HIV Testing Among Young African American Men Who Have Sex With Men

Young African American men who have sex with men (AAMSM) are at greater risk of being infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and less likely to seek HIV testing than are members of other demographic groups. This behavior results in a significant public health threat because young AAMSM with an unrecognized HIV infection are less likely to practice safer sex and, therefore, more likely to pass the infection on to their partners. This study is an examination of the social and personality factors that influence HIV testing rates among young AAMSM, using Aday\u27s model of the social determinants of health and the Big Five model of personality as the theoretical frameworks. A cross-sectional design was employed, and social networks were used to recruit study respondents. Forty-three young AAMSM completed online questionnaires, and multiple regression techniques were used to examine relationships among the variables of interest. Statistical analysis indicated that neither the social risk factors derived from Aday\u27s model nor the Big Five model predicted HIV testing. However, it is unknown whether these nonsignificant findings are attributable to a genuine lack of influence or the unique characteristics of the sample. Given the null results of this study and the mixed findings of prior research, further studies are required to draw conclusions regarding the influence of social and personality factors on HIV testing in this high-risk group. Additional research could be helpful in developing more effective strategies for encouraging HIV testing among young AAMSM. The potential for positive social change lies in slowing the spread of HIV through this vulnerable population and in engaging young AAMSM in the medical system to improve their long-term health prospects

Parental Communication as a Tool Kit for Preventing Sexual Abuse among Adolescent Secondary School Students

This study employed the survey design to investigate the relevance of parent communication in preventing sexual abuse among secondary school students in Nigeria. The instrument for data collection tagged “Parent Communication Strategy for Preventing Sexual Abuse questionnaire” (PCOSPSAQ) , was a researcher designed instrument. It was administered to 686 respondents(266 male and 420 female) 500 and 400 sandwich undergraduates of the University of Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State who were parents to adolescent secondary school students. Mean scores were used to answer the research question while t test and Analysis of Variance (ANNOVA) were used to test the six null hypotheses at .05 alpha level. Findings reveal parents’ irresponsibility, ignorance of sexual abuse signs as well as inability to see and stop sexual abuse before it happens as part of the reasons for showing reluctance to communicate with their adolescents on sexual matters. Findings also reveal no significant difference in parents’ pattern of communication on prevention of sexual abuse based on gender, religion and type of family, but significant difference was found on type of parenting and geo political zones. Recommendations include the need for government and nongovernmental organizations to provide adults and parents resources that could boost their awareness on the things they need do to prevent sexual abuse of their adolescent boys and girls. Keywords:  Communication, Parents, Adolescents, Sexual Abuse Prevention

Mycological, toxigenic and nutritional characteristics of some vended groundnut and groundnut products from three Northern Nigerian ecological zones

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and groundnut products are important, street-vended, energy-rich sources of protein and oils useful in human and animal diets although fraught with microbial contaminations. Fungi associated with vended samples of roasted groundnut, Kulikuli, Donkwa, peanut butter and Yaji obtained from Kano, Kaduna, Minna and Ibadan were isolated using pour-plate method. These were qualitatively screened for presence of mycotoxin on palm kernel agar medium and the concentrations of aflatoxin and deoxynivalenol content in the samples quantified through immunoassay. The fungal load of the samples was highest between 1.3X103 and 1.6X104 TFU/g while the frequency of occurrence of Aspergillus, Fusarium, Rhizopus and Penicillium species in the samples were 36%, 33%, 20% and 11%, respectively. Qualitatively, the highest aflatoxin intensity producers were two strains of Aspergillus flavus from a Yaji and Kulikuli sample. The highest aflatoxin concentration (115ppb) was recorded in the Kaduna Yaji sample and 65% of the samples had aflatoxin concentration above the FDA-prescribed 20ppb. The highest deoxynivalenol concentration (0.7ppm) was recorded in Kaduna Donkwa sample which was still lower than the 1.0ppb prescribed recommendation. Kano Yaji and Kaduna Kulilkuli had the highest protein content (60% and 44% respectively) while all samples were high in calcium and potassium (725.16-1292.75 and 325-1280mg/100g) respectively. There was fungal contamination of vended groundnut product samples and the detection of mycotoxins in all the samples. Regulatory bodies, especially in developing countries, need to set quality standards and ensure compliance of the same in street vended food products for product and consumer safety.Keywords: Groundnut products, Mycotoxigenic properties, Deoxynivalenol, Aflatoxin, Nutritional compositionAfr. J. Biomed. Res. Vol. 22 (January, 2019); 65- 7

Phycosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Chlorella vulgaris Metabolites: Its Antibacterial, Anti-Biofilm and In-Vitro Cytotoxicity Potential and Effect of Optimized Conditions on Biosynthesis.

The adverse effects of multidrug resistant and biofilm forming microbes on human health is of major concern; therefore a search for potential alternative in nanoparticles is required. Green phycosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (SNP) using The Clear Supernatant (TCS) of blue-green algae, Chlorella vulgaris (Cv) was investigated. The greenly synthesized Chlorella vulgaris TCS SNPs (CvTCSSNPs) were characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, SEM, TGA, DLS, EDX and XRD. The antibacterial, antibiofilm and in vitro cytotoxicity against brine shrimp was evaluate. Colour change from light green to chocolate brown indicate CvTCSSNPs biosynthesis and surface Plasmon resonance peak was observed at 300 nm. CvTCSSNPs was 10 μm in size, spherical in shape, and can withstand high temperature without totally losing its weight. DLS shows the particle diameter average of 82.19 nm and 505.3 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.505. The EDX analysis confirmed a strong signal of silver element. The CvTCSSNPs had strong antibacterial activity and profoundly antibiofilm activity against Citrobacter sp., S. aureus ATCC 29213, E. coli ATCC 35218 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. CvTCSSNPs toxicity to Artemia salina (brine shrimp) LC50 was 1256. 69 μg/mL, it was observed to be insignificant with the highest mortality rate at 2000 μg/mL and the lethality was dose dependent. pH 10, 37˚C, 40 mL extract, 5 mM AgNO3 supported optimum CvTCSSNPs production. In conclusion, the phycosynthesized CvTCSSNPs had strong antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against the test pathogens. CvTCSSNPs may be used as safe and alternative to antibiotics against MDR biofilm producing pathogens

An Explainable Deep Learning Model For Prediction Of Severity Of Alzheimer\u27s Disease

Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have become the go-To method for medical imaging classification on various imaging modalities for binary and multiclass problems. Deep CNNs extract spatial features from image data hierarchically, with deeper layers learning more relevant features for the classification application. Despite the high predictive accuracy, usability lags in practical applications due to the black-box model perception. Model explainability and interpretability are essential for successfully integrating artificial intelligence into healthcare practice. This work addresses the challenge of an explainable deep learning model for the prediction of the severity of Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). AD diagnosis and prognosis heavily rely on neuroimaging information, particularly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We present a deep learning model framework that integrates a local data-driven interpretation method that explains the relationship between the predicted AD severity from the CNN and the input MR brain image. The deep explainer uses SHapley Additive exPlanation values to quantity the contribution of different brain regions utilized by the CNN to predict outcomes. We conduct a comparative analysis of three high-performing CNN models: DenseNet121, DenseNet169, and Inception-ResNet-v2. The framework shows high sensitivity and specificity in the test sample of subjects with varying levels of AD severity. We also correlated five key AD neurocognitive assessment outcome measures and the APOE genotype biomarker with model misclassifications to facilitate a better understanding of model performance

Entrants’ Age and Academic Competence of Undergraduates in Universities in Osun State

This study examines the influence of university entrants’ age on the academic competence of undergraduates in universities located in Osun State, Nigeria. Motivated by growing concerns about the preparedness and performance of students entering higher education at varying ages, the research seeks to determine whether age at entry serves as a significant predictor of academic success. Using a survey research design, data were collected from undergraduates in the selected universities in Osun State through academic records and structured questionnaires. The investigation into the intricate relationship between admission policy, specifically regarding age, and academic competence among university undergraduates has provided valuable insights into the complexities of the educational landscape in universities across Osun State. This conclusion synthesizes the key findings, highlights the issue of noncompliance with the admission age policy by university management, and explores the nuanced relationship between admission age and academic competence reflecting on the significant influence of admission age on the academic competence of university undergraduates in the state. The findings also reveal statistically significant differences in academic competence associated with age brackets, with older entrants demonstrating higher levels of academic maturity and self-regulation, while younger entrants showed greater adaptability and learning agility. The study recommends that university admission policies and student support programs consider age-related academic needs to enhance learning outcomes. These findings have implications for educational planning and student development strategies in the region. Given these insights, it is recommended that university management adhere to the stipulated minimum admission age. This guideline ensures that students admitted into higher institutions have attained sufficient development across cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains, thereby better equipping them for the academic demands of tertiary education

Workers Retirement in Nigeria: A Pleasant Experience?

This study examined workers’ perceptions of retirement with some conditions that could make it either pleasant or disgusting in south-western, Nigeria. These were intended to disseminate knowledge about retirement, the crises that comes with it, and the steps that should be taken as part of self-retirement plans to prevent problems after retirement. The study as well assessed near-retirement workers self-mitigative measures being taken to forestall crisis and unpleasant experiences after retirement. The study adopted a descriptive research design using quantitative approach. The population consisted of all the principals, teachers of secondary schools as well as some retired teachers in south-west, Nigeria. The multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 1,095 teachers from three states (Ogun, Osun & Ekiti) purposively selected for the study. A self-designed research instrument titled: Workers’ Retirement Questionnaire (WRQ) was used to elicit information for the study. Results on retirement perceptions showed different views such as total departure from paid work (78.4%), as an immediate change in life (63%), and a time one needs another means of financial sustenance (63.4%). On commonly experienced issues, findings showed issues such as non-payment of pensions and gratuities to time accompanied by untold hardship (84.3%), increased economic stress (75.3%), psychological tortures (63.2%), and inadequate care and poor family support (60%). As regards threats being envisaged by serving workers, reslts showed that inconsistent salaries and nonconformity with the stipulated minimum wage (62.5%); politicisation and marginalisation of labour unions (59.7%); inability of labour laws to protect workers’ rights against abuses (59.7%), and corrupt practices among retirement administration authorities (62.2%). Finally, on mitigative measures, results showed savings into retirement accounts via a comprehensive retirement plans (61.5%); exercising one’s mind by learning something new (54.2%), and maximising one’s income sources (61.3%). The study, therefore, concluded that retirement for workers in Nigeria could be seen as both a curse and a blessing but with proper planning and support, retirement can be a time of fulfilment and enjoyment. This is however dependent upon a strong political will and governmental commitment

Effect of Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Senna Fistula on some Haematological Parameters, Lipid Profile and Oxidative Stress in Alloxan-induced Diabetic Rats

Summary: Increasing evidence in both experimental and clinical studies suggests that oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis of both types of diabetes mellitus. The disease is also known to adversely affect some haematological parameters and cause dyslipidemia. This study was designed to investigate the effect of chronic administration of ethanolic leave extract of Senna fistula on haematological values, oxidative stress and dyslipidemia in experimental diabetic rats. Twenty-four albino rats weighing 120-150 g were divided into 4 experimental groups of six rats each; control, diabetic untreated, diabetic treated with glibenclamide and diabetic treated with 100 mg/kg b.w of Senna fistula. Diabetes was induced by 100 mg/kg b.w. of alloxan monohydrates. The control and diabetic groups received normal saline while the diabetic treated groups were administered with 5mg/kg and 100mg/kg body weight of glibenclamide and ethanolic leaves extract of Senna fistula respectively for 28 days. At the end of experimental period blood samples were taken from the animals for the determination of Red blood cells (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), Haemoglobin concentration (Hb), total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and malondialdehyde (MDA), marker of lipid peroxidation. The result showed that in diabetic rats, PCV, RBC and Hb were decreased but the application of the extract increased the parameters (P<0.05, n=6). Similarly, the result showed a significant increase in total cholesterol, TG and LDL level of the diabetic group when compared with the control, glibenclamide and extract treated diabetic groups, however, there was no significant difference in HDL level in all the groups. The result also showed a significant decrease in elevated MDA (P<0.05, n=6) of diabetic treated rats. These findings suggest that ethanolic leaves extract of Senna fistula might improve the diabetic induced disturbances of some haematological parameters, reduces the plasma lipid imbalances and decreases the production of free radicals associated with diabetes.Keywords: Glibenclamide, Senna Fistula, Diabetes Mellitus, Packed Cell Volume, Malondialdehyd

Latent common genetic components of obesity traits

Background: Obesity is rapidly becoming a global epidemic. Unlike many complex human diseases, obesity is defined not just by a single trait or phenotype, but jointly by measures of anthropometry and metabolic status. Methods: We applied maximum likelihood factor analysis to identify common latent factors underlying observed covariance in multiple obesity-related measures. Both the genetic components and the mode of inheritance of the common factors were evaluated. A total of 1775 participants from 590 families for whom measures on obesity-related traits were available were included in this study. Results: The average age of participants was 37 years, 39% of the participants were obese (body mass index ≥30.0 kg/m2) and 26% were overweight (body mass index 25.0-29.9 kg/m2). Two latent common factors jointly accounting for over 99% of the correlations among obesity-related traits were identified. Complex segregation analysis of the age- and sex-adjusted latent factors provide evidence for a Mendelian mode of inheritance of major genetic effect with heritability estimates of 40.4 and 47.5% for the first and second factors, respectively. Conclusions: These findings provide a support for multivariate-based approach for investigating pleiotropic effects on obesity-related traits, which can be applied in both genetic linkage and association mapping. © 2008 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved