Alcohol and substance use portrayals in Nigerian video tapes: an analysis of 479 films and implications for public drug education.

There is an observed increasing trend of substance use among the adolescents and young adults. One of the important aetiologies is "modeling" especially from popular artists portraying their use to the viewing public over the electronic media. Indigenous films on video tapes acted in English or "Yoruba" (a popular Nigerian language) were randomly selected from various retail outlets in Lagos for viewing. The settings were the Ikorodu and Ipaja suburbs of Lagos. The viewing audience in each center was made up of a researcher and two adolescent secondary school students. They were to make notes on each film with scenes of substance use, type, and nature of use. A total of 479 video tapes were studied over a 6 month period, of which 268 (55.9%) contained scenes portraying the use of one or more substances. Two hundred forty-seven (51.6%, N = 479) depicted the use of only one type of substance and the rest, 21 (4.3%, N = 479), portrayed the use of multiple substances. The commonest substance portrayed to be used was alcohol, 197 (41.1%, N = 479), followed by tobacco, 81 (16.9%, N = 479). Cannabis was shown to be used in only 3 (0.6%, N = 479); Cocaine and Heroin in 8 (1.6%, N = 479) of the films. There was no statistically significant difference on substance use portrayal between the home movies acted in English and Yoruba (chi2 = 32.8; df = 7 at p > or = 0.05). A significant number of films on video tapes in Nigeria portrayed substance use which could act as triggers or reinforcement for substance use among the viewing audience, especially adolescents and young adults. The need to censor video tapes on substance use portrayal was advocated.

Applicability of the single equivalent moving dipole model in an infinite homogeneous medium to identify cardiac electrical sources: a computer simulation study in a realistic anatomic geometry torso model.

We have previously proposed an inverse algorithm for fitting potentials due to an arbitrary bio-electrical source to a single equivalent moving dipole (SEMD) model. The algorithm achieves fast identification of the SEMD parameters by employing a SEMD model embedded in an infinite homogeneous volume conductor. However, this may lead to systematic error in the identification of the SEMD parameters. In this paper, we investigate the accuracy of the algorithm in a realistic anatomic geometry torso model (forward problem). Specifically, we investigate the effect of measurement noise, dipole position and electrode configuration in the accuracy of the algorithm. The boundary element method was used to calculate the forward potential distribution at multiple electrode positions on the body surface due to a point dipole in the heart. We have found that the position and not the number of electrodes as well as the site of the origin of the arrhythmia in the heart have a significant effect on the accuracy of the inverse algorithm, while the measurement noise does not. Finally, we have shown that the inverse algorithm preserves the topology of the source distribution in the heart, thus potentially allowing the cardiac electrophysiologist to efficiently and accurately guide the tip of the catheter to the ablation site.

The effects of L-carnitine on presbyacusis in the rat model.

Reactive oxygen metabolites are products of oxidative metabolism that are continuously generated in vivo, and are known to produce serious cellular, tissue and genomic damage. l-carnitine is an endogenous amine that has been shown to have an effect on the synthesis of reactive oxygen metabolites. Twenty Wistar rats, 24 months of age, were randomly assigned to two groups as control and l-carnitine treatment groups. One millilitre of distilled water was administered to control rats and 50 mg/kg l-carnitine to rats of l-carnitine treatment groups by intragastric gavage once a day for 30 days. At the end of 30 days, all groups underwent auditory brainstem response testing after administration of intraperitoneal urethane anaesthesia. l-carnitine treatment reduced III, V latencies and I-III, III-V and I-V interpeak latencies (IPL) significantly compared with the control group. l-carnitine treatment improved age-related deterioration in auditory pathways and hence may be a new alternative for the treatment of presbyacusis.