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.

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.

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.

Background:Childhood obesity(CHO)is a serious global health challenge affecting both developed and develop-ing nations.The feats attained in addressing this global health challenge can be reflected through the top-cited studies.The study's aim was to analyze the features of the 100 top-cited articles concerning CHO.Methods:We used a bibliometric analysis,and searched for relevant articles from the Web of Science(December 1,2021),using an appropriate keyword search-strategy((child OR childhood OR children OR adolescent)AND(obese OR obesity OR overweight)).The retrieved documents were analysed based on the citation number,publi-cation year,authorship,institution,journal and country.The analyses were performed mainly by the Bibliometrix application(using R-studio cloud)and HistCite.Results:The 100 top-cited articles were published between 1976 and 2018,their citations ranged from 365 to 10 789,with a mean citation of 1 146.2 and 31 studies had more than 1 000 citations.The articles were published in 31 journals,with the"Pediatrics"journal having the most publications(n=18).The studies were from 12 countries,with the most-productive being the USA(n=68),followed by the United Kingdom(n=12)and France(n=3).The leading institution was the University of Bristol(n=8),while Dietz WH(n=12),and Flegal KM(n=8)were the most productive authors.The most common research fields covered by these articles were;"General Internal Medicine"(n=34),"Pediatrics"(n=29),and"Nutrition Dietetics"(n=18).The study noted significant correlations between the total article citation and the number of authors(R=0.203),countries involved(R=0.407),institutions(R=0.407),and the publication year(R=0.847),all with P＜0.001.Conclusions:Through these top-cited articles,this analysis provides discernment into the historical advancements,including the prime roles performed by various stakeholders in addressing the issue of CHO.However,Asian countries'contribution is not adequately reflected in these articles,and thus more focus and funding for CHO research are needed for effectual prevention and control.

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

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.

Aims: The application of beneficial microbes is a suitable alternative to synthetic pesticides and fertilizers for agriculture. This study was aimed to evaluate the potential of a selected Trichoderma strain as a biocontrol agent against Rhizoctonia sp. and as a biofertilizer to improve paddy growth. Methodology and results: Four Bipolaris strains were identified via DNA barcoding as the cause of brown spot disease, whereas two Rhizoctonia strains were similarly identified as the cause of sheath blight disease in Brunei Darussalam. Eight Trichoderma strains were initially screened using confrontation assay and were found to substantially inhibit the growth of Rhizoctonia sp. Hybrid rice named BDR5 was treated with Trichoderma sp. UBDFM01 and/or Rhizoctonia sp. It was found that the selected strain showed the potential as a biofertilizer by significantly increasing the vigour index I, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and dry shoot weight of the rice plants. The pathogen negatively affected the plants by significantly reducing the vigour index II, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll a/b ratio, total chlorophyll, and total weight of grains. Trichoderma strain showed the potential as a biocontrol agent by significantly diminishing the negative effects of the pathogen on the chlorophyll a, chlorophyll a/b ratio and total chlorophyll. Conclusion, significance and impact of study This study highlights the potential of Trichoderma sp. UBDFM01 as a biocontrol agent against Rhizoctonia sp. and also as a biofertilizer for rice plants. In addition, this study is the first to provide DNA-based evidence of Bipolaris sp. and Rhizoctonia sp. as the fungi that caused rice diseases in Brunei Darussalam.
Trichoderma ; Biological Control Agents ; Fertilizers--microbiology

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.

Aims: This study was aimed to characterize laccase from a selected fungal strain and examine the enzyme’s ability to remove lignin from paper pulp. Methodology and results: Twelve fungal strains were screened for laccase production, resulting in the selection of Trichoderma sp. UBDFT12. The highest laccase activity (103 U/L) was observed from the culture filtrate on the fourth day of incubation. The optimum temperature and pH for the enzyme were 40 °C and pH 4, respectively. However, the enzyme stability was found to be reduced with time after 1 h incubation. At 1 mM, it was found that AgNO3, CaCO3, CuSO4, KCl, MgSO4, MnSO4 and ZnSO4 increased the laccase activity to 107, 107, 111, 112, 106, 105 and 107%, respectively, whereas FeSO4 and NH4Cl reduced the activity to 84 and 99%, respectively. The addition of 1% H2O2, 1% NaCl, 1% sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), 1 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), 10 mM EDTA, 1 mM phenanthroline and 10 mM phenanthroline reduced the activity to 95, 73, 0, 79, 79, 73 and 37%, respectively. The culture filtrate was partially purified via ammonium sulphate precipitation and the recovered enzyme had a specific activity of 0.176 U/mg. Using sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), the molecular weight of the enzyme was approximately 65 kDa and its activity was confirmed by zymography. The culture filtrate was also found to be able to remove lignin from different types of paper pulp. Conclusion, significance and impact of study Laccase produced by Trichoderma sp. UBDFT12 was found to have the ability to remove lignin from paper pulp.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global public health emergency,has exposed the fragility of health systems.Access to healthcare became a scarce commodity as healthcare providers and resource-poor popula-tions became victims of the novel corona virus.Therefore,this study focuses on Africa's readiness to integrate telemedicine into the weak health systems and its adoption may help alleviate poor healthcare and poverty after COVID-19.We conducted a narrative review through different search strategies in Scopus on January 20,2021,to identify available literature reporting implementation of various telemedicine modes in Africa from January 1,2011 to December 31,2020.We summarized 54 studies according to geographies,field,and implementation methods.The results show a willingness to adopt telemedicine in the resource-poor settings and hard-to-reach populations,which will bring relief to the inadequate healthcare systems and alleviate poverty of those who feel the burden of healthcare cost the most.With adequate government financing,telemedicine promises to enhance the treating of communicable and non-communicable diseases as well as support health infrastructure.It can also alleviate poverty among vulnerable groups and hard-to-reach communities in Africa with adequate government financing.However,given the lack of funding in Africa,the challenges in implementing telemedicine require global and national strategies before it can yield promising results.This is especially true in regards to alleviating the multidimensionality of poverty in post-COVID-19 Africa.