An Assessment of the Training and Retraining Needs of Nigerian Cataloguers

The study examined the capacity building efforts and training needs of Nigerian cataloguers. One hundred and thirty two respondents comprising cataloguers from various libraries in Nigeria were used for the study. A descriptive survey method using a self-constructed questionnaire was used. Four research questions were posed and analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. Most of the cataloguers in the study have left library schools for over eight years and this makes retraining highly imperative. Results showed that the cataloguers were depending more on onthe job training for capacity building and retraining. The study also revealed that the cataloguers did not depend on only cataloguing education received in library school. There was less dependence on some other means of capacity building like video conferencing, reading web based resources, electronic discussion list/weblog and mentoring. It was discovered that most of the cataloguers studied are becoming interested and willing to be involved in activities formerly the domain of systems librarian e.g. metadata creation, organization of web/digital resources . Interestingly, even cataloguers from purely traditional libraries desired training in recent ICT cataloguing feats. Some challenges identified facing cataloguers in the area of training and capacity building include the fact that conference/ workshop attendance is not affordable, insufficient cataloguing training outlets in Nigeria, inadequate ICT platform to practice what has been learnt as most libraries in Nigeria are not automated and a dearth of current cataloguing literatures. The study concluded that the cataloguers’ sampled need to take urgent steps to train and retrain regularly since knowledge is dynamic in natur

Software Selection and Deployment for Library Cooperation and Resource Sharing Among Academic Libraries in South-West Nigeria

This study assessed software selection and seployment sractices for library cooperation and resource sharing among aacademic libraries in South-West Nigeria. The purposive sampling technique was adopted and data collection instruments were questionnaire and interview. All of the 39 universities in the South- West zone were chosen and copies of questionnaire were administered to a representative of each academic library. 37 questionnaires were received. The descriptive statistical method of analysis was used. It was discovered that there is no form of cooperation and resource sharing among the academic libraries presently. The study recommends that National Universities Commission (NUC) should make automation a requirement for all academic libraries in Nigeria and recommend particular software(s) for cooperation and resource sharing to be possible among academic libraries among other

Synthesis of Novel Valine-based Dipeptide Carboxamide Bearing Benzene Sulfonamide Moiety as Antimalarial Agent

Communication in Physical Sciences 2020, 5(2): 176-197 Authors: James A. Ezugwu, *Ucheckukwu. C. Okoro, Mercy A. Ezeokonkwo, and China R. Bhimapaka Received 15 April 2020/Accepted 14 May 2020   Syntheses of eleven novel Valine-based dipeptide carboxamide derivatives bearing benzensulphonamide are reported. These were achieved by facile amidation reaction of p- substituted benzenesulphonamoyl alkanamides with 2-amino-4-methyl-N-substituted phenyl butanamide using classical peptide coupling reagents. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were established by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, ESI- HRMS, and FT-IR spectroscopic techniques. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for in vivo antimalarial against P. berghei. Haematological analysis was also evaluated on the synthesized compounds. At 50mg/kg body weight, the compounds 8e, 8g, 8i, 8k, 8d and 8h inhibited the multiplication of the parasite by 46-71% on day seven of post-treatment exposure comparable to the 67% reduction with artemisinin

World report on violence and health

This report examines the types of violence that are present worldwide, in the everyday lives of people, and that constitute the bulk of the health burden imposed by violence. Accordingly, the information has been arranged in nine chapters, covering the following topics: 1. Violence – a global public health problem 2. Youth violence 3. Child abuse and neglect by parents and other caregivers 4. Violence by intimate partners 5. Abuse of the elderly 6. Sexual violence 7. Self-directed violence 8. Collective violence 9. The way forward: recommendations for action; Because it is impossible to cover all types of violence fully and adequately in a single document, each chapter has a specific focus. For example, the chapter on youth violence examines interpersonal violence among adolescents and young adults in the community. The chapter on child abuse discusses physical, sexual and psychological abuse, as well as neglect by parents and other caregivers; other forms of maltreatment of children, such as child prostitution and the use of children as soldiers, are covered in other parts of the report. The chapter on abuse of the elderly focuses on abuse by caregivers in domestic and institutional settings, while that on collective violence discusses violent conflict. The chapters on intimate partner violence and sexual violence focus primarily on violence against women, though some discussion of violence directed at men and boys is included in the chapter on sexual violence. The chapter on self-directed violence focuses primarily on suicidal behaviour. The chapter is included in the report because suicidal behaviour is one of the external causes of injury and is often the product of many of the same underlying social, psychological and environmental factors as other types of violence. The chapters follow a similar structure. Each begins with a brief discussion of definitions for the specific type of violence covered in the chapter, followed by a summary of current knowledge about the extent of the problem in different regions of the world. Where possible, country-level data are presented, as well as findings from a range of research studies. The chapters then describe the causes and consequences of violence, provide summaries of the interventions and policy responses that have been tried, and make recommendations for future research and action. Tables, figures and boxes are included to highlight specific epidemiological patterns and findings, illustrate examples of prevention activities, and draw attention to specific issues. The report concludes with two additional sections: a statistical annex and a list of Internet resources. The statistical annex contains global, regional and country data derived from the WHO mortality and morbidity database and from Version 1 of the WHO Global Burden of Disease project for 2000. A description of data sources and methods is provided in the annex to explain how these data were collected and analysed. The list of Internet resources includes web site addresses for organizations involved in violence research, prevention and advocacy. The list includes metasites (each site offers access to hundreds of organizations involved in violence research, prevention and advocacy), web sites that focus on specific types of violence, web sites that address broader contextual issues related to violence, and web sites that offer surveillance tools for improving the understanding of violence

El informe mundial sobre la violencia y la salud.

In 1996, the World Health Assembly declared violence a major public health issue. To follow up on this resolution, on October 3 this year, WHO released the first World Report on Violence and Health. The report analyses different types of violence including child abuse and neglect, youth violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, elder abuse, self-directed violence, and collective violence. For all these types of violence, the report explores the magnitude of the health and social effects, the risk and protective factors, and the types of prevention efforts that have been initiated. The launch of the report will be followed by a 1-year Global Campaign on Violence Prevention, focusing on implementation of the recommendations. This article summarises some of the main points of the world report.En 1966, la Organización Mundial de la Salud declaró la violencia como uno de los principales problemas de salud pública. Para dar seguimiento a dicha resolución, el 3 de octubre de este año, la OMS publicó el primer Informe mundial sobre la violencia y la salud, el cual analiza los diferentes tipos de violencia, incluidos el maltrato y abandono de menores, la violencia entre los jóvenes, la violencia contra la pareja, la violencia sexual, el maltrato a ancianos, la violencia autoinfligida y la violencia colectiva. Para todos estos tipos de violencia, el informe explora la magnitud de sus efectos en la salud y en la sociedad, los factores de riesgo y protección y los esfuerzos de prevención que se han desplegado. El lanzamiento del informe dará inicio a una Campaña Global de Prevención de la Violencia que durante un año se centrará en la aplicación de sus recomendaciones. Este artículo resume algunos de los puntos más importantes del informe mundial

Kinetics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific IFN-γ responses and sputum bacillary clearance in HIV-infected adults during treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis

This work was supported by funding from the Wellcome Trust (UK) through Fellowships 092773/Z/10/Z (to D.T.M), 086757/Z/08/Z (to D.J.S) and 088696/Z/09/Z (to H.C.M). Core funding from the Wellcome Trust supports the laboratory and office facilities at the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme.In HIV-uninfected adults with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), anti-TB treatment is associated with changes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-specific immune responses, which correlate with sputum bacillary load. It is unclear if this occurs in HIV-infected TB patients. We investigated changes in Mtb-specific immune responses and sputum bacillary clearance during anti-TB treatment in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected adults with pulmonary TB. Sputum bacillary load was assessed by smear microscopy and culture. Mtb-specific IFN-γ secreting peripheral blood mononuclear cells were enumerated using an ELISPOT assay following stimulation with PPD, ESAT-6 and CFP-10. The baseline frequency of Mtb-specific IFN-γ secreting cells was lower in HIV-infected than HIV-uninfected patients (median PPD 32 vs. 104 Spot Forming Units (SFU), p = 0.05; CFP-10 19 vs. 74 SFU, p = 0.01). ESAT-6-specific IFN-γ secreting cells and sputum bacillary load declined progressively during treatment in both HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected patients. HIV infection did not influence the 2-month sputum culture conversion rate (Odds Ratio 0.89, p = 0.95). These findings suggest that changes in ESAT-6-specific immune responses during anti-TB treatment correspond with changes in sputum bacillary load irrespective of host HIV infection status. The utility of Mtb-specific IFN-γ responses as a proxy measure of treatment response in HIV-infected TB patients warrants further evaluation in other settings.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Emerging Anthelmintic Resistance in Poultry: Can ethnopharmacological approaches offer a solution?

Limited pharmacological studies have been conducted on plant species used against poultry helminths. The objective of this study was to provide a basis for plant based anthelmintics as possible alternatives against poultry anthelmintic resistance. The study justified the need for alternative anthelmintics. The study places emphasis on the increasing anthelmintic resistance, mechanism of resistance, and preparational protocols for plant anthelmintics and their associated mechanism of action. Pharmaceutical studies on plants as alternative therapies for the control of helminth parasites have not been fully explored especially in several developing countries. Plants from a broad range of species produce a wide variety of compounds that are potential anthelmintics candidates. Important phenolic acids have been found in Brassica rapa L. and Terminalia avicenniodes Guill. and Perri that affect the cell signaling pathways and gene expression. Benzo (c) phenanthridine and isoquinoline alkaloids are neurotoxic to helminths. Steroidal saponins (polyphyllin D and dioscin) interact with helminthic mitochondrial activity, alter cell membrane permeability, vacuolation and membrane damage. Benzyl isothiocyanate glucosinolates interfere with DNA replication and protein expression, while isoflavones from Acacia oxyphylla cause helminth flaccid paralysis, inhibit energy generation, and affect calcium utilization. Condensed tannins have been shown to cause the death of nematodes and paralysis leading to expulsion from the gastro-intestinal tract. Flavonoids from Chenopodium album L and Mangifera indica L act through the action of phosphodiesterase and Ca(2+)-ATPase, and flavonoids and tannins have been shown to act synergistically and are complementary to praziquantel. Artemisinins from Artemisia cina O. Berg are known to disrupt mitochondrial ATP production. Terpenoids from Cucurbita moschata L disrupt neurotransmission leading to paralysis as well as disruption of egg hatching. Yeast particle encapsulated terpenes are effective for the control of albendazole-resistant helminths

Global development and diffusion of outcome evaluation research for interpersonal and self-directed violence prevention from 2007 to 2013: A systematic review

© 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Through a global review, we identified gaps in the geographical distribution of violence prevention evidence outcome evaluation studies and the types of violence addressed. Systematic literature searches identified 355 articles published between 2007 and 2013 that evaluated programs to prevent interpersonal or self-directed violence; focused on universal or selected populations; and reported outcomes measuring violence or closely related risk factors. The number of studies identified increased annually from 2008 (n = 37), reaching 64 in 2013. Over half (n = 203) of all studies focused on youth violence yet only one on elder maltreatment. Study characteristics varied by year and violence type. Only 9.3% of all studies had been conducted in LMICs. These studies were less likely than those in high income countries (HICs) to have tested established interventions yet more likely to involve international collaboration. Evaluation studies successfully established in LMIC had often capitalized on other major regional priorities (e.g. HIV). Relationships between violence and social determinants, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and even economic prosperity should be explored as mechanisms to increase the global reach of violence prevention research. Results should inform future research strategies and provide a baseline for measuring progress in developing the violence prevention evidence-base, especially in LMICs

Impacts of insecticide treated bed nets on Anopheles gambiae s.l. populations in Mbita district and Suba district, Western Kenya

Background: Abundance and species composition of sympatric malaria vector species are the important factors governing transmission intensity. A widespread insecticidal bed net coverage may replace endophagic species with exophagic species. However, unique local environments also influence a vector population. This study examined the impacts of insecticidal bed nets on An. gambiae s.l populations in Mbita District and Suba District. Methods. The species compositions of An. gambiae s.l. larvae were compared between 1997, 2009 and 2010 and between geographical areas. The abundance and species composition of An. gambiae s.l. females resting indoors were compared between 1999, 2008 and 2010 and between geographical areas. Bed net coverage was also examined temporally and spatially, and its relationships with vector abundance and species composition were examined. Results: The relative abundance of An. gambiae s.s. larvae was 31.4% in 1997, decreasing to 7.5% in 2008 and 0.3% in 2010. The density of indoor resting An. gambiae s.l. females decreased by nearly 95%, and the relative abundance of An. gambiae s.s. females decreased from 90.6% to 60.7% and 72.4% in 2008 and 2010, respectively. However, the species composition of indoor resting An. gambiae s.l. females changed little in the island villages, and An. gambiae s.s. remained dominant in the western part of the study area. The density of house resting females was negatively associated with the number of bed nets in a retrospective analysis, but the effect of bed nets on species composition was not significant in both retrospective and cross-sectional analyses. Conclusion: An increase in bed net coverage does not necessarily replace endophilic species with exophilic species. The effect of bed nets on An. gambiae s.l. populations varies spatially, and locally unique environments are likely to influence the species composition