Cephalic index is an important parameter useful in establishing racial and sexual dimorphism. This study was carried out to determine the cephalic indices of adult Yorubas of age 18 to 40 years. One thousand and twenty (1020) Yoruba adults consisting of 493 males and 527 females were recruited randomly for the study. These were all residents of Port Harcourt, Rivers State of Nigeria. The mean cephalic index of Yorubas without reference to gender was 74.39 ± 5.41. Dominant and rare types of head shapes are dolicocephalic (68.33%) and hyperbrachycephalic (5.00%), respectively. The mean cephalic indices were 75.02 ± 4.76 (mesocephalic) in males and 73.75 ± 5.13 (dolicocephalic) in females. We conclude that Yoruba males are mesocephalic while Yoruba females are dolicocephalic. Besides, this study also reveals dolicocephalization tending towards mesocephalization amongst Yorubas. These findings will be very useful in forensic science, physical and medical anthropology, and clinical practice, most especially craniofacial surgery as it presents a characteristic feature of the head configuration for this Nigerian race.

Background. Kinanthropometric and Kinematic variable are important in the understanding of performance in various sports. These variables have not been explored among Tennis players in Nigeria. Objectives. An exploration to establish a regression model for kinanthropometric and kinematic variables in relation to ball velocity of Nigerian Female Tennis Players. Methods. Data were collected through direct standard anthropometric protocol and kinematic videographic technique with four Vicon MX 13 cameras. Subjects for the study were drawn from Nigerian female tennis players who participated in the 14th West African University Games and 19th National Sports Festival. Fortysix (46) of the athletes gave their consent to participate in the study, which took place between October to December, 2018. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 to obtain mean, standard deviation, range, Pearson correlation Moment Coefficients and Regression linear analysis which was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 significant levels. Results. Results from this study revealed that there was 60% prediction of interactions of the kinanthropometric and kinematic variables to ball velocity. The results further revealed statistically significant difference in the predicted variables (kinanthropometric and kinematic) to ball velocity at p<0.05. The study recommends that during selection processes, coaches should strictly ensure that only athletes with suitable anthropometric features specific for each sport are recruited. Also, the relevant outcome of the analysis should be employed in developing tennis sports as it will contribute to improving performance and increasing accuracy. Conclusion. Using standard anthropometric protocols and videographic techniques to establish typical performance profile for Nigerian players would ensure a more reasonable assessment of match performances and assist to set practical training and match targets for coaches and athletes.

Aim: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), the causative agent of tuberculosis, is a strictly aerobic bacterium that grows fastidiously and slow, which is among the top 10 causes of death globally and the leading cause from a single infectious agent (above HIV/AIDS). Among the deadly diseases ravaging the world, tuberculosis remains one of the commonest and deadliest. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) among the athletes of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Rivers State, Nigeria. Study Design:  Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Sports Institute, University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Nigeria, between June 2012 and July 2015. Methods: A total of 100 university athletes (51 males and 49 females, the age ranged from 15-47 years) was recruited for this study. Blood samples were collected from the athletes and analyzed for serum IgG antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. OneStep Tuberculosis (TB) rapid test was used for the detection of TB antibody (Isotypes IgG, IgM and IgA) in whole blood samples from the subjects. Commercially available ELISA based kits (manufactured by Dia.Pro, Milano, Italy) were also used. Results: The seropositivity of TB among the athletes was 5.0%. The result of the study showed that male athletes had a higher prevalence of tuberculosis than their female counterpart (5.9% vs 4.1%). Subsequently, the age groups 15-25 years had a higher prevalence of tuberculosis (6.5%) compared to age groups 26 years and above (2.6%). A significant association existed between the athletes' ages and TB prevalence (p= 0.035) and none existed with gender (p=0.654). Conclusion: This study confirms the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antibodies among university athletes. Strict surveillance of the diseases is highly recommended to curb its spread and the potential increase in Multidrug-resistance tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and Extensively drug-resistance Tuberculosis (XDR-TB) as it is highly contagious.

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Aim: Athletes are not immune to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency, and these conditions do not cause any harm or damage to their body as long as the necessary precautions in term of medications and others are adhered to. This research’s main objective was to determine the prevalence rate of G-6-PD deficiency and HIV among the University athletes in Rivers State, Nigeria. Study Design:  Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Sports Institute, University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Nigeria, between June 2012 and July 2015. Methods: A total of 258 athletes were screened (134 females and 124 males) for HIV and G-6-PD deficiency. The athletes’ ages, gender and dates of birth were obtained and recorded. The presence of the HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibody was detected using the Uni-Gold™ Recombigen® HIV-1/2 for the detection of HIV. While Beutler Semi-quantitative G-6-PD Test Kit (BSA-3000) was utilized for the quantitative detection of G-6-PD deficiency in whole blood. Results: Of the 258 athletes tested, 0.7% was G-6-PD deficient while 1.2% was positive for HIV. The G-6-PD deficient positive cases were found in the age range of 21-25 years while the higher prevalence of HIV was observed in the age range 31-35 years (4.8%), followed by 26-30 years (1.9%) and the least was observed in the age group 21-25 years (0.7%). Age and gender had no significant relationship with the positivity of the athletes to HIV and G-6-PD (p-value >0.05). Conclusion: This study confirms the presence of HIV and G-6-PD deficiency among university athletes in Rivers State, Nigeria. This calls for routine testing of both the athletes and the general public for G-6-PD deficiency to prevent hemolysis causes by G-6-PD deficiency.