To evaluate the prevalence and pattern of developmental defects of the enamel (DDE) and their risk factors among children born infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and those born to ...HIV-infected mothers compared with their unexposed counterparts (
, children born to uninfected mothers). This was an analytic cross-sectional study evaluating the presence and pattern of distribution of DDE in three groups of school-aged children (age, 4-11 years) receiving care and treatment at a Nigerian tertiary hospital, comprising: (1) HIV-infected (HI) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) (n = 184), (2) HIV-exposed but uninfected (HEU) (n = 186) and (3) HIV-unexposed and uninfected (HUU) (n = 184). Data capture forms and questionnaires were used to record the children's medical and dental history based on clinical chart review and recall from their parents/guardians. Dental examinations were performed by calibrated dentists blinded to the study grouping. CD4+ (Cluster of Differentiation) T-cell counts were assayed for all participants. The diagnosis of DDE corresponded with the codes enumerated in the World Dental Federation's modified DDE Index. Analyses relied on comparative statistics to determine risk factors associated with DDE. A total of 103 participants distributed among the three groups presented with at least one form of DDE, which indicated a prevalence of 18.59%. The HI group had the highest frequency of DDE-affected teeth (4.36%), while that of the HEU and HUU groups were 2.73% and 2.05%, respectively. Overall, the most encountered DDE was code 1 (Demarcated Opacity), accounting for 30.93% of all codes. DDE codes 1, 4 and 6 showed significant associations with the HI and HEU groups in both dentitions (
< 0.05). We found no significant association DDE and either very low birth weight or preterm births. A marginal association with CD4+ lymphocyte count was observed in HI participants. DDE is prevalent in school-aged children, and HIV infection is a significant risk factor for hypoplasia, a common form of DDE. Our results were consistent with other research linking controlled HIV (with ART) to oral diseases and reinforce advocacies for public policies targeted at infants exposed/infected perinatally with HIV.
Background: Anatomical variations have been genetically linked and the phenomenon Morton's toe is no exception. Its prevalence has been a notable phenomenon in the medical field. This study ...investigated the prevalence of Morton's toe amongst the Kalabari tribe of Rivers State, Nigeria. Materials & Methods: A total of 446 participants were sampled for this study. Results & Discussions: The observed longer second toe pattern was described as present (both feet, right foot or left foot), while a shorter second toe was described as absent. Morton’s toe was more prevalent (65.9%) in the studied population than absent (34.1%); with males (34.7%) having slightly higher proportion of Morton's toe than females (31.2%), a little difference of 3.5% which was not so significant. The pattern of inheritance of Morton’s toe was without sex predisposition, with larger population exhibiting Morton’s toe. The male participants had a present to absent ratio of 3:1 indicating that for every three males who had Morton’s toe, one male around did not. The female participants had a present to absent ratio of 2:1 indicating that for every two females who had Morton’s toe, one female around did not have it. Conclusion: In the general population, the ratio for present to absent is 2:1, implying that for every two persons with Morton’s toe in the population, there is one person who does not have it. The study also observed bilateral symmetry (i.e., some individuals presented with Morton’s toe on both feet), while others had it on either the left or right foot.
The fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has continued to threaten human existence globally, has led to the development of vaccines in order to control the rate of infection and ...death associated with the disease. Media messages on the COVID-19 vaccine are geared towards raising audience awareness and understanding of health risks, knowledge and attitudes about the vaccine safety.
The study examined the knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 vaccine safety media messages amongst residents of South East, Nigeria.
A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 399 respondents (18-47 years) in both urban and rural communities of South East, Nigeria from May 6th to July 4th, 2021. The survey was carried out using structured self administered questionnaire containing the respondents' demographics, knowledge and attitudes towards media messages regarding COVID-19 vaccine safety. The data were analysed using the SPSS version 26 software. Result was presented in frequencies, percentages and charts showing the interrelatedness of the variables examined. Regression ANOVA was used to test hypotheses on the extent to which level of exposure to COVID-19 media messages predict their knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 vaccine safety at
<0.05 level of significance.
Data indicate respondents are apprehensive of taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Approximately, 91% of respondents are between the ages of 18 and 27 years. Meanwhile, 26.1% of the respondents agreed that media messages on COVID-19 vaccine is very assuring and convincing as regards human safety; 42.4% disagreed on the safety of COVID-19 vaccine safety messages; 26.1% rated vaccine messages as moderate as regards human safety, while 5.5% rated the vaccine messages as poor. Knowledge of respondents regarding the safety of the vaccine was low and respondents' attitude was negative in South East, Nigeria. The implication is indicative of the failure of the main stream media in educating the general public on pertinent health issues relevant to them.
Knowledge regarding media messages on COVID-19 vaccine safety is low. Messages on COVID-19 vaccine safety were not sufficient and convincing. Consequently, there is a negative attitude towards the vaccine. Hence, improving knowledge and adoptive attitude amongst respondents amidst COVID-19 is critical.
With social distancing being a key preventative measure of COVID-19, proper provision of healthcare services becomes a challenge as healthcare professionals are concerned about the risk of potential ...infection. Telemedicine, a practice that uses telecommunication networks for the delivery of healthcare services and medical education, has been adopted by several countries and has shown to provide positive outcomes. This concept is poorly practiced in African Countries compared to other countries of the world. This paper reiterates the need for the expansion of telemedical systems in Africa for the dual goals of COVID-19 prevention and provision of quality healthcare services to people.
This study was carried out in order to ascertain if the Okigwe red lump stone, found in South-eastern Nigeria, could be used as coarse aggregate in making structural concrete. The maximum compressive ...strength values, obtained at 28 days for red lump stone concrete were 13.72 N/mm2 at w/c ratio of 0.53 for mix ratio 1:2:4 and 8.74 N/mm2 for mix ratio 1:3:6, at w/c ratio of 0.55. These values were not up to 20 N/mm2 which is the ACI 318 (1995) recommendation for structural concrete. Therefore, Okigwe red lump stone must not be used in making structural concrete using mixes 1:2:4 and 1:3:6.
Soil nutrients which are major factors to crop yield and food security could be loss to erosion as a result of structural break down leading to water pollution and low crop yield. Soils of southeast ...Nigeria like others in the humid tropical area are prone to degradation and are low in nutrient status. Therefore the study was conducted in other to investigate the distribution of selected soil nutrients in aggregate sizes under different geologic formations namely Asu River Group (ARG), Coastal Plain Sand (CPS), Falsebedded Sand Stone (FBS) and Bende Ameki Group (BAG) in Southeast Nigeria. At a depth of 0-15 cm, three replicate soil samples were taken from each formation. Collected samples were air dried, crushed and sieved using 2 mm mesh, properly labelled and analysed using standard methods. Samples for aggregate stability were not crushed after air drying. Core samplers were also used to collect samples for bulk density determination. Wet sieving method was used in separating samples into different sieve sizes of 2, 1, 0.5, and < 0.25 mm respectively. The experiment which was analysed using ANOVA was laid in Randomised complete block design. Significant means were separated using LSD at 5 % probability. Result indicated significant (P < 0.05) variations in soil nutrients with sieve sizes. Soil organic carbon ranged from 10.30 % in aggregate diameter of 2 mm to 13.90 % in 0.5 mm in Asu River Group, 5.30% in 2 mm diameter to 12.30 % in < 0.25 mm in Coastal Plain Sand, 8.80% in 2mm sieve to 13.50 % in < 0.25 mm and in Falsebedded Sand and from 8.40 % in sieve of 0.5 mm to 15.8% in < 0.25 mm sieve size in Bende Ameki Group. Higher values of total nitrogen were noted in 0.5 and in < 0.25 mm sieve sizes. Available phosphorus was significantly (P<0.05) found more in aggregates size of 1mm in all studied soils except in Uzuakoli. The stability of aggregates using percentage water stable aggregates greater 0.25 mm (WSA > 0.25) was significantly higher in soils of Umuna (59.18%) under False bedded Sand Stone and least at soils of Obinze (26.27%) under Coastal Plain Sand and followed the order: FBS >ARG > BAG > CPS. Result also showed that soil organic carbon had significant (P < 0.05) positive relation with water stable aggregates WSA (r= 0.50), pH water (r= 0.53), total nitrogen (r=0.79), effective cation exchange capacity (r = 0.51) of the studied soils.
The receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB-2 plays an important role in the regulation of growth factor-induced signal transduction cascades in the epithelium, and ErbB-2 is frequently overexpressed in ...epithelial tumors. Our previous studies on clinical prostate cancer specimens indicated that ErbB-2 expression was increased in patients undergoing hormone ablation therapy. We had also shown that the critical cell cycle regulatory gene cyclin D1 and its promoter were targets of proliferative signaling in prostate cancer cell lines, and that cyclin D1 was required for ErbB-2-induced mammary tumorigenesis. In the current studies, we found that increased ErbB-2 membrane expression correlated with increased nuclear cyclin D1 staining in clinical prostate cancer specimens, and that expression of ErbB-2 was capable of inducing cell cycle progression in human prostate cancer cell lines. We further showed that ErbB-2 induced the cyclin D1 promoter in DU145 cells, and that small interfering RNA knockdown of cyclin D1 protein levels blocked a significant proportion of the heregulin-induced cell cycle progression in LNCaP cells. Probasin promoter-targeted expression of an activated ErbB-2 isoform induced cyclin D1 expression in the mouse prostate, commensurate with prostate intraepithelial neoplasia. Together, these in vitro and in vivo studies identify cyclin D1 as a critical downstream target of ErbB-2 in the prostate epithelium, both of which are possible therapeutic targets for cancer intervention. Furthermore, our novel mouse model provides a useful platform for ongoing in vivo investigations of ErbB-2 signaling in the prostate epithelium.
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