Prevalence and pattern of adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination among adult population in Sokoto metropolis, northwest, Nigeria.

Background: COVID-19 still poses a major public health challenge worldwide and vaccination remains one of the major interventions to control the disease. Different types of vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) are currently in use across the world to protect against the disease. This study assessed the prevalence and pattern of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) after receiving COVID-19 vaccine (the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine) among the adult population in Sokoto metropolis, North-west, Nigeria.

Biomass-Derived Carbon and Carbon Nanofiber-Integrated Electrospun Janus Membranes: A New Frontier in Membrane Distillation.

Membrane distillation (MD) is an emerging desalination technique that uses low-grade energy to extract water vapor from saline solutions. In a thermally driven MD system, achieving a lower heat transfer and a higher mass transportation rate is desirable. To balance the trade-off between heat transfer and mass transportation, we developed novel dual-layered electrospun Janus nanofibrous membranes in this study, showing asymmetric wettability on each layer.

Delivery of viscous drops and jets to eyeball replicas.

Front-of-the-eye (FOTE) droplet-based drug delivery presents a challenging fluid dynamics phenomenon, where many patients either miss their target or blink prematurely, leading to significant drug wastage and poor bioavailability. In this study, we investigate the influence of fluid properties and impact speed on the impact-spreading process on eyeball replica substrates in the context of both drops and jets to identify optimal parameters for maximum spreading, which has implications for bioavailability. Additionally, we investigate the role of the micro-scale protective tear film by coating the substrates with artificial tears.

Green Nanotechnology: Naturally Sourced Nanoparticles as Antibiofilm and Antivirulence Agents Against Infectious Diseases.

The escalating threat of infectious diseases, exacerbated by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and biofilm formation, necessitates innovative therapeutic strategies. This review presents a comprehensive exploration of the potential of nanoparticles synthesized from natural sources, including plant extracts, microbial products, and marine compounds, as antimicrobial agents. These naturally derived nanoparticles demonstrated significant antibiofilm and antivirulence effects, with specific examples revealing their capacity to reduce biofilm mass by up to 78% and inhibit bacterial quorum sensing by 65%.

Impact of intermediate home-based care on functional health of older adults with stroke in low-income and middle-income countries: A systematic review.

Intermediate care services are designed to facilitate transition from medical dependence to functional independence, ultimately improving the overall quality of life. Despite the recognized benefits of intermediate care in rehabilitation, data on its impact on functional outcomes for older adults with stroke in low- and middle-income countries are limited. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of an intermediate care model among older adults with stroke.

Diphtheria transmission dynamics - Unveiling generation time and reproduction numbers from the 2022-2023 outbreak in Kano state, Nigeria.

Background: Diphtheria, caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, remains a serious public health threat in areas with low vaccination coverage, despite global declines due to widespread immunization and improved clinical management. A major outbreak in Nigeria from 2022 to 2023 underscored the persistent risk in regions with inadequate vaccination. This study aims to assess the transmission dynamics of diphtheria in Kano State, the epicenter of the outbreak, by estimating key epidemiological parameters, including the generation time (GT), approximated in our study by serial interval, and effective reproduction number (Rₜ).

Feasibility and Safety of Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy With 177Lu-DOTATATE for Neuroendocrine Tumor in a Patient With Sickle Cell Anemia.

A 56-year-old woman with sickle cell anemia (SCA) and metastatic neuroendocrine tumor refractory to somatostatin analog received 4 cycles of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with 177Lu-DOTATATE. The treatment schedule was delayed by multiple episodes of hospitalizations related to underlying SCA. PRRT was well-tolerated with stable renal, hematologic, and liver lab parameters.

Nutraceutical Evaluation of Trigonelline's Therapeutic Potential by Targeting Bladder Cancer Stem Cells and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts via Downregulation of TGFβ3/GLI2/YAP1 Signaling Hub.

Trigonelline (TGN), an alkaloid identified in medicinal plants such as coffee (Coffea spp.) and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), has demonstrated significant anticancer properties across various malignancies, yet its efficacy in bladder cancer (BLCA) remains underappreciated. This study investigates TGN's role in modulating cancer stem cells (CSCs) and the tumor microenvironment (TME), two key contributors to BLCA progression and chemoresistance.

Risk factors for rifampicin resistance tuberculosis among patients attending Directly Observed Treatments Centres in Southwestern Nigeria.

Introduction: tuberculosis (TB) remains a disease of global health importance. GeneXpert has emerged as a useful tool for the diagnosis of drug resistant TB (DR-TB). We determined the risk factors associated with DR-TB among presumptive pulmonary TB patients.

Global dominance of non-institutional delivery and the risky impact on maternal mortality spike in 25 Sub-Saharan African Countries.

Background: Despite 70% of global maternal death occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the high rate of non-institutional delivery (NID), studies that inspect the connections are needed but lacking. Thus, we investigated the urban-rural burden and risk factors of NID and the correlate with maternal mortality to extend strategies for sinking the mortality spike towards sustainable development goal (SDG-3.1) in SSA.

Clients' Satisfaction with Quality of Care among Health-Insured and Non-Insured Diabetic Patients in Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria.

Background: Access to affordable and quality care is critical to reducing suffering and mortality from diabetes given the huge economic challenge it poses. Health insurance aims to, among other things, improve the quality of health care services provided to patients.

Objectives: To assess and compare client satisfaction with quality of care among health-insured and non-insured diabetic patients in Kaduna State.

A RARE PRESENTATION OF TWO COLORECTAL ANOMALIES: ANORECTALMALFORMATION CO-EXISTING WITH HIRSCHSPRUNG'S DISEASE IN IBADAN.

Background: The association of Hirschsprung's disease with anorectal malformation (ARM) is both diagnostically and surgically challenging, in addition to it being a rarity. Symptoms attributable to post-repair of ARM may mask the underlying Hirschsprung's disease (HD) and become worse after closure of stoma. We aim to highlight this rare finding, the challenges associated with the management and the consequent multiple surgeries the patient underwent.

Global epidemiology of high priority and pandemic Pseudomonas aeruginosa in pets, livestock, wild, and aquatic animals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

High-priority and international high-risk Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) are emergent strains. Here, we performed the first systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that reported the frequency of PA, carbapenem (CARBR), and colistin (COLR) resistant PA in healthy and sick livestock (A), pets (B), wild (C), and aquatic animals (D) from January 2013 to January 2023, globally. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, 57 cross-sectional and eight prospective studies were found eligible.

Self-rehabilitation strategy for rural community-dwelling stroke survivors in a lower-middle income country: a modified Delphi study.

Background: More than half of stroke survivors in lower-middle income countries lack access to stroke rehabilitation services. The promotion of self-rehabilitation could be promising for addressing stroke rehabilitation inadequacies in lower-middle income countries. Self-rehabilitation interventions are more readily acceptable to community-dwelling stroke survivors, and therefore, have the potential to boost the successful realization of the Sustainable Development Goals and other WHO rehabilitation goals.

A narrative review on the psychosocial domains of the impact of organ transplantation.

This review explores organ transplantation, spanning historical developments, psychosocial impacts, and future directions. In the pre-transplantation phase, evaluations of psychosocial factors, including substance use, mental health, and social support, are essential for successful outcomes. However, linking total psychosocial risk scores to post-transplant outcomes remains challenging despite available tools and assessments.

Estrogen Control of Social Behaviors.

Social behaviors, including parental care, mating, and fighting, all depend on the hormonal milieu of an organism. Decades of work highlighted estrogen as a key hormonal controller of social behaviors, exerting its influence primarily through binding to estrogen receptor alpha (Esr1). Recent technological advances in chemogenetics, optogenetics, gene editing, and transgenic model organisms have allowed for a detailed understanding of the neuronal subpopulations and circuits for estrogen action across Esr1-expressing interconnected brain regions.

Interfacial bonding enhances thermoelectric cooling in 3D-printed materials.

Thermoelectric coolers (TECs) are pivotal in modern heat management but face limitations in efficiency and manufacturing scalability. We address these challenges by using an extrusion-based 3D printing technique to fabricate high-performance thermoelectric materials. Our ink formulations ensure the integrity of the 3D-printed structure and effective particle bonding during sintering, achieving record-high figure of merit () values of 1.

Effect of Dalbergiella welwitschi alkaloid-rich leaf extracts on testicular damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease affecting young and old, even though it can be managed with orthodox medicine, which has a series of side effects. Therefore, Dalbergiella welwitschi is one of the medicinal plants that is commonly used for the management of diabetes mellitus and its associated complications. Hence, this study was designed to assess the testicular-protective ability of alkaloid-rich leaf extract of D.

Analyzing the Role of Chemical Mechanism Choice in Wintertime PM Modeling for Temperature Inversion-Prone Areas.

Chemical transport models are used for federal compliance demonstrations when areas are out of attainment, but there is no guidance for choosing a chemical mechanism. With the 2024 change of the annual PM standard and the prevalence of multiday wintertime inversion episodes in the western U.S.

Pathogenesis and therapeutic effect of sitagliptin in experimental diabetic model of COVID-19.

This study evaluates the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and the therapeutic efficacy of sitagliptin in diabetic and obese mice. Using a novel double-transgenic mouse model (db/db and K18-hACE2), the findings demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 infection (Delta variant) causes severe multi-organ damage, glucose metabolism abnormalities, insulin resistance, and pancreatic islet cell damage in diabetic mice. Infected diabetic mice displayed higher mortality, inflammation (elevated TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β), and fibrinolytic activity (PAI-1), alongside dysregulated diabetes-related hormones (GLP-1, leptin, ghrelin, resistin) compared to non-diabetic controls.

Correction: Olugbodi et al. Silver Nanoparticles Stimulates Spermatogenesis Impairments and Hematological Alterations in Testis and Epididymis of Male Rats. 2020, , 1063.

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Inspiring Undergraduate Student Training in Alzheimer's Research (USTAR): Training the Next Generation of Aging Scientists.

Inspiring Undergraduate Student Training in Alzheimer's Research (USTAR) aims to provide Underrepresented Minority (URM) undergraduate students with mentored didactic, clinical, and research experiences to stimulate interest in research related to Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). USTAR specifically focuses on social determinants of health (SDOH) as risk factors for ADRD minoritized populations. USTAR's scientific rationale is that URM undergraduates are less likely to enter the biomedical workforce.

Prevalence, perception of risk and mycobacterium tuberculosis control practices among healthcare workers in HIV care and treatment centres in North Central Nigeria.

Background: Globally, Healthcare workers (HWs) are known to be at higher risk of Tuberculosis (TB), especially those working in HIV settings. Understanding HW's alertness of TB risk is an important step to ensure safety in such settings. Hence, we assessed the perception of the risk of TB and its associated factors among HWs in HIV care and treatment centres in North-Central Nigeria.

NFATC2 target gene signature correlates with immune checkpoint blockade resistance in melanoma.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4, have significantly advanced melanoma treatment by reactivating the immune system to target cancer cells. However, a substantial portion of patients do not respond or develop resistance, highlighting the need for more effective predictive biomarkers. Dysregulation of transcriptional programs has been implicated in cancer progression and immune evasion, with transcription factors (TFs) playing a crucial role.

ORAL HEALTH IMPACT AMONG CHILDREN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW UPDATE IN 2024.

Introduction: The project "Mapping Oral Disease Impact with a Common Metric" (MOM) characterizes the functional, pain-related, aesthetic, and broader psychosocial impacts of oral diseases and conditions using the 4 oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) dimensions: Oral Function, Orofacial Pain, Orofacial Appearance, and Psychosocial Impact. MOM's 4-dimensional oral health impact information in children was provided by Omara et al. in 2021.