Gender effect on eating habits of Nigerian school children

It is important to investigate children''s eating habits based on different eating behaviors such as satiety responsiveness (SR), slowness in eating (SE), food fussiness (FF), food responsiveness (FR), enjoyment of food (EF), desire to drink (DD), emotional under-eating (EUE), and emotional over-eating (EOE). The main objective of this research was to investigate whether gender affects the eating habits of Nigerian school children.A cross-sectional survey was conducted between March and June 2019. A total of 120 parents of school children participated in the study. The Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) was used to collect data. The CEBQ is composed of 35 items and eight subscales.Based on the analysis of parents’ reports, DD was higher in boys than girls, t (118) = 7.086, P < .001; EOE was higher in boys than girls, t (118) = 5.184, P < .001; EF was higher in boys than girls, t (118) = 2.183, P < .001; FF was higher in boys than girls, t (118) = 9.441, P < .001; and SR was higher in boys than girls, t (118) = 7.323, P < .001. However, EUE was lower in boys than girls, t (118) = −4.339, P < .001; FR was lower in boys than girls, t(118) = −3.112, P < .001; SE was lower in boys than girls, t(118) = −3.832, P < .001; thus, gender had a significant influence on eating habits of the school children.Gender significantly affects the eating habits of Nigerian school children. Thus, gender is an important factor to be considered when aiming to improve the eating habits of Nigerian school children.     

The effects of ischemia with and without remote conditioning on hyperemia induced decline in carotid-radial pulse wave velocity

Ischemic conditioning has long held promise for preventing ischemic-reperfusion (I-R) injury. Although a number of studies have evaluated the effects of brief repeated episodes of ischemia before a prolonged ischemic episode on the cardiovascular system using clinical endpoints, more sensitive techniques by which to measure its effects are lacking. Since endothelial function is sensitive to I-R injury, flow mediated dilation of the brachial artery has been proposed for this purpose, but has significant limitations. Hyperemia normally decreases carotid to radial pulse wave velocity (PWV). Accordingly, we sought to determine the effects of I-R injury and ischemic conditioning on the hyperemic change (Δ) in PWV. We induced hyperemia by release of arterial cuff occlusion before and after ipsilateral arm I-R injury (7.5min occlusion) in 25 healthy males, age 29±6 years. The protocol was repeated on 2 occasions in combination with either pre- or post- conditioning stimuli (3× 30s contralateral arm occlusions). Hyperemia resulted in a significant decrease (-13.7%, p<.001) before but not after prolonged ischemia (-0.88%, p=0.40). I-R along with either pre- or post-ischemic conditioning restored the PWV decline (pre: -11.0%, p<0.001; post: -9.9%, p<0.001). In conclusion, 7.5min ischemia blunts the normal PWV decline produced by hyperemia. Remote pre- and post-conditioning restores this response. This technique may be useful for the assessment of novel treatment strategies and mechanisms underlying remote pre- and post-ischemic conditioning in protecting the cardiovascular system.     

Reassessing the Inclusion of Race in Diagnosing Kidney Diseases: An Interim Report from the NKF-ASN Task Force

For almost two decades, equations that use serum creatinine, age, sex, and race to eGFR have included “race” as Black or non-Black. Given considerable evidence of disparities in health and healthcare delivery in African American communities, some regard keeping a race term in GFR equations as a practice that differentially influences access to care and kidney transplantation. Others assert that race captures important non GFR determinants of serum creatinine and its removal from the calculation may perpetuate other disparities. The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and American Society of Nephrology (ASN) established a task force in 2020 to reassess the inclusion of race in the estimation of GFR in the United States and its implications for diagnosis and subsequent management of patients with, or at risk for, kidney diseases. This interim report details the process, initial assessment of evidence, and values defined regarding the use of race to estimate GFR. We organized activities in phases: (1) clarify the problem and examine evidence, (2) evaluate different approaches to address use of race in GFR estimation, and (3) make recommendations. In phase one, we constructed statements about the evidence and defined values regarding equity and disparities; race and racism; GFR measurement, estimation, and equation performance; laboratory standardization; and patient perspectives. We also identified several approaches to estimate GFR and a set of attributes to evaluate these approaches. Building on evidence and values, the attributes of alternative approaches to estimate GFR will be evaluated in the next phases and recommendations will be made.     

HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA): a cross-sectional study of primary school teachers

BackgroundTeachers are in advantage position to propagate correct information with regard to HIV/AIDS thereby influencing attitude towards PLWHA. With correct information stigmatization leading to spread of the scourge might be prevented.Aims & ObjectivesThe study was conducted to determine knowledge and attitude of primary school teachers towards PLWHA.Methods & MaterialsThe cross-sectional survey was used to study a sample of 400 primary school teachers in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The instrument used for data collection was researchers'' designed questionnaire. Out of 400 copies of questionnaire administered; 394 representing 98.5% return rate, were used for analysis of data.ResultsResults showed respondents had moderate (57.4%) knowledge concerning HIV/AIDS and positive attitude (3.09 ± 0.98) to PLWHA. Female teachers'' dispositions to PLWHA were better than the males based on their attitude scores and the difference was not significant in general knowledge of HIV/AIDS and attitude to PLWHA.ConclusionOur findings underscore the need for a universal health education programme, focusing on HIV/AIDS education, in education institutions that train teachers in Nigeria so as to possibly mitigate the discrepancy in knowledge regarding curability of AIDS and any undesirable attitude towards PLWHA that may arise among teachers.     

Analgesic, learning and memory and anxiolytic effects of insulin in mice

Insulin is a polypeptide hormone that is present in mammals and its main function is the maintenance of adequate blood sugar level. Insulin receptors are widely but unevenly distributed in the brain. Insulin has been reported to be involved in the regulation of neurotransmitters release. It has also been linked to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Although there is abundant literature on the study of biochemical and molecular properties of insulin, there has been no literature on its central behavioural effects on anxiety and pain relief among other behavioural effects. This study therefore investigates whether insulin has any anxiolytic and other CNS effects. This experiment was carried out in mice using animal behavioural models including a hot plate analgesic test, holeboard and elevated plus maze for anxiolytic test. A Y-maze was used for the locomotor activity and spontaneous alternation investigations. Mice were administered intraperitoneally with insulin at different doses of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0IU/kg. The results obtained showed that insulin has no analgesic activity, however, it caused significant central inhibitory effects by decreasing both locomotor activity in both holeboard and Y-maze models and also decreased the exploratory behaviour in holeboard at doses administered dose-dependently indicating its sedative effects. In elevated plus maze, insulin had no effects on percentage of open arm entries at all doses but had a significant effect on percentage of open arm duration at the dose of 1.0IU/kg only. Insulin administration at lower doses (0.5 and 1.0IU/kg, i.p.) had no effect on spatial working memory, however, it had significant spatial working memory impairment at the dose of 2.0IU/kg, i.p. in mice. The study showed that insulin has several neuropharmacological effects at doses used.