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Introduction By providing timely actionable results for prompt management, point-of-care testing (POCT) kits have revolutionised medical care for various diseases, ranging from infectious diseases like malaria to genetic disorders, such as sickle cell disease (SCD). They are, however, underutilised in the diagnosis of SCD in developing countries, where the need is greatest. Objective The study was aimed at assessing the sensitivity of HemoTypeSC POCT among a cohort of children with SCD, previously diagnosed by Alkaline cellulose acetate hemoglobin electrophoresis (ACAE), with or without high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Methods In this descriptive cross-sectional study, HemoTypeSC test was conducted on all participants and its sensitivity was determined by comparing results with those obtained using ACAE. Discordance was verified with HPLC. Results One hundred and forty-five children aged one to 19 years were studied. There were 84 males and 61 females (male: female ratio = 1.4: 1). The HemoTypeSC was able to correctly diagnose sickle cell anemia (SCA) and hemoglobin SC in all (100%) of the children tested. Conclusion The HemoTypeSC shows high sensitivity in detecting SCA and hemoglobin SC. Hence, it is useful for targeted screening of individuals suspected of having SCD, leading to rapid diagnosis of these hemoglobinopathies, even in resource-constrained settings.

South Africa power system has undergone several power reforms from the pre-apartheid to post-apartheid era under various administrations in a bid to meet the increasing energy demand of its populace. Her enormous available renewable energy sources give hope for a revolutionized power sector with minimal environmental pollution. This research will therefore review the energy transition phases of South Africa power sector from the pre-apartheid to post-apartheid era, highlighting the various strides made by South African government towards the realization of a dominant renewable energy sourced grid. Furthermore, performance evaluation of the renewable energy driven programmes and its impact in promoting renewable energy sourced grid will be carried out based on five key performance metrics which are energy accessibility, energy diversification and enhancement, energy governance, environmental impact, and economic impact. In addition, the prevailing challenges of the South Africa energy system is highlighted, while a proposed model towards achieving a dominant renewable energy sourced grid is put forward.

Purpose: Cloud Computing is one of the upcoming technologies which has gotten the attention of many researchers and investor. But cloud computing still faces challenges because it is not economical and impractical for research institutions and industries to set up a physical cloud for research and experiments on it (cloud computing). Due to this, the researchers have chosen to test their contributions with simulators. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to perform a survey on existing cloud simulators. Methods: These cloud simulators aid in modeling cloud application through the creation of virtual machine, data Centre, and other things which can be easily added and configured to it in order to provide stress free analysis. Result: Till this present time, many cloud simulators with various features have been proposed and available for use. Novelty: In this paper, a comprehensive study has been performed on major cloud simulators by highlighting their features, strengths, and weakness through analysis. After which comparative analysis was done on the simulation, from the study, none of the simulators have the feature to simulate mobile cloud computing issues. This study has not been published anywhere else.

The FDA approved capmatinib and tepotinib on May 6, 2020, and February 3, 2021, respectively. Capmatinib is indicated for patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) whose tumors have a mutation leading to mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET) exon 14 skipping as detected by an FDA-approved test. Tepotinib is indicated for mNSCLC harboring MET exon 14 skipping alterations. The approvals were based on trials GEOMETRY mono-1 (capmatinib) and VISION (tepotinib). In GEOMETRY mono-1, overall response rate (ORR) per Blinded Independent Review Committee (BIRC) was 68% [95% confidence interval (CI), 48–84] with median duration of response (DoR) 12.6 months (95% CI, 5.5–25.3) in 28 treatment-naïve patients and 41% (95% CI: 29, 53) with median DoR 9.7 months (95% CI, 5.5–13) in 69 previously treated patients with NSCLC with mutations leading to MET exon 14 skipping. In VISION, ORR per BIRC was 43% (95% CI: 32, 56) with median DoR 10.8 months (95% CI, 6.9–not estimable) in 69 treatment-naïve patients and 43% (95% CI, 33–55) with median DoR 11.1 months (95% CI, 9.5–18.5) in 83 previously-treated patients with NSCLC harboring MET exon 14 alterations. These are the first two therapies to be FDA approved specifically for patients with metastatic NSCLC with MET exon 14 skipping.

PURPOSE This study investigated knowledge and screening practices for cervical cancer among two urban poor community settings in Ibadan, Nigeria. METHODS A cross-sectional design was used. ODK tool was used to collect quantitative data among a sample size of 500 respondents. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21 for descriptive and inferential statistics. Scores for knowledge were on a scale of 0-39 points (0-18 low, 19-23 fair, and 24-39 high knowledge). RESULTS A majority of respondents (77.2%) had low knowledge of cervical cancer and were not aware (93.6%) of the Papanicolaou test (Pap smear test) or cervical cancer screening (91.2%). Very few women (10%) were aware of the human papillomavirus vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer, 4% had been screened with the Papanicolaou test, and one woman (0.3%) with visual inspection with acetic acid. Four (1.1%) women had taken human papillomavirus vaccine before. CONCLUSION The findings of this study have underscored a necessity for increased awareness creation through health promotion interventions and strategies to alleviate low knowledge, prevention, and screening practices for cervical cancer in poor community settings in Nigeria.

In recent times, the need for energy consumption is drastically increasing to fulfill the global requirements of commercial and domestic consumer demands. Energy generation using conventional methods such as oil and gas are not appreciated in the modern era since they are the major contributors for pollution and global warming. To tackle these issues, energy generation using hybrid renewable energy is being opted and studied universally. However, renewable energy sources have their fair share of drawbacks such as photovoltaic systems rely on the surrounding irradiance and temperature, wind system experiences irregular wind speed, and fuel cells are expensive and less efficient. Also, the energy extracted from renewable sources persist with stochastic behavior. To deal with these issues, researchers utilize different power electronic devices such as inverters, active power filters, voltage regulators, power quality conditioners, and DC-DC converters. Among these power electronic devices DC-DC converters are highly effective for DC voltage regulation and to improve the efficiency of renewable energy systems. Appropriate selection of the DC-DC converter is an important factor that has significant contribution in overall performance of the power systems. Besides, the selection of an efficient DC-DC converter topology, for its optimum operation integration of a suitable control technique is equally important. This paper highlights the characteristics of available and on-going trends of non-isolated converters that includes buck-boost, single ended primary inductor converter, cuk, z-source, zeta, and hybrid DC-DC converters based on the performance parameters that are analyzed using MATLAB Simulink. Control techniques that include proportional integral derivative (PID), slide mode control (SMC), model predictive control (MPC), state space modeling (SSM), and fuzzy logic control (FLC) are also discussed considering the parameters settling issue, response time and complexity while integrating with non-isolated DC-DC converters in power systems.

Background: Pregnancy can be associated with anxiety symptoms because of anticipated uncertainty. Aim: This study investigated pregnancy-related anxiety symptoms (PRASs) and their associated factors amongst pregnant women. Setting: Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Methods: This cross-sectional survey involved 230 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at a tertiary teaching hospital in Nigeria. Pregnancy- related anxiety symptoms, maternal worries, personality traits and social support were measured by using Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale (PASS), Cambridge Worry Scale (CWS), Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI10) and Maternal Social Support Scale (MSSS) respectively. Socio-demographic and obstetric details were also obtained. The Chi-square, t-test and logistic regression were used. Results: Respondents’ mean age was 28.2 ± 5.4 years, whilst 192 (83.5%) were of Yoruba ethnicity. Twenty-four respondents (10.4%) were in the first trimester, 85 (37.0%) in the second and 121 (52.6%) in the third trimester. Some 154 (67.0%) were parous. The prevalence of PRAS and major maternal worries were 43.5% and 55.7% respectively. The socio-demographic factors significantly associated with PRAS were age (p = 0.004), ethnicity (p = 0.001), educational level (p = 0.011) and living arrangement (p = 0.029). Associated obstetric factors include trimester (p = 0.01), hypertension (p = 0.006), past miscarriage(s) (p = 0.013) and past pregnancy complication (p = 0.030). Significant psychosocial factors were partner social support (p = 0.038), maternal worries (p < 0.001) and extraversion (p = 0.016). Factors that contributed significantly to regression models were older maternal age and socio-medical worries. Conclusion: High level of PRAS and major maternal worries were common amongst antenatal clinic attendees of a tertiary teaching hospital in Nigeria. Older maternal age and socio-medical maternal worries are important predictors of PRAS.&nbsp

Teaching and learning methodologies in modern times are gradually changing and is no longer an art of transferring knowledge. It has become an enterprise to develop critical thinking, create positive interaction and collaboration among learners. In order to build good and successful computer programmers, the Collaborative teaching and learning method remains the best method of delivery. The population for this study consists of NCE I, II and III students from the Department of Computer Science Education of Aminu Saleh College of Education Azare, Bauchi State and 10 lecturers from the same department and school. A sample of 80 students and 10 lecturers was used for this study. A well-structured questionnaire titled “Effects of Collaborative Teaching and Learning on programming” was used to collect data for the study. The questionnaire items were validated by experts in the field of statistics and it was also tested and retested for reliability. Data collected were analyzed using mean to answer the research questions. The study revealed that there are great benefits in using the collaborative methods in teaching and learning programming. Such benefits include improvement of students’ academic performance, creation of positive interaction among students, and development of critical thinking abilities among others. The study also found that there are challenges associated with collaborative learning such as the formation of groups, the challenge of monitoring the group activities at once considering the limited time for the class, etc. The study recommends the integration of collaborative learning by computer educators so as to assist students in mastering programming. It also recommends that computer educators be proactive in grouping students so as to avoid imbalance. This will encourage more enthusiastic and active involvement by the students.

This paper describes acute areas in which technology plays a role in language and culture revitalization. It was discovered that in order for people to learn a new language, they must express interest in that language. This work presents a new way of arousing the interest of people in learning Yorùbá language through the use of mobile game thereby promoting and revitalizing Yorùbá language and culture. The mobile application was evaluated using questionnaire to selected participants who have the mobile game developed installed on their phones and explored the application, and then rated based on some criteria such as extensibility, ease of use and user interest in learning Yorùbá Language after playing the game. The results showed that 76% of respondents rated the game ease of use as above average, 70% and 90% of the respondents rated the extensibility of the game and interest in learning Yorùbá after playing game above average respectively. This technology-based application will serve as an interesting and fun-filled approach of getting people to express interest in learning native indigenous language individually and as a group.

It is a daunting task to ascertain the level of deterioration in structural concrete and embedded reinforcing steel after fire damage. Thus, this study focuses on modelling the temperature of fire-damaged reinforced concrete buildings based on nondestructive and Gene algorithm techniques. The study employed nondestructive data (rebound hammer number (RH) and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV)) from laboratory simulation tests on concrete elements and field forensic investigation of fire-damaged buildings to develop mathematical models. Other data used for the model was the thickness of the member. The input parameters for the model were: RH, UPV, and breadth of the member, while the temperature was the output data. The study proposed a model based on genetic expression programming (GEP), with a correlation coefficient of 0.9895. The developed model generalised the data correctly with a high degree of accuracy; it would be a useful tool for the field assessment of fire-damaged reinforced concrete buildings.

Finding an effective framework for the consumption of municipal and construction/demolition wastes has been the main research consideration for decades. For different categories of wastes, there is a need for the development of working systems for cleaner utilization of the materials. This study is focused on the review of composite development using paper waste and pulverized ceramics. The issues discussed comprises; excessive waste production, the building sector’s ecological effects, paper waste availability, and proposed solutions to realizing a sustainable built environment. The study also discussed standard mortar and the various types that exist, lightweight mortar, its nature, intricacies of its production process, and the prior use of waste materials for its manufacture. Paper waste, although not having enough strength as conventional aggregate, but with its filling effect, could fit lightweight mortar production along with other similar aggregates. The study gave an overview of the methodological deficiency found and proposed viable approaches to combat these gaps and further advance sustainable and eco-friendly construction.

There is increasing preference for limb salvage techniques in the management of pediatric musculo- skeletal tumors. This study was aimed at evaluating femoral growth following proximal tibia resection (PTR) and placement of an extendible endoprosthesis with sliding stem. This was a retrospective study. The demographic and clinical data were collected. All the patients with malignant tumors were fully staged and commenced on appropriate chemotherapy. An expected discrepancy of > 3cm was considered sub- stantial enough to warrant extendible prosthesis. Twelve patients who had follow up full length scanogram of the lower limbs were included for the evaluation of femoral growth. The last available scanograms were used for growth comparison of the femur. The age at resection for all twelve patients ranged from 4-13 years. The commonest histological diagnosis was Osteosarcoma. In the twelve patients assessed for the growth of femur, the mean femoral length was 96% [89%-102%] of the unaffected femur. Distal femoral physeal growth continued after im- plantation of a sliding extendible prosthesis after resection of proximal tibia tumors.

The study examined the factors affecting knowledge management and assessed the effect of its factors on the development of Universities in Ondo State, Nigeria. Sample consists of 359 respondents selected from three of the four universities in the study area using stratified random sampling. The study was conducted Ondo State. The study used both descriptive and regression analysis to arrive at its outcomes. Descriptive analysis revealed that job security (4.67), allocation of sufficient financial resources (4.51), senior management support and commitment (4.47), technological infrastructure (4.42), employee involvement (4.34), employee motivation (4.32) and friendly organizational culture (4.28) are the factors affecting knowledge management of the universities. In addition, regression analysis revealed that the factors examined in the study have positive link with the development of Universities in the study area. The study recommends that University management should ensure that staff are guaranteed of the safety of their jobs as this will encourage them to feel comfortable in sharing their knowledge for the prospects of the university. Also, university management should ensure that staff have a safe, comfortable and friendly working environment and introduce means for motivating them such as giving incentives and additional payments for overtime.

Female agricultural workers play an important role in feeding the world; hence, there is a need to encourage females in agricultural enterprises of developing countries. This study specifically ide...

Change management is fast becoming a key strategy for driving business expansion, especially in the financial sector; hence, its importance for banks in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. This study examines the effect of change management on employees' satisfaction in Nigerian banking sector. The study recognized and employed two components of change management as used by various scholars and these two components are; change implementation and change communication.The study employed survey research design, by administering structured questionnaire on members of staff of some selected banks.Three hypotheses were formulated and the ordinary least square was employed in estimating the regression models with the aid of SPSS version 23. The findings revealed that change implementation and change communication both have positive and significant effect on employees' satisfaction in the banks. The combine effect of change management elements (change implementation and change communication) equally revealed a positive and significant effect on employees' satisfaction. The study further revealed that change management elements have a combined adjusted coefficient of 2 determination (adjusted R ) of 0.476, which suggest that 47.6% variation in employees' satisfaction is accounted for by the combined change management elements. The empirical findings of this study provide evidence that change management plays an important role in bank's employees' satisfaction in Nigeria. Therefore, it can be concluded that change management elements (change implementation and change communication) both have individual and combined positive and significant effect on employees' satisfaction in the selected banks.

PurposeThe growing adoption of sustainable finance for inclusive agribusiness requires a cross-country comparison. In this paper, a comparative discourse of sustainable finance (SF) options for agribusiness transformation in Nigeria and Brunei is attempted; as well as examining the implications on entrepreneurship and enterprise development in both countries.Design/methodology/approachA mixed research method was adopted for this cross-country comparative analysis. To gain deeper insight into agribusiness and SF, the authors sourced the required data from scholarly articles, texts, World Bank data (2000–2016), national policy documents, working papers, national development plan reports, and other online resources on agribusiness and SF. The authors adopted mixed data (non-numeric and numeric data) because they allow for combining content analysis and secondary data in quantitative analysis (Williams and Shepherd, 2017). This mixed method approach follows a three-stage, namely: Data sourcing, Data development and conversion and Data analysis.FindingsThis discourse based on the mixed data produced four findings. Firstly, it was found that both countries have different statuses in the agribusiness sector, but Brunei had better growth performance in the crop, food, livestock, cereal production indices compared to Nigeria. Secondly, the challenges facing agribusiness in both countries include inadequate funding, misuse/mismanagement of land resources, deployment of extractive farming practices, application of ozone-depleting chemicals and pesticides among others have harmed the vegetation, the farmland, and the chemistry of the ocean resulting in low productivity. Thirdly, the SF options that are suitable for agribusiness transformation are green loans, green bonds, green credit, green investment funds, green mortgage scheme and other green financial support instruments given mostly as grants, subsidies and tax reliefs. The key guidelines for entrepreneurs seeking SF options for agribusiness are Principles 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 of the EPs.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of the study is that the analysis and interpretation of the findings are based on descriptive statistics. However, future research should consider using rigorous econometric tests such as the Co-Integration Test, Test of Causality and Inferential Statistics that would enhance stronger generalisation and prediction.Practical implicationsThe practical implication is that agribusiness transformation through sustainable finance options (SFOs) would bring about a structural change from the current subsistence agricultural practices to large-scale agriculture practices characterised by the deployment of agricultural information systems (AGRIS), precision agriculture and agricultural technologies. Flowing from the first implication, the nexus between agribusiness and SFOs will systematically improve agricultural productivity in the areas of crop production, fishing, livestock and forestry in both countries. Thirdly, an improved agribusiness would boost food production and availability thereby mitigating the rising trends in food insecurity, food inflation, food poverty, and ultimately will help actualize SDG 1(No poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), and SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing).Originality/valueThe authors contribute to the literature on SF and agribusiness in emerging economies by identifying an inclusive strategy that matters for agribusiness transformation in high-income and low-income economies.

Objectives: The study aimed to examine health workers’ perceptions of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine in Nigeria and their willingness to receive the vaccine when it becomes available.Methods: This multi-center cross-sectional study used non-probability convenience sampling to enroll 1,470 hospital workers aged 18 and above from 4 specialized hospitals. A structured and validated self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data entry and analysis were conducted using IBM SPSS ver. 22.0.Results: The mean age of respondents was 40±6 years. Only 53.5% of the health workers had positive perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine, and only slightly more than half (55.5%) were willing to receive vaccination. Predictors of willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine included having a positive perception of the vaccine (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 4.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.50−5.69), perceiving a risk of contracting COVID-19 (AOR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.25–3.98), having received tertiary education (AOR, 3.50; 95% CI, 1.40−6.86), and being a clinical health worker (AOR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.01−1.68).Conclusion: Perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine and willingness to receive the vaccine were sub-optimal among this group. Educational interventions to improve health workers' perceptions and attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine are needed.

The study examined forensic accounting as an instrument of detection and prevention of fraud in Nigeria. It specifically examined the influence of forensic accounting on detection and prevention of fraud in Ministries, Departments and Agencies in Nigeria. The study is predicated on policeman theory, white collar theory, fraud diamond theory. Primary sources of data were employed which covered the period of ten (10) years spanning from 2010 to 2020. A cross sectional Survey design was adopted. A Questionnaire was used in data collection from the staff of Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System and Office of the Account General of Federation. Seventy-five (75) questionnaires were used as the sample size. The study adopts descriptive statistics while regression analysis was used to test the stated hypotheses. The result of the findings showed that forensic accounting has positive and significant influence on fraud prevention, but foreign account has no total control on fraud detection. It was also revealed that forensic litigation has no significant positive influence on recovery of funds lost to fraud. The study recommends that forensic accounting systems should be allowed as a procedure for internal control systems so as to prevent or reduce the level of income leakages, mismanagement of funds and budget padding.

It is important to assess firms’ financial health in the harsh construction market of developing countries. This study seeks to achieve this by assessing locally owned construction firms’ (LOCOFs) financial performance through evaluating firms’ bill of quantities (BOQ) contract sums and bid unit rates of common building items. Accessible 60 BOQ of the 79 BOQ of building projects awarded to various LOCOFs from 2007 to 2015 by federal universities and federal universities teaching hospitals in Southwest Nigeria were obtained from the institutional archives. Regression analysis of the contract sums and bid unit rates of common building construction items of works such as concrete, sandcrete block, iron, mortar and floor tiles were carried out. LOCOFs’ bid unit rates were compared with published unit rates and Nigeria consumer price index (CPI) within the study period and inferences bothering on firms’ pricing pattern and financial viability of firms based on items of work unit rates were highlighted and discussed. The results showed that 119 out of a total 461 unit rates values representing 25.81% of the LOCOFs bided unit rates were higher than the published unit rates. LOCOFs unit rates trend decreased within 3 to 4 consecutive years while the Nigeria CPI trend increased all through the years considered in the study. This implies that LOCOFs common items of work bids unit rates were not always influenced by the prevailing prices of goods and services in Nigeria. A possible reason for this is the lowest tender selection criteria which influences LOCOFs’ bided unit rates thereby leading to the acclaimed compromise in the quality of construction output and stunted financial performance.

E-commerce theft involves using lost/stolen debit/credit cards, forging checks, misleading accounting practices, etc. Due to carelessness of cardholders and criminality activities of fraudsters, the personal identification number (PIN) and using account level based fraud detection techniques methods are inadequate to cub the activities of fraudsters. In recent times, researchers have made efforts of improving cyber-security by employing biometrics traits based security system for authentication. This paper proposed a multi-level fraud detection system in automated teller machine (ATM) operations. The system included PIN level, account-level and biometric level. Acquired RealScan-F scanner was used to capture liveness fingers. Transactional data were generated for each individual fingerprint with unique PIN. The results of the simulation showed that (i) the classification at account level only yielded averages 84.3% precision, 94.5% accuracy and 5.25% false alarm rate; (ii) matching at biometric level using liveness fingerprints samples yielded 0% APCER , 0% NPCER and 100% accuracy better than using fingerprints samples that produced 4.25% APCER , 2.33% NPCER and 93.42% accuracy; (iii) combining the three levels with the condition that all the levels must be positive produced 87.5% precision,84.9% accuracy and 2.65% false alarm rate; (iv) while the classification using voting technique yielded 99.15% precision, 97.35% accuracy and 0.47% false alarm.

Second cancer is a new cancer that occurs in someone who had history of cancer. The incidence of cancer is on the increase in the global scene and especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. This phenomenon constitutes huge health problems especially with comorbidity effects with other health conditions which have made the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients a complex issue. Hence, this study determined the comorbidity effect on second cancer based on a retrospective study of 474 patients attending University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH). These patients were first treated of cancer, and after one year developed another cancer or cancer free. The results revealed that the incidence of second cancer was approximately 39.5% and 41.4% of the patients with one or more other disease(s) had second cancer. Adjusted and unadjusted odds ratio from logistic regression showed that patients with history of smoking were 3.58 times more likely to develop second cancer when no adjustment was made to the model while the risk increased after adjustment. Furthermore, cormobid patients are 1.56 times more likely to develop second cancer than cancer patients without other diseases. Based on the area under the receiver characteristics curve, logistic regression model effectively distinguished between the two groups of cancer patients. Comorbidity and smoking were identified as significant factors on the incidence of second cancer among cancer patients attending UATH. Therefore, emphasis should be given to formulating policies on controlling tobacco smoking and to create health awareness on the effect of clinical factors on second cancer within the study area. Keywords: Comorbidity, Cancer, Statistical modelling, Sensitivity, Specificity, Odd Ratio

Rice productivity and sustainability are threatened by both biotic and abiotic stresses, the effects of which can be further aggravated by dramatic changes in global climate. The most viable option for rice farmers is to use climate change adaptation practices. This study therefore investigated the determinants of use of climate change adaptation practices among rice farmers in Kebbi State, North-West, Nigeria. Data were collected from a sample of 279 farmers selected using a multistage sampling procedure. The results of the data analysis revealed that the farmers used improved rice varieties, intercropping, recommended rates of fertilizers and other chemicals as climate change adaptation practices among others. Education, climate change awareness, and extension contact significantly influenced the use of climate change adaptation practices among the farmers. Other determinants of use of climate change adaptation practices among the farmers were years of cooperative membership, affordability, farming experience, weather information and farm size. It was concluded that use of climate change adaptation practices was determined by socioeconomic, institutional and technological characteristics. It is recommended among others that government policy should be geared towards encouraging the farmers especially the younger ones to acquire more formal education, larger farmlands and more climate change awareness.

Background: There is a paucity of studies that have investigated the improvement of asthma following bariatric surgery. Moreover, such studies have reported equivocal findings. Therefore, this stud...

The legacy of >50 years of human space faring has brought impressive technical and scientific achievements; however, it has also led to the growing population of space debris. These objects serve n...

Background: Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a product of triglyceride and fasting plasma glucose, is a novel tool that can identify people with metabolic syndrome (MS). It is unknown if TyG index can identify MS among Nigerians. Methods: Cross-sectional health screening conducted between August and December 2018, among staff and students of Ekiti State University/Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, Ado-Ekiti. The analysis included 473 participants, aged ≥18 years. Anthropometric indices and blood pressure were measured by standard protocol. Fasting lipid profile and blood glucose were determined. TyG index and product of TyG and anthropometric indices were calculated, and MS defined according to the harmonized criteria. The diagnostic ability of TyG index and related parameters to identify people with MS was determined with the area under curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curves. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to generate odd ratios (ORs) for prediction of MS. Results: The mean age of the participants was 39.2 (11.4) years and there were 173 (36.6%) men. In all participants, TyG-waist to height ratio (TyG-WHtR) shows the largest AUC for MS detection (0.863, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.828–0.892) followed by TyG-waist circumference (TyG-WC) (0.858, 95% CI: 0.823–0.888), TyG-body mass index (TyG-BMI) (0.838, 95% CI: 0.802–0.870), TyG index (0.796, 95% CI: 0.757–0.831), WHtR (0.791, 95% CI: 0.752–0.827), and TyG-waist-to-hip ratio (TyG-WHpR) (0.771, 95% CI: 0.730–0.808) in that order. Gender analysis revealed that TyG-WC and TyG-WHtR have largest AUC in both genders. Before and after adjustment, TyG-WHtR (OR: 6.86, 95% CI: 3.94–11.93) and TyG index (OR: 5.91, 95% CI: 3.01–11.59) presented the highest OR in all participants, respectively. Conclusions: TyG index is effective in identifying MS in this cross-sectional study, and the product of TyG index and anthropometric indices improved identification and prediction of MS.

Indisputably, healthy plants have been used as edibles and medicaments for decades. This particular is related to their nutritional value and also healing potential towards fight against human pathogen and treat insignificant to severe and acute ailments. In this current time, the corona virus disease which has recently led to the global pandemic have proven to have absolutely no definite solution or treatment policy a midst the agglutinative treatments and vaccines presently available with as-yet-not-known side effects. Although, this disease is known as a viral infection, signs or symptoms connected to this particular infection are 100% inflammatory. The research in this particular paper intends to create awareness to justify SARS-CoV-2 as an inflammatory disease with possible-potential plant-based drugs also known as alternative medicine towards relieve and cure for patients suffering extremely from its effects. Classic good examples of herbs used as remedy to inflammation can be a promising lead to the cure and vaccine formulation for SARS-CoV-2 regardless of the strains or mutation. These are Glycyrrhiza glabra, Salix alba, and also Zingiber officinale L. In this regard, plant species having anti-inflammatory activity are introduced as well as some of their chemical constituents involved in this metabolic activity.

A qualitative scenario analysis of demand-driven curriculum on agricultural extension in Nigeria was performed among farmers, extension agents, input dealers, NGOs, alumni and potential students, ministry of agriculture, agricultural cooperatives, and lecturers from Universities and Colleges of Agriculture. The model of scenario analysis applied involved scenario scope, key drivers, outcomes, scenario construction, and expert consultation. The findings highlight that the key drivers and outcomes are high and low pool of school leavers for enrolment in the SAFE program, Demand Driven Curriculum (SDDC), Supervised Enterprise Project (SEP), Enterprise Centre (EC) and any forms of combination as elements of components of the SAFE program that universities are willing to adopt into the training curriculum; mid-career trainees alone, high school graduates alone, high school graduates and mid-career trainees the same class, the same curriculum different classes and high school graduates and mid-career trainees in different classes as forms of adaptation of the SAFE program and blended learning, distance learning, online platform, face to face, block teaching, weekend courses, summer programs as modes of delivery. The paper concludes the training should be packaged for the benefits of actors along the agricultural extension value-chain by establishing different forms of changes and scenarios. Key words: training, learning, scenario-analysis, curriculum, agriculture.

This paper reviewed the secure characteristics of mobile devices that can use wireless networks almost anywhere and anytime by using one or more wireless network technologies. These technologies enable the use of infrastructur ed networks and ad-hoc networks. Further it describes the characteristics o f wireless ad -hoc networks and the environment for the different possible gateway implementation. The gateway implementation provides a secure generic solution for accessing the infrastructured network from the ad- hoc network, and it provides multiple security levels that enable different security levels for different networking environments. It describes the environment in which the gateway is used, introduces potential gateway solutions, and chooses the most appropriate gateway solution and provides the gateway specification for the wireless ad hoc network. The minimum, essential and additional functional requirements are chosen for effective functionality of gateway. At the end, optional functional requirements are not implemented, but they are described with their features that may be implemented in the future.

BackgroundIn Senegal, sub-Saharan Africa, many women continue to die from pregnancy and childbirth complications. Even though health facility delivery is a key intervention to reducing maternal death, utilization is low. There is a dearth of evidence on determinants of health facility delivery in Senegal. Therefore, this study investigated the predictors of health facility-based delivery utilization in Senegal.MethodsData from the 2017 Senegal Continuous Survey were extracted for this study, and approximately 11,487 ever-married women aged 15–49 years participated. Chi-square test was used to select significant variables and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify statistically significant predictors at a 95% confidence interval with a 0.05p-value using Stata version 14 software.ResultsFacility-based delivery utilization was 77.7% and the main predictors were maternal educational status (primary school Adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] = 1.44, 95% CI; 1.14–1.83; secondary school aOR = 1.62, 95% CI; 1.17–2.25), husband’s educational status (primary school aOR = 1.65, 95% CI; 1.24–2.20, secondary school aOR = 2.17, 95% CI; 1.52–3.10), maternal occupation (agricultural-self-employed aOR = 0.77, 95% CI; 0.62–0.96), ethnicity (Poular aOR = 0.74, 95% CI; 0.56–0.97), place of residence (rural aOR = 0.57, 95% CI; 0.43, 0.74), media exposure (yes aOR = 1.26, 95% CI; 1.02–1.57), economic status (richest aOR = 5.27, 95% CI; 2.85–9.73), parity (seven and above aOR =0.46, 95% CI; 0.34–0.62), wife beating attitude (refuse aOR =1.23, 95% CI; 1.05–1.44) and skilled antenatal care (ANC) (yes aOR = 4.34, 95% CI; 3.10–6.08).ConclusionUptake of health facility delivery services was seen among women who were educated, exposed to media, wealthy, against wife-beating, attended ANC by skilled attendants and had educated husbands. On the other hand, women from ethnic groups like Poular, those working in agricultural activities, living in rural setting, and those who had more delivery history were less likely to deliver at a health facility. Therefore, there is the need to empower women by encouraging them to use skilled ANC services in order for them to gain the requisite knowledge they need to enhance their utilization of health facility delivery, whiles at the same time, removing socio-economic barriers to access to health facility delivery that occur from low education, poverty and rural dwelling.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) accounts for over 92 million confirmed cases worldwide, with over 2.06 million deaths. In the past year, more than 290 candidate vaccines have been tested; COVID-19 vaccine development was sped up, with shortened timeline, due to the urgent global need in the face of the pandemic. In addition, people with the highest risk of contracting the disease, such as health workers with a high risk of exposure, elderlies, and people with underlying comorbidities, were prioritized with vaccination rollout. The article narratively reviewed original and review articles available on PubMed and Google Scholar related to the theme to provide up-to-date information. The different templates developed and studied for COVID-19 vaccines include the whole-virus vaccine, viral vector vaccine, nucleic acid (deoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acid), and protein subunit vaccine. Myths impede vaccine uptake in this part of the globe. Adopting these myths leads to sharing and spreading, which negatively impacts the prevention of COVID-19 and vaccine uptake. Adverse event following immunizations (AEFIs) is classified based on severity, from minor to severe. The minor ones are common events that pose no potential health risks to the receiver of the vaccine. The type determines the safety profile, severity, and frequency of AEFIs observed with the vaccine administration. Overall, this pandemic has heightened the global level of threat awareness; it has also provided motivation to prepare for future pandemics by developing new vaccines.

Inspired by the new public management (NPM) philosophy, public sector institutions have engaged private companies by outsourcing non-core services for improved service delivery, lowering government expenditure, and creating opportunities for employment. There is evidence suggesting that the public sector has witnessed industrial conflicts occasioned by labour unrest among outsourced workers. This paper explores how the employees of contract companies perceive outsourcing and how outsourcing has affected them. Using a non-probabilistic sampling technique, the study mixes both qualitative and quantitative techniques to show that the outsourced workers do not see outsourcing in good light. The viewpoint of participants revealed that the outsourced workers were not pleased with the condition of work under different management. These findings have significant implications for broadening the understanding of the plight of the outsourced workers in the public sector. This study has raised important questions about the nature of outsourcing in the public sector and aroused the consciousness that the challenge facing outsourced workforce persists despite the premium placed on NPM in literature. The study, therefore, recommends that the condition of service of outsourced workers in South Africa’s public departments be given due attention to forestall undesirable outcomes.

Introduction: Job satisfaction and quality of life (QOL) are critical issues among early-career doctors (ECDs) in Nigeria; however, there is a paucity of data on these two issues. This study explored job satisfaction and QOL among ECDs in Nigeria. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study that used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data on sociodemographic and job satisfaction parameters from 667 ECDs in seven Nigerian tertiary hospitals. The World Health Organisation QOL-BREF tool was used to assess their QoL. Results: Results showed that the ECDs were satisfied with their career choice; however, they were not satisfied in the areas of remuneration, workload, and work environment. Furthermore, QOL was fairly above average, with the lowest scores reported in the environmental domain and only a slight male-to-female difference in the physical domain. Conclusion: Clinical practice dissatisfaction among ECDs could negatively impact healthcare service delivery. Therefore, it is recommended that the quality of the workplace environment and infrastructure in society at large should be improved upon by various stakeholders. This will positively impact the QoL of ECDs and enhance optimal healthcare delivery to the nation's teeming population.

Reflective practice has evolved over the years from being an informal subconscious process to a deliberate and formal one. Residency training programs are avenues for preparing residents for a lifetime of specialist practice, and reflective practice is being incorporated into the curriculum of the program in many parts of the world. There is no universal template for carrying out reflective practice; however, there appear to be accruable benefits to residents who can surmount the barriers and undergo some form of reflection using any of the available models. This article seeks to appraise reflective practice and the inherent benefits to the resident doctor and his practice. Thus, it makes a case for incorporating reflection into the curriculum of residency training programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. It also demonstrates the need to ensure standardized, reproducible methods of reflection globally.

Aim: This study is aimed at determining the total PSA (tPSA), free PSA (fPSA) concentrations and free to total PSA ratio (f/tPSA) and their utility in prostate cancer (PCa) risk stratification among male lepromatous leprosy patients in Edo state, Nigeria. Methods: Forty participants and thirty controls participated in this study. A structured questionnaire was administered to each participant to elicit details such as their personal data, age, sex, residence, medications, alcohol consumption, smoking habit, length of time of diagnosis, sexual activities, as well as the history of any other underlying diseases. Blood samples were collected from the participants. Total and free PSA concentrations in the samples were measured using ELISA method. Results: Significantly (p = 0.042) higher serum fPSA among the leprosy patients (0.22 ± 0.12 ng/ml) compared with the healthy controls (0.17 ± 0.09 ng/ml). There were no significant (p = 0.055) difference in the mean tPSA between the leprosy patients (2.69 ± 2.25 ng/ml) compared with the control (1.95 ± 0.69 ng/ml). Similarly, no significant (p = 0.548) difference was observed in PSA ratio between the control (0.08 ± 0.04) and the leprosy patients (0.09 ± 0.03). Conclusion: Our study indicated no significant differences in tPSA and f/tPSA between the leprosy patients and their healthy control. Elevated tPSA as well as f/tPSA levels that fell within the high risk zones of PCa were more prevalent among patients aged ≥ 70 years, not married, who rarely had sexual intercourse and those with longer disease duration.

The business world is changing due to the occupational climate and a large proportion of business executives that are bound to retire in the nearest future leading to an anticipated great loss of knowledge and performance. The paper seeks to evaluate job performance by considering the effect of mentoring on employee performance in the Nigerian service sector. Research focuses on finding out the level at which exposure, counseling, and role modelling affect employee performance in the Nigerian service sector.

The continued integration of diverse renewable energy sources into the power grid has led to a significant decrease in power system inertia, thus resulting in several challenges in the electric power system such as frequency instability and sharp rise in rate of change of frequency (rocof). In order to combat these challenges, several technologies such as the use of energy storage systems, hybrid energy storages system and hybrid systems have been used to provide fast frequency response and regulation. This paper gives a comprehensive review of these technologies thus highlighting their applications, merits and demerits for frequency regulation in renewable energy sourced grid. Furthermore, the research reveals that hybridized system provides better characteristics than singly sourced renewable energy system, therefore the best suited hybrid system can be formed based on the desired power grid characteristics and specific power requirement. Finally, it was revealed that FESS, SMES and SCES have similar characteristics, nonetheless, their characteristics is complimentary to that of BESS, CAES and PHES technology, and so a hybrid combination comprising of BESS and SCES could be best suited for fast frequency response in renewable energy sourced grid.

Low arginine bioavailability is associated with vaso-occlusive painful crisis (VOC) severity in sickle cell anemia (SCA) and predicts need for pediatric hospitalization. Intravenous arginine therapy has opioid-sparing effects and was found to significantly decrease pain scores in children hospitalized with SCA-VOC in a phase-two randomized placebo-controlled trial (RCT). Efficacy of oral arginine is unknown. Our objective was to determine the safety and efficacy of oral arginine therapy in Nigerian children with SCA. A double-blind RCT of oral L-arginine-hydrochloride (100 mg/kg TID) was conducted in children with SCA-VOC, aged 5-17 years, hospitalized at two Nigerian sites. The primary outcome measure was analgesic usage, quantified by difference in the mean Analgesic Medication Quantification Scale (MQS). Secondary outcomes included daily pain scores, time-to-crisis-resolution and length-of-hospital-stay. An intention-to-treat analysis was performed. Sixty-eight children (age 5-17 years, mean 10.6 ± 0.4 years; 56% male), were randomized to receive L-arginine (35 patients) or placebo (33 patients). The mean total MQS for the arginine group was 73.4 (95% CI, 62.4-84.3) vs 120.0 (96.7-143.3) for placebo (P < .001). The mean rate of decline in worst pain scores was faster in the arginine arm vs placebo (1.50 [1.23-1.77] vs 1.09 [0.94-1.24] point/d, P = .009). Children receiving arginine had a shorter time-to-crisis-resolution (P = .02), shorter hospital-stay (P = .002) and experienced no serious adverse event. Pain control was more rapid, total analgesic requirement was significantly reduced, and most notably, time-to-crisis-resolution and length-of-hospital-stay were shorter in children with SCA-VOC receiving arginine vs placebo. Given the established safety and low cost, oral arginine is a promising adjuvant therapy for SCA-VOC management.

Background Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of mortality worldwide. Hence, awareness of cardiovascular risk factors is an essential step towards effective reduction of the disease burden. This study determined the knowledge and prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among Staff of Ekiti State University. Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Methods A cross-sectional study which comprised of 223 members of staff. Results There were 103 males (46.2%). Low knowledge of heart disease risk factors was found in 68.6% of the respondents. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, overweight, obesity, physical inactivity was 35.4%, 12.1%, 31.8%, 23.3%, and 83% respectively. Family history of hypertension was a predictor of a high level of knowledge. Conclusion A low level of knowledge and increasing prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors existed among staff of Ekiti State University, Nigeria. Hence, there should be a step-up of awareness campaigns and promotion of healthy lifestyle among this category of people.

Background: Over the past decade, there has been a surge in the number of mitochondrialactive therapeutics for conditions ranging from cancer to aging. Subcellular targeting interventions can modulate adverse intracellular processes unique to the compartments within the cell. However, there is a dearth of reviews focusing on mitochondrial nano-delivery, and this review seeks to fill this gap with regards to nanotherapeutics of the mitochondria. Methods: Besides its potential for a higher therapeutic index than targeting at the tissue and cell levels, subcellular targeting takes into account the limitations of systemic drug administration and significantly improves pharmacokinetics. Hence, an extensive literature review was undertaken and salient information was compiled in this review. Results: From literature, it was evident that nanoparticles with their tunable physicochemical properties have shown potential for efficient therapeutic delivery, with several nanomedicines already approved by the FDA and others in clinical trials. However, strategies for the development of nanomedicines for subcellular targeting are still emerging, with an increased understanding of dysfunctional molecular processes advancing the development of treatment modules. For optimal delivery, the design of an ideal carrier for subcellular delivery must consider the features of the diseased microenvironment. The functional and structural features of the mitochondria in the diseased state are highlighted and potential nano-delivery interventions for treatment and diagnosis are discussed. Conclusion: This review provides an insight into recent advances in subcellular targeting, with a focus on en route barriers to subcellular targeting. The impact of mitochondrial dysfunction in the aetiology of certain diseases is highlighted, and potential therapeutic sites are identified.

Punching shear is a brittle and sudden mode of failure observed in reinforced concrete slabs structures. This type of failure typically occurs around the slab-column connections, due to transverse forces being highly concentrated in these areas, thereby causing the column to punch through the slab. Several methods have been proposed for retrofitting and strengthening existing flat slabs against punching shear failure using different reinforcement-types. One of these methods relies on post-installed shear reinforcement for existing flat slab systems. The estimation of the punching shear resistance depends on several variables (geometry, mechanical, material properties, etc.) with some level of uncertainty. This study aims to assess the safety and economic performance of different methods for the design of post-installed reinforcement in an existing flat slab structure endangered by punching shear, using probabilistic analysis. The methods considered include the design procedure according to the American Concrete Institute (ACI) design code, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) design code, the European Eurocode 2 (EC2) design code and analytical method based on the Critical Shear Crack Theory (CSCT). The probabilistic analysis was conducted based on the Monte Carlo simulation technique implemented using a MATLAB code developed in this study. The reliability index obtained for EC2 design procedure was found to be close to the EN 1990 target reliability level. CSCT and CSA, on the other hand, have a low-reliability index for most of the cases investigated.

Background Bypassing occurs when patients knowingly visit a health facility other than the one they live nearest to. In Ibadan, southwest Nigeria, the majority of enrollees in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) receive medical care in just 12% of the available NHIS-accredited facilities. Given that enrollees access healthcare services at highly subsidized rates under the scheme, this study aimed to determine the factors responsible for the observed distribution of enrollees across these health facilities. Methods The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey conducted among NHIS enrollees receiving care at outpatient departments of five randomly selected accredited health facilities in Ibadan. A total of 311 NHIS enrollees were consecutively recruited and a semistructured, pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to elicit information from respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to present results at 5% level of significance. Distance traveled by patients from their residence to the facilities was measured using Google maps. Results The mean age of respondents was 37.1±16.1 y. There were 167 (53.7%) males and 224 (72.3%) were married. The bypassing rate was 174 (55.3%). More than a third of enrollees, 127 (41.0%), reported that their hospital choice was made based on physician referral, 130 (41.8%) based on personal choice, 26 (8.4%) based upon the recommendation of the Health Management Organization (HMO), while 27 (8.7%) were influenced by friends/family/colleagues. Bypassing was positively associated with educational status (X2 = 13.147, p=0.004). Respondents who bypassed expended additional time and money traveling to the farther away hospitals, 35.1 (±34.66) min and 389.51 (±545.21) naira per visit, respectively. Conclusion The level of bypassing among enrollees was fairly high. Enrollees should be properly guided regarding the need to access healthcare in facilities closer to them by their HMOs and physicians in the case of referrals. This will reduce bypassing and the cost of travel leading to better outcomes among enrollees.

The strategic role of indigenous construction firms (ICFs) in the development of the construction industry better construction output and infrastructural development in developing countries cannot be overemphasized. These goals may not be achieved if firms’ psychosocial construction work environment and wellbeing (PCEW) are not appraised. To this end, this study identified and assessed factors relating to PCEW in the 37 factors influencing the viability and performance of construction firms obtained from the extant literature. A sample size of 65 staff of 31 ICFs out of a total survey of 177 staff of 59 ICFs that were awarded building contracts in selected institutions in Nigeria was accessed for this study. Respondents rated each factor on a five-point Likert scale of importance and mean scores were used to rank the factors after identifying factors that are related to ICFs’ PCEW. The study identifies 14 PCEW related factors out of the 37 factors influencing the viability of ICFs and six of the top ten very important factors influencing ICFs’ viability having high factor loading are PCEW related. The factors are quality of construction work and services, availability of skilled labour, employee satisfaction, and availability of artisans and craftsmen. Steady emphasis on factors influencing PCEW of construction workers amidst various factors influencing ICFs’ viability is necessary for a healthier construction work environment and wellbeing.

Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) is an important poultry pathogen causing an acute highly contagious upper respiratory tract infection in chickens, and could result in swollen head syndrome. The disease causes significant economic losses in turkey and chicken flocks; however, its existence in the Nigerian poultry industry is not well defined. Also, the influence of weather on the prevalence of the disease is unknown. This study was therefore carried out to determine the prevalence of Avian Metapneumovirus in chicken flocks from different climatic zones of Nigeria during both dry and wet seasons. Eighty commercial chickens (growers and adults) including layer and broiler flock from randomly selected local government areas from each of Sokoto, Plateau and Oyo States of Nigeria, were bled via jugular venipuncture for detection and titration of aMPV antibodies in serum “(n=240 serum samples each from both dry and wet season)”. Assay was carried out using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (ID Screen®, Rue Louis Pasteur-Grabels-France) which was able to determine antibodies against A, B, C and D subtypes of the virus. Out of a total of 480 samples collected, 287 (59.8%) were positive for aMPV antibodies. During the dry season, prevalence was 100, 56.2 and 48.8% in Plateau, Sokoto and Oyo States, respectively, while it was 52.5, 65.2 and 36.2%, respectively during the wet season. Commercial chickens screened during the dry season (68.3%) and mean aMPV antibody titer of 2990.95 had significantly (α

Purpose This paper aims to present a meta-analysis and scientometric review to explore the intellectual evolution of research on the health and safety of women in construction, identify trends and research patterns and workplace stressors and hazards encountered by women in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach A combination of scientometric analysis and meta-analysis was adopted to systematically review 32 relevant studies from 1984 to 2020, to provide a holistic review of research on women’s health and safety in construction aimed to identify the trend of research development. Techniques such as co-authorship, keyword co-occurring and cluster analysis were adopted. Findings Five main themes summarized by clustering focusing on Workplace Psychological Health, HIV/AIDS and Construction Work, Occupational Health and Safety Injuries, Gender Inclusivity and Sexism in Construction and Gender-specific Health and Safety Analysis. Findings revealed a slow growth in women’s health and safety research with the USA, South Africa, Australia and Japan leading research development. Additionally, the major stressors or hazards faced by women in construction were found to be biological related hazards. Research limitations/implications The findings of the study are limited, resulting from the use of one abstract and citation database. Practical implications Findings from the study provide insights to the health and safety challenges of women in construction and identifies of knowledge gaps in the existing literature could provide researchers and industry practitioners with a comprehensive insight into intellectual landscapes, potential research frontiers on technologies for women’s construction health and safety. Originality/value While numerous studies have focused on the health and safety of workers in the construction industry, research on women’s health and safety is lacking. The study adopted a scientometric and meta-analysis approach to explore the intellectual evolution and reflect the research status on the subject.

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, this work aims to understand the early time evolution and the spread of the disease outbreak with a data driven approach. To this effect, we applied Susceptible- Infective-Recovered/Removed (SIR) epidemiological model on the disease. Additionally, we used the Machine Learning linear regression model on the historical COVID-19 data to predict the earlier stage of the disease. The evolution of the disease spread with the Mathematical SIR model and Machine Learning regression model for time series forecasting of the COVID-19 data without, and with lags and trends, was able to capture the early spread of the disease. Consequently, we suggest that if using a more advanced epidemiological model, and sophisticated machine learning regression models on the COVID-19 data, we can understand, as well as predict the long time evolution of the disease spread.

Sustainability issues have been a major concern in the construction field, owing to the overexploration of natural raw material sources. The high demand of natural materials is traceble to increasing urbanization and industrialization. Various landmark research achievement has been made in the production of self-compacting concrete in recent years. The focus has been on the use of wastes emanating from agricultural, construction, and industrial activities. However, finding a workable framework for the use of the alternative materials is still an issue. This study presented procedures for cleaner production of self-compacting concrete with selected industrial rejects. The use of waste materials (supplementary cementitious materials (S.C.M.) and recycled materials) were explored. The materials, according to research trend, were either utilized as a partial or total replacement of conventional materials. From the available data, the study found that industrial by-products demonstrated potential to serve as an alternative material in production of self-compacting concrete. It is shown from the study that greener, and sustainable S.C.C. with enhanced properties could be achieved by using industry rejects. The presented procedures will serve as a guide for industrial application of the materials, and also foster economic benefits to the construction sector.

Design freedom, complex geometry fabrication capability, minimal parts assembly and excellent material utilization attributes of additive manufacturing processes have provided a leverage ground for the development of functional engineering steel parts in the manufacturing industries. Despite the good attributes of additive manufacturing technology, there are still some local and inherent defects of as-built steel parts that can jeopardize the overall integrity of structural steel components. This review paper provides the associated defects of as-built steel and summarizes the post-manufacturing strategies being deployed to mitigate the severity of as-built steel defects. The microstructural and mechanical responses of some specific as-built steel under different fabrication conditions or additive manufacturing techniques are also summarized in this paper.

This study explored association between early career doctors (ECDs) duty hours and their quality of life (QoL). Information was collected on socio-demographics, duty hours and QoL of 391 Nigerian ECDs. Results showed median of 70 duty-hours weekly, 10 call-days monthly and 6 sleep-hours daily. Weekly duty-hours and daily sleep-hours were significantly negatively and positively correlated respectively with all four domains of WHOQoL. QoL potentially affects health of ECDs especially mental health. Policies targeted at improving ECDs workforce, working conditions should improve QoL and curtail the potential impact of brain drain and attrition among ECDs in Nigeria.