Comparative Physiological and Transcriptomics Profiling Provides Integrated Insight into Melatonin Mediated Salt and Copper Stress Tolerance in L.

L., (pitaya) is an important tropical fruit crop, and faces significant challenges from soil salinity and heavy metal toxicity. This study explores the role of melatonin (M) in enhancing stress tolerance in pitaya against salinity (S) and copper (Cu) toxicity, both individually and in combination (SCu).

NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF DIABETIC PATIENTS IN SECONDARY HEALTH FACILITIES, KADUNA METROPOLIS, NIGERIA.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia from deficiencies in insulin secretion, action, or both. It reduces the quality of life and life expectancy in patients. Research shows that nutritional knowledge and nutritional status have a huge role in reducing its risk.

NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF DIABETIC PATIENTS IN SECONDARY HEALTH FACILITIES, KADUNA METROPOLIS, NIGERIA.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia from deficiencies in insulin secretion, action, or both. It reduces the quality of life and life expectancy of patients26. Research shows that adequate nutritional knowledge and good nutritional status have a huge role in reducing its risk.

EFFECT OF ELECTRONIC SHORT MESSAGE SERVICE REMINDERS ON MEDICATION ADHERENCE AMONG HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS IN KATSINA STATE: A QUASIEXPERIMENTAL STUDY.

Introduction: Globally, hypertension is considered a public health problem affecting over 1.3 billion individuals of which 60% need reminders to take medication to achieve adherence, optimal blood pressure and avert complications. Literature shows electronic short message reminders (eSMS) improved medication adherence.

Risk Factors Associated with Under Five Children Mortality in Northeast Nigeria; A Retrospective Analysis of National Demographic and Health Survey Data.

Background: Under-five children mortality rate (U5MR) remains a crucial indicator of a nation's child healthcare and socioeconomic development. This study aims to identify and quantify significant maternal, child, family, and environmental risk factors contributing to under-five mortalities in the Northeast geopolitical zone of Nigeria.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of secondary data from the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) in six northeastern Nigerian states.

Transcriptome Profiles Reveal Key Regulatory Networks during Single and Multifactorial Stresses Coupled with Melatonin Treatment in Pitaya ( L.).

In response to evolving climatic conditions, plants frequently confront multiple abiotic stresses, necessitating robust adaptive mechanisms. This study focuses on the responses of L. to both individual stresses (cadmium; Cd, salt; S, and drought; D) and their combined applications, with an emphasis on evaluating the mitigating effects of (M) melatonin.

Attractors for Hopfield lattice model in weighted spaces.

The investigation into the dynamic behavior of infinite lattice systems holds paramount significance in the realm of physical phenomena, particularly in mechanics. This intricate domain has captivated the attention of both mathematicians and physicists. In acknowledgment of the inherent noise prevalent in real-world environments, our study embraces this aspect by introducing a random term into our model.

An ATP-binding cassette transporter, OsABCB24, is involved in female gametophyte development and early seed growth in rice.

Female gametogenesis has been rarely studied due to gametophyte lethality and the unavailability of related genetic resources. In this study, we identified a rice ATP-binding cassette transporter, OsABCB24, whose null function displayed a significantly reduced seed setting rate by as much as 94%-100% compared with that of the wild type (WT). The reciprocal cross of WT and mutant plants demonstrated that the female reproductive organs in mutants were functionally impaired.

Women in Nigerian Neurosurgery: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: Although women have made remarkable strides in several medical specialties in Sub-Saharan Africa, their presence and contribution to the development of neurosurgery remain limited. We sought to study the gender differences within Nigerian neurosurgery, identify challenges resulting from these differences, and recommend how African female neurosurgeons can maximize their effects in neurosurgery.

Methods: A structured online survey captured data on neurosurgical infrastructural capacity, workforce, and training from neurosurgical consultants and residents in neurosurgical centers in Nigeria.

Assessing the Neurosurgical Capacity in Nigeria Using the Modified Neuro-PIPES Tool.

Background: Like many low- and-middle-income countries in Africa, documented assessment of the neurosurgical workforce, equipment, infrastructure, and scope of service delivery in Nigeria is lacking. This study aimed to assess the capacity for the delivery of neurosurgical services in Nigeria.

Methods: An 83-question survey was disseminated to neurosurgeons and residents in Nigeria.

A Geospatial Analysis of the Availability, Distribution, and Accessibility of Neurosurgical Facilities, Workforce, and Infrastructure in Nigeria; and Projection Towards 2050.

Objective: There has been a modest but progressive increase in the neurosurgical workforce, training, and service delivery in Nigeria in the last 2 decades. However, these resources are unevenly distributed. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the availability and distribution of neurosurgical resources in Nigeria while projecting the needed workforce capacity up to 2050.

Real-World Registry on the Pharmacotherapy of Multiple Myeloma and Associated Renal and Pulmonary Impairments in the Greater Gulf Region: Protocol for a Retrospective Real-World Data Study.

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second-most common cancer among hematological malignancies. Patients with active disease may experience several comorbidities, including renal insufficiency and asthma, which may lead to treatment failure. The treatment of relapsed or refractory MM (RRMM) has been associated with multiple factors, causing a decline in progression-free survival as well as overall survival with subsequent lines of therapy.

CRISPR enables sustainable cereal production for a greener future.

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system has become the most important tool for targeted genome editing in many plant and animal species over the past decade. The CRISPR/Cas9 technology has also sparked a flood of applications and technical advancements in genome editing in the key cereal crops, including rice, wheat, maize, and barley. Here, we review advanced uses of CRISPR/Cas9 and derived systems in genome editing of cereal crops to enhance a variety of agronomically important features.

The Role of International Collaborations in Sustainable Neurosurgical Development in Nigeria.

Objective: Despite 6 decades of existence, neurosurgery is still in the developing stages in Nigeria. In this era of collaborative health system capacity-building in low- and middle-income countries, this article reviews past efforts and future prospects for collaborative neurosurgical development in Nigeria.

Methods: A bibliometric review of the Nigerian neurosurgical literature and data from a structured survey of Nigerian neurosurgeons and residents provided details of current local and international collaborations for neurosurgical research, service delivery, training, and capacity building.

The Status of Specialist Neurosurgical Training in Nigeria: A Survey of Practitioners, Trainers, and Trainees.

Objective: Despite the well-known neurosurgical workforce deficit in Sub-Saharan Africa, there remains a low number of neurosurgical training programs in Nigeria. This study sought to reassess the current status of specialist neurosurgical training in the country.

Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to all consultant neurosurgeons and neurosurgery residents in Nigeria.

Recent Molecular Aspects and Integrated Omics Strategies for Understanding the Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Rice.

Rice is an important staple food crop for over half of the world's population. However, abiotic stresses seriously threaten rice yield improvement and sustainable production. Breeding and planting rice varieties with high environmental stress tolerance are the most cost-effective, safe, healthy, and environmentally friendly strategies.

Impact of a visiting consultant neurosurgeon: The Nigerian experience.

Objective: To study the impact of a visiting consultant neurosurgeon on the management and outcome of neurosurgical patients in a hospital with no resident neurosurgeon.

Methods: This is a 5-year retrospective study of neurosurgical conditions and their management outcomes by a visiting consultant neurosurgeon in a Nigerian Tertiary institution from January 2016 to December 2020.

Results: Thousand two hundred and four (1,204) patients were reviewed.

Detection of QTLs Regulating Six Agronomic Traits of Rice Based on Chromosome Segment Substitution Lines of Common Wild Rice ( Griff.) and Mapping of and .

Wild rice is a primary source of genes that can be utilized to generate rice cultivars with advantageous traits. Chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) are consisting of a set of consecutive and overlapping donor chromosome segments in a recipient's genetic background. CSSLs are an ideal genetic population for mapping quantitative traits loci (QTLs).

Activity and stability studies of H-transfer reduction reactions of aldehydes and ketones over aluminium isopropoxide heterogenised catalysts.

Aluminium isopropoxide Al(OPr) immobilised on various mesoporous supports (SiO, TiO and γ-AlO) was tested for H-transfer reductions of various aldehydes and ketones in the presence of 2-propanol as a sacrificial agent. The heterogenised catalysts were characterised by N physisorption, XRD, SEM-EDX, FTIR and ICP-OES. The characterisation results show a successful grafting of the homogeneous aluminium isopropoxide catalyst, covalently bound to the solid surface, with high dispersion over the mesoporous supports.

Ellman's reagent prevents dephosphorylation of histones during isolation of mitotic chromosomes.

Histones H1 and H3 are highly phosphorylated in mitotic HeLa cells but are rapidly dephosphorylated by endogenous protein phosphatases during the isolation of metaphase chromosomes. We show that this dephosphorylation can be prevented by including the sulfhydryl reagent 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoate) (Ellman's reagent, or DTNB) in the isolation buffer. The minimal amount of DTNB required is approximately stoichiometric with the number of sulfhydryl groups in the lysate.

CRISPR/Cas-mediated editing of cis-regulatory elements for crop improvement.

To improve future agricultural production, major technological advances are required to increase crop production and yield. Targeting the coding region of genes via the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/CRISPR-associated Protein (CRISPR/Cas) system has been well established and has enabled the rapid generation of transgene-free plants, which can lead to crop improvement. The emergence of the CRISPR/Cas system has also enabled scientists to achieve cis-regulatory element (CRE) editing and, consequently, engineering endogenous critical CREs to modulate the expression of target genes.

Controlling air pollution by lowering methane emissions, conserving natural resources, and slowing urbanization in a panel of selected Asian economies.

The destruction of the earth's ecosystems is the most pressing issue globally. Carbon emissions account for nearly half of global air pollution. Methane is the primary source of ground-level ozone and a significant source of greenhouse gases (GHGs), with greater warming potential than carbon dioxide emissions.