Effective knowledge management as a performance enhancing tool in construction project management

Knowledge management is concerned with the development and exploitation of the knowledge assets of an organisation with a view to furthering the organisations’ objectives. The vital role that knowledge management processes plays in the performance of business organisations has been the basis of several studies - a number of companies, operating in various other industries, have proven the need for, and performance enhancing benefits of, adopting knowledge management processes in one form or the other. Taking these accounts into consideration, this research study attempts to test the hypothesis that effective knowledge management use would constitute a performance enhancing tool in construction project management enterprise in South Africa. The research survey is thus carried out among construction project management professionals in South Africa. The levels of awareness and use of knowledge management systems among construction project management professionals in South Africa is researched into; this revealed a mostly “medium to high” level of awareness and use. The Project Efficiency Review approach to performance measurement is primarily adopted for this study. This showed limited correlation between knowledge management use and enhanced performance in construction project performance. Other performance measurement approaches (Metrics, Economic and Market Value approaches) also showed limited correlation. Two causative factors for this situation are construction project scope changes and schedule delays, which are seemingly pervasive in contemporary South Africa. As such, further research is recommended to establish more appropriate “objective” performance measurement approaches that would be able to accommodate these complexities. This would facilitate the making of a business case for knowledge management use in construction project management

UNRAVELLING THE TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT OF LABORATORY PRACTICAL APPROACH ON STUDENTS' MANIPULATIVE SKILLS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCIENCE

This study delves into the transformative influence of the Laboratory Practical Approach on students' manipulative skills and academic achievement in senior secondary science. A non-randomised pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental research design were used. Three intact classes drawn from three co-educational senior secondary schools (SSS) involving a total of 98 SSS II students from Education District V, Lagos State participated in the study. Two research instruments: Students’ Manipulative Skills Test (SMST) and Students’ Academic Achievement Test (SAAT) with reliability indices of 0.80 and 0.79 respectively were used for data collection. Two intact classes (experimental groups) were engaged in the laboratory practical approach while one intact class (control group) received the lecture teaching method. Data obtained were analysed using mean, standard deviation, and one-way ANCOVA at 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed that students’ manipulative skills and achievement in science were significantly higher in the laboratory practical group compared to those exposed to the lecture method [F(1,91)=399.85; p<.05] and [F(1,91)=21.33; p<.05] respectively. A statistically significant difference was not found for gender in manipulative skills [F(1,61)=.94; p>.05] and achievement [F(1,61)=.24; p>.05] of students in science. The study provides evidence that the laboratory practical approach is more beneficial for students’ manipulative skills and academic achievement in science than the lecture teaching approach. It is therefore recommended that teachers should ensure that all science topics taught are supported with practical tasks for the students to relate the theoretical and practical aspects to enhance their manipulative skills development as well as improve their academic achievement.  Article visualizations

A Rule-Based Higher Institution of Learning Admission Decision Support System

Higher education management is key to the development of any nation. Some of the challenges that are often managed include examination, admission, and record problem. In this work, we focused on the admission system in higher schools of learning because it is fundamental to solving other problems. We studied the application of Decision Support Systems in Schools and came up with a new Decision Support Tool for admission processing. The system relied on rules generated from information gathered from admission administrators. The significant of the work lied in the fact that uncertainty in admission process and unnecessary time wastage are eliminated

The Contribution of Dysphagia to Acute Stroke Morbidity and Mortality in Nigeria: A Prospective Study

Background: The assessment of time-trend morbidity and mortality in acute stroke is critical to clinical policy decisions and resource allocation. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of dysphagia in acute stroke and the impact of dysphagia on short term stroke outcome (30 days post-stroke). Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal study. Bedside screening for dysphagia modified Rankin score (MRS) and Barthel Index (BI) were performed on acute stroke patients on day 1, day 7, day 14 and day 30 after stroke to determine the frequency of dysphagia. Patients with dysphagia were then compared with age- and gender-matched controls (stroke patients without dysphagia) in terms of stroke characteristics and 30-day outcome. Results:Of the recruited 200 patients, 99 (49.5%) had dysphagia. Patients with intracerebral haemorrhagic stroke had a significantly higher prevalence of dysphagia (64% vs 36%; p Conclusion: Severe stroke, subcortical stroke and haemorrhagic stroke types were significantly associated with dysphagia at baseline. Dysphagia adversely influenced 30-days morbidity and case fatality in this cohort of acute stroke patients

Helicopter Parenting and Narcissistic traits in Young Adults of Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

This cross-sectional study examined the perception of helicopter parenting of mothers and narcissistic traits.  350 undergraduate students were randomly selected from Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta. Pautler’s (2017) helicopter parenting and Pincus et al. (2009) pathological narcissism formed the questionnaire to elicit responses from the participants. Data collected were analysed for univariate and bivariate findings. The findings revealed 15.8% of the participants had a high perception of their mothers as a helicopter parent. Demographic characteristics of participants such as age, number of siblings, living arrangements and educational status of mothers had a significant relationship (p < 0.05) with perceived helicopter mothers. However, there was a significant relationship between vulnerable narcissism and the perceived helicopter parenting of mothers. The perception of youth on mothers’ helicopter parenting style was associated with age, number of siblings living arrangements and mother’s occupation respectively. Thus, there is a need for further study on fathers’ helicopter parenting style and how this can influence narcissism among young adults

Utilization of blue crab shells for the synthesis of chitosan nanoparticles and their characterization

Chitosan, a useful biopolymer, was obtained from pulverized shells of blue crabs via demineralization, deproteination and de-acetylation. The chitosan was converted to nanoparticles using sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP). The FTIR spectrum of chitosan nanoparticles showed various functional groups, such as hydroxyl, carbonyl, and amine among others, as expected in chitosan. The SEM analysis revealed clusters of crystals at the surfaces, while TEM showed a very smooth and fine surface morphology. The particle size was estimated at < 200nm. The XRD spectrum showed shifting of the 2Ɵ peaks angles 10 and 20o for normal chitosan to 17 and 25o for the chitosan nanoparticles. The TGA and its derivative (DTGA) showed that the biopolymer was thermally stable

Flavones scaffold of Chromolaena odorata as a potential xanthine oxidase inhibitor: Induced Fit Docking and ADME studies

Introduction: Gout is a type of painful inflammation initiated by the interactions between monosodium urate crystals and connective tissue. Xanthine oxidase (XO) catalyzes the oxidation of hypoxanthine to xanthine, then to uric acid. The primary treatments for gout include XO inhibitors. At present, allopurinol is the most used XO inhibitor for the treatment of gout. However, it can cause adverse effects commonly known as allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome, thereby limiting its usage. Consequently, it is necessary to develop potent and less toxic inhibitors of XO. Chromolaena odorata is one of such plants under investigation for its diverse health benefits. Methods: Phytochemicals of C. odorata were screened against XO receptor, using molecular docking. The top five hit compounds of glide docking yield flavones scaffold which were subjected to induced fit docking (IFD) and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) studies. Results: The result showed that flavones scaffold of C. odorata can bind with higher affinity and lower free energy values when compared to that of the standard, allopurinol. The IFD scores of the flavones scaffold range from -1525.25 to -1527.99 kcal/mol. Conclusion: Our results have shown that flavones scaffold might have the potential to act as an effective drug candidate when compared to allopurinol in treating and/or preventing gout and some inflammatory condition

Exploring computational approaches to design mRNA Vaccine against vaccinia and Mpox viruses

Background: Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines emerged as a powerful tool in the fight against infections. Unlike traditional vaccines, this unique type of vaccine elicits robust and persistent innate and humoral immune response with a unique host cell‐mediated pathogen gene expression and antigen presentation. Methods: This offers a novel approach to combat poxviridae infections. From the genome of vaccinia and Mpox viruses, three key genes (E8L, E7R, and H3L) responsible for virus attachment and virulence were selected and employed for designing the candidate mRNA vaccine against vaccinia and Mpox viral infection. Various bioinformatics tools were employed to generate (B cell, CTL, and HTL) epitopes, of which 28 antigenic and immunogenic epitopes were selected and are linked to form the mRNA vaccine construct. Additional components, including a 5′ cap, 5′ UTR, adjuvant, 3′ UTR, and poly(A) tail, were incorporated to enhance stability and effectiveness. Safety measures such as testing for human homology and in silico immune simulations were implemented to avoid autoimmunity and to mimics the immune response of human host to the designed mRNA vaccine, respectively. The mRNA vaccine's binding affinity was evaluated by docking it with TLR‐2, TLR‐3, TLR‐4, and TLR‐9 receptors which are subsequently followed by molecular dynamics simulations for the highest binding one to predict the stability of the binding complex. Results: With a 73% population coverage, the mRNA vaccine looks promising, boasting a molecular weight of 198 kDa and a molecular formula of C8901H13609N2431O2611S48 and it is said to be antigenic, nontoxic and nonallergic, making it safe and effective in preventing infections with Mpox and vaccinia viruses, in comparison with other insilico‐designed vaccine for vaccinia and Mpox viruses. Conclusions: However, further validation through in vivo and in vitro techniques is underway to fully assess its potential

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

The use of plants in the traditional management of diabetes in Nigeria: Pharmacological and toxicological considerations

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The prevalence of diabetes is on a steady increase worldwide and it is now identified as one of the main threats to human health in the 21st century. In Nigeria, the use of herbal medicine alone or alongside prescription drugs for its management is quite common. We hereby carry out a review of medicinal plants traditionally used for diabetes management in Nigeria. Based on the available evidence on the species׳ pharmacology and safety, we highlight ways in which their therapeutic potential can be properly harnessed for possible integration into the country׳s healthcare system. Materials and methods: Ethnobotanical information was obtained from a literature search of electronic databases such as Google Scholar, Pubmed and Scopus up to 2013 for publications on medicinal plants used in diabetes management, in which the place of use and/or sample collection was identified as Nigeria. ‘Diabetes’ and ‘Nigeria’ were used as keywords for the primary searches; and then ‘Plant name – accepted or synonyms’, ‘Constituents’, ‘Drug interaction’ and/or ‘Toxicity’ for the secondary searches. Results: The hypoglycemic effect of over a hundred out of the 115 plants reviewed in this paper is backed by preclinical experimental evidence, either in vivo or in vitro. One-third of the plants have been studied for their mechanism of action, while isolation of the bioactive constituent(s) has been accomplished for twenty three plants. Some plants showed specific organ toxicity, mostly nephrotoxic or hepatotoxic, with direct effects on the levels of some liver function enzymes. Twenty eight plants have been identified as in vitro modulators of P-glycoprotein and/or one or more of the cytochrome P450 enzymes, while eleven plants altered the levels of phase 2 metabolic enzymes, chiefly glutathione, with the potential to alter the pharmacokinetics of co-administered drugs. Conclusion: This review, therefore, provides a useful resource to enable a thorough assessment of the profile of plants used in diabetes management so as to ensure a more rational use. By anticipating potential toxicities or possible herb–drug interactions, significant risks which would otherwise represent a burden on the country׳s healthcare system can be avoided