Histopathological patterns of endometrial carcinoma in a tertiary hospital in North-West Nigeria.

Background: There are relatively few studies in Nigeria, and indeed, sub-Saharan Africa that have documented the relative frequencies and histomorphological patterns of endometrial carcinoma. This study aimed to determine the relative frequencies and clinic-epidemiological characteristics of endometrial carcinoma and its histological variants in Kano, North-Western, Nigeria. Method: A 10-year retrospective study of all endometrial carcinoma cases in the Department of Pathology, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano. All relevant information was retrieved and data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22. Results: Endometrial carcinoma showed an increment in prevalence from 0.5% of all gynaecologic admission in 2008 to 1.0% in 2017. Type I endometrial carcinoma, specifically endometrioid adenocarcinoma accounted for 80% of cases, while endometrial serous carcinoma was the most common type II endometrial carcinoma representing 20% of cases. Over 75% of endometrial carcinomas occurred in postmenopausal women with a mean age of 59 years. Conclusion: There is a rise in the prevalence of endometrial carcinoma and endometrioid adenocarcinoma is the most common histologic type.

Nitrogen forms and concentration influence the impact of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the biomass and antioxidant enzyme activities of Microcystis aeruginosa.

Nanoparticles (NPs) are becoming more widely produced, used, and released into the aquatic environment. In aquatic ecosystems, these NPs affect different populations of photosynthesizing organisms, such as cyanobacteria. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of titanium dioxide (TiO2) NPs (48 mg l-1) combined with low (0.04 mM) and high (9 mM) concentrations of urea and nitrate on Microcystis aeruginosa. Microcystins (MCs) production and release were monitored in the cyanobacterium. The results showed that high urea concentration (9 mM) combined with TiO2 NPs inhibited growth, pigment, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content by 82%, 63%, and 47%, respectively. The treatment also increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity by 40.7% and 67.7%, respectively. Similarly, low nitrate (0.04 mM) combined with TiO2 NPs inhibited growth by 40.3% and GST activity by 36.3% but stimulated pigment production and ROS concentration in M. aeruginosa. These responses suggest that high urea combined with TiO2.NPs and high nitrate combined with TiO2 NPs induced oxidative stress in cyanobacteria. The peroxidase (POD) activity of M. aeruginosa decreased by 17.7% with increasing urea concentrations. Our findings suggest that TiO2 NPs combined with changing nutrient (urea and nitrate) concentrations may adversely affect cyanobacterial development and antioxidant defense enzymes.

Environmentally relevant copper concentrations stimulate photosynthesis in Monoraphidium sp.

Microalgae require copper (Cu) in trace levels for their growth and metabolism, it is a vital component of certain metalloproteins. Although this element has been widely studied concerning microalgae physiology, the effects of environmentally relevant levels have been less studied. We studied the photosynthesis and growth of the Chlorophyte Monoraphidium sp. exposed to Cu ranging from low (1.7 nM) to high (589.0 nM) free Cu ions (Cu2+) concentrations. The growth rate was unaffected by Cu concentrations in the range of 1.7-7.4 nM Cu2+, but decreased beyond it. The relative maximum electron transport rate (rETRm), saturation irradiance (Ek), photochemical quenching (qP and qL), and PSII operating efficiency [Formula: see text] were stimulated in the 3.4-7.4 nM Cu2+ range, concentrations slightly higher than the control, whereas non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) gradually increased with increasing Cu2+. The photosystem II antenna size [Sigma (II)440] increased under high Cu (589.0 nM), which resulted in a decrease in the quinone A (QA) reduction time (tau). In contrast, the QA re-oxidation time was unaffected by Cu exposure. These findings show that a slight increase in Cu stimulated photosynthesis in Monoraphidium sp., whereas high Cu reduced photosynthesis and increased the dissipation of captured light energy. This research is a contribution to the understanding of the dynamic photo-physiological responses of Monoraphidium sp. to Cu ions.

Susceptibility of phytoplankton to the increasing presence of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the aquatic environment: A review.

Human and veterinary pharmaceuticals either in the form of un-metabolized, incompletely metabolized, and metabolized drugs are increasingly present in aquatic ecosystems. These active pharmaceutical ingredients from pharmaceutical industries, hospitals, agricultural, and domestic discharges find their way into water systems - where they adversely affect non-target organisms like phytoplankton. Different aspects of phytoplankton life; ranging from growth, reproduction, morphology, physiology, biochemical composition, oxidative response, proteomics, and transcriptomics are altered by pharmaceuticals. This review discusses the currently available information on the susceptibility of phytoplankton to the ever-increasing presence of pharmaceutical products in the aquatic environment by focusing on the effect of APIs on the physiology, metabolome, and proteome profiles of phytoplankton. We also highlight gaps in literature concerning the salient underlining biochemical interactions between phytoplankton communities and pharmaceuticals that require an in-depth investigation. This is all in a bid to understand the imminent dangers of the contamination of water bodies with pharmaceutical products and how this process unfavorably affects aquatic food webs.

Toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles to Chlorella vulgaris Beyerinck (Beijerinck) 1890 (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta) under changing nitrogen conditions.

The broad application of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (n-TiO2) in many consumer products has resulted in the release of substantial quantities into aquatic systems. While n-TiO2 have been shown to induce some unexpected toxic effects on aquatic organisms such as microalgae, the influence of changing nutrient conditions on the toxicity of the metal has not been investigated. We evaluated the toxicity of n-TiO2 to Chlorella vulgaris under varying nitrogen conditions. Limited nitrogen (2.2µM) decreased growth and biomass (dry weight and pigment content), while lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde content), glutathione S-transferase activity (GST) and peroxidase (POD) activity were increased. Similarly, exposure to n-TiO2 under replete nitrogen condition resulted in a general decrease in growth and biomass, while GST and POD activities were significantly increased. The combination of limited nitrogen with n-TiO2 exposure further decreased growth and biomass, and increased GST and POD activities of the microalga. These results suggest that in addition to the individual effects of each investigated condition, nitrogen limitation makes C. vulgaris more susceptible to the effects of n-TiO2 with regard to some physiological parameters. This implies that the exposure of C. vulgaris and possibly other green algae to this nanoparticle under limited or low nitrogen conditions may negatively affect their contribution to primary production in oligotrophic aquatic ecosystems.

Anogenital warts in Northern Nigeria: A ten-year Review.

BACKGROUND: Anogenital warts are a common cause of morbidity affecting mainly the productive age group of the economy. Paucity of data in Nigeria necessitated this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The pathology records of anogenital warts diagnosed in the Department of Pathology, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria between 1(st) January 2000 and 31(st) December 2009 were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 68 warts were diagnosed within the study period with anogenital warts constituting 39.7%. Majority of cases (62%) were in the 20-39 years age group (range: 5-50 years) and vulva was the most common site affected. CONCLUSION: Genital warts are common in our environment, biopsy of suspicious lesions is recommended for diagnostic yield.