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Context: The use of Aframomum melegueta K. Schum. (Zingiberaceae) fruit for treatment of diabetes has recently been established in Nigeria. However, compounds responsible for the antidiabetic action have not been identified. Objective: The present study carried out the bioassay-guided isolation of possible bioactive compounds responsible for the antidiabetic action of A. melegueta fruit. Materials and methods: The A. melegueta fruit was sequentially extracted using ethyl acetate (EtOAc), ethanol and water, and the most active extract (EtOAc) was subjected to column chromatography on a silica gel column using solvent gradient systems of hexane (HEX):EtOAc and EtOAc:MeOH and the isolation of compounds was guided by α-glycosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities at various concentrations (30–240 μg/mL). Results: According to the results, 3 arylalkanes, 6-paradol (1), 6-shogaol (2) and 6-gingerol (3) and a pentacyclic triterpene, oleanolic acid (4) were isolated from A. melegueta fruit. All the compounds exhibited inhibitory effects against α-amylase and α-glucosidase. 6-Gingerol (3) and oleanolic acid (4) showed higher inhibitory activity against α-amylase (IC50: 6-gingerol: 81.78 ± 7.79 μM; oleanolic acid: 91.72 ± 1.63 μM) and α-glucosidase (IC50: 6-gingerol: 21.55 ± 0.45 μM; oleanolic acid: 17.35 ± 0.88 μM) compared to the standard drug, acarbose and other isolated compounds. The kinetics of the enzyme action of the compounds showed a noncompetitive mode of inhibition. Conclusion: The data of this study suggest that the 6-gingerol (3) and oleanolic acid (4) showed higher α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory action and therefore could be responsible for the antidiabetic activity of A. melegueta fruit.

Postharvest handling on ripening process of avocado and orange fruits was conducted in this study. Ripening systems which include application of acetylene gas generated from overripe banana (T1), storage in airtight drum (T2) and use of smoke (T3) were adopted while fresh samples without any treatment were used as control (C) measure. The results obtained revealed a general trend indicating that both treated climacteric fruits begun to ripen on the third day with scoring values of 3.33±0.33 and 2.67±0.33 for avocado and orange fruits respectively except for control which showed ripening symptom on day five with scoring values of 3.33±0.33 and 3.00±0.00 for the fruits respectively. T1 and C maintain fully ripen state on the fruits as other systems begun to rotten samples on the 8th day of storage duration. Sensory evaluations for both samples under acetylene treatment were very good and pleasantly good throughout the period of observation in term of texture, appearance and flavour as compared to other treatments except that the flavour were fairly bad and fairly good at the initial stage and on day 2 respectively. Acetylene treatment on both sample has demonstrated high tendency to sustain textural feel on fruits under this postharvest handling process without any noticeable deteriorative changes and can be recommended for application in food processing industries.

Introduction Although the corona virus is responsible in the majority of cases for mild symptoms, there are sometimes severe and even lethal forms of this disease. Our study aimed to identify clinical and para-clinical predictors of mortality related to COVID-19. Materials and methods This is a single-center retrospective cohort study conducted from March 2020 to December 2020 at intensive care unit department of Mohamed VI University Hospital Oujda, Morocco including 600 patients with COVID-19. Results We included 600 patients, the mortality rate was 32.50%, the predictors of mortality identified in our study were: associated heart disease (RR: 1.826; CI: [1.081–3.084]; p:0.024), high D-dimer level at admission (RR:1.027; CI: [1.011–1.047]; p:0.001), need for mechanical ventilation (RR: 4.158; CI: [2.648–6.530]; p: Conclusion Based on these results, we were able to identify 3 predictors of COVID 19 mortality (associated heart failure, high D-dimer level on admission, and need for mechanical ventilation). These predictors could help clinicians to identify early patients with high risk of lethality in order to reduce mortality related to corona virus.

Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning is a critical challenge in any wireless broadband (WiBB) network. LTE being a WiBB network technology aimed at providing adequate network resources for speedy transmission of applications with varying QoS requirements. It uses radio resource management (RRM) techniques such as call admission control (CAC) for resource utilization and to guarantee these QoS requirements. In this paper, a novel call admission control scheme is proposed to guarantee the QoS of calls and also increase the throughput of Real-time (RT) calls. The scheme allocates maximum bandwidth requirements to both RT and NRT calls at the point of admission. It then degrades all admitted NRT calls when a call arrives and there are insufficient resources to admit the requested call. Several simulation experiments were conducted with the aid of Vienna LTE system level simulator and the results reveal that the proposed scheme achieved superior performance in terms of throughput and blocking rate of RT traffic compared to the benchmark scheme

In this study, a dynamic weighted round robin call admission (DWRR-CAC) scheme is proposed as an improvement to the recently proposed weighted round robin call admission (WRR-CAC) which reduces new connection blocking rate but wastes network resources due to the fixed reservation and degradation mechanisms it deploys. The DWRR-CAC algorithm solves the problem of resource wastage by deploying three mechanism: a precheck, dynamic degradation, and weight computer mechanism. First it admits all connections based on their maximum sustained traffic rate (MSTR) when the network resources are underutilized. Next, when the available resources are not sufficient to admit new connections, it deploys a pre-check mechanism to determine whether degrading existing non-UGS connections will yield sufficient bandwidth to admit the new connection or not. If the check is passed, the scheme deploys a dynamic degradation mechanism which degrades only existing non-UGS connections to admit the new connections as the non-UGS connections have adaptive QoS requirements but the UGS connections do not. The dynamic degradation mechanism ensures that only the required bandwidth is degraded. If the check fails, the connections are queued according to their traffic classes and retried after some resources are adapted from completed calls. The queued connections are admitted based on the computed WRR weight. Several simulation experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the DWRR-CAC against QOGCAC and WRR-CAC using a discrete event simulator. The results show that DWRR-CAC out performs the benchmark schemes in terms of call blocking rate, average and per-flow throughput.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the transmission of multimedia services due to the emergence of wireless broadband (WiBB) technologies such as WiMAX. WiMAX supports multiple QoS classes for transmission of different multimedia applications. However, satisfying the requirements of these applications with the often-limited resources has been a major challenge, which requires an efficient scheduling scheme such as PLAS. PLAS is a variant of LAWRR designed to reduce queuing delay of real-time traffics in WiBB networks. Several simulation experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of PLAS against the LAWRR algorithm. The results revealed that PLAS outperforms the other scheme in terms of average delay for low input traffic. However, the metric (delay) used and the traffics generated for the simulation are not adequate to realistically evaluate the performance of a scheduling algorithm in a typical metropolitan area network. In this study, we further evaluated the performance of PLAS and LAWRR under varying higher input traffics, and an additional performance metric, using discrete event simulation. The results demonstrated that the PLAS achieved better results in terms of queuing delay and throughput compared to LAWRR. The improved performance will lead to better user experience, which will increase the number of subscribers and consequently increase revenue for service providers.

Call admission control (CAC) is a technique deployed in the management of network resources in mobile broadband networks. Despite its importance, the WiMAX technology like most mobile broadband networks does not make provision for CAC, making it an open area of research. A dynamic QoS-Aware Call Admission Control (DQACAC) scheme was recently proposed to improve resource utilization and ensure QoS. Several simulation experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the DQA-CAC against other CAC algorithms. The results of the simulation indicated that the DQA-CAC outperformed the existing CAC schemes in terms of reduced new connection blocking rate. However, the evaluation failed to consider other performance metrics like resource utilization and throughput that are also very crucial in the real-world scenario. This paper therefore attempts to improve the performance of the DQA-CAC by investigating its performance in terms of additional metrics like the average system throughput and resource utilization that further mimic the real-world experience. A Java based discrete event simulator designed for the study was used and the simulation results indicate that the DQA-CAC algorithm outperforms the existing CAC algorithms in terms of improved per-flow throughput, average system throughput and resource utilization in addition to reducing the connection blocking rate.

IEEE 802.16 Standard also known as worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is designed to support wider coverage, higher bandwidth, less cost of deployment with different traffic classes’ support for power savings. The IEEE added mobility characteristics which made batterylife of Mobile Station (MS) a critical challenge, since MS are battery powered with an impose rechargeable life. An Efficient Battery Lifetime Aware Power Saving Scheme was proposed. The Scheme minimizes frequent transition of MS in order-to reduce power consumption but increases average response delay due to a longer sleep interval used. Thus, a Delay Aware Power Saving Scheme (DAPSS) Based on Traffic Load is proposed to reduce the excessive response delay. The Scheme introduces a modified minimum and maximum sleep interval in order to reduce the longer sleep time of a MS, and dynamically tunes the sleep parameters more appropriately according to the traffic load. It employed a delay aware algorithm to save power. The Scheme was evaluated using discrete event simulator, the results showed that the proposed DAPSS achieves superior performance compared to the existing Scheme in terms of the average power consumption and response delay.

In this paper, a graphical user interface (GUI) for position and trajectory tracking of the ball and plate system (BPS) control scheme using the double feedback loop structure i.e. a loop within a loop is proposed. The inner and the outer loop was designed using linear algebraic method by solving a set of Diophantine equations and sensitivity function. The results were simulated in MATLAB 2018a, and the trajectory tracking was displayed on a GUI, which showed that the plate was able to be stabilized at a time of 0.3546 seconds, and also the ball settled at 1.7087 seconds, when a sinusoidal circular reference trajectory of radius 0.4m with an angular frequency of 1.57rad/sec was applied to the BPS, the trajectory tracking error was 0.0095m. This shows that the controllers possess the following properties for the BPS, which are; good adaptability, strong robustness and a high control performance.

The Nigerian Field, 53 (4), 183-186

Therapeutic plants play a key position in malaria control in Africa, especially in public areas where health facilities are insufficient. In order to charge their much-admired potentials, this study is aimed to determine the in-vitro antiplasmodial activity of the compound isolated from Albizia chevalieri against plasmodium falciparum. The three Arial parts of the plant was extracted with methanol via maceration method. The most active extracts were isolated for bioactive compounds using column chromatographic technique while Antiplasmodial assay for the isolated compounds was also carried out in duplicate in the 96-well microtitre plate; Exactly 100µl of culture medium was dispensed into all the wells in a 96-well microtitre plate leaving only the “A” series. Then, 100µl of the working solutions (isolated compounds and standard drugs) were pipette in to the well “A” series. Serial dilutions were then prepared by pipetting 50µl of the solutions from the “A” series well down the rows up to the” G”series wells, leaving series 12 from wells, down the rows to “H” only with the culture medium, serving as control. The extra 50 µl of test substance dilution series were discarded. Exactly 25 µl of the infected red cells was separated and were added into all the wells in the test plates using the multi-channel micropipette and were mixed by swirling with the tips to ensure homogeneity. The microtitre plates were incubated in CO2 condition at 370C in candle jar for 30 hours. The effect of A.chevalieri compounds isolates and reference drug showed a decrease in percentage parasitaemia with increasing concentration. With regard to concentrations administered, a dose-dependent antimalarial activity was clearly shown for isolates and the reference drugs. artemether, root isolate and leaf isolate exhibited a remarkable antiplasmodial activity, the pure isolates when compared with the standard drug that has the highest percentage inhibition shows no significance difference at (P>0.05), but when compared with the other drugs such as Chloroquine, Quinine shows a significance difference at (P>0.05). It is concluded that the antiplasmodial activity of the plant on P. falciparum suggests its effectiveness in the treatment of malaria infection. The work also confirms the likelihood of conducting in-vivo antiplasmodial activity of the isolated compounds from Albizia chevalier.

Ethnopharmacological relevance In traditional medicine from West Africa, the fruit decoction of Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich. is widely used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM) either alone or in combination with other plants. The present study is designed to investigate the anti-diabetic effects of X. aethiopica acetone fraction (XAAF) from fruit ethanolic extract in a type 2 diabetes (T2D) model of rats. Materials and methods T2D was induced in rats by feeding a 10% fructose solution ad libitum for 2 weeks followed by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg body weight) and the animals were orally treated with 150 or 300 mg/kg body weight (bw) of the XAAF once daily for four weeks. Results After 4 weeks study period, diabetic untreated animals (DBC) exhibited significantly higher serum glucose, serum fructosamine, LDH, CK-MB, serum lipids, liver glycogen, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), AI, CRI and lower serum insulin, β-cell function (HOMA-β) and glucose tolerance ability compared to the normal animals. Histopathological examination of their pancreas revealed corresponding pathological changes in the islets and β-cells. These alterations were reverted to near-normal after the treatment of XAAF at 150 (DXAL) and 300 (DXAH) mg/kg bw with the effects being more pronounced in the DXAH group compared to the DXAL group. Moreover, the effects in the animals of DXAH group were comparable to the diabetic metformin (DMF) treated animals. In addition, no significant alterations were observed in non-diabetic animals treated with 300 mg/kg bw of XAAF (NXAH). Conclusion The results of our study suggest that XAAF treatment showed excellent anti-diabetic effects in a T2D model of rats.

Many of medical anthropology's most pressing research questions require an understanding how infections, money, and ideas move around the globe. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is a $9 billion project that has delivered 20 billion doses of oral polio vaccine in campaigns across the world. With its array of global activities, it cannot be comprehensively explored by the traditional anthropological method of research at one field site. This article describes an ethnographic study of the GPEI, a collaborative effort between researchers at eight sites in seven countries. We developed a methodology grounded in nuanced understandings of local context but structured to allow analysis of global trends. Here, we examine polio vaccine acceptance and refusal to understand how global phenomena-in this case, policy decisions by donors and global health organizations to support vaccination campaigns rather than building health systems-shape local behavior.

OBJECTIVES The epidemiology and clinical significance of disaccharidase deficiencies have not been thoroughly characterized. Recent work suggests at least genetic sucrase-isomaltase deficiency is more prevalent than previously believed. Because lactase deficiency (LD) is well described, the present study focuses on the clinical characteristics of children with disaccharidase deficiencies determined by esophagogastroduodenoscopy. METHODS Endoscopic records were reviewed from patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopies with biopsies assayed for disaccharidase activity performed by 13 pediatric gastroenterologists during 5 years (2010-2014). Presenting symptoms, clinical and histological diagnosis, treatment, disaccharidase results, and demographic variables were obtained from medical and endoscopic records of those with maltase and sucrase deficiency (SD). RESULTS Among 963 patients undergoing intestinal disaccharidase testing, 73 (7.6%) had SD on biopsy (enzyme activity

Terpenoids are the largest and structurally most diverse group of secondary metabolites derived from natural sources. Empirical evidence from several bioassays points to the therapeutic potentials of terpenoids against protozoan parasitic diseases such as malaria, trypanosomiasis, and leishmaniasis. The versatility of the parent terpenoid backbones allows for structural diversity among the group, which in turn leads to multiple cellular targets and consequently varying mechanisms of antiparasitic action. Available data implicate disruption of parasite cell membrane architecture, interference with mitochondrial respiration, interaction with various crucial proteins of the parasites among other probable mechanisms. Identification of the specific cellular targets vis-a-vis the mechanisms of action of the different terpenoids will aid the design of novel and safer antiparasitic agent(s). This chapter therefore aims to discuss parasites-related cellular targets of terpenoids and their mode of antiparasitic activity. We hope that the chapter will be a valuable source of useful information in the exploration of the full potential of terpenoids as antiparasitic agents.

Wireless broadband networks are emerging as reliable internet access alternatives for delivery of high speed multimedia services. WiMAX is one of such networks, designed to provide quality of service (QoS) support for different service classes with varying QoS requirements. Scheduling algorithms are required to provide such support. The existing scheduling algorithm uses dynamic weight to allocate resources based on traffic loads. However, it increases delay of real time traffics due to failure of the weight to prioritize traffics. This paper proposes a priority load aware scheduling (PLAS) algorithm to reduce delay in real time traffics. The PLAS algorithm introduces a priority value to prioritize real time traffics over non-real time traffics. The algorithm was evaluated using extensive simulations. The results show that the PLAS outperforms the existing algorithm in terms of delay.

This study was carried out to determine the occurrence of liver fluke infections in cattle and sheep slaughtered in Sokoto metropolitan abattoir, northwestern Nigeria using bile samples. A total of 170 cattle and 126 sheep of different local breeds were randomly selected and examined at the abattoir and the gall bladder of such animals were collected, sliced open and the entire content washed into a beaker and allowed to stand for up to 6 hours after which the sediments were examined for eggs of Fasciola spp. and Dicrocoelium spp. 17.06% and 4.76% of cattle and sheep respectively were infected with Dicrocoelium spp., but egg of Fasciola spp. was not found in the animals sampled in this study. Eggs of Dicrocoelium spp. were found to be highest in female cattle (18.75%) and female sheep (5.88%). It was concluded that liver flukes are present in the study area; therefore regular monitoring of ruminants for liver flukes and a comprehensive study encompassing the epidemiology of the intermediate hosts for effective control is recommended. Keywords: Occurrence, Liver Flukes Cattle, Sheep, Sokoto, Abattoir

Ethnopharmacological relevance In West Africa, various preparations of the fruit, seed and leaf of Aframomum melegueta K. Schum. are reputably used for the management of diabetes mellitus (DM) and other metabolic disorders. The present study evaluated the anti-diabetic effects of A. melegueta ethyl acetate fraction (AMEF) from fruit ethanolic extract in a type 2 diabetes (T2D) model of rats. Materials and methods T2D was induced in rats by feeding a 10% fructose solution ad libitum for two weeks followed by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg body weight) and the animals were orally treated with 150 or 300 mg/kg body weight (bw) of the AMEF once daily for four weeks. Results At the end of the intervention, diabetic untreated animals showed significantly higher serum glucose, serum fructosamine, LDH, CK-MB, serum lipids, liver glycogen, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), AI, CRI and lower serum insulin, pancreatic β-cell function (HOMA- β) and glucose tolerance ability compared to the normal animals. Histopathological examination of their pancreas revealed corresponding pathological changes in the islets and β-cells. These alterations were reverted to near-normal after the treatment of AMEF at 150 and 300 mg/kg bw when, the effects were more pronounced at 300 mg/kg bw compared to the 150 mg/kg bw. Conclusion The results of our study suggest that AMEF treatment at 300 mg/kg bw showed potent anti-diabetic effect in a T2D model of rats.

Background: Self-cleaning of ears with a cotton bud is a common practice, and the hazards asso-ciated with such action are well documented. The aim of this study is to find out the knowledge, attitude and awareness on the use of cotton buds among the people of Bida community. Design and Methodology: It is a community based cross sectional descriptive study carried out among people of Bida community. Subjects were selected by multistage sampling technique. Pre-tested semistructured questionnaires were used to collect data from 278 young adults and adults’ respondents. Results: There were a total number of 278 responses out of 290 respondents interviewed (M:F = 1:1.03). Age range was from 18 to 65 years with a mean of 29.64 ± 10.06 SD. The highest response was in the age group of 20 - 29 years. About 72.3% of the respondents had tertiary education, and 40.3% were civil servants. Majority (92.8%) of the respondents had indulged in the use of cotton buds to clean their ears. Most (57.8%) of those that had used cotton buds did so because of itching in the ears. Only 44.9% of respondents agreed that cotton buds could cause damage to the ears. Many (61.2%) believed that there was benefit of using cotton buds in cleaning the ears. Majority of the respondents (74.1%) had not got information on the danger of using cotton bud in cleaning their ears. Conclusion: From our data in this study, majority of the subjects had indulged in the use of cotton bud in cleaning their ears. And the commonest reason for using cotton buds is due to itching in the ears. Their Knowledge, attitude and awareness to the use of cotton buds are very poor with erroneous believe that there is benefit to its use. There is a need to increase awareness by public enlightenment and health education and to establish school health programme in our various schools.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been established as a viable technology for the mitigation of climate change caused mainly by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Ever since the publication of the special report on CCS by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2005, there has been an increased research and development in all areas of CCS. Some of these research involves use of numerical methods and models for optimizing storage and ensuring effective long term containment. In this paper, we propose a workflow for building and calibrating 3D preinjection and 4D geomechanics modelling to assess caprock and fault integrity for geologic carbon dioxide storage. The workflow presented here describes a seamless end -to-end process which combines a transparent flow of data with an easy-to-use graphical user interface. The workflow can conduct 3D static and 4D flow-, pressure-, and temperature-coupled calculations for rock deformations, failure and stresses. In highly heterogeneous and complex models, the workflow is capable of modelling multiple hundred faults, and multiple thousand discrete fractures. It allows the geological model, despite its high degree of complexity to be maintained throughout the geomechanical analyses process.

Optimistic concurrency control technique is widely used as non-locking scheme to control concurrent access in mobile database environment. One of the key parameter that dictates the performance of optimistic scheme is the transaction start time interval. However, most of the existing work uses different values of this key parameter with no justification on its performance implications on the overall scheme. This paper evaluates the effect of different transaction start time intervals on the performance of optimistic strategy in terms of aborted transaction rate and response time. Simulation results shows that transaction start time interval of 300 milliseconds incurred less number of aborted transactions without sacrificing response time.

The fruit decoction of Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich. is widely used for the treatment of diseases associated with oxidative stress such as diabetes, particularly in Africa. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of X. aethiopica fruit acetone (XAFA) fraction in ameliorating oxidative stress in a type 2 diabetes (T2D) model of rats. The crude X. aethiopica fruit ethanolic extract was fractionated using solvents with increasing polarity and acetone fraction showed significantly (p

The continent of Africa is endowed with the richest biodiversity in the world, with an abundance of plants used in traditional treatment of various diseases such as diabetes mellitus (DM). In the last few decades, scientists have investigated the antidiabetic potential of a number of African medicinal plants, and some bioactive compounds were isolated and screened as well. In our previous study, a total number of 185 plant species from 75 families were investigated for antidiabetic actions in Africa between 2000 and 2013. But the study mainly focused on plant extracts and/or fractions. The compounds reported in the study were detected in the extracts and/or fractions that showed antidiabetic actions, with no report on the antidiabetic activities of the bioactive compounds. Additionally, no isolated compound from the continent was reported in a recent study by that highlighted antidiabetic compounds isolated between 2005 and 2010. But there is no repository of information on these investigated bioactive compounds as a guide for future research. This chapter documents all bioactive compounds from African medicinal plants that have been isolated and investigated for possible antidiabetic effect along with an attempt to highlight the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of the isolated bioactive compounds. A total of 53 compounds isolated from African medicinal plants have been investigated as possible antidiabetic agents, which include three phenolic compounds from marine algae Ecklonia maxima (Osbeck) Papenfuss. Moreover, 45 bioactive compounds showed variable antidiabetic potentials, when eight compounds were inactive in the models used in the reported studies. Kolaviron showed promising antidiabetic action when epicatechin, dibenzo (1,4) dioxine-2,4,7,9-tetraol, and brevipsidone D are potential hits and require further work to validate their potential antidiabetic activities. Based on the SAR of the isolated compounds, the positions and interactions of some chemical groups such as hydroxyl, methoxy, prenyl, carboxylic, and catechol moieties in the bioactive compounds greatly affect their antidiabetic actions. In conclusion, more bioassay-guided isolations of African natural products need to be conducted to find promising antidiabetic leads that could overcome the adverse effects of the currently available synthetic drugs.

The prevalence of fascioliasis in cattle slaughtered in the Sokoto metropolitan abattoir was investigated. Faeces and bile samples were collected and processed using formal ether concentration technique. Gross lesions from 224 out of 1,313 slaughtered cattle were randomly selected and examined. Out of the 224 cattle examined, 95 (42.41%) were males and 129 (57.59%) were females. Out of 95 male cattle examined, 27 (28.42%) were infected and out of 129 females 35 (27.13%) were infected. Based on breed, infection rates were 31 (31.0%), and 31 (25.2%) for breeds of SokotoGudaliand RedBorororespectively. No infection was recorded in WhiteFulanibreed. Lesions observed were more in males than in females and more in RedBororothan in SokotoGudali. Overall, prevalence of infection withFasciolawas 27.68%. There was no statistically significant association between infection and breed and between infection and sex of the animals sampled(P>0.05). Regular treatment of all animals with an effective flukicide, as well as snail habitat control, tracing source of animals, public enlightenment about the disease, proper abattoir inspection, adequate and clean water supply to animals, and payment of compensation of condemned tissues and organs infested with the parasite by government were suggested.

Aim: An epidemiological study of gastrointestinal parasites of working camels in Sokoto metropolis was conducted between March and September, 2013, where the general prevalence and seasonal distribution were identified. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 faecal samples from working camels were examined using standard parasitological techniques (Centrifugal sedimentation and simple flotation). Microscopic examination of faecal samples revealed that some samples were positive for at least one or more parasite eggs/oocysts. Results: The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was found to be 78 (78.0%) and seasonal prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was found to be 35 (70.0%) for the dry season and 43 (86.0%) for the rainy season. Overall, the prevalence of nematodes, trematodes, cestodes, and protozoa were 87 (80.56%), 7 (6.48%), 4 (3.71%) and 10 (9.26%), respectively. The prevalence of helminths parasites indicated as most dominant eggs of Strongyles 68 (62.96%) followed by Strongyloides spp 10 (9.26%), and Trichuris spp 8 (7.41%), while Protozoan oocyst from the faecal samples recorded Coccidia spp 9 (8.33%). The prevalence by sex, age, and breed were also determined in the study animals. Conclusion: The presence of polyparasitism with high prevalence is an indication that favorable environmental conditions for infection, survival and perpetuation of the parasites exist in Sokoto metropolis.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the major health problems in Africa. The conventional oral synthetic antidiabetic drugs available to manage the disease are costly and not readily affordable to the majority of the affected population. Interestingly, the continent is endowed with a tremendous number of medicinal plants that have been explored for their folkloric treatment of diabetes mellitus. Scientific investigations have validated the antidiabetic potentials of a number of these medicinal plants but there is no repository with information on these scientifically investigated plants as a guide for future research. In this review article, all of the in vivo antidiabetic studies conducted between January 2000 and July 2013 on African plants are systematically compiled with a closer look at some relevant plants from the continent's subregions. Plants of the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families are the most investigated, and West Africa has the highest number of investigated plants. Although promising results were reported in many cases, unfortunately, only a few studies reported the partial characterization of bioactive principles and/or mechanisms of action. It is hoped that government agencies, pharmaceutical industries, and the scientific community will have a look at some of these plants for future research and, if possible, subsequent commercialization.

Annona senegalensis Pers (Annonaceae) known as Wild Custard Apple is used locally in the treatment of diabetes in Nigeria. This study was aimed at investigating the inhibitory potential of A. senegalensis leaf extracts and fractions on the activities of some enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase) linked to diabetes. Plant samples were extracted with n-hexane (HEX), ethyl cetate (EtOAc) and ethanol (EtOH) and the extracts were subjected to in vitro antidiabetic studies. The most active extract was further fractionated using column chromatography and the fractions obtained were screened for the inhibitory activities whilst the possible bioactive compounds were determined by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GC–MS). From the results, ethanolic extract possessed lowest IC50 values (α-amylase: 204.04 ± 6.38 μg/ml, α-glucosidase: 97.91 ± 2.40 μg/ml) compared to other extracts. The most active fraction (F-fraction) from the ethanolic extract showed lower IC50 values for α-amylase (237.14 ± 31.19 μg/ml) and α-glucosidase (88.25 ± 0.59 μg/ml). The data further showed that F-fraction is a competitive inhibitor (Vmax: 27.03 μmol/min, Km: 0.24%, ki value: 8.46 μg/ml) for α-amylase and non-competitive inhibitor for α-glucosidase (Vmax: 1.10 μmol/min, Km: 3.7 mmol/l, ki value: 1.26 μg/ml). Possible compounds revealed by GC–MS from F-fraction were hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester, 1,3-octadecenal, and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, and bis (2-methylpropyl) ester. Therefore, our present data showed that A. senegalensis showed inhibitory potentials on the activities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, attributed to the possible presence of identified compounds.

SUMMARYParasitic infections are among the leading global public health problems with very high economic and mortality burdens. Unfortunately, the available treatment drugs are beset with side effects and continuous parasite drug resistance is being reported. However, new findings reveal more promising compounds especially of plant origin. Among the promising leads are the pentacyclic triterpenes (PTs) made up of the oleanane, ursane, taraxastane, lupane and hopane types. This paper reviews the literature published from 1985 to date on the in vitro and in vivo anti-parasitic potency of this class of phytochemicals. Of the 191 natural and synthetic PT reported, 85 have shown high anti-parasitic activity against various species belonging to the genera of Plasmodium, Leishmania, Trypanosoma, as well as various genera of Nematoda. Moreover, structural modification especially at carbon 3 (C3) and C27 of the parent backbone of PT has led to improved anti-parasitic activity in some cases and loss of activity in others. The potential of this group of compounds as future alternatives in the treatment of parasitic diseases is discussed. It is hoped that the information presented herein will contribute to the full exploration of this promising group of compounds as possible drugs for parasitic diseases.

This study investigated and compared the antioxidative, antidiabetic effects and possible active compounds present in various solvent extracts of fruit, leaf and stem of Aframomum melegueta (Rosc.) K. Schum. Samples were sequentially extracted using solvents of increasing polarity. They were investigated for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing power, inhibition of hemoglobin glycosylation, α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities as markers of in vitro antidiabetic effects at various doses (30-240 μg/mL). Possible compounds were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. From the results, fruit ethanolic (EtOH) extract showed higher total polyphenol (12.52 ± 0.13 mg/g GAE) and flavonoid (4.92 ± 0.12 mg/g QE) contents compared to other extracts. Similarly, for all the in vitro models used in this study, fruit EtOH extract exhibited lower IC50 values compared to other extracts, comparable to standards used in this study (DPPH 0.04 ± 0.01 mg/mL; ascorbic acid: 0.03 ± 0.02 mg/mL; gallic acid: 0.05 ± 0.01 mg/mL; hemoglobin glycosylation: 0.7 2 ± 0.03 mg/mL; gallic acid: 0.20 ± 0.01 mg/mL; α-amylase: 0.62 ± 0.01 mg/mL; acarbose: 4.91 ± 0.80 mg/mL; α-glucosidase: 0.06 ± 0.01 mg/mL; acarbose: 0.34 ± 0.02 mg/mL). Additionally, EtOH extract of the fruit demonstrated significantly (p0.05) higher reducing potentials of Fe3+ to Fe2+ compared to other solvent extracts. The GC-MS analysis of fruit and leaf EtOH extracts revealed the presence of some phenolics and other fatty acids derivatives as possible compounds present. Conclusively, fruit EtOH extract exhibited higher antioxidative and antidiabetic effects compared to other solvent extracts in vitro and thus require further work to fully validate these effects in vivo.

Outcomes following lung transplant remain suboptimal. This is attributable to variable posttransplant recovery of lung function, and inconsistent degrees of lung function loss after peak function is reached. Granzyme B is elevated in the blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in acute rejection. We hypothesized that persistent exposure to T cells high in granzyme B would negatively correlate with lung function. We investigated cumulative exposure measured as the area-under-the-curve (AUC) of CD8 + T cell granzyme B hi cells in the first year posttransplant in both BAL and blood in 24 transplant recipients. We assessed the correlation between cumulative 1-year exposure and FEV 1 slope. There was a negative correlation between 1-year exposure and FEV 1 slope within the first year ( r = −0.63; P = .001). This relationship persisted even when adjusted for transplant type, gender, age, rejection, and indication for transplantation. In contrast, no relationship was seen with the 1-year AUC and lung function after 1 year posttransplant. In contrast to the BAL granzyme B hi levels, granzyme B hi levels from the blood showed no relationship with lung function. These findings suggest that CD8 + T-cell–driven factors are responsible for early improvements in lung function after transplantation.

Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is lifesaving for children with intestinal failure. Catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CA-BSI) are common in hospitalized patients receiving parenteral nutrition (PN), but data evaluating CA-BSI in children receiving HPN are limited.To determine the incidence and characteristics of CA-BSI in children receiving HPN.Medical records of 44 children receiving HPN during a 3-year period were reviewed. End points were CA-BSI during the initial 6 months after discharge. CA-BSI was defined as isolation of pathogens from blood requiring antimicrobial therapy.The primary indication for HPN was short bowel syndrome (46%), and 59 BSI were documented during the initial 6 months of HPN in 29 (66%) children. Of CA-BSI, polymicrobial infections accounted for 52%; gram-positive, 29%; gram-negative, 17%; and fungal, 2%. CA-BSI incidence per 1000 catheter-days was highest during the first month posthospital discharge (72 episodes; 95% confidence interval [CI], 45.4-109.6). CA-BSI incidence density ratio for children receiving HPN for90 days compared with those receiving HPN for30 days was 2.2 (P.05). Logistic regression revealed that Medicaid insurance and age1 year were associated with increased risk for CA-BSI (odds ratio [OR], 4.4 [95% CI, 1.13-16.99] and 6.6 [1.50-28.49], respectively; P.05).The incidence of CA-BSI in children receiving HPN is highest during the first month posthospital discharge. Strategies to address care in the immediate posthospital discharge period may reduce the burden of infectious complications of HPN.

Globalization is the increasing interaction of peoples, states or countries through the growth of the global trade, international flow of capital, ideas and culture. The paper discusses how privatization of public corporations and invention of information and communication technology (ICT) lead to the retrenchment and casualization of public servant. The aim of this study is to examines the impact of globalization on the public servant in Nigeria. The methodology involves the use of secondary data, through a systematic literature review which entails the document analysis of related matters. The findings reveal that globalization infringes on the right of a public servant by making them vulnerable without job security. The paper concludes that government must stop unfair labor practice such as retrenchment and casualization of workers, and improve good working conditions to make public servant more productive.

In spite of advances in lung transplantation, the median survival after lung transplant remains less than 5 years, an outcome that is significantly worse than other solid organ transplants. Efforts to understand the unique hurdles faced in lung transplant have revealed gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as a risk factor for ultimate graft failure. The link between GERD and chronic lung rejection parallels the association between GERD and other forms of lung disease such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Understanding how GERD predisposes to graft failure is an important issue as it may lead to therapies such as surgical correction that aim to lessen the exposure of the pulmonary epithelium to gastric contents. Here, we review the link between GERD and lung disease and discuss the preclinical and clinical studies that are starting to elucidate a mechanism for this association.

Many of medical anthropology's most pressing research questions require an understanding how infections, money and ideas move around the globe. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is a $9 billion project that has delivered 20 billion doses of oral polio vaccine in campaigns across the world. With its array of global activities, it cannot be comprehensively explored by the traditional anthropological method of research at one field site. This paper describes an ethnographic study of the GPEI, a collaborative effort between researchers at eight sites in seven countries. We developed a methodology grounded in nuanced understandings of local context but structured to allow analysis of global trends. Here, we examine polio vaccine acceptance and refusal to understand how global phenomena-in this case, policy decisions by donors and global health organizations to support vaccination campaigns rather than building health systems-shape local behavior. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The effect of aqueous extract of Acacia albida stem bark was investigated in Wistar albino rats infected with Trypanosoma evansi. The extract showed highest reduction in parasitemia at the dose of 600 mg/kg body weight (bw). A dose of 300 mg/kg bw improved packed cell volume the most by 14.35%. The group treated with 150 and 600 mg/kg bw of the extract showed significant decrease (P

The neutralizing effects of methanol extracts of Indigofera pulchra Willd (Papilionaceae), Aristolochia albida Duch (Aristolochiaceae), Guiera senegalense J.F.Gmel (Combretaceae), and Sterculia setigera K. Schum (Sterculiaceae) were investigated to validate traditional claims of usefulness of the plants in management of poisonous snakebites. Extracts of Indigofera pulchra and Aristolochia albida gave 33.3% and 44.4% protection to mice treated with minimum lethal dose of venom; some gross pathologic symptoms of envenomation were alleviated. However, minimal activities were shown by Guiera senegalense and Sterculia setigera. Both Indigofera pulchra and Aristolochia albida were found to neutralize the anticoagulant, hemolytic, and phospholipase activity of crude venom. This study showed that Indigofera pulchra and Aristolochia albida are useful in some pathologic effects of Naja nigricollis Broadley (Elapidae) venom, and this provides some scientific basis for the use of the plants in management of poisonous snakebites.

Concurrency control is one of the most important components of transaction management, which ensures the correctness of shared data items. Most of the existing concurrency control techniques use locking mechanism to achieve concurrency control, which leads to transaction starvation and deadlock. On the other hand, the non-locking techniques (i.e. optimistic and timestamp ordering) are associated with high abortion rate and excessive transaction restart. This paper presents a lock-free hybrid concurrency control strategy that combines the features of optimistic and timestamp-ordering strategies. The technique allows mobile devices to freely read data items and allowed to pre-commit while in disconnection mode, and latter propagate the pre-committed data during reconnection for global commitment. A designed hybrid concurrency simulator (HCsim) was used to evaluate the performance of the new scheme using transaction abortion rate and response time as performance metrics. Simulation results have shown that lock-free hybrid strategy outperform both optimistic and timestamp strategies in terms of minimizing the transaction abortion rate and response time.

BACKGROUND: After 2 decades of focused efforts to eradicate polio, the impact of eradication activities on health systems continues to be controversial. This study evaluated the impact of polio eradication activities on routine immunization (RI) and primary healthcare (PHC). METHODS: Quantitative analysis assessed the effects of polio eradication campaigns on RI and maternal healthcare coverage. A systematic qualitative analysis in 7 countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa assessed impacts of polio eradication activities on key health system functions, using data from interviews, participant observation, and document review. RESULTS: Our quantitative analysis did not find compelling evidence of widespread and significant effects of polio eradication campaigns, either positive or negative, on measures of RI and maternal healthcare. Our qualitative analysis revealed context-specific positive impacts of polio eradication activities in many of our case studies, particularly disease surveillance and cold chain strengthening. These impacts were dependent on the initiative of policy makers. Negative impacts, including service interruption and public dissatisfaction, were observed primarily in districts with many campaigns per year. CONCLUSIONS: Polio eradication activities can provide support for RI and PHC, but many opportunities to do so remain missed. Increased commitment to scaling up best practices could lead to significant positive impacts.