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Introduction: Carotid space is a deep neck space within the carotid sheath. .Mosher called carotid sheath as the Lincoln Highway of the neck. Abscess in this space is rare to be seen by young Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeons in this era of early diagnosis and good antibiotics. We are reporting a case of isolated carotid space abscess in a 20 year old male to familiarize young surgeons with this abscess. Case report: A 20 year old young boy came to our Outpatient Department (OPD) with complaints of fever, painful neck swelling, progressive difficulty in swallowing from the last 7 days. Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography (CECT) was done which revealed abscess located adjacent to carotid artery in the carotid sheath. Incision and drainage was done and carotid sheath was opened and pus drained .Patient was discharged after few days on oral antibiotics. Conclusion: Carotid space abscesses are rarely seen in developed countries. Tender and fluctuating swelling over the carotid artery area points towards it. CECT is the investigation of choice. Needle aspiration should be avoided especially by less trained persons. Small abscesses may respond to intravenous antibiotics but when frank and large abscess is formed, incision and drainage is the treatment of choice.

Introduction: Primary infection with varicella-zoster virus (VZV) results in chickenpox, characterized by viremia with a diffuse rash and seeding of multiple sensory ganglia, where the virus establishes lifelong latency. Herpes zoster is caused by reactivation of latent VZV in cranial-nerve or dorsal-root ganglia, with spread of the virus along the sensory nerve to the dermatome. Both entities have a benign clinical course in immunocompetent and young individuals. Although Herpes zoster virüs may result in Ramsey Hunt sendrom, it may rarely cause peripheral facial paralysis in the course of varicella. Case report: A 4-year-old girl patient was admitted to the ear, nose, and throat clinic with a complaint of a rash over the body with vesicles and pustules a few days. She had left peripheral facial palsy about 2 days ago. In a general clinical examination, a few macular lesions, probably residues of vesicles, and fluid-filled blisters and pustules were observed on the back, chest, abdomen, upper, and lower limbs. She had remarkable left peripheral facial palsy. Her facial palsy was assessed as a grade II using the House-Brackmann Score. Otoscopic examination was normal and otalgia and auricular vesicle was absent. 1 mg/kg/day prednisone and 30 mg/kg/day acyclovir therapy were given to the patient due to the peripheral facial nerve palsy involvement of the VZV infection. Complete remission was achieved at 1 month after treatment. Conclusion: Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is one of eight herpes viruses known to cause human infection and is distributed worldwide. While the results of bell palsy are good, facial paralysis results during viral infections are severe. Cranial nerve involvement secondary to viral infection should be followed closely. The current standard of care for treatment is acyclovir and prednisone. Thus early treatment can be started in the face of developing complications and possible mortality and morbidity can be prevented.

Noodles are strips or strands cut from a sheet of dough made from flour, water and either common salt or a mixture of alkaline salt. Noodles consumption represents about 40% of the total wheat flour which are mainly consumed by school children. The use of composite flour has been encouraged since it reduces the importation of wheat. Utilization of locally available, inexpensive materials like cocoyam that can substitute a part of wheat flour without adversely affecting the acceptability of the product will be a product development. This study therefore studied the chemical composition and organoleptic properties of instant noodles from the blend of wheat and cocoyam starch. Cocoyam starch was substituted into wheat flour at 20, 40, 60 & 80%. Analysis revealed higher carbohydrate (63.50-70.05)%, moisture (4.54-5.07)% and vitamin A (10.01-30.47) mg/100g, B1 (11.43-32.15) mg/100g but lower protein (4.56-8.79)%, phosphorus (0.34-0.52)%, calcium (1.83-0.98)%, iron (0.15-0.32) % and ash (1.19-3.20)%. The composite noodles revealed higher carbohydrate and mineral but lower protein than the commercial noodles. The sensory analysis revealed that 20% cocoyam compared favourably with the commercial noodles in terms of all the sensory attributes evaluated. This shows the possibility of producing noodles from cocoyam tubers which serves as novel food. This will further help to promote and improve utilization of cocoyam tuber.

Taphonomic study was first time conducted in Kuala Lumpur, capital city of Malaysia. In this research model, male Oryctolagus cunicullus weighed 1.8-2.6 kg each were killed by Dolethal intravenously at the ear region. In Phase 1 study, eight subjects were wrapped in a sack and cemented within a container to be compared with the other four controls at each location labelled A (ground) and B (manmade freshwater pond). Phase 2 involved duplicating set of 15 cemented samples comparable to 1 control made up to total of 32 subjects which were all put into a compact polytank containing freshwater to simulate a case study. Taphonomic changes were observed and scored using TBS system incorporating of fresh stage, early decomposition stage, advanced decomposition stage and skeletonisation stage. The ambient temperature of surroundings with 28.81C±4.21°C and 29.21°C±4.57°C (mean±S.D.) while relative humidity of air with 74.49 %±14.61% and 79.15%±16.32% (mean±S.D.) were recorded for Phase 1 and Phase 2 study respectively. Time taken for ground control exposed and wrapped carcasses to reach first sign of skeletonised stage were four days and five days respectively. Whilst freshwater controls reached initial skeletonised stage within one week for exposed carcass and two weeks for wrapped carcass. Within the control and cemented sample carcasses, TBS scores increased from initial stages of decomposition and become plateau after advanced decomposition. The cementing factor have superseded the wrapping factor due to its stronger physical barrier effect to slow down the decomposition more than half compared to controls based on Multiple way ANOVA test. Phase 2 study has demonstrated more accurately on the decomposition rate of the cemented samples. It showed that wrapping and cementing factors have delayed the decomposition process of the rabbit carcasses about 4 times to reach the initial stage of skeletonisation compared to the control carcasses. There was absence of insect activity within the cemented samples, hence the microorganism activity would be the only contributor to the decaying process within the cemented samples at slower rate comparing to the exposed or wrapped controls.

Yaws is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as 1 of the 20 Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), a group of communicable diseases that have subsisted in tropical and subtropical environments, and that affect people living in poor and marginalized societies [1]. Yaws also form part of a group of chronic bacterial infections, commonly known as the endemic trepanomatoses. These diseases are caused by a spiral bacteria of the genus Treponema, which also includes bejel and pinta, being yaws the most common [2]. Like syphilis, yaws have been described in three stages; primary stage characterized by granulomatous skin lesions, secondary stage by generalized spread, and tertiary stage by chronic destructive disease of skin, cartilages and bones [3].

Human cervical cancer tumours expressing the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) were induced in the peritoneal cavity of nude mice. The tumours were significantly reduced by the i.p. administration of either free IL-2 or liposomes containing this growth factor. No toxicity was observed in the mice even at the highest doses of IL-2 in liposomes. We did not detect any IL-2 in the blood plasma pointing to a strong retention of the liposomes on the cavity. We concluded that this preclinical study for the treatment of tumours expressing IL-2R in the peritoneal cavity is effective and safe. The liposomes were stable and their IL-2 active for up to one year when kept at -14oC in a cryopreservation media approved by the FDA for human use.

Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) is a major limitation to the success of allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) as Steroid-Refractory (SR) acute GVHD carries poor prognosis due to the absence of an efficacious second-line therapy. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) which have immunosuppressive, immunomodulatory, and regenerative properties may become a highly effective therapeutic modality for SR-GVHD in the near future. MSCs have already been approved to treat childhood SR-GVHD in Japan, and they have been conditionally licensed in New Zealand and Canada. It is expected that MSCs will be approved for the treatment of SR-GVHD in adults in Europe, North America, and other parts of the world within a few years. Utilization of the recently introduced techniques including the use of MSC products such as exosomes and Extracellular Vesicles (ECVs) instead of the parent MSCs, robotic manufacturing technology, and genetic engineering of MSCs will ultimately overcome the remaining obstacles facing the widespread utilization of MSCs and their products as therapeutics not only in HSCT but also in other medical fields. The aim of this review is to provide an update on the remarkable progress achieved in the use of MSCs and their products in the field of HSCT.

Acha (Fonio) Digitaria sp. is a valuable cereal crop widely cultivated in several African countries. The genetic improvement of Acha through induced mutagenesis has gained attention for enhancing desirable traits. Colchicine, a mitotic inhibitor, is commonly used to induce polyploidy, which can lead to alterations in plant characteristics. This study aimed to investigate the effects of colchicine treatment on germination, plant height, and leaf count of two Acha species. Seeds from two Digitaria species, Digitaria exilis, and Digitaria iburua, were subjected to colchicine treatment using different concentrations (0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20g/dL). The control group was treated with distilled water. Germination rates were assessed by measuring the percentage of seeds that successfully sprouted. Plant height and leaf number were measured at maturity and analyzed using ANOVA on SPSS Version 26. The results indicated that colchicine treatment significantly affected germination, plant height, and leaf number in both Digitaria species. Germination rates varied depending on the concentration, with lower germination observed at higher concentrations (70.70% and 74.3% for 0.20g/dL treatment in both species). In terms of plant height, colchicine-treated Acha plants exhibited significant differences compared to the control group. The majority of treated plants showed increased growth (57.00 cm to 60.70 cm in D. exilis and 114.10 to 122.40 cm in D. iburua) compared to the control. Variability in plant height was observed among the treated plants, suggesting that colchicine-induced polyploidy had varying effects on height across different genotypes. Similarly, the number of leaves was affected by colchicine treatment. Treated plants exhibited an increase in leaf number (56.70 to 60.7 for D exilis and 32.60 to 36.30 for D. iburua), compared to the control group (49.7 and 29.7 respectively). This variability suggests that colchicine-induced polyploidy may have influenced leaf development and growth patterns in Acha. Colchicine treatment had significant effects on germination, plant height, and leaf count in both varieties of Acha. The results suggest that colchicine-induced polyploidy can alter these plant characteristics. These findings provide insights into the potential use of colchicine treatment for inducing desirable traits in Acha through polyploidization, which may have implications for crop improvement and breeding programs. Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms and assess the impact of these alterations on overall agronomic performance and yield potential.

Extrahepatic biliary neuroendocrine tumors (EBNETs) are a rare group of neoplasms with varying characteristics, with 223 cases documented since their discovery. In this case report, an EBNET is described as a result of vague abdominal pain and significantly elevated liver function tests in a 41-year-old woman who presented with vague abdominal pain and elevated liver function tests. Despite the challenges faced in preoperative diagnosis, including the need to differentiate from cholangiocarcinoma, surgical intervention was successful. Due to the tumor’s complex nature, meticulous dissection and reconstruction were required, leading to crucial insights into surgical management. In addition to highlighting the rarity of EBNETs, this case emphasizes the importance of early detection and customized surgical approaches.

Aim: To evaluate the outcome of Trabeculectomy in advanced glaucoma in a hospital in Rivers State, Nigeria. Methods: This was a non-randomized interventional study in which each patient served as its own control. Patients with advanced glaucoma and demonstrable field defects and Mean defect ≥-12 were included. The intervention employed was Trabeculectomy and IOP and visual acuity pre operative, as well as post op were collected and compared at pre- op, post -op day 1, one week, one month, 6 months. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Thirteen (13) eyes from ten (10) patients with advanced glaucoma were involved in the study. Mean age of study population was 53±19.62 years. Mean of mean defect was -19.05±5.23dB while mean of vertical cup disc ratio (VCDR) was 0.88±0.04. Mean of Pre- op Visual acuity (log MAR) was 0.46 and dropped to 0.72 first day post-op but improved over 6 months to 0.42. The mean of IOP pre-op was 24.15mmHg and dropped to 11.23mmHg (58.24%) over 6 months (p=0.001). Conclusion: Trabeculectomy still remains the gold standard surgical treatment for glaucoma. In our study it resulted in a 58.24% drop in IOP over 6 months with mean visual acuity maintained at pre-op levels after 6 months follow up. It therefore is effective and safe surgical intervention in advanced glaucoma.