Demand for energy among households in Ijebu Division, Ogun State, Nigeria

This study examines the influence of householdsÂ’ socio-economic characteristics on household demand for electricity, petrol, diesel, kerosene, firewood, domestic gas, and transport in commercial vehicles. Primary data obtained in a cross-section survey of 90 households selected across six communities in Ijebu-Division of Ogun State, Nigeria was used in estimating a system of energy demand equations and elasticities. The study reveals that an average household in the sample had about five members, headed by a 52 year old male that had about nine years of formal education. The mean monthly household consumption expenditure was N 15,458.63, of which about 25% was expended on the seven commodities. While the influence of education and household size on household energy use were insignificant; income (budget size), household ownership of electrical/electronic appliances and automobiles, as well as age of household heads exercised significant influence on the relative shares of some/all of the seven energy commodities in household budgets in the study area. The income effects were positive for all the energy commodities, except firewood. Demand for petrol, diesel and domestic gas were income elastic. Thus, the study concludes that improvement in income would cause increase in demand for electricity and petroleum products in the study area, but worsening real income would place greater demand on biomass fuel.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Serum cobalamin and red cell folate levels of anti-psychotic treatment and treatment naïve psychiatic patients in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria

Background: Psychiatric disorders contribute significantly to the global burden of diseases. There is an urgent need to curtail the morbidity and mortality associated with psychiatric disorders. Deficiencies of cobalamin and folate have been linked with psychiatric disorders.Materials and method: Sixty-six each of antipsychotic treatment, treatment naïve psychiatric patients and control were recruited for the study. Red cell folate and serum cobalamin were determined with Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay kits and the haemogram using Sysmex XT2000i.Result: Folate deficiency was present in 13.6% of newly diagnosed anti-psychotic naive psychiatric patients with few of them having neutrophil hypersegmentation (7.6%) and macrocytosis (4.5%). Mean red cell folate levels for anti-psychotic naïve, patients on anti-psychotic and controls were 350.23 ± 0.54 nmol/l, 370 ± 0.70 nmol/l and 370 ± 0.51 nmol/l respectively, with p-values of 0.0001 and 0.3500 respectively when compared with control, while serum cobalamin levels were within the normal reference range in all patients and controls.Reticulocyte count had 8 times and 3 times likelihood of influencing low serum folate and low serum cobalamin respectively.Conclusion: All patients had Serum cobalamin levels within the reference interval, the same can be said of the RBC folate levels of the greater percentage (95.5%) of psychiatric patients on psychotropic drugs.Keywords: Red cell folate, Serum cobalamin, Anti-psychotic treatment, Treatment naïve psychiatric patient

Sodium bicarbonate supplementation prevents cardiac hypertrophy in male rats exposed to high intensity swim exercise via inhibition of lactate dehydrogenase activity

Background: Cardiac hypertrophy is linked with ventricular arrhythmia and can be fatal among athletes  engaged in high intensity exercise. This study investigates the effect of sodium bicarbonate on cardiac hypertrophy induced by swim exercise in male Wistar rats. Methods: Forty male Wistar (100-150 g) randomly divided into 5 groups 1-5 (n =8) were used. Group 1 was the control sedentary animals while groups 2-3 and 4-5 were exercised at low or high intensity, respectively. Groups 1,2 and 4 received distilled water while groups 3 and 5 received sodium bicarbonate (250 mg/kg, p.o) daily. Exercise was carried out by swimming in a temperature regulated water tank 5 days/ week for 8 weeks. The intensity was varied by attaching 5% body weight load to the tail of the high intensity exercise groups while the low intensity groups were unloaded. Body weight was monitored weekly. Blood samples were obtained for plasma lipid profile, C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) concentration. Cardiac hypertrophy was determined from the heart weight to tail length (HW:TL) ratio. Data were presented as Mean ± SEM. Results: Final body weights of all exercised groups were not different when compared with their initial weight. Cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein were decreased in the high intensity exercise group treated with sodium bicarbonate. Triglyceride level was not different across all groups while High-density lipoprotein increased in the low intensity untreated and low intensity treated groups. CRP level was not different across all groups while LDH activity was significantly decreased in the high intensity exercised group treated with sodium bicarbonate. Sodium bicarbonate treatment also caused significant decrease in HW:TL ratio in the treated high intensity exercise group compared with their corresponding untreated group. Conclusion: Sodium bicarbonate supplementation ameliorated swim exercise-induced cardiac hypertrophy in male Wistar rats through a mechanism that probably involves lactate dehydrogenase activity

Detection of integron genes in the plasmid DNA of multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from surgical wounds of some patients in Benin City, Nigeria

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen with the capability to cause serious surgical wound infections and remains a major healthcare problem. Plasmid is an extra chromosomal material in bacterial cells and confers resistance to the cell against many antibiotics. Genetic elements such as integron are implicated in conferring multidrug resistance (MDR) to P. aeruginosa . This study aims at investigating the occurrence of integron genes (int1, int2, int3) in the plasmid DNA and their ability to cause MDR in P. aeruginosa . In total, 284 different wound swabs were collected, P. aeruginosa isolated and screened using standard laboratory methods. Antibiotics susceptibility tests were carried out using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was also carried out using P. aeruginosa plasmid DNA as a template to detect the presence/absence of the integron genes using different pairs of specific primers. The results reveal that 34 (54.8%) of the microbes isolated were P. aeruginosa . Most of the isolates showed notable resistance to antibiotics, most notably against Ceftazidime, Augmentin, Cefixime and Gentamicin . Eleven isolates harbors the plasmid DNA . PCR amplification showed that 6 (54.5%) of the P. aeruginosa isolates harbor integron class 1 genes, non harbors the integron class 2 genes while 3 (27.3%) possess the integron class 3 genes. The isolates with these genes were highly resistant to most of the antibiotics used. int1 gene was prevalent then int3. Keywords: Antimicrobial, Wound infection, Integron, Polymerase chain reaction, Plasmid DN

A review of the implications of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria in human and animal diseases

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Bifidobacteria are taxonomically distinct groups of bacteria with proven biotechnological properties such as anti-cancer, immune-stimulating, anti-microbial, maintenance of normal flora balance, probiotics, anti-inflammatory, vaccine carriers, among others. However, studies have implicated some of them, including the ones under the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) qualified presumption of safety in fatal human and veterinary diseases. We performed online database searches of publications on Google, Google Scholar and PubMed using the criteria, “lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria as causative agents of human, animal diseases”. Data generated showed LAB across genera and Bifidobacteria either primarily or opportunistically involved in diseases of both immuno-competent and immuno-depressed humans and animals. The members of lactobacilli such as Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus oris, Lactobacillus gasseri and Leuconostoc mesenteroides, were mainly implicated in nosocomial infections, endophthalmitis, neonatal meningitis, and bacteraemia while Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Bifidobacteria, specifically, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium breve, and Bifidobacterium animalis were implicated in urinary tract infections (UTIs), necrotizing pancreatitis, fatal pulmonary infections, sepsis, and epidural abscess. The animal diseases, neonatal sepsis in foal, was caused by Weissella confusa while the fish pathogen, Lactococcus garvieae caused various zoonotic cases such as acute acalculous cholecystitis in human. In conclusion, this review showed the up-to-date reports on LAB and Bifidobacteria implicated in serious humans and animal diseases

Effects of ethanolic extract of Irvingia gabonensis on the liver of progesterone induced obesity in female Swiss mice

Objective: The study was designed to investigate the effects of Irvingia gabonensis ethanolic extract (IGE) on the liver and lipid profile of progesterone induced obesity in female swiss mice.Methods: Fifteen female mice weighing between 20-25g were randomly divided into three groups with each group comprising of five mice. Obesity was induced by giving the test animals progesterone (10ml/kgbw) subcutaneously at the dorsal neck region. The groups were divided as Group A- obesity controlled + diluent (10 ml/kgbw), B- obese induced +Low dose IGE (5ml/kg bw) and C- obesity induced + high dose IGE (10 ml/kg bw). After 14 days of treatments, blood samples were collected centrifuged and lipid profile levels Cholesterol, HDL, LDL and Triglyceride concentrations were estimated in the serum. The liver, peri-ovarian fat, ovary and uterus were removed from each of the mice and weighed with a sensitive balance and liver prepared for histological examinations and evaluation.Results: Preliminary phytochemical analysis of the extract revealed the presence of glycosides. Obesity induction caused some fatty changes in the liver hepatocytes and the IGE treatment caused reduction of the fat globules around the hepatocyte with focal necrosis. The cholesterol and triglyceride level was higher in the low dose IGE treated but does not differ significantly from the high dose IGE treated and control (P<0.05).Conclusion: The ethanolic extract of Irvingia gabonensis at doses studied caused a reduction in the body weight in mice which is very obvious at the low dose, while the lipid profile and the blood parameters were not affected. Hence, it may be a safe herb at doses considered. The extracts caused a significant change in the liver histology which was evident by reduction of fat globules and focal necrosis, swelling of cells.Keywords: Progesterone, Induced Obesity, Irvingia gabonensis, Blood parameters, Lipid Profile

Optimization of Phytosynthesis of Magnesium Oxide and Magnesium Chloride Nanoparticles

In the present study, magnesium oxide (MgO) and magnesium chloride (MgCl) nanoparticles were phytosynthesized. Selected parameters like leaf extracts from Moringa oleifera, Vernonia amygadalina and Occimum gratissimum, time of reaction, precursor salts of magnesium oxide and magnesium chloride at varying concentrations, plant extracts to precursor salts volume ratio, pH of the medium and light sources were optimized for a better production of the nanoparticles. The phytosynthesized MgO and MgCl nanoparticles were characterized using UV- Vis spectroscopy technique. The study revealed that the leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera and Vernonia amyg dalina yielded more nanoparticles; the period of 24 hours incubation was enough time for nanoparticles formation and the 0.1 and 0.01 molar concentrations of the precursor salts gave optimal yields of the nanoparticles. The plant extracts at ratio two (2) to precursor salt solution at ratio three (3) resulted in better yield of the nanoparticles; the alkaline pH of 9 and 11 gave better nanoparticles synthesis and the visible light source and dark room environments were better exposure conditions for the nanoparticles formation. Keywords: Leaf extracts, Magnesium chloride nanoparticles, Magnesium oxide nanoparticles, Phytosynthesis, UV- Vis spectroscopy

Management outcome of ruptured ectopic pregnancy at a secondary level of health care delivery in south-west, Nigeria

Background:  Ectopic pregnancy is a condition of high morbidity and mortality with an enormous threat to life. Therefore it is of immensegynaecological importance, particularly in the developing world, where the majority of patients present late with rupture and haemodynamic instability.Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence and analyze the clinical presentations, risk factors, sites of ectopic pregnancy and associated morbidity and mortality.Methods: This was a retrospective review of records of patients managed as cases of ruptured ectopic pregnancy at Our Lady of Apostle (O.L.A)Catholic Hospital, Ibadan over a six-year period between January 1st 2010 and December 31st 2015.Results: The incidence of ectopic pregnancy was 1.03% (65/6,342) of total deliveries, 2.9% (65/2280) of all gynaecological admissions and 13.5% (65/480) of gynaecological emergencies. Fifty-four case folders were analyzed. The leading symptom was pain 87.3% (47/54), followed by  amenorrhea 60.0% (32/54), while syncope attack and vaginal bleeding had 50.0% (27/54) and 36.4% (19/54) respectively. Pelvic infection was the leading risk factor of57.4% (31/54) of the study population, followed by induced abortion 36.4% (19/54). Two patients had previous ectopic pregnancy; hence the recurrent rate was 3.7%. Tubal pregnancy accounted for 85% (46/54) while the abdominaland cornual gestation accounted for 2% (1/54) and 13% (7/54) respectively. All patients with tubal pregnancy had salpingectomy while those with cornual pregnancy had wedged resection. The diagnosis was missed in 18.2% (10/54) of patients. There was no record of maternal death.Conclusion: The fact that all cases were ruptured and that pelvic infection and induced abortion were the major risk factors, efforts should be made to improve on early detection of ectopic pregnancy before rupture and prevent pelvic infection and induced abortion among the women of  reproductive age. Keywords: Ruptured ectopic pregnancy, secondary healthcare delivery, management outcome

Factors associated with prelacteal feeding practices in a rural northern Nigerian setting

Introduction: Prelacteal feeding practice contravenes the recommendation of World Health Organisation that breastfeeding be initiated within an hour of childbirth. Consequently, the health, social, emotional and economic benefits of optimal breastfeeding are limited. Therefore, to break this vicious cycle of prelacteal feeding and suboptimal breastfeeding, factors associated with the practice must be identified.Objective: To assess prelacteal feeding practices and its associated factors in a rural community with the view to generate data for community-level interventions that will promote optimal breastfeeding.Methods: Data was collected during a community-based surveillance for maternal, newborn and child health project in Tsibiri, a rural community in north-western Nigeria. The survey questionnaire was uploaded into mobile devices running on an android operating system. Trained female interviewers collected the data over a period of one week in 2011.Results: A total of 270 out of 309 interviewed women had experienced childbirth and were included in the analysis. Majority (85.2%) of respondents utilised prelacteal feeds for their newborns. Plain water was the most common prelacteal feed (44.7%). Prelacteal feeding was associated with births assisted by unskilled birth attendants (AOR 5.322, 95%CI 1.634-17.333); while operative delivery reduced the likelihood of the practice (AOR 0.168, 95%CI 0.060-0.470). No statistically significant association was found between use of prelacteal feed and women’s age, education or access to income.Conclusion: The predominance of prelacteal feeding practices underscores the need for innovative strategies that create awareness among mothers and health care providers, with emphasis on health facility deliveries, advantages of breastfeeding and risks of prelacteal feeding.Keywords: Breastfeeding, Newborns, Prelacteal feeds, Rural community, Wome