Analysis of Total Organic Matter, Total Nitrogen, and Total Phosphorus in the Estuary Waters of Maros as a Source of Brackish Water for Fish Ponds Aquaculture

Indonesia is a tropical area with high rainfall, the area on land is connected by around 472 large and small rivers that flow into the sea. The estuary area is the meeting area of ??rivers or fresh water streams with the ocean. Transportation of organic matter, minerals and sediments from upstream to the estuary and from the sea containing minerals, hence estuarine waters are more fertile than other areas. In addition, estuary areas are important habitats for several types of marine and freshwater organisms to fulfill their life cycles, which are used as spawning, foraging, and nursery grounds. This study aimed to determine the total organic contents, total Nitrogen, and Phosphorus in the estuary waters of Maros as a source of brackish water for fish pond aquaculture in Maros Regency. The research was conducted in the estuary waters of Maros for three months from September to November 2020. Sampling was conducted four times with an interval of once every 15 days. Sampling was carried out at five stations based on water movements to the estuary, station A was located at the seawater, station B was located in the pond wastewater locations, station C was water sources from residential waste, station D was located in the river, and station E was the estuarine water. The results showed that the dominant water quality parameters affecting estuarine water quality were salinity, total organic matter, nitrogen content, either in the form of ammonia, nitrate, or nitrite, and phosphorus content, especially phosphate. Water entering the estuary has an impact on high concentrations of total organic matter, increased concentrations of Total N, and phosphorus. The results of water quality analysis in estuaries showed that salinity, organic matter, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and phosphate exceed the standard threshold for water quality standards for fish pond aquaculture. Thus, the waters of the Maros estuary are not suitable for aquaculture, especially for the 5 observed stations (A, B, C, D and E).

Implementation of meta-analysis approach, comparing conventional radiotherapy, and proton beam therapy treating head and neck cancer

Introduction: Radiation therapy is commonly used in the treatment of head and neck cancer in both the definitive and postoperative settings. Proton therapy, due to its intrinsic physical properties, has the ability to reduce the integral dose delivered to the patients while maintaining highly conformal target coverage Materials and Methods:.A literature search was performed on scientific databases, and Preferred Reporting Items for Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed to compute results. Only original studies were selected. Selected studies were used to extract some proposed data for comparison, dosimetry, site, complications, and survival. Results: Proton beam therapy technology can be used against the conventional radiotherapy and shows satisfactory results. Yet conventional therapy is not less advantageous considering the amount of work available for any cross interpretations. Conclusion: Comparative preplanning could be beneficial considering multiple therapies for ruling out the best treatment outcomes that could be expected

Earth Observation-based Damage Assessment of 2018 Flood in Parts of Hadejia-Jama’ are River Basin, Nigeria

Floods, Landslides, Forest fire, Volcanoes, Hurricanes and Tsunami among others are indeed considered as the most natural hazards that cause loosed of resources which includes human lives. Hadejia-Jama’ are River Valley has a well-known seasonal occurrence of floodings with maximum interval of five years incidents historically. Among these disasters floods especially along the river basin particularly in developing nations like Nigeria became a regular disaster with state of frequent occurrences almost seasonally. This study assessed pre-flood and post-flood nature of floodplain along Hadejia-Jama’ are from Jigawa to Tiga Dam in Kano State. Remotely sensed sentinel 2 satellite data and ALOS Digital Surface Model (DSM) was used for the study. The sentinel images were subjected to image pre-processing activities such as geometric correction and radiometric correction. To focus on the flood plain, a 5 km buffer of the area around Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin from Jigawa to Tiga dam were extracted from the data by using the extract/clip tools in ArcGIS 10.3 software. Findings of the study revealed that dominant land use along the floodplain prior to flood include bare surface, patches of agriculture/vegetation, settlement, water body. The study also revealed that patterns of flood damages vary irrespective of the risk with areas like Dawakin Kudu and Garun mallam were witnessing more flood damages than Miga LGA of Jigawa State. It is, therefore, concluded that Earth observation and its applications are useful tools/methods for flood damages assessment and evaluation as well as a basis for taking proactive steps in mitigating flood hazard along floodplains and another flood prone environment.

Sulindac solid dispersions: development, characterization and in vivo evaluation of ulcerogenic activity in rats.

Sulindac is a poorly soluble nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug associated with gastrointestinal intolerance as its serious side effect. This work investigated the ability of Eudragit Ll00-55 (Eud L100-55), Cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to ameliorate its gastric ulcers induced in rats. Binary solid dispersions (SD) using solvent evaporation method were fabricated for the drug with different drug to polymer weight ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3. SD and physical mixture were characterized through in vitro dissolution, infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The best enteric SD and SD using β-CD was tested in vivo for their ulcerogenic activity. Sulindac was highly dispersed inside CAP system that efficiently limited its release inside the stomach while no occurrence of any physicochemical interactions with the drug. β-CD improved the drug aqueous solubility, however it couldn’t protect against gastric ulcers induced by sulindac. SD using CAP as enteric polymer at a ratio of 1:2 significantly suppressed gastric ulceration. Direct exposure of sulindac to the stomach wall had the major contribution to its ulcerogenic activity rather than its poor gastric solubility. The gastrointestinal intolerance of sulindac could be addressed by avoiding its acute local contact with the ulcer-prone areas.

Acute Toxicity Studies and Evaluation of Analgesic Property of the Methanol Stem Bark Extract of Neocarya macrophylla.

The methanol stem bark extract of Neocarya macrophylla was screened for its analgesic activity using acetic acid-induced writhing in mice and formalin-induced pain in rats. The results of the study showed that the extract (60mg/kg, i.p.) decreased writhing response with 63.9% inhibition. The methanol extract also exhibited significant analgesic effect (P<0.05) in the formalin test which is in the same order of magnitude as that observed after administration of pentazocine (10mg/kg, i.p.) the standard drug. The intraperitoneal median lethal dose (LD50) of the methanol extract of N. macrophylla was found to be 283mg/kg in mice suggesting the plant is fairly toxic. The results of the study have shown that the methanol extract of N. macrophylla possesses analgesic activity which rationalizes the traditional use of the plant in the management of pain.

Reproductive Health Problems and Health Seeking Behavior of Female Sex Workers in Sabon Gari Local Government Area; Zaria; Nigeria

Background: The sexual and reproductive health needs of sex workers have been neglected both in research and public health interventions. Among the reasons for this are the condemnation; stigma and ambiguous legal status of sex work in Nigeria. This study was aimed at determining the reproductive health problems and health-seeking behavior of brothel-based female sex workers (FSW). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among brothel-based FSW in Sabon-Gari Local Government in Zaria; Nigeria between 1 st January 2011 and 31 st June 2011. A total of 208 FSW were randomly selected and information was obtained with the use of the semi-structured questionnaire. Data entry was done with the help of structured codes in Microsoft Excel. Descriptive analysis was carried out using the statistical package (SSPS 16-University of Bristol). Results: Majority 90.7 of the respondents had experienced reproductive morbidity in the last 3 months. Frequently experienced symptoms were vaginal discharge (63.8); acute lower abdominal pain (57.5); menstrual irregularities (37) and genital ulcer (32.3). Genital tear occurred in only 25 (9.8) respondents. Furthermore; 178 (63.6) had a termination of unwanted pregnancies. Most (32.3) sought care for their reproductive health problems from chemist shops; followed by the private hospitals in 23.6

Psychotropic Medications and QTc Parameters in a Nigerian Cohort.

Aims: Evidence is increasing to indicate that individuals with mental illness may be at risk of premature death. We studied the prevalence of QTc prolongation, QT dispersion (QTd) and cardiac arrhythmias in patients on psychotropic drugs. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medicine and Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria Between Januaryand June 2010. Methodology: One hundred and ninety-one consecutive patients on psychotropic medications with 121 controls were studied. All the subjects had detailed clinical examination and resting electrocardiogram (ECG) at 25mm/sec. QTc was determined using Bazett formula and QTd by subtracting shortest from longest QTc in 12-lead ECG. Results: Mean QTc of the patients (450±46msc) was longer (p=0.0001) than that of the controls (390±27msc) but mean QTd was similar (p=0.13) in both groups. QTc was prolonged in 68(35.6%) patients compared to 11(9.1%) controls, p=0.0001. LVH, arrhythmias and abnormal T-wave morphology occurred more (p=0.01, 0.01 and 0.001 respectively) in the patients than controls. Age, duration of treatment and total daily doses of antipsychotics were independent predictors of QTc. Cardiac arrhythmias were seen in 24.1% of the patients but none had ventricular arrhythmias. Conclusion: Psychotropic drug use is a risk factor for QTc prolongation and cardiac arrhythmias. We suggest periodic electrocardiography, discourage polypharmacy and recommend drug holiday in stable patients.

Sero-Epidemiology of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Plateau State; Nigeria

Introduction: Previous sentinel surveys of HIV in Nigeria studied pregnant women attending antenatal care; thereby omitting other important high-risk groups. We therefore investigated the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in low- and high-risk populations in the state of Plateau; Nigeria. Methodology: Blood samples were collected by venepuncture from 5;021 adults aged ?15 years between August and October 2008. At least one major town and one rural community were selected in each Local Government Area (LGA). Samples were initially screened with a rapid HIV testing kit; reactive samples were further tested using Stat Pak. Discordant samples were confirmed using Genie-II. Results: Of 5;021 subjects screened; 245 (4.88) were seropositive. Local Government prevalence ranged from 0.68 in Bassa to 16.07 in Jos North. On average; LGAs in the Southern Senatorial Zone had higher rates. Most (over 80) positive cases were younger than 40 years. Females had a significantly higher (6.85) prevalence than males (2.72). Age-specific prevalence was higher among females aged 25 to 29 years (2.09). Risk factors identified for acquisition of HIV infection were previous history of STDs (6; 16.28); men having sex with men (2; 11.76); having multiple sexual partners (97; 10.49); intravenous drug use (10; 7.58); sharing of sharp objects (20; 4.82); and history of blood transfusion (21; 3.65). Conclusion: The seemingly higher prevalence recorded in this survey could be attributed to the inclusion of high- and low-risk groups in the general population; unlike previous reports which studied only antenatal care attendees. This survey provides useful baseline information for further studies

In vivo antitrypanosomal effects of some ethnomedicinal plants from Nupeland of North Central Nigeria

Abstract: Four medicinal plants Acacia nilotica, Bombax buonopozense, Terminalia avicennioides and Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides traditionally used for treatment of sleeping sickness in Nupeland were investigated for in vivo antitrypanosomal activity. Methanol extracts of different parts of each plant (stem barks and fruits) were obtained and evaluated for their in vivo antitrypanosomal activities against Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Phytochemical screening of the methanol extracts of each plant were performed by standard procedures. Methanol extracts of A. nilotica (stem bark), B. buonopozense (stem bark), T. avicennioides (round fruit) and Z. zanthoxyloides (stem bark) were effective on trypanosomes. The extracts of A. nilotica and B. buonopozense exhibited antitrypanosomal effects at 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight respectively. Doses were able to clear the parasites from circulation within 6 and 7 days of treatment respectively with prolonging survival period of up to 30 days. While the extracts of T. avicennioides and Z. zanthoxyloides showed trypanostatic effects and could not clear the parasites completely. The methanol extracts of these plants contain metabolites that are associated with antitrypanosomal effects; therefore, these medicinal plants may be sources of new compounds that may be active against T. b. brucei. This study has also justified the claim that some medicinal plants of Nupeland possess antitrypanosomal activity and could be useful in the management of trypanosomiasis

Intrahepatic splenosis mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma in a cirrhotic liver

We report a patient who has a cirrhotic liver secondary to hepatitis C virus infection with a liver lesion incidentally found on routine liver ultrasound. The patient had a history of splenectomy 30 years earlier. The magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] characteristics suggested the diagnosis of intrahepatic splenosis, which is confirmed by core needle biopsy. Knowledge of these imaging findings makes this entity important to be considered in the differential diagnosis of a hepatic tumor in the presence of a history of splenic trauma or surgery

Human immunonodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus: sero-prevalence, co-infection and risk factors among prison inmates in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Background: Published data on HIV; HBV; and HCV in correctional facilities in Nigeria is scarce. We set out to establish the seroprevalence; co-infection; and risk factors for these infections for the first time among prison inmates in Nasarawa State; Nigeria. Methodology: In a cross-sectional study conducted between April and May; 2007; blood samples were collected from 300 male prisoners of a mean age of 29.2 years; in the state's four medium-security prisons (overall population: 587). Prior to the study; ethical clearance and informed consent were obtained and structured questionnaires were administered. Samples were analyzed for HIV; HBsAg; and HCV using anti-HIV 1 +2-EIA- avicenna; ShantestTM-HBsAg ELISA; and anti-HCV-EIA-avicenna; respectively. Specimens initially reactive for HIV were retested with vironostika microelisa. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 13.0. P values = 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Of the 300 subjects; 54 (18.0); 69 (23.0); and 37 (12.3) tested positive for HIV; HBV; and HCV; respectively. Co-infections were eight (2.7) for HIV/HBV and two (0.7) for HBV/HCV. Those aged 21-26 years were more likely to be infected with HIV and HBV; while those aged 33-38 years had the highest HCV infection. Associated risk factors included duration in prison; previous incarceration (for HIV; HBV and HCV); intra-prison anal sex; multiple sex partners (for HIV and HBV); ignorance of transmission modes; blood transfusion; and alcohol consumption (for HBV and HCV). No inmate injected drugs. Conclusions: The overall outcome represents the need for prison-focused intervention initiatives in Nigeria. Injected drug use is an unlikely major transmission mode among Nigerian inmates

Severe Depression Following a-interferon Usage in a Patient with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Background: Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML); with a median age of 40 years; is one of the commonest haematological malignancies in Nigeria. Cytoreductive agents; which were hitherto the mainstay of treatment; neither induce cytogenetic nor haematologic remission. Alpha-interferon (a-IFN); an endogenous glycoprotein with cytotoxic and natural killer cell enhancer effects has been found to induce haematologic and cytogenetic remission in patients with CML; but neuro- psychiatric complications of a -interferon (a-IFN) usage were not reported in Nigeria. Objective: To report a case of deliberate self-harm in University Lecturer as a side effect of a-IFN in the treatment of CML. Method: Clinical and laboratory follow up of a patient receiving a-IFN in the management of CML from the time of diagnosis of CML to the point of loss of contact. Result: Severe depression is a complication that may adversely influence the clinical outcome of a-IFN usage Conclusions/Recommendations: Although interferon related depression is uncommon; it is suggested that pre-therapy interferon assays and neuro-psychiatric assessment are carried out in prospective users of a-IFN

Graded balloon atrial septostomy in severe pulmonary hypertension.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of patients with severe primary pulmonary hypertension is poor. The role of balloon atrial septostomy as a palliative procedure in these patients is not well defined. We retrospectively analyzed our data regarding the safety, clinical outcome and survival benefit of graded balloon atrial septostomy in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eleven patients (7 males), aged 6 to 30 years (mean age 16.2+/-8.9 years), with severe pulmonary artery hypertension (mean pulmonary artery pressure of 76+/-16.9 mmHg) and refractory congestive heart failure and/or recurrent syncope underwent balloon atrial septostomy. Graded balloon dilatation under echocardiographic guidance and arterial oxygen saturation monitoring was done in all the patients. Procedure-related mortality was 18.2%. Significant acute hemodynamic improvement was seen in the survivors (pre-balloon atrial septostomy cardiac index 1.88+/-0.48 L/min/m2; post-balloon atrial septostomy cardiac index 2.18+/-0.37 L/min/m2, p<0.009). Patients were followed up for a mean period of 20.3 months after the procedure (range: 3 months-5 years). There was functional improvement and increased exercise tolerance in all the patients for a mean follow-up period of 14.6 months (NYHA functional class 3.62+/-0.69 to 2+/-0.50). The estimated probability of survival in this cohort at 1 year was only 48%; but 7 of 8 patients (87%) who survived the procedure were alive at 1 year. CONCLUSION: We conclude that balloon atrial septostomy improves clinical status, hemodynamic variables and possibly also improves survival in selected patients with severe pulmonary artery hypertension. It remains a definite palliative option for refractory primary pulmonary hypertension. However, the procedure-related risks are high in very sick patients and, therefore, balloon atrial septostomy may be advocated early in the course of the disease.