Antimicrobial and Synergistic Effects of Syzygium cumini, Moringa oleifera, and Tinospora cordifolia Against Different Candida Infections

Introduction The burden of multiple drug resistance in human pathogens has necessitated the search for and development of antimicrobial agents with a wide range of structural classes and potentials to selectively act on the several mechanisms of actions exhibited by the pathogens. However, most synthetic antimicrobial agents have been linked with adverse side effects and high costs, furthering the need to explore more options. Syzygium cumini, Moringa oleifera, and Tinospora cordifolia are three medicinal plants used in traditional medicine systems for various infectious diseases. They contain various phytochemicals that exhibit antimicrobial activities against various bacteria, fungi, and parasites. The mechanisms of their antimicrobial action may involve the disruption of microbial cell walls and membranes, the inhibition of microbial enzyme and biofilm formation, the modulation of microbial gene expression and quorum sensing, and the induction of microbial cell death. Therefore, the present study evaluated the potentials of aqueous and ethanol extracts of S. cumini, M. oleifera, and T. cordifolia in managing infections as measured by their inhibitory effects on species. Materials and method Syzygium cumini, M. oleifera, and T. cordifolia were obtained and authenticated, and their aqueous and ethanol extracts were prepared. The antibacterial properties of the aqueous and ethanol extracts were examined. In addition to broth microdilution and biofilm development experiments, we also employed disk diffusion and agar-well diffusion techniques. The inocula of various species, including krusei, parapsilosis, utilis, albicans, and glabrata, were prepared for these assays. The synergistic effect of plant extracts with fluconazole was also evaluated. Results Syzygium cumini, M. oleifera, and T. cordifolia emerge as promising sources for the development of effective and sustainable antimicrobial interventions. Interestingly, the aqueous and ethanol extracts were effective against the selected species. Also, the synergistic combination of plant extracts with fluconazole was observed to triple the potency of the extracts. Furthermore, the potency of the plant extract as an antifungal and synergistic agent was ranked as S. cumini > M. oleifera > T. cordifolia. Conclusively, the plant extracts are effective in the management of opportunistic fungal infections.

Development of an alternative device for measurement and characterization of selected meteorological parameters

Weather monitoring and forecasting during some of nature's most violent events, such as lightning and thunder, necessitates immediate preventive action for improved agricultural precision, power equipment effectiveness among others. Weather stations that are all-in-one for villages, low-income communities, and cities could provide a dependable, cost-effective, robust, and user-friendly solution. A wide range of low-cost weather monitoring stations equipped with ground-based and satellite-based lightning detectors are available on the market. This paper develops a low-cost real-time data logger device that measures lightning strikes and other weather parameters. Temperature and relative humidity are detected and recorded by the sensor (BME280). The sensing unit, readout circuit unit, microcontroller unit, recording unit, real-time clock, display unit, and power supply unit are the seven sections of the lightning detector with a real-time data logger. The sensing unit of the instrument is made of a lightning sensor glued to a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to prevent moisture inflow and short circuit. The readout circuit consists of a 16-bit analog-to-digital converter and a filter designed to improve the output signal of the lightning detector. It was programmed with C-language and tested using the integrated development environment on the Arduino-Uno microcontroller (IDE). The device was calibrated, and its accuracy was determined using data from a standard lightning detector instrument from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET).

Robust multiple-scroll dynamics in memristive-based generator system

In-depth analysis of a novel multiple scroll memristive-based hyperchaotic system with no equilibrium is provided in this work. We identify a family of more complicated [Formula: see text]-order multiple scroll hidden attractors for a unique, enhanced 4-dimensional Sprott-A system. The system is particularly sensitive to initial conditions with coexistence and multistability of attractors when changing the associated parameters and the finite transient simulation time. The complexity (CO), spectral entropy (SE) algorithms, and 0-1 complexity characteristics was thoroughly discussed. On the other hand, the outcomes of the electronic simulation are validated by theoretical calculations and numerical simulations.

Comparative study on Radio Refractivity Gradient in the troposphere using Chaotic Quantifiers

Complexity and nonlinear trend in the internal activities of the troposphere has been a great factor affecting the transmission and receiving of good quality of signals globally. In lieu of this, prediction of chaos and positive refractivity gradients for line-of-sight microwave radio paths is necessary for designing radio systems. Complexity in the troposphere due to changes in meteorological parameters can lead to the strong negative gradient (or super-refraction) which afterward lead to interference between terrestrial links and satellite earth stations. In this paper, a comparative study on the degree of complexity of Radio Refractivity Gradient (RRG) using Chaotic Quantifiers (CQ) such as Phase Plot Reconstruction (PPR), Average Mutual Information (AMI), False Nearest Neighbor (FNN), Lyapunov Exponent (LE), Tsallis Entropy (TS) and Recurrence Plot (RP) are discussed extensively. The RRG data (2011-2012) used in this work were obtained for 0 m to 100 m, from the archives of Tropospheric Data Acquisition Network (TRODAN) from five different stations namely; Akure (Geo. 7.299 ∘ N , 5.147 ∘ E ), Enugu (Geo. 6.46 ∘ N , 7.55 ∘ E ), Jos (Geo. 9.90 ∘ N , 8.86 ∘ E ), Minna (Geo. 9.58 ∘ N , 6.55 ∘ E ) and Sokoto (Geo. 13.01 ∘ N , 5.25 ∘ E ). The chaotic quantifiers are used to investigate the degree of complexity in the 30 minutes interval atmospheric data from the selected locations which is specified into rainy, dry and transition season months. The parallel and short diagonal lines observed depicts the evidence of chaos. However, the observed result shows that the RRG is higher during the rainy season than the dry season. In other words, the information is valid for the proposed data analysis, since the LE is actually directly proportional to the TE. Also, the results further show that the rainy season months exhibit higher chaoticity than the dry season months, which is equivalent to high radio refractivity gradient observed across the selected stations.

Community-directed treatment of onchocerciasis with ivermectin in Takum, Nigeria

A study to identify factors within the community that can ensure sustainable community-directed treatment (ComDT) with ivermectin compared the effectiveness of programme-designed (PD) and community-designed (CD) strategies in 37 villages in the Takum area of Nigeria. In a subset of PD villages, designated PD1, communities were asked to use the village heads as community-directed distributors (CDD), and the other communities (PD2) were asked to select female distributors, and both were instructed to use the house-to-house method of distribution. Community-designed communities, on the other hand, were asked to design their own approach. All study communities received health education, treatment guidelines, and training enabling them to determine appropriate dosage. A total of 1744 people were interviewed about their experiences after two treatment cycles. Communities preferred honest, reliable community members as CDDs, but few women were selected. The results show striking similarity between PD and CD villages in many respects. In the PD1 villages, where the programme designated the village head as CDD, the mode of distribution was changed from house-to-house to central point, and distribution took place in the compound of the village head. In the PD2 villages, where the programme specified distributors should be women, the women who were selected were replaced by their male children. These changes to the original design were consistent with the local cultural norms and made the arrangement for distribution more acceptable to the people. Programme-designed villages that used the village head as distributors performed better than those that used women, and the coverage in the former group compares well with that of CD villages. Only five villages achieved coverage > 60%, but dosage was correct in most cases (87.4%). Drug shortage was the most frequent reason for non-treatment. Communities devised means for ensuring equity and fairness in sharing their limited supply and freely altered the original designs to fit local norms and values. These changes to the original design were consistent with local norms and were acceptable to the people. The success of this strategy should be tested in other parts of Nigeria. Long-term success of ComDT, however, requires a reliable drug supply and inputs from professionals in the health system for minimal supervision. The core issues that determine sustainability of ComDT appear to be not so much in the structure, but in the process by which they are introduced. Communities will only sustain a programme where the process of implementation fits well with local norms and where communities are free to alter PD procedures that are inconsistent with local customs.