Variation in seed transmission of cowpea viruses between single and multiple infections.

Unlabelled: Seed transmission (ST) plays an important role in virus dispersion and disease epidemiology. Many viruses infecting cowpea are known to be seed-transmitted. This study evaluated the rate of virus ST in cowpea varieties inoculated under screenhouse conditions (SC) with bean common mosaic virus-blackeye cowpea mosaic strain (BCMV-BlCM), Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV) and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) under single and multiple-infections.

Localization and antigenicity reduction of immunodominant conformational IgE epitopes on αs1-casein.

αs1-Casein (αs1-CN) is the major allergen in cow milk; however, the understanding of its conformational epitopes remains limited due to the absence of a well-defined three-dimensional structure, which has impeded efforts to effectively reduce its antigenicity. This study employed molecular dynamics simulations (MD), ELISA, cell assays and peptidomes analysis to investigate the critical conformational epitopes of αs1-Casein. MD and immunological analyses identified a dominant conformational epitope encompassing the regions S55-E75 & Y154-T174 & F179-W199, which exhibited strong binding affinity to IgE and triggered the releasing of β-hexosaminidase, histamine and IL-6 in KU812 cells, thereby inducing allergic responses.

Cutting-edge developments in zinc oxide nanoparticles: synthesis and applications for enhanced antimicrobial and UV protection in healthcare solutions.

This paper presents a comprehensive review of recent advancements in utilizing zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) to enhance antimicrobial and UV protective properties in healthcare solutions. It delves into the synthesis techniques of ZnO NPs and elucidates their antimicrobial efficacy, exploring the underlying mechanisms governing their action against a spectrum of pathogens. Factors impacting the antimicrobial performance of ZnO NPs, including size, surface characteristics, and environmental variables, are extensively analyzed.

Integrative phytochemical, ligand structure based drug design nephroprotective potential of flower-petals.

This study was aimed at investigating the ability of extract of (AM) flower-petals in ameliorating the toxic effects of acetaminophen on the kidneys of albino rats. The biochemical results showed a marked increase in AM 200 mg (32.84 ± 0.

Female labour participation and infant mortality in Nigeria: implication for the sustainable development goal 3.

Over the time, link between female labour participation and infant mortality has become a subject of debate among scholars and policymakers in developing countries. This subject becomes more critical for a country like Nigeria where there is a persistent challenge to attain minimal global infant mortality rates by 2030, and where over 47% of female working population is unemployed. Against this background, this study utilizes fully modified ordinary least squares to estimate the relationship between female labour participation and infant mortality in Nigeria.

Out-of-pocket expenditure and maternal mortality nexus in China: implication for the Sustainable Development Goal 3.

The global maternal mortality rate has remained alarmingly high over the years. Meanwhile, socioeconomic factors such out-of-pocket expenditure, in contributing to maternal mortality remains a subject of interest. There is a scarcity of recent empirical studies that delve into the influence of out-of-pocket expenses on maternal mortality in China.

Do health expenditures affect under-five mortality and life expectancy in the ECOWAS sub-Region?

This research explored the effect of health expenditures on health outcomes in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The study employed panel data from 2001 to 2020 of all ECOWAS member States (15 countries) and tested the datasets for the presence of a unit root after the descriptive statistics analysis had been carried out. Based on the result of the Augmented Dickey-Fuller stationarity test, the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) method was applied.

Influence of households' socio-economic factors on maternal and under-five survival in Nigeria: Implication for the sustainable development goal 3.

The objective of this study was to examine the influence of household socio-economic factors on maternal mortality and under-five survival in Nigeria. Consequently, data from 2005 to 2021 were collected from the World Development Indicators, and fully modified least squares and canonical cointegrating regression were utilised to implement the study. The results showed that for every 100,000 live births, at least 1097 mothers die in Nigeria.

Effects of remittances on life expectancy and under-five mortality in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence using Generalized Method of Moments analysis.

The study examined the relationship between financial remittances and health outcomes in 45 sub-Saharan African countries (SSA) using data obtained from the World Development Indicator (WDI) over the period 1990 to 2021. Because of the issue of endogeneity, the System Generalized Method of Moments (SGMM) was adopted to analyze the impact of remittances on life expectancy and infant mortality respectively. The results showed that contrary to expectations, remittances did not significantly improve life expectancy and infant mortality rate in SSA.

Modeling Transmission Dynamics of Tuberculosis-HIV Co-Infection in South Africa.

South Africa has the highest number of people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the world, accounting for nearly one in five people living with HIV globally. As of 2021, 8 million people in South Africa were infected with HIV, which is 13% of the country's total population. Approximately 450,000 people in the country develop tuberculosis (TB) disease every year, and 270,000 of those are HIV positive.

In silico and in vivo anti-angiogenic validation on ethanolic extract of Curcuma longa and curcumin compound in hepatocellular carcinoma through mitogen activated protein kinase expression in male and female wistar rats.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary malignancy of the liver. The aim of this study is to evaluate the comparative in silico and in vivo ameliorative potential of the ethanolic extract of Curcuma longa (EECL) in male and female Wistar rats administered N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma. The MAPK compound was obtained from a protein data bank (PDB ID: 7AUV) for molecular docking.

Information and Communication Technology deployment and agricultural value chain nexus in Nigeria.

This study examined the point of the agricultural value chain where the deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is significant. The study used the data sourced from wave 4 (2018/2019) of the Living Standards Measurement Study - Integrated Survey on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) and applied the Multinomial Logit (MNL) regression. The result showed that ICT deployment is significant for all actors along the agricultural value chain.

Nutritional, functional, and bioactive properties of african underutilized legumes.

Globally, legumes are vital constituents of diet and perform critical roles in maintaining well-being owing to the dense nutritional contents and functional properties of their seeds. While much emphasis has been placed on the major grain legumes over the years, the neglected and underutilized legumes (NULs) are gaining significant recognition as probable crops to alleviate malnutrition and give a boost to food security in Africa. Consumption of these underutilized legumes has been associated with several health-promoting benefits and can be utilized as functional foods due to their rich dietary fibers, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), proteins/essential amino acids, micro-nutrients, and bioactive compounds.

Dynamics of factors associated with rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths in African countries.

Background: African countries have not had the high case and death rates from COVID-19 as was predicted early in the pandemic. It is not well understood what factors modulated the rate of COVID-19 cases and death on the continent.

Methods: We collated data from the World Bank data site, Our World in Data and Freedom House for African for 54 African countries who are members of the African Union.

Assessment of natural radiation in contaminated automobile workshop soils.

The presented study aims to identify and quantify the natural radionuclides activity concentrations on the top and sub-soils around mechanic workshops in Ojo and Ijegun, Lagos, Nigeria. Based on these measured radionuclides activity concentrations, radiological hazard indices are assessed. Twenty oil-contaminated soil samples were collected, and the levels of natural radionuclides activity are measured by applying gamma spectrometry The measured radionuclides with authoritative regularity are linked with the natural decay series of U (Ra) and Th as well as the series of non-decay K.

Genome-Wide association analysis of phenotypic traits in Bambara groundnut under drought-stressed and non-stressed conditions based on DArTseq SNP.

Introduction: Bambara groundnut (BG) (Vigna subterranea [L.] Verdc) is an indigenous, resilient, but underutilized leguminous crop that occurs mostly as genetically heterogeneous landraces with limited information on the drought tolerant attributes. This study elucidates the associations between sequencing-based diversity array technology (DArTseq) and phenotypic character as well as differing indices related to drought tolerance in one hundred accessions of Bambara groundnut.

Updates on cowpea viruses in Southwest Nigeria: distribution, prevalence and coinfection.

Unlabelled: Cowpea is an important source of dietary proteins in the semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Its productivity is constrained by several viral diseases and there are limited updates on the incidence and distribution of these diseases in Nigeria. This study assessed the distribution and prevalence of cowpea viruses in Southwest Nigeria.

Women engagement in agriculture and human capital development in developing countries: An African sub-regional analysis.

Considering the relevant role played by women in agriculture in Africa, this study sets out to examine how women's engagement in agriculture contributes to human capital development in selected African countries. The study engagedpanel data of selected 33 African countries spanning the period of 2000 to 2019. The study applied the Pooled Ordinary Least Squares (POLS) and the fixed effects based on the Hausman specification.

Anti-Streptococcus mutans, anti-adherence and anti-acidogenic activity of Uvaria chamae P. Beauv.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Streptococcus mutans a key pathogen, produces biofilm, acids and extracellular polysaccharides in the oral cavity; which leads to the development of dental caries. Control of these pathogenic markers can prevent dental caries. Uvaria chamae P.

Evaluation of urban solid-waste generation and safety consciousness of waste collectors amidst COVID-19 pandemic.

This study investigates solid-waste handling practices by municipal waste collectors during COVID-19 pandemic period in Osogbo urban areas with the intention of assessing measures put in place for preventing possible spread of the disease. Data for the study were obtained from primary and secondary sources. Primary data were acquired through questionnaire administration on the 5% of waste collectors selected through snowball technique of chain referral.

Therapeutic capability of five active compounds in typical African medicinal plants against main proteases of SARS-CoV-2 by computational approach.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a pandemic cause of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), that has claimed numerous human lives across the globe. Main protease being the active protein of SARS-CoV-2 requires urgent mitigating effect against the spread of the virus. The therapeutic roles of the active compounds present in ten typical African medicinal plants were investigated in this study.

Risk factors for some tropical diseases in an African country.

Background: Often, non-clinical risk factors could affect the predisposition of an individual to diseases. Understanding these factors and their impacts helps in disease prevention and control. This study identified risk factors for malaria, yellow fever, typhoid, chickenpox, measles, hepatitis B, and urinary tract infection in a population in an African country.

Sexual dimorphism in inorganic mercury toxicokinetics and the attendant lipotoxic and non-lipotoxic dyslipidemia in the rat.

The influence of variability in the biology of living organisms is poorly appreciated in toxicology. However, multiple lines of evidence indicate that sex-differences modulate toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics from cellular/molecular to whole animal levels resulting in different toxic responses of living organisms to xenobiotics exposure. In order to investigate the influence of sex in inorganic mercury (Hg) exposure, male and female Wistar rats were exposed to 0.

Assessing the use of hybrid renewable energy system with battery storage for power generation in a University in Nigeria.

This paper analyzes the adoption of an off-grid hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) for a high-rise building owned by a public institution in Nigeria. The analysis is based on the comparison between the use of a single criterion and multiple criteria in the selection of the most feasible energy system. The proposed HRES comprises of a wind turbine, diesel generator, photovoltaic (PV), and battery storage system.