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The environmental impact and potential health challenges resulting from artisanal mining in Shango area of Minna, North Central Nigeria was put into perspective. The methodology adopted for the research includes field work and laboratory analysis. Results of field observation reveal that mining activity resulted in physical environmental impact such as land degradation, destruction of vegetation, erosion of soils and degrading water quality. Results from the laboratory analyses show that soils are contaminated with elements such as Cu (27.7ppm), Cd (0.6 ppm), Hg (0.62 ppm) and Ag (0.35 ppm) and generally show high status when compared to published standard for upper continental crust. While, Zn (14.8ppm), Ni (7.17ppm), Mn (207ppm), Pb (0.58ppm), As (0.4ppm), Co (0.55ppm), Mo (0.16ppm), and Zr (129.8ppm) are rated low in line with the published standard; other determined elements such as Cr (37.8ppm), Fe (31.1ppm) and Au (0.2ppm) are high. These elements can easily be absorbed by plants and subsequently accumulate in their tissues. When such plants are eventually eaten by man, it may lead to different health problems such as slow growth rate, liver and kidney problem. High concentration of these elements in plant tissues may causes different problems.

Objectives: To establish the correlation between the degree of vascularisation detected using power Doppler ultrasonography in digestive tract adenocarcinoma and the prognosis of these patients., Material and Method: Ultrasonography was performed in 45 patients diagnosed with digestive tract adenocarcinoma (16 stomach-35.6%, 6 cecum and ascending colon-13.3%, 2 transverse colon-4.4%, 5 descending colon 11.1%, 13 sigmoid colon-28.9%, and 3 rectum-6.7%). The degree of maximum tumor vascularization was determined using the highest percentage of colored pixels obtained in the histogram- maximum color pixels density (MCPD). The hepatic Doppler perfusion index (HDPI) was also calculated. The presence and development of liver metastases was evaluated by ultrasonography and computed tomography. The patients were monitored for a period of 18 months. The results of each method in detecting and predicting the development of liver metastases were compared., Results: MCPD and HDPI had fairly similar results (p>0.05) in establishing the positive and negative predicting values for the entire group of patients with liver metastasis (55.9% compared to 66.7%, p>0.05, and 53.3%, compared to 54.6%, p>0.05) and the group that developed liver metastases during follow-up (80.0% compared to 90.0%, p>0.05, and 61.5%, compared to 75.0%, p>0.05). When comparing MCPD and HDPI for the group of patients who had or developed metastases, MCPD had an equal sensitivity (86.4%, compared to 90.9%, p >0.05), a higher specificity (65.0% compared to 46.5%, p<0.05), but a lower accuracy (60.0% compared to 73.3%, p<0.05). In detecting patients who developed metastases during the 18 months follow-up, MCPD had a superior sensitivity (85.7% compared to 64.3%, p<0.05), a lower specificity (66.7% compared to 88.9%, p<0.05) and an equal accuracy (78.3% vs. 73.9%, p >0.05.)., Conclusions: The calculation of MCPD using color histograms can be a simple and quick method in the evaluation and prognosis of patients with digestive tract adenocarcinoma.

Unlabelled: Subject of the study is suicidal and parasuicidal behaviour in B&H in the period 1992-2004 in relation to transition, anomie and structures of suicidal personalities., Method: Two self-destructive groups (in 2001 and in 2005) were tested in B&H. The test group consists of n = 125 subjects who had suicide, and control group consists of n = 125 persons with parasuicidal behaviour. WE USED: GDL, EPQ, HAMD and Pluchic's test in a longitudinal study stratified by the seriousness of suicide and quality of parasuicide., Results: Self-destructivity has been increasing in B&H. Socio-demographic data of the suicide are: gender = 73.3 +/- 2.5 (m) 26.7 +/- 2.7 (f), broken family = 34.4 +/- 4.8, migration = 52.2 +/- 3.2, heredity = 46.7 +/- 2.0 and parasuicide: gender = 47.8% +/- 5.2(m), 26.7 +/- 2.7(f), broken family = 41.1% +/- 5.2, migration = 54.4% +/- 4.6, heredity = 41.3 +/- 2.8. EPQ in suicide is: M +/- SD--neuroticism = 16,73 +/- 7.03, psychosis = 18,21 +/- 6.64, and in parasuicide extroversion = 15,37 +/- 4.21 and Lay-scale = 13,95 +/- 3.37, and significance p<0.01. HAMD is increased in suicide: H +/- SD: depression: 2.99 +/- 1.21, emotion of guilt = 2.19 +/- 1.14, suicide = 3.91 +/- 1.19, early insomnia = 2.11 +/- 1.21, anxiety = 1.93 +/- 1.21 with p<0.01, and in parasuicide: hypochondria = 1.77 +/- 0.95, depersonalization = 1.71 +/- 0.65, and O-K-signs = 1.59 +/- 0.79 with p<0.01. Pluchic's test separates basic emotions, and all is gathered by matrix of discriminative function., Conclusion: High level of self-destruction in suicidal and parasuicidal behaviour is proven in the study. Suicide shows faster self-destruction and a way of suicidal end, and parasuicide slower destruction with postponing the suicidal crash. Sign of suicide and parasuicide can be found in both groups of respondents and the ways of expression are different, but definite in suicide.