Science as a Global Public Good:The position of the International Science Council

Preface In 2014,the journal Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(BCAS)published an article(Chinese Academy of Sciences,2014)entitled Towards Excellence in Science.In part it was an injunction to Chinese scientists and their institutions to set higher standards for themselves,but it was also a strong statement about the values of the scientific enterprise,one based on a deep regard for truth,rigour in its pursuit,and the responsibility of science in enhancing human wellbeing.It identified the mission of science as the discovery of new knowledge in the service of society and humanity,in strengthening self-governance and self-regulation in ways that uphold the reliability of the scientific method and aspire to high standards of honesty and integrity.

Special topic on optical imaging and measurement

Optical imaging and measurement are closely related and have a wide range of applications such as non-destructive testing, ultra precision manufacturing, virtual reality, and intelligent driving control, etc. Optical imaging instruments are an important means for humans to observe the universe and understand nature. Optical measurement technology with advantages of non-contact, fast speed, and high precision.

Phytochemical screening and antibacterial activities of Momordica charantia and Vernonia amygdalina extracts on some selected enteric isolates

Background:This research focuses on herbal medicine,an ancient healthcare practice,exploring the antibacterial attributes of fresh and dried leaf extracts from Momordica charantia(commonly known as Bitter melon)and Vernonia amygdalina(Bitter leaf).The study specifically investigates their effects on different bacterial strains associated with gastroenteritis.Methods:Four enteric bacterial isolates-Klebsiella pneumoniae,Salmonella typhi,Escherichia coli,and Proteus mirabilis-were obtained from the Medical Laboratory Unit at Babcock University Teaching Hospital in Ilishan-Remo,Ogun State.Phytochemical screening and antibacterial testing were conducted using standard biochemical techniques and the Punch-hole agar diffusion method,respectively.Results:Qualitative phytochemical screening of the plant extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids,glycosides,and saponin in both plants,excluding terpenoids.Alkaloids were identified only in Vernonia amygdalina.Despite these phytochemicals,neither plant displayed inhibitory effects on the tested bacterial isolates(Escherichia coli,Proteus mirabilis,Klebsiella pneumoniae,and Salmonella typhi)when tested individually or in combination.Intriguingly,combining the fresh and dried leaf extracts of Momordica charantia and Vernonia amygdalina with a standard drug resulted in smaller mean zone diameters of inhibition(Escherichia coli range:14 mm–16 mm,Proteus mirabilis range:31 mm–35 mm,Klebsiella pneumoniae range:13 mm–22 mm,and Salmonella typhi range:35 mm–38 mm)compared to the drug tested alone(16 mm–45 mm).Conclusion:Despite previous indications of antibacterial properties in various extracts of V.amygdalina and M.charantia leaves,our study presents contradictory results,prompting the need for further investigation despite the presence of significant phytochemicals.

Occupational exposure to flour dust among bakery workers:prevalence,potential hazards and promising interventions

Occupational exposure to flour dust within bakery environments presents significant health hazards to bakery personnel.Flour dust,generated as a byproduct during baking,becomes airborne during the baking process,thus constituting a respiratory threat.Adverse health consequences include respiratory diseases,skin irritation,allergic reactions,and potential long-term health impacts.Data indicates that a broad segment of bakery workers encounters exposure to flour dust,with specific subgroups,such as bakers and dough mixers,being particularly susceptible.Contributing factors to this exposure encompass insufficient ventilation and a lack of awareness.It is vital to assess exposure levels through air quality monitoring and health surveillance.Efficient interventions encompass engineering solutions(e.g.,ventilation systems,dust extraction),administrative measures(including training and the use of personal protective equipment),and the implementation of occupational health and safety programs.Collaborative efforts with healthcare professionals and regulatory authorities are paramount for achieving success.Case studies underscore the effectiveness of such interventions,resulting in improved worker health,thus underscoring the advantages of protective measures.Challenges in this endeavor include industry resistance to change,financial considerations,and issues related to compliance.Future recommendations entail further research,policy enhancements,and the involvement of industry stakeholders and labor unions in advocating for worker safety.

太湖猪种质基因特征研究

采用PCRRFLPs、PCRSSCPs和PCRDSCPs分析方法,对我国太湖猪(二花脸猪和梅山猪)18个功能基因特征进行了研究,并与大白猪进行了比较。18个功能基因是:乌头酸酶2(ACO2)、缩胆囊素肠促胰酶肽(CCK)、17β雌二醇脱氢酶(ED)、雌激素受体(ESR)、血纤维蛋白原(FGG)、生长激素(GH)、黏合素(HXB)、促黄体素释放激素受体(LHRHR)、白血病抑制因子(LIF)、莫洛尼鼠肉瘤病毒致肿瘤基因同系物(MOS)、黏病毒抗性1(MX1)、甲状旁腺激素(PTH)、磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶(PGD)、维生素A结合蛋白2(RBP2)、T细胞受体α(TCRA)、T细胞受体β簇(TCRB)、转化生长因子β3(TGFB3)和甲状腺素运载蛋白(TTR)。研究结果表明,CCK、FGG、LHRHR、LIF和RBP2基因位点所扩增片段在两品种群内均呈单态性,而其他位点则呈多态性变异。太湖猪在ACO2、ED、ESR和TTR基因所扩增区域均已纯合固定,表现出保守性的一面;而在HXB、PGD和PTH位点上则出现多个等位基因,表现出变异性的一面。除在TGFB3基因位点外,太湖猪与大白猪在其他所有基因位点等位基因频率均有显著差异(P<0.01)。中国太湖猪的保守性与变异性在猪的基因定位、QTL定位及标记辅助选择中将起重要的作用。

Seroprevalence, Type-Specific of Herpes Simplex Virus and Associated Risk Factors among Women of Child Bearing Age in Kogi State, Nigeria

Background: Viruses of the Herpes viridae family infect 90% of the Earth’s population. Humans are the hosts of at least nine unique herpes viruses. Aim: This study is aimed at evaluating the seroprevalence of type specific herpes simplex virus infection and the associated risk factors in a cross-section of asymptomatic healthy women of childbearing age in Kogi state, Nigeria. Methodology: A total of 330 females of child bearing age (15 - 49 years) participated in this study. They were recruited from various local government areas of three Senatorial districts of Kogi state. Blood samples were collected from participants and analyzed for HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies (IgG) quantitatively with ELISA kit. Results: The overall prevalence of HSV was 76.7%. Data further show that majority (96.4%) of the population studied had HSV-1, while 77% had HSV-2 infections. Results also showed that the young adults indicated prevalence of 95.7% for HSV-1 and 74.7% for HSV-2, while in the middle aged, the prevalence were 98.6% for HSV-1, and 84.9% for HSV-2. 99.2% of the married women were positive for HSV-1, while 86.9% were positive for HSV-2. 94.5% of the unmarried women were positive for HSV-1, while 70.5% were positive for HSV-2. The risk of HVS-1 or VS-2 infections was not associated with age, age of first sexual exposure and number sex partners before marriage. Married women were at greater risk for HSV-1 (p = 0.03) and HSV-2 (p ≤ 0.001) infections compared to the unmarried women. Conclusion: The prevalence of the HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections was high among asymptomatic healthy women of childbearing age in Kogi state, Nigeria. Efforts should be made to increase the awareness of HSV infection among the child bearing populace.

Incidence and risk of anemia in type-2 diabetic patients in the absence of renal impairment

Aim: To determine the incidence of anemia in type-2 diabetic patients with normal renal function and assess the association of other factors related to diabetes with the risk of anemia. Methods: The study group comprised 72 patients with type-2 diabetes. Patients were divided into groups according to glycemic control, gender and age. Serum creatinine, hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) of subjects were measured. The presence of anemia was defined by a he- moglobin level 7.5%) compared to those with controlled diabetes (≤7.5%) and in patients of age ≥ 60 yrs compared to those of age < 60 yrs (p < 0.05). The odds of anemia was similar in males and females (p = 0.26). Conclusion: This study indicated that poor glycemic control and old age are associated with the incidence of anemia in type-2 diabetics with normal renal function. Our findings suggest that treatment criteria for diabetes should include routine hematological tests and take into consideration the inevitable consequences of ageing, and poor glycemic control.

在水资源综合管理中如何体现生态系统的服务功能

全球水合作组织(GWP)系由联合国开发计划署和世界银行于1995年发起的一个全球性自愿合作机构,旨在为水资源综合管理(IWRM)提供可行性建议,即包括在不破坏重要生态系统稳定性的前提下,为获得最大经济效益和谋取最大社会福利而进行的水源、土地和相关资源的协调发展和有效管理。GWP的各项活动将为确保水流域重要生态服务功能得到应有的重视,协助提供必要的基础。为了避免人类赖以生存的生命支持系统遭受破坏,环境资源基础的基本组成部分必须得到保护。

Estimate of the lower-limb-specific muscle parameters during bipedal walking for humans,apes and early hominids with the implications for the evolution of body proportion

Modern human has different body proportion from early hominids and great apes.Comparing with others,in general,modern human adults have relatively long lower limb and heavier body weight.Since the lower limbs provide support to the whole body and play an important role in walking,it is proposed that the ratio of the lower limb to the whole body for modern human could be beneficial to bipedal walking.This study tried to estimate the muscle parameters of the lower limb in walking for the subjects with various body proportions.Using a simplified musculoskeletal model,some muscle parameters of the lower limb,e.g.muscle force,stress,work and power,were estimated for modern human adult,child,AL 288-1(the fossil specimens of Australopithecus afarensis,3.18 million years old)and apes.The results show that with the body proportion modern human adult spends less muscle work and power in walking than other subjects.The results imply that using the cost of transport(i.e.the muscle work of the lower limb per unit of displacement)as the criteria,the early hominids,if their body proportions were structurally similar to AL 288-1,could evolve towards what modern human adult looks like,in order to save energy during bipedal walking.

Sicomines: A Successful Case of Mineral Industrialization in Africa

SICOMINES is proving a mineral industrialization success story on the African continent.On April 22,2008,a groundbreaking agreement on cooperation in mining and infrastructure development,so creating the mining company Sicomines,was signed between a consortium of Chinese companies(Sinohydro and China Railway Engineering Corporation),and the Congolese government-

Analysis of Complex Correlated Interval-Censored HIV Data from Population Based Survey

In studies of HIV, interval-censored data occur naturally. HIV infection time is not usually known exactly, only that it occurred before the survey, within some time interval or has not occurred at the time of the survey. Infections are often clustered within geographical areas such as enumerator areas (EAs) and thus inducing unobserved frailty. In this paper we consider an approach for estimating parameters when infection time is unknown and assumed correlated within an EA where dependency is modeled as frailties assuming a normal distribution for frailties and a Weibull distribution for baseline hazards. The data was from a household based population survey that used a multi-stage stratified sample design to randomly select 23,275 interviewed individuals from 10,584 households of whom 15,851 interviewed individuals were further tested for HIV (crude prevalence = 9.1%). A further test conducted among those that tested HIV positive found 181 (12.5%) recently infected. Results show high degree of heterogeneity in HIV distribution between EAs translating to a modest correlation of 0.198. Intervention strategies should target geographical areas that contribute disproportionately to the epidemic of HIV. Further research needs to identify such hot spot areas and understand what factors make these areas prone to HIV.

全球粮食危机的关键因素——水缺乏(非正式讨论)

国际水资源协会1997年9月在蒙特利尔召开的第九次世界水大会中举行了一次特别会议,专门讨论了作为世界粮食保障决定性因素的缺水问题。与会专家们十分关注未来全球粮食的供应问题。这些问题引发了在蒙特利尔讨论基础上的进一步对话。

Closing the treatment gap for depression co-morbid with HIV in South Africa: Voices of afflicted women

This Background: In South Africa the rising comorbidity of mental disorders with other non-communicable and communicable diseases, particularly in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), has helped raise the public health priority of mental ill-health. Depression, in particular, compromises anti-retroviral treatment (ART) adherence and virological suppression, thus threatening the effectiveness of South Africa’s ART programme. Given that evidence-based treatment for depression comprises medication and/ or Western-derived psychotherapies, responding to the current interest in expanding mental health services for PLWHA demands an understanding of how best to provide culturally competent care within existing resource constraints. Aim: To explore the context and local understandings of depression in women living with HIV to inform the development of contextually appropriate mental health services that could be delivered within existing resource constraints inSouth Africa. Method: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were held with 35 women living with HIV in South Africa who met the diagnostic criteria for a major depressive disorder. Results: Being HIV-positive per se was not reported to be a major cause of depression. Instead, a number of social factors were reported. These included stigma and discrimination, poverty, and stressful life events. Symptoms of depression, especially social withdrawal, negative ruminating thoughts and excessive worry suggestive of comorbid anxiety, functioned to exacerbate and trap women in a negative depressive cycle. Social support emerged as a dominant coping strategy. Group-based interventions, which afford greater opportunities for improved social support, were mooted as the most appropriate intervention by the majority of participants. Individual counselling provided through a home visitation programme was suggested for those who were too ill or too poor to attend clinics. Task sharing was also endorsed. Conclusion: The need for multi-sector engagement in mental health promotion to address factors that trigger, maintain and exacerbate depression at a community level in PL-WHA is highlighted. The triggers, symptoms and local coping strategies employed by afflicted women in this study suggest a resonance with Western derived evidence-based psychological therapies. In relation to delivery channels, there was support for the provision of group interventions or home-based individual counselling using a task sharing model.

Epidemiological Pattern of Lassa Fever Outbreak in Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria, 2014 to 2019

Introduction: Annual outbreak of Lassa Fever (LF) has been reported in Ondo State over the years. We analyzed LF surveillance data from January 2014 to December 2019 to describe the epidemiological pattern of the outbreak. Method: Lassa fever dataset from January 2014 to December 2019 was obtained from the State Ministry of Health. Variables analyzed include date of onset of symptom, age, gender, place (Local Government Area, LGA) and outcome of laboratory test. Data were summarized using frequencies, proportions, chart and maps. Results: From January 2014 and December 2019, 2141 suspected LF cases were reported. Of these, 551 cases were laboratory confirmed with 134 deaths recorded. The LF cases (suspected vs. confirmed) reported increased in 2016 (73 vs. 19), 2017 (207 vs. 76), 2018 (452 vs. 159) and 2019 (856 vs. 285) respectively. Most of the confirmed cases (89.5%) were ≥15 years while more than half (53.7%) were males. Prior to 2016, only two LGAs (Owo and Ose) recorded continued transmission of the disease. However, between 2016 and 2019, the disease had spread to 8 neighboring LGAs (P < 0.001) with the CFR declining from 67% in 2015 to 20% in 2019. Conclusion: We found an unusual increase in the suspected LF cases reported between January 2016 and December 2019 with a corresponding increase in the confirmed cases and high annual case fatality rates. Hence, we recommend intensified surveillance activities to enhance timely reporting of cases and laboratory confirmation to ensure early commencement of treatment to reduce the case fatality rate.

Assessment of Renal Biomarkers of Renal Function in Commercial Automobile Workers in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

Background: Blood-urea nitrogen, creatinine, uric acid and electrolytes are important biomarkers of renal function which could be considered as suitable prognostic indicators of renal dysfunction. Aim: The aim of this work was to assess renal biomarkers of renal function in commercial automobile workers in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Methodology: A total of 158 males within the ages of 18 - 60 years participated in this study, 50 of which are control subjects. They were recruited for this study from various workshops in Benin City, while controls are unexposed volunteers. Results: It was observed that serum uric acid, urea, creatinine, chloride and bicarbonate levels in all the exposed groups were significantly higher (p Conclusion: This study indicated greater levels of some renal biomarkers in automobile workers compared with the controls. In addition, blood urea levels were elevated above normal range of values. These findings suggest that the occupationally exposed automobile workers may be at risk of renal diseases. This calls for urgent need for policy formulation that will prevent the vulnerable groups from kidney damage.

Some Oxidative Stress Biomarkers among Patients with Prostate Cancer in Sokoto, North Western Nigeria

Globally, prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men. It is a significant contributor to the burden of diseases and affects over a million men. This study investigated the levels of malondialdehyde and plasma total antioxidant capacity among patients with prostate cancer in Sokoto. This case-control study was conducted among 28 confirmed prostate cancer patients attending the Urology clinics in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital and Sokoto Specialist Hospital in North Western Nigeria. Twenty-eight age-matched healthy males were monitored as controls. Determination of Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) was determined using Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) reagent while the Malondialdehyde in serum was determined as a conjugate with Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) acid. Data were collected using a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were processed using SPSS version 20 and results were reported as Mean ± Standard deviation. The malondialdehyde level was significantly increased (p < 0.0001) among subjects with prostate cancer (0.215 ± 0.06) compared to controls (0.073 ± 0.04). The plasma total antioxidant capacity decreased significantly among the subjects (247.9 ± 63.3) compared to controls (743.3 ± 104.40) (p < 0.0001). The findings from this indicated a high Malondialdehyde (lipid peroxidation indicator) and low levels of Total Antioxidant Capacity among prostate cancer patients as evidence of redox imbalance. Subjects in monogamous relationships compared to polygamous, rural dwellers, farmers, individuals of Hausa ethnicity and subjects who reported no family history of the disease were more predisposed to prostate cancer. Further epidemiological studies are needed to determine the predisposing factors and the potential role of these markers in the diagnosis, prognosis and management of prostate cancer patients in Sokoto in particular and Nigeria in general. We recommend that Malondialdehyde and Total Antioxidant Capacity be routinely monitored among patients with prostate cancer patients in the area.

RETRACTED: Professional Autonomy in the Running of Diagnostic Laboratories in Nigeria

Short Retraction Notice The paper does not meet the standards of "Open Journal of Internal Medicine". The article has been retracted due to the investigation of complaints received against it. The substantial portions of the text came from Prof. Philip O. Olatunji, "We came to this painful conclusion as a result of parochialism, distortion of facts, deliberate ignorance, falsehood and slander contained in the said article". The scientific community takes a very strong view on this matter and we treat all unethical behavior seriously. This article has been retracted to straighten the academic record. In making this decision the Editorial Board follows COPE's Retraction Guidelines. Aim is to promote the circulation of scientific research by offering an ideal research publication platform with due consideration of internationally accepted standards on publication ethics. The Editorial Board would like to extend its sincere apologies for any inconvenience this retraction may have caused. Editor guiding this retraction: Professor Luigi Iuliano (EB, OJIM) Please see the article page for more details. The full retraction notice in PDF is preceding the original paper which is marked "RETRACTED".

SARS-COV-2 Rapid Antigen Test in Comparison with RT-PCR for Laboratory Diagnosis of COVID-19 in a Southwest State of Nigeria

Objectives: Rapid and accurate identification of persons infected with SARS-CoV-2 which causes COVID-19 is key to managing the pandemic. The urgent need to scale up access to COVID-19 testing in Nigeria has led to the government’s introduction of the use of COVID-19 Ag rapid diagnostic test (RDT) across various settings in the country. However, field performance evaluation of the rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection test is required to be conducted periodically and compared with the gold standard real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for diagnosis of COVID-19 cases. Design: A prospective COVID-19 screening and un-blinded verification of the performance of the STANDARD Q COVID-19 Ag test kit. Setting: The rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection test, StandardTM Q COVID-19 Ag kit was compared with the RT-PCR test for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal samples for COVID-19 screening from persons and personnel attending a national youth camp orientation exercise during the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak (January to March 2021) in Ondo state, southwest Nigeria. Participants: Three hundred fifty-one persons and personnel were screened for COVID-19 infection. Results: Of 351 respondents screened, 68 (19.4%) were positive, and 264 (75.2%) were negative for both COVID-19 Ag RDT and RT-PCR assay. The rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection test’s sensitivity and specificity were 78.16% (95% CI = 68.02% - 86.31%) and 100.0% (95% CI = 98.61% - 100.0%), respectively and the diagnostic accuracy was 94.59% (95% CI: 92 - 97). Respondents that were symptomatic had a higher test sensitivity of 78.6% (49.2 - 95.3) compared to those without symptoms 78.1% (66.9 - 86.9) (p Conclusions: Our study shows evidence that StandardTM Q COVID-19 Ag kit can be an appropriate rapid antigen test that could be used to screen for positive COVID-19 tests to guide decision-making for clinical management of persons infected with COVID-19, especially for closed settings and other clinical care settings.