Articles

Background: The socioeconomic impact of drug and substance abuse on secondary school students in Nigeria is yet to be fully evaluated even in the face of the current surge in abuse of substances among the younger folks who constitute more than half of the entire population.Objective: This study narratively reviewed the studies on the socioeconomic impacts of drug and substance abuse on secondary school students and studies by researchers in Nigeria. Methods: The study was a narrative review of the literature covering the socioeconomic impacts of drug and substance abuse on secondary school students in Nigeria from 1980 to 2023. Data were extracted and summarized with descriptive statistics. Results: All the studies took place between 2012 and 2023; 6 (100%). The studies carried out were all observational studies 6 (100%). All the studies fell below average in the benchmark for the hierarchy of evidence-based studies. The studies mostly took place in the South-West 3 (50.00%), while 1 (16.67%) took place in the South-East, North-West, and North-Central respective regions of Nigeria.Conclusion: The available studies done on the impacts of drug and substance abuse focused more on the social impacts, with little or no attention to the economic effect. The available studies however remain at the observational level in the evidence-based ladder. Future Research on the reviewed theme should focus on the economic implications of the social effects of drug and substance abuse on secondary school students in Nigeria.

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a necrotrophic plant pathogen causing more than 60 different disease symptoms in approximately 400 plants globally. Hence, due to this distinctive characteristic, S. sclerotiorum has been the subject of various research to comprehend its pathogenicity mechanism, including virulent genes, proteins, and metabolites. Likewise, the genomic annotation of S. sclerotiorum uncovered its remarkable potential for producing secondary metabolites, of which genome mining has additionally prompted the disclosure of these uncharacterized metabolic pathways, which might aid the pathogenicity process. To comprehend the secondary metabolites secreted by S. sclerotiorum that might be involved in its pathogenicity, a secondary metabolite-level investigation of this plant pathogen was performed. Profiling and characterizing these secondary metabolites produced during in vitro germination would increase the current knowledge of this pathogen. In this study, S. sclerotiorum secondary metabolites profile examination was conducted, utilizing the Ultra-High Resolution Qq-Time-Of-Flight mass spectrometer (UHR-QqTOF). Proficient data analysis and verification with the genomic pathways of S. sclerotiorum gave an unequivocal metabolome profile of this pathogen. Two hundred and thirty secondary metabolites were identified in all three biological replicates, and their bodily functions were identified.

This paper is grounded in a series of medical texts that survive from ancient Mesopotamia. It seeks to show the relevance of these texts for the modern researcher. Key findings are that the ancient Mesopotamian physician had already discovered many of the herbal treatments currently being verified by modern science. Armed with what these ancient texts tell us, we are in a position to offer advice on ways to ensure the most effective use of and avoid the dangers presented by selected medicinal plants.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the oral hygiene status of patients with fixed mechanotherapy appliances.Methods and materials: The following indices were used to evaluate the oral hygiene status of patients in orthodontic treatment: Gingival Bleeding Index (GBI), Plaque index (PI) and OrthoPlaque Index (OPI) at three intervals.T0 (day 1), T1 (15 days), T2 (30 days) for a period of one month.Results: 10 patients (15-30 years old) were selected for the study from among the orthodontic patients treated at the Department of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, AIDSR, Adesh University. Results showed that the mean PI decreased significantly from T0 to T1 & then from T1 to T2, GI decreased significantly from T0 to T1, but then, no significant difference could be found in GI from T1 to T2, OPI decreased significantly from T0 to T1, but then, no significant difference could be found in OPI from T1 to T2. No significant difference was observed between male and female patients for the PI, GI and OPI.Conclusion: Inadequate oral home care among orthodontic patients may increase their risk of gingivitis during treatment. As a result, oral hygiene instructions and a hygiene maintenance program must not be overlooked during orthodontic treatment.

In the search for a solution to the Riemann Hypothesis, we have studied an approach that connects the Riemann Problem with physical modeling that refers to statistical mechanics.Thus, we study the relation between a truncation of the Riemann ξ function in the variable z = 1-1/s, where s is the usual complex variable (s=Re(s)+i·Im(s) = ρ + i·t) and the partition function of a ferromagnetic spin 1/2 model on a circle C with long-range interaction, to give a concrete look at a strategy for a possible proof of the Riemann Hypothesis. 

This is a literature review study focusing on the expression of p53 and WT1. Both the p53 and WT1 proteins are tumor suppressors, which means that they play a role in preventing the progression into cancerous ones. If these proteins are altered or deleted, they lose the ability to carry out their role, which might result in the development of cancer. The primary objectives of this study were to review the literature regarding the expression of both p53 and WT1 and to investigate their prognostic significance; and to discuss our new hypothesis regarding the ratios of expression of WT1/p53, as well as our model regarding acute myeloid leukemia. In brief, the objectives were to make the focus in the suggested hypothesis as well as collecting the supportive literature. According to the findings of the current research, the level of expression of WT1 and p53 can indicate either a favorable or unfavorable prognosis for cancer patients. Further, we demonstrated that the expression, not just as a quality variable but also as a quantity variable, may have a more substantial explanation in the progression of tumors than we had previously thought. According to the theory that was derived from this research, if the expression of WT1/p53 (the expression is given as a ratio) is somewhere around 4, then p53 acts as though it were wild type and offers protection against tumors. In order to verify this idea, we need to do additional study.

This article investigates the viability of SARS-CoV-2 and its dependence on pH levels, specifically focusing on the difference between the pH stability intervals for the coronavirus and human blood. Human blood typically maintains a pH range of around 7.35 to 7.45, while SARS-CoV-2 exhibits stability within the pH range of 6.0 to 6.5. The study aims to elucidate the critical role of hemoglobin in maintaining pH balance and explores its implications for viral susceptibility. The findings emphasize the importance of reinforcing the alkalinity of the medium as a means to weaken the virus. The research contributes to the understanding of pH-dependent mechanisms in viral infections and provides valuable insights for the development of potential therapeutic strategies.

Food production program faces tight competition on land, water, energy, and efforts against the negative effects of food production on the environment [1,2]. 

Introduction: Child Protection Services (CPSs) are dedicated to providing protection and responding to any threats a child could face as children worldwide could be abused. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic affected all aspects of life. Procedures implemented to restrict the spread of the disease (such as reduced access to services, school closure, and social distancing measures) had an impact on child life and maltreatment. Therefore, it is important to know the impact of this pandemic on child abuse and protection. Aim and rationales: This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on CPSs in Oman by studying the change in the number of reported cases of child abuse and the change in the reporting procedure at the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD). In addition, know the impact of the restriction measures on child rights and risk factors of child maltreatment based on CPSs workers’ opinions and experience. To understand the adaptation of the CPSs to the change in work and life environment imposed by COVID-19. Method: A cross-section study was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire, that was distributed to the workers involved in the CPSs at the MOSD in Oman. Data also were collected from the statistical bulletins on the Ministry’s website. Results: COVID-19 pandemic was not found associated with a significant change in the number and type of child abuse cases reported to the MOSD. The reporting procedures also did not change. In addition, the pattern of child abuse types did not change before and during the pandemic, as neglect cases were the most. The participants judged the restriction measures affecting family life through separation, cyber abuse, and reduced educational support. With regard to intervention and follow-up procedures, the main difference was in the communication processes by using online communication methods and reducing the fieldwork for mild cases.Conclusion: CPSs in Oman were not much affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which may reflect the success of this system in dealing with the restriction measures. However, more solutions should be developed to adapt to these circumstances in the future altogether.

This paper is a study of the nuclear Equation of State (EOS) of cold nuclear matter with the B3Y-Fetal effective interaction in its CDM3Y density-dependent version within the framework of Hartree-Fock approximation. The well-known saturation properties of both symmetric and asymmetric nuclear matter are well-reproduced in this work. Using the CDM3Y-K approach, this study has evolved a new set of user interactions, some of which are CDB3Y1-, CDB3Y2-, CDB3Y3-, CDB3Y4-, CDB3Y5-, CDB3Y6-Fetal interactions with corresponding incompressibilities K0 = 188, 204, 217,228, 241 and 252 MeV respectively, in excellent agreement with those of the M3Y-Paris and M3Y-Reid effective interactions. For asymmetric nuclear matter, the new set of interactions has produced the symmetry energy Esym = 32.00 MeV with an associated slope parameter L = 55 MeV at a saturation density ρ = 0.17fm−3 and asymmetry parameter δ = 1.00 (pure neutron matter) in good agreement with the standard values obtained from coupled channel analysis of charge exchange reactions, statistical multifragmentation model and terrestrial Nuclear Physics experimental analyses. Furthermore, the new set of interactions has been found to have bright prospects in a nuclear reaction as the real folded potential computed with the CDB3Y6-Fetal interaction within the framework of double folding potential has been found to be good and similar to that of CDB3Y6-Paris whose optical potential has a repulsive direct component.