A Sociolinguistic Consideration of Intermediation in Greeting Discourse among the Yo?ru?ba of South West Nigeria

Existing studies on Yoru?ba? greeting forms dwell on the appropriateness of their use, with respect to time of the year, event, condition, occupation, vocation, context, politeness and content. The studies portray greetings as discourse between two people or parties who are capable of exchanging pleasantries. None of the existing works has discussed intermediation in greeting discourse among the Yoru?ba? people such that greetings that are directed to the second person(s) such as toddlers, extremely sick persons, kings and the bereaved are answered on their behalf by a third party. This paper examines intermediation and the rationale in greeting discourse among the Yoru?ba? people. The data for this study were drawn from participant observation, Yoru?ba? literature texts, and Yoru?ba? home movies. The Mutual Contextual Beliefs Theory of Pragmatics as proposed by Bach and Harnish (1979) was adopted for the data analysis. The study established, among other things, that greetings are sacrosanct in Yoru?ba? culture and the answer/reply is obligatory, irrespective of the state, status, circumstance and condition of the person(s) being greeted. It is also shown that intermediation in greeting discourse could be for politeness, incapacitation, authority and educating the young ones

Epidemiology of Breast Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa

Breast cancer has increasingly become a disease of high morbidity and mortality globally, and in the sub-Saharan African region in particular. Therefore, there is a need to review the current status of breast cancer in the region in the last decade. Though Africa has one of the lowest incidence rates, it has the highest mortality rate globally. There have been reported inter- and intra-country variations in breast cancer morbidity and mortality in the region, with East Africa having the largest incidence rate increase, while southern Africa experiences the lowest increase between 2008 and 2012. Histology remains the commonest modality of diagnosis in sub-Saharan Africa; with invasive ductal cancers being the commonest among patients. Novel genes have also been popular among certain populations, in the presence of the more popular BRACA genes. Adverse outcomes reported include physical and mental health outcomes, which have been linked to some health behaviours. There has been varying modalities of treatments across the region. Therefore, there is a need for better organized and improved screening/diagnostics service accessibility in resource-constrained settings in sub-Saharan Africa. There should also be increased awareness creation among African populations about the availability of treatment facilities and modalities in their communities

Dietary Supplementation of Rauvolfia Vomitoria Root extract as a Phytogenic Feed additive in Growing Rabbit diets: Haematology and Serum Biochemical Indices

The objective of the present study was to determine effect of dietary supplementation of Rauvolfia vomitoria root extract (RVME) as a phytogenic feed additive in growing rabbit diets: haematology and serum biochemical indices. Thirty (30) weaned rabbits of mixed breed and sex between 6-7 weeks with an average weight of 530.9 and 533.0 grams were divided into five treatments with three replicates per treatment consisting of 2 rabbits per replicate in a completely randomized design. Rabbits in treatment 1 (T1) were fed basal diet with 0 % RVME while T2, T3, T4 and T5 were given RVME at 20 ml, 40ml, 60 ml, and 80 ml/litre of water respectively. The experiment lasted for 12 weeks; food and water were provided ad libitum and all other management were strictly observed. Data collected were used to evaluate the some haematological and serum biochemical indices of animals. Haematological parameters covered pack cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), white blood cell (WBC) and its differentials while serum analysis contained total protein (Tp), globulin, albumin, creatinine, urea, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride, aspartate serum aminotransferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and alanine phosphatase (ALP). All the haematological parameters were significantly (P ˂0.05) different among the treatment. Creatinine, urea and chloride ions not influenced by the dietary treatments (P > 0.05) while the other serum biochemical parameters were significantly (P ˂0.05) affected by RVME. Increasing the level of RVME from 20 ml to 80 ml tended to reduce ALP, AST and ALT values. It was concluded that feeding rabbits RVME at 80 ml/ liter did not cause any negative effect on the health of the animals; the data revealed that all values were within the physiological reference range for rabbit

Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Predictors of Preventive Practices Toward COVID‑19 among Healthcare Workers in Ogbomoso, Nigeria: A Cross‑sectional Study

Background: COVID‑19 quickly assumed a global epidemic with its attendant health, socio‑political and economic impacts. Healthcare workers are particularly at increasing risk of being infected and transmitting the virus. This study assessed knowledge, attitude, practice and predictors of preventive practices toward COVD‑19 among healthcare workers in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Study Design: Cross‑sectional study. Data were collected online among health workers across health facilities in Ogbomoso. Factors associated with good practices were analyzed using Chi‑square. Predictors of good  preventive practices were determined by multivariate binary logistic regression. The level of statistical  significance was determined to be at P < 0.05. Results: There were 132 study participants; with an average age of 31 years. Fifty‑eight percent were medical laboratory scientists. Levels of good knowledge, attitude, and practices were 59.1%, 58.3%, and 38.6%,  respectively. Eight‑seven percent of respondents sourced COVID‑19 related information via the mass media. Ninety‑four percent of respondents will not stay at home if sick because of work. Age, profession, and  knowledge are significantly associated with COVID‑19 preventive practices. The predictors (Model II) of good COVID‑19 preventive practices include being a laboratory scientist (odds ratio [OR]: 2.44 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05, 6.71]; P = 0.039), working in primary health facility (OR: 4.72 [95%CI: 1.08, 20.67]; P = 0.039) and having good COVID‑19 knowledge (OR: 3.71 [95%CI: 1.49–9.925]; P = 0.005). Conclusion: Our study has shown the predictors of good COVID‑19 preventive practices among healthcare workers and the need for policy and practice change as it relates to COVID‑19 infection prevention and  mitigation among healthcare workers

Challenges and Investment Opportunities for Large Scale Aquaculture Farmers in Nigeria

Fisheries sector plays an important role in Nigeria economy. Contribution of the sector to the nation's economy can be increased if challenges in the industry are minimized and the opportunities explored. Large scale aquaculture, an economic activity earning people a living is a very important industry encompassing fish traders, fish processors, fish farmers etc. The sector supports many Nigerians directly and indirectly. However fish importation is much more in quantity and value. 80% of aquaculture production in Nigeria is manned by small-scale farmers, except for few commercial ventures. Nigeria is blessed with numerous opportunities for large-scale aquaculture; however the challenges seem to override these opportunities. Constraints to production in the industry have been identified as recurrent high cost fish feed, poor water quality management, poor quality fish seed, technical know-how etc. Beyond the constraints to production are more pertinent factors responsible for un-sustainability of fish farm operation as business ventures. This paper focuses on the investment opportunities in large scale aquaculture and the current challenges that the farmers are facing in Nigeria. The paper shows that unprofitable operation of fish farms in Nigeria could be broadly attributed to two factors: poor production planning and inadequate technical know-how. The paper recommends the need to commercialize the industry through broad government fiscal efforts and sectorial re-organization in Nigeria

Employee Engagement Strategies Antecedents and Migration Intention of Medical Practitioners in Nigeria: A Theoretical Assessment

Medical practitioners’ migration to other countries of the world has a considerable effect on the appropriate health care delivery of the affected countries. Funding, training, work overload, capacity building is some of the contemporary issues confronting Nigeria health sector. All these have contributed to migration intention of many Nigerian health professionals to the developed nations. The shortage of medical doctors, nurses and midwives in Nigeria has become worrisome. This study extensively explores the antecedents of employee engagement strategies on migration intention of medical professionals in Nigeria health sector. The review centres on relevant articles from reputable and reliable databases on the subject of employee engagement and migration intention of the medical personnel. It was discovered that the antecedents of medical personnel engagement strategies could be explored to enhance medical professionals' retention in Nigeria for better health care delivery. The study offers a model that can be empirically investigated to determine the extent to which the antecedents of employee engagement influences migration intention of health workers in Nigeria

Ethnic Minority Status, Age-at-Immigration and Psychosis Risk in Rural Environments:Evidence From the SEPEA Study

Objective: Several ethnic minority groups experience elevated rates of first-episode psychosis (FEP), but most studies have been conducted in urban settings. We investigated whether incidence varied by ethnicity, generation status, and age-at-immigration in a diverse, mixed rural, and urban setting. Method: We identified 687 people, 16–35 years, with an ICD-10 diagnosis of FEP, presenting to Early Intervention Psychosis services in the East of England over 2 million person-years. We used multilevel Poisson regression to examine incidence variation by ethnicity, rural–urban setting, generation status, and age-at-immigration, adjusting for several confounders including age, sex, socioeconomic status, population density, and deprivation. Results: People of black African (incidence rate ratio: 4.06; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.63–6.25), black Caribbean (4.63; 95% CI: 2.38–8.98) and Pakistani (2.31; 95% CI: 1.35–3.94) origins were at greatest FEP risk relative to the white British population, after multivariable adjustment. Non-British white migrants were not at increased FEP risk (1.00; 95% CI: 0.77–1.32). These patterns were independently present in rural and urban settings. For first-generation migrants, migration during childhood conferred greatest risk of psychotic disorders (2.20; 95% CI: 1.33–3.62). Conclusions: Elevated psychosis risk in several visible minority groups could not be explained by differences in postmigratory socioeconomic disadvantage. These patterns were observed across rural and urban areas of our catchment, suggesting that elevated psychosis risk for some ethnic minority groups is not a result of selection processes influencing rural–urban living. Timing of exposure to migration during childhood, an important social and neurodevelopmental window, may also elevate risk

The Epidemiology of First-Episode Psychosis in Early Intervention in Psychosis Services: Findings From the Social Epidemiology of Psychoses in East Anglia [SEPEA] Study.

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have characterized the epidemiology of first-episode psychoses in rural or urban settings since the introduction of early intervention psychosis services. To address this, the authors conducted a naturalistic cohort study in England, where such services are well established. METHOD: All new first-episode psychosis cases, 16-35 years old, presenting to early intervention psychosis services in the East of England were identified during 2 million person-years follow-up. Presence of ICD-10 F10-33 psychotic disorder was confirmed using OPCRIT [operational criteria for psychotic illness]. Incidence rate ratios were estimated following multivariable Poisson regression, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, neighborhood-level deprivation, and population density. RESULTS: Of 1,005 referrals, 687 participants (68.4%) fulfilled epidemiological and diagnostic criteria for first-episode psychosis (34.0 new cases per 100,000 person-years; 95% CI=31.5-36.6). Median age at referral was similar for men (22.5 years; interquartile range: 19.5-26.7) and women (23.4 years; interquartile range: 19.5-29.1); incidence rates were highest for men and women before 20 years of age. Rates increased for ethnic minority groups (incidence rate ratio: 1.4; 95% CI=1.1-1.6), as well as with lower socioeconomic status (incidence rate ratio: 1.3; 95% CI=1.2-1.4) and in more urban (incidence rate ratio: 1.4;95%CI=1.0-1.8) and deprived (incidence rate ratio: 2.1; 95% CI=1.3-3.3) neighborhoods, after adjustment for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Pronounced variation in psychosis incidence, peaking before 20 years old, exists in populations served by early intervention psychosis services. Excess rates were restricted to urban and deprived communities, suggesting that a threshold of socioenvironmental adversity may be necessary to increase incidence. This robust epidemiology can inform service development in various settings about likely population-level need.Wellcome Trust (Sir Henry Wellcome Research Fellowship; Grant ID: WT085540)This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the American Psychiatric Association via http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.1601010

Experience of people living with leprosy at leprosy settlements in Nigeria

Background Although Nigeria achieved the national leprosy elimination target of less than 1/10,000 population in 1998, factors such as culture, behavioural patterns and social determinants, among others, continue to contribute to an increase in leprosy cases and a poor state of living for individuals with leprosy in Nigeria. This study delves into the experiences of individuals residing in leprosy settlements in Nigeria. Methods This study employed a community‐based cross‐sectional design, utilizing a concurrent mixed‐methods approach for comprehensive data collection. Questionnaires, focus groups and interviews are conducted simultaneously. The research involves participants from seven leprosy communities across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones and Federal Capital Territory. Qualitative methods, including 14 focus group discussions and 6 key informant interviews, are complemented by quantitative questionnaires, engaging residents, leaders and nongovernmental organization (NGO) representatives. Respondents comprised 35 leprosy patients, 21 family members, 7 community leaders, 7 settlement officers and 2 organizational heads involved in leprosy control. Results The results indicate significant access to healthcare (93.7%) and interest in self‐care practices (95.2%), with a considerable proportion (74.6%) receiving free healthcare. Interview data underscore the limited government support, with NGOs and partners assuming a more substantial role. Qualitative insights from persons living with leprosy highlight financial struggles, stigmatization and substandard living conditions in settlements, exacerbated by limited government funding. This reliance on private and NGOs is further compounded by declining funding, hindering individuals’ ability to start businesses and provide self‐care. Conclusion This study underscores the pressing need for increased government support, funding and better living conditions for individuals affected by leprosy in Nigeria. It highlights the significance of education, awareness campaigns and human rights promotion to combat stigma and enhance the quality of life for those living with leprosy. Moreover, the study advocates for the reintegration of affected individuals into their communities to foster societal inclusion and well‐being

Geographical information system and predictive risk maps of urinary schistosomiasis in Ogun State, Nigeria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The control of urinary schistosomiasis in Ogun State, Nigeria remains inert due to lack of reliable data on the geographical distribution of the disease and the population at risk. To help in developing a control programme, delineating areas of risk, geographical information system and remotely sensed environmental images were used to developed predictive risk maps of the probability of occurrence of the disease and quantify the risk for infection in Ogun State, Nigeria.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Infection data used were derived from carefully validated morbidity questionnaires among primary school children in 2001–2002, in which school children were asked among other questions if they have experienced "blood in urine" or urinary schistosomiasis. The infection data from 1,092 schools together with remotely sensed environmental data such as rainfall, vegetation, temperature, soil-types, altitude and land cover were analysis using binary logistic regression models to identify environmental features that influence the spatial distribution of the disease. The final regression equations were then used in Arc View 3.2a GIS software to generate predictive risk maps of the distribution of the disease and population at risk in the state.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Logistic regression analysis shows that the only significant environmental variable in predicting the presence and absence of urinary schistosomiasis in any area of the State was Land Surface Temperature (LST) (B = 0.308, p = 0.013). While LST (B = -0.478, p = 0.035), rainfall (B = -0.006, p = 0.0005), ferric luvisols (B = 0.539, p = 0.274), dystric nitosols (B = 0.133, p = 0.769) and pellic vertisols (B = 1.386, p = 0.008) soils types were the final variables in the model for predicting the probability of an area having an infection prevalence equivalent to or more than 50%. The two predictive risk maps suggest that urinary schistosomiasis is widely distributed and occurring in all the Local Government Areas (LGAs) in State. The high-risk areas (≥ 50% prevalence) however, are confined to scatter foci in the north western part of the State. The model also estimated that 98.99% of schools aged children (5–14 years) are living in areas suitable for urinary schistosomiasis transmission and are at risk of infection.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The risk maps developed will hopefully be useful to the state health officials, by providing them with detailed distribution of urinary schistosomiasis, help to delineate areas for intervention, assesses population at risk thereby helping in optimizing scarce resources.</p