The pattern and burden of non-communicable diseases in armed conflict-exposed populations in Northeastern Nigeria.

Background: The risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in conflict and post-conflict settings in Northeastern Nigeria has not been evaluated to date. As this region undergoes recovery, understanding the prevalence of NCDs, such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and obesity, and the associated behavioral coping mechanisms, is crucial for developing tailored healthcare solutions. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of conflict on the prevalence of NCDs in conflict-exposed areas in Northeastern Nigeria compared with non-conflict regions.

Linking childhood allostatic load, early adversity and the emergence of mental health symptoms in early adulthood: Analysis of the ALSPAC longitudinal birth cohort.

Background: It has been well-established that the allostatic load (AL) index, a cumulative score of multi-system dysregulation in response to chronic stress, is significantly increased at the time of a psychiatric diagnosis. However, no studies have investigated if there is an association between the AL index in childhood and the later development of mental health symptoms in young adults.

Methods: Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a population cohort from Bristol, United Kingdom, we investigated the AL index at age 9 years and the risks for mental health symptoms at age 24 years.

"SHIELDing" Our Educators: Comprehensive Coping Strategies for Teacher Occupational Well-Being.

Background: Teaching is a physically and mentally challenging profession that demands high emotional involvement, often leading to stress and anxiety. Understanding how teachers cope with these demands is essential for enhancing their well-being and effectiveness.

Objectives: This study aimed to (1) investigate personal and school-based well-being initiatives that teachers use for maintaining their occupational well-being, and (2) develop a coping strategy model that enhances teachers' occupational well-being.

Elevated risk of pre-diabetes and diabetes in people with past history of COVID-19 in northeastern Nigeria.

Background: An increased risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) after COVID-19 has been reported in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The burden of COVID-related DM has yet to be described in Africa, where the overall risk of DM has been increasing rapidly. Our objective was to compare the prevalence of pre-DM and DM in Nigerian individuals with a history of COVID-19 to individuals without known COVID-19 infection.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of ambient temperature and precipitation with infections from five food-borne bacterial pathogens.

Studies on climate variables and food pathogens are either pathogen- or region-specific, necessitating a consolidated view on the subject. This study aims to systematically review all studies on the association of ambient temperature and precipitation on the incidence of gastroenteritis and bacteraemia from , , , , and species. PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched up to 9 March 2023.

The Development and Feasibility of a Novel Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (Eproms) Questionnaire in patients with penile cancer.

Background: Penile cancer (PeCa) is a rare cancer with surgical options that affect patients' quality-of-life. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are uncommonly utilized in this cohort despite their several patient-centered benefits and there are recommendations to further digitalize PROMs. This prospective, population-based study aimed to report the development and feasibility of a novel electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs) questionnaire for patients with PeCa.

Validation of a national leadership framework to promote and protect quality residential aged care: protocol for a Delphi study.

Introduction: Australia's ageing population is driving an increased demand for residential aged care services, yet concerns about the quality and safety of such care remain. The recent Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety identified various limitations relating to leadership within these services. While some competency frameworks exist globally, there is a need for sector-specific leadership competencies in the Australian residential aged care setting to promote and protect quality of care.

Costs and healthcare use of patients with chronic kidney disease in the Northern Territory, Australia.

Background: The burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is high in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia. This study aims to describe the healthcare use and associated costs of people at risk of CKD (e.g.

Prevalence of multidrug-resistant isolates and virulence gene expression in poultry farms in Jos, Nigeria.

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance is increasingly becoming a global health concern. This study aimed to investigate and report MDR prevalence, resistance, and virulence genes from poultry in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.

Methods: The samples were analyzed using microbiological standard methods and polymerase chain reactions (PCRs).

Canine trypanosomosis cases: monitor lizard as an unusual vector.

Trypanosomosis is a well-known sub-Saharan disease. The human form was discovered in The Gambia over 100 years ago. Canine trypanosomosis in The Gambia has never been mentioned in the scientific literature, let alone the involvement of veranus species in its transmission to dogs.

Molecular epidemiology and genetic evolution of avian influenza H5N1 subtype in Nigeria, 2006 to 2021.

Nigeria recorded one of the earliest outbreaks of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus H5N1 in 2006, which spread to other African countries. In 2023, 18 countries reported outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry, with human cases documented in Egypt, Nigeria, and Djibouti. There is limited information on the molecular epidemiology of HPAI H5N1 in Nigeria.

Noma disease among internally displaced persons in Northeast Nigeria: a retrospective descriptive study.

Background: Recently recognized by the World Health Organization as a neglected tropical disease, Noma, an acute and destructive gangrenous disease affecting the gums and facial structures within the oral cavity, has a high mortality rate if untreated.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and impact of Noma among internally displaced populations in Northeastern Nigeria.

Design: A retrospective study.

Enhanced multi-layer perceptron for CO2 emission prediction with worst moth disrupted moth fly optimization (WMFO).

This study introduces the Worst Moth Disruption Strategy (WMFO) to enhance the Moth Fly Optimization (MFO) algorithm, specifically addressing challenges related to population stagnation and low diversity. The WMFO aims to prevent local trapping of moths, fostering improved global search capabilities. Demonstrating a remarkable efficiency of 66.

Towards greener futures: SVR-based CO prediction model boosted by SCMSSA algorithm.

This research presents the utilization of an enhanced Sine cosine perturbation with Chaotic perturbation and Mirror imaging strategy-based Salp Swarm Algorithm (SCMSSA), which incorporates three improvement mechanisms, to enhance the convergence accuracy and speed of the optimization algorithm. The study assesses the SCMSSA algorithm's performance against other optimization algorithms using six test functions to show the efficacy of the enhancement strategies. Furthermore, its efficacy in improving Support Vector Regression (SVR) models for CO prediction is assessed.

Monkeypox Outbreak 2022, from a Rare Disease to Global Health Emergence: Implications for Travellers.

Monkeypox (mpox), a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), poses a significant public health threat with the potential for global dissemination beyond its endemic regions in Central and West Africa. This study explores the multifaceted aspects of monkeypox, covering its epidemiology, genomics, travel-related spread, mass gathering implications, and economic consequences. Epidemiologically, mpox exhibits distinct patterns, with variations in age and gender susceptibility.

HIV estimation using population-based surveys with non-response: A partial identification approach.

HIV estimation using data from the demographic and health surveys (DHS) is limited by the presence of non-response and test refusals. Conventional adjustments such as imputation require the data to be missing at random. Methods that use instrumental variables allow the possibility that prevalence is different between the respondents and non-respondents, but their performance depends critically on the validity of the instrument.

A comprehensive review of monkeypox virus and mpox characteristics.

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is the etiological agent of monkeypox (mpox), a zoonotic disease. MPXV is endemic in the forested regions of West and Central Africa, but the virus has recently spread globally, causing outbreaks in multiple non-endemic countries. In this paper, we review the characteristics of the virus, including its ecology, genomics, infection biology, and evolution.

Muscle biopsy long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid compositions, IMF and FMP in Australian pasture-based Bowen Genetics Forest Pastoral Angus, Hereford, and Wagyu Beef Cattle.

Background: We investigated breed and gender variations in the compositions of long-chain (≥ C20) omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC omega-3 PUFA), fat melting point (FMP) and intramuscular fat (IMF) contents in biopsy samples of the M. longissimus dorsi muscle of grazing beef cattle. The hypothesis that biopsy compositions of health-beneficial LC omega-3 PUFA, FMP and IMF in a pasture-based production system will vary with breed, was tested.

Chaotic opposition learning with mirror reflection and worst individual disturbance grey wolf optimizer for continuous global numerical optimization.

The effective meta-heuristic technique known as the grey wolf optimizer (GWO) has shown its proficiency. However, due to its reliance on the alpha wolf for guiding the position updates of search agents, the risk of being trapped in a local optimal solution is notable. Furthermore, during stagnation, the convergence of other search wolves towards this alpha wolf results in a lack of diversity within the population.

Investigating Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus seropositivity in camels and human behavioural risks in an abattoir in Nigeria.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is an emerging viral pathogen with pandemic potential that is often misdiagnosed. Case fatality in low-resource settings could be up to 40% due to close contact between animals and humans. A two-year cross-sectional study was conducted in Fagge abattoir, Kano State, Nigeria, to estimate the seropositivity of CCHFV in camels using a commercial multi-species competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).