Bioconcentration of Heavy Metals in high Density traffic area of Port Harcourt Metopolis, Nigeria

The Bioconcentration factor (BCF) of selected heavy metals in grasses growing along High Density Traffic Area (HDTA) and Low Density Traffic Area (LDTA) of Port Harcourt metropolis was ascertained. The results show BCF for Heavy Metals in grasses along HDTA are significantly higher than their counterpart along LDTA even though the values of heavy metals in the soil along the LDTA are relatively higher than those along HDTA. This shows that aerial deposition or diffusion of these Heavy Metals from automobile exhaust and adsorption processes to the grasses along HDTA plays a major role in their Bioconcentration. The order of BCF of Heavy Metals in grasses along HDTA (Cr > Cd = Co > Ni > Zn > Pb > Fe) and LDTA (Cr > Cd > Ni > Pb > Co > Zn > Fe) shows that Cr and Cd having highest BCF of 2.97 and 2.50 in grasses along HDTA and 0.68 and 0.67 in grasses along LDTA respectively, could be used to monitor their aerial deposition from automobile exhaust.Keywords: Heavy metal, Bioaccumulation, High Density Traffic Area, Low Density Traffic Area

Electronic Recruiting (E-Recruiting) Strategy and Corporate Adoption in Nigeria

The paper examines Electronic Recruiting (e-recruiting) Strategy and Corporate adoption in Nigeria. The objective of this paper is to empirically investigate the successes associated with adopting electronic recruiting strategy by corporations in Nigeria since many corporations have not adopted or accepted this form of strategy. The paper adopts the documentary and survey methods. The statistical tool adopted for this paper adopts Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient and the Pearson Product Moment Correlation with the aid of statistical package for social sciences. The paper finds that there is a significant relationship between website design and relative advantage; significant relationship between web design and complexity on corporate adoption in Nigeria, and that trust indicated an influence on the relationship between E-recruitment strategy and Corporate adoption in Nigeria. The paper recommends amongst others: improvement of service delivery to achieve efficient and effective web-based, e-recruiting; effective base for data-ware houses; the recruiting website should be interactive, pleasing and user-friendly. The paper suggests that further studies should be carried on diffusion study of e-recruiting to identify the underlying determinants of the level of acceptance of this technology by corporations in Nigeria. Keywords: E-recruiting, Corporate adoption, Website design, relative advantage, Complexity, Information Technology, Trust on Systems Security

APOBEC3 deaminase editing in mpox virus as evidence for sustained human transmission since at least 2016

Historically, mpox has been characterized as an endemic zoonotic disease that transmits through contact with the reservoir rodent host in West and Central Africa. However, in May 2022, human cases of mpox were detected spreading internationally beyond countries with known endemic reservoirs. When the first cases from 2022 were sequenced, they shared 42 nucleotide differences from the closest mpox virus (MPXV) previously sampled. Nearly all these mutations are characteristic of the action of APOBEC3 deaminases, host enzymes with antiviral function. Assuming APOBEC3 editing is characteristic of human MPXV infection, we developed a dual-process phylogenetic molecular clock that-inferring a rate of ~6 APOBEC3 mutations per year-estimates that MPXV has been circulating in humans since 2016. These observations of sustained MPXV transmission present a fundamental shift to the perceived paradigm of MPXV epidemiology as a zoonosis and highlight the need for revising public health messaging around MPXV as well as outbreak management and control.Editor’s summary: In March 2022, an international epidemic of human Mpox was detected, showing that it was not solely a zoonotic infection. A hallmark of the approximately 88,000 cases that have been reported were TC>TT and GA>AA mutations in Mpox viruses, which were acquired at a surprisingly high evolutionary rate for a pox virus. Knowing that these types of mutation are a sign of activity by a host antiviral enzyme called APOBEC3, O’Toole et al. investigated whether the mutations reflected human-to-human transmission rather than repeated zoonotic spillover. Bayesian evolutionary analysis showed that Mpox virus recently diversified into several lineages in humans that display elevated numbers of mutations, signaling APOBEC exposure and sustained human-to-human transmission rather than zoonosis as the source of new cases. —Caroline AshWellcome Trust ARTIC (Collaborators Award 206298/Z/17/Z, ARTIC network) (Á.O.T., P.L., M.A.S., A.R.); European Research Council (grant agreement no. 725422 – ReservoirDOCS) (P.L., M.A.S., A.R.); National Institutes of Health (R01 AI153044) (P.L., M.A.S., A.R.); David and Lucile Packard Foundation (M.W.); Research Foundation, Flanders– Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek–Vlaanderen, G066215N, G0D5117N and G0B9317N (P.L.); HORIZON 2020 EU grant 874850 MOOD (P.L.); HERA project (grant/2021/PHF/23776) supported by the European Commission through the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (V.B. and J.P.G.). The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention receives core funding from the Nigerian government.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Use of Antiviral Drugs to Reduce Household Transmission of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, United Kingdom1

TOC Summary: Early treatment of primary case-patients and prophylaxis of household contacts provides effective protection

Is gynaecological surgical training a cause for concern? A questionnaire survey of trainees and trainers

<p>Astract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Concerns have been raised as to whether the current postgraduate training programme for gynaecological surgery is being detrimentally affected by changes in working practices, in particular the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the surgical activity of obstetrics and gynaecology trainees and to explore trainees' and trainers' opinions on the current barriers and potential solutions to surgical training.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Two questionnaire surveys were conducted, one to obstetrics and gynaecology trainees working within the West Midlands Deanery and a second to consultant gynaecologists in the West Midlands region.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One hundred and four trainees (64.3%) and 66 consultant gynaecologists (55.0%) responded. Sixty-six trainees (66.7%) reported attending up to one operating list per week. However, 28.1% reported attending up to one list every two weeks or less and 5 trainees stated that they had not attended a list at all over the preceding 8 weeks. Trainees working in a unit with less than 3999 deliveries attended significantly more theatre sessions compared to trainees in units with over 4000 deliveries (p = 0.007), as did senior trainees (p = 0.032) and trainees attached to consultants performing major gynaecological surgery (p = 0.022). In the previous 8 weeks, only 6 trainees reported performing a total abdominal hysterectomy independently, all were senior trainees (ST6 and above). In the trainers' survey, only two respondents (3.0%) agreed that the current program produces doctors competent in general gynaecological surgery by the end of training, compared to 48 (73.8%) respondents who disagreed.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Trainees' concerns over a lack of surgical training appear to be justified. The main barriers to training are perceived to be a lack of team structure and a lack of theatre time.</p

The niche of One Health approaches in Lassa fever surveillance and control.

Lassa fever (LF), a zoonotic illness, represents a public health burden in West African countries where the Lassa virus (LASV) circulates among rodents. Human exposure hinges significantly on LASV ecology, which is in turn shaped by various parameters such as weather seasonality and even virus and rodent-host genetics. Furthermore, human behaviour, despite playing a key role in the zoonotic nature of the disease, critically affects either the spread or control of human-to-human transmission. Previous estimations on LF burden date from the 80s and it is unclear how the population expansion and the improvement on diagnostics and surveillance methods have affected such predictions. Although recent data have contributed to the awareness of epidemics, the real impact of LF in West African communities will only be possible with the intensification of interdisciplinary efforts in research and public health approaches. This review discusses the causes and consequences of LF from a One Health perspective, and how the application of this concept can improve the surveillance and control of this disease in West Africa

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's framework for antimicrobial resistance control in Africa.

No abstract available

A year of genomic surveillance reveals how the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic unfolded in Africa

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A standardised Phase III clinical trial framework to assess therapeutic interventions for Lassa fever

BACKGROUND: Only one recommendation currently exists for the treatment of Lassa fever (LF), which is ribavirin administered in conjunction with supportive care. This recommendation is primarily based on evidence generated from a single clinical trial that was conducted more than 30 years ago-the methodology and results of which have recently come under scrutiny. The requirement for novel therapeutics and reassessment of ribavirin is therefore urgent. However, a significant amount of work now needs to be undertaken to ensure that future trials for LF can be conducted consistently and reliably to facilitate the efficient generation of evidence. METHODOLOGY: We convened a consultation group to establish the position of clinicians and researchers on the core components of future trials. A Core Eligibility Criteria (CEC), Core Case Definition (CCD), Core Outcome Set (COS) and Core Data Variables (CDV) were developed through the process of a multi-stakeholder consultation that took place using a modified-Delphi methodology. RESULTS: A consensus position was achieved for each aspect of the framework, which accounts for the inclusion of pregnant women and children in future LF clinical trials. The framework consists of 8 core criteria, as well as additional considerations for trial protocols. CONCLUSIONS: This project represents the first step towards delineating the clinical development pathway for new Lassa fever therapeutics, following a period of 40 years without advancement. Future planned projects will bolster the work initiated here to continue the advancement of LF clinical research through a regionally-centred, collaborative methodology, with the aim of delineating a clear pathway through which LF clinical trials can progress efficiently and ensure sustainable investments are made in research capacity at a regional level