Relationship Between the Standard of Living, Economic Situation, and Security Situation of Nigerians During The Covid-19 Pandemic. A Non-Parametric Analysis Approach

The Covid-19 pandemic has crippled the economic activities of so many nations across the globe since its outbreak in 2019. This study is focused on the resultant effect of the covid-19 pandemic in terms of standard of living, perception of economic and security situation of Nigerians. This study used a non-parametric approach involving Spearman rank correlation and Mann-Whitney U to analyze primary data acquired from NoiPolls’ online administration of questionnaires during the Covid-19. The result obtained from this study depicts that there is a significant relationship between the security situation and perception of the country’s economic situation. The standard of living of Nigerians was studied alongside their perception of the economic situation and we observed that there is a significant relationship between these two. This was also examined based on gender, the Mann-Whitney U test was used to check if there exists any form of difference between males and females based on the security situation, economic perception, and standard of living. The test result showed that there is no significant difference in the standard of living of both males and females but significant differences were observed in the economic perception and security situations. A bar chart was further used to visually assess these differences where it is seen that females feel more secure compared to males and females feel less satisfied with the country’s economic situation compared to the males

Effect of carbon sources on cellulase (EC 3. 2. 1. 4) production by Penicillium chrysogenum PCL501

The effects of glucose, crystalline cellulose and sawdust of Mitragyna cilata on the growth and cellulase production, inferred from cellulase (EC 3. 2. 1. 4) activity, of Penicillium chrysogenum PCL501 was determined. Glucose-containing media gave the highest mycelia weight of 1.78 mg mL-1 in 120 h of incubation. This is about 3.5 – 4.5 times the maximum weights of 0.51 and 0.40 mg mL-1 respectively obtained from the cultures containing cellulose and sawdust. The cultures containing crystalline cellulose and sawdust produced extracellular protein with cellulase (EC 3. 2. 1. 4) activity whereas glucose-containing cultures yielded very low protein and no significant cellulase activity. Maximum protein content of 0.02, 0.13 and 0.46 mg mL-1 respectively were obtained from the cultures containing glucose, cellulose and sawdust. Peak cellulase activity values of 100.0 and 92.2 Units L-1 respectively were obtained for the cultures containing cellulose and sawdust. There is a correlation between the protein released and cellulase activity of the culture filtrates. P. chrysogenum PCL501 produces extracellular proteins with significant cellulase activity in media containing cellulose and sawdust but not in glucose-containing medium. Sawdust is indicated as a good inducer of cellulase activity in the organism. The waste cellulosic material can be used as low-cost carbon source for commercial cellulase production

Orthodox versus unorthodox care: A qualitative study on where rural women seek healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth in Southwest, Nigeria

Introduction Utilization of orthodox health facilities for maternal health services is determined by factors operating at the individual, household, community and state level. The prevalence of small family norm is one of the identified variables operating within the community which influences the decision of where to access care (orthodox/traditional). The objective of the study was to determine the use of orthodox versus unorthodox maternity healthcare and determinants among rural women in southwest Nigeria. Methods A qualitative study was done and involved three focus group discussions. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect information from women of reproductive age group within a rural Local Government Area in Lagos state. Results Most of the women access some form of healthcare during pregnancy, orthodox, unorthodox or both. Those who patronize both services concurrently do so to benefit from the two as each has some unique features such as herbal concoctions for traditional, ultrasound and immunization of babies for orthodox. Traditional belief exerts a strong influence on decision of where to access maternal healthcare services. Actual place of delivery is determined by individual and household factors including financial resources. Conclusion Rural women utilize one or both orthodox and unorthodox maternal health services for different reasons. Ward Development Committees should be strengthened so as to reach the communities, educate and convince women to dispel myths which limit their use of orthodox care. Training and monitoring of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) are vital to eliminate harmful practices. We also recommend improved financial access to orthodox healthcare

Pectinolytic activity of wild-type filamentous fungi fermented on agro-wastes

Five filamentous fungi (Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium sp., Penicillum chrysogenum and Trichoderma sp.) isolated from agrowaste samples in Lagos metropolis, Nigeria, depolymerized citrus pectin. Best pectolytic activity, as indicated by the diameter of clear, hydrolyzed zones on the medium plates containing commercial citrus pectin as sole carbon source, was obtained with A. niger, closely followed by P. chrysogenum. The two fungi also produced pectinases with different agrowastes (pineapple peel, orange peels, sawdust, sugarcane pulps and wheat bran) as the sole carbon source. The highest pectinase activity by both fungi was produce with wheat bran as the sole carbon source. Peak pectinase activity of 350.28 ± 2.82 and 478.25 ± 3.04 IU mg-1 protein was respectively obtained by submerged fermentation (SmF) at 48 h for A. niger and P.chrysogenum in media containing wheat bran as the sole carbon source. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) yielded higher levels of pectinase activity than the SmF. The strains of A. niger and P. chrysogenum have good prospect for pectinase production. Wheat bran is a good low-cost fermentation substrate for pectinase production by the investigated fungi

Pattern and Determinants of Antiretroviral Drug Adherence among Nigerian Pregnant Women

Background. The need for a high level of adherence to antiretroviral drugs has remained a major hurdle to achieving maximal benefit from its use in pregnancy. This study was designed to determine the level of adherence and identify factors that influence adherence during pregnancy. Method. This is a cross-sectional study utilizing a semistructured questionnaire. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression models were used to determine factors independently associated with good drug adherence during pregnancy. Result. 137 (80.6%) of the interviewed 170 women achieved adherence level of ≥95% using 3 day recall. The desire to protect the unborn child was the greatest motivation (51.8%) for good adherence. Fear of being identified as HIV positive (63.6%) was the most common reason for nonadherence. Marital status, disclosure of HIV status, good knowledge of ART, and having a treatment supporter were found to be significantly associated with good adherence at bivariate analysis. However, after controlling for confounders, only HIV status disclosure and having a treatment partner retained their association with good adherence. Conclusion. Disclosure of HIV status and having treatment support are associated with good adherence. Maternal desire to protect the child was the greatest motivator for adherence

Relationship Between the Standard of Living, Economic Situation, and Security Situation of Nigerians During The Covid-19 Pandemic. A Non-Parametric Analysis Approach

The Covid-19 pandemic has crippled the economic activities of so many nations across the globe since its outbreak in 2019. This study is focused on the resultant effect of the covid-19 pandemic in terms of standard of living, perception of economic and security situation of Nigerians. This study used a non-parametric approach involving Spearman rank correlation and Mann-Whitney U to analyze primary data acquired from NoiPolls’ online administration of questionnaires during the Covid-19. The result obtained from this study depicts that there is a significant relationship between the security situation and perception of the country’s economic situation. The standard of living of Nigerians was studied alongside their perception of the economic situation and we observed that there is a significant relationship between these two. This was also examined based on gender, the Mann-Whitney U test was used to check if there exists any form of difference between males and females based on the security situation, economic perception, and standard of living. The test result showed that there is no significant difference in the standard of living of both males and females but significant differences were observed in the economic perception and security situations. A bar chart was further used to visually assess these differences where it is seen that females feel more secure compared to males and females feel less satisfied with the country’s economic situation compared to the males

Relationship Between the Standard of Living, Economic Situation, and Security Situation of Nigerians During The Covid-19 Pandemic. A Non-Parametric Analysis Approach

The Covid-19 pandemic has crippled the economic activities of so many nations across the globe since its outbreak in 2019. This study is focused on the resultant effect of the covid-19 pandemic in terms of standard of living, perception of economic and security situation of Nigerians. This study used a non-parametric approach involving Spearman rank correlation and Mann-Whitney U to analyze primary data acquired from NoiPolls’ online administration of questionnaires during the Covid-19. The result obtained from this study depicts that there is a significant relationship between the security situation and perception of the country’s economic situation. The standard of living of Nigerians was studied alongside their perception of the economic situation and we observed that there is a significant relationship between these two. This was also examined based on gender, the Mann-Whitney U test was used to check if there exists any form of difference between males and females based on the security situation, economic perception, and standard of living. The test result showed that there is no significant difference in the standard of living of both males and females but significant differences were observed in the economic perception and security situations. A bar chart was further used to visually assess these differences where it is seen that females feel more secure compared to males and females feel less satisfied with the country’s economic situation compared to the males

Incidence of and socio-biologic risk factors for spontaneous preterm birth in HIV positive Nigerian women

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have identified HIV as a leading contributor to preterm delivery and its associated morbidity and mortality. However little or no information exists in our sub-region on this subject. Identifying the factors associated with preterm delivery in HIV positive women in our country and sub-region will not only prevent mother to child transmission of HIV virus but will also reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with prematurity and low birth weight. This study was designed to determine the incidence and risk factors for preterm delivery in HIV positive Nigerians. METHOD: The required data for this retrospective study was extracted from the data base of a cohort study of the outcome of prevention of mother to child transmission at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos. Only data of women that met the eligibility of spontaneous delivery after 20 weeks of gestation were included. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institution’s Ethical Review Board. RESULTS: 181 women out of the 1626 eligible for inclusion into the study had spontaneous preterm delivery (11.1%). The mean birth weight was 3.1 ± 0.4 kg, with 10.3% having LBW. Spontaneous preterm delivery was found to be significantly associated with unmarried status (cOR: 1.7;1.52-2.57), baseline CD4 count <200 cells/mm(3)(cOR: 1.8; 1.16-2.99), presence of opportunistic infection at delivery (cOR: 2.2;1.23-3.57), multiple pregnancy (cOR 10.4; 4.24 – 26.17), use of PI based triple ARV therapy (eOR 10.2; 5.52 – 18.8) in the first trimester (cOR 2.5; 1.77 – 3.52) on univariate analysis. However after multivariate analysis controlling for potential confounding variables including low birth weight, only multiple pregnancy (aOR: 8.6; CI: 6.73 – 12.9), presence of opportunistic infection at delivery (aOR: 1.9; CI: 1.1 – 5.7), and 1st trimester exposure to PI based triple therapy (aOR: 5.4; CI: 3.4 – 7.8) retained their significant association with preterm delivery. CONCLUSION: The spontaneous preterm delivery rate among our cohort was 11.1%. HIV positive women with multiple pregnancies, symptomatic HIV infection at delivery and first trimester fetal exposure to PI based triple therapy were found to be at risk of spontaneous preterm delivery. Early booking and non-use of PI based triple therapy in the first trimester will significantly reduce the risk of preterm delivery

Development of Bioinformatics Infrastructure for Genomics Research in H3Africa

Background: Although pockets of bioinformatics excellence have developed in Africa, generally, large-scale genomic data analysis has been limited by the availability of expertise and infrastructure. H3ABioNet, a pan-African bioinformatics network, was established to build capacity specifically to enable H3Africa (Human Heredity and Health in Africa) researchers to analyze their data in Africa. Since the inception of the H3Africa initiative, H3ABioNet’s role has evolved in response to changing needs from the consortium and the African bioinformatics community. Objectives: H3ABioNet set out to develop core bioinformatics infrastructure and capacity for genomics research in various aspects of data collection, transfer, storage, and analysis. Methods and Results: Various resources have been developed to address genomic data management and analysis needs of H3Africa researchers and other scientific communities on the continent. NetMap was developed and used to build an accurate picture of network performance within Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world, and Globus Online has been rolled out to facilitate data transfer. A participant recruitment database was developed to monitor participant enrollment, and data is being harmonized through the use of ontologies and controlled vocabularies. The standardized metadata will be integrated to provide a search facility for H3Africa data and biospecimens. Because H3Africa projects are generating large-scale genomic data, facilities for analysis and interpretation are critical. H3ABioNet is implementing several data analysis platforms that provide a large range of bioinformatics tools or workflows, such as Galaxy, the Job Management System, and eBiokits. A set of reproducible, portable, and cloud-scalable pipelines to support the multiple H3Africa data types are also being developed and dockerized to enable execution on multiple computing infrastructures. In addition, new tools have been developed for analysis of the uniquely divergent African data and for downstream interpretation of prioritized variants. To provide support for these and other bioinformatics queries, an online bioinformatics helpdesk backed by broad consortium expertise has been established. Further support is provided by means of various modes of bioinformatics training. Conclusions: For the past 4 years, the development of infrastructure support and human capacity through H3ABioNet, have significantly contributed to the establishment of African scientific networks, data analysis facilities, and training programs. Here, we describe the infrastructure and how it has affected genomics and bioinformatics research in Africa