Prevalence of Gender Discrepancy in Internet Use in Nigeria: Implication for Women Empowerment

Very often some restrictions are imposed on who, what, why and howpeople engage in some professions, skills and activities thus, denying some individuals opportunities to be empowered towards self actualization and maximal contribution to the societal development. One important agent of empowerment is information, provided with dispatch through the Internet. In essence, the research sought to determine the prevalence of gender discrepancies in Internet use with a view to indicating its implication to women empowerment. In the survey, cluster and proportionate sampling techniques were employed to select five of the eighteen Internet centers in the three local government areas in Imo State, Nigeria. Three hundred self designed questionnaires were distributed to the sampled users. Obtained data were collated and analysed using frequency tables, percentages and graphs The result shows that female are almost at par with the male in the use of Internet though the female consist mainly of youths, students, low educational qualification (secondary education& diploma) except those with PhD. Female visit the Internet less frequently but stay longer hours browsing . Contrary to the former, opinion was that female should use the Internet less than male due to the inherent and expressed technological bias against them, traditionally impose domestic pressure and some cultural barriers. If such norm is accepted, the female will be denied the major source of real time information needed for empowermen

Suprasellar Clear Cell Meningioma in an Infant : Case report

Clear cell meningiomas are an uncommon subtype of meningioma rarely seen in infancy. We report a case of clear cell meningioma in an 8-month-old male infant. He presented at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria, in 2015 with persistent vomiting, poor feeding and failure to thrive over a four month period. Generalised hypertonia and hyperreflexia were noted on examination. Computed tomography of the brain revealed a huge largely isodense suprasellar mass with a hypodense core. The tumour, which measured 6 x 5 x 4 cm, enhanced non-uniformly with contrast injection and extended to occlude the third ventricle. The patient underwent a bifrontal craniotomy with subtotal tumour excision. Six hours postoperatively, he went into cardiac arrest and could not be resuscitated. A histological diagnosis of clear cell meningioma was made as the tumour cells were immunoreactive to epithelial membrane antigen, S100 protein and vimentin. This case of clear cell meningioma was unusual due to its early occurrence and supratentorial location

Effect of subclinical, clinical and supraclinical doses of calcium channel blockers on models of drug-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Drug-related hepatotoxicity is the leading cause of acute liver failure, and hepatic problems are responsible for a significant number of liver transplantations and deaths worldwide. Calcium has been associated with various metabolic processes that lead to cell death and apoptosis, and increased cytosolic Ca2+ has been implicated in hepatotoxicity. This study was designed to investigate the effects of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) on isoniazid-rifampicin, zidovudine and erythromycin-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Treatment groups comprised control, hepatotoxicant, hepatotoxicant along with each of silymarin, nifedipine, verapamil and diltiazem at subclinical, clinical and supraclinical doses. A day to the end of treatment for each model, rats were subjected to the hexobarbitone-induced hypnosis test. On the last days of treatment, blood samples were collected and serum was analyzed for relevant biochemical parameters. Animals were sacrificed after blood collection and livers were harvested, and samples obtained for in vivo antioxidant indices assay and histopathology. The hepatotoxicants significantly increased serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), as well as duration of sleep in the hypnosis test. These drugs significantly reduced the hepatic levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and increased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA). The CCBs at the various doses significantly reversed the effects of isoniazid-rifampicin, zidovudine and erythromycin. The results obtained in this study suggest that the CCBs possess hepatoprotective activity in drug-induced hepatotoxicity and may be beneficial at the subclinical and clinical doses

Mapping of Urinary Schistosomiasis in Anambra State, Nigeria

Background: Mapping the distribution of parasitic diseases in time and space has a pivotal role to play in their control. Objective: This study mapped urinary schistosomiasis in Anambra State. Methods: Sampling covered the three senatorial districts, Anambra North, Anambra Central and Anambra South. However, only nine of the 21 local government areas (LGAs) and one town in each LGA were covered. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to map the distribution of schistosomiasis in the state. With the aid of GIS, the distance of the towns to water bodies was calculated. A total of 450 urine samples collected from the nine LGAs were examined for haematuria and 'Schistosoma haematobium' eggs. A questionnaire was used to assess exposure and risks status to infection. The urine samples were examined for haematuria using dipstick and microscopy. Findings: Overall prevalence of infection in the study was 2.9% and 5.5% for microscopy and haematuria, respectively. Prevalence of schistosomiasis was different between the districts, and this was statistically significant (χ² = 7.763, p = 0.021). Prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis in the towns had a significant negative linear relationship with distance to water body (r = –0.767, p = 0.016). Based on infection status from microscopy, the adjusted odds of infection in fishers was over 103 times higher than in students; the difference was significant statistically (AOR = 103.0443, 95% CI = 4.6278–7093.972, p = 0.0114). People who washed things in stream had 12 times significantly greater odds of infection than those that did not (AOR = 12.4585, 95% CI = 1.9590–258.8108, p = 0.02542). The distance of respondents to stream was a major determinant of infection with urinary schistosomiasis in the state. Those who lived close to water were approximately 1131% more likely to be infected than those who lived far from water bodies (AOR = 11.3157, 95% CI 2.2473–90.6889, p = 0.00713). Conclusion: Anambra State is endemic for urinary schistosomiasis. There is therefore a need for focal studies; and there may probably be a need to design a health program aimed at controlling the infection in focal areas in the state. The study also provides relevant information for designing a plan of action for the selective integrated and targeted control of urinary schistosomiasis in the LGAs

Human Capacity Building in Nigerian University Libraries: An Imperative for Academic Libraries’ Contribution towards National Development

The place of the academic library in national development cannot be underestimated. Despite its central role in nurturing tomorrow’s leaders, it preserves for posterity a country’s intellectual heritage in the form of indigenous resources and provides for education and research. This responsibility was carried out with print until the turn of century which ushered in ICT. Consequently, the intellectual heritage becomes ubiquitous without being bound to space and time. Further to that, the role of academic libraries still remains the same fundamentally but is changed in the ways and means of actualisation. By implication, the human capacity needed for such changing roles changed. Hence, a survey was carried out to determine the efforts of Nigerian university libraries towards ensuring staff capacity with focus on the availability of policy for staff development in Nigerian university libraries, the extent of the policy implementation, the challenges to these efforts and ways of ensuring sustainable policy development and implementation. Questionnaire responses from twelve federal university libraries show that they have well developed staff capacity development policies which are implemented especially in the areas of justification for training, responsibility for training, category of staff to be trained, type of training, method of training, documentation of training, as well as the location of training. Finance and lack of professional collaboration are considered the major challenges to effective capacity building needed for the libraries to assume their rightful place in national development. Recommendations are made based on the findings

Assessment of the Quality of Packaged Water on Sale in Onitsha Metropolis

Background: In recent years, sale of packaged water has been on the increase in most urban cities in Nigeria. In order to safe guard public health, it is essential that the available packaged water is of the highest quality. Objective: To assess the physical, chemical and bacteriological quality of packaged water on sale in Onitsha metropolis Methodology: Two samples each of 60 brands of packaged water were randomly obtained from six different commercial locations within two LGAs in Onitsha metropolis. The samples were analysed for colour, odour, turbidity, pH, fluoride and coliform count. Membrane filtration technique was used for coliform count. Results: Forty five (75%) of samples were of high aesthetic value. All samples recorded fluoride levels within recommended WHO range of 0.5- 1.5 mg/dl. . Majority (70% ) of all samples of water were found to have coliform count of 10 or more per 100ml. 34% of samples were faecally contaminated with Klebsiella and E.coli being the major organisms.. Packaged water that was registered by NAFDAC had a higher bacteriological quality compared to unregistered ones.( Odds'ratio 6.05 CI : 1.37-36.4, p< 0.01.) Conclusion: Majority of the packaged water on sale in Onitsha metropolis were bacteriologically unsafe though most were of acceptable physical quality. There is a need for continuous monitoring of packaged water products by NAFDAC which should ensure strict enforcement of regulations to promote availability of potable packaged water. Keywords: Assessment, Quality, Packaged Water NQJHM Vol. 16 (2) 2006: pp. 56-5

Synoptic Versus Narrative Reporting of Prostate Biopsies at a Tertiary Healthcare Institution : Challenges, successes and expectations

Objectives: Cancer pathology reports are expected to contain all information required for patient management and disease surveillance. Moreover, reports for patients with prostate cancer have become increasingly complex with the addition of more pathological details. This study aimed to compare narrative and synoptic prostate cancer reports for core needle biopsies received at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria in order to determine which form was most complete according to international standards. Methods: This study was conducted from January 2010 to December 2015 at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. All malignant prostate cancer histopathology reports received during this period were analysed for the presence of important clinicopathological parameters, including the numbers of cores taken and those involved by the tumour, percentage of tumour involvement, Gleason score and the presence of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasms (HGPINs) and perineural and lymphovascular invasion. Results: A total of 83 reports were reviewed, of which 27 were in narrative and 56 in synoptic format. The documentation of clinicopathological characteristics in narrative reports was significantly incomplete compared to synoptic reports in recording the number of cores (33.3% versus 96.4%), number of cores involved by the tumour (11.1% versus 94.6%), percentage of cores involved by the tumour (3.7% versus 100.0%) and the presence of HGPINs (7.4% versus 100.0%) and perineural (59.3% versus 98.2%) and lymphovascular (48.1% versus 100.0%) invasion (P <0.001 each). Conclusion:Synoptic reports of malignant prostate cancer biopsies received at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital were found to contain more complete information than narrative reports

Review: Polymorphism and virulence factors in the pathogenesis of amoebiasis.

Amoebiasis is one of the world's most prevalent infectious diseases of developing world. E. histolytica and E. dispar are two morphologically identical but genetically distinct species. Infection with E. histolytica may be symptomatic and asymptomatic. E. dispar is non-pathogenic. Both innate and acquired immune responses limit amoebic infection while different strains of E. histolytica and its virulence have been described and virulence factors of E. histolytica such as cysteine proteinases, Gal/GalNAc-inhibitable lectin and ameobapore are known to be involved in E.histolytica pathogenesis. Proteolytic enzymes and cysteine proteases facilitate tissue invasion while Gal/GalNAc-inhibitable lectin aids adherence and amoebapores are involved in lysis of target cells. Three new strains of E. histolytica (Rahman, HK-9, and 200: NIH) have been described as well as the previously known strain (HM 1 IMSS). This review highlights the newly described strains and virulent factors involved in the pathogenesis of E. histolytica.International Journal of Biological & Chemical Sciences Vol. 1 (2) 2007: pp. 186-19

Vulva Fibroadenoma Associated with Lactating Adenoma in a 26-Year-Old Nigerian Female

Background. Vulva lactating adenoma is rare and may be misdiagnosed as adenocarcinoma in frozen section and aspiration cytology if breast tissue is not anticipated. Objective. To raise the awareness of lactating vulva ectopic breast lesion among clinicians and pathologists. Case Report. We present a case of vulva fibroadenoma associated with lactating adenoma in a 26-year-old Nigerian female. Conclusion. The rarity of vulva ectopic breast tissue can present a diagnostic challenge for both the clinician and the anatomical pathologist. Once excisional biopsy is done and the lesion confirmed histologically, the anxious patient can be reassured

Survey of dentin sialophosphoprotein and its cognate matrix metalloproteinase‐20 in human cancers

Abstract Background Matrix metalloproteinases‐20 (MMP20) expression is widely regarded as tooth specific, with expression limited to dental hard tissues. Recently, we reported MMP20 expression and interaction with dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), a member of the Small Integrin Binding Ligand N‐linked Glycoproteins (SIBLINGs), in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and dysplastic oral premalignant lesions (OPLs), suggesting a role for MMP20‐DSPP interaction in oral carcinogenesis. Methods This study aimed to survey the expression of MMP20 and its cognate DSPP partner in the breast, colon, prostate, thyroid, and cervical neoplasms. Using commercially available tissue microarrays (TMAs) and cell lines, we performed immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, proximity ligation assay, and western blot experiments to determine the expressions of MMP20 and DSPP in the breast, colon, prostate, thyroid, cervical neoplasms, and their normal counterparts. Results Significantly high expression levels of MMP20 and DSPP were observed in the malignant breast, colon, prostate, thyroid, and cervical neoplasms compared with their benign and normal counterparts. Furthermore, MMP20 levels increased with advanced stages of colon and thyroid cancers. DSPP expression increased significantly with tumor stage in all cancers examined. Conclusions The co‐localization and potential MMP20‐DSPP interaction previously reported in oral cancers are present in other cancers. These results suggest MMP20‐DSPP pairing as a potential marker of disease activity in some epithelial cancers with diagnostic and prognostic implications