In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of green synthesized alumina nanoscales on different mammalian cell lines.

Nanoscale research is gaining interest in the biomedical, engineering, and environmental fields. Current expensive traditional chemical methods for synthesizing nanoparticles (NPs) inevitably lead to the synthesis of NPs with potentially less or no toxic effects on living cells. To overcome these challenges, in this study, we use a simple, inexpensive, and less toxic one-pot green chemistry approach instead of a chemical method to synthesize alumina nanoparticles (AlNPs) from Carica papaya extract.

Echocardiographic Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Geometric Patterns in Patients with Sickle Cell Anaemia.

Background: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a common complication in patients with sickle cell anaemia (SCA), and it has been associated with systolic and diastolic dysfunction, and sudden death. There is a wide variation in the reported prevalence of LVH in patients with SCA, partly due to the varying criteria applied, and the impact of small weight and body surface area (BSA) in SCA patients. We used four different criteria to determine echocardiographic LVH and geometric patterns in patients with steady-state SCA.

Prevalence of rotavirus isolates in the stools of under-5 children presenting with diarrhoea at University Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno State.

Background: Diarrhoea is a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in developing countries including Nigeria. Rotavirus is a leading cause of acute watery diarrhoea in children under 5 years of age.

Aims: The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence of rotavirus diarrhoea in children less than 5 years old presenting with watery diarrhoea at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Immunomodulatory Strategies for Parapoxvirus: Current Status and Future Approaches for the Development of Vaccines against Orf Virus Infection.

Orf virus (ORFV), the prototype species of the parapoxvirus genus, is the causative agent of contagious ecthyma, an extremely devastating skin disease of sheep, goats, and humans that causes enormous economic losses in livestock production. ORFV is known for its ability to repeatedly infect both previously infected and vaccinated sheep due to several immunomodulatory genes encoded by the virus that temporarily suppress host immunity. Therefore, the development of novel, safe and effective vaccines against ORFV infection is an important priority.

Two decades of neuroscience publication trends in Africa.

Neuroscience research in Africa remains sparse. Devising new policies to boost Africa's neuroscience landscape is imperative, but these must be based on accurate data on research outputs which is largely lacking. Such data must reflect the heterogeneity of research environments across the continent's 54 countries.

Contagious ecthyma: how serious is the disease worldwide?

Contagious ecthyma (CE) is an infectious disease of small ruminants caused by a parapoxvirus of family Poxviridae subfamily Chordopoxvirinae. The disease is obviously distinguished by an establishment of scabby lesions and ulcerative formation on less hairy areas including muzzle, ears, nostril, and sometimes on genitalia. The disease is endemic in sheep and goats.

Proteinuric and nonproteinuric chronic kidney disease among patients with sickle cell anaemia (HbSS) attending a tertiary hospital in north-eastern Nigeria.

Objective/background: Individuals with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) may manifest various forms of renal abnormalities. Proteinuria is an early marker of renal dysfunction and a strong risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression in both patients with SCA and non-SCA population. Currently, the degree of attention given to proteinuric CKD far exceeds that of nonproteinuric CKD, and risk factors that might trigger a progressive decline of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in the absence of proteinuria have not been well evaluated in SCA.

A rule-based energy management scheme for long-term optimal capacity planning of grid-independent microgrid optimized by multi-objective grasshopper optimization algorithm.

Off-grid electrification of remote communities using sustainable energy systems (SESs) is a requisite for realizing sustainable development goals. Nonetheless, the capacity planning of the SESs is challenging as it needs to fulfil the fluctuating demand from a long-term perspective, in addition to the intermittency and unpredictable nature of renewable energy sources (RESs). Owing to the nonlinear and non-convex nature of the capacity planning problem, an efficient technique must be employed to achieve a cost-effective system.

High Reticulocyte Count with Abnormal Red Blood Cell Morphology in Normal Wistar Rats after Garlic Administration.

Despite the high acceptability of Allium sativa (Garlic) as a remedy for many diseases as earlier stated by manyresearchers, previous studies have shown that chronic and unregulated consumption of garlic may result to intra vascularhaemolytic anaemia in rats. The present study was conducted to examine the effect of crude extract of garlic on microscopicstatus of red blood cells and some other haematological indices of normal albino rats. The animals were grouped into two;group 1 were normal animals treated with water while group 2 were normal animals administered 150mg/kg body weight ofcrude extract of garlic on alternate days for three weeks.

African neuroscience on the global stage: Nigeria as a model.

Of the 572 neuroscience-related studies published in Nigerian from 1996 to 2017, <5% used state-of-the-art techniques, none used transgenic models, and only one study was published in a top-tier journal.

Chronic Kidney Disease amongst Sickle Cell Anaemia Patients at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Northeastern Nigeria: A Study of Prevalence and Risk Factors.

Background: Involvement of the kidneys in patients with sickle cell anaemia is a well recognised chronic complication. This study seeks to determine the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in patients with homozygous sickle cell disease (HbSS) and to identify risk factors associated with its development.

Methodology: The subjects consisted of adolescents and adults with HbSS recruited sequentially from the adult haematology outpatient clinic and Daycare ward of the unit.

Sonographic Evaluation of Some Abdominal Organs in Sickle Cell Disease Patients in a Tertiary Health Institution in Northeastern Nigeria.

Background: Sonographic evaluation of abdominal organs is an important work up in managing sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. This study aimed at evaluating abdominal organs by sonography among SCD patients.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Maiduguri, Nigeria from April 2014 to July 2015.

Facial Age Synthesis Using Sparse Partial Least Squares (The Case of Ben Needham).

Automatic facial age progression (AFAP) has been an active area of research in recent years. This is due to its numerous applications which include searching for missing. This study presents a new method of AFAP.

Impact of sickle cell trait on the thrombotic risk associated with non-O blood groups in northern Nigeria.

Background: The non-O blood group is an established risk factor for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), while controversy surrounds the role of sickle cell trait (SCT) as a risk factor for DVT. We hypothesised that if SCT is a risk factor for DVT, individuals with non-O blood groups and SCT (Hb AS) would have a higher risk of DVT than their counterparts with non-O blood groups and normal haemoglobin phenotype (Hb AA).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analysed the prevalence of SCT and non-O blood groups among 148 DVT patients with control subjects in order to determine the role of SCT as a risk factor for DVT and its impact on the risk of DVT among patients with non-O blood groups.

Spectrum of haematologic malignancies and survival outcomes of adult lymphomas in Maiduguri, north eastern Nigeria--a fourteen year review.

Background: The incidence of Haematologic malignancies has been shown to vary according to gender, age, geographic region, and histologic subtypes, while cure rates can vary according to region and may be impacted by treatment availability and access to care.

Method: This was an institution based review of data from the Medical Records Department, Department of Haematology and Cancer Registry of the Histopathology Department of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital between January 1998 and December 2011. The aim was to study the spectrum of Haematologic malignancies and the survival pattern of adult lymphomas in this region and to compare our findings to studies reported elsewhere.

Hematological indices of sickle cell anaemia patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in northern Nigeria.

Nigeria has the fourth highest prevalence of TB and the highest prevalence of Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) in the world. SCA patients have impaired immunity and are vulnerable to TB. Hence, we studied the haematological indices of SCA patients with TB in Nigeria.

Discriminatory attitudes towards patients with HIV/AIDS by dental professionals in Nigeria.

Aims And Objectives: The study sought to investigate whether there are discriminatory practices towards HIV/AIDS patients among dental professionals in Nigeria, how receptive are dental professionals and institutions to treating People Living With Aids (PLWA), and what underlying factors if any that may contribute to any discriminatory practices.

Methods And Materials: It was a cross-sectional study conducted in one randomly selected State in each of the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. Data collection was by self administered questionnaire.

Pre-treatment tumour lysis syndrome and acute renal failure in adult Nigerians with Burkitt's lymphoma: report of three cases and literature review.

Pre-treatment tumour lysis syndrome (pre-TTLS) is not an unusual clinical entity in high-grade lymphomas and lymphoblastic leukaemias. The overall incidence and frequency is unknown and to the best of our knowledge none has been published in Nigeria involving adult females with advanced stage Burkitt's lymphoma (ASBL). Three of the reported cases had pre-TTLS complicated by acute renal failure (ARF).

Traditional oral health practices among Kanuri women of Borno State, Nigeria.

A structured questionnaire was administered on 495 women (urban 339, rural 156) from two LGAs of Borno State, Nigeria, using the interviewer method. The age range of the subjects was 12 to 80 years with a mean age (+/- SD) of 35.7 +/- 13.

Jaw fractures in Nigerian children: an analysis of 102 cases.

Objectives: To present the prevalence and pattern of jaw fractures in children aged 15 years and below attending two hospitals serving as referral centres for facial injuries in North Eastern Nigeria.

Design: Retrospective Cross Sectional Study.

Settings: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno State, Nigeria.