Effect of Fluazifopbutyl and Atrazine/Metolachlor (Tank Mixed) for Weed Control in Sweetpotato (Ipomoea Batatas ) in South Eastern, Nigeria

Field studies were conducted at the research farm of the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, south-eastern Nigeria in 2008 and 2009 cropping seasons, to determine the effect of herbicides and the economic implications of chemical weed control in sweetpotato using herbicides. The experiment was set up as a randomized complete block design (RCBD), with three replicates. Sweetpotato TIS 87/0087 was planted at a spacing of 0.3m x 1m on the crest of well prepared ridges. The treatment includes, Fluazifopbutyl at rates of 1.0kg ai/ha, 1.5kg ai/ha and 2.0kg ai/ha (recommended rate). Atrazine/Metolachlor 1.5kg ai/ha(tank mixed), mixture of Atrazine/Metolachlor + Fluazifopbutyl at rate 1.0kg ai/ha + 1.75kg ai/ha, Atrazine/Metolachlor 2.5 kg ai/ha, Atrazine/Metolachlor 3.5 kg ai/ha, Manual weeding and unweeded plots. Data on weed types and weed density were collected using two 1m x 1m quadrat. Yields were collected by 50kg weighing balance. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance using the GLM procedure of SAS and significant differences among means were tested using FLSD at 5% level of probability. The result obtained over the two years showed that application of Atrazine/Metolachlor at rate 1.5kg ai/ha controlled broad leave weeds, sedges and grasses effectively and had lowest weed density when compared with the other herbicides application and hand weeding. It also gave the highest yield and monetary gain when compares with manual weeding. This technique will be of utmost benefit to the farmers as it gave excellent weed control.Keywords: Sweetpotatoes, Weed, Herbicides Treatments, EconomicsJournal of Agriculture and Social Research (JASR) Vol. 11, No. 1, 201

A Survey of Pharmacists' Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Diabetes in Three Tertiary Hospitals in Eastern Nigeria

A good knowledge of disease management is necessary in promoting care and enhancing good therapeutic outcomes. The present study analyzed the knowledge, attitude and practice of hospital pharmacists in three referral hospitals to assess their preparedness in rendering pharmaceutical care to type 2 diabetic outpatients according to current pharmacy practices. The study was a cross-sectional survey of randomly selected hospital pharmacists at three teaching hospitals in eastern Nigeria. Retrospective data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed based on descriptive statistics. A total of 130 hospital pharmacists comprising of 81 (62.3%) males and 49 (37.7%) females participated in the study. The mean duration of number of years of practice for the respondents was 23.3, 16.7 and 5.1 for University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital and Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, respectively. The survey revealed that the pharmacists had good knowledge of the diabetes disease and its management. While 83% believed that diabetes is dangerous, 17% felt that it should not be considered as a dangerous disease. Some of the pharmacists (25%) were of the view that patients' education is not the most important management tool in diabetic care while 10.8% felt that diabetic patients do not need special attention.Key words: Diabetes, knowledge, attitude, practice, pharmacists, tertiary hospita

Biopsychosocial risk factors and knowledge of cervical cancer among young women: A case study from Kenya to inform HPV prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common female reproductive cancer after breast cancer with 84% of the cases in developing countries. A high uptake of human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination and screening, and early diagnosis leads to a reduction of incidence and mortality rates. Yet uptake of screening is low in Sub-Saharan Africa and there is an increasing number of women presenting for treatment with advanced disease. Nine women in their twenties die from cervical cancer in Kenya every day. This paper presents the biopsychosocial risk factors that impact on cervical cancer knowledge among Kenyan women aged 15 to 24 years. The findings will highlight opportunities for early interventions to prevent the worrying prediction of an exponential increase by 50% of cervical cancer incidences in the younger age group by 2034. Methods: Data from the 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) was analysed using complex sample logistic regression to assess biopsychosocial risk factors of knowledge of cervical cancer among young women aged 15 to 24 years (n = 5398). Findings: Close to one third of the participants were unaware of cervical cancer with no difference between participants aged 15–19 years (n = 2716) and those aged 20–24 years (n = 2691) (OR = 1; CI = 0.69–1.45). Social predisposing factors, such as lack of education; poverty; living further from a health facility; or never having taken a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test, were significantly associated with lack of awareness of cervical cancer (p<0.001). Young women who did not know where to obtain condoms had an OR of 2.12 (CI 1.72–2.61) for being unaware of cervical cancer. Psychological risk factors, such as low self-efficacy about seeking medical help, and an inability to refuse unsafe sex with husband or partner, perpetuated the low level of awareness about cervical cancer (p<0.001). Conclusions: A considerable proportion of young women in Kenya are unaware of cervical cancer which is associated with a variety of social and psychological factors. We argue that the high prevalence of cervical cancer and poor screening rates will continue to prevail among older women if issues that affect young women’s awareness of cervical cancer are not addressed. Given that the Kenyan youth are exposed to HPV due to early sexual encounters and a high prevalence of HIV, targeted interventions are urgently needed to increase the uptake of HPV vaccination and screening

Novel lipid-based dermal microgels of Neobacin®

This study investigates the potential of novel microgles based on solid lipid microparticles (SLMs) as a sustained delivery system for neobacin®, a topical antibiotic drug powder. Matrices generated from sunseed oil and goat fat (1:9, 2:8 and 3:7) was surface-modified with Phospholipon® 90G and employed to formulate SLM-based microgels. The microgels were characterized in terms of in vivo wound healing in rats, in vitro permeation, membrane drug retention studies and antimicrobial activity against various microorganisms using standard cup-plate agar diffusion method. The 3:7 microgels exhibited sustained release property, achieving 34% drug permeation over 12 h, 64% membrane drug retention and largest growth inhibition zone diameters (IZD) on all organisms, whereas commercial neobacin® gel achieved 35% drug permeation at 4 h and 72% membrane drug retention. In vivo wound healing followed this order 3:7&gt;1:9&gt;2:8 better than neobacin® powder. Neobacin® microgel formulation despite rapid degradation possessed greater wound healing and antimicrobial property than the conventional powder form of neobacin®.  Key words: Microgels, surface-modified solid lipid microparticles, sustained release, neobacin®

Limitations to the dynamics of pharmaceutical care practice among community pharmacists in Enugu urban, southeast Nigeria

Brian O Ogbonna,1 Charles C Ezenduka,1 Jeffrey S Soni,2 Azuka C Oparah21Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Awka, Nigeria; 2Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, NigeriaBackground: The introduction of pharmaceutical care in Nigeria has been faced with many challenges in addition to limited information regarding the practice.Objective: This study aimed to determine the barriers encountered by community pharmacists in Nigeria in the provision of pharmaceutical care.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was carried out in Enugu urban, southeast Nigeria. Data were collected using pretested and structured 5-point Likert scale questionnaires that were self-administered to the respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: The 78 community pharmacists comprised 62 males and 16 females. Out of the 78 respondents, 69 (88.5%) had the basic Bachelor of Pharmacy degree while three (3.9%) had Fellowship, Master&rsquo;s, and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees respectively. The mean number of years of practice was 8.2 (&plusmn;0.6). The key limitations to the implementation of pharmaceutical care were: pharmacists&rsquo; attitude and lack of pharmaceutical care skills, as well as resource and system-related constraints. Others challenges were interprofessional and academic obstacles like lack of collaboration (66.6%) and lack of role models (42.1%). Most of the respondents (81%) were strongly willing to adopt and implement pharmaceutical care, while 19.2% were not strongly willing to practice pharmaceutical care.Conclusion: Despite limitations to practice, community pharmacists in the area are very inclined to implement pharmaceutical care in the private sector to improve patients&rsquo; quality of life.Keywords: patient medication care, practice, pharmacists, community pharmacy, Nigeri

Effect of Mass Chemotherapy with Praziquantel on the Prevalence of Schistosomiasis in School Children in Langai Community of Plateau State

Background: One of the main control measures for Schistosomiasis in Nigeria is mass chemotherapy with Praziquantel tablets in areas where the disease is prevalent. This study was carried out to determine the effect of drug treatment with Praziquantel on the prevalence of urinary and intestinal Schistosomiasis among school children. Methodology: Multi-staged sampling technique was used to select 218 school children. A structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used to gather data from the children; their urine and stool samples were assayed for Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni ova using the sedimentation method, before and after drug treatment with orally administered Praziquantel tablets at 40mg/kg body weight. Results: Before treatment with Praziquantel tablets, 14 subjects (6.4%) had S. haematobium ova in their urine samples while 17 subjects (7.8%), had S. mansoni ova in their stool samples. Male subjects of the ages 10-14year old had the highest prevalence of the disease. Six weeks after treatment, the prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis had been significantly reduced (with P = 0.03 and 0.05 respectively) to 0.5% in the studied population (cure rate of 92.9%) while that of intestinal schistosomiasis was 1.4% (cure rate of 82.4%). Conclusion: It was concluded that the prevalence of urinary and intestinal schistosomiasis among school children in Langai pre-intervention was 6.4% and 7.8 % respectively and drug treatment with Praziquantel, reduced these to 0.5% and 1.4% respectively. Praziquantel was also more effective in reducing the prevalence of urinary than intestinal schistosomiasisKey Words Prevalence, Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma mansoni, Praziquantel, Effectivenes

Case report - Lassa Fever Mimicking Ectopic Pregnancy: A Report Of Three Cases

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