Data ontheno-loadperformanceanalysis of atomatopostharveststoragesystem

In thispresentinvestigation,anoriginalanddetailedempirical data onthetransferofheatinatomatopostharveststoragesystem waspresented.No-loadtestswereperformedforaperiodof96h. The heatdistributionatdifferentlocations,namelythetop,middle and bottomofthesystemwasacquired,atatimeintervalof 30 minforthetestperiod.Thehumidityinsidethesystemwas taken intoconsideration.Thus,No-loadtestswithorwithout introduction ofhumiditywerecarriedoutanddatashowingthe effect ofariseinhumiditylevel,ontemperaturedistributionwere acquired.Thetemperaturesattheexternalmechanicalcooling components wereacquiredandcouldbeusedforshowingthe performance analysisofthestoragesyste

A Distributed Caching Approach for Improved Data Availability in Rural Wireless Mesh Networks

The performance of wireless mesh networks (WMNs) deployed for Internet access in rural settings is affected by several factors. Typically, deployments in African domains use cheap and computationally constrained devices with challenges such as power fluctuations, gateway congestion, VSAT communications asymmetry and low bandwidth, which affects throughput under dynamic scenarios. Caching methods can offer improvement for content availability to ensure a reliable quality of experience (QoE) for rural dwellers. Primarily, we integrate a modified multicast technique and overhearing for object caching and cache dissemination. We proposed a Distributed Overheard-object Caching Approach (DOCA) and evaluated the performance employing simulations. The outcome shows significant improvements over the random-path-cache-request (RPCR) strategy with increased data availability and reduced communication cost regarding response time for the outlined rural scenarios. Moreover, the optimization of gateway load helps to conserve network resources such as bandwidth and nodal energy considerably

Seroprevalence of hepatitis E among restaurant food handlers in Ibadan, Nigeria

 Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the causative agent of acute viral hepatitis in humans. HEV is an important public health disease in many parts of the world because it is transmitted faeco-orally.  Majority of the documented studies on hepatitis E virus in Nigeria have focused on pregnant women and animal handlers with limited data among food handlers. Thus the current study aimed at investigating the prevalence of HEV infection among food handlers operating within the premises of a tertiary care facility.Methods: One hundred and seventy seven (177) food handlers were screened using commercial Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA) to detect IgM antibodies to Hepatitis E. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess risk factors for HEV infection.Results: HEV IgM antibodies were detected in 16 (9.0%) of the participants. Age-specific HEV IgM seroprevalence appeared to decrease with age, however there were no significant differences in HEV IgM seropositivity regarding age (P=0.251), gender (P = 0.231), marital status (P=0.735) and religion (P = 0.906). Significant risk factors for HEV IgM seropositivity included source of water for drinking (P=0.03) and the use of soap for hand washing (P=0.02).Conclusion: Our findings suggest that HEV remains a public health problem, as the virus circulates at low but considerable levels especially among food handlers; thus posing a threat to potential contacts. Proper hand washing practices as well as provision of portable water are important factors for the control of Hepatitis E

Prevalence of surgically correctable conditions among children in a mixed urban-rural community in Nigeria using the SOSAS survey tool:Implications for paediatric surgical capacity-building

BackgroundIn many low- and middle-income countries, data on the prevalence of surgical diseases have been derived primarily from hospital-based studies, which may lead to an underestimation of disease burden within the community. Community-based prevalence studies may provide better estimates of surgical need to enable proper resource allocation and prioritization of needs. This study aims to assess the prevalence of common surgical conditions among children in a diverse rural and urban population in Nigeria.MethodsDescriptive cross-sectional, community-based study to determine the prevalence of congenital and acquired surgical conditions among children in a diverse rural-urban area of Nigeria was conducted. Households, defined as one or more persons 'who eat from the same pot' or slept under the same roof the night before the interview, were randomized for inclusion in the study. Data was collected using an adapted and modified version of the interviewer-administered questionnaire-Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical Need (SOSAS) survey tool and analysed using the REDCap web-based analytic application.Main resultsEight-hundred-and-fifty-six households were surveyed, comprising 1,883 children. Eighty-one conditions were identified, the most common being umbilical hernias (20), inguinal hernias (13), and wound injuries to the extremities (9). The prevalence per 10,000 children was 85 for umbilical hernias (95% CI: 47, 123), and 61 for inguinal hernias (95% CI: 34, 88). The prevalence of hydroceles and undescended testes was comparable at 22 and 26 per 10,000 children, respectively. Children with surgical conditions had similar sociodemographic characteristics to healthy children in the study population.ConclusionThe most common congenital surgical conditions in our setting were umbilical hernias, while injuries were the most common acquired conditions. From our study, it is estimated that there will be about 2.9 million children with surgically correctable conditions in the nation. This suggests an acute need for training more paediatric surgeons

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

A survey of rural Wireless Mesh Network (WMN) deployments

Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) has remained an alternative to providing telecommunication services in many rural parts of industrialized and developing countries. However, the suitability of existing rural mesh technologies in industrialized countries and how it fits emerging remote areas in developing countries is in doubt. While the architectures are similar; subtle technical differences impact mesh performances of rural deployments in developing countries. In this paper, the research focus describes generic rural settings via the taxonomy of the domains' characteristic. The authors present a survey of a few IEEE 802.11-based rural WMNs deployments in real-life scenarios over a decade between 2003 and 2013. In particular, the study offers an evaluation and critical analysis of a few design components of these deployments. Finally, it identifies a plethora of common patterns, technical variations, challenges and unique features as well as some future directions to improve the reliability and resilience of WMN deployments in rural Africa

De Novo Class of Momordicoside with Potent and Selective Tumor Cell Growth Inhibitory Activity as Pyruvate Kinase Muscle Isozyme 2 and Anti-apoptotic Myeloid Leukemia 1 Inhibitors

The difficulty in treating cancer resides in targeting abnormal proliferation while protecting normal proliferation, necessitating a thorough comprehension of the normal and malignant mechanisms that promote cell growth and proliferation. Targeting cell death signaling pathways such as glycolytic and mitochondrial apoptosis is the hallmark of many cancers, the aim of which this research is ready to evaluate. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulation of top hits after molecular docking and ADMET profiling of the ligands were performed for main protease-hit complexes. Docking scores of ligands used against PKM2 range from –9.36 to –12.1 kcal/mol, wherein momordicoside-F2 had the highest score (2.1 kcal/mol), performing better than the FDA-approved drug benserazide. Likewise, the scores ranged between –8.51 and –12.05 kcal/mol for Anti-apoptotic Myeloid Leukemia 1 (MCL-1), with momordicoside-F1 being the highest-ranked compound. The RMSD plots depicted stable trajectories with consistent and minor fluctuations implying that the protein (PKM2 and MCL1) backbone underwent minor structural perturbations. In addition, several significant peaks of increased fluctuations were also observed, indicating their increased interaction potential, implying that the ligands could adapt well in the protein's binding pocket. The SASA analysis results show that the ligands retained inside their shallow binding pocket. The phylogenetic tree obtained implies the likelihood of recurring results of the in silico profiling. Conclusively, this research unveils that Mormordicoside F1 shows good stability with MCL-1, likewise, momordicoside-F2 against PKM2. These hits can be a better re-purposing option

Adaptation of the Wound Healing Questionnaire universal-reporter outcome measure for use in global surgery trials (TALON-1 study): mixed-methods study and Rasch analysis

BackgroundThe Bluebelle Wound Healing Questionnaire (WHQ) is a universal-reporter outcome measure developed in the UK for remote detection of surgical-site infection after abdominal surgery. This study aimed to explore cross-cultural equivalence, acceptability, and content validity of the WHQ for use across low- and middle-income countries, and to make recommendations for its adaptation.MethodsThis was a mixed-methods study within a trial (SWAT) embedded in an international randomized trial, conducted according to best practice guidelines, and co-produced with community and patient partners (TALON-1). Structured interviews and focus groups were used to gather data regarding cross-cultural, cross-contextual equivalence of the individual items and scale, and conduct a translatability assessment. Translation was completed into five languages in accordance with Mapi recommendations. Next, data from a prospective cohort (SWAT) were interpreted using Rasch analysis to explore scaling and measurement properties of the WHQ. Finally, qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated using a modified, exploratory, instrumental design model.ResultsIn the qualitative phase, 10 structured interviews and six focus groups took place with a total of 47 investigators across six countries. Themes related to comprehension, response mapping, retrieval, and judgement were identified with rich cross-cultural insights. In the quantitative phase, an exploratory Rasch model was fitted to data from 537 patients (369 excluding extremes). Owing to the number of extreme (floor) values, the overall level of power was low. The single WHQ scale satisfied tests of unidimensionality, indicating validity of the ordinal total WHQ score. There was significant overall model misfit of five items (5, 9, 14, 15, 16) and local dependency in 11 item pairs. The person separation index was estimated as 0.48 suggesting weak discrimination between classes, whereas Cronbach's α was high at 0.86. Triangulation of qualitative data with the Rasch analysis supported recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ items 1 (redness), 3 (clear fluid), 7 (deep wound opening), 10 (pain), 11 (fever), 15 (antibiotics), 16 (debridement), 18 (drainage), and 19 (reoperation). Changes to three item response categories (1, not at all; 2, a little; 3, a lot) were adopted for symptom items 1 to 10, and two categories (0, no; 1, yes) for item 11 (fever).ConclusionThis study made recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ for use in global surgical research and practice, using co-produced mixed-methods data from three continents. Translations are now available for implementation into remote wound assessment pathways