A qualitative systematic review of umbilical cord care practices in Nigeria.

Background: Umbilical cord care is an important aspect of newborn health, and different practices exist around the world, often influenced by cultural, healthcare infrastructure, and socioeconomic factors. The objective of this systematic review is to synthesize current literature on umbilical cord care practices in Nigeria, with an emphasis on the impact of cultural beliefs, healthcare infrastructure, and socioeconomic factors.

Methods: A comprehensive search for literature was performed across PubMED, MEDLINE and Google scholar for studies published between 2010 and 2023.

Valorization of mixed blackwater/agricultural wastes for bioelectricity and biohydrogen production: A microbial treatment pathway.

The management of wastewater and agricultural wastes has been limited by the separate treatment processes, which exacerbate pollution and contribute to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions. Given the energy demands and financial burdens of traditional treatment facilities, there is a pressing need for technologies that can concurrently treat solid waste and generate energy. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of producing bioelectricity and biohydrogen through the microbial treatment of blackwater and agricultural waste using a dual-chamber Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC).

Relativistic bound state solutions and quantum information theory in D dimensions under exponential-type plus Yukawa potentials.

The bound-state solution of the radial Klein-Gordon equation has been obtained under the interaction of an exponential-type and Yukawa potential functions. The Greene-Aldrich approximation has been used to overcome the centrifugal barrier and enable the analytical solutions of the energy and wave functions in closed form. The momentum space wave function in D dimensions has been constructed using the Fourier transform.

Designing and deploying caller tunes on mobile phones to promote malaria vaccine uptake in Africa: can the technology acceptance model (TAM) help?

Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, with millions of cases and high mortality rates annually, especially in low-income countries. Africa bears a substantial burden, with direct costs of malaria among children under five reaching millions of dollars in countries like Ghana, Tanzania, and Kenya. In 2021, over 610,000 malaria-related deaths were reported, 96% of which occurred in sub-Saharan Africa.

Advancements in tantalum based nanoparticles for integrated imaging and photothermal therapy in cancer management.

Tantalum-based nanoparticles (TaNPs) have emerged as promising tools in cancer management, owing to their unique properties that facilitate innovative imaging and photothermal therapy applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in TaNPs, emphasizing their potential in oncology. Key features include excellent biocompatibility, efficient photothermal conversion, and the ability to integrate multifunctional capabilities, such as targeted drug delivery and enhanced imaging.

Brief communication: Effect of mobile health intervention on medication time adherence among people living with HIV/AIDS receiving care at selected hospitals in Owerri, Imo State Nigeria.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the impact of Mobile health (M-health) on medication time adherence among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

Methods: The study included all PLWHA who were receiving care at the Federal University Teaching Hospital Owerri (FUTH) and Imo State Specialist Hospital (ISSH) Umugumma during the study duration. The test group (FUTH) received a 2-way text message sent three times a week and a once-a-week phone call, while the control group (ISSH) received only the standard care.

Utilization of quarry dust and periwinkle shell ash in concrete production.

The usage of plentiful raw discarded resources in the manufacturing of concrete has proven to be a sustainable and environmentally beneficial method of making concrete for a variety of purposes. In this study, the physical and mechanical properties of concrete made by partially and fully substituting fine aggregates and ordinary Portland cement with periwinkle shell ash and quarry dust (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 100%), respectively, were examined. The ratio of water to cement utilized for the concrete mixture, 1:2:4, was 0.

Utilizing mechatronic agilent gas chromatography to validate therapeutic efficacy of against oxidative stress and inflammation.

The quest for novel antioxidant and anti-inflammatory medications from medicinal plants is crucial since the plants contain bioactive compounds with a better efficacy and safety profile than orthodox therapy. This study harnesses the capabilities of mechatronics-driven Agilent Gas Chromatography, deploying , and in silico models to unravel the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory attributes within ethanol extract (CPEE). Employing gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), our analysis efficiently segregates and evaluates volatile compound mixtures, a technique renowned for identifying organic compounds, as exemplified by its success in detecting fatty acids in food and resin acids in water.

Heavy metal profile with health risk peculiarities in Enugu State and their long-term challenges in drinking water.

Health authorities are particularly concerned about water security in Enugu, southeast Nigeria and heavy metal (HM) pollution. The HM profiles of 51 samples collected from 17 different commercial bottled water brands in Enugu were examined using an flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn had mean values of 0.

Comprehensive dosimetric characterization of novel silicon carbide detectors with UHDR electron beams for FLASH radiotherapy.

Background: The extremely fast delivery of doses with ultra high dose rate (UHDR) beams necessitates the investigation of novel approaches for real-time dosimetry and beam monitoring. This aspect is fundamental in the perspective of the clinical application of FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT), as conventional dosimeters tend to saturate at such extreme dose rates.

Purpose: This study aims to experimentally characterize newly developed silicon carbide (SiC) detectors of various active volumes at UHDRs and systematically assesses their response to establish their suitability for dosimetry in FLASH-RT.

Mobility inhibition of arsenic in the soil: the role of green synthesized silica nanoparticles.

The studies showed the effectiveness of green-synthesized SiONPs in mitigating the toxicity of Arsenic. Density Functional Theory (DFT) is a computational method used to determine electronic structure, energy gap, and toxicity prediction. Experimentally, silicon nanoparticles of 0 (S0) and 100% v/v (S100) were applied to the surface of the soil.

Non-relativistic energy equations for diatomic molecules constrained in a deformed hyperbolic potential function.

Context: In this paper, the approximate analytical energy equations for the deformed hyperbolic potential have been obtained for arbitrary parameters of the potential. The potential function was transformed to a molecular potential by subjecting it to the Varshni conditions which allows for the determination of the energy levels of diatomic molecules. The molecular vibrational energy spectra for [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] diatomic molecules were obtained and found to match with the results obtained with another analytical approach, potential functions, and experimental data.

Ligand-based pharmacophore modelling, virtual screening and docking studies to identify potential compounds against FtsZ of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Background And Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) which is the most common cause of death from bacterial illness. Millions of victims of TB infections have been recorded including 20,800 deaths amongst HIV positive individuals.

Factors associated with health seeking delay in the screening of cervical cancer among women in Imo state, south Eastern Nigeria.

Background To The Study: Cervical cancer is a curable disease if diagnosed early. The mortality rate due to cervical cancer is high worldwide, mainly because of the absence of a functioning screening process and the advanced stage of the disease at diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the factors associated with health-seeking delay in the screening of cervical cancer among women in Owerri Municipal LGA, Imo State.

Effects of haloperidol on peripheral erythrocytes and brain neurotransmitter levels of juvenile African Sharptooth Catfish Clarias gariepinus.

Objective: The study investigated the effects of haloperidol on peripheral erythrocytes and brain neurotransmitter levels of juvenile African Sharptooth Catfish Clarias gariepinus.

Methods: Juveniles were exposed to different concentrations of haloperidol (0.12, 0.

Cholera outbreak in Syria amid humanitarian crisis: the epidemic threat, future health implications, and response strategy - a review.

The war in Syria, which started over 11 years ago, has devastated the country's water sources, healthcare system, and other vital facilities for healthy living. The country is vulnerable to outbreaks, especially epidemic-prone ones like cholera, due to its fragile health system. Syria experienced its last hit of cholera in 2009, which led to the deaths of several Syrian children and affected about 1,000 people.

An extended SEIRDV compartmental model: case studies of the spread of COVID-19 and vaccination in Tunisia and South Africa.

In the wake of the unprecedented health crisis triggered by the global COVID-19 pandemic, countries are still grappling with the pandemic's immediate health and socioeconomic consequences. This paper presents an extended SEIRD model with vaccination to study the evolution of COVID-19 in South Africa and Tunisia since the commencement of the vaccination campaign in each country, respectively. Epidemiologists often quantify a risk reduction following the implementation of non-pharmaceutical containment measures and vaccines when attempting to stem the spread of pandemics.

Development of PSA@PS-TiO nanocomposite photocatalyst: structure, mechanism, and application using response surface designs and molecular modeling.

Using periwinkle shell ash (PSA) and polystyrene (PS), a new-fangled PSA@PS-TiO photocatalyst was fabricated. The morphological images of all the samples studied using a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) showed a size distribution of 50-200 nm for all samples. The SEM-EDX showed that the membrane substrate of PS was well dispersed, confirming the presence of anatase/rutile phases of TiO, and Ti and O were the major composites.

hydrogen production from hydrocarbon reservoirs - modelling study.

The use of hydrogen is gaining reputation because of its many beneficial properties to the environment in comparison to hydrocarbon not minding its net energy requirement for production challenges. With most countries adopting a strategy to achieve their net-zero emissions targets, it becomes much more important to find affordable, low-carbon ways of producing hydrogen. An innovative method of producing hydrogen from hydrocarbon reservoirs while keeping the associated by-products in the reservoir has been demonstrated researchers from the University of Calgary.

Anatomical adaptation of water-stressed Eugenia uniflora using green synthesized silver nanoparticles and melatonin.

Cell and sub-cellular anatomical adjustments are adaptations utilized by plants to tolerate abiotic stress. Both melatonin and Morinda lucida-silver nanoparticles (ML-AgNPs) are recognized as bio-stimulants. The study examined the morphological changes and adaptive characteristics of these bio-stimulants under water-stress Eugenia uniflora.

Anticorrosion performance assessment of silane-modified chitosan/epoxy primer coatings on mild steel in saline environment using computational simulation techniques.

The anticorrosion performance of silane-modified chitosan/epoxy primer coatings was evaluated using quantum chemical computations (QCC) and molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) techniques. The objective was to appraise the molecular/atomistic level performance of silane-modified chitosan/epoxy primer coating system on mild steel in saline water to be able to design robust anticorrosion epoxy nanocomposite primer coating for marine application. The QCC showed that quantum parameters for (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxy silane-modified chitosan nanocluster (AMCN) are optimum and therefore correspond to high corrosion protective capability.

Internet addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents in southeast Nigeria and implications for adolescent care in the post-pandemic era: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of internet addiction amongst adolescents in Southeast Nigeria during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 10 randomly selected secondary schools, 2 (one urban and one rural) each from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi Enugu and Imo states of southeastern Nigeria between July and August 2021. Data on demographic variables were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire.