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Abstract Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacterial pathogens is a worldwide concern that demands immediate attention. Most information on AMR originates from high-income countries and little is known about the burden in Africa, particularly Nigeria. Using four sentinel sites (General hospitals) in Lagos State, this study sought to estimate the burden of AMR. Methods This is a hospital-based surveillance using secondary health care centres. Four sites were randomly selected and included in the study. Clinical isolates were collected over a period of 6 months for each site from August 2020 to March 2021. All isolates were characterised and analysed for resistance to 15 antibiotics using the Kirby-Baur method. Multiplex PCR assay was used for the detection of Extended spectrum beta lactamase genes. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 27.0. Results Four hundred and ninety-nine (499) patients consented and participated in this study, consisting of 412 (82.6%) females and 87 (17.4%) males. The mean age ± SD of the participants was 33.9 ± 13.8 with a range of 1–89 years. The majority (90.8%) of the participants were outpatients. Two hundred and thirty-two (232) isolates were obtained from 219 samples, comprising of 120 (51.7%) Gram positive and 112 (48.3%) Gram negative organisms. Key bacterial pathogens isolated from this study included Staphylococcus aureus (22.8%), Escherichia coli (16.4%), Staphylococcus spp. (15.9%), Enterococcus spp. (7.3%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (6.5%). There was high prevalence of multi-drug resistance (79.3%) among the isolates with 73.6% of Staphylococcus aureus phenotypically resistant to methicillin and 70% possessed the MecA gene. 76.5% of Enterococcus spp. isolated were Vancomycin resistant. Overall, resistance to Cephalosporins was most frequently/commonly observed (Cefotaxime 87.5%). Conclusion A high incidence of AMR was identified in clinical bacteria isolates from selected general hospitals in Lagos State, highlighting the necessity for the implementation of national action plans to limit the prevalence of AMR. Surveillance via collection of isolates has a lot of promise, especially in resource-limited environments.

Cayenne pepper commodity farming has good and promising prospects because it can increase farmers' income. The production of a commodity is influenced by whether or not it is efficient in the allocation of input use and whether there is technical inefficiency problems related to the managerial capabilities of farmers. This study aims to analyze the effect of the use of production factors on maximum production, the level of technical efficiency, and the factors that cause technical inefficiency in cayenne pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) farming in Permata Intan District, Murung Raya Regency. The results of the analysis showed that the production factor of land area, NPK fertilizer, and the use of plastic mulch had a significant effect on the level of = 0.01 while labor had a significant effect on the level of = 0.05 while the production factor of the number of seeds and pesticides had no significant effect on business production. Cayenne pepper farming is technically inefficient as seen from the average technical efficiency value achieved by respondent farmers of 0.398. The age factor did not significantly affect technical inefficiency, on the other hand, the formal education factor and the activeness of farmers in participating in the counseling had a significant effect on the technical inefficiency of cayenne pepper farming in Permata Intan District, Murung Raya Regency.

Abstract Background One of the objectives of the Global Action Plan by the World Health Organization (WHO) to contain antimicrobial resistance (AMR), is to improve global awareness through effective communication and education. Comprehensive information on the level of awareness of AMR among Nigerian public is deficient. This study was therefore designed to assess the current level of awareness and knowledge of the Nigerian public of AMR. Methods Pre-tested and validated questionnaire was used to obtain information from the general public across the six geopolitical zones (North Central, North East, North West, South East, South South and South West) in Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling was used to select one state from each zone and respondents were selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. Responses to eight questions were used to grade the level of knowledge categorized as poor, fair and good. Collation and analysis of data were performed at the Microbiology Department of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Lagos, Nigeria, using SPSS version 24.0. Results Questionnaires from 482 respondents comprising 242 (50.2%) females and 240 (49.8%) males from six states (Lagos, Ebonyi, Delta, Plateau, Borno and Jigawa) were analyzed. Of the 482 respondents, 322 (66.8%) had taken antibiotics in the last six months out of which 31.3% were without prescription. 26.1% of respondents believe they don’t need to complete the dosage as long as they feel better. Although 272(56.5%) of the respondents were familiar with the term “antibiotic resistance”, only 40(8.3%) had good knowledge of AMR. A majority (76.6%) believed that they were powerless to stop the spread of AMR. There was no association between the gender of respondents and knowledge of AMR (p = 0.13). However, respondents from Ebonyi and Delta states in southern Nigeria were more likely to have good knowledge of AMR (X2 = 53.22, P

BACKGROUND: The domestic dengue vector Aedes aegypti mosquitoes breed in indoor containers. However, in northern peninsular Malaysia, they show equal preference for breeding in both indoor and outdoor habitats. To evaluate the epidemiological implications of this peridomestic adaptation, we examined whether Ae. aegypti exhibits decreased survival, gonotrophic activity, and fecundity due to lack of host availability and the changing breeding behavior. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: This yearlong field surveillance identified Ae. aegypti breeding in outdoor containers on an enormous scale. Through a sequence of experiments incorporating outdoors and indoors adapting as well as adapted populations, we observed that indoors provided better environment for the survival of Ae. aegypti and the observed death patterns could be explained on the basis of a difference in body size. The duration of gonotrophic period was much shorter in large-bodied females. Fecundity tended to be greater in indoor acclimated females. We also found increased tendency to multiple feeding in outdoors adapted females, which were smaller in size compared to their outdoors breeding counterparts. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The data presented here suggest that acclimatization of Ae. aegypti to the outdoor environment may not decrease its lifespan or gonotrophic activity but rather increase breeding opportunities (increased number of discarded containers outdoors), the rate of larval development, but small body sizes at emergence. Size is likely to be correlated with disease transmission. In general, small size in Aedes females will favor increased blood-feeding frequency resulting in higher population sizes and disease occurrence.

BACKGROUND: The mosquito Ae. albopictus is usually adapted to the peri-domestic environment and typically breeds outdoors. However, we observed its larvae in most containers within homes in northern peninsular Malaysia. To anticipate the epidemiological implications of this indoor-breeding, we assessed some fitness traits affecting vectorial capacity during colonization process. Specifically, we examined whether Ae. albopictus exhibits increased survival, gonotrophic activity and fecundity due to the potential increase in blood feeding opportunities. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a series of experiments involving outdoors and indoors breeding populations, we found that Ae. albopictus lives longer in the indoor environment. We also observed increased nighttime biting activity and lifetime fecundity in indoor/domestic adapted females, although they were similar to recently colonized females in body size. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Taken together these data suggest that accommodation of Ae. albopictus to indoor/domestic environment may increase its lifespan, blood feeding success, nuisance and thus vectorial capacity (both in terms of increased vector-host contacts and vector population density). These changes in the breeding behavior of Ae. albopictus, a potential vector of several human pathogens including dengue viruses, require special attention.

The purpose of this study is to extract cellulose from corn silk (CS) fiber and use it as a reinforcing filler in unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) matrix. In this study, the cellulose is characterized using a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR), and the resulting UPR/cellulose biocomposite's mechanical properties (such as flexural and impact testing) are assessed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided strong support for mechanical rather than a chemical bond between fiber and UPR. Additionally, the sodium hydroxide treated CS in UPR biocomposite and comparing it with neat UPR. The agricultural byproduct rich in cellulose corn silk is a natural polymer known for its structural strength and UPR has garnered attention as a biopolymer with notable flexibility, making it an appealing choice for plastic product manufacturing. However, the drawback of UPR lies in its inherent deficiency in both stiffness and strength. According to the FTIR data, extracted cellulose (CS) had fewer ketone (C = O) and hydroxyl (-OH) groups than virgin cellulose. It was shown that throughout the extraction process, hemicellulose and lignin were more eliminated, producing a more pure form of cellulose. When filled in UPR, cellulose and treated CS both caused the impact strength of UPR biocomposites to drop. For both treated CS and cellulose, it was shown that the flexural modulus and flexural strength increased as the filler amount increased to a definite percentage (12%) after which it decreased. The result revealed the tensile strength and tensile modulus achieved by 0% of fiber with 48 N/mm2 and 51 N/mm2 and highest at 12% of fiber with 54.3 N/mm2 and 68.8 N/mm2 for CS + UPR. And 53.4 N/mm2 and 69.6 N/mm2 for cellulose + UPR composite,, respectively. In comparison, the flexural characteristics of UPR/cellulose were marginally inferior to those of UPR/treated CS. However, the impact resistance showed a significant improvement, particularly with a cellulose loading of 12%. Hence, cellulose presents a greater potential for composite manufacturing due to its ability to maintain the ductile properties of UPR compared to treated CS. Moreover, processed CS and cellulose both can be used as reinforcing agents in polymers to increase their strength and stiffness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identifies how climate change-induced events affect the livelihoods of haor fishers and what coping strategies are adopted by the fishing community to tackle the ongoing climate change. A number of qualitative tools such as interviews, focus group discussions and oral history were employed to collect empirical data. The vulnerabilities related to climate change included fluctuation of temperature and rainfall, frequent occurrences of natural calamities, and outbreaks of damning diseases. Fishers were found to survive initially on income through illegal fishing while enjoying relief from the government by taking an immediate loan from NGOs for any calamity. In the case of long-term strategies, improvement of physical capital, harvesting rainwater, and tree plantation around houses are found as common strategies. A number of suggestions were elicited from fishers' perceptions to confront the vulnerabilities of environmental changes effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]