Median Sternotomy as a Useful Adjunct to Anterior Cervicothoracic Spine Decompression and Fixation: A Plea for Its Popularity among Spine Surgeons in West Africa.

Direct anterior approach to the cervicothoracic spine (C7-T4) for surgery can be challenging via a standard anterior cervical incision as a result of the important neurovascular structures crowding the cervicothoracic junction. Where indicated, median sternotomy provides improved access to this region of the spine for interventions. From the paucity of published literature in West Africa, this adjunct appears to be quite unpopular among spine surgeons in our sub-region.

Liquid and Solid Functional Bio-Based Coatings.

The development of new bio-based coating materials to be applied on cellulosic and plastic based substrates, with improved performances compared to currently available products and at the same time with improved sustainable end of life options, is a challenge of our times. Enabling cellulose or bioplastics with proper functional coatings, based on biopolymer and functional materials deriving from agro-food waste streams, will improve their performance, allowing them to effectively replace fossil products in the personal care, tableware and food packaging sectors. To achieve these challenging objectives some molecules can be used in wet or solid coating formulations, e.

Situation assessment and natural dynamics of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, 31 May 2020.

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) remains a global public health issue due to its high transmission and case fatality rate. There is apprehension on how to curb the spread and mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic, but timely and reliable daily confirmed cases' estimates are pertinent to the pandemic's containment. This study therefore conducted a situation assessment and applied simple predictive models to explore COVID-19 progression in Nigeria as at 31 May 2020.

HPLC-UV and HPLC-CAD chromatographic data fusion for the authentication of the geographical origin of palm oil.

Data fusion combined with a multivariate classification approach (partial least squares-discriminant analysis, PLS-DA) was applied to authenticate the geographical origin of palm oil. Data fusion takes advantage of the synergistic effect of information collected from more than one data source. In this study, data from liquid chromatography coupled to two detectors -ultraviolet (UV) and charged aerosol (CAD)- was fused by high- and mid-level data fusion strategies.

Menstrual characteristics of secondary school girls in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Background: Disturbances of menstrual function are the commonest complaints among adolescents. Disorders of menstruation may have implications for future reproductive health.

Objective: To assess menstrual patterns among school girls in Ibadan, south-western Nigeria.

Determinants of post-caesarean wound infection at the University College Hospital Ibadan Nigeria.

Objective: To determine the risk factors that predispose patients to post-caesarean wound infection at a tertiary health institution in developing country.

Method: It was an observational study of all women that had caesarean (elective and emergency) delivery between July and September, 2004. The outcome of their post-caesarean wound was assessed.

Sexual behaviour of in-school adolescents in Ibadan, South-West Nigeria.

This study was a crossectional survey conducted among 716 senior secondary school adolescents in Ibadan from March to August 2005. The result of 695 that was analyzed revealed that the mean age of 15 +/- 2.6years.

The pregnant Rhesus negative Nigerian woman.

Objective: Alloimmunisation to Rhesus D (RhD) is a major factor in perinatal morbidity and may result in the compromise of the woman's obstetric career. In Nigeria accurate population based studies to determine the prevalence of Rhesus negative women and the incidence of alloimmunisation are lacking, hence we undertook to study pregnancy outcome in Rhesus negative women.

Method: We studied retrospectively sixty-seven RhD negative women over a two year period; information was obtained from the case-file of all pregnant women who presented to the ante-natal clinic and were identified as Rhesus negative.

Parameters of nutrition in school girls in southwestern Nigeria.

Objectives: To document trends in parameters of nutrition in south-western Nigerian school girls in comparison with earlier reports and provide baseline data for future comparison.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Setting: Fifteen secondary schools from the five local governments in Ibadan, Oyo State in south-western Nigeria.

Leucocyte phagocytosis and circulating immune complexes in mothers after child birth.

Leucocyte phagocytosis and level of circulating immune complexes (CICs) were measured in pregnant women at the three trimesters of pregnancy and in mothers 24-48 hours after child birth to evaluate the influence of pregnancy on leucocyte functions. The mothers were divided into gestation groups depending on the ages of their pregnancies as 1st trimester, 2nd trimester and 3rd trimester. The result shows that total white blood cell count (WBC), lymphocytes (B- and T-lymphocytes) and circulating immune complexes were high in pregnant women (independent of gestational ages) and mothers 24-48 hrs after child birth compared with non-pregnant controls.

Childhood sexuality and child sexual abuse in southwest Nigeria.

There is paucity of information and research on childhood sexuality and child sexual abuse in Nigeria. This low level of information may not be unconnected with the fact that generally discussions on sexual matters still remain a taboo in our culture. It is almost abominable to discuss sex with children.

Complement levels and leucocyte phagocytosis in newborn babies.

Newborn babies face higher risk of infection than adults, but the immunological basis of this observation is yet to be fully explained particularly in babies of different gestations and birth weights. Sixty-two (62) adults, 55 full-term babies, 18 low birth weight babies and 44 normal birth weight babies were considered for the study. B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes were enumerated by EAC-rosette and E-rosette respectively.

Short-term haemodialysis in pregnant patients with acute renal failure: a report of two cases.

Haemodialysis in pregnancy is not common although, successful dialysis in pregnancy have been reported. It has also been found to improve survival of both mother and child especially, in patients with chronic renal failure, with pre-term labor being a common occurrence. Out of the 2,995 patients that were dialyzed at the University College Hospital, Ibadan in the last 10 years, only 2 of the patients were pregnant and both of them had acute renal failure.

Effects of oral contraceptives on total serum proteins, albumin, globulins and cholesterol levels in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Total serum protein, albumin, globulin, albumin/globulin ratio and cholesterol levels were determined in 25 subjects on oral contraceptives and 25 controls. The mean serum total protein, globulin and cholesterol levels were significantly increased in oral contraceptive and their control counterparts. The albumin/globulin ratio in subjects on oral contraceptives users is significantly decreased compared with controls.

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome: two case reports and review of literature.

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APAs) is an acquired multisystemic disorder characterised by hyper coagulation. It manifest clinically with arterial and venous thrombosis. It is not a rare phenomenon, but there are paucity of reports of this disorder in our environment.

Radiological ageing process in the cervical spine of Nigerian women.

The study was designed to determine the age of commencement of ageing process in Nigerian women Four hundred (400) consecutive women requesting for cervical spine radiographs where recruited for this study. A study chart was made showing different variables like osteoarthrosis, detached osteophytes, postural ulterations and disk degenerations in a four year period from 1st January, 1993 to 31st December, 1996 the modified Kellgren and Lawrence grading system was used to assess radiographic changes. The highest rate of osteoarthrosis (31.

Routine antenatal syphilis screening--a case against.

To highlight the deficiencies associated with the routine antenatal syphilis screening as it is done now in the University College Hospital, Ibadan, and determine the cost effectiveness or otherwise of syphilis screening using as parameters the specificity of the method of screening as well as the gravity of the disease. The results of VDRL tests performed on pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, in a 10-year period, January 1988 to December 1997 were analysed for seropositivity as well as congenital syphilis. The case notes of 110 sero-reactive patients were retrieved and analysed for pregnancy outcome.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix simulating an advanced malignancy of the ovaries.

A 40-year-old woman was diagnosed as having stage II squamous cell cervical carcinoma and managed with radiotherapy. Three months after treatment, she presented with features suggestive of an advanced ovarian tumour including gross abdominal swelling, bilateral ovarian tumours, multiple tumour seedlings in the abdominal cavity and ascites. There was also pleural effusion.

Infertility and other fertility related issues in the practice of traditional healers and Christian religious healers in south western Nigeria.

Traditional healers have been an established source of health care delivery in Africa for centuries while Christian religious healers (193 traditional healers and 99 Christian religious healers) with respect to infertility and some other fertility-related issues. The findings show that both types of healers believe that infertility is most commonly due to the past life of the woman, physical problems related to the womb or to male potency, and imcompatibity between the man and the woman. Traditional healers also believed that being bewitched or being cursed can lead to infertility.

Haematological values in pregnancy in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Haematological values were studied in 495 apparently healthy pregnant Nigerian women receiving antenatal care in a maternity hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria. Means, standard deviations and ranges of haematrocrit, total and differential white cell counts, absolute platelet count, erythrocyte sedimentation rte, prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTTk) were determined. The mean haematrocrit was 0.

Awareness and use of family planning methods among married women in Ibadan, Nigeria.

A study of awareness and use of family planning methods among 1188 married women aged 15-40 years, attending antenatal clinic in four different locations, conducted in Ibadan, Nigeria between May to December 1995 is reported. Most respondents (94.3%) were aware of the use of family planning but only 12.

The family planning aspects of the practice of traditional healers in Ibadan, Nigeria.

The family planning aspects of the practice of traditional healers in Ibadan, a large city in south west Nigeria, was investigated by means of a questionnaire survey of 193 traditional healers. The findings revealed that between 13% and 53% agreed with certain cultural beliefs which tend to increase fertility and that their perceptions of ideal child spacing is most commonly 2-3 years. Only 13% think a couple should have a specified number of children; a large proportion think the number should be "as God wills" (42%) or as many as the couple has resources to cope with (42%).

Obstructed labor in Ibadan.

Over a period of 13 years, 380 cases of obstructed labor were managed amongst 39,456 deliveries. Absent prenatal care and poor intrapartum care at peripheral hospitals were major contributing factors. The average duration of labor in those with obstruction was three times that in the normal obstetric population.

Presentation and management of eclampsia.

Three hundred forty-seven cases of eclampsia were managed at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria from 1977 to 1986 (9.3 per 1000 deliveries). Thirty-one percent of seizures occurred antenatally, 46.