Design and Preliminary Evaluation of a Dry Cowpea Dehuller

Cowpea dehulling is an important operation in the processing of cowpea. Traditional cowpea dehulling methods recognize the soaking of cowpea in water for a significant amount of time before manual abrasion is carried out either through the use of mortar and pestle, hands, or legs. Existing mechanical alternatives also require prolonged soaking of cowpea before dehulling occurs in addition to being expensive and beyond the reach of many rural populations. This study designed and fabricated a dry cowpea dehulling machine using engineering principles and with locally available materials. Components of the machine include the hopper, power transmission drive, dehulling chamber, polishing chamber, sieves, discharge chute, and agitator. Dry cowpea varieties of Brown Drum (15%Mc dB) and Oloyin (17.5%Mc dB) cowpea weighing 500 g each were fed into the machine at a constant speed of 358 rpm. Preliminary tests showed the “Brown Drum” cowpea variety recorded a maximum dehulling efficiency of 97.44% in 7 minutes while the Oloyin variety was completely dehulled in 7 minutes at 98.75% efficiency. The throughput capacity recorded was 450kg/hr and this machine raises the possibility of producing dry dehulled cowpea for domestic and industrial end-users

Adapting television satellite dish for low-temperature solar thermal application: Experimental evaluation

Digital television broadcasting is currently becoming popular and as a result, the purchase of television cable dishes and other accessories are on the rise. Abandoned television satellite dishes continue to litter our environment due to obsolescence. Finding alternative use stands as a control measure for this inevitable environmental degradation. This paper, therefore, investigates the adaptation for low temperature solar thermal application. The TV satellite dish selected for this study has a diameter of 33.9 cm, depth of 9 cm and a focal point of 31.2 cm. The components added to the dish include; a reflective surface, pot stand, adjustable chain, dish support stand and base, control arm. This system was used in carrying out stagnation test on three different types of pots (aluminium, iron and stainless steel pots) positioned at the focal point. Other performance parameters studied include; standard stagnation temperature (SST) and the rate of change of pot temperature. The maximum stagnation temperatures attained by the inside of the iron, aluminium and stainless steel pots were 68, 80 and 82 °C respectively after 10, 13 and 40 minutes respectively; while their respective maximum SST were 100, 57 and 50 oC. The maximum temperature change inside the iron, aluminium and stainless steel pots were above 9, 12 and 10 oC/min. The result gathered shows that this system will be suitable for lower temperature applications like pasteurization, sterilization, household water heating, etc

Determination of Normal and Variant Hemoglobin using Capillary Electrophoresis among Voluntary Blood Donors in North Central Nigeria: Implications on Blood Transfusion Services

Background: Voluntary non-remunerated blood donation is a strategy adopted by World Health Organization aimed at ensuring safety and adequacy of blood supply. Sub-Saharan Africa has a high prevalence of hemoglobin disorders and therefore needs to adopt stringent measures in donor selection to ensure safety for the recipient of blood transfusion. This study aimed to analyze normal and variant hemoglobin among voluntary blood donors. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 100 prospective blood donors including 55 (55%) males and 45 (45%) females, aged 18–34 years were recruited. Capillary electrophoresis using the Minicap system was used for determining the hemoglobin variants in alkaline buffer (PH 9.4). Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20 and p-value < 0.05 was considered as the level of significance Results: The mean age of the participants was 22.23 ± 3.3 SD years. The proportion of participants with genotype AA was 67 (67%), those with AS were 17 (22 %), while those with AC were 11 (11 %). While Hb A ≥ 90% was noted in 67 (67%) blood donors, Hb S was seen in 22 (22%) and Hb A2 > 3.5% in 57 (57%). Hb F > 2% was observed in 3% of the studied participants Conclusion: Variant hemoglobin is common among blood donors and this should be taken into consideration whenever blood is being crossmatched for recipients of blood transfusion. Data from this study will be useful in raising awareness and genetic counseling. Keywords: prevalence, hemoglobin variants, capillary electrophoresi

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Epidemiology, diagnostics and factors associated with mortality during a cholera epidemic in Nigeria, October 2020-October 2021: a retrospective analysis of national surveillance data.

OBJECTIVES: Nigeria reported an upsurge in cholera cases in October 2020, which then transitioned into a large, disseminated epidemic for most of 2021. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology, diagnostic performance of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits and the factors associated with mortality during the epidemic. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of national surveillance data. SETTING: 33 of 37 states (including the Federal Capital Territory) in Nigeria. PARTICIPANTS: Persons who met cholera case definition (a person of any age with acute watery diarrhoea, with or without vomiting) between October 2020 and October 2021 within the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control surveillance data. OUTCOME MEASURES: Attack rate (AR; per 100 000 persons), case fatality rate (CFR; %) and accuracy of RDT performance compared with culture using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Additionally, individual factors associated with cholera deaths and hospitalisation were presented as adjusted OR with 95% CIs. RESULTS: Overall, 93 598 cholera cases and 3298 deaths (CFR: 3.5%) were reported across 33 of 37 states in Nigeria within the study period. The proportions of cholera cases were higher in men aged 5-14 years and women aged 25-44 years. The overall AR was 46.5 per 100 000 persons. The North-West region recorded the highest AR with 102 per 100 000. Older age, male gender, residency in the North-Central region and severe dehydration significantly increased the odds of cholera deaths. The cholera RDT had excellent diagnostic accuracy (AUROC=0.91; 95% CI 0.87 to 0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Cholera remains a serious public health threat in Nigeria with a high mortality rate. Thus, we recommend making RDT kits more widely accessible for improved surveillance and prompt case management across the country

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P &lt; 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Outcomes of tunneled internal jugular venous catheters for chronic haemodialysis at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

Introduction:&nbsp;vascular access is an important aspect of haemodialysis treatments and determinant of patient outcomes. Arteriovenous (AV) fistula has been described as the preferred haemodialysis vascular access for patients on chronic dialysis. There continues to be a challenge with the creation of AV fistula, due to shortage of vascular surgeons skilled in the AV fistula creation particularly in source limited setting. We described the outcomes of the tunneled internal jugular venous catheters amongst our patients at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan. Methods:&nbsp;a retrospective study of patients on maintenance haemodialysis at the UCH, Ibadan, we reviewed the records of all patients on chronic dialysis over a period of 5 years. Information obtained include demographics, types and aetiology of renal failure, types of vascular access, observed complications and outcomes. Results:&nbsp;a total number of 147 catheters were inserted during the period under review, 94 were in males while 53 were females. The age range was 18-85 years while the mean age was 46.3 ± 17.2 years. The range and mean duration for Tunneled Dialysis Catheter (TDC) carriage were (30 - 1,440) and 220±185 days respectively. The observed immediate complications of TDCs were failed first attempt 7(4.7%), reactionary haemorrhage 5(3.4%), arrhythmia 3(2.0%), haemothorax 2(1.4%) while death during catheter placement was recorded in 2(1.4%) cases. Catheter related infection was the commonest long-term complications and occurred in 15 cases (10.1%), while being diabetic increased the risk of developing catheter related complications. One tenth of our patients with End Stage Renal Disease on TDC had kidney transplantation while catheter related mortality was 16.3%. Conclusion:&nbsp;internal jugular tunneled dialysis catheters despite its shortcomings, has been a safe procedure with good outcomes among our patients on maintenance haemodialysis

Assessing yield stability in African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) performance using year effect

Maintaining yield stability in the African yam bean (AYB) (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) under year-to-year variability is crucial to its sustained productivity. Exploring yield stability in crops is vital in identifying how stable and consistent the yield of such crops is. Cultivation of AYB, an underutilized traditional legume in a specific environment, will further popularize the crop and enhance the acceptance as a cheap protein source thereby reducing hunger and malnutrition especially in regions where climate change has negatively affected legume crop production. Field trials were carried out to study the performance of 23 AYB genotypes in four-year environments. Two seeds of each genotype were sown in a single 5 m row plot spaced at 1 m between and within rows; the trial was conducted during the cropping season of 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 and was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. At harvesting, five plants from each row were separately harvested; seeds of all the sampled plants in each plot were bulked and weighed, and the seed yield per plant was then determined. A combined analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to test for the significance of genotypes, year, and genotype by year interaction. Before combined ANOVA, a test for homogeneity of residual variances was performed using Bartlet’s test; stability of the genotypes over the years was ascertained numerically and graphically using additive main effects and multiplicative interaction and Genotype X Genotype X Environment interaction (GGE) biplot analyses. Rainfall distribution between 680 and 1,700 mm with an average temperature of 28.50°C under sandy-clay soil type supported high and stable seed yield production in AYB. This environment was found adequate during the 2014 (E1) growing season. Genotypes TSs118, TSs12, TSs109, TSs148, TSs5, TSs61, and TSs69 produced an above-average mean yield across the years and were found to be productive and stable in all the year environments. TSs82 and TSs6 with above-average mean seed and tuber yield can be considered for cultivation where seed and tuber dual-purpose production is to be maximized, while TSs111, TSs49, and TSs96 with high tuber yield ranking above average total tuber yield can be further enhanced for tuber production