Occurrence of mild cognitive impairment with hyperinsulinaemia in Africans with advanced type 2 diabetes mellitus.

There is paucity of information on the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. In addition, the role of hyperinsulinaemia in the development of MCI needs further investigation. This study sought to assess cognition and hyperinsulinaemia, with the associated characteristics in patients with advanced T2DM. Cognition was assessed using Montreal cognitive assessment test (MoCA), while fasting plasma insulin was measured using an ELISA kit. Sixty one diabetic subjects and 32 non-diabetic controls, matched for age, gender and level of education were studied. The diabetics had MCI while the controls had normal cognitive function. About 88.5% of the diabetic subjects had MCI, in contrast with only 50% of the non-diabetic controls. The most significantly affected cognitive domains among the diabetics were executive function, naming, attention, abstraction and delayed recall. Among the diabetics, MCI correlated with age, weight and body mass index (BMI); and in addition, age and weight found to be significant predictors of MCI. Plasma insulin concentration among the diabetics (16.24 ± 13.5 µIU/ml) was more than twice that of the controls (7.59 ± 2.9 µIU/ml). Hyperinsulinaemia among the diabetics correlated with weight, BMI, blood pressure and fasting blood sugar (FBS). Glycated haemoglobin and FBS levels were higher among diabetics compared with the controls. In conclusion, Africans with advanced T2DM show multi-domain MCI with high prevalence, coexisting with hyperinsulinaemia. Majority of the patients have diabetic complications and poor glycaemic control. Hyperinsulinaemia may play a complementary role in the pathophysiology of MCI in T2DM.

Publisher Correction: Eco-friendly 2-Thiobarbituric acid as a corrosion inhibitor for API 5L X60 steel in simulated sweet oilfield environment: Electrochemical and surface analysis studies.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Eco-friendly 2-Thiobarbituric acid as a corrosion inhibitor for API 5L X60 steel in simulated sweet oilfield environment: Electrochemical and surface analysis studies.

The corrosion inhibition efficiency of 2-Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) for metal substrate (API X60 steel) in 3.5% NaCl solution saturated with CO2 gas was probed using various techniques namely, LPR (linear polarization resistance), EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), and PDP (potentiodynamic polarization). The effects of TBA concentration (25-100 ppm), solution pH (4 and 6), temperature (25-80 °C), and immersion time (2-72 h) on the inhibition efficiency were examined. SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) were deployed to explore the corrosion retardation mechanism. TBA exhibited protection efficiencies exceeding 90% for all experimental conditions considered. The excellent anticorrosion performance by TBA was retained up to 72 hours of immersion time. PDP results exhibited that TBA behaved as a mixed type inhibitor. Results from kinetics and thermodynamics analyses indicate that TBA chemically adsorbed on the steel surface following Langmuir isotherm model. The composition of the adsorbed TBA film has been analyzed by XPS.

Cardiac Troponin T and creatine kinase MB fraction levels among patients with acute ischemic stroke in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Stroke has been a global burden, with increasing morbidity and mortality. Serum cardiac troponin t (cTnT) and creatine kinase (CK-MB) fraction are reported to be elevated in patients admitted with acute ischaemic stroke and high level of these biomarkers indicated more severe stroke and neurologic deficit in some of the patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the serum levels cardiac troponin t (cTnT) and creatine kinase MB fraction (CK-MB) in patients with acute ischaemic stroke and relate the analytes to severity of stroke. METHOD: Patients with clinical diagnosis of ischaemic stroke diagnosed, confirmed by brain Computerized Tomography scan and equal number of apparently healthy age and sex-matched were recruited. Serum cardiac troponin t (cTnT) and creatine kinase MB fraction (CK-MB) were analysed using ELISA method and Stroke severity was determined using National Institute of Health Stroke Score (NIHSS). RESULTS: Mean serum cardiac troponin t (cTnT) and creatine kinase MB fraction (CK-MB) in stroke patients were found to be higher than age sex matched control (p<0.05). NIHS Score of 12.2 ± 5.43 and 9.78 ± 3.97 were observed in Patients with elevated and normal cTnT respectively (p=0.009) while NIHS Score were similar in patients with elevated and normal CK-MB (p = 0.772). CONCLUSION: The mean values of serum cTnT and CK-MB were higher in acute ischaemic stroke patients compared to controls. Serum cardiac Troponin t level may be a significant biomarker of the severity of stroke.

Unresolved priapism secondary to tamsulosin.

Tamsulosin is the most potent adrenergic alpha-1 antagonist used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Priapism has been reported rarely in patients taking Prazosin, Doxazosin and Terazosin. We describe an otherwise healthy man with recurrent and then persistent unresolved priapism after the use of tamsulosin. Initial treatment consisted of aspiration and intracavernosal irrigation of iced saline and vasoconstrictive agent, but in vain. We then performed Winters procedure but that too failed and the priapism persisted. Health-care professionals should inform all patients taking such medications about rare but possible serious adverse effects.

Streptococcus pneumoniae-induced inhibition of rat ependymal cilia is attenuated by antipneumolysin antibody.

Ciliated ependymal cells line the ventricular surfaces and aqueducts of the brain. In ex vivo experiments, pneumolysin caused rapid inhibition of the ependymal ciliary beat frequency and caused ependymal cell disruption. Wild-type pneumococci and pneumococci deficient in pneumolysin caused ciliary slowing, but penicillin lysis of wild-type, not pneumolysin-deficient, pneumococci increased the extent of ciliary inhibition. This effect was abolished by antipneumolysin antibody. Ependymal ciliary stasis by purified pneumolysin was also blocked by the addition of antipneumolysin monoclonal antibodies. These data show that antibiotic lysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae can be detrimental to the ciliated ependyma and that antipneumolysin antibody may have a therapeutic potential.

The combined otolaryngologic, orthopedic and thoracic approach to a massive fore-quarter tumor.

A case report of a 32-year-old female with a massive chondrosarcoma is presented. The tumor involved the neck, shoulder and chest. A multidisciplinary approach involving an otolaryngologist, orthopedic surgeon and thoracic surgeon with their respective teams is shown to be efficacious in dealing with this difficult problem.