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Abstract Reports on cases of strongyloidiasis and tuberculosis or aspergillosis coinfection are fragmented in the literature and no large-scale reviews are describing its occurrence across the globe. We identified a total of 230 cases of strongyloidiasis and tuberculosis coinfection amongst 2376 participants with tuberculosis disease from eight epidemiological surveys conducted in Ethiopia (n = 4, 50%); Tanzania (n = 3, 37.5%) and Malaysia (n = 1, 12.5%). Clinical outcomes in these studies were not stated as they were largely descriptive. In addition, there were ten individual case reports of strongyloidiasis and tuberculosis coinfection. Of the ten, four were from the USA (40%), two each from India (20%) and Japan (20%), and one each from the UK (10%) and Argentina (10%). Of the ten, six had favourable outcomes, two were fatal and outcomes were unclear in the remainder. Ten cases of strongyloidiasis and aspergillosis coinfection were identified, five were reported from the USA (50%), and one each from the Netherlands (10%), China (10%), Iran (10%), Colombia (10%) and Italy (10%). Five each had favourable and fatal outcomes. Fatal outcomes in strongyloidiasis and tuberculosis or aspergillosis coinfection were associated with steroid therapy (n = 3), decline for treatment (n = 1), delayed diagnosis (n = 2) and delayed presentation (n = 1). Our findings suggest a significant proportion of individuals living with tuberculosis are also affected with strongyloidiasis, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. However, more studies are required to ascertain the burden of strongyloidiasis and tuberculosis coinfection as few cases were reported from other highly burdened tuberculosis regions. In addition, the role of the attending clinician is critical to reduce morbidities from the coexistence of these clinical entities as a significant number of cases with documented outcomes were fatal.

Background: Deep mycoses are serious fungal diseases commonly associated with the immunocompromised but can also present in the immunocompetent following severe exposure to fungal pathogens. Included in this group are subcutaneous and systemic fungal infections. Objectives: Reviews highlighting skin involvement in patients with deep mycosis in the Nigerian setting are sparse in the literature. This systematic review summarized the clinical presentation, risk factors, and diagnosis of deep mycosis presenting with cutaneous manifestations in Nigerians. Design: This was a systematic review conducted following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Data sources and methods: PubMed, Google Scholar, and the African Journal Online database were searched from inception to February 2024 to identify published articles from Nigeria on deep mycoses with cutaneous manifestations. We included single case reports and case series on cutaneous involvement in deep fungal infections in Nigeria. Review articles, guidelines, meta-analyses, animal studies, and fungal studies not relating to the Nigerian setting were excluded. Results: We identified 16 well-documented articles on deep cutaneous mycoses published in Nigeria over the past six decades which amounted to 137 cases; 102 (74.5%) cases were reported before the year 2000, while the remainder were published within the past two decades. The 137 cases were majorly histoplasmosis ( n = 87, 63.5%) and eumycetoma ( n = 19, 13.9%) and predominant risk factors, farming ( n = 13, 9.5%) and diabetes mellitus ( n = 3, 2.2%), The diagnosis of cases was predominantly via histopathology ( n =131, 95.6%) with a few cases diagnosed by fungal culture ( n = 15, 10.9%), and antigen assay ( n = 1, 0.7%) respectively. Twenty-one (15.3%) were clinically diagnosed as cancers including a case of carcinoma of the skin, and one each (0.7%) as skin tuberculosis or neurofibromatosis but all histologically confirmed as deep cutaneous mycoses. Conclusion: The decline of reports on deep cutaneous mycoses in recent times suggests neglect or a low index of suspicion from attending clinicians. This is further buttressed in the misdiagnosis of cases as other clinical entities. Ensuring a histological diagnosis of skin lesions, especially in at-risk patients will mitigate these gaps.

Background: Fungal contamination of hospital water distribution systems has been implicated in outbreaks of healthcare-associated infections. Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of fungi in the water distribution system of a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Design: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Methods: Swabs and water samples were collected from taps and faucets in the hospital categorized into low (Accidents and Emergency Unit, Children Emergency Unit, Acute Stroke Unit and the 24 in-patient hospital wards) and high-risk (Renal Dialysis Unit, Central Sterile Services Department, Theatres and Intensive Care Units (ICUs)) units based on the vulnerability of patients being managed there. The membrane filtration method for water analysis was used. Where possible, isolates cultured were identified to species level. In total, 105 water and 49 swab samples were collected for analysis. Results: All analysed water samples grew fungi. A total of 289 (high-risk; n = 178; low-risk; n = 111) and 76 fungi isolates were recorded from water and swab samples, respectively, with 31 different species identified. Aspergillus was the most predominant genus with five different species: Aspergillus niger (9.9%), terreus (4.4%), flavus (3.3%), fumigatus (8.8%) and versicolor (2.20%) isolated. Twenty-five and 18 species of fungi were identified in the low and high-risk units, respectively. The labour ward ( n = 46; 25.8%) and modular theatre ( n = 47; 42.3%) were the most contaminated units. Cladosporium spp. and Paecilomyces spp. were the most frequently isolated fungi in the low and high-risk units, respectively. The dialysis centre ( n = 9; 8.1%) and renal transplant theatre ( n = 7; 6.31%) had the lowest contamination rates in the high-risk units. Aspergillus niger , Cephalosporium curtipes , Penicillium chrysogenum and Penicillium glabrum were each identified in 4/6 units from which swabs were taken. The facility had no documented protocol for its water safety and quality. Conclusion: Our data reveal a high rate of contamination of hospital water sources by fungi, some of which are known to cause life-threatening infections. For better water treatment and water tank cleaning and disinfection, a standard protocol is advised. Ensuring that the water distribution systems in hospital settings are free of fungal contaminants is important to prevent the possibility of waterborne mycosis outbreaks.

Background: Aspergillosis localized to the kidneys and the urinary tract is uncommon. We conducted a comprehensive systematic review to evaluate risk factors and clinical outcomes of patients with isolated renal and genito-urinary tract aspergillosis. Methods: We systematically searched Medline, CINAHL, Embase, African Journal Online, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library, covering the period from inception to August 2023 using the key terms ‘renal’ OR ‘kidney*’ OR ‘prostate’ OR ‘urinary bladder’ OR ‘urinary tract*AND ‘aspergillosis’ OR ‘aspergillus’ OR ‘aspergilloma’ OR ‘mycetoma’. We included single case reports or case series. Review articles, guidelines, meta-analyses, animal studies, protocols, and cases of genitourinary and /or renal aspergillosis occurring as a part of disseminated disease were excluded. Results: We identified 91 renal and urinary aspergillosis cases extracted from 76 publications spanning 1925–2023. Among the participants, 79 (86.8%) were male, with a median age of 46 years. Predominantly, presentations consisted of isolated renal infections (74 instances, 81.3%), followed by prostate (5 cases, 5.5%), and bladder (7 cases, 7.7%) involvement. Aspergillus fumigatus (42.9%), Aspergillus flavus (9.9%), and Aspergillus niger/glaucus (1.1% each) were isolated. Underlying risk factors included diabetes mellitus (29.7%), HIV (12.1%), haematological malignancies (11%), and liver cirrhosis (8.8%), while common symptoms encompassed flank pain (36.3%), fever (33%), and lower urinary tract symptoms (20.9%). An autopsy was conducted in 8.8% of cases. Diagnostic work-up involved histopathology (70.5%), renal CT scans and urine microscopy and culture (52.6% each), and abdominal ultrasound (17.9%). Treatments included amphotericin B (34 cases, 37.4%) and azole-based regimens (29 cases, 31.9%). Nephrectomy was performed in 16 of 78 renal cases (20.5%). All-cause mortality was 24.4% (19 cases). No significant mortality rate difference was observed among antifungal regimens ( p = 0.739) or nephrectomy status ( p = 0.8). Conclusion: Renal and urinary aspergillosis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in immunocompromised and people with diabetes mellitus. While varied treatment strategies were observed, mortality rates showed no significant differences based on treatments or nephrectomy status. Further research is needed to refine diagnostics, optimize treatments, and enhance awareness among clinicians for early detection and management. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023430959.

Lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system—an essential element of the body's immune defense—has captured increased interest from modern researchers. This study, investigate the possible antilymphoma characteristics of benzo bisthiazole using both experimental and theoretical investigations at DFT/B3LYP-GD3BJ/6–311++G(d, p) level of theory. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the electronic and spectroscopic behavior of benzo[1,2_d:4,5] bisthiazole (BBT), given the diverse range of applications for thiazole derivatives. We investigate the impact of solvation on BBT's molecular structure, spectral characteristics, quantum chemical properties, vibrational modes, electronic features, and its interaction through molecular docking. Our findings reveal intriguing insights into BBT's reactivity, highlighting its enhanced reactivity in benzene with an energy gap of 4.6406 eV, while demonstrating greater stability in water with an energy gap of 4.6490 eV. Notably, the analysis of high-energy transitions reveals prevalent n-π* transitions, while some transitions, though absent in UV spectra due to their low oscillator strength, are also identified. The dominant transitions, constituting around 74.85 to 75.57% contribution, are characterized across various solvents, emphasizing their significance. Impressively, molecular docking underscores BBT's potential bioactivity against lymphoma, with a docking score of -6.3 kcal/mol. Moreover, the interaction analysis with 6TOF-BBT reveals favorable hydrogen bonding with essential amino acids, histidine (HIS: 116), and glycine (GLY:55), along the polypeptide chain A of the receptor. These hydrogen bonds are notably well-structured at bond distances of 2.75 Å and 2.99 Å, respectively, further elucidating BBT's unique interaction mechanisms.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an increasingly common bacterial infection that poses a serious threat to human health. MRSA is resistant to many common antibiotics, making it particularly difficult to treat. To address this issue, the density functional theory (DFT) approach was employed in this study to examine thiophene- and thiazole-containing carbohydrazides for their biological activities. Quantitative experimental and spectroscopic results were obtained and compared to the theoretical. The FMO reactivity parameters revealed superior biological activity and reactivity of compound 6 G in gas phase, polar and non-polar solvents according to the data. Additionally, molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) analysis and non-covalent interaction (NCI) indicated that compound 6F contained more weak and steric repulsion interactions, while compound 6 G featured minimal van der Waals forces of attraction. Also, compound 6 G had the highest stabilization energy in the NBO analysis which show a better donor - acceptor charge transfer and electron delocalization. Molecular docking analyses with standard drugs showed higher binding affinities for compound 6 G with 3VSL than with CIPRO. The in-silico analysis suggests that 6F and 6 G have great bioactivity for tackling MRSA.

Burning hydrocarbons as fuel, which produces carbon dioxide and water, is a major contributor to anthropogenic global warming. Hydrocarbons are introduced into the environment through their extensive use as fuels and chemicals as well as through leaks or accidental spills during exploration, production, refining, or transport of fossil fuels. Herein, theoretical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) was applied to investigate the adsorption behavior of C2H4, CH4 and H2 on graphene quantum dot surfaces doped with Nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) (GQD_N, GQD_S). Theoretical calculations in this study were obtained with the dispersion correction in consideration so as to predict intermolecular interactions alongside B3LYP-D3(BJ)/6-311+G (d, p). The sites that were doped with N and S atom were found to be more stable and suitable for gas adsorption. The adsorption energy was computed to establish the surface abilities of the adsorptions under investigation. Gas adsorptions on surfaces showed similar high negative values. We may deduce from the computed adsorption energies that GQD_N and GQD_S have strong adsorptions and considered adsorptions are thermodynamically favored. The ellipticity parameter calculated using the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), as well as the stabilization energies obtained from natural bond orbitals (NBO), confirmed the stability of surfaces upon gas adsorptions. QTAIM also confirmed remarkable intermolecular interactions. This result also agrees with that for non-covalent interactions, which predicted weak intermolecular interactions between surface and gas molecules. GQD_N and GQD_S are good adsorbents that can adsorb C2H4, CH4, and H2 gases, respectively.

Abstract Background Large numbers of elderly patients are admitted to hospitals in acute confusional states. In many, the underlying causes are easily found; in some, correct diagnosis is difficult. Pulmonary embolism (PE), the most serious clinical presentation of venous thromboembolism, is often misdiagnosed because of its non-specific features including delirium. Case presentation A 73-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital in a confused state with no obvious risk factors of PE. D-dimer levels were elevated and contrast-enhanced high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the chest confirmed the diagnosis of PE. She was treated with enoxaparin and discharged on dabigatran. Her symptoms had resolved at the time of discharge, and she has been stable for over three month’s follow-up visit. Conclusion PE should be regarded as a differential in elderly patients with an acute confusional state despite the absence of obvious risk factors. Investigating for and treating when confirmed may save a life.

We sought to determine the prevalence of probable disseminated histoplasmosis among advanced HIV disease (AHD) patients in Nigeria. We conducted a cross-sectional study in 10 sites across 5 of 6 geopolitical zones in Nigeria. We identified patients with urinary samples containing CD4 cell counts 2 clinical features of disseminated histoplasmosis, and we tested them for Histoplasma antigen using a Histoplasma enzyme immune assay. Of 988 participants we recruited, 76 (7.7%) were antigen-positive. The 76 Histoplasma antigen–positive participants had significantly lower (p = 0.03) CD4 counts; 9 (11.8%) were also co-infected with tuberculosis. Most antigen-positive participants (50/76; 65.8%; p = 0.015) had previously received antiretroviral treatment; 26/76 (34.2%) had not. Because histoplasmosis is often a hidden disease among AHD patients in Nigeria, Histoplasma antigen testing should be required in the AHD package of care.

Gastrointestinal histoplasmosis (GIH) is infrequently described in people without underlying HIV infection. We aimed to compare the clinical presentation of GIH in people with and without HIV infection. We conducted a literature search of published cases of GIH from 2001–2021 and found 212 cases. Of these, 142 (67.0%) were male, and 124 (58.5%) had HIV infection. Most cases were from North America (n = 88, 41.5%) and South America (n = 79, 37.3%). Of the 212 cases, 123 (58.0%) were included in both clinical and pathological analyses. The remainder were excluded as details about clinical and pathological findings were not available. Of the 123 cases, 41 had HIV infection while 82 were without HIV infection. The diagnosis was predominantly by histopathology (n = 109, 88.6%). A significant proportion of people with HIV infection had abdominal pain as the most predominant symptom of GIH compared to those without HIV infection (65.9% versus 41.9%, p < 0.05). The colon was the most affected site with a slightly higher proportion in those with HIV infection compared with cases without HIV infection (46.3% versus 42.7%). The commonest pathologic findings were caecal and ileal ulcers. Caecal ulcers were significantly more frequent in cases with HIV infection compared to those without HIV (32.1% versus 7.1%, p < 0.05). Despite being more common in people with HIV infection, GIH also affects people without HIV infection with similar clinical presentations.

Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (t2dm) in Africa is increasing due to increase in associated risks factors such as unhealthy eating, obesity and physical inactivity. Diet monitoring is an important component in the management of t2dm to aid and prevent progression and complications. Research on dietary assessment in Africa is currently gaining interests and this paper aims to review the dietary assessment methods used with people living with t2dm. Methods: The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Global Health and Web of Science databases were searched using keywords to identify studies that assessed the diet of people living with type-2 diabetes in Africa. The keywords were those related to the concepts: t2dm, dietary assessment, Africa and nutrient intake. We excluded papers not written in English, studies without a quantitative dietary assessment and studying a specific food, studies done among Africans but in developed countries, studies done among children and studies that measured neither energy intake or body mass index. Result: Search yielded 132 papers after duplicates were removed. This reduced to 41 after the title and abstract screening and further to 10 after the full text screening. The included papers were based in six African countries: Algeria, Morocco, Uganda, Ghana, Cameroon and South Africa. The 24-hour dietary recall was the most common dietary assessment method used in 8 studies and two studies used the estimated food diaries. Five studies did not use a country-specific food composition table. Eight used a researcher-entered online dietary analysis software for nutrient intake estimation, out of which 7 contained the food database of a different country. Two studies estimated nutrient intake using a statistical tool and paper-and-pen. None of the dietary assessment methods used in the studies was validated in this patient group. Conclusion: Limited evidence was available on the measurement of diet in patients with t2dm in Africa. There is need to improve the dietary assessment methods in Africa to prevent the progression and complication of t2dm.

Histiocytoses are a rare group of proliferative disorders with very similar clinical and histological pictures. We present a case report of two variants seen in an eight month old female and five month old male in a tertiary hospital in southern Nigeria. They both presented with painless neck swellings and fever, leucocytosis, neutrophilia and lymphopenia. Initial histologic examinations of the cervical lymph nodes biopsyposed a diagnostic conundrum. However, Immuno histochemical analysis done on both sample showed CD1a, positive S100 in keeping with Langerhans cell histiocytosis in the former. While, that of the latter showed strongly positive CD68, positive S 100 in 30% cells in keeping with Sinus histiocytosis with massive lympha- denopathy (SLMH) in the latter.Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for histiocytosis in children presenting with generalised lymphadenopathy. Also, apart from the routine histology, immunohistochemistry analysis is recommended for all cases

Objectives Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) will become a major cause of blindness in Nigerian children unless screening and treatment services expand. This article aims to describe the collaborative activities undertaken to improve services for ROP between 2017 and 2020 as well as the outcome of these activities in Nigeria.Design Descriptive case study.Setting Neonatal intensive care units in Nigeria.Participants Staff providing services for ROP, and 723 preterm infants screened for ROP who fulfilled screening criteria (gestational age

Invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) are of huge concern in resource-limited settings, particularly in Africa, due to the unavailability of diagnostic armamentarium for IFDs, thus making definitive diagnosis challenging. IFDs have non-specific systemic manifestations overlapping with more frequent illnesses, such as tuberculosis, HIV, and HIV-related opportunistic infections and malignancies. Consequently, IFDs are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. We critically reviewed the available literature on IFDs in Africa to provide a better understanding of their epidemiology, disease burden to guide future research and interventions. Cryptococcosis is the most encountered IFD in Africa, accounting for most of the HIV-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. Invasive aspergillosis, though somewhat underdiagnosed and/or misdiagnosed as tuberculosis, is increasingly being reported with a similar predilection towards people living with HIV. More cases of histoplasmosis are also being reported with recent epidemiological studies, particularly from Western Africa, showing high prevalence rates amongst presumptive tuberculosis patients and patients living with HIV. The burden of pneumocystis pneumonia has reduced significantly probably due to increased uptake of anti-retroviral therapy among people living with HIV both in Africa, and globally. Mucormycosis, talaromycosis, emergomycosis, blastomycosis, and coccidiomycosis have also been reported but with very few studies from the literature. The emergence of resistance to most of the available antifungal drugs in Africa is yet of huge concern as reported in other regions. IFDs in Africa is much more common than it appears and contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality. Huge investment is needed to drive awareness and fungi related research especially in diagnostics and antifungal therapy.

Fungal infections commonly present with myriad symptoms that mimic other clinical entities, notable amongst which is tuberculosis. Besides histoplasmosis and chronic pulmonary aspergillosis, which can mimic TB, this review has identified several other fungal infections which also do. A total of 80 individual cases misdiagnosed as TB are highlighted: aspergillosis (n = 18, 22.5%), histoplasmosis (n = 16, 20%), blastomycosis (n = 14, 17.5%), cryptococcosis (n = 11, 13.8%), talaromycosis (n = 7, 8.8%), coccidioidomycosis (n = 5, 6.3%), mucormycosis (n = 4, 5%), sporotrichosis (n = 3, 3.8%), phaeohyphomycosis (n = 1, 1.3%) and chromoblastomycosis (n = 1, 1.3%). Case series from India and Pakistan reported over 100 cases of chronic and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis had received anti-TB therapy before the correct diagnosis was made. Forty-five cases (56.3%) had favorable outcomes, and 25 (33.8%) died, outcome was unclear in the remainder. Seventeen (21.3%) cases were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Diagnostic modalities were histopathology (n = 46, 57.5%), culture (n = 42, 52.5%), serology (n = 18, 22.5%), cytology (n = 2, 2.5%), gene sequencing (n = 5, 6.3%) and microscopy (n = 10, 12.5%) including Gram stain, India ink preparation, bone marrow smear and KOH mount. We conclude that the above fungal infections should always be considered or ruled out whenever a patient presents with symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis which is unconfirmed thereby reducing prolonged hospital stay and mortalities associated with a delayed or incorrect diagnosis of fungal infections.

Text annotations are literacy practices that are not uncommon in the reading experience of university students. Annotations may be multilingual, monolingual, or multimodal. Despite their enormous diagnostic potentials, annotations have not been widely investigated for what they can reveal about the cognitive processes that are involved in academic reading. In other words, there has been limited exploration of the insights that signs (verbal and non-verbal) inscribed by students on texts offer for understanding and intervening in their academic reading practices. The aim of this exploratory study is to examine the diagnostic assessment potentials of student-annotated texts. On the basis of text annotations obtained from teacher trainee students (n = 7) enrolled at a German university, we seek to understand what different students attend to while reading, what their problem-solving strategies are, what languages and other semiotic systems they deploy, what their level of engagement with text is, and, critically, how the foregoing provide a basis for intervening to validate, reinforce, correct, or teach certain reading skills and practices. Theoretically, the study is undergirded by the notion of text movability. Data suggestive of how students journey through text are argued to have implications for understanding and teaching how they manage attention, use dictionaries, own text meaning, and appraise text.

The classification of histoplasmosis as an AIDS-defining illness has largely attributed its occurrence in people to the presence of HIV/AIDS especially in Africa. Prior to the advent of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, many cases of histoplasmosis were documented both in the pediatric and adult population. Our review revealed 1461 reported cases of pediatric histoplasmosis globally in the last eight decades (1939–2021). North America (n = 1231) had the highest number of cases, followed by South America (n = 135), Africa (n = 65), Asia (n = 26) and Europe (n = 4). Histoplasmosis was much more common in the non-HIV pediatric population (n = 1418, 97.1%) compared to the HIV population. The non-HIV factors implicated were, childhood malignancies (n = 207), such as leukemias and lymphomas as well as their treatment, lung diseases (n = 7), environmental exposures and toxins (n = 224), autoimmune diseases (n = 12), organ transplants (n = 12), long-term steroid therapy (n = 3), the use of immunosuppressive drugs such as TNF-alpha inhibitors (n = 7) malnutrition (n = 12), histiocytosis (n = 3), hyperimmunoglobulin M and E syndromes (n = 15, 1.2%), pancytopaenias (n = 26), diabetes mellitus (n = 1) and T-cell deficiency (n = 21). Paediatricians should always consider or rule out a diagnosis of histoplasmosis in children presenting with symptoms suggestive of the above clinical conditions.

Although supported by different ideologies of language, code-switching and translanguaging are, surprisingly perhaps, united in some of the claims made in their names. In the literature on classroom practices, one shared claim is that content is simplified for students when the teacher uses features enregistered as the non-official classroom language/s in a way that overlaps with and/or complements features enregistered as the official classroom language. Functional allocation of languages/features, a corollary of this claim, arguably interpellates what may be termed "diglossic cognition. The problem with this diglossic cognition is that it is largely knowledge-blind and equates cognition" with the mere use of particular languages or features. This study finds that there are both language and knowledge variables in teacher multilingual-talk that explain students' enhanced cognition, and, therefore, invites a rethink of the unnuanced connections made between language (feature) choice and cognition.

Teaching in the field of public health needs to employ a global perspective to account for the fact that public health problems and solutions have global determinants and implications as well. International university partnerships can promote such a perspective through the strengthening of cooperation, exchange, and communication between academic institutions across national boundaries. As an example for such an academic network in the field of public health, we introduce the International Public Health Partnership—a collaboration between a university in Germany and universities in India, Turkey, and Nigeria. Formed in 2005, it facilitated the exchange of information, fostered discussion about the transferability of public health concepts, contributed to the structural development of the universities involved, and promoted an intercultural dialog through a combination of local and distance learning activities. Although well accepted by students and staff, different obstacles were encountered; these included limited external funding, scarce own financial, time and personnel resources, and diverging regulations and structures of degree programs at the partnership sites. In the present article, we share several lessons that we learned during our joint collaboration and provide recommendations for other universities that are involved in partnerships with institutions of higher education or are interested to initiate such collaborations.

To examine the prevalence of depression and suicidality among children with HIV infection and determine the clinical characteristics associated with depression, we interviewed 150 children and adolescent with HIV and without HIV infection respectively using Major Depressive and Suicidality Modules of Mini- International Neuropsychiatric Interview for children and adolescents at a Paediatric Outpatient Clinic of a Teaching Hospital. The prevalence of depression was higher among children and adolescents with HIV infection than those without HIV infection (p = 0.01). Older age group (14–16 years), children who experienced academic failure, the orphans, and those who had more than one hospitalization were more likely to experience depression. The higher prevalence of depression among children and adolescents with HIV infection compared to the control group indicates a need to incorporate psychiatric liaison services into management of children with HIV/AIDS.

Computational chemistry approach based on density functional theory (DFT) was utilized to investigate the interaction, adsorption behaviour, electronic and structural properties of nanostructured complexes formed by 4-(4-(bis(2-chloroethyl) amino)phenyl)butanoic acid (CPB) and all carbon fullerene nanocage, ([C.sub.24]NC), boron functionalized carbon nanocage ([C.sub.24]NC@B@CPB), carboxylate functionalized ([C.sub.24]NC@COOH@CPB), amino functionalized ([C.sub.24]NC@N[H.sub.2]@CPB), and hydroxy functionalized ([C.sub.24]NC@OH@CPB) nanostructured materials. To understand effectively the interaction of the drug and surface, topological analysis was conducted via the atoms in molecule (quantum theory of atoms in molecules) and noncovalent interaction approach. Electronic properties such as quantum chemical descriptors, natural bond orbital and nonlinear optics are equally considered and reported. All computations were achieved at the B3LYP-D3 and [omega]B97XD levels of theory with the 6-311++G(d, p) basis set. The results indicate that the adsorption energy of CPB on [C.sub.24]NC and its functionalized derivatives are in the range of -0.52 to 2.89 eV indicating that physisorption and chemisorption mechanism are prevalent mechanisms of adsorption. [C.sub.23]B@CPB, [C.sub.24]OH@CPB, and [C.sub.24]N[H.sub.2]@CPB were observed to possess the best characteristics to be considered as transport vehicles for CPB due to their strong adsorption nature (chemisorption) and solubility in solution. Key words: fullerene, functionalization, 4-(4-(bis(2-chloroethyl)amino)phenyl)butanoic acid, drug delivery, DFT Nous avons employe une approche de chimie computationnelle fondee sur la theorie de la fonctionnelle de la densite (DFT) pour etudier l'interaction, le comportement d'adsorption et les proprietes electroniques et structurales de complexes nanostructures formes par l'acide 4-{4-[bis(2-chloroethyl)amino]phenyl}butanoique (CPB) et une nanocage de fullerene entierement compose de carbone ([C.sub.24]NC), ou de carbone fonctionnalise par le bore ([C.sub.24]NC@B@CPB), ainsi que des materiaux nanostructures fonctionnalises par des groupes carboxylate ([C.sub.24]NC@COOH@CPB), par des groupes amino ([C.sub.24]NC@N[H.sub.2]@CPB) et par des groupes hydroxy ([C.sub.24]NC@OH@CPB). Afin de reellement comprendre l'interaction entre le medicament et la surface, nous avons realise une analyse topologique par une approche fondee sur la theorie quantique des atomes dans les molecules (QTAIM) et les interactions non covalentes. Nous avons egalement calcule et presente les proprietes electroniques, telles que les descripteurs chimiques quantiques, les orbitales naturelles de liaison (NBO) et les proprietes optiques non lineaires (ONL). Tous les calculs ont ete realises aux niveaux B3LYP-D3 et [omega]B97XD de la theorie avec la base 6-311++G(d,p). Les resultats indiquent que l'energie d'adsorption du CPB sur le [C.sub.24]NC et ses derives fonctionnalises se situe dans la plage de -0,52 a 2,89 eV, ce qui indique que les mecanismes de physisorption et de chimisorption sont des mecanismes predominants du processus d'adsorption. Nous avons constate que la forte nature d'adsorption (chimisorption) et la solubilite en solution du [C.sub.23]B@CPB, du [C.sub.24]OH@CPB et du [C.sub.24]N[H.sub.2]@CPB en font les complexes les plus interessants a evaluer en vue d'une application comme vehicules de transport du CPB. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : fullerene, fonctionnalisation, acide 4-{4-[bis(2-chloroethyl)amino]phenyl}butanoique, liberation de medicaments, DFT, 1. Introduction Owing to its high mechanical qualities such as tensile stress, strengths and elasticity, as well as unique chemical and thermal properties, material nanotubes and their applications in various [...]

Histoplasmosis, an invasive fungal infection endemic in the Americas, Africa, and Asia, with a few cases reported among immigrants to Europe, was classified as an AIDS-defining disease in 1987 (1,2). [...]

In many countries of sub-Saharan Africa, the release of each year's results for the end of high school examinations heralds an annual ritual of public commentary on the poor state of national education systems. However, the exoglossic/monolingual language regime for these examinations is infrequently acknowledged as contributing to the dismal performance of students. Even less attended to is the manner in which the language of examinations, through shaping students' performances, may be exacerbating social inequalities. This article politicizes the language of examinations in the region in the hope of generating policy and research interest in what is arguably an insidious source of inequality. The article makes three arguments. Firstly, it is argued that current exoglossic/monolingual practices in these examinations constitute a set of sociolinguistic aberrations, with demonstrable negative effects on students' performance. Secondly, it is argued that the gravity of these paradoxical sociolinguistic disarticulations is better appreciated when their social ramifications are viewed in terms of structural violence and social inequality. Thirdly, in considering how to evolve a more socially equitable examination language regime, it is argued that the notion of consequential validity in testing positions translanguaging as a more ecologically valid model of language use in examinations.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of recording sonographic fetal scalp thickness (FST) to predict the estimated fetal weight (EFW), in third trimester of pregnancy. Materials and Methods: A cohort of 175 uncomplicated singleton pregnancies, at 27 to 40 gestational weeks, was included in this study. The FST was measured with sonography and defined as the distance between the fetal skin and the outer table, on a cross-section of the skull, along the parietal aspect of the fetal head. Measurements were taken twice, and the average of the measurements was recorded. The estimated fetal weight (EFW) was derived from the Hadlock's formula. Simple linear and multiple linear regression models were performed to predict the EFW, based on the FST measures. Results: A strong positive correlation was demonstrated between FST and the EFW (r = 0.65, P <.01). The regression equation, EFW = 4.6*FST + 2.27 was derived, with a unit increase in FST yielding a 4.6 unit rise in EFW. Fetal scalp thickness and the fetal femur length (FL) accounted for about 93% (R2 = 0.93) variability in EFW, while the fetal head circumference (HC) and FST accounted for 83% (R2 = 0.83) variance in the EFW. Conclusion: A potential may exist to use FST as a viable indicator of EFW and could be used in conjunction with current fetal biometric parameters to improve EFW prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Tools to accurately and efficiently measure dietary intake in Nigeria are lacking. We aimed to develop and assess the usability of a new online dietary assessment tool for Nigeria—myfood24 West Africa. Methods: We developed the myfood24 West Africa database using data from existing food composition tables, packaged foods labels and research articles. The development followed seven steps: identified data sources, selected foods, processed/cleaned the data, calculated the nutrient content of recipes, created and allocated portion sizes, quality-checked the database and developed food accompaniments. To pilot the tool, we recruited 179 university staff in Nigeria using a cross-sectional design. Usability was assessed using a questionnaire that included the System Usability Scale (SUS) and a feedback session. Results: The database included 924 foods, with up to 54 nutrients and 35 portion-size images allocated to foods. Sixty percent of the data were sourced from the 2019 West Africa Food Composition Table, 17% from back-of-pack labels of packaged foods, 14% from the 2017 Nigerian Food Composition Table, 5% from generated recipes and 4% from the published literature. Of the participants, 30% (n = 53) self-recorded their food intake, with a total of 1345 food and drink entries from both self- and interviewer-collected data. The mean SUS score of 74 (95% CI: 68,79) indicated good usability. The feedback showed that the tool was user-friendly, educational and included a variety of local foods. Conclusions: This new tool will enhance the dietary assessment of the Nigerian population. More work will expand coverage to include more foods from the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although supported by different ideologies of language, code-switching and translanguaging are, surprisingly perhaps, united in some of the claims made in their names. In the literature on classroom practices, one shared claim is that content is simplified for students when the teacher uses features enregistered as the non-official classroom language/s in a way that overlaps with and/or complements features enregistered as the official classroom language. Functional allocation of languages/features, a corollary of this claim, arguably interpellates what may be termed diglossic cognition. The problem with this diglossic cognition is that it is largely knowledge-blind and equates cognition with the mere use of particular languages or features. This study finds that there are both language and knowledge variables in teacher multilingual-talk that explain students' enhanced cognition, and, therefore, invites a rethink of the unnuanced connections made between language (feature) choice and cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined barriers to succession planning of family-owned businesses in Abia state. Specifically, the study determined barriers to succession planning related to: founder, family and employees of family-owned businesses. The paper adopted survey research design. A total of 345 family-owned businesses drawn from Ariaria international market and Umuahia ultra-modern market served as the population of the study. Data were collected using questionnaire. Data were analysed using frequency counts, percentages and weighted mean. Findings show that the founder’srelated barriers to succession planning ranged from fear of death (x̄= 3.5), and reluctance to let go of his leadership position (x̄= 3.7). Family-related barrier included the family’s unwillingness to relinquish their places in the business (x̄= 3.6); as well as, socio-cultural challenges within the environment the business is situated. The employees’ disinclination toward formalization of the business (x̄= 3.4) constituted employee-related barrier. The paper therefore recommended that owners of family businesses should bring in the successor into the family business as early as possible, and also make available to the would-be successor, vital information that has been used to manage the business right from beginning of the business up to the time of the entrepreneur’s exit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of a broader student campaign for 'free decolonized education', protests over language policies at select South African universities between 2015 and 2016 belied widespread positive appraisals of these policies, and revealed what is possibly an internal contradiction of the campaign. The discourse prior to the protests (e.g. "excellent language policies but problematic implementation"), during the protests (e.g. silence over the role of indigenous African languages in the "Afrikaans must fall" versus "Afrikaans must stay" contestations), and after the protests (e.g. English becoming a primary medium in some institutional policy reviews) warrant attention to critical literacy in language policy scholarship. Based on a theoretical account of speaking with a forked tongue, this article analyzes the language policy text of one South African university. The analysis suggests, simultaneously, why similar policies have tended to be positively appraised, why students' calls for policy revisions were justified, but why the changes clamoured for arguably amount to complicity in self-harm.

Reports on cases of strongyloidiasis and tuberculosis or aspergillosis coinfection are fragmented in the literature and no large-scale reviews are describing its occurrence across the globe. We identified a total of 230 cases of strongyloidiasis and tuberculosis coinfection amongst 2376 participants with tuberculosis disease from eight epidemiological surveys conducted in Ethiopia (n = 4, 50%); Tanzania (n = 3, 37.5%) and Malaysia (n = 1, 12.5%). Clinical outcomes in these studies were not stated as they were largely descriptive. In addition, there were ten individual case reports of strongyloidiasis and tuberculosis coinfection. Of the ten, four were from the USA (40%), two each from India (20%) and Japan (20%), and one each from the UK (10%) and Argentina (10%). Of the ten, six had favourable outcomes, two were fatal and outcomes were unclear in the remainder. Ten cases of strongyloidiasis and aspergillosis coinfection were identified, five were reported from the USA (50%), and one each from the Netherlands (10%), China (10%), Iran (10%), Colombia (10%) and Italy (10%). Five each had favourable and fatal outcomes. Fatal outcomes in strongyloidiasis and tuberculosis or aspergillosis coinfection were associated with steroid therapy (n = 3), decline for treatment (n = 1), delayed diagnosis (n = 2) and delayed presentation (n = 1). Our findings suggest a significant proportion of individuals living with tuberculosis are also affected with strongyloidiasis, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. However, more studies are required to ascertain the burden of strongyloidiasis and tuberculosis coinfection as few cases were reported from other highly burdened tuberculosis regions. In addition, the role of the attending clinician is critical to reduce morbidities from the coexistence of these clinical entities as a significant number of cases with documented outcomes were fatal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida auris is a World Health Organization critical priority fungal pathogen. We conducted a systematic review to describe its epidemiology in Africa. PubMed and Google scholar databases were searched between January 2009 and September 2023 for clinical studies on C. auris cases and/or isolates from Africa. Reviews were excluded. We included 19 studies, involving at least 2529 cases from 6 African countries with the most, 2372 (93.8%), reported from South Africa. Whole-genome sequencing of 127 isolates identified 100 (78.7%) as clade III. Among 527 isolates, 481 (91.3%) were resistant to fluconazole, 108 (20.5%) to amphotericin B, and 9 (1.7%) to micafungin. Ninety of 211 (42.7%) patients with clinical outcomes died. C. auris is associated with high mortality and antifungal resistance, yet this critical pathogen remains underreported in Africa. Collaborative surveillance, fungal diagnostics, antifungals, and sustainable infection control practices are urgently needed for containment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas sensors exhibit significant potential due to their widespread use in various applications, such as food packaging, indoor air quality assessment, and real-time monitoring of man-made gas emissions to mitigate global warming. The utilization of nanostructured materials for sensor and adsorbent surfaces has seen remarkable growth over time, though substantial efforts are still needed to develop more efficient adsorbents. Consequently, this study investigates the viability of metal-doped quantum dots (QDs) as prospective gas-sensing and adsorption materials. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations employing the 6-311 + G(d,p) basis set and three functionals (B3LYP, B3LYP-GD3(BJ), and ɷB97XD) were utilized for this investigation. Three environmentally and health-significant gases (C6H6, CO2, and H2S) were chosen as adsorbates on arsenic (As) and cobalt (Co) functionalized QDs to assess the performance and sensing capabilities of resulting QD surfaces. The analysis encompassed computation of adsorption energy, thermodynamic properties, non-covalent interactions, natural bond orbital analysis, and other topological aspects for both the surfaces and gases. The outcomes indicate that the GP_As functionalized surface exhibits a lower energy gap, rendering it more reactive and sensitive toward the respective gases (C6H6, CO2, and H2S). Moreover, the calculated adsorption energies of the investigated systems indicate thermodynamic favorability and spontaneity. Notably, our findings suggest that QD_As surfaces possess superior adsorption potential for H2S compared to the other gases examined; nonetheless, all studied QD surfaces demonstrate significant adsorption capacities for C6H6, CO2, and H2S gases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research examined the differences in the academic performance in Business Studies of a sampled secondary school junior students in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. A sample of 290 (138 male and 152 female) Junior Secondary Three (9th grade) students was surveyed. The students' variables' being examined vis-à-vis academic performance in Business Studies were: 1) gender and 2) self-concept. Students' academic performance in Business Studies differed significantly on the basis of gender and self-concept. Implications for students' personal variables considerations in the teaching-learning of Business Studies are suggested.

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Purpose of Review: Onychomycosis is commonly reported in Africa, but data on its prevalence and spectrum of incriminated pathogens is fragmented in the literature. Understanding its epidemiology and profiling of the incriminated fungal pathogens would be very useful in managing patients as they are often difficult to treat, especially with the global emergence of antifungal resistance. Recent Findings: We identified a total of 44 well-documented studies in 13 (24.1%) of the 54 African countries amounting to a total of 6773 cases of nail fungal infections: 4609 (68.0%) from North Africa, 1338 (19.6%) from West Africa, 524 (7.7%) from East Africa, 243 (3.6%) from Central Africa, and 59 (0.9%) from Southern Africa, with a pooled prevalence of 19.6% (6773/34604). Identification of fungal pathogens was mainly by conventional methods: microscopy (n = 43, 97.7%), culture (n = 42, 95.5%), and periodic acid-Schiff staining (n = 1, 2.3%). Advanced diagnostics with improved sensitivity were also deployed in some studies: PCR (n = 2, 4.5%), sequencing (n = 2, 4.5%), and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (n = 1, 2.3%). The most frequent fungal pathogens identified in North and Central Africa were Trichophyton rubrum (80.4% and 49.3%), followed by Candida albicans (12.2% and 27.4%), respectively, while in the West and East African regions, it was Candida albicans (63% and 47.3%) followed by Trichophyton rubrum (19.1% and 18.9%), respectively. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed in only five studies and showed varied outcomes with high resistance of dermatophytes to ketoconazole, itraconazole, and fluconazole and non-dermatophyte moulds to caspofungin and 5-flucytosine, respectively. Summary: Onychomycoses are frequent but of less cognizance as data was found from only 13 of the 54 African countries. The emergence of drug-resistant onychomycosis is of concern and informs the need to prioritize research in this area to improve diagnostics and the availability of antifungal susceptibility testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most encountered bacterial infections of humans and affect both male and female of all age groups, resulting in high mortality, without proper management. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, aetiological agents, and factors associated with symptomatic significant bacteriuria/UTI among patients attending selected hospitals in Calabar metropolis, Nigeria. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study of 240 patients with suspected UTI, from whom mid-stream voided urine samples were collected for culture on Cystine Lactose Electrolyte Deficient (CLED) agar. Uropathogens growth on the culture media were characterized using conventional microbiological and biochemical tests, and confirmed with API® 20E and 20NE (BioMérieux) identification system. Data on socio-demographic, clinical symptoms and potential risk factors were obtained using structured questionnaire. Pearson Chi-square was employed to determine association between categorical variables with p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Of all the urine samples collected from the 240 patients, 13 samples were contaminated during collection, leaving 227 samples for analysis. Sixty-five (28.6%) of the 227 patients had symptomatic significant bacteriuria. Previous history of UTI (OR=2.863, 95% CI=1.582-5.180, p=0.008), contraceptive use (OR=3.469, 95% CI=1.446-8.320, p=0.012), pregnancy (OR=9.94, 95% CI=3.867-25.571, p<0.0001) and history of urinary catheterization (OR=4.417, 95% CI=1.024-19.053, p=0.045) were significantly associated with prevalence of symptomatic significant bacteriuria/UTI. Klebsiella pneumoniae (23.1%) was the most predominant isolate, followed by coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) (16.9%) and Escherichia coli (12.3%). Conclusion: The prevalence of symptomatic significant bacteriuria among patients attending selected hospitals in Calabar, Nigeria, was 28.6% (65/227), with K. pneumoniae and CoNS being the major aetiologic agents. Our study shows that previous history of UTI, pregnancy, history of urinary catheterization, contraceptive use, dysuria and occupation were significantly associated with symptomatic significant bacteriuria/UTI (p<0.05). Routine screening for UTI is recommended for pregnant women, patients with dysuria, previous episodes of UTI, and catheterized patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of drug resistant strains of pathogenic microbes remained a rising global concern to the pharmaceutical world. This was consequent upon adaptation due to continuous use of conventional drugs with numerous associated setbacks. The phytochemical screening and antibacterial effects of ethanolic leaf extracts of Pterocapus erinaceus on Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli was investigated, using standard procedures. Saponins, phenols, steroids, reducing sugar and tannins were bioactive compounds obtained at resonance frequencies of 0.022, 2.812, 0.001, 0.232 and 0.720 respectively. The sensitivity response of the test organisms to control drug compared significantly (p<0.05) with the leaf extract across the concentrations. Average zones of inhibition were 5.00, 10.00, 12.00 and 17.00mm for Escherichia coli, 12.00, 15.00, 20.00 and 21.00mm for Salmonella typhi at 25, 50,100 and 200mg/ml respectively. The antibacterial potential ranged from moderate to strong and strong to very strong for Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi respectively. The ethanolic leaf extract gave ≤25mg/ml and ≥200mg/ml as minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations against Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli respectively, with bacteriostatic antibiotic power effects on the microbes. These findings clearly revealed potential antibiotic alternative to conventional options, while raising afforestation need to guarantee sustainable management of the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]