The 100 top-cited articles on scrub typhus: a bibliometric analysis

Objectives@#The aims of this study were to analyze the characteristics of the 100 top-cited articles on scrub typhus (ST), and to assess the present research landscape and future research directions using bibliometric analysis. @*Methods@#Web of Science was used to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the 100 top-cited articles on ST. The articles were analyzed by publication year, number of citations, document type, journals, keywords, institutions, country of origin, and authorship. @*Results@#The top 100 articles on ST were published between 1945 to 2017. The number of citations ranges from 39 to 227 and the interquartile range was 35.5. The United States published the highest number ( n = 21) of articles. Mahidol University was the most prolific institution in terms of articles (n =14). The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene was the journal with the most articles (n =14), and Paris DH was the most productive author in terms of the Hirsh-index, which was 10 for that author. The study revealed a significant correlation between the total number of citations and the number of authors (r=0.668, p < 0.001), number of institutions (r = 0.692, p < 0.001), number of years since publication (r=0.869, p <0.001), and number of countries involved (r=0.963, p <0.001). @*Conclusion@#The findings of this study provide landmarks in the publication and citationfrequency of the most influential articles on ST. In addition, this study provides useful information for readers and health policy-makers in evaluating the literature on ST.

The 100 top-cited articles on scrub typhus: a bibliometric analysis

Objectives@#The aims of this study were to analyze the characteristics of the 100 top-cited articles on scrub typhus (ST), and to assess the present research landscape and future research directions using bibliometric analysis. @*Methods@#Web of Science was used to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the 100 top-cited articles on ST. The articles were analyzed by publication year, number of citations, document type, journals, keywords, institutions, country of origin, and authorship. @*Results@#The top 100 articles on ST were published between 1945 to 2017. The number of citations ranges from 39 to 227 and the interquartile range was 35.5. The United States published the highest number ( n = 21) of articles. Mahidol University was the most prolific institution in terms of articles (n =14). The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene was the journal with the most articles (n =14), and Paris DH was the most productive author in terms of the Hirsh-index, which was 10 for that author. The study revealed a significant correlation between the total number of citations and the number of authors (r=0.668, p < 0.001), number of institutions (r = 0.692, p < 0.001), number of years since publication (r=0.869, p <0.001), and number of countries involved (r=0.963, p <0.001). @*Conclusion@#The findings of this study provide landmarks in the publication and citationfrequency of the most influential articles on ST. In addition, this study provides useful information for readers and health policy-makers in evaluating the literature on ST.

Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation of Hypericum sinaicum L. for the development of hairy roots containing hypericin

Hypericum sinaicum L. is an endangered Egyptian medicinal plant of high importance due to the presence of naphthodianthrones (hypericins), which have photodynamic properties and pharmaceutical potential. We sought to assess H. sinaicum ability to develop hairy roots that could be cultured in contained conditions in vitro and used as a source for hypericin production. We used four A. rhizogenes strains differing in their plasmids and chromosomal backgrounds to inoculate excised H. sinaicum root, stem and leaf explants to induce hairy root development. Additionally, inoculum was applied to shoots held in Rockwool cubes supporting their stand after removal of the root system. All explant types were susceptible to A. rhizogenes although stem explants responded more frequently (over 90%) than other explant types. The A4 and A4T A. rhizogenes strains were highly, and equally effective in hairy root induction on 66-72% of explants while the LBA1334 strain was the most effective in transformation of shoots. Sonication applied to explants during inoculation enhanced the frequency of hairy root development, the most effective was 60 s treatment doubling the percentage of explants with hairy roots. However, shoot transformation was the most effective approach as shoots developed hairy roots within 10 days after inoculation. Molecular analyses confirmed that the established hairy root cultures in vitro were indeed obtained due to a horizontal gene transfer from bacteria. These cultures grew fast and the hypericin content in hairy roots was about two fold higher than in H. sinaicum plants as determined by HPLC.

COVID-19 in Sudan: Response towards Control and Prevention

@#The first novel coronavirus case was reported on December 2019, in Wuhan, China (Xu et al., 2020), named by WHO as SARS-CoV2 and the causing disease as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID2019). The genome sequence revealed that the virus is belongs to the beta-coronavirus group, sharing ancestry with bat coronavirus HKU9-1, similar to SARS-coronaviruses.1 The number of cases has increased within few weeks, and later spread beyond the China border.2 The epidemic of COVID-19 began in Africa later than other regions globally, perhaps, because of the limited international air traffic, rather than the climate conditions. In Africa, the first cases were reported in early March 2020 in Egypt, followed by Algeria, and Sudan.3 Sudan is located in the north-eastern Africa it occupies 1.882.000 million km square, making it third-largest country in Africa, and 16th in the world, with a population of over 40 million people.4 and Khartoum is the capital which is the main international air travel hub. Khartoum is considered the epi centre of majority of reported and imported COVID-19 cases. In this letter we describe the impact of COVID 19 in Sudan; highlighting the response towards COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges towards possible control and prevention the outbreak

Zika Virus in Africa: Epidemiology and Determinants

Zika virus (ZIKV) that was less known for decades suddenly became a global health emergency at the beginning of 2016. The virus was first discovered in the Zikaforest of Uganda in 1947, and the first confirmed human infection was reported in Uganda between1962­1963. From its origin in East Africa, ZIKV then spread to West and Central Africa with a limited occurrence in North Africa. ZIKV has been circulating in Africa for over 60 years, but less attention had been given, not until its recent outbreaks outside Africa and its discovered association with adverse congenital disabilities. ZIKV is known to cause several debilitating neurological complications, including microcephaly in newborns and Guillain­Barré Syndrome (GBS) in adults. This review thus aims to highlight the epidemiological evidence and distribution of ZIKV in Africa with a focus on determinants, complications as well as management. We used literature searched from key databases such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, among others, to collect relevant current information about ZIKV in Africa. Climate, sociodemographic factors, and increasing human density impact the spread of ZIKV in Africa, as in other areas. Furthermore, ZIKV transmission is affected by several unique factors, including the potential risk of sexual transmission, as well as vast numbers of refugees and other travellers from ZIKA endemic areas across Africa, and all over the world. The review identifies the need to improve surveillance mechanisms and focusing on vector control as critical steps to enable prompt detection and avert potential outbreaks of the disease in the continent.

Epidemiology of Measles in Sudan

Few epidemiological studies have been undertaken of measles disease among Sudanese, although measles is the third leading cause of death since 1995among childhood diseases that can be prevented by immunization. The measles vaccine was introduced into the EPI programin 1985. In the run-up to the introduction of the vaccine, the country suffered from measles epidemics periodically and extensively, ranging from 50,000 to 75,000 cases and from 15,000 to 30,000 deaths per year. Simple actions can save a million livesof children throughimmunizationcoverage, eye care programs, maternal and child health education, maintaining and improving the general nutritional status of Sudanesechildren. Continuous surveillance and monitoring systems and evaluation are essential tasks at all levels to improve performance, identify and address problems throughout establishing and increasingthe surveillance system. This review highlights a brief overview of measles epidemiology in Sudan and determinants of a measles outbreak, clinical symptoms, complications, and surveillance sites and the ways for prevention and control of measles disease. The review established that it is crucial to enforce coordination between governmental and non-governmental agencies for an effective disease surveillancesystem in the area, especially in those affected by civil wars

Sickle Cell Disease in East African Countries: Prevalence, Complications and Management

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common life-threatening monogenic disorders affecting millions of people worldwide. The disease has a high prevalence in malaria-endemic tropics, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Although sickle-cell trait (SCT) offers protective advantage against malaria, it does not apply to homozygous individuals with sickle cell anemia but instead makes them more susceptible to not only malaria but to also other infections, causing a great deal of under-five mortality. Despite the fatal risks and high incidence rates of SCD, little attention is given, in terms of funding, management and surveillance, especially among East African countries. In addition, few works of literature exist, and less has been documented about the disease. This minireview aimed to report the current situation in terms of prevalence, mortality, diagnosis and management of SCD among East African countries; Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi SCD is characterised by retarded growth, chronic pain attacks and severe organ damage leading to fatal complications. This, coupled with limited resources in East African countries, reduces the survival of SCD patients and most die before five years. SCD is detected through a blood test usually by Haemoglobin electrophoresis, and Hydroxyurea therapy, antibiotics and blood transfusion are used to prevent complications. Early childhood detection through comprehensive newborn screening programmes has been implementedin some countries and is key in the management of the disease.

Phytochemical analysis, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Aidia borneensis leaf extracts

Pharmacological evaluation of Aidia borneensis has not been widely reported yet. This study aimed to evaluateits phytochemical constituents and its antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Phytochemical compositionsof Soxhlet-extracted methanol extract and ultrasonic-extracted aqueous extract were determined by gaschromatography mass spectrometry analysis. Antibacterial and antifungal activities were evaluated by theagar-well diffusion method, and antioxidant activities were determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazylradical scavenging assay. Methanol extract was predominantly characterized by coumaran (21.12%) andpalmitic acid (6.34%), and aqueous extract by catechol (15.48%) and coumaran (9.13%). Concentrationdependent antibacterial activities of methanol extract were observed against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichiacoli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus, whereas aqueous extract only showed a growthinhibiting effect against E. coli. Methanol extract also exhibited antifungal activities against Candida albicansand Saccharomyces cerevisiae but not against Aspergillus brasiliensis. No antifungal activity was shown bythe aqueous extract. Aqueous extract revealed significantly higher radical scavenging activity, hence, low IC50value (6.0 µg/ml), compared to methanol extract (14.6 µg/ml) and the reference standard, Trolox (9.1 µg/ml).This study provides scientific support on the medicinal properties of A. borneensis in terms of its phytochemicalconstituents and its antimicrobial and antioxidant activities

Ethnobotanical review and pharmacological properties of selected medicinal plants in Brunei Darussalam:Litsea elliptica, Dillenia suffruticosa, Dillenia excelsa, Aidia racemosa, Vitex pinnata and Senna alata

The aim of the current study is to review the medicinal properties of the plants found in Brunei Darussalam namely Litsea elliptica, Dillenia suffruticosa, Dillenia excelsa, Aidia racemosa, Vitex pinnata and Senna alata. The known phytochemical constituents of these plants and their ability to bring about a range of biological activities are included in this review. These plants have been used traditionally for a multitude of diseases and illnesses. There is a lot of untapped potential in these medicinal plants which could cure multiple diseases.

Association between BMI and Dental Caries among School Children and Adolescents in Jiangsu Province, China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Obesity and dental caries are increasing epidemics, especially among children and adolescents. This epidemiological observational cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the possible association between body mass index (BMI) and dental caries among 111,792 school children and adolescents in Jiangsu Province. We found that 13.14% participants of the study sample were overweight, and 7.37% were obese. The prevalence of dental caries was 12.95% in overweight and 7.89% in obese students. There were significant differences in caries prevalence by sex, region, age group, and BMI. Overweight and obesity statuses were associated with dental caries among the study population. BMI and dental caries present a continuous health problem. Thus, we recommend that oral health promotion be used for caries prevention and control.

Epidemiology of Measles Cases in South Darfur State, Sudan, 2011-2015 / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Case-based surveillance measles data was defined according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. A total of 511 measles cases were studied from 2011 to 2015 in Southern Darfur State, Sudan and 58.1% of cases were confirmed from Nyala city. About 43.4% of cases were males, 56.6% of cases were female, and 47.7% were children under five years old. Similarity, within February to June, the cases increased by 8.0% in children vaccinated through measles campaign, and 5.3% in children that used child vaccination card and 78.7% in unvaccinated one. The epidemiologically linked (EPI-Linked) measles cases declined from 2011 to 2015; consequently, Measles still remain to be a significant challenge in south Darfur state, Sudan.

Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Students Aged 7-22 Years in Jiangsu Province, China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To report the prevalence and trend of overweight and obesity among students aged 7-22 years in Jiangsu, 2010 to 2013.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This cross-sectional study was carried out as part of students physical fitness and health survey in Jiangsu province. A total of 255,581 subjects (50.03% males and 49.97% females) enrolled in 82 school and 10 universities in Jiangsu. Weights and heights were obtained for each subject and its body mass index (BMI) was calculated using the Chinese Working Group on Obesity in China (CWGO).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Anthropometric measurement including bodyweight, height, BMI and bust were significantly different between males in urban compared to females living rural areas (P<0.001). The total prevalence of overweight and obesity was 12.4% and 5.7%. Males had a significantly higher rate than in female's student. The prevalence of overweight and obesity by age groups was (14.5%, 10.3%) at age 7-11 years, (11.2%, 6.8%) at age 12-14 years, (11.7%, 3.1%) at age 15-17 years, and (11.4%, 2.3%) at age 18-22 years. By regions; the highest prevalence of overweight obesity reported in Taizhou (10%, 14.2%), Xuzhou (9.4%, 12.5%), and Nanjing (9.2%, 15.6%), respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The finding declares that overweight and obesity are important health problems among students in Jiangsu Province. Early intervention programme are needed to address this problems.</p>