Acres broiler chickens were divided randomly into five dietary treatments, T1–T5, of 30 per treatment and 10 per replicate, to determine the consequence of feeding BLM on health and performance. Birds in T1–T4 were fed 0%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% BLM-included diets, respectively, while T5 had a 0.2% vitamin C-included diet. Results: Increasing dietary BLM positively impacted body weight gain, feed intake, feed conver�sion rate (FCR), and stress indices levels. Broiler chickens had better feed intake (267 gm), weight gain (1,504 gm), and FCR (3.64) in T4. Serum glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde levels were not statistically different with increasing dietary BLM, while corticosterone levels were lower for chickens fed with dietary BLM. The superoxide dismutase index levels did not follow a particu�lar pattern as dietary BLM increased. The hematology, carcass, and organ quality were unaffected by dietary BLM inclusion. Conclusion: BLM inclusions up to 2% in the broiler diet ameliorate heat stress conditions and improve performance without imposing any detrimental impact on the birds

Global impact of COVID-19 on stroke care and IV thrombolysis

Objective To measure the global impact of COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of IV thrombolysis (IVT), IVT transfers, and stroke hospitalizations over 4 months at the height of the pandemic (March 1 to June 30, 2020) compared with 2 control 4-month periods. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional, observational, retrospective study across 6 continents, 70 countries, and 457 stroke centers. Diagnoses were identified by their ICD-10 codes or classifications in stroke databases. Results There were 91,373 stroke admissions in the 4 months immediately before compared to 80,894 admissions during the pandemic months, representing an 11.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] -11.7 to -11.3, p < 0.0001) decline. There were 13,334 IVT therapies in the 4 months preceding compared to 11,570 procedures during the pandemic, representing a 13.2% (95% CI -13.8 to -12.7, p < 0.0001) drop. Interfacility IVT transfers decreased from 1,337 to 1,178, or an 11.9% decrease (95% CI -13.7 to -10.3, p = 0.001). Recovery of stroke hospitalization volume (9.5%, 95% CI 9.2-9.8, p < 0.0001) was noted over the 2 later (May, June) vs the 2 earlier (March, April) pandemic months. There was a 1.48% stroke rate across 119,967 COVID-19 hospitalizations. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was noted in 3.3% (1,722/52,026) of all stroke admissions. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a global decline in the volume of stroke hospitalizations, IVT, and interfacility IVT transfers. Primary stroke centers and centers with higher COVID-19 inpatient volumes experienced steeper declines. Recovery of stroke hospitalization was noted in the later pandemic months.Paroxysmal Cerebral Disorder

Effects of varied process parameters on froth flotation efficiency: A case study of Itakpe iron ore

The dire need for Itakpe iron ore concentrates of appreciable iron content meets for smelting operation necessitated this study. Core samples of the iron ore sourced from Itakpe, Kogi State, Nigeria were prepared for petrological analysis followed by chemical and particle size analyses. Froth flotation was done using different collectors at varying particle sizes and pH values. Characterization studies carried out revealed that Itakpe iron ore is a lean ore assaying 36.18% Fe2O3 and contains predominantly quartz, sillimanite, and haematite. Its liberation size lies favourably at 75 μm. Processing the ore by froth flotation yielded appreciable enrichment. Optimal recovery (~92%) was achieved using potassium amyl xanthate (PAX) at pH 11 for fine feed sizes (&lt;125 μm) yielding iron concentrate assaying 67.66% Fe2O3. Thus, processing at this set-of-conditions is recommended for the industrial production of more enriched Itakpe iron ore concentrates. Keywords: Process parameters, Froth flotation, Efficiency, Itakpe iron or

Analysis of image differences of roadside corridor and landscape preference in an emerging city in Nigeria

This study examined the barrenness and clustered commercial activities along the rural-urban fringe of an emerging city (Lokoja, Nigeria) and tried to establish the inhabitant's preferred development pattern for road corridors at the fringe of the city. Questionnaire and photographs were utilized as research instruments for this study. Two roads: Abuja-Lokoja road (Nataco area) and the Lokoja-Kabba road towards the Kabba junction area were purposively selected for the study, and 204 copies of a questionnaire were randomly administered and 184 duly completed copies analyzed. Photographs were used as a surrogate to assess people’s perception of the environment. Thirty (30) photographs taken within 10km stretch were used. Six of the photographs served as “base” images and the remaining 24 as composite images of computer simulation and pictures adapted from similar research as an ideal situation. Five points Likert scale was used to measure respondent’s preference. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to analyse the participants’ responses to the questionnaire. The results revealed a high preference for an improved design with nature incorporated in developing commercial strip along the highway and low preference for existing billboard and haphazard development of the base images presented. It also revealed that design of roadways and commercial strip developments at the fringe could also have health implications. The paper suggests that trees and nature plants, in particular, should be used to improve visual quality and reduce Co2 in the Atmosphere through carbon sequestration.  Keywords: Rural–urban fringe; Landscape preferences; Commercial development; Road corridors; Highway desig

Family support and nutritional status of geriatric patients attending primary care clinics in a Tertiary Health Institution in North Central Nigeria

Background: Family support affects the outcome of many chronic diseases, malnutrition inclusive and it is an important aspect of thecare of the elderly that is often neglected by care-givers. Literatures have shown that elderly patients who have good family supporthave lower prevalence rate of malnutrition than those without family support. The aim of the study is to determine the influence oflevel of family support on nutritional status of elderly patients attending the primary care clinics at the University of Ilorin TeachingHospital with a view to providing evidence that can be used to improve the quality of support and care of the elderly in our clinics.Methods and materials: The study was a hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study. Systematic random sampling techniquewas used to select 307 elderly patients from the Family Medicine Clinics, University of Ilorin teaching hospital, Ilorin between Julyand September, 2017. Data was collected using interviewer administered questionnaire and clinical evaluation. The level of Familysupport of the subjects was assessed by Perceived Social Support–Family (PSS-Fa) scale while their nutritional status was assessedwith the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire. The data was collated and analyzed using the SPSS-21 Statisticalpackage.Results: Mean age of study subjects was 66 years ±4.9 years. Majority of the respondents (77.7%) had four children or less and most(75.9%) had two adults or less per household. About a third (37.1%) had no income; virtually all of them (95.6%) were supported bytheir children monetarily (87.9%). Majority of the elderly (70.3%) had family support but most of them (76.2%) reported it wasinadequate. There was a statistically significant association between nutritional status and family support among the respondents.Conclusion: The study has provided evidence that family support has significant positive influence on the nutritional status of ourelderly population. There is need to develop programs that will promote improved involvement of family members in their care interms of quality and quantity of support. Key Words: Nutritional Status, Malnutrition, Family Support, Geriatric, Primary car

Equilibrium, Kinetic and Thermodynamic Studies of Biosorption of Methylene Blue on Goethite Modified Baobab Fruit Pod (Adansonia Digitata L.)

Methylene Blue (MB) was adsorbed from aqueous solution using Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) fruit pod and its goethite modified form. Adsorbents were characterized using Fourier Transform-Infra Red (FTIR) spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Batch experiments were conducted at room temperature (26.8 °C) and the adsorption data were fitted using Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin- Radushkevich isotherms. Also, kinetic data was fitted using Pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, Elovich and intra-particle diffusion models. Goethite modified baobab (GMB) appeared to have a coarse microporous surface with smoother surface and larger pore volumes compared to unmodified baobab (UB). The –C=O band was observed at 1631 and 1636 cm-1 for UB and GMB. The –OH band was observed at 3447.00 cm-1 and 3442 cm-1 for UB andGMB respectively. Langmuir model was suitable for describing the adsorption data of UB with R2 of 0.9293 while Temkin model was best for fitting adsorption data of MB on GMB with R2 of 0.9691. However, maximum adsorption capacity was obtained with Freundlich adsorption isotherm (15.4253 and 43.1301 mg/g for UB and GMB respectively). The maximum biosorption were 8.98 mg/g and 9.86 mg/g for UB and GMB respectively at pH 10. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model best fitted the kinetic data with R2 values of 0.9968 and 0.9993 for UB and GMB, ΔHo values were 83.123 KJ/mol and 361.094 KJ/mol for UB and GMB, while ΔSo values were 3.084 J/mol/ K and 1.765 J/mol/K for UB and GMB respectively. GMB adsorbed more of MB than UB and the process was endothermic. Keywords: Biosorption, Goethite, Baobab, Isotherms, Methylene blue

Legislative Documents

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