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Abstract Background Psychiatric disorders had been reported with higher prevalence among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), [PLWHA] than the general population and its presence could confer poorer prognosis on infected individuals. However, there is limited research on the above subject matter in the North-Central part of Nigeria. Thus, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of common psychiatric disorders (CPD) among adult out-patients PLWHA at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin, North-Central Nigeria. Methods It was a hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted among 363 respondents attending the UITH Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) clinic between March and May 2019. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was used to assess the prevalence of CPD among respondents. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21 and p value of

This study focused on designing a WASH Index for assessing the status of WASH in Primary Healthcare Facilities (PHCs) especially for low- and middle-income countries. To assess the effectiveness of the WASH Index in evaluating the WASH in PHCs, PHCs were selected from 70 Local Government Areas (LGA) across 3 Southwestern States in Nigeria. The WASH index comprises of the five Joint Monitoring Programme service ladders as outlined in the World Health Organization Global Baseline Report for monitoring basic WASH services in health care facilities: water, sanitation, hygiene, waste management and environmental cleaning. The 5 service elements (termed as components) assessed were based on 10 indicators and 30 sub-indicators. The results of the WASH Index of the PHCs were compared statistically on LGA and State basis with emphasis on the status of WASH facilities. The study concludes that the result would further provide baseline information on the status of WASH in PHCs in the selected States in the quest to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study recommends that the WASH Index could be adopted an assessment tool for evaluating WASH in PHCs in other to ensure communication of results to policy makers and other relevant stakeholders, for effective monitoring healthcare facilities.

Background: The shaping of root canal space was completed using manual stainless steel files in earlier decades and with the advent of mechanical nickel–titanium (NiTi) instruments, there is potential for more efficient root canal preparation. Despite the advantages of NiTi instruments, their adoption in undergraduate dental education remains limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate three root canal instrumentation techniques, manual instrumentation using stainless steel hand files, continuous rotation employing ProTaper Gold (PTG) files, and reciprocation with WaveOne Gold (WOG) files, on endodontic resin blocks to assess the quality of preparation and the time required for instrumentation. Methods: A total of 36 third-year dental students, all lacking prior experience in root canal procedures, were divided into six groups to prepare 108 resin endodontic blocks with each student preparing 3 blocks. Images were captured at the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative stages to facilitate comparisons and measurements of the prepared blocks to assess the degree of resin removal, apical deviation, and mid-cervical wear. Furthermore, questionnaires were distributed to assess the students’ experiences and satisfaction with the techniques. The Friedman test, Wilcoxon test with Bonferroni correction, and Kruskal–Wallis test with Mann–Whitney U test were used to analyse and compare techniques, with the level of significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Instrumentation with PTG exhibited significantly reduced apical deviation (0.073 ± 0.003) compared to both the WOG and manual instrumentations (p < 0.001). Significant differences in mid-cervical wear were observed only between PTG and the manual instrumentation. In terms of resin removal, the manual instrumentation displayed greater variability and was five times slower to complete the instrumentation. In total, 90% of students favoured mechanical instrumentation, with substantial preferences for them over manual techniques. Conclusions: Mechanical instrumentation techniques, notably with the PTG system, were significantly faster and more effective in preparation quality. This highlights the potential for the inclusion of mechanical instrumentation in undergraduate dental curricula.

Increasing the volume of untreated and inadequately treated municipal wastewater undermines the circular economy potential of wastewater resources, particularly in low-income regions. This present study focused on and evaluated the performance of native microalgae-activated sludge (MAS) growth for tertiary treatment of anaerobically digested wastewater from an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) in an outdoor lab-scale photobioreactor (2.2 L). Three conditions with distinct MAS inoculum concentrations alongside three controls were operated in batch mode for 5 days hydraulic retention time (HRT) at 11.5:12.5 photo-hours. The MAS inoculum concentration influenced the treatment outcome. The best performance was observed when the MAS concentration was 0.10/0.20 g L−1, and the cell density was 1.60 × 107 cells mL−1, total biomass productivity of 0.10 g TSS L−1 d−1, total phosphorus uptake of 85.1%, and total nitrogen uptake of 66.1%. Logarithmic removal (Log-Re) of bacterial pathogens (water quality indicators) showed Log-Re 3.4 for total coliforms (1.37 × 102 CFU 100 mL−1) and 4.7 for Escherichia coli (0.00 × 100 CFU 100 mL−1). The results revealed optimum remediation performance and nutrient recovery potential with appropriate inoculum concentration, in admiration to advancing the science of circular economy.

Spondias mombin is a prominent botanical resource and has garnered recognition within folkloric therapy. Parkinson's disease (PD), characterized by dopaminergic neuron attrition in the substantia nigra, manifests as motor anomalies like tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia. This study capitalizes on S. mombin's reservoir of 100 characterized phytocompounds and employs computational methodologies to interrogate their potential with 35 PD-associated target proteins. Employing a multifaceted approach, we engaged in molecular docking, ADMET predictions, Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area (MM/GBSA) evaluations, Density Functional Theory (DFT), and Molecular Dynamic Simulations (MDS). This comprehensive framework facilitated insightful structural assessments and predictive analyses. Impressively, flavonoids hailing from S. mombin, including quercetin, catechin, ellagic acid, and epicatechin, showed optimal binding affinities for PD-related target proteins. Moreover, these identified ligands exhibited minimal signs of mutagenicity, tumorigenicity, or irritancy, except for quercetin, which displayed elevated tumorigenic potential. Notably, quercetin and dopamine exhibited varying band gap energies, with quercetin the lowest (3.63 eV) and dopamine the highest (5.76 eV) values. MDS result suggests a synergistic outcome based on the RMSD and RMSF graphs for quercetin highlighting it as the best of all including the co-ligand. In a collective sense, our findings present S. mombin as a promising reservoir of active pharmaceutical ingredients, warranting further exploration for novel PD therapeutic avenues. Consequently, this study underscores the enhanced efficacy of phyto-ligands sourced from S. mombin, advocating their optimization as potential drug candidates.

Bullying and psychological distress among adolescents are considered serious social and public health concerns. Several research works concerning psychological distress among adolescents as a result of bullying experiences have been conducted but not many studies explore the differences in the bullying experiences of LGBT adolescents and their heterosexual counterparts. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the comparative analyses of traditional bullying, cyberbullying, and psychological distress among heterosexual and LGBT adolescents in South Africa. The study adopted an ex-post-facto research design. A total of 140 respondents (73.6% self-identified as heterosexual and 26.4% as LGBT adolescents) who are students, were engaged using purposive random sampling. Participants completed the bullying victimisation components (B1 for the traditional bullying scale and B2 for cyberbullying scale) and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10), which measures psychological distress among the study participants. Findings revealed that sexual orientations and gender identities do not significantly influence traditional-bullying victimisation among adolescents (t = 0.065, df = 138, p > .05). However, further analysis revealed that LGBT adolescents (ẋ=53.44; SD=05.03) reported higher experiences of cyberbullying, compared to their heterosexual counterparts (ẋ=45.84; SD=06.57). Consequently, LGBT adolescents (ẋ=30.28; SD=0.75) reported higher experiences of psychological distress because of cyberbullying victimisation, compared to their heterosexual counterparts (ẋ=24.87; SD=03.15). It is recommended that psychological assessments and insightful counselling should be encouraged among LGBT adolescents. The purposeful intervention might enable early identification of psychological problems, and in turn, enables early psychosocial interventions that will address the prevailing psychological distress experienced among LGBT adolescents because of bullying victimisation.

The aim of this study was to determine the predispositions of the studied groups of students to work in the IT sector. The basis for predisposition assessment was their voluntary self-assessment of certain preferences, which are related to the theory of multiple intelligences of Professor Gardner. The study was conducted on a reference group of IT sector employees, assuming that they will be the model, to which the results of the study will be related. The method used to obtain data about the students’ predispositions was a test carried out in an auditorium mode or online. More than 500 students from several countries were surveyed and interesting statistical material was obtained allowing for comparison between groups. The most important result was to find a way to sort the students into groups in order from most similar in their aptitude to the market pattern to least. This made it possible to determine the boundary beyond which students could be considered selected for a job in the IT sector. Statistical hypotheses about the similarity of the student groups to the reference group were verified. The results were both positive, confirming that a large percentage of students have predispositions to work in the IT market, and less promising. The authors are convinced that the method can be applied all over the world, as they examined groups in very diverse countries, taking into account, for example, location, education system, culture or religion.

Abstract Background The call center operation jobs are becoming a global phenomenon. The use of headphones for 7 to 9 h daily with varying noise level exposure is quite common among call center operators. This can cause structural and/or functional changes in the auditory system. Researchers have arrived at different conclusions regarding the risks associated with prolonged headphone usage. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of hearing changes and the range of otologic symptoms among call center operators in Lagos State, Nigeria. Methods This is a prospective cross-sectional study carried out on 90 call center operators (customer service staff) and 90 administrative staff (controls) aged 18 to 40 years working in two call centers affiliated to different private establishments in Lagos State. Their biographic data, work information, and otologic/non-otologic symptoms developed with the commencement of the job were obtained with a self-administered structured questionnaire. After otoscopic examination, diagnostic pure tone audiometry (PTA) was carried out before and after the work shift. Results The most commonly reported symptoms among the call center operators were headache, tinnitus, and vertigo. Symptoms were noted as early as 3 months into the job in 20 (24.7%) call center operators. The pre-shift and post-shift mean PTA of the call center operators were normal bilaterally and comparable to the controls. There was an elevation of low frequency (500 Hz) mean PTA of > 30 dB in both the call center operators and the controls. The mean PTA average for the call center operators’ pre-shift and post-shift were 25.4 ± 8.2 and 25.6 ± 8.1 in the right ear, 24.8 ± 8.5 and 24.7 ± 8.9 in the left ear, 25.9 ± 7.8 and 24.7 ± 7.8 right and left ears for the control. There were no statistically significant differences between the call center operators’ pre-shift and the controls’ hearing thresholds, and the pre-shift and post-shift hearing thresholds of the call center operators at all frequencies and in both ears. Conclusion Otologic and non-otologic symptoms arise from prolonged headphones usage among call center operators. No hearing damage or headphone noise-induced hearing loss was recorded in the call center operators in this study.

Enzymes are valuable in many biofuels production processes, and their wide application has generated significant market demand in recent years. To develop lignocellulosic fuels in a biorefinery, high cost and low catalytic efficiency of cellulase are a major obstacle in the industrial use of this enzyme. A techno-economic assessment of cellulase production by Trichoderma reesei in submerged fermentation (SmF) processes was carried out in this study. SuperPro Designer Software was used to develop a process model that estimated the economic analysis of the fermentation processes by creating alternative schemes (batch and fed-batch) to improve the process. Sensitivity analysis study was carried out using Monte Carlo Software. Economic profitability indicators were used to assess cellulase yield, productivity, aeration rate, and specific power input on the unit production cost (UPC) of cellulase enzyme. Results show that the batch process had a higher aeration requirement when compared to the fed-batch process. Fed-batch process route had a shorter payback time (1.88 years), higher internal rate of return IRR (36.95%), and a more positive Net present value ($140,328,000) than the batch process. In addition, the Fed-batch process route is more economically viable than the batch process route, since the certainty of achieving its base case value of UPC is at the optimum. This study has been able to design a process route that reduces the production cost of cellulase, while increasing its availability in the market for sustainable fuel production in a biorefinery.

This work presents an integrated heat-assisted extraction process for the production of crude anthocyanins powder (CAnysP) from Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx using SuperPro Designer. The influence of process scale-up (0.04 -1000L) and variables (temperature, time and ethanol proportion in solvent) were investigated by adopting a circumscribed central composite design on techno-economic parameters such as annual production rate (APR) and unit production cost (UPC) CAnysP. The individual runs in the CCCD were taken as different process scenario and simulated independently. Multi-gene genetic programming (MGGP) was further used to develop robust predictive models. The robustness of the model and sensitivity analysis were ascertained using the Monte Carlo simulation. The process scenario at 30 min, 30 °C, 50% and 1000 L possessed the highest CAnysP APR and lowest UPC. MGGP- models predicted R2 = 0.9984 for CAnysP APR and R2 = 0.9643 for UPC and certainty (99.98% for CAnysP APR and 98.47% for UPC).

Abstract Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) are a family of pattern‐recognition receptors triggered by pathogen‐derived and tissue‐damage‐related ligands. TLRs were previously believed to only be expressed in immune cells. However, it is now confirmed that they are ubiquitously expressed in cells within the body including neurons, astrocytes, and microglia of the central nervous system (CNS). Activation of TLRs is capable of inducing immunologic and inflammatory responses to injury or infection of CNS. This response is self‐limiting that usually resolves once the infection has been eradicated or the tissue damage has been repaired. However, the persistence of inflammation‐inducing insults or a failure in normal resolution mechanisms may result in overwhelming inflammation which may induce neurodegeneration. This implies that TLRs may play a role in mediating the link between inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases namely Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, stroke, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. So, new therapeutic approaches that specifically target TLRs may be developed by better understanding TLR expression mechanisms in the CNS and their connections to particular neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, this review paper discussed the role of TLRs in neurodegenerative diseases.

Background: The need for a culturally suitable scale for suicidality within the multilingual Nigerian society necessitated this research interest. Aim: The study is a development and validation of the Redeemer’s University Suicidality Scale (RUSS). Setting: South western Nigeria. Methods: This comprised of initial generation of items; face and content validity, item refinement and administration of RUSS to 150 university undergraduates, using exploratory factor analysis at the first, second and third stages. In the fourth stage, 184 undergraduates responded to the 20-item RUSS, Suicide Ideation Scale (SIS) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Data gathered at this stage were analysed for congruent validity, reliability and norms. Results: The principal component analysis extracted four components from items whose eigenvalues exceeded one. Twenty-one of the 25 items loaded best in the first, two in the second and one on the third component(s). Only items in the first component were retained. Item-total correlation further showed that the values of one item in the first component fell below the very good discrimination and was deleted from the scale. The RUSS has a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.93. Congruence validity coefficient of r = 0.881 (p 0.001) and r = 0.605 (p 0.001) was observed between RUSS and SIS and between RUSS and GHQ-12, respectively. Conclusion: The RUSS is gender-sensitive, has acceptable psychometric properties and is recommended as a diagnostic tool for assessing suicidal behaviour in adolescents and adults. Contribution: This article contributes to the development of a culture sensitive measure for suicidality.

Assessment of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and water source quality in parts of Southwestern Nigeria was conducted. Sixty-one PHCs in urban and rural areas were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. A WASH profile of the PHCs was conducted based on the water source type, type of toilet facilities, and handwashing practice using the Joint Monitoring Programme service ladder for monitoring WASH services in healthcare facilities. Water sources were tested for pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, chloride, nitrate, and E. coli. Boreholes and hand-dug wells are the most prevalent water source type, and flush toilets and pit latrines are the major types of toilet facilities used. All but two PHCs engaged in handwashing practices. Water quality analysis results showed that chloride, nitrate, and turbidity were within the WHO drinking-water standards. Poor water quality and sanitation practices could expose health staff and patients to healthcare-associated infections. The study recommends the construction of safe, secure and accessible water sources and toilet facilities, provision of water treatment facilities, and the training of staff and patients on the significance of handwashing practices. HIGHLIGHTS Status of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs).; Disparities in WASH facilities in PHCs with respect to urban and rural settings.; Classification of WASH facilities in PHCs into Joint Monitoring Programme's ‘Basic Service’, ‘Limited Service’, and ‘No Service’.; The impact of poor WASH facilities on the spread of COVID-19.; Government's efforts in improving WASH in PHCs.;

Abstract Background Evidence exists as to the criticality of the first 24 h in the management of cerebral malaria. The morbidity and the mortality rate (35%) with the current intravenous monotherapy for the initial treatment of cerebral malaria are unacceptably high. Combination therapy and a shorter course of effective medication have been shown to improve outcomes in human participants in the treatment of other diseases. This study outlines a protocol to conduct a triple blinded parallel randomized controlled trial on cerebral malaria using dual intravenous medications compared to the current standard of monotherapy. Methods This is a parallel multi-site randomized controlled superiority triple blinded trial consisting of intravenous artesunate plus quinine and a control arm of intravenous artesunate only. Eligible and assenting children aged 6 months to 17 years will be recruited from 4 tertiary hospitals by random selection from the list of tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. Participants will be randomized and assigned in parallel into two arms using random numbers generated from GraphPad Prism (version 9) by a clinical pharmacologist who has no link with the investigators, the patients, or the statistician. The primary measurable outcome is survival at 12, 24, and 48 h post-randomization. A composite secondary outcome consists of the number of children that regained consciousness, parasitaemia and defervescence at 12 and 24 h post-randomization and haematological and inflammatory markers at 24 and 48 h post-randomization. Adverse events both solicited and unsolicited are recorded all through the study post-randomization. The study is approved by the State Research Ethics Review Committee. Data analysis will be performed in GraphPad Prism version 9. Discussion The outcome of this analysis will give insight into the efficacy and safety of dual intravenous antimalaria in the treatment of cerebral malaria among Nigerian children compared with the standard of care. The safety profile of this intervention will also be highlighted. This may help inform physicians on the optimal treatment for cerebral malaria to improve outcomes and reduce recrudescence and treatment failure. Trial registration Pan Africa Clinical Trial Registry PACTR202102893629864 . 23/02/2021.

This article aims to explore the importance of multimethod research in assessing the performance of nickel-titanium (NiTi) endodontic instruments. The review highlights the limitations of relying solely on measurements obtained through a narrow set of mechanical tests and acknowledges the challenge of replicating real-world working conditions in controlled laboratory settings. While achieving a perfect simulation may be difficult, the focus should be on developing research strategies that provide a superior understanding of outcomes. The multimethod research, which combines qualitative and quantitative methodologies, offers a promising solution to address this challenge effectively. By integrating nonquantifiable data with quantitative measurements, researchers may overcome the limitations of individual methodologies and gain deeper and more comprehensive insights into instrument performance. This multimethod approach enables a more accurate interpretation of results, enhancing the validity of the methodology. Therefore, conducting a comprehensive analysis of various competencies displayed by NiTi systems is essential for a comprehensive understanding of their characteristics, including cyclic fatigue, torsional and bending resistance, cutting efficiency, microhardness, design analysis, element composition, phase transformation temperatures, shaping ability, and additional methodologies that can address specific inquiries. By combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies in a multimethod approach, researchers can enhance their ability to answer research questions and provide valuable insights for clinical practice.

الملخص: أهداف البحث: يعد تعرض طلاب الطب لتشريح الجثث تجربة مرهقة مرتبطة بمجموعة من الأعراض. أجريت هذه الدراسة لتحديد الأعراض لطلاب الطب المقبولين حديثا بعد تعرضهم الأول للجثث في جامعة نيجيرية. طرق البحث: خلال الأعوام الأكاديمية ٢٠١٨-٢٠١٩ و٢٠١٩-٢٠٢٠. أجرينا مسحا على ٨٧ طالب طب من السنة الثانية في جامعة النيل النيجيرية. واستخدمت استبانة الأعراض التي تعبأ ذاتيا ومقياس تقييم أحداث الحياة لجمع البيانات. النتائج: كان متوسط الدرجات من مقياس تقييم أحداث الحياة لمجالي التهديد والتحدي للتوتر ٣٠⁄٦ (٢٠.٣٣٪) و١٦ ⁄٣٠ (٥٥.٥٪). وكان متوسط درجة الخسارة ٥ ⁄ ٢٠ (٢٦.١٥٪). عند التعرض للجثة، ذكر معظم الطلاب أنهم شعروا بالفضول والحماس ولكن في نفس الوقت شعروا بالقلق. وظهرت هذه الأعراض على شكل خفقان، وصعوبة في التنفس، وغثيان، وإغماء ودوار. ومن أجل تخفيف هذه الأعراض، ركز معظم الطلاب على مهمة التشريح، أو ممارسة نشاطات دينية، أو الاسترخاء أو طلب المساعدة من المعلمين. الاستنتاجات: على الرغم من أن التعرض الأولي للجثة كان مجهدا، أظهرت نتائجنا أن الطلاب لم يثقل عليهم ذلك. رأى الطلاب أنها إيجابية على نطاق واسع وبذلوا جهودا للتغلب على هذه المشاعر. من غير المرجح أن تشكل المشاعر المجهدة تأثيرا سلبيا على طلاب الطب من خلال دراستهم في قاعة التشريح. Abstract: Objective: Exposure to the dissection of human cadavers is a stressful experience that causes a wide range of symptoms among medical students. This study examined the symptoms experienced by newly enrolled medical students of a Nigerian university following their first exposure to cadavers. Methods: During the academic years 2018–2019 and 2019–2020, we conducted a survey among 87 second-year medical students who belonged to the Nile University of Nigeria. A self-administered questionnaire that assessed different symptoms and the Appraisal of Life Events (ALE) Scale were used to collect data. Results: The participants obtained mean scores of 6 out of 30 (20.33%), 16 out of 30 (55.50%), and 5 out of 20 (26.15%) on the threat, challenge, and loss dimensions of the ALE Scale, respectively. When they were exposed to the cadaver, a majority of the students reportedly felt not only curious and excited but also anxious. Additionally, they reported experiencing symptoms such as palpitations, difficulty breathing, nausea, and feeling faint and dizzy. In order to alleviate such feelings, most of the students focused on the task at hand (i.e. dissection), engaged in religious activities, tried to relax, or sought the help of their lecturers. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that, even though their first exposure to a cadaver was stressful, the students were resilient. The students appraised this experience positively and had taken efforts to cope with their symptoms. This is unlikely that stressful feelings pose negative influence on the medical students during their study in anatomy dissection hall. الكلمات المفتاحية: التشريح, طلاب الطب, الأعراض, التوتر, Keywords: Anatomy, Dissection, Medical students, Stress, Symptoms

Background: The world is presently faced with a coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic which has overwhelmed countries health systems and has had an enormous toll on human lives. Health-care workers of all levels are primarily involved in taking care of patients with COVID-19, and this has posed serious occupational health risk to this important workforce. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge and perception regarding COVID-19 among the nurses in Kebbi State. Materials and Methods: This was a hospital-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted among the nurses working in the only tertiary hospital in Kebbi State using self-administered questionnaires. Information obtained from the participants includes sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, and perception on COVID-19. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 21. Results: Of the 170 nurses that were given the questionnaires, 161 returned it. There were 61 (37.9%) males. The mean age of the participants was 36.1 years (standard deviation = 9.3), and the age range was between 20 years and 57 years. Majority of the respondents were in the age group of 31-“40 years (41.6%), married 128 (79.5%), Hausa 84 (55.2%), Muslim 103 (64%), registered nurse/registered Midwives 111 (88.9%), and 97 (60.2%) have been practicing nursing profession between 1 year and 10 years. Slightly more than half (51.6%) of the respondents have poor knowledge of COVID. While majority 98% have the high level of perception on COVID-19. Conclusion: Nurses in our hospital have poor knowledge of COVID-19 but good perception of the disease. Internet/social media remains the sources of information on the disease. The importance of creating more awareness of the disease among the health workers is underscored.

BACKGROUND: Retirement anxiety may occur in retirement-eligible staff, and their reaction may depend on their personality traits. This study examined the predictive influence of five-factor personality traits on retirement anxiety among non-academic staff in some selected universities in Osun State, Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study utilized a multistage sampling technique. Two self-administered instruments, Redeemer's University Retirement Anxiety Scale and Mini-International Personality Item Pool were completed by 463 non-academic staff in five selected universities in Osun State, Nigeria. Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentages) and inferential statistics (hierarchical regression, two-sample t-test, and one-way ANOVA) were used to analyze data. RESULTS: The study found a high prevalence rate of retirement anxiety (85.1%) among university staff in Nigeria. In all, 13%, 16%, and 12.5% of the participants showed high levels of retirement anxiety dimensions (personal obligation, financial planning, and social detachment), respectively. Sociodemographic and personality traits jointly accounted for statistically significant (16%, 29%, and 22%) changes in personal obligation (R2 =0.16, P

Unlike the inquisitorial court system, the adversarial court requires that counsels willfully resort to face-aggravating impolite non/verbal acts through the instrumentation of relevant court papers as well as the use of professional privileges at the cross-examination phase to the detriment of the opposition, thereby elevating the quest for victory above fact-finding and the dispensation of justice. The study evaluates counsels’ impolite nonverbal communicative behaviour and professional antics which are complementary to verbal impoliteness. Anchored on Watts’ (2003) theory of relational works and Culpeper’s (1996) impoliteness super-strategies, the study drew fifteen (15) purposively selected examples, with preponderance of underlying nonverbal face-aggravating behaviour by professional courtroom participants, from archived pretrial documents and transcripts of proceedings in Mosojo versus Oyetayo (2012). Against the existence of inquisitorial and fact-finding alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms, the disputants chose the adversarial Western-like court system, with a penchant for impolite non/verbal behaviour, for the resolution of the Obasinkin chieftaincy dispute in a Nigerian community. Findings revealed that counsels’ antics and nonverbal impolite behaviour are not only embedded in some legal documents, but also manifested in the form of time-wasting, willful absence from court and embedded presupposing boobytrap arguments that were meant to frustrate the opposition and influence the course of justice. Litigants are advised to explore the ADR alternative while judges should regulate the courtroom use of language to prevent the miscarriage of justice.

This study examines the mental health outcomes among the healthcare personnel and the general population and the role of socioeconomic status. Eight hundred and eighty-four (884) residents in Nigeria comprising 382 healthcare personnel and 502 general residents aged between 18 to 78 years (M = 28.75, SD = 8.17) responded to an online survey with measures of Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ–9), and Insomnia Severity Index. Collected data were subjected to statistical analysis using the SPSS v.25. Results revealed significant difference in the prevalence of depressive symptoms (χ2 = 14.26; df = 4; p < 0.01), insomnia symptoms (χ2 = 40.21; df = 3; p < 0.01), posttraumatic stress symptoms (χ2 = 08.34; df = 3; p < 0.05), and clinical anxiety symptoms (χ2 = 06.71; df = 1; p < 0.05) among healthcare personnel and the general population, with a higher prevalence reported by the healthcare personnel. Further, socioeconomic status significantly influences prevalence of depressive symptoms (χ2 = 04.5; df = 4; p < 0.05). The study concluded that the prevalence of poor mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 crisis among Nigerians is worrisome. Also, the socioeconomic status of the citizens has serious implications on depressive symptoms. The study recommends that the government and stakeholders should pay attention to policy that will favor tele-mental health services and adequate palliative measures to cushion the psycho-economic impacts of COVID-19 on residents. Also, healthcare workers should be considered for better remuneration and other welfare benefits to sustain their well-being during the present and future pandemic.

This study examine the psychological distress experience of Nigerians during the COVID-19 pandemic, across gender. From March 20, 2020, to April 12, 2020, this descriptive survey used a snowballing sampling technique to select 502-Nigerians with an online semi-structured questionnaire detailing the impact of Event Scale-Revised, Generalized Anxiety Disorder – 7 item scale, Patient Health Questionnaire and Insomnia Severity Index. Gender had an insignificant difference in the level of insomnia (χ2 ​= ​04.93; df ​= ​3; p ​> ​0.05), however, 20.8% of males had sub-threshold of insomnia, 8.2% experienced moderate insomnia and 5.9% had severe insomnia; 32% females reported sub-threshold of insomnia, 12.4% had moderate insomnia while 3.6% had severe insomnia. Also, gender had an insignificant difference in the measures of depression (χ2 ​= ​01.94; df ​= ​4; p ​> ​0.05); 55.4% males reported minimal depression, 22.3% had mild depression, 11.9% had moderate depression; 6.7%–3.7% males had moderate to severe depression while, 49.3% of the females had minimal depression, 26.7% reported mild depression, 14.29% had moderate depression, 4.4%–5.3% had moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS) has no gender difference among respondents (χ2 ​= ​02.51; df ​= ​3; p ​> ​0.05); 23% of males reported partial PTSS, 17.5% presented clinical PTSS, and 21.6% males had severe PTSS; while 29.3% of females had severe PTSS, 24% reported partial PTSS and 18.7% had clinical PTSS. Respondents reported insignificant gender differences on anxiety (χ2 ​= ​0.08; df ​= ​1; p ​> ​0.05), while 51% reported moderate anxiety and 49% exhibited severe anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Findings revealed that Nigerians experienced psychological distress during COVID-19 pandemic. The government and stakeholders should initiate tele-mental health services to serve as alternative to traditional treatment to manage present and future pandemic psychological implications among Nigerians.

Background: Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and end-stage renal disease. It remains an important public health challenge, despite effective medical therapies for its management, patients' poor adherence remains a global problem. Aim: The main objective of this study is to determine the relationship between family functioning and medication adherence among hypertensive, attending a tertiary care center in South-West Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The systematic sampling method was used to select 420 patients attending the outpatient clinic of the tertiary hospital. Relevant data were collected using interviewer-administered pretested semi-structured questionnaires. Results: Four hundred and twenty people participated in the study. The mean age of respondents was 60.97 ± 11.28 years, and a slight female preponderance (M:F = 1:1.7). Three hundred and forty-nine (83.1%) were married, 273 (65.0%) were from a monogamous family and 375 (89.2%) had a family size of >4. More than half of the study participants had a functional family (66.4%) and were adherent (61.2%) to their medication. Increased medication adherence proportion was observed in patients with a functional family. Adherence to medication is three times (odds ratio = 2.585, 95%CI = 1.636, 4.084) higher among patients with functional family. Conclusion: The structure and nature of family relationships, both of which determines family functioning, are important to medication adherence. A functional family enhances adherence to medication. Primary care physicians should create a positive treatment alliance with their patients to better family functioning.

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a heme-containing peroxidase found in azurophilic granules of neutrophils and monocytes. Epidemiological studies have reported greater plasma MPO concentration to be associated with increased incidence of several cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but the association of intracellular monocyte MPO (mMPO) with CVD is unclear. The prospective population-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort study measured mMPO using flow cytometry in 1,465 participants. The association of mMPO with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD, comprising incident coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure, stroke, peripheral artery disease, and cardiovascular mortality) was examined over a median 9.6 years of follow-up (n = 290 CVD events). There was no statistically significant association between mMPO and all incident CVD events in either age, sex, and race-adjusted proportional hazards models (HR (95% CI) across tertiles of mMPO: 1, 1.09 (0.76, 1.57), and 0.78 (0.52, 1.15), P-trend = 0.21) or adjusted for other major CVD risk factors (HR (95% CI): 1, 1.17 (0.81, 1.69), and 0.87 (0.58, 1.29), P-trend = 0.50). There also was no association between mMPO tertiles and incident CHD, heart failure, or all-cause mortality, examined separately. In conclusion, intracellular monocyte myeloperoxidase was not associated with incident cardiovascular disease in this prospective population-based study.

The aim of this study was to determine the predispositions of the studied groups of students to work in the IT sector. The basis for predisposition assessment was their voluntary self-assessment of certain preferences, which are related to the theory of multiple intelligences of Professor Gardner. The study was conducted on a reference group of IT sector employees, assuming that they will be the model, to which the results of the study will be related. The method used to obtain data about the students' predispositions was a test carried out in an auditorium mode or online. More than 500 students from several countries were surveyed and interesting statistical material was obtained allowing for comparison between groups. The most important result was to find a way to sort the students into groups in order from most similar in their aptitude to the market pattern to least. This made it possible to determine the boundary beyond which students could be considered selected for a job in the IT sector. Statistical hypotheses about the similarity of the student groups to the reference group were verified. The results were both positive, confirming that a large percentage of students have predispositions to work in the IT market, and less promising. The authors are convinced that the method can be applied all over the world, as they examined groups in very diverse countries, taking into account, for example, location, education system, culture or religion.

IntroductionImmunological, genetic and environmental factors are believed to play important roles in the pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). There have been many studies on risk factors for MS but these have been mainly in Caucasian populations; robust studies in Arab populations remain relatively uncommon. This study therefore aimed to identify behavioral, socio-cultural, and demographic factors associated with development of MS in Kuwait, a high income Arab country, currently undergoing a demographic transition.Subjects and methodsIn this case- control study, 195 Kuwaiti MS patients and 146 healthy age and sex-matched controls were recruited. Both groups of subjects were interviewed using a structured questionnaire, in relation to anthropometric, socio-cultural and demographic data, residence during the 1990/91 Gulf War and current and past medical history, including medications. We also clinically evaluated, and retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients to derive appropriate clinical information, including associated chronic medical illness requiring long-term treatment.ResultsOn multiple logistic regression analysis after adjustment for potential confounders including age, gender and BMI, in all the subjects, a positive associations prevail with presence of MS and some sociocultural and demographic factors, which included non-Bedouin ethnicity (AOR 2, 95% CI 1.0-3.9, p 0.049), positive family history of MS (AOR 10.6, 95% CI 3.0-36.9), p < 0.001), and low daily sunlight exposure of < 15min/day (AOR 5.3, 95% CI 2.7-10.5 p < 0.001). In addition, while 41.8% of MS patients indicated at least one comorbidity, only 26.8% of the controls reported any associated physical illness, with the suggestion that presence of certain comorbidities might increase MS risk (AOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.3-4.7, p < 0.001). Other risk variables such as smoking status and mode of routine outdoor dressing were not significant in all the MS subjects taken as a whole, but demonstrated variably positive associations in the MS subgroup classified as those with established disease and those who were newly diagnosed and drug naïve.ConclusionsThis study suggests that a positive family history of MS and presence of certain comorbidities appeared to be associated with an increased risk of developing MS. In contrast, relatively increased amount of daily sunlight exposure and Bedouin ethnicity appear to somewhat be protective. It is speculated that the relationship of sunlight exposure with MS might be due to vitamin D availability, and is deserving of further study.

Many Africans assume the call for acceptance of Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) was an imposition from the Western cultures, unknowing that the history of same-sex sexual relationships predated the invasion of the colonial masters in Africa. As such, SGM persons continue to face serious prejudice and discrimination, which has culminated in the infringement of the socio-medical, psychological, and legal rights. The study set to develop a cognitive interpolation (CI) module from the longstanding aboriginal concepts (i.e. Lakiriboto-Ălàgbedemeji) and pilot the efficacy toward prejudiced attitudes of heterosexual peoples in the Yoruba-speaking region of Nigeria. This study utilized an exploratory research design. Sixteen eligible participants aged between 19 years and 47 years (M = 31.05, SD = 08.17) were purposively selected to participate. Participants were screened for eligibility using double-standard criteria. Participants were assigned to two Focus Groups and the retrieved data were content-analyzed. The outcome revealed that heterosexual participants expressed favorable dispositions toward people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities after (RCA = +93.80%) exposure to CI intervention than before (RCA = −100%) intervention. The researcher concluded that the study provides preliminary evidence that CII is efficacious for cognitive re-orientation of prejudiced attitudes toward SGM persons and communities. Recommendations and limitations were therefore stated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]