Hydrogeology and Physico-Chemical Quality Assessment of Groundwater in Oke-Oyi Area and Environs, Kwara State, Nigeria

An appraisal of the groundwater potential as well as its potability in Oke-Oyi area and its environs was undertaken. This was done in order to provide information on the evaluation of groundwater system in the area as well as on the physico-chemical quality of the groundwater for domestic and Agricultural purposes. The Study entails analysing pumping test data in order to compute the hydraulic characteristics of seven boreholes in the area. Fifteen groundwater samples were also collected from boreholes and hand-dug wells in the area and analysed for their physical and chemical properties.The two aquifer units in the area are weathered overburden aquifer and fractured crystalline aquifer. The boreholes tapping these aquifers  have yields that range from 43.2m3/day to 103.7 m3/day with a mean value of 58.01 m3/day, hydraulic conductivity values range between 1.17×10-1 m/day and 8.60 ×10-2 m/day with a mean value of 6.27×10-2 m/day. Transmissivity varies from 0.95m2/day to 3.16 m2/day with an average value of 1.77 m2/day. The storage coefficient (S) calculated shows values that range from 0.619 to 1.765 with a mean value of 1.238. Results obtained from the physico chemical analysis of the groundwater in the area shows that the physical parameters such as colour, taste and odour are within the acceptable limits of WHO (2006). Also, the major ions analysed are Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe, SO4, NO3, Cl, CO3 and HCO3 and are all below the acceptable limits of WHO (2006). Hence the groundwater of the area is largely characterised as Mg-HCO3-Cl and Mg-HCO3.The groundwater of the area has a low-medium salinity hazard and low sodium hazard, indicating that the groundwater is good for Agricultural purposes.The groundwater has a high recharge potential due to its low storage capacity. Also the groundwater is potable for domestic and Agricultural purposes, based on the physical and chemical parameters of the groundwater analysed which are within the acceptable limits of WHO as well as low-medium salinity hazard of the groundwater. Keywords:Hydrogeology.  Groundwater Potential and potability. Oke-Oyi area and its environs. Physico-Chemical. Nigeri

Perception of community health extension services among women in a rural community in Ilorin East, Kwara State, Nigeria

Background: Rural women in developing countries, including Nigeria are faced with a number of health problems with very limited access to health care facilities. This study assessed the perception of women in rural areas on community health extension services in Ilorin, Kwara State.Methods: One hundred and twenty rural dwelling women were sampled from six rural communities selected by simple random sampling method. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 18. Level of significance was set at p-value of ≤ 0.05.Results: The mean age of the respondents was 45 years and 69.3% of them were married. Over a third (36.7%) of the respondents, had no formal education and 40.0% were farmers with an average monthly income of ₦14,146.00. High awareness level on community health extension services was observed but 65.5% lived at a distance beyond 3 km from the health centers and they usually trek to the facilities. Maternal, child care services and first aid treatment were available; however, mental health was poorly ranked in terms of effectiveness of community health extension services provided in the area. Age (p<0.001) was inversely significant while educational level (r = 0.334, p < 0.01) was positively related to the frequency of availability of community health extension services.Conclusion: The respondents were aware of community health extension services, however, most of them live far from the health facilities. We recommend that Community Health Extension Workers should embark on home visits in order to improve access to health services in the rural communities.Keywords: Perception, Community Health Extension Services, Wome

Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial studies of metal complexes of mixed ligands : citric acid and amodiaquine

A range of d-block transition metals complexes of mixed amodiaquine and citric acid have been synthesized and characterised using microanalytical technique, elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy and magnetic measurement. The results of the analytical and spectroscopic data revealed that both amodiaquine and citric acid acted as bidentate ligands in their mode of coordination with the metal ions.The citric acid bound through the carbonyl (C=O) and hydroxyl groups to the metal ions while, amodiaquine coordinated through the nitrogen atom of the amine and oxygen donor atom of hydroxyl group; resulted in structures with octahedral geometry. Percentage composition and magnetic Bohr moment data indicated that all metal complexes were paramagnetic. Molar conductance measurement indicates that the complexes are non-electrolytes in nature. The antimicrobial activity of the ligands and their mixed complexes was carried out against g(+)Pseudomonas aeruginosa, g(+)E. coli, g(+)Klebsiella pneumonia, g(+)Staphylococcus aureus and g(+)Candida using Muller Hinton diffusion method. The citric acid and amodiaquine result showed low or moderate value from (0.6-0.8) for all the metal complexes with the exception of the Cu (II) complex having inhibitory zones ranging from 1-0-1.3, 0.7-0.9 at 200 ppm respectively. Moreover, the free ligands were found being less active compared with their mixed complexes.Keywords: Citric acid, Amodiaquine, Complexes, Antimicrobial studie

Efficacy and safety of oral semaglutide with flexible dose adjustment versus sitagliptin in type 2 diabetes (PIONEER 7): a multicentre, open-label, randomised, phase 3a trial

Background: Oral semaglutide is the first oral formulation of a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of flexible dose adjustments of oral semaglutide with sitagliptin 100 mg. Methods: In this 52-week, multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3a trial, we recruited patients with type 2 diabetes from 81 sites in ten countries. Patients were eligible if they were aged 18 years or older (19 years or older in South Korea), had type 2 diabetes (diagnosed ≥90 days before screening), HbA1c of 7·5–9·5% (58–80 mmol/mol), and were inadequately controlled on stable daily doses of one or two oral glucose-lowering drugs (for 90 days or more before screening). Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) by use of an interactive web-response system, stratified by background glucose-lowering medication at screening, to oral semaglutide with flexible dose adjustments to 3, 7, or 14 mg once daily or sitagliptin 100 mg once daily. To approximate treatment individualisation in clinical practice, oral semaglutide dose could be adjusted on the basis of prespecified HbA1c and tolerability criteria. Two efficacy-related estimands were prespecified: treatment policy (regardless of treatment discontinuation or use of rescue medication) and trial product (on treatment and without use of rescue medication) for participants randomly assigned to treatment. The primary endpoint was achievement of HbA1c of less than 7% (53 mmol/mol) at week 52 and the confirmatory secondary efficacy endpoint was change in bodyweight from baseline to week 52. Safety was assessed in all participants who received at least one dose of study drug. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02849080, and European Clinical Trials Database, EudraCT number 2015-005593-38, and an open-label extension is ongoing. Findings: Between Sept 20, 2016, and Feb 7, 2017, of 804 patients assessed for eligibility, 504 were eligible and randomly assigned to oral semaglutide (n=253) or sitagliptin (n=251). Most participants were male (285 [57%] of 504) with a mean age of 57·4 years (SD 9·9). All participants were given at least one dose of their allocated study drug except for one participant in the sitagliptin group. From a mean baseline HbA1c of 8·3% (SD 0·6%; 67 mmol/mol [SD 6·4]), a greater proportion of participants achieved an HbA1c of less than 7% with oral semaglutide than did with sitagliptin (treatment policy estimand: 58% [134 of 230] vs 25% [60 of 238]; and trial product estimand: 63% [123 of 196] vs 28% [52 of 184]). The odds of achieving an HbA1c of less than 7% was significantly better with oral semaglutide than sitagliptin (treatment policy estimand: odds ratio [OR] 4·40, 95% CI 2·89–6·70, p<0·0001; and trial product estimand: 5·54, 3·54–8·68, p<0·0001). The odds of decreasing mean bodyweight from baseline to week 52 were higher with oral semaglutide than with sitagliptin (estimated mean change in bodyweight, treatment policy estimand: −2·6 kg [SE 0·3] vs −0·7 kg [SE 0·2], estimated treatment difference [ETD] −1·9 kg, 95% CI −2·6 to −1·2; p<0·0001; and trial product estimand: −2·9 kg [SE 0·3] vs −0·8 kg [SE 0·3], ETD −2·2 kg, −2·9 to −1·5; p<0·0001). Adverse events occurred in 197 (78%) of 253 participants in the oral semaglutide group versus 172 (69%) of 250 in the sitagliptin group, and nausea was the most common adverse event with oral semaglutide (53 [21%]). Two deaths occurred in the sitagliptin group during the trial. Interpretation: Oral semaglutide, with flexible dose adjustment, based on efficacy and tolerability, provided superior glycaemic control and weight loss compared with sitagliptin, and with a safety profile consistent with subcutaneous GLP-1 receptor agonists. Funding: Novo Nordisk A/S

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

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

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Synthesis and anticancer activity of some fused pyrimidines and related heterocycles

AbstractOn account of the reported anticancer of pyrimidine and condensed pyrimidine, a new pyrimido [3,2-b]-1,2,4,5-tetrazine 3a,b, 5c,d, 6, 9, pyrimido [3,2-b]-1,2,4-triazine 10, 11, pyrimido [3,2-b]-1,2,4-triazole 12 and pyrimidine derivatives 1,2a,b, 4c,d, 8, 13, 14, 15 and 16 were synthesized through different chemical reactions. Structures of all synthesized compounds were supported by spectral and elemental analyses. The obtained compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antitumor activity against human liver cancer cell line (HEPG2)

Case Report - Central retinal vein occlusion associated with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/ hemolytic uremic syndrome: Complete resolution is possible

We aim to describe a case of central retinal vein occlusion associated with this is a case report of a 45-year-old patient who was admitted for management of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). He developed left central retinal vein occlusion three months later. The retinal vein occlusion resolved gradually as his TTP started to respond to medical treatment but significant macular edema persisted. Focal argon laser treatment resulted in complete resolution of the macular edema