Ligand-protein interactions of plant-isolated (9z,12z)-octadeca-9,12-dienoic acid with Β-ketoacyl-Acp synthase (KasA) in potential anti-tubercular drug designing.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains one of the world's contributors to mortality. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 coinfections, patients with TB are predisposed to being more heavily weighed down by COVID-19 disease and its opportunistic coinfections. The severity of the disease coupled with drug resistance on the currently used drugs warrants for the search for alternative remedies from synthetic agents, semisynthetics and natural products that include plants.

Tracking immunization coverage, dropout and equity gaps among children ages 12-23 months in Malawi - bottleneck analysis of the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey.

Background: Between 2010 and 2016, the proportion of children 12-23 months of age who received full immunization in Malawi decreased from 81% to 76%. Most studies on immunization have mainly focused on the risk factors of vaccination coverage while data on dropouts and equity gaps is very scanty. Thus the aim of the present study was to describe the trend in immunization coverage, dropout rates and effective immunization coverage (EIC) among children ages 12-23 months in Malawi.

Research priorities in maternal and neonatal health in Africa: results using the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method involving over 900 experts across the continent.

Africa will miss the maternal and neonatal health (MNH) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets if the current trajectory is followed. The African Academy of Sciences has formed an expert maternal and newborn health group to discuss actions to improve MNH SDG targets. The team, among other recommendations, chose to implement an MNH research prioritization exercise for Africa covering four grand challenge areas.

Biosorption of oxybenzene using biosorbent prepared by raw wastes of and comparative study by using commercially available activated carbon.

Organic pollutants present in waste water have undesirable effect on the environment. Industry activities are the key sources of organic pollutants. Prime pollutants released from various sources react instantly with the environment and become derived (secondary) pollutants, which stay for an elongated time.

Investigation of Antifungal Properties of Synthetic Dimethyl-4-Bromo-1-(Substituted Benzoyl) Pyrrolo[1,2-a] Quinoline-2,3-Dicarboxylates Analogues: Molecular Docking Studies and Conceptual DFT-Based Chemical Reactivity Descriptors and Pharmacokinetics Evaluation.

, an opportunistic fungal pathogen, frequently colonizes immune-compromised patients and causes mild to severe systemic reactions. Only few antifungal drugs are currently in use for therapeutic treatment. However, evolution of a drug-resistant fungal pathogen is of major concern in the treatment of patients, hence the clinical need for novel drug design and development.

Performance of molecular methods for the detection of in human stool specimens.

The relationship between asymptomatic exposure within the gastrointestinal tract and bacteraemia is poorly understood, in part due to the low sensitivity of stool culture and the lack of validated molecular diagnostic tests for the detection of in the stool. The study aimed to determine a reliable molecular diagnostic test for in stool specimens. We optimised an in-house monoplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of and genes in stool by including a selenite broth pre-culture step for before DNA extraction and validated their specificity against other local common pathogens.

Latent class regression improves the predictive acuity and clinical utility of survival prognostication amongst chronic heart failure patients.

The present study aimed to compare the predictive acuity of latent class regression (LCR) modelling with: standard generalised linear modelling (GLM); and GLMs that include the membership of subgroups/classes (identified through prior latent class analysis; LCA) as alternative or additional candidate predictors. Using real world demographic and clinical data from 1,802 heart failure patients enrolled in the UK-HEART2 cohort, the study found that univariable GLMs using LCA-generated subgroup/class membership as the sole candidate predictor of survival were inferior to standard multivariable GLMs using the same four covariates as those used in the LCA. The inclusion of the LCA subgroup/class membership together with these four covariates as candidate predictors in a multivariable GLM showed no improvement in predictive acuity.

Biogenic Synthesis of NiO Nanoparticles Using Leaf Extract and Their Antidiabetic and Cytotoxic Effects.

Nanoworld is an attractive sphere with the potential to explore novel nanomaterials with valuable applications in medicinal science. Herein, we report an efficient and ecofriendly approach for the synthesis of Nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) via a solution combustion method using leaf extract. As-prepared NiO NPs were characterized using various analytical tools such as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis).

Luteolin-Fabricated ZnO Nanostructures Showed PLK-1 Mediated Anti-Breast Cancer Activity.

The present work describes a facile and convenient procedure for synthesizing zinc oxide nanoparticles using luteolin isolated from plant (L-ZnONPs) at room temperature. The formation of as-grown L-ZnONPs was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The Wurtzite structure of ZnO was observed by its hexagonal phases in diffraction patterns.

Analysis of maternal serum vitamin D concentrations at birth in women presenting with spontaneous preterm birth: A case-control study.

Vitamin D is a potent immune system modulator; its deficiency correlates with increased susceptibility to infections. We evaluated the status of maternal serum vitamin D in women with spontaneous preterm birth. In this case-control study, the maternal serum concentration of vitamin D (25OH D) was measured in 95 women delivering preterm and 92 women having a term birth.

Impact of sampling depth on pathogen detection in pit latrines.

Wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) is increasingly used to provide decision makers with actionable data about community health. WBE efforts to date have primarily focused on sewer-transported wastewater in high-income countries, but at least 1.8 billion people in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) use onsite sanitation systems such as pit latrines and septic tanks.

Antibacterial Activities of Mesfin Tuber Extracts and Isolation of the Most Active Compound, Dehydrocostus Lactone.

Mesfin is traditionally used for the treatment of various infectious diseases. This study investigated antibacterial activity of the essential oil (EO) and the different fractions of ethanol extract. The most active component was isolated and identified.

Assessing the impact of a motivational intervention to improve the working lives of maternity healthcare workers: a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a feasibility study in Malawi.

Background: Globally too many mothers and babies die during childbirth; 98% of maternal deaths are avoidable. Skilled clinicians can reduce these deaths; however, there is a world-wide shortage of maternity healthcare workers. Malawi has enough to deliver 20% of its maternity care.

Bacterial and heavy metal contamination in selected commonly sold herbal medicine in Blantyre, Malawi.

Background: There has been an increase in use of herbal medicine worldwide. It is either used as a stand-alone or complementary therapy to conventional medicine due to past good experience, poverty and family traditions. In Malawi, there are no regulations governing the supply, acquisition, marketing and quality enforcement of herbal medicine.

A global horizon scan of the future impacts of robotics and autonomous systems on urban ecosystems.

Technology is transforming societies worldwide. A major innovation is the emergence of robotics and autonomous systems (RAS), which have the potential to revolutionize cities for both people and nature. Nonetheless, the opportunities and challenges associated with RAS for urban ecosystems have yet to be considered systematically.

Characterization of DNA methylation in Malawian clinical isolates.

Background: Although strains exhibit genomic homology of >99%, there is considerable variation in the phenotype. The underlying mechanisms of phenotypic heterogeneity in are not well understood but epigenetic variation is thought to contribute. At present the methylome of has not been completely characterized.

New Putative Antimicrobial Candidates: Design of Fish-Derived Antibacterial Peptide-Motifs.

Antimicrobial resistance remains a great threat to global health. In response to the World Health Organizations' global call for action, nature has been explored for novel and safe antimicrobial candidates. To date, fish have gained recognition as potential source of safe, broad spectrum and effective antimicrobial therapeutics.

Preparation, Spectroscopic Characterization, Theoretical Investigations, and In Vitro Anticancer Activity of Cd(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), and Cu(II) Complexes of 4(3)-Quinazolinone-Derived Schiff Base.

Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a new Schiff base ligand 3-[[()-(3-hydroxyphenylmethylidene]amino]methylquinazolin43one (HAMQ) and its Cd(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), and Cu(II) complexes (-). The ligand HAMQ was synthesized by reacting 3-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 3-amino-2-methyl-4(3quinazolinone in a 1:1 molar ratio. The structure of the ligand and its complexes (-) were evaluated using ultraviolet (UV)-visible (Vis) light spectroscopy, H-NMR, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, MS, elemental analysis, conductance data, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).

Effect of cooking temperature and time on total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and total in vitro antioxidant activity of garlic.

Objective: To investigate the effect of cooking temperature and time on the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of garlic.

Results: The mean total phenolic content of fresh garlic were 303.07 ± 6.

Seeing the Forest for the Trees: A Set of Descriptive Case Studies Presented with the Networks of Care Framework.

Durable solutions for daunting problems in global health can be elusive. The global health literature tends to present aggregated data and highlight clinical outcomes but fails to describe the systems that buttress the interventions. The common idiom about "missing the forest for the trees" is apropos: by focusing on individual examples, we may miss the bigger picture.

Harnessing the Power of Networks of Care for Universal Health Coverage.

On the global health agenda, Universal Health Coverage has been displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic while disparities in COVID-19 outcomes have exposed stark gaps in quality, access, equity, and financial risk protection. These disparities highlight the importance of the core goals of Universal Health Coverage and the need for innovative approaches to working toward them. The newly codified concept of "Networks of Care" offers a promising option for implementation.

Relationship between role stressors, job tasks and job satisfaction among health surveillance assistants in Malawi: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the role stressors, sociodemographic characteristics and job tasks of health surveillance assistants (HSAs) and to explore major predictors of role stressors and job satisfaction of HSAs in Malawi.

Setting: Data were collected from health centres and hospitals of three Malawi districts of Mangochi, Lilongwe and Mzimba.

Participants: Respondents were 430 HSAs.