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Background: Previous workers have reported several social and health problems faced by itinerant Qur'anic scholars in parts of northern Nigeria. Objective: To describe the characteristics and medico-social problems of itinerant Qur'anic scholars in Kano. Design: A cross sectional descriptive study. Methods: Structured interview questionnaires were administered to 115 Qur'anic scholars in Kano city in order to obtain information about their medico-social problems. Results: All were males whose ages ranged between five and 26 years with a median age of 11 years. Ninety five percent of the scholars had not attended primary school. Their social problems included parental deprivation (100 percent), illiteracy (95 percent), food insecurity (61 percent) and sleeping in overcrowded conditions. Fifty eight (50 percent) of them were involved in fighting, five (4.3 percent) in rioting and two (1.7 percent) were engaged in stealing. Their health problems comprised mainly dermatological diseases and haematuria. Conclusion: Serious efforts should be made by the authorities to reform the itinerant Qur'anic educational system.

Bladder injury is one of the recognized entities of the genitourinary organ system trauma. The causes are numerous, including road traffic crashes, falls from heights, gunshot injuries, and iatrogenic causes, among others. In some cases, the diagnosis may be difficult to make or missed, resulting in severe morbidity. Postoperative implant-associated bladder injury is a rare and unfamiliar etiology in our setting. This article discusses the case of a 60-year-old farmer who sustained polytrauma in a road traffic crash, including pelvic fracture and urethral distraction injury, among others. He had a pelvic implant during the initial surgical intervention as part of resuscitation or damage control surgery. However, urine started to leak from his suprapubic wound a few days after operation. This condition was persistent despite continuous bladder drainage with an indwelling urethral catheter. He subsequently had bladder re-exploration, which confirmed an anterior bladder wall perforation secondary to the dislodged pelvic implant. Bladder injury due to pelvic implant is rare, but possible. Bladder exploration is warranted and rewarding in patients with suspicion of persistent vesicocutaneous fistula following pelvic implant surgery.

The emergence and re-emergence of the avian influenza virus in humans, particularly the A (H5) sub-types, have persistently presented a substantial danger to human well-being. Interestingly, the avian influenza virus has remained important despite various studies on the mechanism of inter-species transmission. In part, this is due to the insufficient understanding of the virus’ pathogenesis, the diagnostic challenges, and the limited knowledge about the virus’ genetic makeup, which enables it to keep evolving. Given the devastating nature of this disease and the possibility of the virus triggering a pandemic, this review aims to evaluate the current strains of Type A (H5) avian influenza virus, to better understand the mechanism of its interactions with humans, and to address critical questions related to its epidemiology. We further explored the factors contributing to the severity of the infection, which may improve the diagnosis and therapeutic options employed in the treatment of this disease.

To assess the feasibility of beverage industry wastewater (BIW) reuse, this study attempts to examine the effectiveness of a Hybrid Suspended Growth Bioreactor System (H-SGBS) for the treatment of BIW. The bioreactor comprises of an anoxic, aerobic, aerobic digester chamber, and a clarifier to settle sludge. Response surface methodology (RSM) was utilised to design the experiment and examine the impact of different operating variables. Hydraulic retention periods (HRT) of 1–3 days were adopted for H-SGBS with BIW concentrations of 20–100%. The results revealed that maximum NH4+-N removal of 94.26% was attained at 60% BIW and 2 d HRT. Therefore, further testing is not required. The ultimate effluent quality increased with the addition of an aerobic chamber to the bioreactor, meeting most environmental and economic requirements. Treating BIW using the first two chambers of H-SGBS was possible with an overall energy usage of 0.15 kWh/m3 and an operational cost of roughly 6.48 USD/m3. Consequently, using aerobic digester chamber, and a clarifier to settle sludge to remove NH4+-N from H-SGBS was a promising and cost-efficient strategy. It could also be termed as a useful and sustainable treatment process for BIW. The First order, Grau Second order, and Modified Stover-Kincannon models were utilised to assess substrate removal rates. The models that best fit the experimental data turned out to be the modified Stover-Kincannon (R2 = 0.97309) and Grau second order (R2 = 0.95838). Thus, it could be said that the H-SGBS has successfully removed contaminants while also degrading BIW in sludge. The findings of this study indicate that the recently developed H-SGBS with native mixed microorganisms can remediate contaminants released from the beverage industry. To further reduce the NH4+-N concentration, a tertiary treatment step might be necessary.

Characterization of fluid–rock interactions is essential for a broad range of subsurface applications such as understanding fluid flow in porous medium and enhanced oil recovery predictions. Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is crucial in oil and gas production operations, it entails injecting fluids into the reservoir to enhance productivity. When fluids are injected, interactions occur between the injected fluids and the reservoir rock/fluids; and the outcomes of fluid–rock interactions critically impact the fluid flow in porous medium and the associated oil recovery. Furthermore, the associated changes in reservoir properties (porosity, permeability etc.) and flow behavior (i.e. wettability alteration and relative permeability changes) demonstrate variability at a range of scales. Thus, it is of great importance to understand these interactions at multiple scales and their ensuing implications on EOR. This study therefore provides a comprehensive review of the types of fluid–rock interactions in both carbonate and sandstone reservoirs. Fluid–rock interactions quantification methods, their applicability and principle of measurements were summarized. The implications of fluid–rock​ interactions were extensively discussed. Finally, we identified and highlighted some research gaps and provided recommendations for future research directions.The findings of this review show that despite numerous studies on fluid–rock interactions such as adsorption, dissolution/precipitation, clay swelling/fines migration and wetting characteristics in porous media involving EOR fluids, the exact mechanism of action of these fluids during EOR applications in rock/oil/brine system, is still not fully understood. The extent and implications of these fluid–rock interactions on EOR depends on several factors/parameters. Such factors include the injected fluid type and chemical composition, rock type and mineralogical composition, brine pH, salinity and composition. Moreover, the review shows that all the fluid–rock interactions quantification techniques have some limitations either in their applicability, measurement range, or uncertainty level. Therefore, the incorporation of various imaging and characterization tools would be required for improved understanding the fluid–rock interactions.The review, therefore, provides critical insights in the area of fluid–rock interactions and its implications on EOR. Thus, the findings of this review are expected to enhance our knowledge and provide better understanding of fluid–rock interactions and thereby reduce the uncertainties associated with laboratory-scale predictions, reservoir management and enhanced recovery of oil.

Abstract Background Vaccines used in the national immunization program are relatively safe and effective. However, no vaccine is perfectly safe. Therefore, adverse reactions may occur. This study aimed to investigate the understanding and experience of Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) among healthcare workers and Routine Immunization (RI) officers. Methods Phenomenological qualitative study was conducted between June and September 2019, using a semi-structured question guide in Kebbi State, Northwest Nigeria. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 12 RI providers, eight Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) officers, and eight Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The interviews were transcribed and translated, then manually analyzed thematically. Results The knowledge level of healthcare providers on AEFI definition and classification varied and was suboptimal. Error during vaccination was the study participants' most frequently mentioned possible cause of AEFI. Persistent crying, fever, fainting, and swelling and tenderness at injection sites were the AEFI experienced by the healthcare providers in their careers. Block rejection, lower immunization uptake, loss of confidence in RI, attack on RI providers, discrimination of RI providers and divorce threats among spouses were the consequences of AEFI. Supportive supervision of the RI sessions, refresher training on safe injection for RI providers, and symptomatic treatment of clients with AEFI would prevent AEFI consequences. Also, educating caregivers, community sensitization, and dialogue would minimize the consequences of AEFI. Conclusions Evidence of a sub-optimal understanding of AEFI was established in this study. Hence, policymakers should consider regular refresher training on AEFI to ensure all RI providers have an optimal understanding of AEFI. Health education of caregivers and parents during RI sessions and community engagement should be considered to minimise AEFI consequences on the immunization program and the society.

Based on the Work Plan of the Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia, the number of foreign workers entering Indonesia in 2018 were 353,630 workers, causing the Indonesian workers to find job more difficult in their country. The Research Objectives are: (a) To describe policies and implementations to decrease unemployment rates in Southeast Sulawesi Province; (b) To Analyze an expert Chinese Foreign Worker accompanied by ten Indonesian Workers for transfer of knowledge and transfer of jobs; (c) To Identify Chinese Foreign Workers and Indonesian Workers who are employed in Chinese Companies. The research design is a cross sectional design. The sample consisted of 100 people, while the data analysis used flow models, correlation and respondents' perceptions. The results showed that there were 10 Chinese workers and 90 Indonesian workers who worked in a chinese companies, but there are discrimination in different position and payroll system that Chinese workers salary were higher than Indonesian workers.

Essential oils (EOs) have gained a renewed interest in many disciplines such as plant disease control and medicine. This review discusses the components of ginger EOs, their mode of action, and their potential nanotechnology applications in controlling tropical plant diseases. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), high-performance liquid chromatography, and headspace procedures are commonly used to detect and profile their chemical compositions EOs in ginger. The ginger EOs are composed of monoterpenes (transcaryophyllene, camphene, geranial, eucalyptol, and neral) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (α-zingiberene, ar-curcumene, β-bisabolene, and β-sesquiphellandrene). GC-MS analysis of the EOs revealed many compounds but few compounds were revealed using the headspace approach. The EOs have a wide range of activities against many phytopathogens. EOs mode of action affects both the pathogen cell’s external envelope and internal structures. The problems associated with solubility and stability of EOs had prompted the use nanotechnology such as nanoemulsions. The use of nanoemulsion to increase efficiency and supply of EOs to control plant diseases control was discussed in this present paper. The findings of this review paper may accelerate the effective use of ginger EOs in controlling tropical plant diseases.

In-situ rain gauge stations are not adequately covering the total area of Upper Benue basin in Nigeria. An accurate gridded precipitation dataset is therefore required for climate study, hydrological modelling and water resource management. For this purpose, three candidates of global, gauge-based, daily, gridded precipitation products were evaluated and compared with the monitoring data from eight stations spanning 25 years period from 1982 to 2006. The three products are Climate Research Unit (CRU), the Climate Prediction Centre (CPC), and the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC). The evaluations covered spatial analyses and statistical validations for daily, monthly, seasonal, and extreme rainfall data. Results show that all the three datasets captured well the spatial rainfall characteristics and were able to replicate the rainfall gradient and orographic conditions of the study area, thoughthe GPCC dataset outperformed the others. Line plots and scatter plots were used to compare the gridded datasets with the observation data formonthly data. The GPCC and CRU datasets are both better than that of the CPC. We also used the mean absolute error, the mean bias error, the correlation coefficient, and the modified index of agreement to compare daily data, and found that the GPCC set isthe most agreeable with the observation and the CPC set is the least. The daily gridded data products were also compared using probability distribution similarity, with the in-situ data by KS and AD tests. We found the distributions of GPCC and CRU datasets to follow the same distribution as that of the rain gauge data but that of the CPC does not. The results of the extreme events namely annual maximum numbers of consecutive dry-, wet-day, and total rainfall depth show that the dataset of GPCC is the most compatible with the observation and the CPC set is again the least. The most suitable daily ground-based gridded precipitation dataset for hydrological study and modelling in the Upper Benue basin is therefore the GPCC.

The Gongola basin has witnessed tremendous environmental changes over the last three decades as a direct consequence of urban growth, deforestation (including encroachment of existing forest reserves), agricultural expansion, overgrazing, bush burning, drought and recurrent flooding episodes. The impact of these changes is influential on the basin’s hydrology, water resource and ecological process, yet, future land cover information to evaluate possible implications on its hydrology and the overall ecosystem is non-existence. Consequently, this study attempts to simulate future land cover demands of 2028 and 2038 for the basin, based on land cover images of 1988, 2003 and 2018 to develop land use/landcover (LU/LC) scenarios for possible hydrologic impact assessments. The method of the research therefore, premised on the use of cellular automata and Markov chain (CA-Markov) model, driven by a number of factors and constraints. Results indicate the land cover change to be mainly driven by rapid growth in urban and agricultural lands, contrary to the vegetation cover, which had been the dominant land cover type in the past. Besides, during the 30 years period, there were noticeable 37.05, 20.21 and 11.55 % increase in urban built-up, bare surface and agricultural land respectively, at the detriment of natural vegetation, which has itself decreased by 18.78 % over the period, with an estimated annual loss of approximately 330 km2of natural vegetation. The decrease in the coverage area of water body was significant (3.55 %) for the same period. Findings from future simulations of LU/LC trends in the basin, show that urban area would have increased by 39 % and agriculture by 34 % by2028 relative to the baseline period of 2003. Conversely, the natural vegetation trailed a declining trend (39 %) higher in magnitude than the preceding years. The developed LU/LC scenarios for the basin can provide an opportunity for water resource managers and experts to understand the trends in changing land use for effective planning and management.

BACKGROUND: The 313-variant polygenic risk score (PRS313) provides a promising tool for clinical breast cancer risk prediction. However, evaluation of the PRS313 across different European populations which could influence risk estimation has not been performed. METHODS: We explored the distribution of PRS313 across European populations using genotype data from 94,072 females without breast cancer diagnosis, of European-ancestry from 21 countries participating in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) and 223,316 females without breast cancer diagnosis from the UK Biobank. The mean PRS was calculated by country in the BCAC dataset and by country of birth in the UK Biobank. We explored different approaches to reduce the observed heterogeneity in the mean PRS across the countries, and investigated the implications of the distribution variability in risk prediction. RESULTS: The mean PRS313 differed markedly across European countries, being highest in individuals from Greece and Italy and lowest in individuals from Ireland. Using the overall European PRS313 distribution to define risk categories, leads to overestimation and underestimation of risk in some individuals from these countries. Adjustment for principal components explained most of the observed heterogeneity in the mean PRS. The mean estimates derived when using an empirical Bayes approach were similar to the predicted means after principal component adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that PRS distribution differs even within European ancestry populations leading to underestimation or overestimation of risk in specific European countries, which could potentially influence clinical management of some individuals if is not appropriately accounted for. Population-specific PRS distributions may be used in breast cancer risk estimation to ensure predicted risks are correctly calibrated across risk categories.

Heterochromatin plays a critical role in regulating gene expression and maintaining genome integrity. While structural and enzymatic components have been linked to heterochromatin establishment, a comprehensive view of the underlying pathways at diverse heterochromatin domains remains elusive. Here, we developed a systematic approach to identify factors involved in heterochromatin silencing at pericentromeres, subtelomeres and the silent mating type locus in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Using quantitative measures, iterative genetic screening and domain-specific heterochromatin reporters, we identified 369 mutants with different degrees of reduced or enhanced silencing. As expected, mutations in the core heterochromatin machinery globally decreased silencing. However, most other mutants exhibited distinct qualitative and quantitative profiles that indicate heterochromatin domain-specific functions, as seen for example for metabolic pathways affecting primarily subtelomere silencing. Moreover, similar phenotypic profiles revealed shared functions for subunits within complexes. We further discovered that the uncharacterized protein Dhm2 plays a crucial role in heterochromatin maintenance, affecting the inheritance of H3K9 methylation and the clonal propagation of the repressed state. Additionally, Dhm2 loss resulted in delayed S-phase progression and replication stress. Collectively, our systematic approach unveiled a landscape of domain-specific heterochromatin regulators controlling distinct states and identified Dhm2 as a previously unknown factor linked to heterochromatin inheritance and replication fidelity.

The study quantitatively assesses the ability of five Global Circulation Models (GCMs) in the fast track of Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI-MIP) to reproduce the observed precipitation climatology over the Gongola river basin of Nigeria for the period 1982−2004. The recent occurrences of recurrent flooding episodes in the basin is alarming. Hence, the models' present-day precipitation is evaluated relative to Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) observational datasets based on spatial analysis, statistical measures and climate indices at annual, monthly and daily cycles to identify the most appropriate GCM for impact model in the basin. The results show that climate models replicate the annual precipitation pattern well, both spatially and in magnitude with varying margins. Moreover, the GCMs captured the orographic pattern in the Jos plateau and the general decreasing precipitation trend towards the basin's northeast. amongst the GCMs, IPSL-CM5A-LR better captured the rainy season in the basin extents from April to October and May to October respectively over the Jos plateau and other regions, with maximum rainfall occurring in August, exhibiting a unimodal pattern. The HADGEM2-ES however, better represented the most occurring rainfall intensity in the basin (5 to 50 mm hr−1) in most regions. The degree of pattern correspondence was found highest for IPSL-CM5A-LR with a correlation coefficient of 0.73. Only HADGEM2-ES was able to capture the spatial variability of maximum consecutive dry days over the study domain, increasing from 150 days around the Jos plateau to 200 days over Uba plain. In any case, the HADGEM2-ES appeared to be the most promising model for simulating the extreme conditions over the Gongola basin and can therefore be selected for the application of hydrological impact model for adaption strategy.

Background: The burden of drug abuse is becoming a public health concern in Nigeria. Preventive measures should include identifying the root causes of the burden for targeted intervention. We, therefore, aim to conduct a scoping review of the literature to summarize the findings of epidemiological studies on drug abuse and provisions of drug laws in Nigeria. The review also provides appropriate recommendations as interventions for prevention.Methods: We conducted a systematic search of the literature on PubMed to identify information on drug abuse and drug laws in Nigeria from the inception of the database to March 2020. Additional information was retrieved from Google Scholar, a manual search of included articles, discussion with experts on the subject matter, and gray literature. Study selection was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statements. Information from gray literature was assessed for quality and accuracy using the AACODS checklist (authority, accuracy, coverage, objectively, date, significance).Results: The systematic search of the literature generated 253 studies. Nine articles were obtained from other sources. After the selection process, 23 eligible studies were included for review. A prevalence of 20–40% and 20.9% of drug abuse was reported among students and youths, respectively. Commonly abused drugs include cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine, heroin, diazepam, codeine, cough syrup and tramadol. Sources where abusers obtained drugs, were pharmacies/patent medicine shops, open drug markets, drug hawkers, fellow drug abusers, friends, and drug pushers. Drug abuse was common among undergraduates and secondary school students, youths, commercial bus drivers, farmers, and sex workers. Reason for use included to increase physical performance, stress and to derive pleasure. Poor socioeconomic factors and low educational background were the common risk factors associated with drug abuse. We identified several drug laws and policies that were established under government agencies such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and a Presidential Advisory Committee.Conclusion: Findings from epidemiological studies on drug abuse in Nigeria has demonstrated that the burden of drug abuse is still high despite the existing drug laws, policies, and strategies for prevention. Measures to reduce the burden should involve the community, government, and religious bodies. Preventive measures should target the youths, the students, identified sources of the drugs, reasons and risk factors associated with drug abuse in Nigeria.