Dyslipidaemic, oxidative stress and immunoinflammatory alterations in a rat model of late-night eating

Background: Modern-humans have adapted a 24/7 active and feeding lifestyles with consequential eating at odds with the circadian system that threatens to pose a pandemic of metabolic diseases. Since nocturnally restricted feeding promotes growth and metabolic fitness and that adlibitum feeding disturbs diurnal rhythms and metabolic health in rodents, the use of adlibitum controls in metabolic researches can have doubtful extrapolative conclusions. Here, we simulated human late-night eating using feed restricted controls with the primary aim of exploring possible dyslipidaemic, oxidative stress and immunoinflammatory alterations of Late-night eating in Wistar rats. Methods: Sixteen (16) male Wistar rats (aged 8-10 weeks) were randomly assigned into control or late-night eating group (n=8). Fasting weight and blood glucose were obtained and Lipids were analyzed using their respective Randox kits. Malondialdehyde, catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were assayed while Full blood counts and CD 4+ Tcells were determined using automated analyzers. Data were analyzed using SPSS V20.0, compared using Student’s t-test and significance set at p≤ 0.05. Results: Our findings have demonstrated that late-night eating is associated with an overall significant decrease in total feeds intake, Fasting blood glucose, High density lipoprotein, catalase, and CD4+ cell counts. On the other hand, Cardiac risk ratio and Atherogenic coefficient are marginally raised, while Platelet lymphocyte ratio, Monocyte lymphocyte ratio and Monocyte High density lipoprotein ratio are insignificantly higher among the late-night eating rats than in controls. Conclusion: Although our finding could not demonstrate an elevated risk of obesity or diabetes, it has uncovered the dyslipidaemic, oxidative stress and immunoinflammatory alterations associated with late-night eating. Keywords: CD4 lymphocyte count; Complete blood count; Late-night eating; Lipid ratios; Oxidative stress

A REVIEW ON EMERGING PATHOGENESIS OF COVID-19 AND POINTS OF CONCERN FOR RESEARCH COMMUNITIES IN NIGERIA

Background: COVID-19 remains an emerging pandemic that continuously poses an alarming threat and challenge to economic, social and wellbeing of the people throughout the world. It also remains an evolving disease which complete pathogenesis that translates into clinical features is only just emerging by each second of the day. There have been observations about the emerging trends of the disease in Nigeria like in any other country in the world where there is outbreak. This study examined from evidence-based literature the emerging pathogenesis of COVID-19 and important points of concern of the disease in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: The paper reviewed published articles in PubMed and Google Scholar using search terms ‘COVID-19” and “SARS-CoV-2”, as well as searched for general COVID-19 information on internet. Results: The result summarized literature on emerging pathogenesis of COVID-19 and important points of concern as well as research questions as to the peculiar trends of the disease in Nigeria. Conclusion: Pathogenesis of COVID-19 remains an emerging knowledge and there are many important research questions that need to be scientifically answered for a successful containment of COVID-19 in Nigeria. It is recommended that all members of intellectual research communities should join the fight against COVID-19 pandemic

A review on emerging pathogenesis of COVID-19 and points of concern for research communities in Nigeria

Background: COVID-19 remains an emerging pandemic that continuously poses an alarming threat and challenge to economic, social and well-being of the people throughout the world. It also remains an evolving disease which complete pathogenesis that translates into clinical features is only just emerging by each second of the day. There have been observations about the emerging trends of the disease in Nigeria like in any other country in the world where there is outbreak. This study examined from evidence-based literature the emerging pathogenesis of COVID-19 and important points of concern of the disease in Nigeria.Materials and Methods: The paper reviewed published articles in PubMed and Google Scholar using search terms „COVID-19” and “SARS-CoV-2”, as well as searched for general COVID-19 information on internet.Results: The result summarized literature on emerging pathogenesis of COVID-19 and important points of concern as well as research questions as to the peculiar trends of the disease in Nigeria.Conclusion: Pathogenesis of COVID-19 remains an emerging knowledge and there are many important research questions that need to be scientifically answered for a successful containment of COVID-19 in Nigeria. It is recommended that all members of intellectual research communities should join the fight against COVID-19 pandemic

Elevated Plasma D-dimer Levels In Children with Sickle Cell Anemia In Steady State Attending State Specialist Hospital Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

Background: Sickle cell anemia (SCA) has been linked with altered plasma levels of D‑dimer. However, routine assessment of D‑dimer and other coagulation indices in SCA patients are rarely carried out. The aim of this study was to determine the mean plasma levels of D‑dimer and other coagulation indices in children with SCA in a steady state and them with with that of healthy HbAA genotype controls. Materials and Methods: This was a case–control study involving 40 children with SCA in steady state and 40 healthy HbAA genotype controls. Plasma D‑dimer, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and platelet count were determined using appropriate laboratory techniques. Data analysis was by JMP software. Independent t‑test was used to determine the difference in quantitative variables between SCA patients and controls. P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Mean ages of the SCA patients and controls were 13.98 ± 6.71 and 13.85 ± 7.45, respectively. The SCA patients had longer mean PT (20.48 ± 6.51 vs. 13.89 ± 2.13, P = 0.0001) and aPTT (40.91 ± 9.08 vs. 32.63 ± 4.44, P = 0.0001) compared to the controls. Similarly, the SCA patients had higher platelet count (449.70 ± 162.87 vs. 302.58 ± 83.34 × 109 /L, P = 0.0001) and plasma D‑dimer (3.18 ± 2.72 mg/L vs. 0.29 ± 0.52 mg/L, P = 0.0001) compared to the controls. Equally, 98% of the SCA patients had high plasma D‑dimer. Conclusion: The SCA patients had higher plasma D‑dimer and platelet count and longer PT and aPTT compared to controls. Keywords: D‑dimer, Maiduguri, Nigeria, sickle cell anemia, steady state&nbsp

External Debt Burden and its Determinants in Nigeria: An ARDL Cointegration Technique

This study focuses on the empirical determinants of external debt burden in Nigeria from 1973 – 2013 using Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Cointegration Technique. Findings from the study reveals that consumer price index (CPI), interest rate on external debt (IR), gross domestic product (GDP), and money supply (M2) are cointegrated with external debt (ED) in both the short-run and long-run within the study period. The result also indicates that, CPI and IR are negatively correlated with ED. Whereas GDP and M2 reveals a positive relationship with ED. The coefficient of ECM is also consistent with the rule of thumb which suggests that, the coefficient of error correction term (ECT) should be negative, less than one in its absolute value and significant. Nigeria’s external debt burden can be settled through economic diversification such as massive investment in agricultural and solid minerals sectors, boosting internally generated revenues (IGRs) and reducing overdependence on oil revenue. Keywords: External debt, Interest rate, Money supply, Inflation, Gross Domestic Product, ARD

Executive Compensation and Value of Listed Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria

The increasing failure of banks has made it important to seek for ways to enhance its value in order to attract investors and potential investors. To make this reality, scholars have argued from various quarters that the people who manage the banks must be adequately compensated if the desired value needs to be achieved. Therefore, the study examines the relationship between executive compensation and value of listed deposit money banks (DMB) in Nigeria. The study adopted correlational research design with balanced panel data of 14 listed banks which served as population of the study for the period of 2010-2021 using Generalized Least Square (GLS) regression as a tool of analysis. The study found that CEO Pay and Chairman’s compensation have positive effect on the value of listed banks, while the highest paid director exact negative influence on the banks’ value. This implies that the CEO Pay and Chairman’s compensation improves the value of banks. Therefore, it is recommended among others that the management of banks should increase the CEO pay and place more emphasis on performance as a basis of increased pay to guarantee continuous improvement in the value of the banks

Murabahah finance as a potential moderator on the relationship between farm infrastructure and agricultural output in Kano State, Nigeria: a propose frame work

Agriculture is act of soil cultivation, rearing of animals, forestry for the purpose of food supply and raw material to the industries for human satisfaction and poverty eradication as well as economic growth.However, the agricultural output in Kano state is declining day after day. Despite the socioeconomic importance of agriculture and the initiatives of both public and private organizations to grow the output, yet the problem is increasing. The objective of this paper is to propose a model for examining the moderating influence of Murabahah finance on the relationship between farm infrastructure and agricultural output in Kano State Nigeria.The study proposes a model that hopes to use by the Kano state ministry of agriculture, financial institutions and farmer cooperatives to the tackle the problems.In addition, this paper introduces Murabahah finance as a potential moderating variable

5-Methylcoumarin-4β-glucoside mitigated colon tumor progression in mice with AOM/DSS-induced colon carcinogenesis

Context The in vitro cytotoxicity profile of 5-Methylcoumarin-4β-glucoside (5-MC4βG) has been demonstrated to inhibit the proliferation of HT-29 adenocarcinoma cells. Aim: The need for newer and affordable chemotherapeutic agents is critical. Main methods We investigated the effect of 5-MC4βG on an azoxymethane /dextran sodium sulfate-induced colon carcinogenesis model in six groups of laboratory BALB/c mice for six weeks. While the first and second groups of mice served as vehicle and disease controls respectively, the third, fourth, and fifth groups were administered oral graded doses (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) of 5-MC4βG. The sixth group was treated with 5-Flourouracil (15 mg/kg). Key findings The 100 mg/kg dose of 5-MC4βG upregulated APC mRNA expression by two-fold and downregulated β-catenin mRNA expression by two-fold compared to their respective disease controls. Furthermore, tumorigenic gene transcripts (MDM2, BCL2, CDK1, and cyclin D1) were downregulated by one-fold (except cyclin D1 which was downregulated by two-fold), whereas pro-apoptotic genes (p53, Bax, and Casp3) were upregulated by two-fold following treatment with 100 mg/kg dose of 5-MC4βG. At the metabolic level, the bioactive compound lowered the expression of classical tumor markers; tissue polypeptide antigen, tumor-associated glycoprotein 72, and carcinoembryonic antigen by at least half. Histologically, 5-MC4βG intervention revealed a reduction in neoplastic cells associated with cellular necrosis. Significance 5-MC4βG reduced colon carcinogenesis in mice. Thus, this compound may be a promising candidate for colorectal cancer chemotherapy. Further development of 5-MC4βG will hopefully lead to the development of a potential anti-colon cancer drug candidate

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries