Outcome and Determining Characteristics of ICU Patients with Acute Kidney Injury in a Low-Income Country, a Multicenter Experience.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a disease that affects millions of people globally making it a major public health concern. It is defined as an abrupt decrease in kidney function that occurs within ours affecting both the structure and functionality of the kidneys.The outcome of AKI and the determinants in Nigeria are largely unknown.

Structural Insights into Cold-Active Lipase from Glaciozyma antarctica PI12: Alphafold2 Prediction and Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

Cold-active enzymes have recently gained popularity because of their high activity at lower temperatures than their mesophilic and thermophilic counterparts, enabling them to withstand harsh reaction conditions and enhance industrial processes. Cold-active lipases are enzymes produced by psychrophiles that live and thrive in extremely cold conditions. Cold-active lipase applications are now growing in the detergency, synthesis of fine chemicals, food processing, bioremediation, and pharmaceutical industries.

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.

Patient-reported outcomes of adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria: A mixed methods study.

Background: Adverse events following immunization (AEFIs), especially if serious, may impact vaccine recipients' quality of life and financial well-being and fuel vaccine hesitancy. Nigeria rolled out COVID-19 vaccination in 2021 with little known about the impact of AEFIs on an individual's quality of life. No study in Africa has explored the health and financial impact of AEFIs.

A Comprehensive Review of Hepatitis B Vaccine Nonresponse and Associated Risk Factors.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a significant global health concern worldwide, contributing to high rates of mortality and morbidity, including chronic hepatitis B, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Universal vaccination programs have significantly reduced the rate of HBV transmission; however, a subset of individuals fail to develop a protective immune response following vaccination and are termed nonresponders. A comprehensive search strategy using the PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases was employed to search for relevant studies using keywords including "hepatitis B vaccine", "vaccine nonresponse", "immunogenicity", "immune response to the hepatitis B vaccine", and "associated risk factors".

Antimalarial and antioxidant activities of novel artesunate-ellagic acid hybrid compound and .

Emergence of drug resistant strains of species has necessitated the search for novel antimalarials with unique mechanisms of action. Synthesis of hybrid compounds has been one approach to tackling this challenge. In this study, the synthesis of artesunate-ellagic acid hybrid compound (EA31) from ellagic acid and artesunate and its evaluation for antimalarial and antioxidant activities using and models were carried out.

Mitragynine (Kratom)-Withdrawal behaviour and cognitive impairments can be ameliorated by an epigenetic mechanism.

Background And Purpose: Kratom is a preparation from Mitragyna speciosa, which is used as a natural drug preparation for many purposes around the world. However, an overdose of Kratom may cause addiction-like problems including aversive withdrawal states resulting in cognitive impairments via unknown mechanisms. Its main psychoactive alkaloid is mitragynine, showing opioid-like properties.

Toxicological evaluation of aqueous leaf extract of linn (combretaceae) in pregnant rats.

Introduction: Terminalia catappa (T. catappa) leaves are used in the treatment of hypertension, diabetes, cough, jaundice, indigestion etc, while the bark is used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, abscesses etc. Due to the acceptance and increased use of medicinal plants in pregnancy, there is a need to evaluate their toxicological profiles in pregnancy for safe use.

Identification of estrogen receptor agonists among hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls using classification-based quantitative structure-activity relationship models.

Identification of estrogen receptor (ER) agonists among environmental toxicants is essential for assessing the potential impact of toxicants on human health. Using 2D autocorrelation descriptors as predictor variables, two binary logistic regression models were developed to identify active ER agonists among hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (OH-PCBs). The classifications made by the two models on the training set compounds resulted in accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 95.

Review of MR spectroscopy analysis and artificial intelligence applications for the detection of cerebral inflammation and neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has an emerging role as a neuroimaging tool for the detection of biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD). To date, MRS has been established as one of the diagnostic tools for various diseases such as breast cancer and fatty liver, as well as brain tumours. However, its utility in neurodegenerative diseases is still in the experimental stages.

Structural, mechanical, electronic and optical properties of N-decorated single-walled silicon carbide nanotube photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution via water splitting: a DFT study.

This work investigates the fundamental photocatalytic properties of nitrogen-doped single-walled silicon carbide nanotubes (N-doped SWSiCNTs) for hydrogen evolution for the first time. Investigations of the structural, mechanical, electronic, and optical properties of the studied systems were carried out using popular density functional theory implemented in quantum ESPRESSO and Yambo codes. Analysis of the structural properties revealed high mechanical stability with the 3.

Mitragynine inhibits hippocampus neuroplasticity and its molecular mechanism.

Background: Mitragynine (MIT), the primary indole alkaloid of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), has been associated with addictive and cognitive decline potentials. In acute studies, MIT decreases spatial memory and inhibits hippocampal synaptic transmission in long-term potentiation (LTP). This study investigated the impacts of 14-day MIT treatment on hippocampus synaptic transmission and its possible underlying mechanisms.

DFT Studies of the Photocatalytic Properties of MoS-Doped Boron Nitride Nanotubes for Hydrogen Production.

This study investigated the photocatalytic properties of MoS-doped boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) for overall water splitting using popular density functional theory (DFT). Calculations of the structural, mechanical, electronic, and optical properties of the investigated systems were performed using both the generalized gradient approximation and the GW quasi-particle correction methods. In our calculations, it was observed that only (10, 10) and (12, 12) single-walled BNNTs (SWBNNTs) turned out to be stable toward MoS doping.

Antibiotic resistance and the COVID-19 pandemic: A dual crisis with complex challenges in LMICs.

Background And Aims: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a global health crisis of mounting urgency, has been further complicated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The intricate relationship between these two phenomena is especially pronounced in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to the distinct obstacles encountered by their healthcare systems and policy structures. This study aims to explore the complex challenges arising from the coexistence of these two crises in LMICs and proffer specific recommendations for holistic management.

The potentials of boron-doped (nitrogen deficient) and nitrogen-doped (boron deficient) BNNT photocatalysts for decontamination of pollutants from water bodies.

This work investigates the structural, elastic, electronic, and photoabsorption properties of boron- (N-deficient) and nitrogen- (B-deficient) doped single-walled boron nitride nanotube (SWBNNT) for photocatalytic applications for the first time. All calculations of the optimized systems were performed with DFT quantum simulation codes. The results of the structural analysis showed that SWBNNT is stable to both B and N dopants.

A comprehensive review of cystic fibrosis in Africa and Asia.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) was earlier thought to be a disease prevalent in the West among Caucasians. However, quite a number of recent studies have uncovered CF cases outside of this region, and reported hundreds of unique and novel variant forms of . Here, we discuss the evidence of CF in parts of the world earlier considered to be rare; Africa, and Asia.

Analysis of PPI networks of transcriptomic expression identifies hub genes associated with Newcastle disease virus persistent infection in bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer cells can acquire persistent infection of oncolytic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) but the molecular mechanism(s) remain unelucidated. This poses a major barrier to the effective clinical translation of oncolytic NDV virotherapy of cancers. To improve our understanding of the molecular mechanism(s) associated with the development of NDV persistent infection in bladder cancer, we used mRNA expression profiles of persistently infected bladder cancer cells to construct PPI networks.

Development of binary classification models for grouping hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls into active and inactive thyroid hormone receptor agonists.

Some adverse effects of hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (OH-PCBs) in humans are presumed to be initiated via thyroid hormone receptor (TR) binding. Due to the trial-and-error approach adopted for OH-PCB selection in previous studies, experiments designed to test the TR binding hypothesis mostly utilized inactive OH-PCBs, leading to considerable waste of time, effort and other material resources. In this paper, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and binary logistic regression (LR) were used to develop classification models to group OH-PCBs into active and inactive TR agonists using radial distribution function (RDF) descriptors as predictor variables.

The impact of heat source and chemical reaction on MHD blood flow through permeable bifurcated arteries with tilted magnetic field in tumor treatments.

In this research work, we investigate the influence of heat source and chemical reaction on electro-magneto-hydrodynamic (EMHD) blood flow through bifurcated arteries with external tilted magnetic field for treating tumor. The potential electric field applied along the bifurcated arterial wall, accurately described the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. We modeled the EMHD blood flow to obtain the non-dimensionalized form of the equations.

Development and Validation of Predictive Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship Models for Estrogenic Activities of Hydroxylated Polychlorinated Biphenyls.

Disruption of the endocrine system by hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (OH-PCBs) is hypothesized, among other potential mechanisms, to be mediated via nuclear receptor binding. Due to the high cost and lengthy time required to produce high-quality experimental data, empirical data to support the nuclear receptor binding hypothesis are in short supply. In the present study, two quantitative structure-activity relationship models were developed for predicting the estrogenic activities of OH-PCBs.

Insights into the Pathophysiology of Alzheimer's Disease and Potential Therapeutic Targets: A Current Perspective.

The aging population increases steadily because of a healthy lifestyle and medical advancements in healthcare. However, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is becoming more common and problematic among older adults. AD-related cases show an increasing trend annually, and the younger age population may also be at risk of developing this disorder.

Cold-Active Lipases and Esterases: A Review on Recombinant Overexpression and Other Essential Issues.

Cold environments characterised by diverse temperatures close to or below the water freezing point dominate about 80% of the Earth's biosphere. One of the survival strategies adopted by microorganisms living in cold environments is their expression of cold-active enzymes that enable them to perform an efficient metabolic flux at low temperatures necessary to thrive and reproduce under those constraints. Cold-active enzymes are ideal biocatalysts that can reduce the need for heating procedures and improve industrial processes' quality, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness.

Combating the menace of antimicrobial resistance in Africa: a review on stewardship, surveillance and diagnostic strategies.

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has threatened not only our ability to deal with common infectious diseases but also the management of life-threatening complications. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a significant threat in both industrialized and developing countries alike. In Africa, though, poor clinical care, indiscriminate antibiotic use, lack of robust AMR surveillance programs, lack of proper regulations and the burden of communicable diseases are factors aggravating the problem of AMR.

Antioxidant activities of artesunate-procyanidin hybrid compound in erythrocyte and liver of Plasmodium berghei NK65-infected mice.

Resistance of malaria parasites to conventionally used antimalarial drugs has necessitated the search for new potent antimalarials, especially those that can also ameliorate oxidative stress-mediated secondary complications. This has led to the synthesis of an antimalarial artesunate-procyanidin hybrid compound (PC14), but it has not been evaluated for its antioxidant activity. This study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant activities of PC14 in the erythrocyte and liver of Plasmodium berghei NK65-infected mice.