Evangel University

Introduction Nigeria's rapidly urbanizing landscape faces persistent governance, infrastructure, and energy challenges that undermine sustainable city development. Bureaucratic inefficiencies, corruption, and unreliable energy systems continue to constrain urban service delivery and citizen welfare. This study investigates how Artificial Intelligence (AI), digitalization, and Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) can transform urban public service systems to promote efficiency, transparency, and inclusive governance. Methods Anchored in a mixed-methods design, the study gathered data from federal, state, and municipal institutions, yielding 642 valid responses, alongside 35 key informant interviews and six focus groups across major Nigerian cities. Quantitative analyses measured adoption levels and relationships among technology integration variables, while qualitative insights illuminated socio-technical barriers and enablers influencing innovation readiness. Results Findings reveal moderate adoption of AI and RETs (mean scores of 3.02 and 3.17, respectively), but low adoption of blockchain technologies (mean score of 2.64). Barriers such as weak digital literacy, inadequate energy infrastructure, limited regulatory frameworks, and inconsistent political commitment significantly hinder the advancement of smart governance. Discussion The study introduces the Integrated Smart Governance Transformation (ISGT) Model, which integrates governance reform, technology deployment, and capacity building to address these systemic constraints. The model provides a strategic pathway for linking digitalization and renewable energy within a participatory governance structure that enhances accountability, service efficiency, and citizen engagement at the urban level. The ISGT model evolves into the Framework for Integrating Renewable Energy Solutions and Technological Innovations for the Digital Transformation of Public Service (FIREs-TIDTPS), which operationalizes technology adoption and governance reform through regulatory support, inclusive participation, and phased implementation. By embedding renewable energy systems within digital governance infrastructures, the framework advances energy-secure, transparent, and citizen-centered urban governance. The study concludes that integrating AI-driven digital systems and renewable energy adoption can enable African cities, particularly in Nigeria, to overcome structural and governance deficits while accelerating progress toward SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). This interdisciplinary contribution offers both theoretical insights and practical strategies for achieving smart, sustainable, and inclusive cities in the Global South.

Objective Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder for which current therapeutic options are often insufficient. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of hesperidin (HSP), in suppressing complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced RA in Wistar albino rats, through modulation of key pro-inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, NF-κB, and COX-2), supported by in silico docking and pharmacokinetic profiling. Methods Forty-eight female Wistar albino rats were randomized into six groups (n = 8). Group 1 received normal saline; Group 2 was induced with RA via 0.1 ml CFA and left untreated; Group 3 received CFA + naproxen (8 mg/kg). Groups 4, 5, and 6 received hesperidin at 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, respectively, following RA induction. Serum pro-inflammatory markers were quantified using standard biochemical assays. Molecular docking was performed to assess HSP binding affinity toward COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, while ADMET profiling was carried out to predict pharmacokinetic and toxicity attributes. Results In vivo results revealed that RA induction significantly elevated TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and NF-κB levels ( p < .05) across the treated groups. Whereas, hesperidin treatment produced a dose-dependent and significant ( p < .05 ) reduction in these markers, restoring them to levels comparable to naproxen-treated rats. In silico docking analysis revealed that hesperidin has multi-target binding capability inhibitor to COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Protein-ligand binding was predominantly surface-oriented except for COX-2, which showed interior pocket binding. ADMET predictions indicated that HSP is a P-glycoprotein substrate with low gastrointestinal absorption, does not cross the blood–brain barrier, shows no cytochrome P450 enzyme subunit inhibition, and lacks carcinogenic or hepatotoxic potential. Conclusion Combined in vivo and in silico findings demonstrate that hesperidin exhibits strong anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting key mediators of RA pathogenesis, alongside a favorable safety pharmacokinetic profile.

Environmental contamination with toxic metals poses significant risks to food safety, particularly in regions with abandoned mining sites. This study investigates the concentration and potential health risks of trace metals-manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), strontium (Sr), niobium (Nb), vanadium (V), and iron (Fe)-in soil and their bioaccumulation in cassava tubers cultivated near abandoned mining sites in Ishiagu, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, the study found substantial accumulation of toxic metals in farmland soils within the mining vicinity, with Pb showing the highest mean concentration (1309 ± 103mg/kg) and Sr the lowest (78 ± 9mg/kg). Cassava tubers grown in these contaminated soils exhibited significantly higher levels (P < 0.05) of toxic metals compared to those from uncontaminated reference soils, with Pb (889 ± 63mg/kg) and Fe (1826 ± 89mg/kg) concentrations exceeding permissible limits established by the World Health Organization, while Mn showed the lowest concentration (132 ± 19mg/kg). Health risk assessments revealed hazard index values exceeding 1, with Pb demonstrating the highest target hazard quotient values of 485.71 for children and 180 for adults, indicating significant health risks associated with the consumption of contaminated cassava. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of Pb was 0.63mg/kg/day for adults and 1.7mg/kg/day for children, far exceeding safe thresholds. These findings underscore the urgent need for mitigation strategies to reduce heavy metal exposure in affected communities and ensure food safety, particularly for vulnerable populations like children who face disproportionate risks due to their lower body weight and higher ingestion rates relative to adults.

Precise motor control relies on continuous sensory feedback from muscles, a process in which gamma motoneurons play a key role. These specialized spinal neurons innervate intrafusal muscle fibres, modulating their sensitivity to stretch and maintaining proprioceptive signalling during movement. Gamma motoneurons are characterized by a distinct biophysical profile, including low recruitment thresholds and high firing rates that enable rapid activation of intrafusal fibres at contraction onset. Despite their importance, the intrinsic mechanisms that underlie these properties remain poorly understood. In this study, we analysed published and unpublished data to identify a population of low-threshold, high-gain motoneurons with features consistent with gamma motoneurons, emerging during the third postnatal week in mice. Their low recruitment threshold was linked to lower membrane capacitance, higher input resistance, a more hyperpolarized activation of persistent inward currents (PICs), and a narrower axon initial segment. In contrast, higher firing rates were associated not with PIC amplitude but with shorter action potential durations and smaller medium afterhyperpolarizations. Notably, 92% of putative gamma motoneurons exhibited a sodium pump-mediated ultra-slow afterhyperpolarization (usAHP), which was absent in slow alpha motoneurons. This difference could not be attributed to h-current activity or expression of the alpha 3 subunit of the sodium-potassium ATPase. These findings reveal key intrinsic properties that support the unique excitability of gamma motoneurons, offering new insight into their contribution to motor control. This work provides a foundation for future studies into their development, regulation, and involvement in neuromuscular disorders.

This narrative review discusses how bioinformatics, chemo-informatics, genomics, metabolomics, and computational biology can help us learn more about and use the bioactive chemicals found in Vernonia amygdalina, known as "bitter leaf." By combining computational tools with conventional pharmacognostic procedures, researchers can efficiently explore the potential of this medicinal plant for drug development and discovery. Throughout our discussion, we underscored the symbiotic relationship between computational and experimental approaches, highlighting their collaborative efforts in unveiling the pharmacological properties and therapeutic prospects of V. amygdalina. Bioinformatics helps to process complicated biological data whereas computational biology models molecular interactions and predicts possible therapeutic targets. Genomics offers insights into the genetic basis of therapeutic characteristics whereas chemo-informatics assists in creating and optimizing bioactive molecules. Insight into a plant's chemical makeup and regulation of metabolic processes entails metabolomics. These fields when integrated can provide a comprehensive understanding of V. amygdalina’s prospect in drug discovery. It will open the door to the development of new treatment approaches. Thus, we suggest that this multidisciplinary strategy increases the novel explorations of natural resources in fighting different diseases and further speeds up drug discovery procedures.

Dans les séquences lœssiques du Dernier Glaciaire (Weichselien) du nord de la France, le Pléniglaciaire moyen (PGM, 60 - 35 ka), associé au stade isotopique marin (SIM) 3, est assez mal défini en raison d’un bilan pédosédimentaire peu épais et généralement peu contrasté. La séquence de versant de Morcourt (Somme) présente une accumulation sédimentaire exceptionnelle d’environ 10 m d’épaisseur sur laquelle des analyses géochronologiques, malacologiques et sédimentologiques ont été réalisées en vue de proposer une reconstitution paléoenvironnementale détaillée. Le cadre chronologique établi pour le complexe de sols à la base de la séquence (~ 2 m d’épaisseur) entre environ 58 et 30 ka confirme son attribution au PGM. La séquence repose sur un substrat crayeux altéré et débute par une phase d’érosion majeure du versant marquant la transition avec le Pléniglaciaire inférieur rarement enregistrée sur les sites de cette région. S’ensuit la mise en place de niveaux de colluvions puis de plusieurs niveaux de sols bruns boréaux à brun arctique dans un contexte à sédimentation lœssique faible. Dans ces horizons faiblement carbonatés (inédit pour la période), l’étude malacologique met en évidence la transition d’un environnement steppique vers une toundra plus humide. Enfin, le dépôt de lœss calcaire sus-jacent de 6 m d’épaisseur est attribué au Pléniglaciaire supérieur (PGS, 35 - 15 ka, ≈ SIM 2) par comparaison avec les autres enregistrements régionaux. L’identification d’horizons repères du PGM et du PGS et leur datation permet de proposer des corrélations longue-distance avec les séquences stratigraphiques à l’échelle de l’Europe nord-occidentale (Allemagne et Belgique), ainsi qu’avec l’enregistrement de référence des variations climatiques globales au Pôle Nord (δ18O de NGRIP). Les travaux de terrain et les analyses de laboratoire ont démontré la qualité de l’enregistrement à Morcourt, qui devient ainsi une nouvelle séquence de référence pour les lœss du Dernier Glaciaire du nord de la France.

Introduction: Homozygous sickle cell disease in the DR Congo is the most common hemoglobinopathy. Sickle cell disease is manifested by a regenerative anemia whose severity varies greatly depending on the individual. Sickle cell syndromes probably lead to inflammation and iron balance disorders. The objective of this study is to improve management by determining the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia and to study the factors associated with this anemia in sickle cell patients in the inter-critical phase. Method: This is a comparative and analytical study carried out in two hospitals in the city of Bukavu, the Panzi General Reference Hospital and the Ami des Enfants clinic, over a period of one year, from September 1, 2023 to September 31, 2024. This study involved 68 sickle cell anemic patients, of whom 38 had iron deficiency anemia taken as cases and 30 without iron deficiency anemia taken as controls. The inclusion criteria are: being sickle cell in the inter-critical phase, anemic (hb &lt; 11g / dl). Logistic regression allowed us to identify the factors associated with this iron deficiency anemia in sickle cell patients. Results: out of 68 sickle cell anemic patients, 38 had iron deficiency anemia, a prevalence of 55.9%, the average age was 7.8±3.9 years, with a male predominance (65.2%), sex was a factor significantly associated with iron deficiency anemia (OR: 5.2 p: 0.002). Primary school level (47%) was also associated with this iron deficiency anemia (OR: 0.4p: 0.02). Clinically, the factors associated with iron deficiency anemia were the average age of diagnosis of the pathology, i.e. 6.4±3.7 years, (t: 2.1 p: 0.02). The average number of hospitalizations was 4.9±5.5 times, with a significant difference to controls (t: 1.1, p: 0.04). Biologically, the mean hemoglobin level of the cases 6.8±1g/dl was not far from that of the controls i.e. 6.96±1.6 g/dl, their anemia was microcytic at 16% and macrocytic at 8%. The quantitative CRP, its mean is on the other hand very high in the controls i.e. 25.8±30 mg/l against 9±12.6 mg/l (t: -3.5 p: 0.003). The mean ferritin in the cases was 59.6±30.1 ng/l. Hemoglobins A and F of sickle cell patients show that in cases the average Hb A is zero and HbF is 13±7%, and in controls, the average HbA is 2±6ng/l and HBF is 18±7ng/l. The average number of transfusions was equal in cases and controls, i.e. 2.5±2.5 transfusions. Conclusion: Iron deficiency anemia has a high prevalence in sickle cell patients, several factors including sociodemographic, clinical and biological remain associated with this anemia even in the inter-critical phase.