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The impact of health and environmental hazards, associated with the constituents of gasoline, on occupationally exposed workers has been recorded over the past few decades. However, the scientific literature on their pathogenic potential remains incomplete, which could affect the current understanding of the associated health risks. This review provides current information based on recently improved research techniques to evaluate gasoline toxicity profiles for humans. Our current knowledge provides insight into the intricate mechanism of gasoline-induced adverse effects, including the formation of reactive metabolites via bio-activation and subsequent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress, which are involved in multiple mechanisms that are central to the aetiology of gasoline-induced toxicity. These mechanisms include covalent binding to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), leading to oxidative damage, tumor-suppression gene activity, and activation of pro-oncogenes. Furthermore, it results in induction of autoimmunity and local inflammatory responses, disruption of multiple neurotransmitters and immune cell function, derangement of various enzyme activities (e.g., sodiumpotassium adenosine triphosphate (Na+/K+/ATPase) activity, cytochrome P450 (CYP450), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), antioxidant enzyme activities, etc.), conjugation of bile, and non-specific cell membrane interaction, leading to damage of the membrane lipid bilayer and proteins. Available data suggests that exposure to gasoline or gasoline constituents have the potential to cause different types of illnesses. The data highlights the need to maintain safety measures via suitable research, medical surveillance, regulatory control, life style modification, early detection, and intervention to minimize exposure and manage suspected cases. They also present novel opportunities to design and develop effective therapeutic strategies against gasoline-induced detrimental effects. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(1):1–26

The increasing gap between what students learn and what they remember has agitated the minds of educators in recent times. The apparent gap is that teaching tends to be more theoretical than practical. For instance an apparent absence of relevant instructional materials, skilled vocational education personnel and the current lack of awareness on the part of policy makers on the advantages of pragmatic education, constitute current obstacles to the actualisation of pragmatic student-oriented secondary school education curriculum in Nigeria. However, this paper therefore, describes methods by which secondary school education can be made more functional through the introduction of more practical learning schemes which shall ultimately equip graduates with revenue generating and life skills. Fifty teachers and 150 students were randomly selected for the study from formal and non-formal secondary schools in Calabar Metropolis and Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State of Nigeria. Ex-post facto design was adopted. A 16 item questionnaire constructed on a modified four-point Likert-type scale was used for data collection. The data was analysed using simple percentages, independent t-test and a One-way analysis of variance. The findings revealed that, the schools lack adequate instructional materials and adequately trained vocational education teachers. Based on this, it was recommended among others, that a student-oriented curriculum be implemented in line with the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Education For All (EFA) and Universal Basic Education (UBE). Also more practical skills-oriented education and vocational education teachers should be employed to train the students on the development of functional literacy skills.

The discovery of vaccine against Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID – 19) was considered a breakthrough in the control of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Health professionals as frontline managers of COVID -19 patients were prioritized for vaccination as they were more at risk of the infection and transmission. However, past experience on vaccine production and knowledge of vaccine may influence their perception and uptake of COVID-19 vaccine due to some misconceptions surrounding its production and effectiveness. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, perception and uptake of COVID - 19 vaccine among health professionals in Cross River State. A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted to study a sample of 344 health professionals including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and laboratory scientists working in University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar. The participants were selected to complete the survey using stratified random sampling technique. Data was collected through a validated and reliable questionnaire structured by the researchers. Using software from the Statistical Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 23) collected data were analysed, while the association between variables was achieved using Chi-square test of association at a 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that majority 256 (74.4%) of the participants had good knowledge of COVID-19 vaccine, while majority 214 (62.2%) had good perception of Covid-19 vaccine, and slightly above half, 196 (57.0%) of the participants had been vaccinated against COVID-19. There is a significant association between; knowledge and uptake of Covid-19 vaccine (Cal X²= 42.563; p=.000), as well as perception and uptake of COVID-19 vaccine (Cal X²= 28.204; p=.000) among the participants. The demographic variables significantly associated with uptake of COVID-19 vaccines were; age, marital status, religion, ethnicity, profession, income per month, and years of work experience (p<0.05). However, the proportion of the healthcare professionals in the hospital that have not been vaccinated was relatively high and the associated variables with uptake of the vaccine emphasize the need for intervention that would address the unique concern of each group within the healthcare professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fat Mass and Obesity-associated (FTO) gene has been shown to play an important role in developing obesity, manifesting in traits such as increased body mass index, increased waist-to-hip ratio, and the distribution of adipose tissues, which increases the susceptibility to various metabolic syndromes. In this study, we evaluated the impact of fruit-based diets of Solanum melongena (SMF) and Solanum aethiopicum fruits (SAF) on the FTO gene expression levels in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese animals. Our results showed that the mRNA level of the FTO gene was downregulated in the hypothalamus, and white and brown adipose tissue following three and six weeks of treatment with SMF- and SAF-based diets in the HFD-induced obese animals. Additionally, the Solanum fruit supplementation exhibited a curative effect on obesity-associated abrasions on the white adipose tissue (WAT), hypothalamus, and liver. Our findings collectively suggest the anti-obesity potential of SMF and SAF via the downregulation of the FTO gene.

Malaria is mostly endemic in tropical environments and has caused several still births and deaths particularly among children. Effective control of malaria infection reduces maternal and infant morbidity and mortality rate in pregnant women and children (0-5yrs). A promising strategy has been the utilization of insecticide treated nets among these groups of persons. A mixed method study was carried out in Ikot Omin community in Cross River State, Nigeria to authenticate the effectiveness of the net utilization. Four specific objectives were developed to guide the study. Data were elicited from 225 respondents through the use of structured questionnaires and focus group discussions. The quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 and thematic analysis methods respectively. The results showed that the prevalent harsh and dry weather condition was the major barrier to utilization of ITN in the community. A focused communication strategy to address this challenge has been suggested. The possibility of provision of steady light supply through the use of solar power in the homes by those who can afford it can be explored as a remedy for promoting consistent use of ITN by pregnant women and under five children in this community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of health and environmental hazards, associated with the constituents of gasoline, on occupationally exposed workers has been recorded over the past few decades. However, the scientific literature on their pathogenic potential remains incomplete, which could affect the current understanding of the associated health risks. This review provides current information based on recently improved research techniques to evaluate gasoline toxicity profiles for humans. Our current knowledge provides insight into the intricate mechanism of gasoline-induced adverse effects, including the formation of reactive metabolites via bio-activation and subsequent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress, which are involved in multiple mechanisms that are central to the aetiology of gasoline-induced toxicity. These mechanisms include covalent binding to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), leading to oxidative damage, tumor-suppression gene activity, and activation of pro-oncogenes. Furthermore, it results in induction of autoimmunity and local inflammatory responses, disruption of multiple neurotransmitters and immune cell function, derangement of various enzyme activities (e.g., sodiumpotassium adenosine triphosphate (Na+/K+/ATPase) activity, cytochrome P450 (CYP450), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), antioxidant enzyme activities, etc.), conjugation of bile, and non-specific cell membrane interaction, leading to damage of the membrane lipid bilayer and proteins. Available data suggests that exposure to gasoline or gasoline constituents have the potential to cause different types of illnesses. The data highlights the need to maintain safety measures via suitable research, medical surveillance, regulatory control, life style modification, early detection, and intervention to minimize exposure and manage suspected cases. They also present novel opportunities to design and develop effective therapeutic strategies against gasoline-induced detrimental effects. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(1):1-26. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of West Indian Medical Journal is the property of West Indian Medical Journal (WIMJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of West Indian Medical Journal is the property of West Indian Medical Journal (WIMJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Chemical activated carbons (PET-H 2 SO 4 and PET-KOH) were prepared from post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) wastes using pyrolysis under moderate reaction temperatures by changing pyrolysis time and chemical activating agents. The produced carbons were characterized and tested in adsorption reactions of manganese, chromium, and cobalt ions in aqueous solutions. Results showed a high percentage removal of these inorganic ions from water: 98 % for Mn 2+ , 87 % for Cr 3+ , and 88 % for Co 2+ . Freundlich isotherms gave a better fit to the experimental data obtained with good correlation coefficient values in the range of 0.99-1 compared to other isotherms. The pseudo-second order kinetic model best described the chemical adsorption process as an exchange of electrons between the carbon and inorganic ions in solutions. The diffusion models showed that the process is controlled by a multi-kinetic stage adsorption process. In summary, this work demonstrates that the production of activated carbon from PET waste bottles is a potential alternative to commercial activated carbon and can be considered a sustainable waste management technology for removing these non-biodegradable plastic wastes from the environment., (© 2023 The Authors. ChemPlusChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The absence of standardized procedures to assess microfiber pollution released during laundering, alongside textile complexities, has caused incomparability and inconsistency between published methodologies, data formats, and presentation of findings. Yet, this information needs to be clear and succinct to engage producers and consumers in reducing microfiber pollution through solutions, such as eco-design. This review analyses source directed interventions through design and manufacturing parameters that can prevent or reduce microfiber shedding from knit fabrics during washing. Contradicting results are critically evaluated and future research agendas, alongside potential areas for voluntary and involuntary sustainable incentives are summarized. To do this, a systematic review was carried out, using the PRISMA approach to verify which fabrics had been investigated in terms of microfiber shedding. Using selected keywords, a total number of 32 articles were included in this review after applying carefully developed inclusion and exclusion criteria. The influence of fabric parameters such as fiber polymer, length of fibers and yarn twist alongside fabric construction parameters such as gauge of knit and knit structure are critically evaluated within the systematically selected studies. This review highlights the agreed upon fabric parameters and constructions that can be implemented to reduce microfiber pollution released from knit textiles. The complexities and inconsistencies within the findings are streamlined to highlight the necessary future research agendas. This information is critical to facilitate the adoption of cross-industry collaboration to achieve pollution reduction strategies and policies. We call for more systematic studies to assess the relationship between individual textile parameters and their influence on microfiber shedding. Additionally, studies should work toward standardization to increase comparability between studies and created more comprehensive guidelines for policy development and voluntary actions for the textile and apparel industry to participate in addressing more sustainable practises through eco-design.

Sulfided nickel, an established hydrocracking and hydrotreating catalyst for hydrocarbon refining, was synthesized on porous aluminosilicate supports for the hydrocracking of mixed polyolefin waste. Zeolite beta, zeolite 13X, MCM41 and an amorphous silica-alumina catalyst support were impregnated with the single-source precursor (SSP) nickel (II) ethylxanthate for catalyst support screening. Application of this synthesis method to beta-supported nickel (Ni@Beta), as an alternative to wet impregnation using aqueous nickel (II) nitrate, provided catalytic materials with higher conversion to fluid products at the same mild batch reaction conditions of 330°C with appropriate agitation and 20 bar H 2 pressure. Mass balance quantification demonstrated that SSP-derived 5wt%Ni@Beta yielded a greater than 95 wt% conversion of a mixed polyolefin feed to fluid products, compared with 39.8 wt% conversion in the case of 5wt%Ni@Beta prepared by wet impregnation. Liquid and gas products were quantitatively analysed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), revealing a strong selectivity to saturated C 4 (37.3 wt%), C 5 (21.6 wt%) and C 6 (12.8 wt%) hydrocarbons in the case of the SSP-derived catalyst., Competing Interests: We declare we have no competing interests., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Background: : The incidence of work - related musculoskeletal disorders have been consistently high in nursing sectors and are a significant cost to the health service due to absenteeism. Work - related musculoskeletal disorders are more common among healthcare workers in nursing homes due to the high dependency needs of older persons which often include need for help with self-care and mobility. Therefore, staff are exposed to potential injury associated with moving and handling patients. Work - related musculoskeletal disorders significantly impact on the quality of life of affected individuals, can cause economic hardship and affect service provision., Aim: : To identify, review, and discuss interventions that may be effective in reducing the prevalence and consequences of work - related musculoskeletal disorders in nursing homes., Design: : An integrative literature review., Method: : A systematic search of Embase, Science direct, Web of science and EBSCO Host was conducted and an ancestry search of the references of the reviewed articles were also reviewed. Peer reviewed primary research published between 2000 and 2020 were selected. The quality of these studies was appraised with Crowe Quality Appraisal Tool and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The components of the interventions were categorised using Burnard (2011) framework for content analysis., Results: : Fifteen studies met the criteria for inclusion in the review. Interventions reported in the literature were in four categories; (i) Specialised equipment (ii) Staff training (iii) Policies and procedures to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders and (iv) Support and follow up. A ceiling lift is the intervention of choice to reduce work - related musculoskeletal disorders, as it reduces the stress associated with pushing and pulling. Risk assessment is vital to determine the individual needs of clients for safe handling. Train-the-trainer roles could be used to implement training interventions where resources limit the employment of a designated lead to facilitate injury prevention. A multifaceted approach to prevent and reduce work - related musculoskeletal disorders is recommended. Further research is required to ascertain the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy on injury reduction in nursing homes., Conclusion: : These findings have the potential to inform the development and adherence to injury prevention policies and regulations by healthcare managers and staff which could reduce injuries. Identifying the appropriate interventions to prevent and reduce work - related musculoskeletal disorders is significant for staff wellbeing, has economic implications in terms of reduced work - related musculoskeletal disorder absenteeism and ultimately will positively impact on the care of mobility impaired clients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Authors.)

The burden of stroke has been projected to increase in low-and middle-income countries due to the ongoing epidemiological transition. However, community-based stroke prevalence studies are sparse in sub-Saharan Africa particularly in Nigeria. This study aimed to provide a comparative estimate of the prevalence of stroke survivors in the rural Niger Delta region. A three-phased door-to-door survey was conducted using WHO modified instruments. In the first-phase, 2028 adults (≥18years) participants randomly selected from two rural communities were screened by trained health research assistants for probable stroke. In the second phase, suspected cases were screened with stroke-specific tool. Positive cases were made to undergo complete neurological evaluation by two study neurologist in phase-three. Stroke diagnosis was based on clinical evaluation using WHO criteria. Overall, 27 (8 first-ever and 19 recurrent cases) stroke survivors with crude prevalence of 13.31/1000 (95% CI, 8.32-18.31) and a non-significant difference in prevalence between the two study communities were found, (P=0.393I). In addition, age-adjusted prevalence of stroke survivors was 14.6/1000 person, about 7-folds higher than previous estimates outside the Niger Delta region. The prevalence increases significantly with advancing in age, P<0·001. Among others, hypertension (92.59%) was the commonest risk factor and comorbidity found. Improved stroke surveillance and care, as well as better management of the underlying risk factors, primarily undetected or uncontrolled high blood pressure, remains a public health priority., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Evidence of positive association between traffic-related air pollution and elevated blood pressure has been published widely. However, the risk of hypertension and prolonged exposure to crude oil pollution and gas flares remains unexplored., Methods: We recruited 2,028 residents (aged 18-80) in a cross-sectional survey of both oil/gas polluted and nonpolluted communities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Prevalence and risk of hypertension, anthropometric indices, lifestyle and sociodemographic factors, and cardiovascular comorbidities were examined and compared between the 2 groups. Hypertension was defined as blood pressure ≥140/90mm Hg or on antihypertensive medication. Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine factors associated with hypertension. Model fits statistics were used to assess the parsimonious model and predictive power., Results: More than one-third of participants were hypertensive (37.4%). Half of the participants were from oil-polluted areas (51%). Only 15% of participants reported family history of hypertension. In the adjusted model, participants living in oil-polluted areas were almost 5 times as likely to have developed hypertension (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.85, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.84-12.82) compared to participants in unpolluted areas. Age modifies the association between pollution status and risk of hypertension. For every 10 years increase in the age of the participants, the odds of developing hypertension increased by 108% (aOR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.77-2.43)., Conclusion: The results suggested that exposure to oil/gas pollution may be associated with an increased risk of hypertension. Our findings need to be further investigated in longitudinal studies., (© American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd 2016. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Adolescents are disposed to unprotected sexual activity and as a consequence, there is an increasing incidence of unwanted pregnancy among adolescent school girls in Nigeria. This study was carried out to assess the awareness, attitude and use of contraceptives among secondary school girls in Calabar, Nigeria and to determine how attitude affects its use., Methods: Data was obtained using self administered semi-structured questionnaires distributed to 480 secondary school girls out of which 450 were properly filled and returned. These were analysed using percentages and chi-square was used to test for significance., Results: The study revealed that contraceptive awareness was high. The main sources of contraceptive information were books/magazines (37%) and friends (26%). Three hundred and thirty-three (74%) girls had a negative attitude (misconceptions) towards contraceptives, while 117 (26%) girls said contraceptives were essential/useful. Sixty-six girls (14.7%) admitted that they were currently sexually active and 42 (9.3%) of them used contraceptives. There was a statistically significant association between positive attitude/beliefs and use of contraceptives (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: We recommend the provision of accurate contraceptive information to dispel these misconceptions and the establishment of adolescent reproductive health services which should be strictly confidential to encourage acceptability and optimum utilization.