Search

Polyphenols are notable phytochemicals mostly found in plant-based foods, with many reported health benefits. Only limited information is available in the literature on polyphenolic lignans; hence, this review highlights the findings from an extensive open-ended search performed on many databases and search engines, using the keywords “phyllanthin” and “hypophyllanthin” inserted separately and jointly into these databases. Up to 2700 distinct articles were generated, most of which were related to plants of the Phyllanthusspecies. Plant extract-based articles were excluded. 468 original articles and bibliographic reviews that met the inclusion criteria were selected. Our search showed that both lignans were mostly isolated from plant sources, and some of their biological and pharmacological activities have been previously studied in in silico, in vitro and in vivo experimental models. Only a few human studies were reported, mainly in ex-vivo studies with blood samples and parasites. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory, cardiovascular and cardioprotective, antimicrobial, antiviral, antiparasitic, neuroprotective and neuroactive, anti-diabetic, reno-protective and uricosuric, hepatoprotective, metabolic as well as anticancer effects are well-documented and described in the different sections of this review, as summarized in Table 1. No direct toxicity and side effects were reported. The health benefits identified in the reviewed articles potentially provide some rationale for further scientific research on these lignans’ toxicology, safety profiles, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics, with a view to progressing through the clinical trial phases of the drug discovery and development process.

This study investigated the effect of pulverized rice straws (PRS, Oryza sativa) on the water retention capacity (WRC) of diesel-contaminated soils and the leaching of diesel-range organics (DROs). Diesel contamination at levels of 5, 10, and 15% reduced the WRC by ~ 6, 11, and 26%, respectively. However, adding PRS to 15% diesel-contaminated soils improved the WRC by ~ 18, 31, 53, and 75% for PRS concentrations of 1, 2.5, 5, and 10%, respectively. Furthermore, PRS concentrations of 2.5, 5, and 10% decreased the DROs leaching from 20% diesel-contaminated soil by 34, 75, and 100%, respectively. The findings of this study indicate that composting with PRS enhances WRC and significantly reduces contamination leaching in oil-contaminated soils. This suggests that PRS and similar green composts could optimize landfarming of organically contaminated soils, offering an innovative approach to repurposing waste plant biomass.

Background: There is little international data on morbidity and mortality of surgery for perforated peptic ulcer (PPU). This study aimed to understand the global 30-day morbidity and mortality of patients undergoing surgery for PPU and to identify variables associated with these. Method: We performed an international study of adults (≥ 18 years) who underwent surgery for PPU from 1st January 2022 to 30th June 2022. Patients who were treated conservatively or had an underlying gastric cancer were excluded. Patients were divided into subgroups according to age (≤ 50 and > 50 years) and time from onset of symptoms to hospital presentation (≤ 24 and > 24 h). Univariate and Multivariate analyses were carried out to identify factors associated with higher 30-day morbidity and mortality. Results: 1874 patients from 159 centres across 52 countries were included. 78.3% (n= 1467) of the patients were males and the median (IQR) age was 49 years (25). Thirty-day morbidity and mortality were 48.5% (n= 910) and 9.3% (n= 174) respectively. Median (IQR) hospital stay was 7 (5) days. Open surgery was performed in 80% (n= 1505) of the cohort. Age > 50 years [(OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.4–2), (OR = 4.7, 95% CI 3.1–7.6)], female gender [(OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.4–2.3), (OR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.3–2.9)], shock on admission [(OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.7–2.7), (OR = 4.8, 95% CI 3.2–7.1)], and acute kidney injury [(OR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.9–3.2), (OR = 3.9), 95% CI 2.7–5.6)] were associated with both 30-day morbidity and mortality. Delayed presentation was associated with 30-day morbidity [OR = 1.3, 95% CI 1.1–1.6], but not mortality. Conclusions: This study showed that surgery for PPU was associated with high 30-day morbidity and mortality rate. Age, female gender, and signs of shock at presentation were associated with both 30-day morbidity and mortality. Graphical abstract:

Purpose: Qualitative research that involves the use of human participants calls for the need to protect those participants to give their honest view during data collection. This is an important part of every primary data collection in qualitative studies using interviews. This paper aims to investigate all available ethical considerations that need to be observed by the researcher when conducting primary data collection through interview and to explore the theories that underpin the ethics in qualitative studies. Design/methodology/approach: This paper systemically reviewed existing qualitative data on ethics and gathered information that were analysed and presented on the topic area. Findings: The findings show that ethical considerations deal with the various approaches adopted by the researcher to make the participants feel safe to participate in any given researcher. During an interview process in qualitative research, the findings show that anonymity, voluntary participation, privacy, confidentiality, option to opt out and avoiding misuse of findings are ethical considerations that must be observed by the researcher. The outcome of the investigation also shows that deontology and utilitarianism, rights and virtue are the main theories that underpin ethical considerations in research. Originality/value: The rights of the research participants need to be respected in qualitative research to assist in gathering accurate information to achieve the objectives of study. This and other ethical principles such as anonymity, privacy, confidentiality, voluntary participation and option to opt out guide the researcher to systematically adhere to data collection approaches that yield valid results in qualitative data collection using interviews.

Graphical Abstract:

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of chicken manure digestates (CMD) in bioremediating soils contaminated with hydrocarbons. The experiment involved three levels of nutrient stimulation using CMD (0%, 10%, and 20%) and two levels of petroleum hydrocarbon-polluted soils (5% and 10% concentration). The nutrient and microbiological composition of the locally sourced contaminated soil was analyzed. Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations were measured at regular intervals (0, 14, 28, 56, 84, 168, and 336 days) before and after the treatment using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) following standard protocols. The study revealed that CMD exhibited significant potential as a source of hydrocarbon-utilizing microbes, with total hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria (THUB) and total hydrocarbon-utilizing fungi (THUF) reaching values of 1.6 × 104and 1.3 × 104colony-forming units per gram (cfu/g), respectively. These findings suggest that CMD can serve as an effective inoculant for bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils and related biodegradable contaminants. Comparatively, the 20% CMD treatment exhibited 52% and 35% remediation rates for the respective pollution levels, while the 10% CMD treatment showed superior TPH degradation at day 56, with removal rates of 59% and 39% for the 5% and 10% polluted soils, respectively. However, over longer cleanup durations (e.g., day 168), higher TPH removal rates of 83% and 66% were observed for the aforementioned samples. Notably, the 20% CMD stimulation demonstrated better long-term bioremediation performance, especially for high levels of hydrocarbon pollution, while the 10% CMD stimulation proved more effective for short-term remediation. Overall, this study highlights the efficacy of CMD as an organic stimulant for the removal of organic contaminants from soils, particularly in bioremediation applications.

ABSTRACTAfrican diaspora can be a potent force for development in Africa through the promotion of trade, investments, research, innovation, knowledge and technology transfers. Billions in African diaspora savings could bolster growth in Africa. For example, if one in every 10 members of the diaspora could be persuaded to invest $1000 in his or her country of origin, Africa could raise $3 billion a year for development financing. This paper delves into one of the approaches via which sustainable development can be achieved across Africa. It identifies that the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) will play a significant role in attaining this goal. In addition, recognizing that so much of Africa’s brainpower is found ‘off-shore’, NEPAD has made a start in bringing resources to bear on African Development. Nonetheless, the study observed that lack of patriotic leadership has been a major challenge towards sustainable development in Africa. The study views Diaspora’s alignment with NEPAD as the pivot for fresh partnership between Africa and the world beacons on the international community, especially the emerging economies such as China, to help bridge the development gap that has widened over the years of unequal relations; to achieve Africa’s development renaissance.

African nations are trying to diversify their economies in order to induce industrialization that will help them eradicate poverty and create employment for their young workforce. One of the continent’s key challenges continues to be the shortage of physical infrastructure. Therefore, finding ways to overcome this problem has become of large importance. China has identified this and has thus enhanced its involvement in Africa primarily via its swap formula. The formula enables the financing and development of infrastructure that African nations critically need by depending on their resource wealth. However, the mounting involvement of the formula has continued to stimulate questions on its impact regarding creating backward and forward linkages. As such, one of the significant aims of this article is to identify linkages that emerge from the Chinese swap formula that involve long-term concessionary loans from China’s Exim Bank to finance major infrastructure projects in Africa. It examines whether the swap formula is creating backward and forward linkages in Africa, and what the infrastructure leads to concerning creating novel opportunities for the continent, by theoretically answering this question: “Can China’s swap formula create backward and forward linkages?” Furthermore, the article theoretically identifies the benefits and linkages of the formula via a case study – that of Abuja-Kaduna railway. Arguably, the article discovers that the formula has multiple benefits and linkages for Africa. It is also seen by the Chinese government as a way of fulfilling its strategic goals in Africa.

Considering Chinese FDI in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the paper attempts to verify if the long-existing ‘flying geese’ paradigm (FGP) might be used to clarify the headway of Chinese migrating geese transmission of skills and job generation in SSA. Notably, since factory workers’ wages have increased in China, small but important migrating geese could, perhaps, be perceived as the vanguard of the flying geese – migrating to SSA to capitalize on those SSA nations with lower costs bases. As a result, the scientific task of this paper rests on answering three questions: Why do we have growing Chinese manufacturing activities in SSA? Are these new Chinese migrating geese bridging the unemployment gap and skills shortage? Also, since the Chinese migrating geese are moving to an environment where operations are cheaper, a third question is to specifically find out if the Chinese migrating geese are in Nigeria, and if they perceive local skills development and job creation to be a salient matter? Against this backdrop, the author argues that these Chinese migrating geese seem to contribute partly in transferring skills and job creation by standing-in as a worthwhile catalyst to upgrade the follower’s economy in the process of catching up a leader.

Cement is utilized extensively in the manufacturing of concrete, which makes it the most common material used in building construction. However, the usage of a great deal of cement results in a great deal of CO2emissions, which leads to the greenhouse effect. Numerous studies have developed the use of nano-SiO2in concrete materials to lower the cement content of concrete mixtures while improving mechanical properties. Additionally, a number of studies have demonstrated that silica NPs trigger an inflammatory response in pulmonary fibroblasts. The main cells that produce and maintain the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the connection of the tissue are fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are involved in processes including tissue regeneration and wound healing. Similar to angiogenesis, inflammation, cancer, and pathological and physiological tissue fibrosis, fibroblasts act as intermediaries. The effect of silica nanoparticles on the mechanical properties of concrete (compressive strength, split tensile strength, and flexural strength) was succinctly presented in this paper. Likewise, a number of studies on the reaction of human fibroblasts to silica nanoparticles were evaluated. Numerous research on the addition of silica nanoparticles to concrete revealed that doing so significantly enhanced the material's mechanical properties. The controlled interaction of silica nanoparticles with human fibroblast cells was demonstrated to have potential in a number of applications, including aesthetics, intracellular drug release systems, improving scar tissue, determining the fate of biomaterials in vivo, and designing potential prosthetics and implant surfaces to reduce bacterial adhesion.

In this study, we quantitatively assessed the effect of China’s zero-tariff treatment on export diversification in beneficiary countries in Africa. We assessed its overall effect and its effect on particular industries and regions. The results showed that, overall, zero-tariff treatment significantly promoted export diversification. At the level of industry, zero-tariff treatment had a significant role in promoting the diversification of exports from the manufacturing industry, but did not significantly affect agriculture or mining. At the regional level, zero-tariff treatment significantly promoted export diversification among group members belonging to four major regional economic communities in Africa, albeit to varying degrees. Furthermore, three recommendations are proposed for improving the effect of zero-tariff treatment: expanding the use of benefits across regional groupings, reducing non-tariff barriers, and supporting African countries to enhance exports and production capacity.

This study examines the long-term effect of lending rate, exchange rate, inflation, institutional regulatory quality, budget deficit and gross domestic product on financial sector stability, proxied by the behavior of bank credit from 1981 to 2018. Using fully modified ordinary least square technique in an autoregressive distributive lag framework, non-performing loan is directly sensitive to lending rate, budget deficit, inflation rate and gross domestic product growth rate, but negatively related to exchange rate (a proxy for oil price) and institutions’ regulatory quality. The study concludes that macroeconomic risks matter in the live of bank credit, and recommends reforms to promote financial health: focus on capital and securities markets for long-tenured lending, credit market competitiveness to reduce lending rate; improved liberalization of foreign exchange market; ease of doing business and economic inclusion to improve the growth rate.

Odontellais a planktonic centric diatom widely distributed in saline waters. Although some studies on marine phytoplankton in Nigeria mention the genus, there is a considerable dearth of information on its distribution in the Atlantic Ocean (Nigeria). This paper examined the density, diversity, spatial and temporal distribution ofOdontellaspecies in the Atlantic Ocean, in the Bight of Benin and Bight of Bonny (Nigeria). Phytoplankton samples were collected from 10 locations on the stretch of the Atlantic Ocean (Nigeria), in four seasons (dry-wet, wet, wet-dry and dry). Results revealed that eight species ofOdontella, namelyO. aurita, O.granulata, O. longicruris, O. mobilensis, O.obtusa, O. regia, O. rhombus andO. sinensisoccurred in the Atlantic Ocean (Nigeria). The eightOdontellaspecies showed differential distributional pattern, both spatially and temporally. Akwa Ibom location had the highestOdontellaabundance in the South-South region while Ondo was highest in the South-West region. HigherOdontellaabundance was recorded in the transition seasons (dry-wet and wet-dry seasons) than in the typically wet and dry seasons. The speciesO.regiawas dominant and widely distributed in the South-West region, whileO.auritawas dominant in the South-South region. Relatively, the density ofO.longicruriswas low throughout the Atlantic Ocean (Nigeria) and at all seasons.O.regiaandO.sinensiswere the most widely distributed species in the Atlantic Ocean (Nigeria) and occurred all through the seasons studied while O.obtusaoccurred sparingly throughout all the seasons.

A thyroid storm is a life-threatening endocrine emergency characterized by severe hyperthyroidism and many systemic manifestations. Prompt recognition and treatment are essential for patient survival. This study evaluates the utility of existing diagnostic criteria and scoring systems for thyroid storm. A comprehensive literature review encompassed articles published up to December 2023. Various diagnostic criteria and scoring systems, such as the Burch–Wartofsky Point Scale and the Japanese Thyroid Association criteria, were critically assessed based on their sensitivity, specificity, and clinical applicability. Our findings reveal that existing diagnostic criteria and scoring systems, although valuable tools, exhibit limitations. They may lack sensitivity in identifying milder cases of thyroid storm or fail to differentiate it from other critical conditions. Furthermore, some criteria rely heavily on subjective clinical Judgment, which can vary among healthcare providers. Future research should focus on refining existing criteria and developing more objective and universally applicable diagnostic tools to address these limitations. Incorporating advanced laboratory markers and modern imaging techniques may enhance diagnostic accuracy. Additionally, a standardized scoring system approach could improve clinical practice consistency. In conclusion, while current diagnostic criteria and scoring systems provide a foundation for identifying thyroid storm, their utility has shortcomings. Advancements in diagnostic methods and a collaborative effort to establish standardized criteria are imperative to enhance the accuracy and reliability of thyroid storm diagnosis, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

Background HBV and HIV infections are highly endemic in sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria while HBV–HIV coinfection is not uncommon. Antiretroviral (ART)-treatment for HIV can affect HBV whereby antiviral resistance mutations in the HBV genome can be selected. Here, we determined the prevalence of resistance mutations among ART-experienced and ART-naive HIV–HBV-coinfected patients in southwestern Nigeria.Methods A total of 81 serum samples from HBV–HIV-coinfected patients who were either ART-naive or received lamivudine (3TC)-containing ART-therapy and HBV-monoinfected patients were analysed. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was detected using ELISA. HBV-positive samples were confirmed by PCR amplification of the surface and polymerase regions. Mutations conferring drug resistance to HBV were analysed by direct sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis was performed to identify the HBV genotype.Results Of the 81 HBsAg-positive samples, 27 had detectable HBV DNA by real-time PCR with mean viral loads of 6.77 log IU/ml. Phylogenetic analyses showed a predominance of HBV genotype E. A high prevalence (22.2%; 6/27) of HBV resistance mutations among ART-experienced HBV–HIV-coinfected patients was detected. However, a relatively high selection rate of resistance mutations in drug-naive HIV–HBV-coinfected (3.7%; 1/27) and in HBV-monoinfected patients, potential drug resistance mutations (7.4%; 2/27) were also observed. HBV polymerase amino acid substitutions found included rtV173L, rtL180M, rtM204V, rtK212R, rtS213T, rtV214A, rtL229V and rtP237A/S.Conclusions Drug resistant mutations were detected frequently in ART-experienced HIV–HBV patients. Well-coordinated antiviral therapy for HIV patients coinfected with HBV should include proper HBV diagnosis and resistance testing to minimize the emergence and spread of antiviral drug resistance.

The potential ecological and human health risk of heavy metal pollution in sediment and Benthic Fauna (Chrysichthys auratusand Tympanotonus fuscatus) of Benin River, Southern Nigeria, was evaluated. Three sampling sites associated with heavy anthropogenic activities along the course of the river were sampled. Heavy metals concentrations were determined in the samples using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Model 210 VGP, Buck Scientific). In all sediment samples, only Pb exceeded the threshold/probable effect level (TEL). Very high contamination degrees (CD > 24) 181.74, 50.11, and 101.96) for stations 1, 2, and 3, respectively, were observed indicating serious anthropogenic pollution. Geoaccumulation index (igeo) showed slight pollution with Pb and Cd and severely to extremely polluted with Fe across the stations. Cd exhibited moderate individual potential risk ($$E_{\text{r}}^{i}$$ Eri ), and the other heavy metals showed low $$E_{\text{r}}^{i}$$ Eri . Potential ecological risk index (RI) showed low risk of contamination for heavy metals in sediment. Human health risk assessment for Co, Cd, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, and Ni in C. auratusand Co, Zn, Mn, Fe, and Ni in T. fuscatusindicated no obvious health risk from these heavy metals over a lifetime of exposure. However, hazard quotient (HQ) values for Pb in C. auratusand Cd, Cu, and Pb in T. fuscatusindicated significant health risk. The hazard index (HI) values for both C. auratusand T. fuscatuswere > 1 indicating significant adverse health risk of non-carcinogenic effect. Therefore, the consumption of these contaminated fish and shellfish by the people of Koko portends risks of the health of the public. The industries operating in this community should adopt more sustainable and eco-innovative management options in order to attenuate potential ecological and human health risk of metal pollution.

Logistics among competing organisations is a strategic management activity that can affect the operational, market and financial performance of an organisation. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) need to understand the role of logistics activities in achieving competitive performance and creating a high level of customer satisfaction through greater economies of scale in production and reduction in the price of goods. This study aims to determine the nature and extent of SMEs competitiveness through logistics activities. This research used a quantitative method of data collection and analysis. The data were statistically analysed using SPSS (25.0) as well as SMART-PLS (3.0) software for structural equation modelling (SEM) to assess the measurement reliability and the research structural model. The findings show that SMEs nature and extent of competitiveness based on logistics activities differs among the three measurement constructs, namely price/cost competitiveness, quality competitiveness and delivery competitiveness. This study adds value to the knowledge of the perceived benefits and importance of logistics activities among the participating SMEs.

China’s “One Belt One Road” (OBOR) Initiative forms the centerpiece of China’s leadership’s new foreign policy. The initiative aspires to put the nations of Asia, Oceania, Europe, and Africa on a new trajectory of higher growth and human development through infrastructural connectivity, augmented trade, and investment. The initiative offers tremendous opportunities for international economic cooperation, especially for African nations. This article examines China-Africa relations, centering on the possibility of expanding the OBOR initiative to cover more African nations. Africa has been the focus of China’s foreign policy since 2013. A study on the implementation of OBOR in Africa will allow for a better understanding of contemporary China-Africa relations, while hopefully providing answers to some of the questions surrounding the issue. In this article, we carefully examine the economic drivers, challenges – with suggestions on ways to navigate those challenges – and opportunities of the OBOR initiative.

More than 60 years ago, the effect whereby radiotherapy at one site may lead to regression of metastatic cancer at distant sites that are not irradiated was described and called the abscopal effect (from 'ab scopus', that is, away from the target). The abscopal effect has been connected to mechanisms involving the immune system. However, the effect is rare because at the time of treatment, established immune-tolerance mechanisms may hamper the development of sufficiently robust abscopal responses. Today, the growing consensus is that combining radiotherapy with immunotherapy provides an opportunity to boost abscopal response rates, extending the use of radiotherapy to treatment of both local and metastatic disease. In this Opinion article, we review evidence for this growing consensus and highlight emerging limitations to boosting the abscopal effect using immunotherapy. This is followed by a perspective on current and potential cross-disciplinary approaches, including the use of smart materials to address these limitations.

Telephone interpretation and recent technology advances assist patients with more timely access to rare languages, but no one has examined the role of this technology in the medical setting and how medical students can be prepared for their use. We sought to determine if structured curriculum on interpretation would promote learners self-reported competency in these encounters and if proficiency would be demonstrated in actual patient encounters.

The role of the financial regulator is significant in the development of its sector. This paper examines the impact of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the development of the Nigerian primary capital market, using Granger-vector autoregression (VAR) framework for data from 1980 to 2013. The variables considered are market capitalisation, liquidity, financial literacy and regulatory quality. The short-run findings indicate that regulatory quality Granger-causes market capitalisation. Transaction cost also predicts market capitalisation and liquidity. Financial literacy predicts capitalisation and liquidity. Market capitalisation responds negatively to regulatory quality long run impulses, implying that an 'indifferent' regulation could be catastrophic for future primary market development. However, capital issuing responds positively to regulatory quality ten period innovations. Liquidity responds positively to financial literacy's innovation. A priori significant finding is that market capitalisation and liquidity do not drive capital issuing in the long-term. For policies, the paper recommends regulators to increase campaigns to deepen the understanding of issuers through financial literacy of potential issuers, promote the registration of more rating agencies and reduce transaction costs. Regulators should apply 'soft' listing requirements to encourage more firms to seek funds from primary capital market. Government should evolve strong market economy.

The grand vision was launched in 2013 originally as the ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) initiative. OBOR involves China underwriting billions of dollars of infrastructure investment linking countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. At the centre of the plan are two physical routes: the Silk Road Economic Belt, stretching from Asia to Europe; and the twenty-first century Maritime Silk Road that begins in China and passes along the Indian Ocean littoral to East Africa and then Europe. The nature of this economic initiative seeks to create a community of shared prosperity, in which nations can share mutual benefits and coexist peacefully along the trade routes. The paper examines China–Africa relations, centring on the possibility of expanding the OBOR initiative to cover more African nations. Also, it examines the investment environment of Africa and its significant for more African slot. Africa should provide enabling business environment to grasp the OBOR’s opportunities.

AbstractThe grand vision was launched in 2013 originally as the ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) initiative. OBOR involves China underwriting billions of dollars of infrastructure investment linking countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. At the centre of the plan are two physical routes: the Silk Road Economic Belt, stretching from Asia to Europe; and the twenty-first century Maritime Silk Road that begins in China and passes along the Indian Ocean littoral to East Africa and then Europe. The nature of this economic initiative seeks to create a community of shared prosperity, in which nations can share mutual benefits and coexist peacefully along the trade routes. The paper examines China–Africa relations, centring on the possibility of expanding the OBOR initiative to cover more African nations. Also, it examines the investment environment of Africa and its significant for more African slot. Africa should provide enabling business environment to grasp the OBOR’s opportunities.

Alpha-tocopherol has been implicated in reproduction processes, and deficiency of phylloquinone has been associated with serious complications in pregnancy. This study was therefore aimed at investigating the effects of phylloquinone and alpha-tocopherol on uterine contractility and female reproductive function using mouse models.