Marked variability in institutional deliveries and neonatal outcomes during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the interventions to mitigate its spread impacted access to healthcare, including hospital births and newborn care. This study evaluated the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on newborn service utilization in Nigeria.

Methods: The records of women who delivered in hospitals and babies admitted to neonatal wards were retrospectively reviewed before (March 2019-February 2020) and during (March 2020-February 2021) the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in selected facilities in Nigeria.

Ultra-dense, 1152-core, broadband multicore fiber link deployed in a metro network.

We have designed, developed, and deployed the world's first ultra-dense space division-multiplexing multicore fiber link in a conduit of a metro network. In a 10-mm-diameter fiber optic-cable, 288 4-core multicore fibers are arranged in 24 200-µm spiderweb collapsible ribbons. The multicore fibers are fusion-spliced to 576 fanout devices which provide conventional single-core interfaces at patch panels at both ends of the link.

Investigation of redox mechanism and DNA binding of novel 2-(x-nitrophenyl)-5-nitrobenzimidazole (x = 2, 3 and 4).

The present study describes the investigation of the binding modes of potential anti-cancerous nitrophenyl derivatives of 2-(x-nitrophenyl)-5-nitrobenzimidazole with calf thymus DNA. The -2-(x-nitrophenyl)-5-nitrobenzimidazoles under investigation differ only in position x of nitro group in nitrophenyl substituent relative to benzimidazole moiety leading to 1-NPNB (x = 2), 2-NPNB (x = 3) and 3-NPNB (x = 4). The DFT calculations predicted that derivatives were electrochemically reducible which was then confirmed by cyclic voltammetry.

Polio elimination in Nigeria: A review.

Nigeria has made tremendous strides towards eliminating polio and has been free of wild polio virus (WPV) for more than a year as of August 2015. However, sustained focus towards getting rid of all types of poliovirus by improving population immunity and enhancing disease surveillance will be needed to ensure it sustains the polio-free status. We reviewed the pertinent literature including published and unpublished, official reports and working documents of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners as well as other concerned organizations.