Laboratory evaluation of freshly prepared juice from garlic (Allium sativum L.) Liliaceae as protectants against the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Motsch.) [Coleoptera: Curculionidae]

Fresh prepared garlic (Allium sativum L.) juice, containing the antimicrobial allicin, was evaluated as a possible grain protectant against the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Motsch.). Each experiment was set out in completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications and a control treatment. Adult mortality and percentage weight loss were investigated. There was an observed increase in adult mortality following days of exposure in all treatments. Statistically significant (P<0.05) reduced grain loss was also observed in all the treatments when compared with the control. The juice prepared from an indigenous Nigerian garlic cultivar (GUN) was more lethal (causing 93% adult mortality), when applied topically on the freshly emerged S. zeamais adults, compared to the juice prepared from a clove of garlic purchased at a supermarket in Germany (GAG). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis indicated that the amount of allicin in GUN was 1883.2 μg/ml while that in GAG was 3500.93 μg/ml. This study highlights the potential of A. sativum containing allicin for biorational control of maize grains against S. zeamais infestation and damage. Keywords: Allicin, Allium sativum, biopesticide, biorational control, crop protectant, Sitophilus zeamais, stored productAfrican Journal of Biotechnology, Vol. 13(10), pp. 1123-1130, 5 March, 201

Pneumococcal carriage in sub-Saharan Africa--a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Pneumococcal epidemiology varies geographically and few data are available from the African continent. We assess pneumococcal carriage from studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA) before and after the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) era. METHODS: A search for pneumococcal carriage studies published before 2012 was conducted to describe carriage in sSA. The review also describes pneumococcal serotypes and assesses the impact of vaccination on carriage in this region. RESULTS: Fifty-seven studies were included in this review with the majority (40.3%) from South Africa. There was considerable variability in the prevalence of carriage between studies (I-squared statistic = 99%). Carriage was higher in children and decreased with increasing age, 63.2% (95% CI: 55.6-70.8) in children less than 5 years, 42.6% (95% CI: 29.9-55.4) in children 5-15 years and 28.0% (95% CI: 19.0-37.0) in adults older than 15 years. There was no difference in the prevalence of carriage between males and females in 9/11 studies. Serotypes 19F, 6B, 6A, 14 and 23F were the five most common isolates. A meta-analysis of four randomized trials of PCV vaccination in children aged 9-24 months showed that carriage of vaccine type (VT) serotypes decreased with PCV vaccination; however, overall carriage remained the same because of a concomitant increase in non-vaccine type (NVT) serotypes. CONCLUSION: Pneumococcal carriage is generally high in the African continent, particularly in young children. The five most common serotypes in sSA are among the top seven serotypes that cause invasive pneumococcal disease in children globally. These serotypes are covered by the two PCVs recommended for routine childhood immunization by the WHO. The distribution of serotypes found in the nasopharynx is altered by PCV vaccination

Library Automation and Use of Open Source Software to Maximize Library Effectiveness

Automation of library services and the use of open source software are essential for efficiency and effectiveness and at a minimal cost, too. Library automation benefits both the library staff and the users as it reduces the level of job stress on the staff and enhances remote and timely provision of up-to-date information to the users. This literature based opinion paper majorly aimed to establish the relevance of using open source software in library automation. To achieve this goal, the paper was divided into sub-headings that respectively highlighted the relevance of library automation, spelt out the salient issues to consider in library software selection, discussed the characteristics of OSS that qualify them to be effective library automation software, and enumerated and briefly discussed the various OSS available for integrated library management. Recommendations on the key factors that should be prioritized for the achievement of a successful automation of the library services with the open source software is equally made in the paper. Keywords: Library automation, Open Source Software, Library effectiveness, Software selection criteria

Mobile phones in the diffusion of knowledge and persistence in inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa

The success of inclusive development strategies in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda depends substantially on the adoption of common inclusive development policies among nations. Building on the relevance of a knowledge economy in the post-2015 development agenda, this study models the feasibility of common policies for inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). More specifically, we investigate the complementary role of knowledge diffusion in the inclusive benefits of mobile phone penetration in SSA from 2000 to 2012 by employing the Generalised Method of Moments. Knowledge diffusion variables include educational quality, innovation and Internet penetration. The main finding is that inclusive human development is persistently conditional on mobile phones in knowledge diffusion. Moreover, countries with low levels of inclusive human development are catching-up their counterparts with higher development. Policy implications are discussed with particular emphasis on how to leverage common knowledge economy initiatives for inclusive developmen

Usefulness of Chlamydia serology in prediction of tubal factor infertility among infertile patients at Federal Medical Centre, Bida, North Central Nigeria

Background: Infertility is a major public health problem in developing countries where pelvic inflammatory disease due mainly to Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea infection have been implicated. The role of Chlamydia serology in predicting tubal factor infertility (TFI) has been demonstrated by many researchers elsewhere. However, there are limited data in our environment. This prospective cross-sectional study aims to determine the usefulness of Chlamydia Serology as a screening tool for TFI at Federal Medical Centre, Bida, North Central Nigeria.Methods: 125 women with infertility who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled into the study. Relevant information on their socio-demographic characteristics, gynaecological symptoms and risks factors for infertility were obtained. Participants had Hysterosalpingography (HSG) as part of their fertility work-up while 5ml of venous blood was withdrawn to check for Immunoglobulin G antibody to Chlamydia trachomatis using rapid test kits. The HSG findings were correlated with the result of Chlamydia serology. Data was analyzed using the computer software, Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20. The level of significance (p value) was set at 0.05.Results: A total of 120 infertile women completed the study, 5 had incomplete investigations and were excluded from the analysis. The prevalence of TFI was 47.5%, while that of positive chlamydia serology was 36.5%. The prevalence of chlamydial seropositivity was 59.6% for patients with TFI but 15.9% for non-TFI. There was a significant association between positive chlamydia serology and TFI p< 0.05. The study revealed moderate sensitivity 59.6%, and negative predictive value 69.7% but high specificity 84.1% and positive predictive value of 77.2%. In this study the odds for diagnosing tubal infertility was 7.8.Conclusions: Chlamydia serology is useful in predicting TFI and should be incorporated in the routine work up for infertility

Chlamydia trachomatis infection and tubal ectopic pregnancy in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular organism that is sexually transmitted and mostly asymptomatic. It is capable of tubal damage with subsequent tubal ectopic pregnancy. IgG anti-Chlamydia antibody can be measured in women with past or latent Chlamydia trachomatis infection. This study aimed to determine association between prior Chlamydia trachomatis infection and tubal ectopic pregnancy, and predictive value of Chlamydia trachomatis IgG for tubal ectopic pregnancy. Methods: This was a case control study carried out within Jos metropolis within 6 months period (November 2018 to April 2019). Study groups comprised of 40 women with tubal ectopic pregnancy and 40 uncomplicated second trimester pregnant women recruited from Jos University Teaching Hospital, Plateau State Specialist Hospital Jos, and Faith Alive Hospital Jos by convenience sampling. The subjects’ socio-demographic factors, obstetric history, sexual and reproductive risk factors were obtained using study pro forma. Five milliliter of venous blood was collected from subjects to determine proportions and serum levels of IgG anti-Chlamydia antibody in cases and controls using BIOS Chlamydia T. IgG ELISA kits.   Data obtained were analyzed using IBM-SPSS version 26. Results: Patients with tubal ectopic pregnancy demonstrated significant evidence of prior Chlamydia trachomatis infection compared with intrauterine pregnant controls (45.0% versus 15.0%, p value =0.003), 4.6-fold risk association for tubal ectopic pregnancy (OR =4.63, 1.593-13.494; p value =0.005), and 75% positive predictive value. Conclusions: This study revealed an association between prior Chlamydia trachomatis infection and tubal ectopic pregnancy with Chlamydia IgG having good predictive value for tubal pregnancy

Sample preservation and plant sex prediction in white guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.)

Open Access Article; Published online: 11 Jul 2020Introduction: Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is an economically important staple food in tropical regions, especially for people in West Africa. Understanding of the flowering behavior of the crop to determine potential manipulation available to accomplish crop improvement at early stage remain key challenge in the yam breeding. The methods that reliably yield quality DNA and distinguishing sex type at the early stage of growth have been a challenge in yam genetics and breeding studies. This study assessed the effect of sample preservation methods on DNA quantity and quality during extraction and potential of DNA marker to diagnose plant sex at the early seedling stage in white Guinea yam. Materials and Methods: Five sample preservation methods were assessed for quality DNA extraction during field leaf tissue collection, namely liquid nitrogen, dry ice, silica gel, 95% ethanol, and oven drying. The predicted sex at the seedling stage using the molecular marker was further validated with the visual score for the sex phenotype at the flowering stage. Results: According to the findings of the present study, the DNA extracted from leaf samples preserved in liquid nitrogen, silica gel, dry ice, and oven drying methods were higher in molecular weights than samples stored in ethanol solution. Yam plant sex diagnosis with the DNA marker (sp16) identified a higher proportion of ZW genotypes (female or monoecious phenotypes) than the ZZ genotypes (male phenotypes) in the studied materials with 74% prediction accuracy. Conclusions: The results from this study provided valuable insights on suitable sample preservation methods for quality DNA extraction and the potential of DNA marker sp16 to predict sex in white Guinea yam

Evaluating the Need for Preoperative MRI Before Primary Hip Arthroscopy in Patients 40 Years and Younger With Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: A Multicenter Comparative Analysis

BACKGROUND: Routine hip magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before arthroscopy for patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) offers questionable clinical benefit, delays surgery, and wastes resources. PURPOSE: To assess the clinical utility of preoperative hip MRI for patients aged ≤40 years who were undergoing primary hip arthroscopy and who had a history, physical examination findings, and radiographs concordant with FAIS. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Included were 1391 patients (mean age, 25.8 years; 63% female; mean body mass index, 25.6) who underwent hip arthroscopy between August 2015 and December 2021 by 1 of 4 fellowship-trained hip surgeons from 4 referral centers. Inclusion criteria were FAIS, primary surgery, and age ≤40 years. Exclusion criteria were MRI contraindication, reattempt of nonoperative management, and concomitant periacetabular osteotomy. Patients were stratified into those who were evaluated with preoperative MRI versus those without MRI. Those without MRI received an MRI before surgery without deviation from the established surgical plan. All preoperative MRI scans were compared with the office evaluation and intraoperative findings to assess agreement. Time from office to arthroscopy and/or MRI was recorded. MRI costs were calculated. RESULTS: Of the study patients, 322 were not evaluated with MRI and 1069 were. MRI did not alter surgical or interoperative plans. Both groups had MRI findings demonstrating anterosuperior labral tears treated intraoperatively (99.8% repair, 0.2% debridement, and 0% reconstruction). Compared with patients who were evaluated with MRI and waited 63.0 ± 34.6 days, patients who were not evaluated with MRI underwent surgery 6.5 ± 18.7 days after preoperative MRI. MRI delayed surgery by 24.0 ± 5.3 days and cost a mean $2262 per patient. CONCLUSION: Preoperative MRI did not alter indications for primary hip arthroscopy in patients aged ≤40 years with a history, physical examination findings, and radiographs concordant with FAIS. Rather, MRI delayed surgery and wasted resources. Routine hip MRI acquisition for the younger population with primary FAIS with a typical presentation should be challenged

BOTOX’s Mechanism, Diversity Considerations, and Therapeutic Potential in Cosmetic, Medical, and Dental Practice

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the societal pressures of maintaining a youthful appearance and the increasing popularity of BOTOX injections for aesthetic purposes. It discusses the motivation behind BOTOX use for personal psychological gains, partly driven by social media pressure and societal expectations. Ethical considerations and potential psychosocial consequences of cosmetic BOTOX are also addressed.The article delves into the explanation of what BOTOX is and how it works, emphasizing its use for cosmetic and medical purposes, such as treating spasmodic dysphonia and hyperhidrosis. When used appropriately, it highlights the rarity of complications and adverse effects associated with BOTOX. BOTOX’s historical use and development, from its initial medical applications to its widespread adoption in cosmetic procedures, are outlined. Further explored is the prevalence of BOTOX use among different socioeconomic classes, races/ethnicities, ages, and genders, highlighting disparities and emerging trends. It summarizes the effectiveness and safety of BOTOX injections for facial wrinkles and its non-cosmetic uses (e.g., treating migraines, hyperhidrosis, and pain management). The review describes BOTOX’s uses in dentistry, including its therapeutic benefits and safety considerations.It also discusses the possible therapeutic advantages of BOTOX injections in managing psychological conditions, including depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). The diagnostic applications of BOTOX and its mechanism of action are briefly explained.The article concludes with a summary of BOTOX’s beneficial and adverse effects and the constraints on access to and use of BOTOX treatments. It acknowledges the limitations of BOTOX research and the need for further investigation to address these limitations.Abbreviations: BDD: Body Dysmorphic Disorder; FDA: U.S. Food and Drug Administration; QoL: Quality of Life; ROM: Range of Motion; SES: Socioeconomic Status; SNAP-25: Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25; TMD: Temporomandibular Joint Disorde