Obafemi Awolowo University

Medicinal plants have been used in healthcare since time immemorial. Studies have been carried out globally to verify their efficacy and some of the findings have led to the production of plant-based medicines. The global market value of medicinal plant products exceeds $100 billion per annum. This paper discusses the role, contributions and usefulness of medicinal plants in tackling the diseases of public health importance, with particular emphasis on the current strategic approaches to disease prevention. A comparison is drawn between the 'whole population' and 'high-risk' strategies. The usefulness of the common-factor approach as a method of engaging other health promoters in propagating the ideals of medicinal plants is highlighted. The place of medicinal plants in preventing common diseases is further examined under the five core principles of the Primary Health Care (PHC) approach. Medicinal plants play vital roles in disease prevention and their promotion and use fit into all existing prevention strategies. However, conscious efforts need to be made to properly identify, recognise and position medicinal plants in the design and implementation of these strategies. These approaches present interesting and emerging perspectives in the field of medicinal plants. Recommendations are proposed for strategising the future role and place for medicinal plants in disease prevention.

Composting is the controlled conversion of degradable organic products and wastes into stable products with the aid of microorganisms. Composting is a long-used technology, though it has some shortcomings that have reduced its extensive usage and efficiency. The shortcomings include pathogen detection, low nutrient status, long duration of composting, long mineralization duration, and odor production. These challenges have publicized the use of chemical fertilizers produced through the Haber–Bosch process as an alternative to compost over time. Chemical fertilizers make nutrients readily available to plants, but their disadvantages outweigh their advantages. For example, chemical fertilizers contribute to greenhouse effects, environmental pollution, death of soil organisms and marine inhabitants, ozone layer depletion, and human diseases. These have resulted in farmers reverting to the application of composts as a means of restoring soil fertility. Composting is a fundamental process in agriculture and helps in the recycling of farm wastes. The long duration of composting is a challenge; this is due to the presence of materials that take a longer time to compost, especially during co-composting. This review discusses the proper management of wastes through composting, different composting methods, the factors affecting composting, long-duration composting, the mechanism behind it, the present trends in composting and prospects. The extraction of mono-fertilizers from compost, development of strips to test for the availability of heavy metals and pathogens as well as an odor-trapping technique can go a long way in enhancing composting techniques. The addition of activators to raw materials can help to improve the nutritional quality of compost. This review further recommends that degradable organic material in which composts slowly should be assessed for their ability to mineralize slowly, which could make them advantageous to perennial or biennial crops. Viricides, fungicides, anti-nematodes, and anti-bacterial of plant or organic sources could as well be added to improve compost quality. The enhancement of composting duration will also be useful.

The growth of the construction industry is severely limited by the myriad complex challenges it faces such as cost and time overruns, health and safety, productivity and labour shortages. Also, construction industry is one the least digitized industries in the world, which has made it difficult for it to tackle the problems it currently faces. An advanced digital technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), is currently revolutionising industries such as manufacturing, retail, and telecommunications. The subfields of AI such as machine learning, knowledge-based systems, computer vision, robotics and optimisation have successfully been applied in other industries to achieve increased profitability, efficiency, safety and security. While acknowledging the benefits of AI applications, numerous challenges which are relevant to AI still exist in the construction industry. This study aims to unravel AI applications, examine AI techniques being used and identify opportunites and challenges for AI applications in the construction industry. A critical review of available literature on AI applications in the construction industry such as activity monitoring, risk management, resource and waste optimisation was conducted. Furthermore, the opportunities and challenges of AI applications in construction were identified and presented in this study. This study provides insights into key AI applications as it applies to construction-specific challenges, as well as the pathway to realise the acrueable benefits of AI in the construction industry.

BACKGROUND: Utilization of maternal health services is associated with improved maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Considering global and national interests in the Millennium Development Goal and Nigeria's high level of maternal mortality, understanding the factors affecting maternal health use is crucial. Studies on the use of maternal care services have largely overlooked community and other contextual factors. This study examined the determinants of maternal services utilization in Nigeria, with a focus on individual, household, community and state-level factors. METHODS: Data from the 2005 National HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Survey - an interviewer-administered nationally representative survey - were analyzed to identify individual, household and community factors that were significantly associated with utilization of maternal care services among 2148 women who had a baby during the five years preceding the survey. In view of the nested nature of the data, we used multilevel analytic methods and assessed state-level random effects. RESULTS: Approximately three-fifths (60.3%) of the mothers used antenatal services at least once during their most recent pregnancy, while 43.5% had skilled attendants at delivery and 41.2% received postnatal care. There are commonalities and differences in the predictors of the three indicators of maternal health service utilization. Education is the only individual-level variable that is consistently a significant predictor of service utilization, while socio-economic level is a consistent significant predictor at the household level. At the community level, urban residence and community media saturation are consistently strong predictors. In contrast, some factors are significant in predicting one or more of the indicators of use but not for all. These inconsistent predictors include some individual level variables (the woman's age at the birth of the last child, ethnicity, the notion of ideal family size, and approval of family planning), a community-level variable (prevalence of the small family norm in the community), and a state-level variable (ratio of PHC to the population). CONCLUSION: Factors influencing maternal health services utilization operate at various levels - individual, household, community and state. Depending on the indicator of maternal health services, the relevant determinants vary. Effective interventions to promote maternal health service utilization should target the underlying individual, household, community and policy-level factors. The interventions should reflect the relative roles of the various underlying factors.

Time-varying covariance occurs when a covariate changes over time during the follow-up period. Such variable can be analyzed with the Cox regression model to estimate its effect on survival time. For this it is essential to organize the data in a counting process style. In situations when the proportional hazards assumption of the Cox regression model does not hold, we say that the effect of the covariate is time-varying. The proportional hazards assumption can be tested by examining the residuals of the model. The rejection of the null hypothesis induces the use of time varying coefficient to describe the data. The time varying coefficient can be described with a step function or a parametric time function. This article aims to illustrate how to carry out statistical analyses in the presence of time-varying covariates or coefficients with R.

There has been a paucity of information on trends in daily climate and climate extremes, especially from developing countries. We report the results of the analysis of daily temperature (maximum and minimum) and precipitation data from 14 south and west African countries over the period 1961–2000. Data were subject to quality control and processing into indices of climate extremes for release to the global community. Temperature extremes show patterns consistent with warming over most of the regions analyzed, with a large proportion of stations showing statistically significant trends for all temperature indices. Over 1961 to 2000, the regionally averaged occurrence of extreme cold (fifth percentile) days and nights has decreased by −3.7 and −6.0 days/decade, respectively. Over the same period, the occurrence of extreme hot (95th percentile) days and nights has increased by 8.2 and 8.6 days/decade, respectively. The average duration of warm (cold) has increased (decreased) by 2.4 (0.5) days/decade and warm spells. Overall, it appears that the hot tails of the distributions of daily maximum temperature have changed more than the cold tails; for minimum temperatures, hot tails show greater changes in the NW of the region, while cold tails have changed more in the SE and east. The diurnal temperature range (DTR) does not exhibit a consistent trend across the region, with many neighboring stations showing opposite trends. However, the DTR shows consistent increases in a zone across Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique, coinciding with more rapid increases in maximum temperature than minimum temperature extremes. Most precipitation indices do not exhibit consistent or statistically significant trends across the region. Regionally averaged total precipitation has decreased but is not statistically significant. At the same time, there has been a statistically significant increase in regionally averaged daily rainfall intensity and dry spell duration. While the majority of stations also show increasing trends for these two indices, only a few of these are statistically significant. There are increasing trends in regionally averaged rainfall on extreme precipitation days and in maximum annual 5‐day and 1‐day rainfall, but only trends for the latter are statistically significant.

Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) of permanent teeth occur frequently in children and young adults. Crown fractures and luxations of these teeth are the most commonly occurring of all dental injuries. Proper diagnosis, treatment planning, and follow up are important for achieving a favorable outcome. Guidelines should assist dentists and patients in decision making and in providing the best care possible, both effectively and efficiently. The International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) has developed these Guidelines as a consensus statement after a comprehensive review of the dental literature and working group discussions. Experienced researchers and clinicians from various specialties and the general dentistry community were included in the working group. In cases where the published data did not appear conclusive, recommendations were based on the consensus opinions of the working group. They were then reviewed and approved by the members of the IADT Board of Directors. These Guidelines represent the best current evidence based on literature search and expert opinion. The primary goal of these Guidelines is to delineate an approach for the immediate or urgent care of TDIs. In this first article, the IADT Guidelines cover the management of fractures and luxations of permanent teeth. The IADT does not, and cannot, guarantee favorable outcomes from adherence to the Guidelines. However, the IADT believes that their application can maximize the probability of favorable outcomes.

Avulsion of permanent teeth is one of the most serious dental injuries, and a prompt and correct emergency management is very important for the prognosis. The International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) has developed a consensus statement after a review of the dental literature and group discussions. Experienced researchers and clinicians from various specialties were included in the task group. The guidelines represent the current best evidence and practice based on literature research and professionals' opinion. In cases where the data did not appear conclusive, recommendations were based on the consensus opinion or majority decision of the task group. Finally, the IADT board members were giving their opinion and approval. The primary goal of these guidelines is to delineate an approach for the immediate orurgent care of avulsed permanent teeth.

In developing countries, acquired bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents is common in isolates from healthy persons and from persons with community-acquired infections. Complex socioeconomic and behavioral factors associated with antibiotic resistance, particularly regarding diarrheal and respiratory pathogens, in developing tropical countries, include misuse of antibiotics by health professionals, unskilled practitioners, and laypersons; poor drug quality; unhygienic conditions accounting for spread of resistant bacteria; and inadequate surveillance.

Abstract Avulsion of permanent teeth is one of the most serious dental injuries. Prompt and correct emergency management is essential for attaining the best outcome after this injury. The International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) has developed these Guidelines as a consensus statement after a comprehensive review of the dental literature and working group discussions. It represents the current best evidence and practice based on that literature search and expert opinions. Experienced researchers and clinicians from various specialties and the general dentistry community were included in the working group. In cases where the published data did not appear conclusive, recommendations were based on consensus opinions or majority decisions of the working group. They were then reviewed and approved by the members of the IADT Board of Directors. The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide clinicians with the most widely accepted and scientifically plausible approaches for the immediate or urgent care of avulsed permanent teeth. The IADT does not, and cannot, guarantee favorable outcomes from adherence to the Guidelines. However, the IADT believes that their application can maximize the probability of favorable outcomes.

Abstract Previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of stroke — the second leading cause of death worldwide — were conducted predominantly in populations of European ancestry 1,2 . Here, in cross-ancestry GWAS meta-analyses of 110,182 patients who have had a stroke (five ancestries, 33% non-European) and 1,503,898 control individuals, we identify association signals for stroke and its subtypes at 89 (61 new) independent loci: 60 in primary inverse-variance-weighted analyses and 29 in secondary meta-regression and multitrait analyses. On the basis of internal cross-ancestry validation and an independent follow-up in 89,084 additional cases of stroke (30% non-European) and 1,013,843 control individuals, 87% of the primary stroke risk loci and 60% of the secondary stroke risk loci were replicated ( P < 0.05). Effect sizes were highly correlated across ancestries. Cross-ancestry fine-mapping, in silico mutagenesis analysis 3 , and transcriptome-wide and proteome-wide association analyses revealed putative causal genes (such as SH3PXD2A and FURIN ) and variants (such as at GRK5 and NOS3 ). Using a three-pronged approach 4 , we provide genetic evidence for putative drug effects, highlighting F11, KLKB1, PROC, GP1BA, LAMC2 and VCAM1 as possible targets, with drugs already under investigation for stroke for F11 and PROC. A polygenic score integrating cross-ancestry and ancestry-specific stroke GWASs with vascular-risk factor GWASs (integrative polygenic scores) strongly predicted ischaemic stroke in populations of European, East Asian and African ancestry 5 . Stroke genetic risk scores were predictive of ischaemic stroke independent of clinical risk factors in 52,600 clinical-trial participants with cardiometabolic disease. Our results provide insights to inform biology, reveal potential drug targets and derive genetic risk prediction tools across ancestries.

H3Africa is developing capacity for health-related genomics research in Africa

The inhibition of mild steel corrosion in 1 M HCl by some quinoxalin-6-yl derivatives namely 1-[3-phenyl-5-quinoxalin-6-yl-4,5-dihydropyrazol-1-yl]butan-1-one (PQDPB), 1-(3-phenyl-5-(quinoxalin-6-yl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)propan-1-one (PQDPP), and 2-phenyl-1-[3-phenyl-5-(quinoxalin-6-yl)-4,5-dihydropyrazol-1-yl]ethanone (PPQDPE) has been investigated using electrochemical studies and quantum chemical calculations. The results showed that PQDPP is the best corrosion inhibitor among the three compounds studied and the inhibition efficiency increases with increase in concentration for all the inhibitors. The adsorption of inhibitor molecules on mild steel surface was found to be spontaneous and obeyed the Frumkin adsorption isotherm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images confirmed the formation of protective films of the inhibitors on mild steel surface. Quantum chemical calculations showed that the inhibitors have the tendency to be protonated in the acid and the results agree with experimental observations. Monte Carlo simulations were applied to search for the most stable configuration and adsorption energy for the interaction of inhibitors on Fe(110)/100 H2O interface. The results of the Monte Carlo simulations accord with the experimentally determined inhibition efficiencies. Different carbonyl substituents on the common nucleus of the three compounds obviously contributed to the difference in inhibition efficiency.

This study explored the correlates of climate anxiety in a diverse range of national contexts. We analysed cross-sectional data gathered in 32 countries (N = 12,246). Our results show that climate anxiety is positively related to rate of exposure to information about climate change impacts, the amount of attention people pay to climate change information, and perceived descriptive norms about emotional responding to climate change. Climate anxiety was also positively linked to pro-environmental behaviours and negatively linked to mental wellbeing. Notably, climate anxiety had a significant inverse association with mental wellbeing in 31 out of 32 countries. In contrast, it had a significant association with pro-environmental behaviour in 24 countries, and with environmental activism in 12 countries. Our findings highlight contextual boundaries to engagement in environmental action as an antidote to climate anxiety, and the broad international significance of considering negative climate-related emotions as a plausible threat to wellbeing.

Over the years, synthetic pesticides like herbicides, algicides, miticides, bactericides, fumigants, termiticides, repellents, insecticides, molluscicides, nematicides, and pheromones have been used to improve crop yield. When pesticides are used, the over-application and excess discharge into water bodies during rainfall often lead to death of fish and other aquatic life. Even when the fishes still live, their consumption by humans may lead to the biomagnification of chemicals in the body system and can cause deadly diseases, such as cancer, kidney diseases, diabetes, liver dysfunction, eczema, neurological destruction, cardiovascular diseases, and so on. Equally, synthetic pesticides harm the soil texture, soil microbes, animals, and plants. The dangers associated with the use of synthetic pesticides have necessitated the need for alternative use of organic pesticides (biopesticides), which are cheaper, environment friendly, and sustainable. Biopesticides can be sourced from microbes (e.g., metabolites), plants (e.g., from their exudates, essential oil, and extracts from bark, root, and leaves), and nanoparticles of biological origin (e.g., silver and gold nanoparticles). Unlike synthetic pesticides, microbial pesticides are specific in action, can be easily sourced without the need for expensive chemicals, and are environmentally sustainable without residual effects. Phytopesticides have myriad of phytochemical compounds that make them exhibit various mechanisms of action, likewise, they are not associated with the release of greenhouse gases and are of lesser risks to human health compared to the available synthetic pesticides. Nanobiopesticides have higher pesticidal activity, targeted or controlled release with top-notch biocompatibility and biodegradability. In this review, we examined the different types of pesticides, the merits, and demerits of synthetic pesticides and biopesticides, but more importantly, we x-rayed appropriate and sustainable approaches to improve the acceptability and commercial usage of microbial pesticides, phytopesticides, and nanobiopesticides for plant nutrition, crop protection/yield, animal/human health promotion, and their possible incorporation into the integrated pest management system.

Intra-abdominal infections (IAIs) are common surgical emergencies and have been reported as major contributors to non-trauma deaths in the emergency departments worldwide. The cornerstones of effective treatment of IAIs are early recognition, adequate source control, and appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Prompt resuscitation of patients with ongoing sepsis is of utmost important. In hospitals worldwide, non-acceptance of, or lack of access to, accessible evidence-based practices and guidelines result in overall poorer outcome of patients suffering IAIs. The aim of this paper is to promote global standards of care in IAIs and update the 2013 WSES guidelines for management of intra-abdominal infections.

BACKGROUND: Nonrheumatic valvular diseases are common; however, no studies have estimated their global or national burden. As part of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, mortality, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), degenerative mitral valve disease, and other nonrheumatic valvular diseases were estimated for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. METHODS: Vital registration data, epidemiologic survey data, and administrative hospital data were used to estimate disease burden using the Global Burden of Disease Study modeling framework, which ensures comparability across locations. Geospatial statistical methods were used to estimate disease for all countries, because data on nonrheumatic valvular diseases are extremely limited for some regions of the world, such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Results accounted for estimated level of disease severity as well as the estimated availability of valve repair or replacement procedures. DALYs and other measures of health-related burden were generated for both sexes and each 5-year age group, location, and year from 1990 to 2017. RESULTS: Globally, CAVD and degenerative mitral valve disease caused 102 700 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 82 700-107 900) and 35 700 (95% UI, 30 500-42 500) deaths, and 12.6 million (95% UI, 11.4 million-13.8 million) and 18.1 million (95% UI, 17.6 million-18.6 million) prevalent cases existed in 2017, respectively. A total of 2.5 million (95% UI, 2.3 million-2.8 million) DALYs were estimated as caused by nonrheumatic valvular diseases globally, representing 0.10% (95% UI, 0.09%-0.11%) of total lost health from all diseases in 2017. The number of DALYs increased for CAVD and degenerative mitral valve disease between 1990 and 2017 by 101% (95% UI, 79%-117%) and 35% (95% UI, 23%-47%), respectively. There is significant geographic variation in the prevalence, mortality rate, and overall burden of these diseases, with highest age-standardized DALY rates of CAVD estimated for high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: These global and national estimates demonstrate that CAVD and degenerative mitral valve disease are important causes of disease burden among older adults. Efforts to clarify modifiable risk factors and improve access to valve interventions are necessary if progress is to be made toward reducing, and eventually eliminating, the burden of these highly treatable diseases.

The aim of this study is to develop a BIM-based Whole-life Performance Estimator (BWPE) for appraising the salvage performance of structural components of buildings right from the design stage. A review of the extant literature was carried out to identify factors that influence salvage performance of structural components of buildings during their useful life. Thereafter, a mathematical modelling approach was adopted to develop BWPE using the identified factors and principle/concept of Weibull reliability distribution for manufactured products.
\nThe model was implemented in Building Information Modelling (BIM) environment and it was tested using case study design. Accordingly, the whole-life salvage performance profiles of the case study building were generated.
\nThe results show that building design with steel structure, demountable connections, and prefabricated assemblies
\nproduce recoverable materials that are mostly reusable. The study reveals that BWPE is an objective
\nmeans for determining how much of recoverable materials from buildings are reusable and recyclable at the end
\nof its useful life. BWPE will therefore provide a decision support mechanism for the architects and designers to
\nanalyse the implication of designs decision on the salvage performance of buildings over time. It will also be
\nuseful to the demolition engineers and consultants to generate pre-demolition audit when the building gets to
\nend of its life.

Traumatic injuries to the primary dentition present special problems that often require far different management when compared to that used for the permanent dentition. The International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) has developed these Guidelines as a consensus statement after a comprehensive review of the dental literature and working group discussions. Experienced researchers and clinicians from various specialties and the general dentistry community were included in the working group. In cases where the published data did not appear conclusive, recommendations were based on the consensus opinions or majority decisions of the working group. They were then reviewed and approved by the members of the IADT Board of Directors. The primary goal of these Guidelines is to provide clinicians with an approach for the immediate or urgent care of primary teeth injuries based on the best evidence provided by the literature and expert opinions. The IADT cannot, and does not, guarantee favorable outcomes from strict adherence to the Guidelines; however, the IADT believes their application can maximize the probability of favorable outcomes.

The strict orthology of mitochondrial (mt) coding sequences has promoted their use in phylogenetic analyses at different levels. Here we present the results of a mitogenomic study (i.e., analysis based on the set of protein-coding genes from complete mt genomes) of 60 mammalian species. This number includes 11 new mt genomes. The sampling comprises all but one of the traditional eutherian orders. The previously unrepresented order Dermoptera (flying lemurs) fell within Primates as the sister group of Anthropoidea, making Primates paraphyletic. This relationship was strongly supported. Lipotyphla ("insectivores") split into three distinct lineages: Erinaceomorpha, Tenrecomorpha, and Soricomorpha. Erinaceomorpha was the basal eutherian lineage. Sirenia (dugong) and Macroscelidea (elephant shrew) fell within the African clade. Pholidota (pangolin) joined the Cetferungulata as the sister group of Carnivora. The analyses identified monophyletic Pinnipedia with Otariidae (sea lions, fur seals) and Odobenidae (walruses) as sister groups to the exclusion of Phocidae (true seals).