Relook at the silent victim: examining open space loss due to right of way encroachment in Sokoto, Nigeria

Urban activities and activity areas usually wish to have good neighbours that are complimentary to their sustainable functionality. Unfortunately however, open spaces, particularly in form of right of ways (ROW) are not lucky enough to have good neighbours where urban governance is poorly conceived and pursued. Linking sustainability in urban planning and design with participatory urban governance, this paper examined the challenges of participatory city planning and management as well as open-space loss to urban development (which according to UN Habitat contributes 50% of global greenhouse emissions). It is an extension of an earlier study which focused on the spill-over effects of right of way encroachments through construction of mosques on different categories of urban roads in Sokoto metropolis, North West Nigeria. The earlier study focused on the trend of such encroachments from 2005 to 2010. This study first categorized the different urban road hierarchies in the city and examined the occurrence of the phenomenon as well as observed and potential implications on adjacent uses, using cross-sections, interviews and time series images. Between 2011 and 2015, the study revealed that the phenomenon of ROW encroachment is sustained and there is a 15.6m increase in the amount of urban road right of way that is lost at the point of encroachment at the Sultan Abubakar road and 7m at the third location that is Sakaba road as compared to the 2005-2010 observations. Furthermore, in addition to the weakness of urban management institutions, low level of inclusiveness has been observed from the community regarding the use of road right of ways and consequences of its encroachment which is reflected in the residents’ readiness to encroach should an opportunity becomes available. Poor participation particularly in plans implementation is therefore evident. Similarly, as a by-product of the socio cultural and economic context, this phenomenon (although may require a radical development control approach to correct) can be mitigated through adoption of proper participatory techniques in urban planning and development

Towards a preferred housing environment: examining satisfaction elements outside a dwelling unit among Ahmadu Bello University (Kongo Campus) staff, Nigeria

In this paper, we built upon findings from a housing satisfaction study (considering largely those elements which are external to the dwelling unit) among two categories of university staff (academic and non-academic). Responses are gathered from university owned housing developments at four (4) different locations as well as private accommodations. 224 households (that is 20% of the entire staff population as at July 2011) were studied by selecting one out of five houses in each of the identified clusters. The study found that, the macro environmental effects of safety and security positively affects occupants’ overall satisfaction. However, although soft exterior landscaping is found to be generally poor in all the studied housing developments, it has no effect on the overall satisfaction. The scenario reflects the contextual level of socio-economic development; hence the study highlights the need to emphasize basic elements, particularly in response to the growing interest in fostering sustainable development through reduced material consumption

Reviewing the ambiguous: examining the typologies of public participation towards its evaluation

Arguments surrounding the epistemology, as well as practical manifestation of various typologies of public participation are enormous. This highlights not only the fluid and complex nature of the concept but also how strongly tied it is to time and place. While the typology of public participation is often viewed from the perspective of engagement levels, this paper uses a dual perspective approach to discuss the various forms of participation from the perspective of both engagement levels and motives, to that of specific contextual applications. The paper also draws from the practical experiences of planners in Malaysia and Nigeria to examine the relationship between evaluation approaches for public participation and the successes of participatory processes in planning projects. The perceived contribution of participatory mechanisms to a project’s success is found to be inadequate in explaining the technique’s contribution to the overall success of planning projects. Also, the motivation of (ex-ante) evaluation is more a determinant of the project success than the focus of evaluation. There is therefore a need for coherent frameworks to integrate previous evaluation experiences in to subsequent policy guides to improve further evaluation efforts as well as planning projects

Interventional programs for community reintegration after spinal cord injury: a scoping review

Advances in healthcare and technology have led to increased survival rates after spinal cord injury (SCI). To facilitate recovery, regain function, and promote quality of life after SCI, rehabilitation in the acute care setting is of paramount importance. After discharge from acute care, there is difficulty in accessing appropriate intervention to facilitate community rein-tegration. This review examined the content, strengths, limitations, and effectiveness of existing community reintegration intervention programs after SCI to promote the adoption of the existing programs or the development of new interventions for individuals with SCI in a low-resource setting. We conducted a review of the literature using Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework. Six electronic databases were searched from the database inception to September 2022, including Medline, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Sabinet, and Global Health. A manual search of the selected references was also conducted. Seven articles met our inclusion criteria. Overall, 290 individuals participated in the included studies, 80% of the participants were males, and the majority of the participants had an injury at the thoracic level. The studies presented different interventional programs with varying contents addressing different aspects of community reintegration such as household duties, mobility, health maintenance, and recre-ation. All the identified programs have evidence of preliminary effectiveness in some domains of community reintegration (e.g., household duties, mobility, and health). However, most available programs are geared toward addressing a specific aspect of community reintegration and may not be suitable for individuals with complex needs. A robust program that encompasses all critical aspects of community reintegration (housing and household duties, mobility, recreation, health maintenance, pain management, sexuality, social support, and employment) may be required. Therefore, further development and validation of existing programs are warranted

Neonatal sepsis and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries from a facility-based birth cohort: an international multisite prospective observational study

Background Neonatal sepsis is a primary cause of neonatal mortality and is an urgent global health concern, especially within low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where 99% of global neonatal mortality occurs. The aims of this study were to determine the incidence and associations with neonatal sepsis and all-cause mortality in facility-born neonates in LMICs. Methods The Burden of Antibiotic Resistance in Neonates from Developing Societies (BARNARDS) study recruited mothers and their neonates into a prospective observational cohort study across 12 clinical sites from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa. Data for sepsis-associated factors in the four domains of health care, maternal, birth and neonatal, and living environment were collected for all mothers and neonates enrolled. Primary outcomes were clinically suspected sepsis, laboratory-confirmed sepsis, and all-cause mortality in neonates during the first 60 days of life. Incidence proportion of livebirths for clinically suspected sepsis and laboratory-confirmed sepsis and incidence rate per 1000 neonate-days for all-cause mortality were calculated. Modified Poisson regression was used to investigate factors associated with neonatal sepsis and parametric survival models for factors associated with all-cause mortality. Findings Between Nov 12, 2015 and Feb 1, 2018, 29 483 mothers and 30 557 neonates were enrolled. The incidence of clinically suspected sepsis was 166·0 (95% CI 97·69–234·24) per 1000 livebirths, laboratory-confirmed sepsis was 46·9 (19·04–74·79) per 1000 livebirths, and all-cause mortality was 0·83 (0·37–2·00) per 1000 neonate-days. Maternal hypertension, previous maternal hospitalisation within 12 months, average or higher monthly household income, ward size (>11 beds), ward type (neonatal), living in a rural environment, preterm birth, perinatal asphyxia, and multiple births were associated with an increased risk of clinically suspected sepsis, laboratory-confirmed sepsis, and all-cause mortality. The majority (881 [72·5%] of 1215) of laboratory-confirmed sepsis cases occurred within the first 3 days of life. Interpretation Findings from this study highlight the substantial proportion of neonates who develop neonatal sepsis, and the high mortality rates among neonates with sepsis in LMICs. More efficient and effective identification of neonatal sepsis is needed to target interventions to reduce its incidence and subsequent mortality in LMICs. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Effects of antibiotic resistance, drug target attainment, bacterial pathogenicity and virulence, and antibiotic access and affordability on outcomes in neonatal sepsis: an international microbiology and drug evaluation prospective substudy (BARNARDS)

Background Sepsis is a major contributor to neonatal mortality, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). WHO advocates ampicillin–gentamicin as first-line therapy for the management of neonatal sepsis. In the BARNARDS observational cohort study of neonatal sepsis and antimicrobial resistance in LMICs, common sepsis pathogens were characterised via whole genome sequencing (WGS) and antimicrobial resistance profiles. In this substudy of BARNARDS, we aimed to assess the use and efficacy of empirical antibiotic therapies commonly used in LMICs for neonatal sepsis. Methods In BARNARDS, consenting mother–neonates aged 0–60 days dyads were enrolled on delivery or neonatal presentation with suspected sepsis at 12 BARNARDS clinical sites in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa. Stillborn babies were excluded from the study. Blood samples were collected from neonates presenting with clinical signs of sepsis, and WGS and minimum inhibitory concentrations for antibiotic treatment were determined for bacterial isolates from culture-confirmed sepsis. Neonatal outcome data were collected following enrolment until 60 days of life. Antibiotic usage and neonatal outcome data were assessed. Survival analyses were adjusted to take into account potential clinical confounding variables related to the birth and pathogen. Additionally, resistance profiles, pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic probability of target attainment, and frequency of resistance (ie, resistance defined by in-vitro growth of isolates when challenged by antibiotics) were assessed. Questionnaires on health structures and antibiotic costs evaluated accessibility and affordability. Findings Between Nov 12, 2015, and Feb 1, 2018, 36 285 neonates were enrolled into the main BARNARDS study, of whom 9874 had clinically diagnosed sepsis and 5749 had available antibiotic data. The four most commonly prescribed antibiotic combinations given to 4451 neonates (77·42%) of 5749 were ampicillin–gentamicin, ceftazidime–amikacin, piperacillin–tazobactam–amikacin, and amoxicillin clavulanate–amikacin. This dataset assessed 476 prescriptions for 442 neonates treated with one of these antibiotic combinations with WGS data (all BARNARDS countries were represented in this subset except India). Multiple pathogens were isolated, totalling 457 isolates. Reported mortality was lower for neonates treated with ceftazidime–amikacin than for neonates treated with ampicillin–gentamicin (hazard ratio [adjusted for clinical variables considered potential confounders to outcomes] 0·32, 95% CI 0·14–0·72; p=0·0060). Of 390 Gram-negative isolates, 379 (97·2%) were resistant to ampicillin and 274 (70·3%) were resistant to gentamicin. Susceptibility of Gram-negative isolates to at least one antibiotic in a treatment combination was noted in 111 (28·5%) to ampicillin–gentamicin; 286 (73·3%) to amoxicillin clavulanate–amikacin; 301 (77·2%) to ceftazidime–amikacin; and 312 (80·0%) to piperacillin–tazobactam–amikacin. A probability of target attainment of 80% or more was noted in 26 neonates (33·7% [SD 0·59]) of 78 with ampicillin–gentamicin; 15 (68·0% [3·84]) of 27 with amoxicillin clavulanate–amikacin; 93 (92·7% [0·24]) of 109 with ceftazidime–amikacin; and 70 (85·3% [0·47]) of 76 with piperacillin–tazobactam–amikacin. However, antibiotic and country effects could not be distinguished. Frequency of resistance was recorded most frequently with fosfomycin (in 78 isolates [68·4%] of 114), followed by colistin (55 isolates [57·3%] of 96), and gentamicin (62 isolates [53·0%] of 117). Sites in six of the seven countries (excluding South Africa) stated that the cost of antibiotics would influence treatment of neonatal sepsis

Developing an evaluation framework of public participation for urban planners in Malaysia

The increasing interest in public participation can be viewed either as a failure of democracy or a complement to democracy. Inadequacy of policies relating to public participation has been identified as one of the explanations for the failure of projects and programmes relating to public participation. Pattern of professional practice (professionals being at the fore-front in designing specific operational policies) is seldom documented. The rapid transitional nature of Malaysia’s development in which several development projects (such as the different components of the new nation’s capital project as well as those of the Iskandar conurbation cluster and the Klang river restoration project) requiring comprehensive planning input are springing up, makes it an ideal case for examining planners’ pattern of public participation evaluation and integrating it to the design of future projects. This study therefore aims at developing an evaluation framework of public participation for urban planners in Malaysia. Adapting the Laurian and Shaw approach (in studying the American planners’ professional practice), the pattern of public participation evaluation is examined among Malaysian planners with the help of Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP). Components of evaluation such as its focus and motivation, projects’ characteristics as well as the engagement techniques are subsequently weighed numerically to form the basis for developing the P-SOP framework for linking planners’ evaluation experiences to subsequent operational policies. This entails the scripting of defined combination syntax in PHP to be run from a locally hosted web server. The source of the script is then exported (from the client’s HTML view) to a spread sheet environment through a flexible procedure that will guide subsequent operational policies in the design of participatory processes. It has been found that, planners in Malaysia do not perceive the role of the public in planning process to be mere information exchange, nor are they comfortable with the highest rungs of full project control. Although the planners were of the view that focus group discussion is the most influential method in promoting success of participatory process, the participatory processes utilizing workshops as an engagement technique, were found to produce more successful results. The P-SOP framework that will be developed will serve as a flexible guide for subsequent design of participatory processes particularly in the choice of engagement techniques to be utilised in a particular project

Molecular Detection of Hepatitis B Virus Among HBsAg Non-Reactive Blood of Donors

Despite all blood donations being tested routinely for HBsAg as a clinical marker of transmissible HBV, cases of post-transfusion hepatitis B virus infection are still being reported because molecular studies using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) are not routinely available for Transfusion Transmissible Infection (TTIs) testing. In this study, we sought to use the PCR technique to re-screen donated blood that had already been proven to be HBsAg non-reactive with rapid diagnostic testing and ELISA. One hundred and eighty-five samples were obtained from a proportion of the blood deposited at the blood bank of the Federal Medical Center, Birnin-Kebbi, Nigeria. Socio-demographic parameters such as age group, status, ethnicity, occupation, and group PCV were obtained from donors' records. Nested PCR was employed to detect HBV DNA. Furthermore, genotyping was performed to determine HBV genotypes in the positive samples using PCR with genotype-specific primers. Of the 185 donors, it was observed that five (2.7%) of the population were positive for HBV. HBV is more common among people aged 18–30, singles, Hausa, and self-employed. In addition, the five positive samples were of genotype E. This study suggests the need to complement antibody-based tests with DNA testing for effective HBV screening and consequent safe transfusion. Keywords: Hepatitis B Virus; HBsAg; PCR; DNA testin

The discovery of some promising putative binders of KRAS G12D receptor using computer-aided drug discovery approach

A prospective target for the therapy of solid tumors is KRAS G12D, the most prevalent oncogenic KRAS mutation. However, despite decades of research that focused on the identification of druggable compounds against this highly challenging therapeutic cancer target, no drug has been clinically approved for the treatment of KRAS G12D-driven cancers. Herein, we employed computational techniques such as molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate small-molecule compounds with the potential to bind putatively with KRAS G12D. The docking screening portrayed three compounds (Quercetin, Psoralidin, and Resveratrol) as promising drug candidates for the receptor target due to their higher binding affinities when compared with a known noncovalent, potent, and selective KRAS G12D inhibitor (MRTX1133). The stability analysis after 100000 ps molecular dynamics simulation suggests Quercetin as a more stable compound when compared with the other simulated chemical entities, including the referenced inhibitor (MRTX1133). In spite of our research findings, it will be too early to conclude the drug candidates can be advanced to the clinic for use with KRAS G12D cancer patients without extensive preclinical and clinical studies