Lawan Hassan Adamu

Neck circumference: An upcoming tool of adiposity indices

Context: Obesity is one of the most significant contributors to ill health competing with under-nutrition and infectious diseases. Aims: The aims of the study were to determine the presence and level of sexual dimorphism in adiposity indices, correlation of neck circumference (NC) and body mass index (BMI) with other adiposity indices such as waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-height ratio (WHtR) and also to encourage the uses of neck circumferences as valuable tool in assessing upper body central adiposity index. Settings and Design: The study population included 71 undergraduate participants (41 Males and 30 Females) with mean age of 22.68 ΁ 4.23 years. Subjects and Methods: Anthropometric measurements of height, weight, NC, WC and HC were obtained following standard protocols. Statistical Analysis Used: Independent t -test and Pearsons correlation were employed to compare and find the relationship between the variables, using SPSS version 17. Significance level was considered at P ≤ 0.05. Results: The result shows that there was statistically significant ( P r = 0.8, P r = 0.7, P r = 0.7, P Conclusions: Despite the low level of correlation of NC with other adiposity indices compared to the BMI, the NC may serve as an important tool for the assessment of upper body adiposity.

Sex prediction using ridge density and thickness among the Hausa ethnic group of Kano state, Nigeria

Abstract The aim of the study was to determine sexual dimorphism and to predict sex using thumbprint ridge density and thickness among the Hausa ethnic group of Nigeria. A total of 283 subjects comprising 147 males and 136 females participated in the study. The density was determined from the count of ridges found diagonally within 25 mm2 using an indirect method of ridge thickness measurement. The results showed that the ulnar ridge density of males (10.01 ± 1.31) was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than that of females (10.91 ± 1.69) in the right thumb. The ridge thickness was observed to have an inverse relation with ridge density. It was also noted that the right ulnar ridge count was the single best variable to predict sex (63.4% accuracy). For the left thumbprints, the proximal ridge thickness predicted the sex (62.8% accuracy). The predicted probabilities of binary logistic regression showed that ulnar ridge count and proximal ridge thickness were the best predictors with a higher area under the curve (>0.5) in the right and left thumbprints respectively. In conclusion, different regions of thumbprints have different potentials in term of sex prediction. Ridge density and thickness hold potential as tools for sex inference among the Hausa population of Nigeria.

Gender preference between traditional and PowerPoint methods of teaching gross anatomy

INTRODUCTION: Teaching and learning process is increasingly metamorphosing from the traditional chalk and talk to the modern dynamism in the information and communication technology. Medical education is no exception to this dynamism more especially in the teaching of gross anatomy, which serves as one of the bases of understanding the human structure. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the gender preference of preclinical medical students on the use of traditional (chalk and talk) and PowerPoint presentation in the teaching of gross anatomy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was cross-sectional and prospective study, which was conducted among preclinical medical students in the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. Using simple random techniques, a questionnaire was circulated among 280 medical students, where 247 students filled the questionnaire appropriately. The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS version 20 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA) to find the method preferred by the students among other things. RESULTS: Majority of the preclinical medical students in the University of Maiduguri preferred PowerPoint method in the teaching of gross anatomy over the conventional methods. The Cronbach alpha value of 0.76 was obtained which is an acceptable level of internal consistency. A statistically significant association was found between gender and preferred method of lecture delivery on the clarity of lecture content where females prefer the conventional method of lecture delivery whereas males prefer the PowerPoint method, On the reproducibility of text and diagram, females prefer PowerPoint method of teaching gross anatomy while males prefer the conventional method of teaching gross anatomy. CONCLUSION: There are gender preferences with regard to clarity of lecture contents and reproducibility of text and diagram. It was also revealed from this study that majority of the preclinical medical students in the University of Maiduguri prefer PowerPoint presentation over the traditional chalk and talk method in most of the questions ask.

Evaluation of Facial Proportions and Their Association with Thumbprint Patterns among Hausa Ethnic Group

Background. Evolutionary forces such as founder effect resulted in reproductive isolation and reduced genetic diversity may have led to ethnic variation in the facial appearance and other features like fingerprints pattern. Aim. To determine the pattern of facial proportion based on neoclassical facial canon. The associations between facial proportions and thumbprint patterns were also investigated. Subject and Methods. A total of 534 subjects of 18–25 years of age participated. Direct sensing and photographs methods were used to determine fingerprint and facial features, respectively. Fisher’s Exact test was used to test for association between variables. Results. It was observed that in both males and females there was no (0%) occurrence of classical canon of facial proportion. There was also no association between sex and facial proportions. A significant association was found in between thumbprint patterns and vertical class III neoclassical facial proportion only when the frequency of both left and right thumbprint patterns was considered a single entity. There is no significant association between the thumbprint patterns of the right and left thumbs with vertical horizontal facial proportions in male and female participants. It was observed that right and left thumbs have more tendency of significance with facial proportion in males and females, respectively. Conclusion. Fingerprint pattern and its associated features may be controlled by a different mechanism such that the two may correlate differently with other features as the case may be with facial features.

Variation of facial features among three African populations: Body height match analyses

Body height is one of the variables that show a correlation with facial craniometry. Here we seek to discriminate the three populations (Nigerians, Ugandans and Kenyans) using facial craniometry based on different categories of body height of adult males. A total of 513 individuals comprising 234 Nigerians, 169 Ugandans and 110 Kenyans with mean age of 25.27, s=5.13 (18-40 years) participated. Paired and unpaired facial features were measured using direct craniometry. Multivariate and stepwise discriminate function analyses were used for differentiation of the three populations. The result showed significant overall facial differences among the three populations in all the body height categories. Skull height, total facial height, outer canthal distance, exophthalmometry, right ear width and nasal length were significantly different among the three different populations irrespective of body height categories. Other variables were sensitive to body height. Stepwise discriminant function analyses included maximum of six variables for better discrimination between the three populations. The single best discriminator of the groups was total facial height, however, for body height >1.70m the single best discriminator was nasal length. Most of the variables were better used with function 1, hence, better discrimination than function 2. In conclusion, adult body height in addition to other factors such as age, sex, and ethnicity should be considered in making decision on facial craniometry. However, not all the facial linear dimensions were sensitive to body height.

Prediction of Nasolabial Distance using Thumbprint Ridge Density among the Hausa Population of Nigeria

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the potentials of thumbprint ridge count in the prediction of nasolabial facial distances among the Hausa population of Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which a total of 457 subjects participated. Plain fingerprints were captured using a fingerprint scanner. Three areas, ulnar, radial and proximal were defined for determination of ridge counts. A photographic method was used to capture the facial images. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to measure the linear dependence between thumbprint ridge density and Nasolabial distances. Stepwise linear multiple regression analysis was used to predict nasolabial distances from thumbprint ridge density. SPSS statistical software version 20 was used for the statistical analysis and a p -value of < 0.05 was set as a level of significance. Results: Results showed that in males left proximal ridge count correlates negatively with nasal length, philtrum length, and upper lip length and mouth width. The upper lip length and nasal width correlate negatively with left ulnar ridge count and right radial ridge counts, respectively. A positive correlation was observed between ulnar ridge count with nasal length and lower vermilion width. In females, appositive correlation was observed only between lower vermilion width and left proximal ridge counts. Left proximal ridge counts predict most of the nasolabial distances in males. In females, only the left proximal ridge counts showed potential in the prediction of facial distances. Conclusion: The study concluded that the thumbprint correlates with facial distances of the nasolabial region. The proximal part of the thumbprint may respond to the same instruction in utero with the lower part of the face, hence leading to the prediction of nasolabial facial distances from the proximal ridge counts among the Hausa population of Nigeria.

Effect of Dichlorvos on Histoarchitecture of The Cerebral Blood Vessels in Adult Wistar Rats

Özet Serebral kan damarları insanların ve hayvanların beyinleri için çok önemlidir. Kan akışının kesilmesi ya da durması nedeniyle oluşan herhangi bir anomali ölümcül sonuçlara sebep olabilir. Diklorvis, Otapiapia ya da Madarar piapia olarak bilinen bölgesel olarak formüle edilmiş sinek ve böcek ilaçlarının aktif maddeleriyle oluşan uçucu bir organofosfattır. Diklorvis, geri dönülemez bir şekilde asetilkolinesteraza bağlanan ve inhibisyonuna sebep olan bir antiasetilkolinesterazdır. Bu çalışma yetişkin wistar sıçanlarının serebral damar histolojisindeki diklorvos etkilerini saptamayı amaçlar. Sağlıklı görünen 25 adet wistar sıçanı rastgele seçilmiş ve beş gruba ayrılmıştır. İlk iki grup kontrol grubu olarak kullanılırken son üç grup etanol çözeltisinde aşırı dozda diklorvosa maruz bırakılmış ve 28 gün boyunca deney uygulanmıştır. Son dozdan 24 saat sonra hayvanlar öldürülmüş ve beyin dokuları rutin histolojik teknikler için alınmıştır. Bütün hayvanların nisbi beyin ağırlıkları saptanmış ve tedavi edilen gruplarla kontrol grubunun ortalamasını kıyaslamak için ANOVA uygulanmıştır. Kontrol gruplarıyla tedavi edilen grupların ortalama beyin ağırlıklarında istatiksel olarak önemli bir fark [F = 0.88, p = 0.49] saptanmamıştır. Tedavi edilen grupların H&E kimyasal maddeleri(kalıntıları) perivasküler ödem, piknoz ve apoptozun farklı derecelerini göstermiştir. Diklorvosun aşırı kullanımı perivasküler ödem ve apoptoz gibi histomimaride serebral vasküler değişikliklere sebep olabilir fakat beyin ağırlığını etkilemeyebilir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Diklorvos, Histomimari, Serebral kan damarları Abstract Cerebral blood vessels are vital in supplying brain in both human and animals. Any anomaly by rupture or interruption of blood flow may lead to fatal consequences. Dichlorvos is a volatile organophosphate that forms the active ingredient of locally formulated insecticide and pesticide known as Otapiapia or Madararpiapia. It is an anti-acetylcholinestrase that binds irreversibly to acetylcholinesterase and leads to its inhibition. The study aims to determine the effects of dichlorvos on the histology of the cerebral vessels in adult wistar rats. Twenty five apparently healthy adult wistar rats were randomly selected and divided into five groups. The first two groups were used as control while the last three groups were exposed to graded doses of dichlorvos in ethanol solution and experimented for twenty eight days. Twenty four hours after the last exposure the animals were sacrificed and the brain tissues were collected for routine histological technique. The relative brain weights of all the animals were determined and one – way ANOVA was conducted to compare the mean of the control with the treated groups. There was no statistically significant difference [F = 0.88, p = 0.49] in the mean brain weights of the controls and the treated groups. The H&E stain of the treated groups showed variable degrees of perivascular oedema, pyknosis and apoptosis. Prolong use of dichlorvos could cause cerebral vascular changes in the histoarchitecture such as perivascular oedema and apoptosis, may not affect the brain weight.