Health Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Metals in Differently Processed Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) from Selected Markets from Abeokuta Southwestern Nigeria.

Fish is a significant source of animal protein for humans; however, it has a tendency to bioaccumulate toxicants from the environment. The present study assessed the health risks associated with potential toxic metals (PTMs) in differently processed catfish (Clarias gariepinus) from four markets in Abeokuta metropolis, southwestern Nigeria. A total of 60 samples were collected and analyzed for PTMs using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer.

A randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of pramipexole in addition to mood stabilisers for patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression (the PAX-BD study).

Background: Options for 'treatment-resistant bipolar depression' (TRBD) are limited. Two small, short-term, trials of pramipexole suggest it might be an option.

Aims: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of pramipexole in the management of TRBD.

A Cry for dignity: Verbal, physical, and emotional abuse experienced by postpartum women in Nigerian healthcare.

Objective: This study explores and describes the lived experiences of postpartum women of Obstetric Violence (OV) in selected secondary health facilities in Oyo State, Nigeria.

Methods: The study utilized a qualitative research design. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit thirty participants for the study.

An Overview of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) in Women's Breast Cancer.

Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most common type of breast cancer, primarily affecting women in the United States and across the world. This review summarizes key concepts related to IDC causes, treatment approaches, and the identification of biological markers for specific prognoses. Furthermore, we reviewed many studies, including those involving patients with IDC and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) that progressed to IDC.

Attitudes toward scale-up of an Intensive Combination Approach to Rollback the Epidemic in Nigerian adolescents (iCARE) intervention for youth in Nigeria: results of a mixed methods early-implementation study.

Background: Youth living with HIV (YLH) are disproportionately impacted by HIV with poor outcomes along the entire HIV care continuum. In a 2020-2022 pilot study, iCARE Nigeria, successfully tested a combination intervention incorporating mobile health technology and peer navigation to: 1) improve testing and linkage to HIV care for young men, especially young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and 2) improve medication adherence and treatment outcomes for YLH. The intervention was scaled up to 5 sites in 3 Nigerian cities.

Clinical Presentation and Treatment Outcomes of Necrotizing Fasciitis: A Prospective Comparative Study of Children and Adults in Sokoto.

Background: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a severe soft tissue infection typified by swiftly spreading necrosis of the fascia and subcutaneous fat with successive necrosis of the skin which affects all age groups.

Objective: To compare the clinical presentation and treatment outcome of NF between children and adults.

Materials And Methods: A prospective descriptive study of all patients presenting with NF to the (Usmanu Danfodiyo Univrersity Teaching Hospital, Sokoto), from September 2018 to August 2019.

Therapeutic potential of 2S-hesperidin against the hepatotoxic effects of dichlorvos in rats.

Dichlorvos (DDVP) is an organophosphate insecticide that enhances food production and repels disease vectors. However, it provokes cytotoxicity. 2S-hesperidin (2S-HES) is a potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-lipidemic flavanone.

Calmodulin binding is required for calcium mediated TRPA1 desensitization.

Calcium (Ca) ions affect nearly all aspects of biology. Excessive Ca entry is cytotoxic and Ca-mobilizing receptors have evolved diverse mechanisms for tight regulation that often include Calmodulin (CaM). TRPA1, an essential Ca-permeable ion channel involved in pain signaling and inflammation, exhibits complex Ca regulation with initial channel potentiation followed by rapid desensitization.

Epigenetic Regulation by Histone Methylation and Demethylation in Freeze-Tolerant Frog Kidney.

The wood frog (Rana sylvatica) endures whole-body freezing over the winter, with extensive extracellular ice formation and halted physiological activities. Epigenetic mechanisms, including reversible histone lysine methylation, enable quick alterations in gene expression, helping to maintain viability during freeze-thaw cycles. The present study evaluated eight histone lysine methyltransferases (KMTs), 10 histone lysine demethylases (KDMs), and 11 histone marks in wood frog kidneys.

Evaluation of the validity of a perfluorooctane sulfonic acid exposure reconstruction using a measured serum concentration among workers with a wide range of exposure.

Background: Studies among workers with a wide range of exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances inform risk assessments. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, was recently examined in relation to mortality and cancer incidence in an occupationally exposed population by Alexander et al. in 2024.

Braimah-Taiwo et al New Classification System and Treatment Algorithm of Mandibulo-Maxillary Synostosis Related to Noma. Field Experience From Noma Children Hospital Sokoto, Nigeria.

Study Design: This was a retrospective study at Noma Children Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria, from January 2018 to December 2021.

Objective: The main objective of this appraisal was to present Braimah-Taiwo et al's new classification system for mandibulo-maxillary synostosis secondary to noma and also to provide a guide to their treatment.

Methods: Noma with mandibulo-maxillary synostosis was the main inclusion criteria.

Decarbonizing the Food System with Microbes and Carbon-Neutral Feedstocks.

Harnessing CO and CO-derived C1-C2 compounds for microbial food production can mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and boost sustainability within the food sector. These innovative technologies support carbon neutrality by generating nutrient-rich edible microbial biomass and biocompounds using autotrophic and heterotrophic microbes. However, qualifying microbial food viability and future impacts in the food sector remains challenging due to their diversity, technical complexity, socioeconomic forces, and incipient markets.

Ageing Perception and Social Relationships Moderate the Associations Between Health Stressors and Life Satisfaction in the Very Old: Evidence from the ELSA Study.

This study investigated whether social relationships and aging perceptions moderate the roles of health stressors on life satisfaction among very old adults (80+ years,  = 4,220) in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA). Data were analyzed in R Lavaan using structural equation modeling with latent interactions. Positive ageing perception and the quality of social relationships with children and relatives attenuated the influence of mobility limitations on life satisfaction.

Pathology and molecular detection of influenza A subtype H9N2 virus in commercial poultry in Nigeria, 2024.

Background: After the first Avian Influenza H5N1 outbreak in Nigerian poultry in 2006, subsequent waves of outbreaks occurred, causing substantial losses. Despite effective control measures by 2008, a resurgence in 2015 led to further losses and required depopulation efforts.

Aim: The aim of this study was to do pathology and molecular detection of influenza A subtype H9N2 virus in commercial poultry in Nigeria during 2024.

ACTIV trials: cross-trial lessons learned for master protocol implementation.

The United States Government (USG) public-private partnership "Accelerating COVID-19 Treatment Interventions and Vaccines" (ACTIV) was launched to identify safe, effective therapeutics to treat patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and prevent hospitalization, progression of disease, and death. Eleven original master protocols were developed by ACTIV, and thirty-seven therapeutic agents entered evaluation for treatment benefit. Challenges encountered during trial implementation led to innovations enabling initiation and enrollment of over 26,000 participants in the trials.

Engaging communities in therapeutics clinical research during pandemics: Experiences and lessons from the ACTIV COVID-19 therapeutics research initiative.

This manuscript addresses a critical topic: navigating complexities of conducting clinical trials during a pandemic. Central to this discussion is engaging communities to ensure diverse participation. The manuscript elucidates deliberate strategies employed to recruit minority communities with poor social drivers of health for participation in COVID-19 trials.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer and Transient Complete Radiographic Response to Chemoimmunotherapy: A Case Report.

Introduction: Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare and aggressive subtype, with high breast cancer mortality. Compared to noninflammatory breast cancer, even after treatment and response to standard-of-care breast cancer chemotherapy, it has a high propensity for lymph node involvement, high rates of distant metastasis, and shorter survival. The immune checkpoint inhibitor, pembrolizumab, in combination with chemotherapy is now approved for early triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and for advanced disease if positive for the programmed cell death ligand 1 protein (PD-L1).

A Stepped-Wedge, Cluster-Randomized, Multisite Study of Text Messaging Plus Peer Navigation to Improve Adherence and Viral Suppression Among Youth on Antiretroviral Therapy.

Background: To address the need for improved virologic suppression among youth living with HIV (YLH) on antiretroviral treatment (ART), we evaluated peer navigation plus TXTXT daily text message ART reminders.

Setting: YLH aged 15-24 years on ART for at least 3 months at 6 research sites in 4 Nigerian cities.

Methods: Using a stepped-wedge design, cluster 1 was nonrandomized, whereas clusters 2 and 3 were randomized to sequences of routine care (control period) and 48 weeks of the combination intervention (intervention period).

Treatment delays for cancer patients in Sub-Saharan Africa: South Africa as a microcosm.

Purpose: Delays in initiating cancer treatment time to treatment initiation (TTI) can negatively impact patient outcomes. This study aimed to quantify the association between TTI and survival in breast, cervical and prostate cancer patients at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital (IALCH) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, as a microcosm of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Methods: We analyzed electronic medical records of patients diagnosed with breast, cervical or prostate cancer at IALCH between 2010 and 2020.

Modification of Lateritic Soil Using Waste Plastics for Sustainable Road Construction.

Lateritic soil, a prevalent geological material in tropical regions, often exhibits poor engineering properties, leading to road pavement failures. Meanwhile, the alarming rise in plastic waste poses environmental concerns. This innovative study explores the potential of utilizing waste plastics as a lateritic soil addictive for sustainable road construction.