Eviscerated liver: an extremely rare complication of abdominal wound dehiscense through a midline incision.

Abdominal wound dehiscense, or burst abdomen, is a critical postoperative complication necessitating immediate intervention. We present an extremely rare case of left hepatic lobe evisceration through wound dehiscense in a 65-year-old female receiving palliative care for hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The patient's midline incision that was performed for feeding jejunostomy tube displayed liver protrusion on Day 14 postoperatively. Surgical exploration revealed a healthy liver, prompting reduction and secondary sutures to prevent complications. Abdominal wound dehiscense risk factors, including advanced age, poor nutrition, and medical illness, contribute to its occurrence. Although guidelines for liver evisceration management are lacking, our case emphasizes proper technique, wound care, and nutritional support to aid the healing process and to ensure a better outcome for the patients.

Prevalence and Haplotypes of Toxoplasma gondii in Native Village Chickens and Pigs in Peninsular Malaysia.

Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic foodborne parasite capable of infecting almost all warm-blooded animal species worldwide. Toxoplasmosis is usually acquired via ingestion of undercooked infected animal tissues resulting in life-threatening consequences for unborn foetus and immunocompromised individuals. A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of T. gondii infection, its associated risk factors in farms, and haplotypes isolated from the native village chicken and pig populations in Peninsular Malaysia. The seroprevalence of T. gondii in village chickens at the animal level was low at 7.6% (95% CI: 4.60-11.60), while at the farm level, it was 52.0% (95% CI: 31.30-72.20). For pigs, the animal-level seroprevalence of T. gondii was 3.0% (95% CI: 1.60-5.10), while the farm-level, it was 31.6% (95% CI: 12.60-56.60). The PCR-based DNA detection on meat samples from chickens (n = 250) and pork (n = 121) detected 14.0% (95% CI: 9.95-18.9) and 5.8% (95% CI: 2.4-11.6) positive, respectively. Six unique T. gondii haplotypes were isolated from the tissue samples. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that feeding the chickens farm-produced feeds and allowing wild animals access to pig farms were significant determinants for farm-level seropositivity. Providing hygienic and good quality feeds to chickens and increasing biosecurity in pig farms through prevention of access by wildlife may reduce the risk of transmission of T. gondii infection in the local chickens and pig farms.

Bibliometric analysis of the African Health Sciences' research indexed in Web of Science and Scopus.

Background: The Journal of African Health Sciences (AHS) is an internationally refereed journal in the field of health sciences with vast research contributions in the world and Africa region. Objective: The study aimed to document the scientific production and explore the AHS research bibliometric characteristics since its first issue. Methods: A comprehensive retrospective bibliometric analysis was performed on AHS published documents indexed in Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus since the journal's first issue. The analysis was done using SPSS v. 22.0, Bibliometrix Package in R, and VOSviewer v.1.6.15. Results: A total of 1649 and 1879 documents indexed in Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus were retrieved. The annual number of publications showed a significant increase in both databases. The most contributing countries (in WoS vs. Scopus) were; Nigeria (n = 393 vs. 276), Uganda (215 vs. 220) and South Africa (143 vs. 101).The most productive authors were "Tumwine JK", "Mayanja-Kizza H", and "Ocama P". Makerere University, The University of Ibadan, and University of Nigeria were the most contributive institutions. International agencies mainly from the USA were the main funders of AHS documents. Analysis of keywords revealed the dominance of research topics with keywords such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, Obesity, Hypertension, risk factors, infection, mortality, amongst others. Conclusions: This analysis has revealed the progress in the development and growth of scientific research from AHS. Moreover, top-cited documents-analysis has reflected its focus on health issues relevant to Africa. This analysis would help in evidence-based descriptions of AHS research output.

A systematic and thematic analysis of the top 100 cited articles on mRNA vaccine indexed in Scopus database.

The success of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 implies that this technology can be applied to target any pathogen. However, the scientific production and research trends using the bibliometric method are still unknown. The top 100 most cited articles on mRNA vaccine research were obtained from the Scopus database from 1995 to 2021. Bibliometrix, an R-Package, and VOSviewer 1.6.11 were used for data analysis. There is a rapid growth in scientific outputs with a gradual increase in 2021. The United States produced 45 (45%) of the articles, followed by Germany with 15 (15%) and Israel with 10 (10%). The New England Journal of Medicine published the most papers in this field 13 (13%), followed by Nature 6(6%). Barney S. Graham was the most productive author among the top 100 most cited mRNA vaccine articles. University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, US, was the top ranking institution, having 37 (37%). The visualization map clearly and spontaneously displayed the current state and research hot spots of mRNA research from a specific perspective. The most frequent keywords were COVID-19, vaccine, mRNA vaccine, mRNA, SARS-CoV-2, and immunogenicity, among others. A systematic review of the articles provided evidence that out of 100 articles, approximately 25 (25%) were focused on vaccine production and evaluation, followed by 26 (26%) in mRNA vaccine safety and efficacy, 23 (23%) were into mRNA vaccination, 23 (23%) considered risk factors associated with mRNA vaccination, while 8 (8%) of the articles covered the issue of mRNA vaccine delivery. In addition, 42% of the articles focused on COVID-19, 17% on cancer, 8% on influenza virus, 4% on COVID-19 and kidney disease, 3% COVID-19 and myocarditis, and 3% on rabies virus, among others. The findings of this systematic and thematic analysis provided the knowledge basis for further research on mRNA vaccines globally.

Natural adaptation and human selection of northeast African sheep genomes.

African sheep manifest diverse but distinct physio-anatomical traits, which are the outcomes of natural- and human-driven selection. Here, we generated 34.8 million variants from 150 indigenous northeast African sheep genomes sequenced at an average depth of ∼54× for 130 samples (Ethiopia, Libya) and ∼20× for 20 samples (Sudan). These represented sheep from diverse environments, tail morphology and post-Neolithic introductions to Africa. Phylogenetic and model-based admixture analysis provided evidence of four genetic groups corresponding to altitudinal geographic origins, tail morphotypes and possible historical introduction and dispersal of the species into and across the continent. Running admixture at higher levels of K (6 ≤ K ≤ 25), revealed cryptic levels of genome intermixing as well as distinct genetic backgrounds in some populations. Comparative genomic analysis identified targets of selection that spanned conserved haplotype structures overlapping clusters of genes and gene families. These were related to hypoxia responses, ear morphology, caudal vertebrae and tail skeleton length, and tail fat-depot structures. Our findings provide novel insights underpinning morphological variation and response to human-driven selection and environmental adaptation in African indigenous sheep.

A Comparison Between Working and Nonworking Donkeys Welfare Issues in Nyala City, South Darfur, Sudan.

In impoverished nations, donkeys help people make a living. The welfare of donkeys in Sudan is neglected compared with developed countries. However, there is no information available about donkey welfare in Nyala. This study aimed to assess the welfare of donkeys in Nyala. Donkeys were divided into two groups (n = 50), working and nonworking. The donkeys' physical, emotional, and clinical parameters and an owner's interview were assessed. There were significant differences in body condition scores: 37% and 47% of working and nonworking donkeys, respectively, had ideal body condition scores, while 13% of working donkeys were emaciated. Of the working and nonworking 33% and 19% had hoof problems, respectively. Fifteen percent of working donkeys had ocular discharge, and 25% had wounds. In working donkeys, 7% and 5% depressive and aggressive behavioral responses, respectively, were observed. Furthermore, there were significant differences in tools used for hitting donkeys, with 33% and 17% of owners using a stick and whip, respectively, for hitting working donkeys. Eighty-two percent of owners feed their donkeys one to three times daily (50% working and 32% nonworking donkeys), and free access feeding was only observed in 18% of nonworking donkeys. There were no significant differences (P > .06) in emotional parameters. We conclude that working donkeys suffer from multiple welfare problems more than nonworking donkeys in Nyala. More awareness, veterinary services, and research are needed to improve donkey care in Nyala.

Genomic signatures for drylands adaptation at gene-rich regions in African zebu cattle.

BACKGROUND: Indigenous Sudanese cattle are mainly indicine/zebu (humped) type. They thrive in the harshest dryland environments characterised by high temperatures, long seasonal dry periods, nutritional shortages, and vector disease challenges. Here, we sequenced 60 indigenous Sudanese cattle from six indigenous breeds and analysed the data using three genomic scan approaches to unravel cattle adaptation to the African dryland region. RESULTS: We identified a set of gene-rich selective sweep regions, detected mostly on chromosomes 5, 7 and 19, shared across African and Gir zebu. These include genes involved in immune response, body size and conformation, and heat stress response. We also identified selective sweep regions unique to Sudanese zebu. Of these, a 250 kb selective sweep on chromosome 16 spans seven genes, including PLCH2, PEX10, PRKCZ, and SKI, which are involved in alternative adaptive metabolic strategies of insulin signalling, glucose homeostasis, and fat metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that environmental adaptation may involve recent and ancient selection at gene-rich regions, which might be under a common regulatory genetic control, in zebu cattle.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Cancer Research: A Systematic and Thematic Analysis of the Top 100 Cited Articles Indexed in Scopus Database.

INTRODUCTION: Cancer is a major public health problem and a global leading cause of death where the screening, diagnosis, prediction, survival estimation, and treatment of cancer and control measures are still a major challenge. The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques and their applications in various fields have brought immense value in providing insights into advancement in support of cancer control. METHODS: A systematic and thematic analysis was performed on the Scopus database to identify the top 100 cited articles in cancer research. Data were analyzed using RStudio and VOSviewer.Var1.6.6. RESULTS: The top 100 articles in AI and ML in cancer received a 33 920 citation score with a range of 108 to 5758 times. Doi Kunio from the USA was the most cited author with total number of citations (TNC = 663). Out of 43 contributed countries, 30% of the top 100 cited articles originated from the USA, and 10% originated from China. Among the 57 peer-reviewed journals, the "Expert Systems with Application" published 8% of the total articles. The results were presented in highlight technological advancement through AI and ML via the widespread use of Artificial Neural Network (ANNs), Deep Learning or machine learning techniques, Mammography-based Model, Convolutional Neural Networks (SC-CNN), and text mining techniques in the prediction, diagnosis, and prevention of various types of cancers towards cancer control. CONCLUSIONS: This bibliometric study provides detailed overview of the most cited empirical evidence in AI and ML adoption in cancer research that could efficiently help in designing future research. The innovations guarantee greater speed by using AI and ML in the detection and control of cancer to improve patient experience.

Mapping global trends in adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell research: A bibliometric analysis using scopus database.

Background and objective: Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AdMSC) are multipotent adult mesenchymal cells isolated and cultured from the stromal vascular fraction derived from adipose tissue. The present study was conducted to analyze the global trends in AdMSC research using bibliometric and visual analysis tools. Methods: The literature search was done on February 13, 2022, using appropriate keywords and inclusion-exclusion criteria from the Scopus database. The extracted data were retrospectively analyzed and visualized using Bibliometrics and R packages and VOSviewer. Results: Preliminary analysis identified 1569 documents from the Scopus database published between 2005 and 2021. The average citations received per document was 26.51, whereas the average citations per year per document was 3.347. In addition, the selected documents had an h-index value of 90. China was the most productive country, whereas Seoul National University (South Korea) was identified as the most productive institute/university in AdMSC research. In addition, the National Natural Science Foundation of China funded the most research studies in AdMSC research. Conclusion: The findings from this study indicate a progressive increase in interest among the research community towards AdMSC, suggesting promising prospects in the coming years.

Altered Expression of Zonula occludens-1 Affects Cardiac Na+ Channels and Increases Susceptibility to Ventricular Arrhythmias.

Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) is an intracellular scaffolding protein that orchestrates the anchoring of membrane proteins to the cytoskeleton in epithelial and specialized tissue including the heart. There is clear evidence to support the central role of intracellular auxiliary proteins in arrhythmogenesis and previous studies have found altered ZO-1 expression associated with atrioventricular conduction abnormalities. Here, using human cardiac tissues, we identified all three isoforms of ZO-1, canonical (Transcript Variant 1, TV1), CRA_e (Transcript Variant 4, TV4), and an additionally expressed (Transcript Variant 3, TV3) in non-failing myocardium. To investigate the role of ZO-1 on ventricular arrhythmogenesis, we generated a haploinsufficient ZO-1 mouse model (ZO-1+/-). ZO-1+/- mice exhibited dysregulated connexin-43 protein expression and localization at the intercalated disc. While ZO-1+/- mice did not display abnormal cardiac function at baseline, adrenergic challenge resulted in rhythm abnormalities, including premature ventricular contractions and bigeminy. At baseline, ventricular myocytes from the ZO-1+/- mice displayed prolonged action potential duration and spontaneous depolarizations, with ZO-1+/- cells displaying frequent unsolicited (non-paced) diastolic depolarizations leading to spontaneous activity with multiple early afterdepolarizations (EADs). Mechanistically, ZO-1 deficient myocytes displayed a reduction in sodium current density (INa) and an increased sensitivity to isoproterenol stimulation. Further, ZO-1 deficient myocytes displayed remodeling in ICa current, likely a compensatory change. Taken together, our data suggest that ZO-1 deficiency results in myocardial substrate susceptible to triggered arrhythmias.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy prior to esophagectomy for esophageal cancer - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: For resectable esophageal cancer (EC), it remains controversial whether to place percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) before the curative surgery to provide nutritional support during the neoadjuvant therapy. OBJECTIVE: To compare surgical outcomes for patients who received preoperative PEG and those without PEG placement (No-PEG) insertion prior to surgery in a potentially operable EC. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify randomized and non-randomized studies comparing PEG and No-PEG groups. RESULTS: Four retrospective studies with a total number of 1,027 patients were identified and included in this meta-analysis. The differences in anastomotic leakage, anastomotic stricture, morbidity, pulmonary complications, wound infection, and hospital stay were not statistically significant between the two groups. Operation time was significantly shorter in the PEG group. There was no PEG-related gastric conduit failure and no leak from the PEG site in the PEG group. CONCLUSION: We conclude preoperative PEG for resectable EC is a safe procedure with no adverse effect on the gastric tube construction and anastomosis, it can be selectively inserted for EC patients with marked weight loss and malnutrition or those at risk of developing malnutrition during neoadjuvant therapy.

Survey of antibodies to Rift Valley fever virus and associated risk factors in one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius) slaughtered in Maiduguri abattoir, Borno State, Nigeria.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an emerging mosquito-borne zoonosis that threatens public health and animal agriculture in the endemic areas causing devastating epizootics characterized by abortion storms and high mortalities, especially in newborn animals. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence and investigate risk factors associated with exposure to the virus in camels slaughtered in Maiduguri abattoir, Borno State of Nigeria. Camels presented for slaughtered were sampled and data on age, sex, source or origin, utility, presence of post-mortem lesions, body weights and body condition score were collected. Blood samples were collected and sera were harvested and stored at - 20 °C until tested. The sera were tested using a commercial ELISA kit based on the manufacturer's instructions. The overall seroprevalence in the study was 20.7% (95% CI, 13.6-30.0). The analysis showed no significant differences between the presence of antibodies and variables that included the sex of camels (χ2 = 0.015, df = 1, p = 0.904) and the presence of post-mortem lesion on the carcass (χ2 = 0.009, df = 1, p = 0.925). There were significant differences between presence of antibodies and three variables that included the age (χ2 = 4.89, df = 1, p = 0.027), the source (χ2 = 7.077, df = 2, p = 0.029) and the main utility (χ2 = 8.057, df = 3, p = 0.045) of the camels. It was concluded that camels presented for slaughter at the Maiduguri abattoir have evidence of exposure to the RVF virus and maybe means of transmission of the virus. Regular monitoring and control of transboundary animal movements were recommended in the study area.

Tracking the progress in COVID-19 and vaccine safety research - a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of publications indexed in Scopus database.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency is one of the worse disease outbreaks in the history of infectious disease. The consequence has resulted in over 4 million deaths globally. Therefore, a more in-depth understanding of the dynamics of the disease, vaccine development, and safety has become crucial for the disease eradication. OBJECTIVE: The study adopted bibliometric analysis to identify the global contribution in COVID-19 and Vaccine Safety and analyzed the current status, development, and research hotspots to reference for future research directions. METHODS: Studies published between January 1, 2019 and July 11, 2021 were retrieved from the Scopus database. Data analysis and visualization were conducted using VOSviewer ver 1.6.6, Bibliometrix app. (Using R). RESULTS: A total of 1827 publications with 12.14 average citations per document were identified. These publications were published in 796 journals by 10,243 authors (with 5.61 authors per document) from 80 countries/regions. About 33.75% of the researches were from the developed countries. The USA, China, and India were top contributors for scientific research on COVID-19 and vaccine safety. The "Vaccine" is the most productive journal with 58 articles. Li Y, NA NA, and Liu X were the top three prolific authors. Furthermore, "Human," "Coronavirus disease 2019," and "Drug safety," were the most common frontier topics. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis highlights the characteristics of the most influential articles on COVID-19 related to vaccine safety. The findings provided valuable insight into the scientific research progress in this domain and suggest scaling-up research and information dissemination on COVID-19 and vaccine safety.

Bibliometric analysis of global scientific literature on effects of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.

The study provides a comprehensive analysis of trends of the global scientific research on the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental health from the first published literature up to June 27, 2021. Relevant documents were searched using mesh terms based on the query of two searches, "COVID-19 & Mental Health" scenarios joined by the Boolean operator "AND" to retrieve relevant literature using the Web of Science (WOS) database. Bibliometric indicators were analyzed using HistCite, Bibliometrix, an R package, and VOSviewer.Var1.6.6. A total of 5449 publications with an h-index of 97 were retrieved from the database. Overall, articles retrieved were written by 24123 authors, published in 1224 journals, 132 countries represented, and 10.01 average citations per document. Kings College London led the list of contributing institutions with 76 articles. The United States Department of Human Health Services, the National Institutes of Health, the USA, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China was the top funding agencies that enhanced research on mental health and supported more than 180 articles. USA contributed the most significant proportion 1157 (21.23 %) of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental health publication closely followed by China in the number of publications 741(13.60 %). The study provides insight into the global research perspective for the scientific progress on the COVID-19 Pandemic public health emergency and the mental health issues, thus significantly impacting and supporting intervention towards improving people's mental health post-COVID-19 outbreak.

Mapping the global research output on Ebola vaccine from research indexed in web of science and scopus: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis.

Introduction: The Ebola Virus outbreak in Africa is believed to be one of the deadliest viral infections that causes severe hemorrhagic fever in human and nonhuman primates, which has resulted in increased mortality rates in the affected African countries. Thus, the current study mapped and quantified global research output and trends in the EBOV vaccine publications via a bibliometric analysis.Methods: Publications about the Ebola virus vaccine were extracted from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. HistCite, Bibliometrix, an R package, and VOSviewer.Var1.6.6 were used for data mapping and analysis.Results: A total of 541 (WoS) and 511 (Scopus) documents were included, with a cumulation of 24,611 citations in both databases. These documents were published in 141 journals in the Wos and 185 in Scopus. The USA was the most productive country with 206 (38.08%) publications in the Wos. Although the top-cited authors are from the USA, the United Kingdom, and Canada, only one author from Africa "Samai M" from the University of Sierra Leone contributed 13 publications. Meanwhile, the Journal of Infectious Diseases was the most productive (45, 8.32%) in this field.Conclusion: The study provides insight for researchers and health policy on the trends and progress of the EBOV vaccine research and development, focusing on the hot topics, research collaboration, and research dearth that requires urgent redress to fast-track an all-inclusive EBOV vaccine development.

The epidemiology, diagnosis and management of scrub typhus disease in China.

Thirty-nine years ago, scrub typhus (ST), a disease, was not among the China's notifiable diseases. However, ST has reemerged to become a growing public health issue in the southwest part of China. The major factors contributing to an increased incidence and prevalence of this disease include rapid globalization, urbanization, expansion of humans into previously uninhabited areas, and climate change. The clinical manifestation of ST also consists of high fever, headache, weakness, myalgia, rash, and an eschar. In severe cases, complications (e.g. multi-organ failure, jaundice, acute renal failure, pneumonitis, myocarditis, and even death) can occur. The diagnosis of ST is mainly based on serological identification by indirect immunofluorescence assay and other molecular methods. Furthermore, several groups of antibiotics (e.g. tetracycline, chloramphenicol, macrolides, and rifampicin) are currently effective in treating this disease. This fact suggests the need for robust early diagnostic techniques, increased surveillance, and prompt treatment, and develop future vaccine.

Global scientific research progress in mycetoma: a bibliometric analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mycetoma is a neglected tropical disease that attracts little attention in regard to research and publications and hence this study was undertaken to determine the trends and global scientific research output in mycetoma-related fields. METHODS: Mycetoma data were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases. The MeSH Browser was used to extract relevant keywords. Biblioshiny software (R-studio cloud), VOSviewer v. 1.6.6 and SPSS software were used for data management. RESULTS: Research trends on mycetoma increased globally from 1999 to 2020. The results were 404 documents (4444 citations) in WoS and 513 documents (5709 citations) in Scopus, and the average number of citations per article was 11 in WoS and 11.13 in Scopus. There was a significant association between the total number of citations and the total citations per year in both WoS (r=0.833, p<0.0001) and Scopus (r=0.926, p<0.0001). Sudan, India, the Netherlands and Mexico were the top-ranking productive countries for mycetoma publications in WoS, while India, the USA and Mexico were the top-ranking countries in Scopus. Articles on mycetoma were mainly published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, the International Journal of Dermatology and the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. A. H. Fahal from the Mycetoma Research Centre, University of Khartoum, Sudan, had the highest number of citations in mycetoma research during 1999-2020, followed by W. W. J. van de Sande from the Erasmus Medical Centre, University of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, during 2003-2020. CONCLUSION: The analysis provides insight into a global overview of Mycetoma research. In addition, the analysis holds a better understanding of the development trends that have emerged in Mycetoma over the past 21 years, which can also offer a scientific reference for future research.

Giant ankyrin-G regulates cardiac function.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the most common cause of adult morbidity and mortality in developed nations. As a result, predisposition for CVD is increasingly important to understand. Ankyrins are intracellular proteins required for the maintenance of membrane domains. Canonical ankyrin-G (AnkG) has been shown to be vital for normal cardiac function, specifically cardiac excitability, via targeting and regulation of the cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel. Noncanonical (giant) AnkG isoforms play a key role in neuronal membrane biogenesis and excitability, with evidence for human neurologic disease when aberrant. However, the role of giant AnkG in cardiovascular tissue has yet to be explored. Here, we identify giant AnkG in the myocardium and identify that it is enriched in 1-week-old mice. Using a new mouse model lacking giant AnkG expression in myocytes, we identify that young mice displayed a dilated cardiomyopathy phenotype with aberrant electrical conduction and enhanced arrhythmogenicity. Structural and electrical dysfunction occurred at 1 week of age, when giant AnkG was highly expressed and did not appreciably change in adulthood until advanced age. At a cellular level, loss of giant AnkG results in delayed and early afterdepolarizations. However, surprisingly, giant AnkG cKO myocytes display normal INa, but abnormal myocyte contractility, suggesting unique roles of the large isoform in the heart. Finally, transcript analysis provided evidence for unique pathways that may contribute to the structural and electrical findings shown in giant AnkG cKO animals. In summary, we identify a critical role for giant AnkG that adds to the diversity of ankyrin function in the heart.