Introduction: Enteric parasitic diseases are common in the developing counties and are of major health problem due to their high prevalence rate, and effect on both nutritional and immune status of the population. This study was conducted to determine enteric parasitic infections among pregnant women in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A total of 332 participants which consisted of 232 pregnant women and 100 nonpregnant adult females were recruited in this study. Blood and fecal specimens were obtained from each participant. The blood sample was analyzed for hemoglobin concentration and the fecal sample used for investigating intestinal parasites. Results: An overall prevalence of 2.2% of enteric parasitic infections among pregnant women was observed while no parasite was reported among the nonpregnant women. Age, not always washing hand, occupation, source of food and anemia were significantly associated with enteric parasitic infections among pregnant women. The enteric parasites recovered among pregnant women were Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm. A. lumbricoides had a prevalence of 80% of enteric parasitic infection while hookworm had 20%. Conclusion: Measures to reduce the effect of enteric parasitic infections among pregnant women are advocated.

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Background: The working and living conditions of nurses in Africa and in the Western world settings might not be comparable. With that in mind, therefore the pattern of physical activities (PA) and its association with back pain among nurses in Africa might be different. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the PA pattern and its association with low back pain (LBP) among the Nurses in Maiduguri, North Eastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess the physical activity, Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaires was used to asses the functional limitation while Rand 36 questionnaires was used to assess the bodily pain, physical health, and emotional wellbeing. Results: The results of the study showed 94.7% prevalence of LBP among the nurses out of which 94.27% participants had chronic (>3 months duration) LBP. Job-related physical activity, housework related physical activity, transport related physical activity, and recreational related physical activity domains measured 8565.78 ± 95.44, 3158.65 ± 56.07, 4055.80 ± 62.41, 2179.82 ± 39.67, respectively. Eighty percent of the participants were active in each of the domains of transport related and job-related physical activity while 90% and 100% of the participants were inactive in housework related and recreational related PA domains, respectively. Age group and gender did not show statistical significant effects on PA scores of the participants (P > 0.05). Standardised correlation coefficients values of −0.045, 0.061 and 0.143 between physical activity and each of functional limitation, physical health, and emotional wellbeing, respectively, were obtained, none of which was statistically significant (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study it was concluded that nurses were more active in job-related and transport related PA domains and less active in housework and recreational related PA domains. Age and gender did not have significant effects on PA. Similarly, the functional limitation due to LBP, physical health and emotional wellbeing did not show significant association with PA.

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Aim: We hypothesized that coadministration of glucose and Vitamin C will reduce the orthostatic tolerance in normal young male volunteers. Materials and Methods: In a randomized controlled crossover fashion, nine nonobese, young men ingested nothing (control), and glucose (75 g) alone and with Vitamin C (1 g) 10 min before standing on 3 separate days of appointment. We measured the supine and standing blood pressure, heart rate, hematocrit, and blood glucose levels. The orthostatic tolerance was evaluated as the time to presyncope during motionless standing or until presyncopal symptoms were observed. Results: During the first 60 min of standing, 89%, 78%, and 0% of patients experienced the presyncopal symptoms when ingested nothing, glucose alone, and glucose + Vitamin C, respectively. Ingesting glucose alone did not affect the orthostatic tolerance (61.4 ± 1.4 vs. 63.0 ± 1.7 min; P > 0.05) while ingesting glucose with Vitamin C significantly improved the orthostatic tolerance (86.6 ± 2.2 vs. 63.0 ± 1.7 min; P < 0.001). Increases in the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate induced by standing were significantly enhanced when glucose + Vitamin C was ingested, while changes in diastolic blood pressure were not significantly affected. Ingestion of glucose alone or with Vitamin C led to a comparable significant increase in blood glucose levels after standing. However, a significant increase in hematocrit level was observed after standing when glucose + Vitamin C but not when glucose alone was ingested. Conclusion: The present study reveals that the oral glucose loading with Vitamin C ingestion improves the orthostatic tolerance, and the improvement is associated with an enhanced SBP, heart rate, and hematocrit level.

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Introduction: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of more than 100 different chemical organic contaminants that are often the by-products of the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. They occur naturally when they are released from forest fires and volcanoes. They are also manufactured as a result of human activities that include agricultural burning, driving, working with coal tar, and during food processing such as roasting. PAHs are potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic. Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the presence and levels of PAHs in some commercially prepared roasted plantain and cocoyam. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in Oredo LGA of Edo State. The roasted food samples of plantain and cocoyam were prepared and bought from a food vendor in the named local government. The raw samples of these foods were used as controls. About 20 g of each sample was collected in triplicate. The analysis was performed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry after Soxhlet extraction of the samples and cleanup of the extract. The results were presented as mean + standard error of the mean and analysis carried out using the Student's t-test at 95% confidence level considered at P ≤ 0.05. Results: There were significant levels of some PAHs in some of the roasted food samples analyzed as compared to the raw form. Conclusion: These analyses indicate the presence of PAHs at significant levels in some roasted foods.

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Background: Preeclampsia is pregnancy-specific syndrome and contributes about 15% of maternal mortality and preterm deliveries. Objective: To compare the serum levels of calcium, magnesium, and uric acid in mild preeclamptics, severe preeclamptics, and normal pregnant women. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) Ilorin. The data were collected from 64 normal pregnant women, 64 mild preeclamptic women, and 64 severe preeclamptic women who presented at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, UITH between June 2013 and January 2014. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance. Results: The mean serum calcium concentration in severe preeclamptics and mild preeclamptics was significantly reduced (1.75 ± 0.63 mmol/L and 1.90 ± 0.44 mmol/L vs. 2.28 ± 0.24 mmol/L, P = 0.00) compared with serum calcium concentration in normal pregnant controls. The serum magnesium concentration among severe preeclamptics was also significantly reduced (0.84 ± 0.44 mmol/L versus 1.05 ± 0.28 mmol/L, P = 0.00) compared with serum magnesium among normal pregnant controls. However, there was no statistically significant difference in serum magnesium concentration between mild preeclamptic women and normal pregnant women (1.01 ± 0.26 mmol/L vs. 1.05 ± 0.28 mmol/L). The serum uric acid concentration was significantly elevated among both mild and severe preeclamptic women compared with the serum uric acid concentration among normal pregnant control (0.89 ± 0.63 mmol/L and 1.25 ± 0.68 mmo/L vs. 0.21 ± 0.19 mmol/L). Conclusions: It is concluded that while reduced serum calcium levels and elevated serum uric acid levels correlate with etiopathogenesis of preeclampsia, reduced serum magnesium correlates with severity of preeclampsia.

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Background: In this study, the in vitro activity of the ethanolic root extract (EXT) of Senna occidentalis (Fabaceae) on the isolated rat uterus was examined in order to document its potential usefulness in the therapy of uterine-related pathologies. Materials and Methods: The ethanolic root EXT was investigated on the isolated uterus of rats previously primed with diethylstilboestrol (0.1 mg/kg) 24 h prior to the experiment. The effect of the EXT (2.5 and 7.5 mg/mL) on uterine contractility in the presence and absence of acetylcholine (Ach) (0.1-1.0 μg/mL) was examined. The effect of the EXT on ACh-induced uterine contractility was examined in the presence and absence of atropine (0.12 μg/mL), propranolol (8 μg/mL), CaCl₂(in Ca²⁺-free medium) and in the presence of high KCl (100 mM). Results: All data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance with post-hoc test for linear trend. It was observed that the EXT significantly inhibited ACh-induced uterine contractions (P < 0.05) and CaCl₂-induced uterine contractions (in Ca²⁺-free medium) (P < 0.05) in a noncompetitive but concentration-dependent manner. A shift to the right of the concentration-response curve was observed in all cases. However, a bell-shaped concentration-response curve was observed for CaCl₂. The inhibitory effect of the EXT on ACh-induced uterine contractions was unaffected by propranolol. The EXT (0.1-0.4 mg/mL) also inhibited high KCl-induced uterine contractions in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusions: The root EXTs of S. occidentalis elicit inhibitory effects on agonist-induced uterine contractions of the isolated possibly through interaction with voltage-operated calcium channels.

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