Do Iron Chelators Affect Fertility in Thalassemic Men?

Abstracts

Background: Iron overload is a major complication in patients with thalassemia, however, development of iron-chelating therapy has partly overcome this problem.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of iron chelator drugs on testicular volume, semen parameters and serum FSH, LH, and Testosterone concentrations in 62 young male patients with major and intermedia thalassemia.

Materials and Methods: Sixty two young male patients with major and intermedia thalassemia, aged 18–41 years who had different iron chelator drug using status were evaluated.

Results: At the time of the study their serum ferritin levels ranged from 182 to 11053 ng/mL (mean 2067 ng/mL). The mean volume of patients’ ejaculate was 2.3 cc. The mean concentration of sperm was 61.04 million per milliliter. The mean size of right testis was 11.4 cc and the mean size of left testis was 11.7 cc. Hypogonadism and hypothyroidism were seen in 22.6% and 17.7% of patients, respectively. The mean level of FSH was 3.7 mIU/ml, LH was 4.6 mIU/ml, and Testosterone was 4.8 ng/dl. The mean level of serum ferritin was 2067 ng/dl.

Conclusion: This study suggests that in thalassemic men, concentrations of serum Testosterone, LH, FSH has significant correlation with sperm parameters and testicular volume but iron chelators mostly do not impact the elements of fertility in these patients.

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Effects of Fermented Soya Bean Supplements on Thyroid Profile and Serum Electrolytes of High Fat Diet-induced Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Rabbits

Abstracts

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of fermented soya bean supplements on thyroid profile and serum electrolytes of high fat diet-induced type 2 diabetes in rabbits.

Twenty rabbits weighing between 1 kg – 1.5 kg were used for the study. Diabetes was induced by feeding the animals with high fat diet for eight weeks. Rabbits having fasting blood glucose levels of 7.2 mmol/L and above after the induction were used for the study. The animals were grouped into four groups of five rabbits each: Group 1 (diabetic control) received distilled water ad libitum for six weeks; Groups 2, 3 and 4 were fed with 12.5%, 25% and 50% fermented soya bean supplements respectively for six weeks. At the end of the treatment period, the rabbits were euthanized by cervical dislocation and blood samples were collected through cardiac puncture. The serum was extracted after clotting and centrifugation for the determination of thyroid profile and electrolyte levels. The results showed a significant decrease (P ≤ 0.05) in serum T₃ and T₄ concentrations, and a significant increase (P ≤ 0.05) in the serum TSH concentration in the groups fed with the supplements when compared with the diabetic control. Furthermore, as regards to the serum electrolytes concentrations there was  a significant increase (P ≤ 0.05) in sodium ion concentration in the group fed 12.5% soya bean supplement when compared with the control and a significant decrease (P ≤ 0.05) in potassium ion concentrations in all the groups fed with the soya beans supplements, as  compared to control. Chloride ion concentrations were significantly decreased (P ≤ 0.05) in groups fed 25% and 50 % supplement as compared to control, while bicarbonate ion concentrations were significantly increased (P ≤ 0.05) in groups fed with 25% and 50% supplement when compared with the control. In conclusion fermented soya bean supplementation suppressed thyroid activity and improved serum electrolyte concentrations; it may be used to alleviate hyperthyroidism and electrolyte disturbances in diabetes patients.

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Genetic Screening of Cowpea Varieties [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] for Aphis craccivora Resistance in the Sudano-Sahelian Zone of Cameroon

Abstracts

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is a highly sought after legume of populations in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Cameroon. Its multiple uses meet the needs of farmers because it contributes to food security and contributes to people's incomes. The use of resistant varieties is the most advantageous method because of its compatibility with integrated pest management. The objective of this study was to identify with the marker CP171 / 172 the cowpea varieties resistant to A. craccivora.Ten (10) varieties are conducted in Greenhouse for tested of resistance to aphids. The seedlings were artificially infested with five aphid nymphs and the assessment of their responses to symptoms of aphid damage was made on the basis of qualitative and quantitative criteria, namely: stem height, number of leaves, leaf surface primary, number and damage of A. craccivora. After DNA Extraction and Polymerization Chain Reaction in the Laboratory, two varieties (ENMD2 and NML50) revealed aphid resistance: these results show the effectiveness of Marker Assisted Selection in Varietal Selection programs to conserve and sustainably manage these resources.

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How Useful is the Widal Test in Modern Clinical Practice in Developing Countries? A Review

Abstracts

Background: It has been over a century since the Widal test was developed for diagnosing typhoid fever. Yet, the test remains the major means of diagnosing the disease in many of the developing countries where it remains endemic. This review appraises the Widal test in regard to its performance techniques, its various drawbacks and the available alternative diagnostics methods.

Methods: The study was a non-systematic review. A literature search was conducted for relevant original and review articles primarily in MEDLINE database through PubMed. Relevant references in the articles at hand were searched manually with Google search engine. Related articles during the manual search were also reviewed. Inclusion criteria were the date of publication from 2,000 to 2017, original research conducted on human subjects and publication in the English Language. All articles that did not meet these criteria were excluded.

Results: The Widal test is a relatively cheap and readily available test in developing countries where more sophisticated tests like culture and polymerase chain reaction are either not available or unaffordable where available. It is, however, difficult to interpret the result because of various reasons that may cause either a false positive or a false negative result. Although several alternative rapid diagnostic tests are now available, there is still no sufficiently reliable one that can replace the traditional diagnostic gold standard, which is culture isolation of the organism.

Conclusion: The Widal test is grossly inadequate to be relied upon as a diagnostic tool for typhoid fever in an endemic area, culture isolation of the causative organism remains the gold standard for diagnosing the disease, and the quest to develop highly effective rapid diagnostic tests for the disease should continue.

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Marijuana Use and Its Effects on the Kidney

Abstracts

Cannabis (marijuana) continues to be the most commonly used illicit psychoactive substance globally. However little is known about trends of marijuana use in a large proportion of the world’s population, including in India. Some countries such as the United States have legalised marijuana use in some states for recreational and medicinal uses. In animal models, the endogenous cannabinoid (eCB) system plays a role in regulating kidney hemodynamics and sodium transport and may contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic and obesity related nephropathy and kidney fibrosis. Although there is no evidence currently that marijuana use plays a role in the pathogenesis of kidney disease, data in humans are limited to case reports of AKI in the setting of synthetic cannabinoid use. The present review focuses on the role of the eCB system in normal kidney function and in various diseases.

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Volatile Constituents of Essential Oils from the Leaves, Stems, Roots and Fruits of Vietnamese Species of Alpinia malaccencis

Abstracts

The essential oils obtained from different parts of Alpinia malaccencis (Burm f.) (Zingiberaceae) collected from Kỳ SÆ¡n Districts, Nghệ An Province, Vietnam, has been studied. Determination of essential oil components from the leaves, stems, roots and fruits of A. malaccencis was performed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). β-Pinene (leaf: 56.%; stem: 46.0%; root: 31.7% and fruit: 18.5%) and α-pinene (leaf: 10.3%; stem: 9.8%; root: 6.3% and fruit: 5.9%) were the major constituents of the oils. In addition, β-phellandrene was present in the amount of 12.1%, 12.9% and 12.9% in the stem, root and fruit oils but absent in the leaf. Methyl cinnamate (27.8%) was identified in higher quantity only in the fruit oil but absent in the leaf while α-phellandrene (5.7%) was present in the stem and α-selina-6-en-4-ol (5.5%) was a significant compound of the root oil. The compositions of the root and fruit essential oils were reported for the first time.
Aims: The aim of the research is to investigate for the first time the volatile constituents from A. malaccencis collected from Kỳ SÆ¡n Districts, Nghệ An Province, Vietnam.
Study Design: Extraction of essential oils from the air-dried leaves, stems, roots and fruits samples of A. malaccencis and investigation of their chemical constituents.
Place and Duration of Study: Leaves, stems, roots and fruits of A. malaccaencis were collected from plants growing in Kỳ SÆ¡n Districts, Nghệ An Province, Vietnam, in May 2014.
Methodology: Air-dried and pulverized samples were hydrodistilled in a Clevenger-type apparatus according to Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia to obtained volatile oils whose chemical constituents were analyzed by GC and GC/MS.
Results: Monoterpene hydrocarbons were the dominant class of compound in the leaf oil (74.0%) and stem oil (81.3%) of A. malaccencis. Sesquiterpene compounds (21.5%) were identified in appreciable quantity in the roots oil, although monoterpene hydrocarbons (59.3%) are abundant. Oxygenated monoterpenes (31.1%) and monoterpene hydrocarbons (46.7%) constituted the main classes of compounds identified in the fruit oil.
Conclusion: The literature about the oils of A. malaccencis indicates a high variability in the chemical composition of the essential oils.

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Qualitative Exploration of Ebola Risk Perception among Mortuary Workers in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstracts

Aim:  To explore the risk perception of Ebola virus disease (EVD) among mortuary workers in Nigeria.

Study Design:  A qualitative research approach method, using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), conducted among 36 mortuary workers in Ibadan.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted between October and November 2014 in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria.

Methodology: A structured moderating approach with a non-directive style was developed. A Focus Group Discussion (FGD) guide was used to explore participants’ ideas and opinions. The FGD guide consisted of five sections. Each section was framed to probe into the following issues: (1). Knowledge of EVD (2). Participant’s attitude to EVD (3). Adherence to infection control practices (4). Risk perception of EVD; and (5). Behavioural predisposition to the risk of mortuary-related infections. A total of six FGD sessions were conducted among 36 mortuary attendants, drawn from two government and four private health facilities in Ibadan. Six participants made up each focus group and one focus group discussion was conducted at a time in the respective health facilities.

Results: The qualitative exploration of mortuary workers revealed gaps in the knowledge of workers with regards to EVD, the high-risk perception of mortuary workers to Ebola virus disease and the unavailability of PPE in conducting autopsies and daily operations. In addition, a poor attitude to convalescent individuals and certain harmful behavioural practices in the morgue were revealed as key findings.

Conclusion: Efforts at bridging the knowledge gaps concerning EVD among mortuary workers should be sustained, despite the decline in Ebola outbreaks. It is also recommended that standard precautions should be followed when handling corpses due to the risk of infection.

Keywords :

Ebola viral disease; FGD; risk perception; mortuary workers; Ibadan.

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Geospatial Profiling for Threshold Mapping of Hydrothermal Alterations within Kushaka Schist Belt, North Central Nigeria: Implications for Mineral Exploration

Abstracts

Determining thresholds are very useful and efficacious in hydrothermal alteration mapping because of their association with mineral deposits. Thus, quantifying the degree of association can serve as a reliable and definitive way of separating highly to less altered zones. This can be achieved through the application of the knowledge of the threshold values. The aim of the study is to propose a new and more effective method for defining thresholds from spatial profiles in thematic images. To achieve this, band ratio technique and threshold mapping of the study area were carried out. The band ratio method was used to delineate clay alteration by dividing band 5 on band 7. Ten (10) profiles each were generated within the study area and the maximum and minimum threshold values were determined. The results showed a close agreement and consistency between the thresholds values derived from spatial profiling method with the values computed from other established method of threshold determination. It is also important to note that known gold mineralization points in the study area were observed to occur within the highly clay altered zones. Therefore, this study have shown that spatial profiling technique can be regarded as a valid and plausible method for determining threshold values in thematic images.

Keywords :

Threshold; band ratio; spatial profiling; thematic images; hydrothermal alterations.

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Anatomical Variation in the Branching Pattern of Musculocutaneous Nerve & Its Clinical Importance - A Case Report

Abstracts

The anatomical knowledge of the musculocutaneous nerve and its variations play an important role for the surgeons, due to the fact that one of the complications in many upper-limb surgical procedures involve injury to this nerve. During our routine dissection, we observed an anatomical variation of the musculocutaneous nerve taking origin from the lateral cord of the brachial plexus and after passing through the coracobrachialis muscle it then gave a communicating branch to the median nerve in the left upper limb of a male cadaver. The union between the musculocutaneous nerve and the median nerve occurred approximately at the midpoint of the arm. We consider this variation to be rare.

Keywords :

Musculocutaneous nerve; median nerve; variations.

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Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Soil Fertility and Productivity on Wheat Crop

Abstracts
 A field experiment was conducted during Rabi season 2013-14 and 2014-15 on sandy loam soil to study on crop research Centre Chirori of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology; Meerut utter Pradesh (India). The results revealed that application if 125% recommend dose fertilizer of NPK were significantly higher plant height at different stages, number of spikelet's spike-1,Number of grains spike-1, Test weight (g) than the other treatments during both the years. Application of 125% recommended dose fertilizer recorded significantly highest grain yield 49.73 to 47.75 q ha-1 during 2013-14 & 2014-15, respectively. Among the various treatments where 125% NPK was applied proved to be superior and it statistically at par with T2 (100 % NPK) and T11 (75 % NPK + vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1 + phosphorus solubilizing bacteria + Azotobacter), in terms of growth, yield attributes and yields during first & second years. Moreover, the application of organic in integration with inorganic fertilizers could also maintain the soil fertility which is much important for sustainable crop production. The organic carbon and available NPK in the soil after harvest increase with the combined application of organic and inorganic with Biofertilizer. Integration of 75% NPK with vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1 + phosphorus solubilizing bacteria + Azotobacter was found better by improving the residual soil fertility status after the harvest of the wheat crop.

 Keywords :
Nutrient management; FYM; pressmud; vermicompost; azotobactor; phosphorus solubilizing bacteria; growth; yield and yield attributes.

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Elaboration of an Open Source Prototyping Platform for Salubrity Monitoring in Agricultural Machinery

Abstracts

Agricultural operations are generally carried out in places subject to abrupt environmental changes. In order to provide improvements in the work environment of tractor operators, it is of the utmost importance to monitor and make changes in the work environment. The present work aims to elaborate a low cost, flexible and easy to handle prototype, geared towards monitoring some parameters associated with the salubrity conditions of the agricultural tractor operator’s working environment, which are: sound pressure level, ambient temperature and relative air humidity. The developed prototype acquire data through low-cost sensors and interprets the analyzed parameters comparing their values ​​to those recommended by the Brazilian Regulatory Standards 15 (Unhealthy Operations and Activities) and 17 (Ergonomics), in order to perform a salubrity analysis of the local environmental conditions and to issue visual alerts to the operator when any parameter is outside the range of interest. Industrial reference equipment, such as a decibel meter and a thermo hygrometer, were used in order to calibrate the sensors, which are responsible for monitoring the above-mentioned parameters. For purposes of precision evaluation, the data acquired by both systems (sensors and the reference equipment) were subjected to the Tukey test at a 5% significance level (P < 0.05). It was concluded that the elaborated prototype is effective to monitor cab temperature, relative air humidity and noise level. Also, it has potential for deepening in the monitoring of continuous and intermittent noise and calculation of the dose of noise on the operator throughout his/her working day. In addition, the prototype proved to be successful due to its low-cost (88.6USD), fast data acquisition, flexibility and relatively simple assembly and operating methodology. The prototype’s code is available in the GitHub platform.

 Keywords :

Arduino; safety at work; agricultural tractor; sensors.

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