Granunolocytic responses to Parasitaemia of Plasmodium Falciparum Species in children (6-59 months) attending bulumktu comprehensive health center, Maiduguri, Borno State – Nigeria

This study was conducted to assess the influence of Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia on eosinophil and neutrophil in children (6-59months), at BulumkutuComprehensive Health Centre, Maiduguri, Bono State, between August to December 2018. A total of 210 children were enrolled in the study which consisted of 88 (41.90%) patients with positive P. falciparum malaria and 122 (58.10%) negative malaria. Hematological parameters were analyzed using sysmexhaematology auto-analyzer (2011), while the Giemsa stained slides thick and thin blood films were prepared from the stock solution, and tested for Plasmodium falciparum malaria and count of malaria parasite density. This study indicated that there was a positive correlation between parasite densities and granulocytes (neutrophil and eosinophil) of the malaria-infected subjects, as well as malaria infected males and females subjects respectively. (r2 = 0.63 5, p = 0.005), (r2 = 0.5 10, p = 0.005), (r2 = 0.602, p = 0.005), (r2 = 0.504, p 0.005), and (r2 = 0.890, p = 0.001), (r2 = 0.623, p = 0.005)

Essential and Non-Essential Metals Profile in Blood of some Nigerian Pregnant Women

In this study, the concentrations of some essential (Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, and Zn) and non-essential metals (Cd and Pb) were determined in blood of pregnant women aged between 15 \u2013 45 years and enrolled at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile \u2013 Ife, Nigeria, for antenatal care. Fifty samples of whole blood were collected from the pregnant women and twenty five samples from non pregnant women as control. Levels of essential and non- essential metals were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The analyses were performed in order to assess the body burden of pregnant women with the metals and the health implications of the latter to pregnant women and their fetuses. Data analysis by descriptive and inferential statistics revealed that age, education, and profession correlate with the levels of the metals. The mean levels of the two non-essential metals obtained in this study were lower than the recommended limits for whole blood. While compared with other studies of pregnant women elsewhere results obtain were generally higher. Generally the values obtained in this study have indicated no serious body burden on the pregnant women. The importance of establishing factors that influence low human exposure concentrations is becoming critical in efforts to reduce exposures and hence the potential for adverse health effects

Seasonal Variations of Heavy Metals Concentration in Abattoir Dumping Site Soil in Nigeria

Assessment of seasonal variation in concentration of the heavy metals- Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn- in Abattoir dump site soil at Yauri, Nigeria, was undertaking during the two major seasons of Nigeria. This was done to determine the environmental pollution status of the soil at the dump site. Soil samples (0\u201315cm) collected during the 2007/2008 rainy and dry seasons were treated and digested using microwave acid digestion methods. The heavy metal concentrations were determined with Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The mean levels range of Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were 13.2 - 30.02mg/kg, 59.14\u2013102.50mg/kg, 59.32 \u2013 96.13mg/kg, 2569 \u2013 4130mgkg, 263.01 \u2013 608.11mg/Kg, 36.21 \u2013107.13mg/kg, 15.60 \u2013 30.09mg/kg and56.31\u2013 92.50mg/kg for dry seasons and 10.13\u201322.76mg/kg,49.96\u2013 89.46mg/kg,49.12\u201373.08mg/kg,23330.02\u2013 3671.14mg/kg,249.72\u2013 561.03mg/kg,33.50\u201399.06mg/kg,16.20\u201328.11mg/kg, and 50.91- 89.10mg/kg for wet season respectively. The analytical results indicated that in both wet and dry seasons some metals concentrations were above the literature levels of a typical soil, which course for concern. @ JASE

Risk factors and mode of transmission of toxoplasmosis in Nigeria: a review

Toxoplasmosis is a cosmopolitan infection caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan, Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite was described as the most successful having full potentials to  be transmitted  through various routes from contamination of the environment and food substances to continuous spread as tissue cyst in meat, among its intermediate host, bypassing its sexual stage of life cycle in its definitive host. Relevant English databases were searched for the prevalence studies conducted in Nigeria. In this review, we identified the various ways through which the infection can be spread within human population as reported by various studies in Nigeria.Keywords: cosmopolitan, environment, intracellular, protozoan, toxoplasmosi

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

Global fertility in 204 countries and territories, 1950–2021, with forecasts to 2100: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Accurate assessments of current and future fertility—including overall trends and changing population age structures across countries and regions—are essential to help plan for the profound social, economic, environmental, and geopolitical challenges that these changes will bring. Estimates and projections of fertility are necessary to inform policies involving resource and health-care needs, labour supply, education, gender equality, and family planning and support. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 produced up-to-date and comprehensive demographic assessments of key fertility indicators at global, regional, and national levels from 1950 to 2021 and forecast fertility metrics to 2100 based on a reference scenario and key policy-dependent alternative scenarios. Methods: To estimate fertility indicators from 1950 to 2021, mixed-effects regression models and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression were used to synthesise data from 8709 country-years of vital and sample registrations, 1455 surveys and censuses, and 150 other sources, and to generate age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) for 5-year age groups from age 10 years to 54 years. ASFRs were summed across age groups to produce estimates of total fertility rate (TFR). Livebirths were calculated by multiplying ASFR and age-specific female population, then summing across ages 10–54 years. To forecast future fertility up to 2100, our Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) forecasting model was based on projections of completed cohort fertility at age 50 years (CCF50; the average number of children born over time to females from a specified birth cohort), which yields more stable and accurate measures of fertility than directly modelling TFR. CCF50 was modelled using an ensemble approach in which three sub-models (with two, three, and four covariates variously consisting of female educational attainment, contraceptive met need, population density in habitable areas, and under-5 mortality) were given equal weights, and analyses were conducted utilising the MR-BRT (meta-regression—Bayesian, regularised, trimmed) tool. To capture time-series trends in CCF50 not explained by these covariates, we used a first-order autoregressive model on the residual term. CCF50 as a proportion of each 5-year ASFR was predicted using a linear mixed-effects model with fixed-effects covariates (female educational attainment and contraceptive met need) and random intercepts for geographical regions. Projected TFRs were then computed for each calendar year as the sum of single-year ASFRs across age groups. The reference forecast is our estimate of the most likely fertility future given the model, past fertility, forecasts of covariates, and historical relationships between covariates and fertility. We additionally produced forecasts for multiple alternative scenarios in each location: the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for education is achieved by 2030; the contraceptive met need SDG is achieved by 2030; pro-natal policies are enacted to create supportive environments for those who give birth; and the previous three scenarios combined. Uncertainty from past data inputs and model estimation was propagated throughout analyses by taking 1000 draws for past and present fertility estimates and 500 draws for future forecasts from the estimated distribution for each metric, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) given as the 2·5 and 97·5 percentiles of the draws. To evaluate the forecasting performance of our model and others, we computed skill values—a metric assessing gain in forecasting accuracy—by comparing predicted versus observed ASFRs from the past 15 years (2007–21). A positive skill metric indicates that the model being evaluated performs better than the baseline model (here, a simplified model holding 2007 values constant in the future), and a negative metric indicates that the evaluated model performs worse than baseline. Findings: During the period from 1950 to 2021, global TFR more than halved, from 4·84 (95% UI 4·63–5·06) to 2·23 (2·09–2·38). Global annual livebirths peaked in 2016 at 142 million (95% UI 137–147), declining to 129 million (121–138) in 2021. Fertility rates declined in all countries and territories since 1950, with TFR remaining above 2·1—canonically considered replacement-level fertility—in 94 (46·1%) countries and territories in 2021. This included 44 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which was the super-region with the largest share of livebirths in 2021 (29·2% [28·7–29·6]). 47 countries and territories in which lowest estimated fertility between 1950 and 2021 was below replacement experienced one or more subsequent years with higher fertility; only three of these locations rebounded above replacement levels. Future fertility rates were projected to continue to decline worldwide, reaching a global TFR of 1·83 (1·59–2·08) in 2050 and 1·59 (1·25–1·96) in 2100 under the reference scenario. The number of countries and territories with fertility rates remaining above replacement was forecast to be 49 (24·0%) in 2050 and only six (2·9%) in 2100, with three of these six countries included in the 2021 World Bank-defined low-income group, all located in the GBD super-region of sub-Saharan Africa. The proportion of livebirths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa was forecast to increase to more than half of the world's livebirths in 2100, to 41·3% (39·6–43·1) in 2050 and 54·3% (47·1–59·5) in 2100. The share of livebirths was projected to decline between 2021 and 2100 in most of the six other super-regions—decreasing, for example, in south Asia from 24·8% (23·7–25·8) in 2021 to 16·7% (14·3–19·1) in 2050 and 7·1% (4·4–10·1) in 2100—but was forecast to increase modestly in the north Africa and Middle East and high-income super-regions. Forecast estimates for the alternative combined scenario suggest that meeting SDG targets for education and contraceptive met need, as well as implementing pro-natal policies, would result in global TFRs of 1·65 (1·40–1·92) in 2050 and 1·62 (1·35–1·95) in 2100. The forecasting skill metric values for the IHME model were positive across all age groups, indicating that the model is better than the constant prediction. Interpretation: Fertility is declining globally, with rates in more than half of all countries and territories in 2021 below replacement level. Trends since 2000 show considerable heterogeneity in the steepness of declines, and only a small number of countries experienced even a slight fertility rebound after their lowest observed rate, with none reaching replacement level. Additionally, the distribution of livebirths across the globe is shifting, with a greater proportion occurring in the lowest-income countries. Future fertility rates will continue to decline worldwide and will remain low even under successful implementation of pro-natal policies. These changes will have far-reaching economic and societal consequences due to ageing populations and declining workforces in higher-income countries, combined with an increasing share of livebirths among the already poorest regions of the world. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Conjugated polymer/multi-wall carbon nanotubes composite based volatile organic compounds sensors

Polyimidazole multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Plm/MWCNTs) nanocomposite films were synthesised by chemical oxidation of imidazole monomer and addition of MWCNTs to the conductive polymer (CP) solution in a 1:1 ratio. The sensing performance of the Plm/MWCNTs nanocomposite films was measured by recording their electrical response when exposed to contrasting mixtures of gas. Generally, the nanocomposite film with a diameter of 3-12 nm shows a fluctuating response of their resistance when exposed to the analyte together with an excellent sensitivity of 90%. The response is quantified as the fractional change in resistance compared to the baseline, R0 , i.e., the response ratio S = ΔR/R0 . Values of S in the range 0.60–1.5 were observed for volatile organic compounds. This research work provides a simple, economical and environmentally-friendly technique to create favourable Plm/MWCNTs composite based volatile organic compounds sensors, which could be employed for environmental monitoring in workable electronic devices in domestic and industrial applications. The research findings established that Plm/MWCNTs nanocomposites have promising future applications in gas sensing

Seasonal Variations of Heavy Metals Concentration in Abattoir Dumping Site Soil in Nigeria

Assessment of seasonal variation in concentration of the heavy metals- Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn- in Abattoir dump site soil at Yauri, Nigeria, was undertaking during the two major seasons of Nigeria. This was done to determine the environmental pollution status of the soil at the dump site. Soil samples (0–15cm) collected during the 2007/2008 rainy and dry seasons were treated and digested using microwave acid digestion methods. The heavy metal concentrations were determined with Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The mean levels range of Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were 13.2 - 30.02mg/kg, 59.14–102.50mg/kg, 59.32 – 96.13mg/kg, 2569 – 4130mgkg, 263.01 – 608.11mg/Kg, 36.21 –107.13mg/kg, 15.60 – 30.09mg/kg and56.31– 92.50mg/kg for dry seasons and 10.13–22.76mg/kg,49.96– 89.46mg/kg,49.12–73.08mg/kg,23330.02– 3671.14mg/kg,249.72– 561.03mg/kg,33.50–99.06mg/kg,16.20–28.11mg/kg, and 50.91- 89.10mg/kg for wet season respectively. The analytical results indicated that in both wet and dry seasons some metals concentrations were above the literature levels of a typical soil, which course for concern. @ JASE

Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the n-butanol fraction of Vernonia glaberrima

The n-butanol leaf fraction of Vernonia glaberrima was evaluated for its toxicity, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. The leaves of V. glaberrima were collected, identified and extracted with methanol using maceration method and the resulting crude methanol extract was then partitioned using different solvents of increasing polarity (hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol respectively). Preliminary phytochemical screening was conducted on the n-butanol fraction (BF) using standard procedures. The median lethal dose (LD50) of the fraction was determined using Lorke’s method and the analgesic effect was evaluated using acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice, while the anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats. Secondary metabolites including saponins, tannins, alkaloids, glycosides and flavonoids were found in the fraction. The LD50 of the fraction was 2154 mg/kg indicating the fraction to be moderately toxic. The fraction at 150 mg/kg exhibited 77.6 % inhibition of writhes, higher than the standard drug, piroxicam (10 mg/kg) which had 53.7 % inhibition. The n-butanol fraction at 150 and 250 mg/kg significantly inhibited the carrageenan-induced paw oedema at the 2nd and 4th hour, respectively, while there was no significant inhibition at 500 mg/kg of the fraction. The standard drug was only able to inhibit oedema at the 1st hour. The results showed the n-butanol fraction of V. glaberrima to possess significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities thereby validating its traditional use in the treatment of pain and inflammation

The effect of washing with water and detergent on increasing the shelf life of pepper (Capsicum annum) on sale at Rimi and Tarauni markets of Kano State, Nigeria

Sample of pepper was collected from two selected vegetable markets and used to determine the most effective method of increasing shelf life of pepper. In the research two treatment methods used by marketers of vegetables washing with water and detergent were compared. The results showed that five fungal colonies were isolated from pepper samples obtained from the study aeas. The five fungal colonies isolated from the two markets have the following frequency of occurrence A. niger 17 ( 28.3 %) A. fumigatus 12 (23.3%), R. stolonifer 12 (20.0%), A. flavus 09(15.05%) and Mucor spp 08 (13.3%). Out of the total 60 fungal colonies isolated in the two markets, more colonies were counted from water wash pepper 37 ( 61.0%), while lower colony counts were recorded from detergent washed pepper in the two locations 23 ( 38.3%). It is clear therefore that, this investigation has established fewer fungal colonies counted from detergent washed samples in the two markets is that washing of pepper with detergent is more effective in increasing the shelf life of pepper by removing the surface contaminant micro-organisms