A rare anatomical variation in foramen of Vesalius: A useful guide for maxillofacial surgeons

Background: Foramen of vesalius is an inconstant foramen that gives passage to an emissary vein that connects pterygoid venous plexus with cavernous sinus. It lies in the anteromedial side of the foramen ovale. Foramen ovale allows the passage for the mandibular branch of trigeminal nerve, the main site for the trigeminal rhizotomy. The presence and description of anatomical variations about the foramen of Vesalius is important during the surgical procedure on the trigeminal nerve which may injure the emissary vein in the foramen leading to intracranial bleeding. Objectives: The aim of the present study is to report the presence and to enlighten the anatomical variations of foramen vesalius which may serve as a guideline for surgeons. Methods: The study was conducted on 100 dry adult human skulls collected from the department of anatomy at Panimalar medical college hospital & research institute Chennai. The skulls were viewed both extracranially and intracranially to identify the presence of foramen of vesalius. The presence and variation of the foramen was noted and discussed. Result: A total of about 200 sides of 100 skulls were studied. Among them 20% of the skull showed presence of foramen of Vesalius bilaterally, 25% unilaterally and one particular skull showed doubled opening on the left side with the presence of a bony septum. This is a rare variation which was less documented in the literature. Conclusion: The knowledge of variations in foramen of Vesalius may help the surgeons for safer planning and execution of the trigeminal rhizotomy technique.

Effect of Parkia biglobosa seed on lipid profile of dexamethasone-treated pregnant rats

This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of Parkia biglobosa seed on dexamethasone-treated pregnant rats. Locust bean seeds were purchased from an open market in Ado Ekiti, Nigeria. It was processed and ground into powder which was subsequently used in formulating feed for experimental animals. Fifteen female pregnant rats were divided in three groups of five each. Animals in group A were exposed to standard animal feed only. This served as the control group. Those in group B were exposed to animal feed mixed with locust beans + 0.3 mg/kg body weight of dexamethasone, while those in group C were exposed to animal feed mixed with locust beans. At the end of eight days treatment, animals were sacrificed and blood sample was collected into EDTA bottles and centrifuged. Plasma was separated and used for the determination of glucose and lipid profile. Exposure of animals to dexamethasone was observed to significantly (p<0.05) increased the concentration of plasma glucose concentration when compared with the control as well as animals treated with P. biglobosa only. Animals treated with dexamethasone along with P. biglobosa were observed to have higher concentrations of triglyceride, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) when compared with those in animals in the control group as well as those treated with P. biglobosa only. Observations from this study revealed that dexamethasone adversely perturbed and unhinged plasma glucose and lipid profile in female pregnant rats while P. biglobosa-formulated diet was observed to be a potent hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic agent.

Assessment Of 2D:4D ratios amongst federal polytechnic Ekowe students, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Humans, primates, birds and reptiles have demonstrated sexually dimorphism in the length of their 2nd and 4th digits otherwise known as 2D:4D, with males on the average having lower values than females. This difference has been associated with the differential exposure of prenatal testosterone relative to estrogen during intrauterine life. This present study assesses the 2d:4d ratio amongst students of the federal Polytechnic Ekowe, Bayelsa state of Nigeria. A total of 299 students (males n=150 and females n=149) participated in the study. The length of 2nd and 4th digits were measured with digital Vernier caliper from the basal crease to the tip of the finger, and 2nd digit length (2D) was divided by 4th digit (4D) to obtain 2D:4D ratio. The results of this study showed no significant difference between 2D right and left and 4D right and left for same sex (0.98±0.04 and 0.98±0.04 for males and 0.96±0.05 and 0.96±0.05 for female). Sexual dimorphism exits between sexes which is an indication that prenatal hormones have played a fundamental role on humans, during developmental stages.

Age, seasons and influence of body mass index on menarche among secondary school girls in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Menarche is a significant marker of maturity and puberty in girls, and it is a transition influenced by different biophysical factors. This study was carried out to determine the age, seasons and the influence of body mass index (BMI) on menarche. A total of 450 girls’ between the ages of 10 and 19 years participated in the study. Age at menarche was obtained via the recall quo cross sectional method. Parameters measured were; standing height (SH), weight (Wt) and BMI. A total of 373 (82.9%) girls had their menarche in their early adolescence while 77 girls (17.1%) had their menarche in mid adolescence. Mean age at menarche was 13.17± 1.48 years. The average value for BMI was 20.35 ± 3.77 kg/m2, SH was 161.09 ± 6.16 cm, Wt was 52.53 ± 9.21kg. Overweight girls were observed to attain menarche earlier, followed by those whose mean weight was in the normal range .Subjects in the underweight category had higher age at menarche. Menarche was high in the months of August, July and January. Menarche occurs early among secondary school girls in Port Harcourt and among other factors, those associated with BMI and stress are important in the onset of the biological event.

Design of primers in the molecular detection of Feline Panleukopenia Virus

Feline Panleukopenia is a disease characterized by a reduction in the number of circulating leukocytes and enteritis with degeneration of the intestinal villi. The etiologic agent, called Feline Panleukopenia virus (FPV), belongs to the Parvoviridae family, is highly contagious and has high mortality and morbidity. Although vaccination of healthy cats is the most effective way to prevent the disease, once the symptoms appear, the treatment is supportive, presenting high mortality in the first days of the disease. FPV positive cats should be hospitalized and isolated for at least 2 weeks to avoid viral transmission. Early detection is usually done with the enzyme-linked immunoadsorption assay (ELISA) test that detects viral antigens in stool samples. As a complementary diagnostic method, in this work it was proposed to implement the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) aimed at the diagnosis of FPV initially in positive samples from two feline vaccines and one canine vaccine. As an approximation to real samples, the commercial vaccines were mixed with feces and blood from a healthy cat. The results showed that the In Silico design was successful strategy based on the VP2 gene sequences of FPV available in GenBank® in conjunction with the sharp visualization of positive controls of the expected size and without amplification. nonspecific or negative controls. The fragments obtained has a nucleotide identity percentage greater than 97% with respect to the information available in Genbank® and corroborates the detection of a VP2 fragment. Thus, the future option of applying the same protocol in a diagnostic way is opened, using samples obtained from suspected patients who are infected with FPV.

Post-operative Intussusception, a rare case in pediatric, National Center for Paediatric Surgery, Gezira State, Sudan; 2021

Intussusception is defined by Treves in 1899 as invagination of segment of bowel into adjacent segment usually proximal into distal. It’s a common cause of abdominal emergencies especially in children two years of age and younger. It accounts for 1 in 2000 infants and children and results in intestinal obstruction. Post-operative intussusception is one of the rare etiologies of intestinal obstruction that represents 0.01 to 0.25% after laparotomies and 5 -10% of all early postoperative intestinal obstructions. Our case is a ten years old female presented to the National Center for Pediatric Surgery; Gezira state; Sudan; February 2021 complaining of abdominal distention and constipation for 6 days. She had past history of acute appendicitis due to which she underwent emergency opened appendectomy. Her condition started one day after appendectomy. O/E : patient looks ill, febrile, not pale or jaundice; PR:140b/m; RR:25c/m; abdominal examination show: distended abdomen with full flanks, unhealed lanz incision with small amount of pus discharge; no dilated veins or visible peristalsis; hernia orifice were intact; lower abdomen was tense & tender; no palpable mass; DRE: rectum contains impacted hard stool. Emergency explorative laparotomy was done. Findings: Ileocecal intussusception, bowel was healthy and viable. Simple reduction was done. Conclusion and Recommendations: Post-operative intussusception usually associated with bowel ischemia and necrosis which is not consistent with our case. We highly recommended abdominal ultrasonography, CT scan; when there is a high index of suspicion.

Incorporation of vegetables in yoghurt as a source of dietary fibre: A review

Yoghurt is a fermented dairy product with conspicuous consumption around the world due to its pronounced health benefits. Yoghurt is defined as the food produced by culturing the milk in controlled conditions that contain lactic acid-producing bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus. Consumer acceptability of Yoghurt is high due to its health benefits and sensory attributes. It provides 40% calcium and 30-45% phosphorus of daily requirement. All essential amino acids (proline and glycine) are present in Yoghurt. The biological value of milk proteins present in Yoghurt is high. It is considered a rich source of high-quality protein. Health benefits associated with Yoghurt are to improve the gastrointestinal digestion and immune system of humans. Yoghurt is enriched with proteins, carbohydrates, minerals (calcium and phosphorus), and vitamins (vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate and cobalamin). Yoghurt protein and its peptides have many physiological impacts as well as nutritional value. The only deficiency in Yoghurt is a lack of dietary fibre. The review emphasizes the addition of dietary fibre in Yoghurt to boost up its health benefits.

Anti-plasmodial Effect of C. limon and C. paradisi extracts on Plasmodium berghei-infected mice

Antiplasmodial effect of Citrus limon and Citrus paradisi extracts on Plasmodium berghei-infected mice was studied. Twenty five albino mice were randomized into five categories of G, L, GL, ACT (positive control) and NC which stand for grape, lemon, grape and lemon combined extracts, artemisinin combined therapy and negative control respectively. The NC group did not receive any intervention. Other treatments were administered orally for 12 days whereas administration of ACT lasted for 3 days. Blood was collected from the tail vein of the mice at a three day interval through venipuncture. Thick blood films were prepared and parasite densities were estimated using standard parasitological techniques. Results were analysed with ANOVA and Duncan multiple range tests. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) between parasite densities of the treatment groups and the negative control at baseline levels. However, as the treatment progressed from day 3 through day 9, there were significant reductions (p<0.05) in parasite densities among treatment groups when compared to the negative control. In this study, extracts of C. limon and C. paradisi in both single and combined strengths have been found to have antiplasmodial properties in mice. ACT possessed the highest antiplasmodial effect while C. limon as a single treatment ranked second in possession of antiplasmodial activity but exhibited increased RBC lysis. In combination, C. limoni and C. paradise extracts showed antiplasmodial activity that is slightly less than that exhibited by the lemon extract alone, but maintained normal RBC morphology whereas C. paradisi extract alone exhibited the lowest level of parasite clearance with atrophied red blood cells. Investigation of the effects of the extracts on liver, kidney and gastrointestinal tissues of mice is recommended before they could be prescribed as antimalaria for other animals and humans.

Restoration of the anterior guide with the fixed prosthesis

The anterior guide is a functional entity, which is part of the set of guidance provided by the dento-dental joints to the mandibular kinematics, essential for the establishment of harmonious occlusal relations. The anterior guide is a key to understanding and reconstructing the occlusion, playing both a role of protecting the posterior teeth and guiding the functional movements of the mandible. Currently, it also represents an “exteroceptive feeler” creating a cone of access to the occlusion in intercuspation. The restoration of functional and protective anterior guidance is therefore essential for the balance of the masticatory system. This rehabilitation can only be achieved by examining and accurately diagnosing the occlusion relationships maintained by the anterior teeth, associated with a reasoned therapeutic approach validated by a test phase. After a brief description of the anterior function and its role, this article aims to detail, through a clinical case, the procedure to follow for the restoration of a functional anterior guide.

Influence of age, body mass index and waist-hip ratio on the human spine; a radiographic study of adult male subjects in Port Harcourt-Nigeria

The study determined the Lumbosacral angle (LSA) of male subjects and evaluated its relationship to age, BMI and Waist -Hip ratio. Lateral radiographs of one hundred and forty-two informed healthy male volunteers between the age of 18-60 were studied using Ferguson’s method, and analyzed with respect to age, waist hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI).. The result showed the average value for Lumbosacral angle was 34.060 ± 0.560, the body weight was 70.34 ± 1.02Kg, and BMI was 24. 64 ± 0.38Kgm-2. Angle values were observed to increase with age up to 32years, followed by a sinusoidal increase and decrease pattern thereafter. Significant correlations were observed between LSA and Body weight as well as between LSA and BMI (p<0.05). The Lumbosacral angle of males in Port-Harcourt, South South Nigeria is within the range of literature derived measurement values world-wide, but lower than the average reported from previous studies on other Nigerian populations.