Serum Lipid Profile And Random Blood Glucose of Male And Female Wistar Rats Following Administration of Leptin Hormone After A Dietary Regime

The Leptin hormone is a product of the obesity gene, a key regulator of feeding and energy expenditure.The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts 11.1 million deaths globally and 71% deaths in developing countries due to Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) by 2020 A.D. CAD has been associated with alterations in lipid metabolism, which include hyper-triglyceridemia and significantly reduced HDL-c. The increase in the concentration of cholesterol is attributable to LDL cholesterol because the high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is typically reduced. The study is aimed at determining the effect of leptin hormone on fasting serum lipid profile, atherogenic index (AI) and Random Blood glucose (RBG) inWistar rats following a diet regime and leptin injection.Fourty (40) Wistar rats (male n=20, female=20), age 9weeks and weighing between 77.2g-123.0g were randomly divided into two (2) groups of 5 rats per sub-group. All groups were maintained ad-libitum on experimental diets and water for a period of 10weeks. Group 1 (A1 and B1) the control received standard rat feed, group 2 (A2 and B2) received high fat diet (margarine, 90%) mixed with some standard rat feed (10%), group 3 (A3 and B3) received protein diet (soya beans, 100%) and group 4 (A4 and B4) received carbohydrate diet (cereal, 100%). The leptin hormone was given intra-peritoneal for a period of two (2) weeks.The resultshowed a significant difference (Plt0.05) in the Tot-c, TG, VLDL-c, LDL-c and RBG in the pre-test and post-test periods, but there was no significant difference (Pgt0.05) for the calculated atherogenic index (AI). There was a significant difference (Plt0.05) and sexual dimorphism for HDL-c and AI respectively and no significant difference (Pgt0.60) for Tot-c, TG, VLDL-c, LDL-c and RBG. It also showed a low LDL-c, low TG, low VLDL-c, low Tot-c and high HDL-c which resulted in a low AI in the male gender. The RBG was increased after the injection of the leptin hormone in all the groups. There was no sexual dimorphism in RBG. The result implies that the male gender is at a lower risk developing coronary artery disease (CAD)

Bioremediation of Hexavalent Chromium in Potassium Dichromate Solution by Botrytis aclada fres and Chrysonilia sitophila

Bioremediation of hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI) by Botrytis aclada fres and Chrysonilia sitophila was studied. The organisms were isolated from decaying onion bulb and apple fruit respectively, purified in Potato Dextrose Agar, and grown for 144 hours in solutions of potassium dichromate of concentrations ranging from 5-20 mg/l at 40oC. Effective reduction of Cr(VI) was observed at 5-20 mg/l compared to 25 mg/l dichromate treatments in both organisms. The results showed significant decrease (P < 0.05) in biomass concentration in the two fungi used with increasing concentration of the dichromate treatment (5-25 mg/l). Significant increase (P < 0.05) in residual glucose concentration was also observed in the culture media with increase in concentration of the dichromate treatment. However, at 20 mg/l dichromate treatment, Cr(IV) concentration, 1.36 ± 0.02 and 1.71 ± 0.03 (P < 0.05) were revealed in the culture media of B. aclada fres and C. sitophila respectively. Also, 0.71 ± 0.03 and 0.94 ± 0.03 Cr(IV) concentration (P < 0.05) were observed in the fungal mycelia at 20 mg/l dichromate treatment in B. aclada fres and C. sitophila respectively. After 144 hours of growth, Cr(VI) reduction of 89.65% in B. aclada fres and 86.75% in C. sitophila at 20 mg/l dichromate treatment were revealed. This investigation suggests that the two fungi adopted a process of reduction to tolerate the toxicity of hexavalent chromium. The results indicate the potentials of the fungi in bioremediation particularly in the treatment of waste water containing hexavalent chromium

Client Satisfaction with Antenatal Care Services in Primary Health Care Centres in Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State Nigeria.

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Sero-prevalance of anti-R7V antibody in HIV infected patients in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria

Studies in some parts of the world have shown that Anti-R7V antibodies, which neutralize 100% of the different variant’s panel (targeted against a beta2-microglobulin epitope acquired when the virus is released by budding) in vitro, are found in 30 to 50% of naïve HIV positive patients, but even more in socalled “long-term survivor’’ patients with a close to 90% correlation. The seroprevalence of Anti-R7V antibody was therefore investigated in HIV patients attending clinic within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and compared with HIV negative patients. Correlation between the presence of the antibody and the clinical status of patients was also investigated. The HIV positive patients were categorized intodrug naïve and drug experienced subjects and their Anti-R7V antibody together with CD4 counts were determined using Anti-R7V ELISA kits and BD FACS count, respectively. About 47.2% of the HIVinfected patients tested positive for the Anti-R7V antibody while 25.2% were negative for this antibody. Patients with Anti-R7V antibody had a mean CD4 count (355 ± 19.2) significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of Anti-R7V antibody negative patients (215 ± 42.6). Also it was observed that Anti-R7V antibody was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in drug experienced patients as compared to drug naïve patients. The significance of these findings is discussed. It was concluded that Anti-R7V antibody may be a naturalimmunity against HIV-infection in drug naïve HIV patients and that the synthesis and release of this antibody may decrease with ARD treatment

The Effect of Aqueous Extract of Garcinia Kola Seed On The Liver Histology

Background: Various parts of Garcinia kola plant are used for a wide range of medicinal purposes in Africa where it is indigenous. The kernels of the nut are widely traded and are eaten as bitter stimulant while extract of the seed have been used traditionally for the treatment of cough and liver diseases. This study is done to evaluate the possible histological effect(s) of aqueous extract of Garcinia kola seeds on the liver of albino rat.  Twenty (20) matured wister rats were grouped into four (A, B, C and D). Each group contained five(5) rats. Group A received 125mg/kg of the extract while groups B and C received 200mg/kg and 500mg/kg respectively. Group D served as control. The results obtained revealed that the treated sections of the liver showed no evidence of degenerative changes or cyto-architectural distortions of the hepatic parenchyma. It was concluded that intake of Garcinia kola in itself does not cause any acute morphological changes in the liver. Keywords: Garcinia kola seed, Liver, histology

Handedness and Footedness in Footballers in Jos, Nigeria

This study was carried out to compare handedness and footedness in a sample of 50 footballers in Jos, Nigeria and also to determine if any significant relationship exists between handedness of the footballers and that of their first degree relatives. 25 self-professed right handed and 25 self professed left handed were randomly selected from various teams in Jos and compared on preference measures. Their ages range between 18 -35 years. All information was obtained using a standard questionnaire and the data generated analyzed using ANOVA. The results showed that 84% of right handed footballers were also right footed, 4% were left footed, and 12% were mixed footed with no particular foot preference. Of the 25 left handed footballers, 28% were right footed while 72% were left footed. This shows that the left handed footballers were significantly less lateralized than the right handed footballers. Statistical analysis showed that the observed difference between the two groups was not significant (P > 0.05). The results showed that the incidence of left handedness was significantly higher among the male siblings of the left handed footballers. This study also showed that lateral preference between right handedness and left handedness is not significant and there was possibility of genetic factor involvement in the occurrence of left handedness among males.Keywords: Handedness, footedness, footballers, Jo

Comparing proficiency of obstetrics and gynaecology trainees with general surgery trainees using simulated laparoscopic tasks in Health Education England, North-West:a prospective observational study

Background: Training programmes for obstetrics and gynaecology (O&amp;G) and general surgery (GS) vary significantly, but both require proficiency in laparoscopic skills. We sought to determine performance in each specialty.Design: Prospective, observational study.Setting: Health Education England North-West, UK.Participants: 47 surgical trainees (24 O&amp;G and 23 GS) were subdivided into four groups: 11 junior O&amp;G, 13 senior O&amp;G, 11 junior GS and 12 senior GS trainees.Objectives: Trainees were tested on four simulated laparoscopic tasks: laparoscopic camera navigation (LCN), hand–eye coordination (HEC), bimanual coordination (BMC) and suturing with intracorporeal knot tying (suturing).Results: O&amp;G trainees completed LCN (p &lt; 0.001), HEC (p &lt; 0.001) and BMC (p &lt; 0.001) significantly slower than GS trainees. Furthermore, O&amp;G found fewer number of targets in LCN (p = 0.001) and dropped a greater number of pins than the GS trainees in BMC (p = 0.04). In all three tasks, there were significant differences between O&amp;G and GS trainees but no difference between the junior and senior groups within each specialty. Performance in suturing also varied by specialty; senior O&amp;G trainees scored significantly lower than senior GS trainees (O&amp;G 11.4±4.4 vs GS 16.8±2.1, p=0.03). Whilst suturing scores improved with seniority among O&amp;G trainees, there was no difference between the junior and senior GS trainees (senior O&amp;G 11.4±4.4 vs junior O&amp;G 3.6±2.1, p = 0.004).Discussion: GS trainees performed better than O&amp;G trainees in core laparoscopic skills, and the structure of O&amp;G training may require modification.Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT05116332).</div

Should all minimal access surgery be robot-assisted? : A systematic review into the musculoskeletal and cognitive demands of laparoscopic and robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery

Background: Surgeons are amongst the most at risk of work-related musculoskeletal health decline because of the physical demands of surgery, which is also associated with cognitive fatigue. Minimally invasive surgery offers excellent benefits to patients but the impact of robotic or laparoscopic surgery on surgeon well-being is less well understood. This work examined the musculoskeletal and cognitive demands of robot-assisted versus standard laparoscopic surgery. Methods: Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched for “Muscle strain” AND “musculoskeletal fatigue” AND “occupational diseases” OR “cognitive fatigue” AND “mental fatigue” OR “standard laparoscopic surgery” AND “robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery”. Primary outcomes measured were electromyographic (EMG) activity for musculoskeletal fatigue and questionnaires (NASA TLX, SMEQ, or Borg CR-10) for cognitive fatigue. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis (SWiM) Guidelines. The study was preregistered on Prospero ID: CRD42020184881. Results: Two hundred and ninety-eight original titles were identified. Ten studies that were all observational studies were included in the systematic review. EMG activity was consistently lower in robotic than in laparoscopic surgery in the erector spinae and flexor digitorum muscles but higher in the trapezius muscle. This was associated with significantly lower cognitive load in robotic than laparoscopic surgery in 7 of 10 studies. Conclusions: Evidence suggests a reduction in musculoskeletal demands during robotic surgery in muscles excluding the trapezius, and this is associated with most studies reporting a reduced cognitive load. Robotic surgery appears to have less negative cognitive and musculoskeletal impact on surgeons compared to laparoscopic surgery

What laparoscopic skills are necessary for Certificate of Completion of Training? : A prospective nationwide cross-sectional survey of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and General Surgery trainees and consultants in the UK

Objectives: To explore the views of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (O&G) and General Surgery (GS) trainees and consultants on the laparoscopic skills considered necessary to achieve the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) and identify any mismatch between consultants and trainees in their expectations of these skills. Design: A prospective nationwide cross-sectional study in the UK. Setting: A national survey distributed through Health Education, England and national training bodies such as the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologist (RCOG), British society for gynaecological endoscopy (BSGE) and the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ASGBI). Participants: O&G and GS consultants and specialty trainees in O&G and GS. Specialty trainees below ST3 level and consultants performing open surgery or minor laparoscopic surgery only were excluded. Interventions: Trainees completed a 27-item questionnaire on their training characteristics, rated their confidence and perceived importance of 10 laparoscopic skills required for CCT using a 5-point Likert scale. Consultants answered a 36-item questionnaire on their demographic details, their views on the importance of the same 10 laparoscopic skills, their confidence and the standard of laparoscopic skills they observed amongst trainees approaching CCT. Results: 345 participants responded to the questionnaire: 117 O&G trainees, 95 O&G consultants, 57 GS trainees & 76 GS consultants. O&G trainees and consultants expected similar laparoscopic skills required for CCT for all ten skills (P> 0.050), whilst GS consultants had higher expectations of GS trainees for suturing (P=0.003), use of endovascular devices (P=0.020) and staplers (P=0.020). Consultants in both specialties observed that trainees were performing significantly below the expected standards; P< 0.010 (O&G) and P<0.001 (GS) for all 10 listed skills. O&G trainees reported lower confidence than GS trainees for all 10 laparoscopic skills (P<0.001). Conclusions: This nationwide study showed that UK O&G trainees and consultants both agree on the skills required for CCT, but GS consultants had higher expectations than their trainees. Trainees in GS were more confident in their surgical skills than those in O&G. However, consultants in both specialities believed that trainees were not achieving the requisite laparoscopic skills required for CCT

A prospective observational study comparing proficiency of obstetrics & gynaecology trainees with general surgical trainees using simulated laparoscopic tasks in Health Education England, North-West

BACKGROUND: Training programmes for obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) and general surgery (GS) vary significantly, but both require proficiency in laparoscopic skills. We sought to determine performance in each specialty. DESIGN: Prospective, Observational study. SETTING: Health Education England North-West, UK. PARTICIPANTS: 47 surgical trainees (24 O&G and 23 GS) were sub-divided into four groups: 11 junior O&G, 13 senior O&G, 11 junior GS, and 12 senior GS trainees. OBJECTIVES: Trainees were tested on four simulated laparoscopic tasks; laparoscopic camera navigation (LCN), hand eye co-ordination (HEC), bimanual co-ordination (BMC) and suturing with intracorporeal knot tying (suturing). RESULTS: O&G trainees completed LCN (P <0.001), HEC (P <0.001) and BMC (P <0.001) significantly slower than GS trainees. Furthermore, O&G found fewer number of targets in LCN (P =0.001) and dropped a greater number of pins than the GS trainees in BMC (P =0.04). In all three tasks, there were significant differences between O&G and GS trainees but no difference between the juniors and senior groups within each specialty. Performance in suturing also varied by specialty; senior O&G trainees scored significantly lower than senior GS trainees; O&G 11.4 ± 4.4 vs GS 16.8 ± 2.1, P = 0.03. Whilst suturing scores improved with seniority among O&G trainees, there was no difference between the junior and senior GS trainees; senior O&G 11.4 ± 4.4 vs junior O&G 3.6 ± 2.1, P = 0.004. DISCUSSION: GS trainees performed better than O&G trainees in core laparoscopic skills and the structure of obstetrics and gynaecology training may require modification