Adsorption of Pesticides from Aqueous Solution using Kinkeliba (Combretum micranthum G.) Derived Activated Carbon

The utilization of kinkeliba (Combretum micranthum G.) leaves as precursor for producing activated carbon for adsorption of pesticides from aqueous solution was investigated in this study. The Combretum micranthum G. leave were carbonized at a temperature of 500 ºC for 1 h. After activation with H3PO4, the kinkeliba activated carbon (KAC) possessed bulk density of 78.6 g/dm3 and volatile component of 10%. The pH, percentage moisture and ash content of the KAC were 5.43 ± 0.36, 1.25 ± 0.04% and 5.01 ± 0.12% respectively. The adsorption of pesticides onto the prepared KAC adsorbent was optimized in terms of operating parameters (adsorbent dose, pH, contact time and initial adsorbate concentration). The results showed greater removal efficiency for the pesticides at pH 3 in 30 min. The results from isotherms studies showed that adsorption of pesticides onto KAC was best fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model (R2 > 0.99), indicating monolayer adsorption. However, Freundlich isotherm model provided the best fit for the uptake of pendimethalin onto the KAC with qe of 118.13 mg/g and R2 of 0.935 suggesting multilayer adsorption.The present work showed that the kinkeliba activated carbon can be used as a potential low-cost adsorbent for the removal of pesticides from aqueous solutions

Digital and Home Healthcare Survey among Nigerians: Assessing Awareness, Preferences, and Willingness to Pay for an Integrated Healthcare Ecosystem to achieve Universal Health Coverage

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for evolving an integrated healthcare ecosystem that will connect patients to digital and home healthcare to achieve universal health coverage. The survey aims to assess perceptions and preferences about digital and home healthcare services and develop an integrated healthcare ecosystem. Methods: A survey of 254 Nigerians was conducted to assess their awareness, preferences, and willingness to pay for digital and home healthcare services using electronic questionnaires, and the data were analysed using SPSS 16.0. Results: Males constituted 70.9%, and 61.4% were aged ≤35 years. Two-third were clients, and a third were healthcare providers. Although about 71% patronized public hospitals, there was poor satisfaction (31.7%) than those attending private hospitals that were more satisfied. The male gender, private hospital utilization, and age of ≤35 years were associated with the satisfaction with OR 1.19 (95% CI 0.69-2.05), OR 1.22 (95% CI 0.73-2.04), and OR 2.41 (95% CI 1.38-4.20) respectively. Thirty minutes was the acceptable delay in receiving care by most respondents.  Only 39.4% were aware of digital health, and 52.8% were aware of home healthcare.  Male gender was associated with DH awareness, while being a healthcare provider was associated with both DH and home healthcare awareness. The respondents' median amount was willing to pay for DH and HH respondents is $1.64 -$6.56 and $3.28 –$6.56, respectively. Conclusion: In response to the survey result, we designed an integrated hospital, digital, and home healthcare project named eDokta, to leapfrog the attainment of universal health coverage in Nigeria

Digital and Home Healthcare Survey among Nigerians: Assessing Awareness, Preferences, and Willingness to Pay for an Integrated Healthcare Ecosystem to achieve Universal Health Coverage

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for evolving an integrated healthcare ecosystem that will connect patients to digital and home healthcare to achieve universal health coverage. The survey aims to assess perceptions and preferences about digital and home healthcare services and develop an integrated healthcare ecosystem. Methods: A survey of 254 Nigerians was conducted to assess their awareness, preferences, and willingness to pay for digital and home healthcare services using electronic questionnaires, and the data were analysed using SPSS 16.0. Results: Males constituted 70.9%, and 61.4% were aged ≤35 years. Two-third were clients, and a third were healthcare providers. Although about 71% patronized public hospitals, there was poor satisfaction (31.7%) than those attending private hospitals that were more satisfied. The male gender, private hospital utilization, and age of ≤35 years were associated with the satisfaction with OR 1.19 (95% CI 0.69-2.05), OR 1.22 (95% CI 0.73-2.04), and OR 2.41 (95% CI 1.38-4.20) respectively. Thirty minutes was the acceptable delay in receiving care by most respondents.  Only 39.4% were aware of digital health, and 52.8% were aware of home healthcare.  Male gender was associated with DH awareness, while being a healthcare provider was associated with both DH and home healthcare awareness. The respondents' median amount was willing to pay for DH and HH respondents is $1.64 -$6.56 and $3.28 –$6.56, respectively. Conclusion: In response to the survey result, we designed an integrated hospital, digital, and home healthcare project named eDokta, to leapfrog the attainment of universal health coverage in Nigeria

Digital and Home Healthcare Survey among Nigerians: Assessing Awareness, Preferences, and Willingness to Pay for an Integrated Healthcare Ecosystem to achieve Universal Health Coverage

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for evolving an integrated healthcare ecosystem that will connect patients to digital and home healthcare to achieve universal health coverage. The survey aims to assess perceptions and preferences about digital and home healthcare services and develop an integrated healthcare ecosystem. Methods: A survey of 254 Nigerians was conducted to assess their awareness, preferences, and willingness to pay for digital and home healthcare services using electronic questionnaires, and the data were analysed using SPSS 16.0. Results: Males constituted 70.9%, and 61.4% were aged ≤35 years. Two-third were clients, and a third were healthcare providers. Although about 71% patronized public hospitals, there was poor satisfaction (31.7%) than those attending private hospitals that were more satisfied. The male gender, private hospital utilization, and age of ≤35 years were associated with the satisfaction with OR 1.19 (95% CI 0.69-2.05), OR 1.22 (95% CI 0.73-2.04), and OR 2.41 (95% CI 1.38-4.20) respectively. Thirty minutes was the acceptable delay in receiving care by most respondents.  Only 39.4% were aware of digital health, and 52.8% were aware of home healthcare.  Male gender was associated with DH awareness, while being a healthcare provider was associated with both DH and home healthcare awareness. The respondents' median amount was willing to pay for DH and HH respondents is $1.64 -$6.56 and $3.28 –$6.56, respectively. Conclusion: In response to the survey result, we designed an integrated hospital, digital, and home healthcare project named eDokta, to leapfrog the attainment of universal health coverage in Nigeria

Personality traits as key determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers in Nigeria

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed a significant global challenge, necessitating the development and administration of vaccines to halt its spread. Nevertheless, there is limited information on the predictors, patterns, and personality variables influencing COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Nigerian health-care workers (HCWs). Aim: The study set to assess level of factors including personality factors that influence acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccines among.HCWs in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: From August 9 to October 11, 2021, a web-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted on 300 HCWs in Nigeria, aged 19 and above, with social media access and English language proficiency. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and binary logistic regression were used to analyse the data on the SPSS version 20. Results: The findings revealed that while 64% of those who participated in the study received the first dosage of the COVID-19 vaccine, only 48.3% returned for the second dose. The impression of heightened susceptibility to contracting COVID-19 was the primary reason for vaccination uptake. Although education level was associated with vaccination uptake, it did not predict it independently. The age distribution, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and high vulnerability as a rationale for receiving a vaccine were all the independent predictors of vaccine uptake. Conclusion: This study reveals that despite their role as vaccination advocates, HCWs can exhibit hesitancy toward novel vaccines. To increase vaccine uptake among HCWs and the general population, it is crucial to recognise the factors that influence vaccine acceptance among them, including individual personality variables, and incorporate this understanding into vaccination promotion programs

Potential benefits and challenges on the use of phytochemicals for obese COVID-19 patients: A review

Background: COVID-19 produces a great burden on obese individuals. Due to the age-long use of medicinal herbs in the management of obesity, their potential against the COVID-19 pandemic is increasingly investigated. This study aims to review phytochemicals or bioactive compounds with the potential of being useful for obese COVID-19 patients. Methods: Using search terms that include pairwise combinations of either COVID-19 or obesity with each of nine selected phytochemicals (epigallocatechin gallate, rutin, astaxanthin, resveratrol, genistein, curcumin, quercetin, ellagic acid, and hesperidin). Relevant articles published from January 2009 to August 2023 were retrieved from PubMed. Results: A total of 43 papers (17 clinical trials, 12 preclinical studies, 3 systemic reviews of randomized controlled trials, and 11 other review papers) met the inclusion criteria and were discussed in this review. These include research articles reporting the anti-COVID-19 properties of the selected phytochemicals, which have previous or recent “clinical evidence” against overweight or obesity Conclusion: Phenolic compounds make up to eight out of the nine selected bioactive compounds and are, therefore, concluded to be the best class of phytochemicals for managing obese COVID-19 patients

Zinc Metalloproteins in Epigenetics and Their Crosstalk

More than half a century ago, zinc was established as an essential micronutrient for normal human physiology. In silico data suggest that about 10% of the human proteome potentially binds zinc. Many proteins with zinc-binding domains (ZBDs) are involved in epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, which regulate transcription in physiological and pathological conditions. Zinc metalloproteins in epigenetics are mainly zinc metalloenzymes and zinc finger proteins (ZFPs), which are classified into writers, erasers, readers, editors, and feeders. Altogether, these classes of proteins engage in crosstalk that fundamentally maintains the epigenome’s modus operandi. Changes in the expression or function of these proteins induced by zinc deficiency or loss of function mutations in their ZBDs may lead to aberrant epigenetic reprogramming, which may worsen the risk of non-communicable chronic diseases. This review attempts to address zinc’s role and its proteins in natural epigenetic programming and artificial reprogramming and briefly discusses how the ZBDs in these proteins interact with the chromatin

Cesarean Section and Maternal-fetal Mortality Rates in Nigeria: An Ecological Lens into the Last Decade

Background or Objectives: Despite the global decline in maternal mortality within the last decade, women continue to die excessively from pregnancy-related complicationsin developing countries. We assessed the trends in maternal mortality, fetal mortality and cesarean section (C-Section) rates within 25 selected Nigerian hospitals over the last decade. Methods: Basic obstetric data on all deliveries were routinely collected by midwives using the maternity record book developed for the project in all the participating hospitals. Trends of C-Section Rates (CSR), Maternal Mortality Rates (MMR), Fetal Mortality Rates (FMR) and Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery rates (SVD) were calculated using joinpoint regression models. Results: The annual average percent change in CSR was 12.2%, which was statistically significant, indicating a rise in CSR over the decade of the study. There was a noticeable fall in MMR from a zenith of about 1,868 per 100,000 at baseline down to 1,315/100,000 by the end of the study period, representing a relative drop in MMR of about 30%. An average annual drop of 3.8% in FMR and 1.5% drop in SVD over time were noted over the course of the study period. Conclusion and Global Health Implications: We observed an overall CSR of 10.4% and a significant rise in CSR over the 9-year period (2008-2016) of about 108% across hospital facilities in Nigeria. Despite the decrease in MMR, it was still high compared to the global average of 546 maternal deaths per 100 000 livebirths. The FMR was also high compared with the global average. The MMR found in this study clearly indicates that Nigeria is far behind in making progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SGD 3) which aims to reduce the global MMR to less than 70 per 100 000 live births by 2030. Key words: • Cesarean section • Maternal mortality • Fetal mortality • Spontaneous vaginal delivery • Trends in MMR • Nigeria   Copyright © 2020 Galadanci et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited