Rajesh Varma
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Growth and yield responses of groundnut to different rates of NPK fertilizer at Umudike
No full textThe field trial was carried out in the 2014 cropping season in the Research and Training Farm (Eastern Farm) of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike to assess the effect of NPK 15: 15: 15 fertilizer rates on the biological and economic yields of groundnut (Ogoja spreading cultivar). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. Two viable seeds were sown at 40cm×40cm in a hole/hill along the crest of a 10m ridge with 0.5m spacing between two ridges on 28th June 2014. NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer was applied to each hill on 26th July at the rates of 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 kg/ha using the ring method. Field data were taken on the total fresh weight (g) of biomass/hill, number of pods/hill, fresh weight (g) of pods/hill, number of seeds/hill, 100 seeds` weight (kg/ha), and harvest index. The field data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Coefficient of Variation (CV), and line graphs with error bars using Genstat 12 edition and Excel Package, respectively. Fisher`s list significant difference (F-LSD) was applied to detect a significant difference between two means (P= 0.05). The result showed that the soil was texturally sandy loam with a pH of 5.20. The soil was also low in organic matter, total nitrogen, and potassium. But, it was high in phosphorus and exchangeable acidity. The application of NPK fertilizer significantly influenced (P≤0.05) the total fresh weight of biomass of groundnut with 150kg/ha giving the highest total fresh weight of biomass/hill. In the same vein, the application of NPK fertilizer at 250kg/ha also significantly increased (P≤0.05) the number of pods/hill. However, NPK fertilizer application did not significantly affect (P≥0.05) the total fresh weight of pods/hill, number of seeds/hill, 100 seed weight/hill, and harvest index.</p
Spatial distribution of COVID-19 in Ethiopia - geospatial analysis
No full textBackground: COVID-19 was the devastating worldwide public health problem in recent years. COVID19 disease affecting large populations in different continents of the world starting on 11 March 2020.This study will be useful to give information on geographical surveillance of COVID-19 in Ethiopia, to know regions of high or low rates of COVID 19, to give evidence as baseline data for future research on COVID-19 in Ethiopia, and to predict the prevalence of COVID-19 from the untested population in different regions of Ethiopia using the art geospatial techniques. Methods: We have used secondary data collected from March 13, 2020, to November 23/ 2021 From COVID19 – Ethiopia - Ethiopian Health Data. ArcGIS 10.3 and SaTscan software were used for spatial analysis and geographical analysis respectively. Results: A high prevalence of COVID-19 was found in Addis Ababa (67.36%) and Oromia (13.85%). Spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated that the spatial distribution of COVID-19 is nonrandom (Moran’s Index: 0.134297, P-value: 0.052384). In spatial scan statistical analysis, eight clusters were identified and the higher rates of COVID-19 were observed in the Afar (RR= 1.80, p<0.001) and Addis Ababa (RR= 50.33, p<0.001) regions. Conclusion: The spatial distribution of COVID-19 cases in Ethiopia was not random. Hot spot research revealed a significant prevalence of COVID-19 patients in the Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Harari, and Oromia regions. For the reduction of COVID-19 infections in Ethiopia, preventative and control activities should be extended to high-risk locations.</p
Surgery, Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy May Promote Cancer Growth Speeds and Shorten Patient Lives
No full textMedicine fails to find predictable cures for cancer in more than a century, and we explored the feasibility of controlling cancer growth speed by using lifestyle factors. After conducting an extensive literature review, we conducted simulations for cancer growth courses to see the feasibility of controlling cancer growth speeds.We found that (1) medical treatments are often accompanied by three to four lethal factors: treatment side-effects, emotional distress, and chronic stress, reduced exercises and physical inactivity, and excessive nutrition in some cases; (2) clinical trial exaggerates treatments short-term benefits and underestimates the slow-delivering adverse side effects as a result of statistical averaging, interfering effects of personal lifestyle factors and insufficient follow-up times; (3) the benefits of medical treatments are limited by chain comparisons, where surgery may work as a negative standard relative to the best alternatives for resolving cancer; (4) the strategy of destroying the tumor or killing all cancer cells is unworkable; (5) medical treatments can turn natural cancer growth curve into approximately doubly exponential curve; (6) multiple-factor non-medical measures are potentially much more powerful than medical treatments in controlling cancer growth and metastasis speeds; and (7) cancer early diagnosis and over treatments are unwise strategies in light of discoveries. Based on huge increases in cancer growth rate constants, substantial loss of vital organ functional capacity, and severe systemic aging-like cellular damages, we concluded that medical treatments may promote cancer growth and metastasis speeds and shorten patient lives in most situations, and the claimed benefits are caused by triple biases of clinical trials. By using the same method to explore how several lifestyle factors affect cancer growth rates, we concluded that the better strategy for ending the global cancer epidemic in the future is changing caner treatment strategy from killing cancer cells to slowing down cancer growth rates by using various lifestyle factors in combination. This study in part explains why cancer can self-resolve.</p
Effects of Extraction Temperature and Particle Size on Quality of Edible Oil from Podocarpus Falcatus Seed by Aqueous Method, Ethiopia
No full textObjective: The kernel from Podocarpus falcatus has potential for the production of edible oil. The oil is currently extracted using a traditional inefficient method for the purpose of household consumption. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of particle size and extraction temperature on the yield and quality of oil extracted from P. Falactus seeds by the aqueous method. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design that comprised of three aqueous temperatures (70, 80, and 900C) and three particle sizes (0.25, 0.50, and 0.75mm). Results: The maximum oil yield in this study was obtained at 22.29 and 22.38±2.10% at an extraction temperature of 70°C and the particle size of 0.5mm respectively. Particle size and oil yield have a correlation in that higher extraction were obtained (25%) as the particle size decreased. The particle size and temperature interaction had a positive effect on yield and maximum oil yield (25.25%) was obtained by the combination of 0.25mm particle size and 70°C. The peroxide, iodine, and saponification values were obtained with an acceptable range by the combination of 0.25mm and within the acceptable limit of edible oil 70°C. Yield and oil quality were influenced by extraction particle size and temperature.</p
A rare case report of piloleiomyomas
No full textLeiomyoma is a rare benign tumor of smooth muscle. In the word leiomyomas, “Leio” means “smooth”, “myo” means ‘muscle’, and “oma” means ‘tumor’. It may arise from smooth muscles of the skin, uterus, bladder, urethra. Depending upon the origin of skin smooth muscles cutaneous leiomyomas are of three main types: 1. Piloleiomyoma or leiomyoma cutis or pilar leiomyoma derived from arrector pili muscle; 2. Genital leiomyoma or dartoic myoma is derived from smooth muscle of the scrotum, vulva, and areola of the nipple, and 3. Angioleiomyoma is derived from the media of blood vessels. We report one such rare case of multiple piloleiomyomas. </p
Excision of delayed presented giant pseudoaneurysm of left subclavian artery post stab injury
No full textPost-traumatic pseudoaneurysms involving the subclavian artery are uncommon and whenever diagnosed they should be repaired early because of the risk of complications such as thrombosis, gangrene, limb disability, and rupture may result in death if not reached the hospital early. Presenting a case report of a 20-year-old male who presented with a left subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm following a stab injury to the left axilla. He was referred to our institute, 20 days after the alleged assault. The presentation, diagnosis, and management of this injury are discussed.</p
Celiac disease: Definition, classification, historical and epistemological profiles, anatomopathological aspects, clinical signs, differential diagnosis, treatments and prognosis. Proposed diagnostic scheme for celiac disease (DSCNC)
No full textCeliac disease is an immune-mediated enteropathy, caused (in genetically predisposed or susceptible individuals) by the ingestion of gluten, the complex of water-insoluble proteins found in cereal grains such as wheat, rye and barley. In terms of terminology, it is the complex natural history and extremely polymorphous clinical presentation that has created some confusion. In fact, to date, at least three different forms of celiac disease are known, in addition to the simple non-celiac gluten sensitivity, since in common clinical practice most patients do not present the classic symptoms such as malabsorptive syndrome with diarrhoea, steatorrhoea, weight loss and nutritional deficiency, but rather an anaemia, asthenia, meteorism, abdominal tension, osteoporosis and infertility, thus painting an extremely varied and complex symptomatic picture that is linked to enteric microbiota and microbiome issues. Celiac disease affects the mucosa of the small intestine, while it generally spares the submucosa, muscolaris propria and serosa; if the disease does not involve the whole of the small intestine but only part of it, it is usually more serious in the proximal than the distal tract. The simultaneous presence of shortened villi, crypt hyperplasia, the abnormal cytological appearance of the absorbent surface and increased lamina propria cells is required for the diagnosis of celiac disease. Based on these findings, several forms of celiac disease have been identified in the clinic: typical, atypical (and in turn silent, latent, and potential), and sensitive non-celiac. Based on these considerations a specific diagnostic scheme is suggested to frame the celiac universe more functionally and structurally (so-called Diagnostic Scheme for Celiac Disease and Nonceliac Gluten Sensitivity, DSCNC), identifying at least eight clinical hypotheses based on the serological, genetic, bioptic and allergological tests suggested). From a pharmacological and integrative point of view, the protocols shared by the scientific community remain in place: gluten-free diet, vitamin and salt supplementation if appropriate, pharmacological therapy (antibiotics, antihistamines, corticosteroids and immunosuppressants) if necessary, also in the future with the majority orientation oriented towards oral glutenase able to counteract the effects of gliadin in sensitive subjects, the use of larazotide acetate to remedy the increase in intestinal permeability and tTG inhibitors to reduce the toxic effects of gluten intake. The state of the art on celiac disease is not yet able to explain the precise aetiology and atypical forms of the disease, as well as the real impact of genetic predisposition on clinical manifestations. Research continues and seems to point the way to a complete resolution of this enteropathy that has been so prevalent over the last two decades.</p
Vaccines: Origin and evolution throughout history
No full textThroughout the history of medicine, vaccines have been one of the most used weapons by humans to prevent diseases and create immunity, having a great impact on both society and the health of individuals and communities, constituting an authentic guarantee to achieve stability and the maintenance of the public health of the population.In this monograph, a compilation, reflective, detailed, and specific study of vaccines within the history of medicine are carried out through a bibliographic search to know in depth the vaccines, their origin, evolution, and role-played throughout all time.Vaccination is one of the greatest advances in public health at the global, national, community, and individual levels, the introduction of immunization has allowed unquestionable benefits, impacting social systems, reducing the cost of treatments, and the incidence of infectious diseases and the mortality from them.Vaccines will have, among others, a social and economic impact, since preventing diseases favors the economic level, the quality of life, and social well-being.Vaccines and their administration techniques evolve in parallel since over time both have progressed, they have experienced progress both in their preparation and in the way they are administered, and with it the material and human resources used to do so.</p
Isolating Lysobacter enzymogenes strains with enhanced protease activity via chemical mutagenesis
No full textProteases are the most important industrial enzymes which have attracted enormous attention due to their vast variety and well-defined specificity. Microbial proteases are superior to other sources like plant and animal proteases because of their desired characteristics for biotechnological application. In this regard, Lysobacter enzymogenes is a rich source for the production of antibiotics and proteases. However, strain improvement in order to obtain overproduced microorganisms is always demanded at an industrial scale. Therefore, in the present study in order to enhance L. enzymogenes protease production, random mutagenesis was applied using N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG) as a chemical mutagen. Random mutagenesis was conducted on L. enzymogenes suspension cultivated on nutrient broth using different concentrations of NTG (100, 150, and 200 µg/ml) for 20 and 40 minutes. The treated bacteria were cultivated on nutrient agar containing casein as a selective media. Primary and secondary screenings were performed by measuring the diameter of the casein hydrolysis zones in the isolated bacteria and the related supernatants, respectively. Finally, the unit of protease activity was quantified by Anson’s method of examining bacterial supernatants. Among the total of 30 isolated mutants, two mutants showed the highest level of extracellular proteolytic activity which showed 2.65 and 1.86 fold increments in contrast to the wild type, respectively. In general, the effect of mutagenesis by NTG can be emphasized to increase protease activity.</p
Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone secretion due to hydroxyurea
No full textHyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder in clinical practice: Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion (SIADH) is the most common cause of hyponatremia, especially in euvolemic patients. Drugs are among the most common causes of SIADH. While our patient was using hydroxyurea due to polycythemia vera, he was diagnosed with SIADH due to hydroxyurea treatment after investigation due to resistant hyponatremia. The improvement of hyponatremia after hydroxyurea is discontinued and the development of hyponatremia after the drug is re-started supports the development of drug-induced hyponatremia. Careful follow-up is required in terms of hyponatremia in patients using hydroxyurea. </p