University of Nigeria, Nsukka

About: University of Nigeria, Nsukka is a education organization based out in Nsukka, Nigeria. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 10211 authors who have published 13685 publications receiving 138922 citations.

Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere - from Prevention to Detection and Equitable Access to Care.

Abstract: The global burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rapidly increasing with a projection of becoming the 5th most common cause of years of life lost globally by 2040. Aggravatingly, CKD is a major cause of catastrophic health expenditure. The costs of dialysis and transplant consume up to 3% of the annual healthcare budget in high-income countries. However, the onset and progression of CKD is often preventable. In 2020, the World Kidney Day campaign highlights the importance of preventive interventions - be they primary, secondary or tertiary. This complementing article focuses on outlining and analyzing measures that can be implemented in every country to promote and advance CKD prevention. Primary prevention of kidney disease should focus on the modification of risk factors and addressing structural abnormalities of the kidney, urinary tracts, as well as the exposure to environmental risk factors and nephrotoxins. In persons with pre-existing kidney disease, secondary prevention, including blood pressure optimization and glycaemic control, should be the main goal of education and clinical interventions. In patients with advanced CKD, the management of co-morbidities such as uraemia and cardiovascular disease is a highly recommended preventive intervention to avoid or delay dialysis or kidney transplantation. Political efforts are needed to proliferate this preventive approach. While national policies and strategies for non-communicable diseases might be in place in all or every country. Also, specific policies directed toward education and awareness about CKD screening, management and treatment are often lacking. Hence, there is an urgent need to increase the awareness and importance of preventive measures among populations, professionals and policy makers.

TEMPORAL AND SPECTRAL EVOLUTION IN X- AND γ-RAYS OF MAGNETAR 1E 1547.0–5408 SINCE ITS 2008 OCTOBER OUTBURST: THE DISCOVERY OF A TRANSIENT HARD PULSED COMPONENT AFTER ITS 2009 JANUARY OUTBURST

Abstract: The magnetar 1E 1547.0-5408 exhibited outbursts in 2008 October and 2009 January. In this paper, we present in great detail the evolution of the temporal and spectral characteristics of the persistent total and pulsed emission of 1E 1547.0-5408 between ~1 and 300 keV starting on 2008 October 3 and ending in 2011 January. We analyzed data collected with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL), and the Swift satellite. We report the evolution of the pulse frequency, and the measurement at the time of the onset of the 2009 January outburst of an insignificant jump in frequency, but a major frequency derivative jump $\Delta {\dot{ u }}$ of +(1.30 ± 0.14) × 10-11 Hz s-1 ($\Delta \dot{ u }/\dot{ u }$ of -0.69 ± 0.07). Before this $\dot{ u }$ glitch, a single broad pulse is detected, mainly for energies below ~10 keV. Surprisingly, ~11 days after the glitch a new transient high-energy (up to ~150 keV) pulse appears with a Gaussian shape and width 0.23, shifted in phase by ~0.31 compared to the low-energy pulse, which smoothly fades to undetectable levels in ~350 days. We report the evolution of the pulsed-emission spectra. For energies 2.5-10 keV all pulsed spectra are very soft with photon indices Γ between -4.6 and -3.9. For ~10-150 keV, after the $\dot{ u }$ glitch, we report hard non-thermal pulsed spectra, similar to what has been reported for the persistent pulsed emission of some anomalous X-ray pulsars. This pulsed hard X-ray emission reached maximal luminosity 70 ± 30 days after the glitch epoch, followed by a gradual decrease by more than a factor of 10 over ~300 days. These characteristics differ from those of the total emission. Both, the total soft X-ray (1-10 keV) and hard X-ray (10-150 keV) fluxes, were maximal already 2 days after the 2009 January outburst, and decayed by a factor of gsim3 over ~400 days. The total spectra can be described with a blackbody (kT values varying in the range 0.57-0.74 keV) plus a single power-law model. The photon index exhibited a hardening (~ - 1.4 to ~ - 0.9) with time, correlated with a decrease in flux in the 20-300 keV band. We discuss these findings in the framework of the magnetar model.

Incubation period induced biogenic synthesis of PEG enhanced Moringa oleifera silver nanocapsules and its antibacterial activity

Abstract: Human pathogenic diseases are on the rage in the list of enfeebling diseases globally. The endless quest to salvage these drug-resistant pathogens ravaging our system through various therapies still posts serious challenge. This study engaged a biogenic synthesis that is benign, facile, biocompatible, cost-effective and eco-friendly to synthesized silver nanocapsule (AgNCs) via Moringa oleifera aqueous extract under incubation control. The flavonoid-kaempferol, phenolic-chlorogenic acid and tannin components of MO acted as the potential stabilizing and reducing agent in the formation of AgNCs. The formulated AgNCs was further functionalized with PVA, PVP and PEG for biocompatibility and dispersion enhancement. Various characterization techniques were used to determine the properties of AgNCs formulated. The absorbance due to the color change was observed by the UV-Visible spectroscopy with surface plasmons resonance peak between 425 and 455 nm. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) shows the various functional group responsible for the biogenic synthesis of AgNCs. The X-ray spectroscopy analysis shows a single phase cubic structure of AgNCs formed. The Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image shows a rod-like nanocapsule of uniform grains. The antibacterial potency of AgNCs was proven against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Coliform). The AgNCs inhibited the growth of the three human pathogens with Coliform showing the highest activity to the AgNCs with a minimum inhibitory dose of 15 μg/mL. It is noteworthy that the bacterial strains show functional susceptibility to the AgNCs at lower concentrations compared to the conventional antibacterial drugs. Consequently, AgNCs serve as an enhanced substitute for the conventional antibacterial drugs in therapeutic biomedical field sequel to its pharmacodynamics against the bacterial strains.

Antimicrobial activity of Nigerian medicinal plants.

Abstract: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is currently one of the major threats facing mankind. The emergence and rapid spread of multi- and pan-drug-resistant organisms (such as vancomycin-, methicillin-, extended -spectrum β-lactam- , carbapenem- and fosfomycin-resistant organisms) has put the world in a dilemma. The health and economic burden associated with AMR on a global scale is dreadful. Available antimicrobials have been misused and are almost ineffective with some of these drugs associated with dangerous side effects in some individuals. Development of new, effective and safe antimicrobials is one of the ways by which AMR burden can be reduced. The rate at which microorganisms develop AMR mechanisms outpaces the rate at which new antimicrobials are being developed. Medicinal plants are potential sources of new antimicrobial molecules. There is renewed interest in antimicrobial activities of phytochemicals. Nigeria boasts of a huge heritage of medicinal plants and there is avalanche of researches that have been undertaken to screen antimicrobial activities of these plants. Scientific compilation of these studies could provide useful information on the antimicrobial properties of the plants. This information can be useful in the development of new antimicrobial drugs. This paper reviews antimicrobial researches that have been undertaken on Nigerian medicinal plants.

Plasma aspartate aminotransferase activity in the catfish Clarias albopunctatus exposed to sublethal zinc and mercury.

Abstract: Aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), like alanine aminotransferase, is a key enzyme in the protein to carbohydrate metabolism. It has wide distribution in both mammalian and fish tissues (Eze 1983; Gaudet et al., 1975). The enzyme may leak into the plasma following reservoir tissue damage or dysfunction. Hence, the assay has become an indispensable tool in the clinical determination of the pathological conditions of the reservoir tissues and organs (LaDue et al. 1954). The aquatic ecosystem remained the major recipient of industrial wastes like metallic irons, industrial solvents and contaminated run-off from the land without regard to the health of the aquatic ecosystem. Today, as result of increasing urbanization, expanding industrial and mining activities as well as modern agricultural enterprises, heavy metals in aquatic ecosystem are found in excess of natural load.