The 21st century has witnessed precipitous changes spanning from the way of life to the technologies that emerged. We have entered a nascent paradigm shift (industry 4.0) where science fictions have become science facts, and technology fusion is the main driver. Thus, ensuring that any advancement in technology reach and benefit all is the ideal opportunity for everyone. In this study, disruptive technologies of industry 4.0 were explored and quantified in terms of the number of their appearances in published literature. The study aimed at identifying industry 4.0 key technologies which have been ill-defined by previous researchers and to enumerate the required skills of industry 4.0. Comprehensive literature survey covering the field of engineering, production, and management was done in multidisciplinary databases: Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scopus, Sage, Taylor & Francis, and Emerald Insight. From the electronic survey, 35 disruptive technologies were quantified and 13 key technologies: Internet of Things, Big Data, 3D printing, Cloud computing, Autonomous robots, Virtual and Augmented reality, Cyber-physical system, Artificial intelligence, Smart sensors, Simulation, Nanotechnology, Drones, and Biotechnology were identified. Both technical and personal skills to be imparted into the human workforce for industry 4.0 were reported. The review identified the need to investigate the capability and the readiness of developing countries in adapting industry 4.0 in terms of the changes in the education systems and industrial manufacturing settings. This study proposes the need to address the integration of industry 4.0 concepts into the current education system.

The burden of neoplastic diseases is a significant global health challenge accounting for thousands of deaths. In Uganda, about 32,617 cancer cases were reported in 2018, accompanied by 21,829 deaths. In a view to identify some potential anticancer plant candidates for possible drug development, the current study was designed to compile the inventory of plants with reported anticancer activity used in rural Uganda and the evidences supporting their use in cancer therapy. An electronic survey in multidisciplinary databases revealed that 29 plant species belonging to 28 genera distributed among 24 families have been reported to be used in the management of cancer in Uganda. Anticancer plants were majorly from the families Bignoniaceae (7%), Caricaceae (7%), Fabaceae (7%), Moraceae (7%), and Rutaceae (7%). Most species occur in the wild (52%), though some are cultivated (48%). The growth habit of the plants is as trees (55%) or herbs (45%). Anticancer extracts are usually prepared from leaves (29%), bark (24%), roots (21%), and fruits (13%) through decoctions (53%), as food spices (23%) or pounded to produce ointments that are applied topically (10%). Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman, Opuntia species, Albizia coriaria (Welw. ex Oliver), Daucus carota L., Cyperus alatus (Nees) F. Muell., Markhamia lutea (Benth.) K. Schum., and Oxalis corniculata L. were the most frequently encountered species. As per global reports, Allium sativum L., Annona muricata L., Carica papaya L., Moringa oleifera Lam., Opuntia species, Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman, and Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. are the most studied species, with the latter having vincristine and vinblastine anticancer drugs developed from it. Prostate, cervical, breast, and skin cancers are the top traditionally treated malignancies. There is a need to isolate and evaluate the anticancer potential of the bioactive compounds in the unstudied claimed plants, such as Cyperus alatus (Nees) F. Muell., Ficus dawei Hutch., Ficus natalensis Hochst., and Lovoa trichilioides Harms, and elucidate their mechanism of anticancer activity.

The mercuric content, pollution and contamination characteristics of water, sediments, edible muscles of a non-piscivorous fish (Oreochromis nilotica Linnaeus 1758 [Cichlidae]) and yams (Dioscorea alata) in mercury-based artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) impacted Namukombe stream and its propinquity, Busia gold district, Uganda were evaluated. Human health risk assessment from consumption of the fishes and yams as well as dermal contact with sediments from the stream were performed. Forty-eight (48) samples of water (12), sediments (12), fish (12), and yams (12) were taken at intervals of 0, 10, 20 and 30m from up, middle and down sluices of the stream and analyzed for total mercury (THg) using US EPA method 1631. Results showed that water in the stream is polluted with mercury (Hg) in the range of 0.00 to 1.21±0.070mg/L while sediments contain Hg up to 0.14±0.04ugg-1. THg content of the edible muscles of Oreochromis nilotica ranges from 0.00 to 0.11±0.010ugg-1 while yams contain 0.00 to 0.30±0.001ugg-1 of Hg. The estimated daily intakes (EDIs) ranged from 0.0049 to 0.0183ugg-1day-1 and 0.020 to 0.073ugg-1day-1 for fish consumed by adults and children respectively. The corresponding health risk indices (HRIs) ranged from 0.0123 to 0.04576 and 0.05 to 0.183. EDIs were from 0.0042 to 0.1279ugg-1day-1 and 0.013 to 0.394ugg-1day-1 for yams consumed by adults and children respectively. The HRIs recorded were from 0.011 to 0.320 and to 0.033 to 0.985. All the mean THg contents of the investigated matrices were within acceptable WHO/US EPA limits except for water samples. Consumption of yams grown at 0m up sluice of Namukombe stream may pose deleterious health risks as reflected by the HRI of 0.985 being very close to 1.0. From pollution and risk assessments, Hg usage should be delimited in Syanyonja ASGM areas; solutions to abolish mercury based ASGM in the area ought to be sought at its soonest to avert the accentuating health, economic and ecological disaster arising from the continual discharge of Hg into the surrounding areas. Other safe gold recovery methods such as use of borax should be encouraged. Waste management system for contaminated wastewater, used Hg bottles and tailings should be centralized to enable Hg waste management in ASGM areas in Syanyonja.

Snakebite envenomation is a serious public health concern in rural areas of Uganda. Snakebites are poorly documented in Uganda because most occur in rural settings where traditional therapists end up being the first-line defense for treatment. Ethnobotanical surveys in Uganda have reported that some plants are used to antagonize the activity of various snake venoms. This review was sought to identify antivenin plants in Uganda and some pharmacological evidence supporting their use. A literature survey done in multidisciplinary databases revealed that 77 plant species belonging to 65 genera and 42 families are used for the treatment of snakebites in Uganda. The majority of these species belong to family Fabaceae (31%), Euphorbiaceae (14%), Asteraceae (12%), Amaryllidaceae (10%) and Solanaceae (10%). The main growth habit of the species is shrubs (41%), trees (33%) and herbs (18%). Antivenin extracts are usually prepared from roots (54%) and leaves (23%) through decoctions, infusions, powders, and juices, and are administered orally (67%) or applied topically (17%). The most frequently encountered species were Allium cepa, Carica papaya, Securidaca longipedunculata, Harrisonia abyssinica, and Nicotiana tabacum. Species with global reports of tested antivenom activity included Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Basella alba, Capparis tomentosa, Carica papaya, Cassia occidentalis, Jatropa carcus, Vernonia cinereal, Bidens pilosa, Hoslundia opposita, Maytensus senegalensis, Securinega virosa, and Solanum incanum. There is need to identify and evaluate the antivenom compounds in the claimed plants.

Objective Many studies on the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) using herbal medicines have been undertaken in recent decades in East Africa. The details, however, are highly fragmented. The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of the reported medicinal plants used to manage TB symptoms, and to analyze scientific reports on their effectiveness and safety. Method A comprehensive literature search was performed in the major electronic databases regarding medicinal plants used in the management of TB in East Africa. A total of 44 reports were retrieved, and data were collected on various aspects of the medicinal plants such as botanical name, family, local names, part(s) used, method of preparation, efficacy, toxicity, and phytochemistry. The data were summarized into percentages and frequencies which were presented as tables and graphs. Results A total of 195 species of plants belonging to 68 families and 144 genera were identified. Most encountered species were from Fabaceae (42.6%), Lamiaceae (19.1%), Asteraceae (16.2%), and Euphorbiaceae (14.7%) families. Only 36 medicinal plants (18.5%) have been screened for antimycobacterial activity. Out of these, 31 (86.1%) were reported to be bioactive with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 47 to 12,500 μg/ml. Most tested plant extracts were found to have acceptable acute toxicity profiles with cytotoxic concentrations on normal mammalian cells greater than 200 μg/ml. The most commonly reported phytochemicals were flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, and phenols. Only Tetradenia riparia , Warburgia ugandensis , and Zanthoxylum leprieurii have further undergone isolation and characterization of the pure bioactive compounds. Conclusion East Africa has a rich diversity of medicinal plants that have been reported to be effective in the management of symptoms of TB. More validation studies are required to promote the discovery of antimycobacterial drugs and to provide evidence for standardization of herbal medicine use.

This investigation analyzed the concentrations of three trace metals in gilled lungfish of Lira Municipal lagoon of Lira District and estimated the health risk associated with its consumption. Three fresh lungfish samples from the down, middle and up sluices of the lagoon were caught, eviscerated, washed and sundried. Edible muscles of the samples were oven dried at 105°C, desiccated and pulverized. 2.0 ± 0.1g of the fine fish powders were ashed at 550°C, acid digested, and the filtrates used to prepare 1 litre sample solutions. The sample solutions were analyzed for Lead, Zinc and Cadmium by Atomic absorption spectrometry. Spectroscopic results showed that no Cadmium was detected while the statistical mean concentrations of Zinc and Lead in the fishes from down, middle and up streams in mg/kg were 157.8 ± 0.01, 160.2 ± 0.02, 158.2 ± 0.01 and 6.84 ± 0.01, 1.69 ± 0.03, 5.12 ± 0.01 respectively. The above results showed that the trace metals in the investigated fish samples are deleteriously above the maximum permissible Zinc (0.7mg/kg) and Lead (0.3mg/kg) levels in fish indicated by CODEX STAN 193-1995. The statistical Estimated Daily Intakes were from 26.27 to 26.66 mg/kg/day for Zinc and 0.28 to 1.48 mg/kg/day for Lead. A heightened Health Risk Index value of 88.67 for Zinc was observed in the middle stream lungfish samples while Lead had the lowest Health Risk Index value of 2.00 in the middle stream fish from the lagoon. All the Health Risk Index values were greater than unity except for Chromium that was undetected in the fish muscles thus the lungfish of the lagoon is unsafe for human consumption and continuous consumption will impact human health. The immediate strategy lies in fencing the lagoon area and putting a stringent restriction against fishing from the lagoon.

The availability of usable water in an area is the first indication of its demonstrated ability to sustain life. In peri-urban areas, urbanites utilize water from springs and compete disapprovingly for it amongst themselves and with animals. The straggling populace and the compromised sanitation are deteriorating spring water sources. There is an urgent need to analyze springs to ascertain their bacteriological and physical quality for possible cross contaminations that may be of public health importance. This study evaluated the bacteriological and physical profile of water from three springs in Kyambogo University vicinity. Two weekly water samples from each spring for five weeks were obtained and analyzed. The physicochemical parameters (temperature, pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity, chlorides and sulphates), total coliform and E. coli counts of the samples were determined. The mean temperature of the water samples from Katalina, Airport spring 1 and Airport spring 2 were 20.53˚C ± 1.2˚C, 21.53˚C ± 0.60˚C and 20.33˚C ± 1.62˚C respectively. The corresponding statistical mean pH values were 5.33 ± 0.25, 6.30 ± 0.10 and 7.10 ± 0.46. All the springs were found to be microbiologically contaminated with total coliforms and E. coli above WHO permissible limits. Conclusively, water from the sampled springs are not safe for drinking and the immediate strategy is to boil or treat the water before drinking. Drainage ditches should be constructed uphill of the springs to divert torrential flowing rain water which carry contaminants washed from Kyambogo hill.

Uganda is an agrarian country where farming employs more than 60% of the population. Aflatoxins remain a scourge in the country, unprecedentedly reducing the nutritional and economic value of agricultural foods. This review was sought to synthetize the country’s major findings in relation to the mycotoxins’ etiology, epidemiology, detection, quantification, exposure assessment, control, and reduction in different matrices. Electronic results indicate that aflatoxins in Uganda are produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus and have been reported in maize, sorghum, sesame, beans, sunflower, millet, peanuts, and cassava. The causes and proliferation of aflatoxigenic contamination of Ugandan foods have been largely due to poor pre-, peri-, and postharvest activities, poor government legislation, lack of awareness, and low levels of education among farmers, entrepreneurs, and consumers on this plague. Little diet diversity has exacerbated the risk of exposure to aflatoxins in Uganda because most of the staple foods are aflatoxin-prone. On the detection and control, these are still marginal, though some devoted scholars have devised and validated a sensitive portable device for on-site aflatoxin detection in maize and shown that starter cultures used for making some cereal-based beverages have the potential to bind aflatoxins. More efforts should be geared towards awareness creation and vaccination against hepatitis B and hepatitis A to reduce the risk of development of liver cancer among the populace.