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Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Alstonia congensis green-synthesized nanoparticles as a molluscicide against snail hosts of trematodes. Methods: The ethanolic leaf extract of Alstonia congensis was used to synthesize silver nanoparticles. The formulation was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and scanning electron microscope/energy-dispersed X-ray. The ovicidal and molluscicidal activities of the Alstonia congensis extract and its nanoparticles were tested against Physa acuta and Bulinus forskalii at different concentrations. Results: The green-synthesized nanoparticles inhibited embryonic development within the egg masses of the two snails in all the tested concentrations. Alstonia congensis extract did not show molluscicidal properties against adult Physa acuta but showed a very weak activity against Bulinus forskalii. Moreover, the synthesized nanoparticles showed significantly high molluscicidal activity against adult snails within 5-40 min of exposure in a concentration-dependent manner (P

The antiplasmodial effects of Senna alata and Dennettia tripetalla on chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei berghei (NK65) were analysed. P. berghei was obtained from National Institute for Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria, and maintained in the laboratory by serial passage in mice. Chemosuppressive, prophylactic, and curative procedures were used to evaluate the antiplasmodial potentials of the extracts against established infection. A total of 320 albino mice were used for this study. Twenty-five albino mice were divided into 5 groups and used for D. tripetalla acute toxicity study. Eighty-five albino mice were divided into 15 groups of five albino mice each and used for chemosuppressive tests while two hundred and ten mice were used for prophylactic and curative tests. The infected mice were orally treated daily with 5mg/kg chloroquine 500 mg/kg, 1000 mg/kg, 1500 mg/kg, and 2000 mg/kg body weight of S. alata, D. tripetalla, and S. alata + D. tripetalla respectively. The in vivo antiplasmodial effect of the extracts against P. berghei infection showed a significant (p?0.05) dose-dependent schizontocidal activity for the chemosuppressive, and prophylactic test. Results of the curative study showed that the combination of both S. alata and D. tripetalla exhibited a strong curative effect on malaria parasitaemia. There was a significant clearance (p?0.05) in parasiteamia level from day 1 to day 5 of treatment in a dose-dependent manner with a corresponding significant (p?0.05) percentage suppression. It was therefore concluded that the leaf extracts of S. alata and D. tripetalla possess antimalarial potencies which could be exploited for antimalarial therapy.

Yanwu Jin,1 Shanshan Zhao,1 Jiahui Cai,2 Marcelle Blessing,3 Xin Zhao,1 Haizhu Tan,2 Jinlei Li3 1Department of Anesthesiology, Second Hospital of Shandong University, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Preventive Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USACorrespondence: Jinlei Li; Haizhu TanDepartment of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, TMP 3, New Haven, CT, 06520-8051, USATel +1 203 785-2802Fax +1 203 785-6664Email jinlei.li@yale.edu; linnanqia@126.comBackground: Spine surgery causes severe pain and can be associated with significant opioid utilization; however, the evidence for opioid-sparing analgesic techniques such as erector spinae plane (ESP) block from controlled studies is limited. We aimed to investigate the analgesic effects of ESP block in lumbar laminoplasty.Methods: In this prospective, double-blind, controlled single-center trial, 62 consecutive elective lumbar laminoplasty patients were randomized into either a control group (Group G, N=32) or a treatment group (Group E, N=30). Group G received general anesthesia and multimodal analgesia, similar to group E, while Group E received additional bilateral ESP block after induction of general anesthesia. The primary outcome was postoperative pain scores for the first 48 h after surgery, and the secondary outcomes analyzed included intraoperative anesthetic usage, perioperative analgesic consumption, return of bowel function and satisfaction for acute pain management indicated by overall benefit of analgesia score (OBAS).Results: Significant differences in pain scores over time were found between the two groups (P=0.010), with Group E patients having significantly lower pain scores than Group G during the first six hours (P=0.000). The opioid consumption in Group G was significantly higher than in Group E both intraoperatively (P=0.000) and postoperatively (P=0.0005). Group E patients had lower intraoperative sevoflurane requirement, improved satisfaction with pain management, and earlier return of bowel function than Group G patients.Conclusion: ESP block is effective in reducing postoperative pain scores and lowering opioid utilization (both intraoperatively and postoperatively), resulting in improved patient satisfaction for pain management in lumbar laminoplasty.Keywords: erector spinae plane block, laminoplasty, spine, perioperative pain, opioid, short-term outcome

Penicillium chrysogenum PCL501 produced β-lactam antibiotics when fermented with different agro-wastes: cassava shavings, corncob, sawdust and sugarcane pulp. In vitro antibacterial activity of the culture extracts was tested against four clinical bacterial isolates, namely, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All the culture extracts and standard drug (commercial Benzyl Penicillin) inhibited the growth B. subtilis and E. coli; the potency varied with carbon source. Antibacterial activity of extracts from cultures containing cassava shavings and sugarcane pulp was comparable with that of the standard drug. The MIC against the susceptible organisms was 0.20mg/ml for the standard drug and ranged from 0.40 to 1.50mg/ml for the culture extracts. Neither the culture extracts nor the standard drug inhibited K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa; the bacterial strains produced β-lactamase enzymes. Cassava shavings and sugarcane pulp are indicated as suitable cheap carbon sources for the production of antibiotics by Penicillium chrysogenum PCL501.

Purpose: Cryptococcal infection in the Central Nervous System (CNS) is frequently seen in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients and others with low immunity. CNS cryptococcoma in immunocompetent patients is rare. We present a case of CNS cryptococcoma in an immunocompetent patient and review literature. Methodology: A 62-year-old, HIV negative, immunocompetent female patient with no known chronic illness, presented with 5 months' history of a progressive headache, associated with on and off episodic generalized convulsions. She had been to several hospitals before referral to our center with a diagnosis of a brain tumor on CT scan imaging. Before this and despite a negative CSF analysis result, she had received treatment for bacterial meningitis with no success. Findings: At Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH), she had surgery with excision biopsy which showed features consistent with cryptococcosis on histology. The patient had a successful adjuvant treatment with antifungal drugs following surgery. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The diagnosis of a CNS cryptococcal infection in an immunocompetent patient and its successful treatment by including surgery, were both unusual. Fatal postsurgical outcomes have been reported by other authors who favor a totally conservative approach to the treatment of this lesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloramphenicol, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections, is also implicated in several conditions, including aplastic anaemia that progresses to leukaemia. The modulatory potential of leaf extract of Annona muricata on chloramphenicol-induced lymphoma (CIL) in female Wistar rats was investigated. Forty-eight adult female rats with an average weight of 186 g were randomized into 6 groups of 8 rats each. Rats in Group 1 served as the positive control. Each rat in Groups 2-6 was orally administered with 250 mg/kg bodyweight chloramphenicol once daily for 28 days. The rats were given access to basal diet and water. After 28 days, blood-film analyses were carried out from each of the groups. The presence of blast and lymphoproliferative cells in Groups 2-6 confirmed CIL. Groups 1 and 2 rats received distilled water, while Groups 3-6 received 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 mg/kg, respectively, of A. muricata for another 28 days. The animals were anesthetized, blood was collected from the retro-orbital venous plexus for determination of haematological indices; oxidative stress markers; lactate dehydrogenase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, malondialdehyde, cardiac markers; Troponin-1, myoglobin, cancer indices; C-reactive protein, carcinoembryonic antigen, Alpha-fetoprotein. There was significant (p<0.05) amelioration of impaired haematological indices in the treated groups when compared to Group 2. Troponin-I and myoglobin were significantly (p<0.05) lowered in the treated groups when compared to Group 2. Oxidative stress markers and cancer indices were increased in Group 2, but significantly (p<0.05) ameliorated in Groups 3-6. Therefore, A. muricata has the potential to modulate adverse effects of CIL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Alstonia congensis greensynthesized nanoparticles as a molluscicide against snail hosts of trematodes. Methods: The ethanolic leaf extract of Alstonia congensis was used to synthesize silver nanoparticles. The formulation was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and scanning electron microscope/energy-dispersed X-ray. The ovicidal and molluscicidal activities of the Alstonia congensis extract and its nanoparticles were tested against Physa acuta and Bulinus forskalii at different concentrations. Results: The green-synthesized nanoparticles inhibited embryonic development within the egg masses of the two snails in all the tested concentrations. Alstonia congensis extract did not show molluscicidal properties against adult Physa acuta but showed a very weak activity against Bulinus forskalii. Moreover, the synthesized nanoparticles showed significantly high molluscicidal activity against adult snails within 5-40 min of exposure in a concentration-dependent manner (P<0.05). Conclusions: The Alstonia congensis-based nanoparticles show molluscicidal activities against adults and embryos of Physa acuta and Bulinus forskalii, and can be further explored as a potent molluscicide for the control of intermediate host of trematode parasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Uganda's lactating mothers are vulnerable to deficiencies of vitamin A and iron because they consume plant‐based conventional foods such as white‐fleshed sweet potato (WFSP) and non‐iron biofortified common bean (NIBCB) that are low in provitamin A (PVA) and iron, respectively. A PVA carotenoid–iron‐rich dish was prepared from a combination of orange‐fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) and iron‐biofortified common bean (IBCB). This study evaluated the perceptions and sensory acceptability of OFSP+IBCB (test food) against WFSP+NIBCB (control food) among lactating mothers in rural Uganda. A total of 94 lactating mothers participated in the study. The sensory attributes (taste, color, aroma, texture, and general acceptability) of test and control foods were rated using a five‐point facial hedonic scale (1 = dislike very much, 2 = dislike, 3 = neutral, 4 = like 5 = like very much). An attribute was acceptable if the participant scored from like to like very much. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted to assess participant perceptions about their future consumption of OFSP+IBCB. The chi‐square test was used to detect the proportion difference for each sensory attribute between OFSP+IBCB and WFSP+NIBCB, while FGD data were analyzed by thematic analysis. Taste, color, and aroma were acceptable to the mothers and not significantly different between OFSP+IBCB and WFSP+NIBCB (p > .05). Participants had positive perceptions of the taste, aroma, and color of the OFSP+IBCB and negative perceptions about the soft texture of OFSP. The lactating mothers had positive perceptions of consuming OFSP+IBCB provided they were accessible, affordable, and feasible to prepare.

Access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services is crucial for a healthy start in life. Social accountability has a potential for enhancing WASH services in childcare centres. However, there are inadequate studies to understand how informal social accountability mechanisms contributes to WASH service provision. To address this gap, we conducted a cross-sectional survey in Korogocho and Viwandani informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, to explore the relationship between different levels of WASH services (ranging from basic to limited or nonexistent) and indicators of informal social accountability, including rewards, sanctions, voice, and responsiveness. We employed multinomial regression analysis, utilizing a robust error variance estimator to account for potential biases. Our findings revealed disparities in WASH service provision between the two studied areas, with childcare centres in Korogocho exhibiting higher access to basic WASH services compared to those in Viwandani. Our analysis also highlighted a significant association between informal social accountability mechanisms and the provision of WASH services. Notably, the sanction mechanism exhibited a correlation with all WASH services, suggesting its pivotal role in shaping service delivery outcomes. In light of these findings, it is imperative to prioritize efforts aimed at reinforcing social accountability mechanisms in WASH service delivery frameworks. HIGHLIGHTS Safe environment with access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is every child's right.; Informal social accountability mechanism (iSAM) is key in strengthening WASH service delivery in the context of a weak formal service delivery structure.; Improved access to WASH services can be attributed to WASH interventions that emerged during the Covid-19 outbreak.; It is important to continue rebuilding and strengthening social accountability in WASH service delivery to compliment weak formal service delivery systems in childcare centres.;

Objective Diarrhoea remains a leading cause of morbidity and death among under-5 children in Kenya, despite multipronged policy and programme initiatives to increase access to treatment. This study interrogates the comprehensiveness and adequacy of Kenya’s policies, frameworks and action plans for diarrheal management and prevention. The study seeks to identify policy and practice gaps that need to be filled to strengthen diarrhoea treatment and prevention among under-5 children in Kenya.Design Our study is a landscape analysis, which seeks to identify the gaps in the current Kenya diarrheal policy, frameworks and action plans. The critical questions included their comprehensiveness, the availability of elaborate treatment, management and prevention solutions, together with updatedness, building on evidence from extant literature on key pathways to infection relating to man-animal environmental interaction, which are critical in enteric infection prevention initiatives.Data sources We conducted an internet search of databases of Government of Kenya’s Ministry of Health; relevant websites/publications of international organisations and groups (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and WHO) and published and grey literature (Google searches, Google Scholar and PubMed).Eligibility criteria Included are publicly available key national diarrheal policy frameworks, plans, strategies, laws, institutional frameworks and operational guidelines that inform pertinent questions on the adequacy of policy and practice and preventive policy updates and actions. Further, peer-reviewed and grey literature on diarrheal morbidity and mortality and diarrheal prevention and management are included. The analysis excluded any information that was not referenced on the internet nor obtained from the internet.Data extraction and synthesis The review team extracted the key provisions of the policy guidelines guided by a checklist and questions around the adequacy of existing national policies in addressing the determinants, prevention and treatment interventions of enteric infections and diarrhoea among under-5 children in the country. The checklist covered Kenyan background and diarrhoea situation analysis, policy objectives, policy strategies and policy implementation.Results The analysis identified a corpus of strategies for the management of diarrhoea at multiple levels: health facilities, communities and households. The policies highlighted advocacy, health communication and social mobilisation, as well as logistics management and prevention strategies. However, the triangulation of evidence from the policy provisions and extant literature identified critical policy gaps in diarrhoea prevention and management in Kenya, particularly the lack of focus on zoonotic pathways to enteric infection, environment-pathogen linkages and operationalisation of the roles of social determinants of health and related services. The policy documents had limited focus on rapid diagnosis, vaccine development and deployment, together with weak funding commitment towards implementation and unclear pathways to funding responsibilities.Conclusion Policies are central to guiding programmatic actions towards effective enteric and diarrhoea prevention and management measures in Kenya. This study shows the need for policy updates to reflect pathways to enteric infections not covered in the current policy guidelines. Further, there is a need to strengthen the treatment and management of infection through rapid diagnosis, vaccine development and deployment, and strong funding commitment towards implementation together with clear funding responsibilities. Together, these will be vital in strengthening the current policy provisions and addressing other pathways to the prevention of enteric infections relating to zoonotic, environment-pathogen linkages and social determinants of health in Kenya and other low-income and middle-income countries.Trial registration number NCT05322655.

Global pandemics are known to disturb livelihoods. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an example of such pandemic in the recent past. Its outbreak prompted a global response characterised by unprecedented measures to mitigate its spread. Several preventative measures were recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) such as lockdowns to curtail the transmission of the virus and manage the crisis it caused. These measures hampered the movement and distribution of basic commodities inadvertently triggering a series of socio-economic consequences particularly in rural areas. This study delves into the intricate interplay between the COVID-19 lockdown and its impact on the accessibility, affordability and availability of basic commodities within the context of the Mahikeng Local Municipality, in a rural setting. Quantitative survey data were collected from 260 households, which were randomly selected. The data analysis was performed using chi-square, with a significance level of p 0.05. The results showed that basic commodities were largely available (99%) in the market during lockdown. There was no significant association between background variables and availability of basic commodities. Accessibility of basic commodities was affected by many factors such as concerns of COVID-19 outbreak. The study demonstrated that prices of basic commodities increased during lockdown, thereby having a ripple effect on accessibility and affordability of basic commodities. However, the availability of basic commodities was less affected. Contribution: The case study approach, focusing on Mahikeng Local Municipality, is essential for capturing localised nuances and providing actionable insights to policymakers, researchers and community leaders seeking to mitigate the negative effects of lockdowns on rural populations.

This paper investigated South African media’s framing of the terrorism insurgency in Mozambique. It specifically sought to understand how South Africa’s flagship online publications: News24, TimesLive, and IOL, framed the insurgency. Methodologically, the study employed a qualitative content analysis with the framing theory as our theoretical lens. Our findings show that South African media’s coverage of terrorist attacks in Mozambique is informed by five prominent frames: the social consequences frame, the morality frame, the economic consequences frame, war against Islam militants frame and the national interest frame. We argue that the use of these frames in the construction of the terrorism attacks in Mozambique limit the South African media’s ability to provide a nuanced picture of the complex and multi-faceted nature of the terrorist insurgency in Mozambique. Our findings show that the reliance on official lines tends to influence the manner in which the terrorist attacks in Mozambique are framed by the three South African publications. We also argue that the use of these five frames in the reportage on the terrorist insurgency in Mozambique limit the South African media’s ability to provide the South African public and policy makers with a balanced perspective on the insurgency in Mozambique. In conclusion we recommend that future news reportage as well as future studies consider looking at the complexity surrounding the socio- economic status of the regions experiencing terrorists activities. Such studies and future news stories could be enhanced by looking at multiple stakeholders, including affected communities, to get a broader understanding of the causal effects and possible solutions to terrorism.

Purpose – The paper aims to expand on the works well documented by Joy Boulamwini and Ruha Benjamin by expanding their critique to the African continent. The research aims to assess if algorithmic biases are prevalent in DALL-E 2 and Starry AI. The aim is to help inform better artificial intelligence (AI) systems for future use. Design/methodology/approach – The paper utilised a desktop study for literature and gathered data from Open AI’s DALL-E 2 text-to-image generator and StarryAI text-to-image generator. Findings – The DALL-E 2 significantly underperformed when it was tasked with generating images of “An African Family” as opposed to images of a “Family”. The pictures lacked any conceivable detail as compared to the latter of this comparison. The StarryAI significantly outperformed the DALL-E 2 and rendered visible faces. However, the accuracy of the culture portrayed was poor. Research limitations/implications – Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalisability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further. The implications, however, are that more inclusion is warranted to help address the issue of cultural inaccuracies noted in a few of the paper’s experiments. Practical implications – The paper is useful for advocates who advocate for algorithmic equality and fairness by highlighting evidence of the implications of systemic-induced algorithmic bias. Social implications – The reduction in offensive racism and more socially appropriate AI can be a better product for commercialisation and general use. If AI is trained on diversity, it can lead to better applications in contemporary society. Originality/value – The paper’s use of DALL-E 2 and Starry AI is an under-researched area, and future studies on this matter are welcome.