EMERGENT AND RECURRENT ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS: PATHWAYS FOR CONVERGING EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIPS.

Within theframework of globalization, there are certain emergent issues that are not only becoming recurrent, but are also coming to the fore in recent discourses that pertain to industrial relations. Based on a review of very vast and current literature in this academic field of study, this paper explores these issues by highlighting the various controversies, challenges and promises that they pose for industrial relations practices in the future. It concludes by specifying the import of the convergence theory in creating a common denominator that characterizes almost all employment relationships worldwide

Levels and human health risk assessment of persistent organics, metalloid and heavy metals in fish

Concentrations of Persistent organics (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons  (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), metalloid (As) and heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Ni, Cd. V, Cr, Pb, Hg) were measured in fish (Clarias  gariepinus) samples collected from selected stations (S1, S2 and S3) along the stretch of Ovia River, Southern Nigeria, to assess the potential risks to humans consuming fish from the river. Acenaphthylene (AcPY), PCB 18 and iron (Fe) were the most dominant residues with mean concentrations ranging from 0.002 to 0.128, 0.001 to 0.003 and 175.97 to 255.52 mg/kg respectively. The most carcinogenic PAH, Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) in S3, all the PCB congeners, cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) concentrations in the three stations were observed to be above EU recommended guideline values for food safety. Concentrations of dioxin‐like PCB congeners, 77, 105, 114 and the sum of carcinogenic PAHs also contributed to the toxic burden of these contaminants in fish. The estimated cumulative THQ for the assessed metalloid and heavy metals indicates health risks from exposure to metalloid and Heavy metals through fish consumption.Keywords: Fish, PAHs, PCBs, Metalloid, Heavy metals, Health Ris

Human Health Risk Assessment of PAHs in Fish and Shellfish from Amariaria Community, Bonny River, Nigeria

The concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Fish (Mullet fish-Mugil cephalus) and Shellfish (Tiger prawn-Penaeus Monodon and crab-Uca tangeri) samples from fishing areas in Amariaria Community, downstream of Bonny River, Southern Nigeria, were assessed to determine possible human health risk associated with consumption. Mean levels (mg/kg) of total PAHs ranged from 0.059 to 0.126 in fish, 0.015 to 0.106 in prawn and 0.057 to 0.063 in crab. A considerable predominance of the 3 and 4-rings PAHs in all the matrices was observed with benzo (a) anthracene dominating in all three species. Estimated daily intake (EDI) of PAHs through consumption of fish ranged from 0 to 0.0005 mg/kg/day, for prawn, 0 to 0.0002 mg/kg/day and for crab, 0 to 0.0002 mg/kg/day. EDI values were, however, lower than the reference dose (RfD) indicating low risk from consumption. Results of the estimated excess cancer risk (ECR) for Benzo (a) anthracene in fish, however, suggests that lifetime exposure to Benzo (a) anthracene through fish consumption would result in cancer risk

Tissue and parasite accumulation of heavy metals in the giant rat (Cricetomys gambianus) as bioindicators of heavy metal pollution

Heavy metal concentrations in tissues and cestode parasite of the African giant rat collected from staff quarters of the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Possible human health risk associated with consumption of contaminated rats was also determined using appropriate human intake models. The cestode isolated from the rat was identified as Inermicapsifer guineensis with total infection rate of 100%. The mean concentrations of heavy metals (mg/kg) in liver tissues of the giant rat ranged from 1.82 to 3.98 (Pb), 0.22 to 0.54 (Cd), 22.14 to 45.53 (Zn), 1.87 to 3.37 (Cu) and 1.25 to 3.15 (Co); in heart tissues ranged from 1.39 to 2.01 (Pb), 0.27 to 0.32 (Cd), 23.93 to 53.97 (Zn), 2.17 to 4.66 (Cu) and 1.45 to 2.27 (Co); in kidney tissues ranged from 0.75 to 1.67 (Pb), 0.41 to 0.93 (Cd), 22.77 to 42.14 (Zn), 1.82 to 1.90 (Cu) and 2.05 to 3.08 (Co); in muscle tissues ranged from 1.02 to 1.77 (Pb), 0.24 to 0.31 (Cd), 22.60 to 45.52 (Zn), 1.73 to 2.13 (Cu) and 1.04 to 1.82 (Co) and in parasite tissues ranged from 0.002 to 0.005 (Pb), 0 to 0.001(Cd), 1.19 to 2.63 (Cu) and 0.001 to 0.003 (Co). Mean total concentrations of individual heavy metals in the tissues and parasite of the rat decreased in the order zinc > copper > cobalt > lead > cadmium. Considering the mean concentrations of accumulated heavy metals, the heart and liver were found to be key target organs for heavy metal accumulation. Highly significant positive correlations was observed between heavy metal concentrations in tissues and the parasite (p<0.05, r=0.998), however, bioaccumulation values indicated much higher concentratingcapacity of heavy metals in the rat organs than the cestode parasite. Heavy metals are potential risk sources of contamination in the African giant rat (Cricetomys gambianus) and should therefore be priority for management in order to control human health risk through ingestion pathway exposures.Keywords: Heavy metals, African giant rat, Parasite, Organs, Ris

Restorative Prospective of Powdered Seeds Extract of<i>Garcinia kola</i>in<i>Chrysichthys furcatus</i>Induced with<i>Glyphosate</i>Formulation

Responses ofChrysichthys furcatusto glyphosate formulation andGarcinia kolaseed extracts were investigated using the organization for Economic Cooperation and Development numbers 203 and 407 recommended toxicity bioassay. The fish were divided into five groups and exposed to different treatments of glyphosate formulation andGarcinia kolaseed extract, with the control serving as a reference. Water quality parameters and blood chemistry were estimated in the experimental and control fish at the end of 28 days. There was no significant difference (P&gt;0.05) between fish treated with glyphosate formulation alone and other treatments except for dissolved oxygen which was highly significant (P&lt;0.01) between fish treated with glyphosate formulation alone and other treatments and the control. All the blood parameters were significantly (P&lt;0.05) affected by glyphosate formulation when compared with the control. The changes observed in glyphosate formulation alone were reversible whenG. kolaseeds extract was added and was dose dependent. The plant’s extract has shown to be a good remedy to pollutants, and formulations of the seed extract into tablets or capsules could serve as antidote to ameliorate the effects of pollutants. This finding can reduce the risk of biomagnifications of poisons along the food chain.</jats:p

Time to full enteral feeds in hospitalised preterm and very low birth weight infants in Nigeria and Kenya

\ua9 2024 Imam et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Background Preterm (born &lt; 37 weeks’ gestation) and very low birthweight (VLBW; &lt;1.5kg) infants are at the greatest risk of morbidity and mortality within the first 28 days of life. Establishing full enteral feeds is a vital aspect of their clinical care. Evidence predominantly from high income countries shows that early and rapid advancement of feeds is safe and reduces length of hospital stay and adverse health outcomes. However, there are limited data on feeding practices and factors that influence the attainment of full enteral feeds among these vulnerable infants in sub-Saharan Africa. Aim To identify factors that influence the time to full enteral feeds, defined as tolerance of 120ml/ kg/day, in hospitalised preterm and VLBW infants in neonatal units in two sub-Saharan African countries. Methods Demographic and clinical variables were collected for newborns admitted to 7 neonatal units in Nigeria and Kenya over 6-months. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify factors independently associated with time to full enteral feeds. Results Of the 2280 newborn infants admitted, 484 were preterm and VLBW. Overall, 222/484 (45.8%) infants died with over half of the deaths (136/222; 61.7%) occurring before the first feed. The median (inter-quartile range) time to first feed was 46 (27, 72) hours of life and time to full enteral feeds (tFEF) was 8 (4.5,12) days with marked variation between neonatal units. Independent predictors of tFEF were time to first feed (unstandardised coefficient B 1.69; 95% CI 1.11 to 2.26; p value &lt;0.001), gestational age (1.77; 0.72 to 2.81; &lt;0.001), the occurrence of respiratory distress (-1.89; -3.50 to -0.79; &lt;0.002) and necrotising enterocolitis (4.31; 1.00 to 7.62; &lt;0.011). Conclusion The use of standardised feeding guidelines may decrease variations in clinical practice, shorten tFEF and thereby improve preterm and VLBW outcomes

Time to full enteral feeding for very low-birth-weight infants varies markedly among hospitals worldwide but may not be associated with incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis:The NEOMUNE-NeoNutriNet Cohort Study

Background: Transition to enteral feeding is difficult for very low-birth-weight (VLBW; ≤1500 g) infants, and optimal nutrition is important for clinical outcomes. Method: Data on feeding practices and short-term clinical outcomes (growth, necrotizing enterocolitis [NEC], mortality) in VLBW infants were collected from 13 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in 5 continents (n = 2947). Specifically, 5 NICUs in Guangdong province in China (GD), mainly using formula feeding and slow feeding advancement (n = 1366), were compared with the remaining NICUs (non-GD, n = 1581, Oceania, Europe, United States, Taiwan, Africa) using mainly human milk with faster advancement rates. Results: Across NICUs, large differences were observed for time to reach full enteral feeding (TFF; 8–33 days), weight gain (5.0–14.6 g/kg/day), ∆z-scores (−0.54 to −1.64), incidence of NEC (1%–13%), and mortality (1%–18%). Adjusted for gestational age, GD units had longer TFF (26 vs 11 days), lower weight gain (8.7 vs 10.9 g/kg/day), and more days on antibiotics (17 vs 11 days; all P <.001) than non-GD units, but NEC incidence and mortality were similar. Conclusion: Feeding practices for VLBW infants vary markedly around the world. Use of formula and long TFF in South China was associated with more use of antibiotics and slower weight gain, but apparently not with more NEC or higher mortality. Both infant- and hospital-related factors influence feeding practices for preterm infants. Multicenter, randomized controlled trials are required to identify the optimal feeding strategy during the first weeks of life

Interventions to reduce pesticide exposure from the agricultural sector in Africa: a workshop report

Despite the fact that several cases of unsafe pesticide use among farmers in different parts of Africa have been documented, there is limited evidence regarding which specific interventions are effective in reducing pesticide exposure and associated risks to human health and ecology. The overall goal of the African Pesticide Intervention Project (APsent) study is to better understand ongoing research and public health activities related to interventions in Africa through the implementation of suitable target-specific situations or use contexts. A systematic review of the scientific literature on pesticide intervention studies with a focus on Africa was conducted. This was followed by a qualitative survey among stakeholders involved in pesticide research or management in the African region to learn about barriers to and promoters of successful interventions. The project was concluded with an international workshop in November 2021, where a broad range of topics relevant to occupational and environmental health risks were discussed such as acute poisoning, street pesticides, switching to alternatives, or disposal of empty pesticide containers. Key areas of improvement identified were training on pesticide usage techniques, research on the effectiveness of interventions targeted at exposure reduction and/or behavioral changes, awareness raising, implementation of adequate policies, and enforcement of regulations and processes

Outcomes of obstructed abdominal wall hernia: results from the UK national small bowel obstruction audit

Background: Abdominal wall hernia is a common surgical condition. Patients may present in an emergency with bowel obstruction, incarceration or strangulation. Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a serious surgical condition associated with significant morbidity. The aim of this study was to describe current management and outcomes of patients with obstructed hernia in the UK as identified in the National Audit of Small Bowel Obstruction (NASBO). Methods: NASBO collated data on adults treated for SBO at 131 UK hospitals between January and March 2017. Those with obstruction due to abdominal wall hernia were included in this study. Demographics, co-morbidity, imaging, operative treatment, and in-hospital outcomes were recorded. Modelling for factors associated with mortality and complications was undertaken using Cox proportional hazards and multivariable regression modelling. Results: NASBO included 2341 patients, of whom 415 (17·7 per cent) had SBO due to hernia. Surgery was performed in 312 (75·2 per cent) of the 415 patients; small bowel resection was required in 198 (63·5 per cent) of these operations. Non-operative management was reported in 35 (54 per cent) of 65 patients with a parastomal hernia and in 34 (32·1 per cent) of 106 patients with an incisional hernia. The in-hospital mortality rate was 9·4 per cent (39 of 415), and was highest in patients with a groin hernia (11·1 per cent, 17 of 153). Complications were common, including lower respiratory tract infection in 16·3 per cent of patients with a groin hernia. Increased age was associated with an increased risk of death (hazard ratio 1·05, 95 per cent c.i. 1·01 to 1·10; P = 0·009) and complications (odds ratio 1·05, 95 per cent c.i. 1·02 to 1·09; P = 0·001). Conclusion: NASBO has highlighted poor outcomes for patients with SBO due to hernia, highlighting the need for quality improvement initiatives in this group

Strengthening retinopathy of prematurity screening and treatment services in Nigeria: a case study of activities, challenges and outcomes 2017-2020.

OBJECTIVES: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) will become a major cause of blindness in Nigerian children unless screening and treatment services expand. This article aims to describe the collaborative activities undertaken to improve services for ROP between 2017 and 2020 as well as the outcome of these activities in Nigeria. DESIGN: Descriptive case study. SETTING: Neonatal intensive care units in Nigeria. PARTICIPANTS: Staff providing services for ROP, and 723 preterm infants screened for ROP who fulfilled screening criteria (gestational age <34 weeks or birth weight ≤2000 g, or sickness criteria). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A WhatsApp group was initiated for Nigerian ophthalmologists and neonatologists in 2018. Members participated in a range of capacity-building, national and international collaborative activities between 2017 and 2018. A national protocol for ROP was developed for Nigeria and adopted in 2018; 1 year screening outcome data were collected and analysed. In 2019, an esurvey was used to collect service data from WhatsApp group members for 2017-2018 and to assess challenges in service provision. RESULTS: In 2017 only six of the 84 public neonatal units in Nigeria provided ROP services; this number had increased to 20 by 2018. Of the 723 babies screened in 10 units over a year, 127 (17.6%) developed any ROP; and 29 (22.8%) developed type 1 ROP. Only 13 (44.8%) babies were treated, most by intravitreal bevacizumab. The screening criteria were revised in 2020. Challenges included lack of equipment to regulate oxygen and to document and treat ROP, and lack of data systems. CONCLUSION: ROP screening coverage and quality improved after national and international collaborative efforts. To scale up and improve services, equipment for neonatal care and ROP treatment is urgently needed, as well as systems to monitor data. Ongoing advocacy is also essential