Molecular Epidemiology, Drug-Resistant Variants, and Therapeutic Implications of Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis D Virus Prevalence in Nigeria: A National Study.

Information on circulating HBV (sub-)genotype, variants, and hepatitis D virus (HDV) coinfection, which vary by geographical area, is crucial for the efficient control and management of HBV. We investigated the genomic characteristics of HBV (with a prevalence of 8.1%) and the prevalence of HDV in Nigeria.

3D confinement alters smooth muscle cell responses to chemical and mechanical cues.

Smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotypic switching is a hallmark of many vascular diseases. Although prior work has established that chemical and mechanical cues contribute to SMC phenotypic switching, the impact of three-dimensional (3D) confinement on this process remains elusive. Yet, , arterial SMCs reside within confined environments.

Confinement controls the directional cell responses to fluid forces.

Our understanding of how fluid forces influence cell migration in confining environments remains limited. By integrating microfluidics with live-cell imaging, we demonstrate that cells in tightly-but not moderately-confined spaces reverse direction and move upstream upon exposure to fluid forces. This fluid force-induced directional change occurs less frequently when cells display diminished mechanosensitivity, experience elevated hydraulic resistance, or sense a chemical gradient.

Discovery of novel materials through machine learning.

Experimental exploration of new materials relies heavily on a laborious trial-and-error approach. In addition to substantial time and resource requirements, traditional experiments and computational modelling are typically limited in finding target materials within the enormous chemical space. Therefore, creating innovative techniques to expedite material discovery becomes essential.

Malaria and typhoid fever co-infection: a retrospective analysis of University Hospital records in Nigeria.

Background: Studies have long documented the presence of malaria and typhoid fever in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, studies on these diseases have primarily concentrated on rural settings, neglecting the potential impact on urban areas. This knowledge gap hinders effective surveillance and intervention strategies.

Clinical students' perception of educational environment in a Nigerian university: a mixed method study.

Background: Learning environment (LE) research has been given priority in higher education institutions globally because of its influence on learning processes and outcomes. Although studies reporting the perceptions of health science students about LE in Nigeria are available, none have compared the perceptions of students from different health professions. Therefore, this study aimed to assess final-year clinical students' perceptions of their LE from four programs (dentistry, medicine, nursing, and physiotherapy) and compared their LE perceptions.

Removal of N-Nitrosodiphenylamine from contaminated water: A novel modeling framework using metaheuristic-based ensemble models.

Investigating the complex interactions among physicochemical variables that influence the adsorptive removal of pollutants is a challenge for conventional one-variable-at-a-time (OVAT) batch methods. The adoption of machine learning-based chemometric prediction models is expected to be more accurate than the conventional method. This study proposed a novel modeling framework for predicting and optimizing the adsorptive removal of N-Nitrosodiphenylamine (NDPhA).

Microplastics and Co-pollutants in soil and marine environments: Sorption and desorption dynamics in unveiling invisible danger and key to ecotoxicological risk assessment.

Microplastics (MPs) and their co-pollutants pose significant threats to soil and marine environments, necessitating understanding of their colonization processes to combat the plastic pandemic and protect ecosystems. MPs can act as invisible carriers, concentrating and transporting pollutants, leading to a more widespread and potentially toxic impact than the presence of either MPs or the pollutants alone. Analyzing the sorption and desorption dynamics of MPs is crucial for understanding pollutants amplification and predicting the fate and transport of pollutants in soil and marine environments.

Phase Transition in Silicon from Machine Learning Informed Metadynamics.

Investigating reconstructive phase transitions in large-sized systems requires a highly efficient computational framework with computational cost proportional to the system size. Traditionally, widely used frameworks such as density functional theory (DFT) have been prohibitively expensive for extensive simulations on large systems that require long-time scales. To address this challenge, this study employed well-trained machine learning potential to simulate phase transitions in a large-size system.

Cellular interactions in tumor microenvironment during breast cancer progression: new frontiers and implications for novel therapeutics.

The breast cancer tumor microenvironment (TME) is dynamic, with various immune and non-immune cells interacting to regulate tumor progression and anti-tumor immunity. It is now evident that the cells within the TME significantly contribute to breast cancer progression and resistance to various conventional and newly developed anti-tumor therapies. Both immune and non-immune cells in the TME play critical roles in tumor onset, uncontrolled proliferation, metastasis, immune evasion, and resistance to anti-tumor therapies.

The impact of tumor microenvironment: unraveling the role of physical cues in breast cancer progression.

Metastasis accounts for the vast majority of breast cancer-related fatalities. Although the contribution of genetic and epigenetic modifications to breast cancer progression has been widely acknowledged, emerging evidence underscores the pivotal role of physical stimuli in driving breast cancer metastasis. In this review, we summarize the changes in the mechanics of the breast cancer microenvironment and describe the various forces that impact migrating and circulating tumor cells throughout the metastatic process.

Mpox (monkeypox) risk and mortality associated with HIV infection: a national case-control study in Nigeria.

Introduction: Recent outbreaks of mpox are characterised by changes in the natural history of the disease, the demographic and clinical characteristics of the cases, and widening geographical distribution. We investigated the role of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) coinfection among cases in the re-emergence of mpox to inform national and global response.

Methods: We conducted a national descriptive and case-control study on cases in the 2017-2019 Nigerian mpox outbreak.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric testing of the Yoruba lequesne algofunctional index of knee osteoarthritis among patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Background: The Lequesne Algofunctional Index of Knee Osteoarthritis (LAIKOA) is a widely used knee osteoarthritis (KOA) outcome measure and is recommended by many international authorities. It has been cross-culturally adapted to many languages, excluding indigenous Nigerian languages. The aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt and validate the LAIKOA into Yoruba language.

Distinct monkeypox virus lineages co-circulating in humans before 2022.

The 2022 global mpox outbreak raises questions about how this zoonotic disease established effective human-to-human transmission and its potential for further adaptation. The 2022 outbreak virus is related to an ongoing outbreak in Nigeria originally reported in 2017, but the evolutionary path linking the two remains unclear due to a lack of genomic data between 2018, when virus exportations from Nigeria were first recorded, and 2022, when the global mpox outbreak began. Here, 18 viral genomes obtained from patients across southern Nigeria in 2019-2020 reveal multiple lineages of monkeypox virus (MPXV) co-circulated in humans for several years before 2022, with progressive accumulation of mutations consistent with APOBEC3 activity over time.

Metronomic Administration of Topotecan Alone and in Combination with Docetaxel Inhibits Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition in Aggressive Variant Prostate Cancers.

Unlabelled: Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of noncutaneous cancer-related deaths in American men. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), radical prostatectomy, and radiotherapy remain the primary treatment for patients with early-stage prostate cancer (castration-sensitive prostate cancer). Following ADT, many patients ultimately develop metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Downregulation of YAP Activity Restricts P53 Hyperactivation to Promote Cell Survival in Confinement.

Cell migration through confining three dimensional (3D) topographies can lead to loss of nuclear envelope integrity, DNA damage, and genomic instability. Despite these detrimental phenomena, cells transiently exposed to confinement do not usually die. Whether this is also true for cells subjected to long-term confinement remains unclear at present.

An Outbred Guinea Pig Disease Model for Lassa Fever Using a Host-Adapted Clade III Nigerian Lassa Virus.

Nigeria experiences annual outbreaks of Lassa fever (LF) with high case numbers. At least three clades of Lassa virus (LASV) have been documented in Nigeria, though recent outbreaks are most often associated with clade II or clade III viruses. Using a recently isolated clade III LASV from a case of LF in Nigeria in 2018, we developed and characterized a guinea pig adapted virus capable of causing lethal disease in commercially available Hartley guinea pigs.

Epidemiology, diagnostics and factors associated with mortality during a cholera epidemic in Nigeria, October 2020-October 2021: a retrospective analysis of national surveillance data.

Objectives: Nigeria reported an upsurge in cholera cases in October 2020, which then transitioned into a large, disseminated epidemic for most of 2021. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology, diagnostic performance of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits and the factors associated with mortality during the epidemic.

Design: A retrospective analysis of national surveillance data.

Prevalence and Pattern of Alcoholic Beverage Consumption among Undergraduates in Remo, Ogun State, Southwest, Nigeria.

Background: Alcoholic beverages come in various shades and flavours, often intensely advertised to the youthful population on various media channels within the state. Excessive intake is known to have deleterious effects on several dimensions of health. This study therefore assessed the prevalence and pattern of alcoholic beverage consumption among undergraduates in Remo division of Ogun State, Nigeria.

Normative scores for select neuropsychological battery tests for the detection of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder amongst Nigerians.

Background: The study aimed to derive socio-demographic-corrected norms for selecting neuropsychological (NP) battery tests for people living with HIV (PLWHIV) in Nigeria. This cross-sectional study was conducted amongst patients who attended the general outpatient clinic and junior staff of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla.

Aims And Objectives: To determine the normative scores for select neuropsychological battery test for the detection of neurocognitive disorder amongst Nigerians PLWHIV.

Aerobic exercise for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders in individuals on antiretroviral therapy: A randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: The increasing burden of self-limiting forms of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) in the antiretroviral therapy era calls for adjunctive interventions. The study aimed to determine the effects of a 12-week aerobic exercise programme on HAND.

Methods: This is a parallel-group, randomized controlled trial with concealed allocation and intention-to-treat analysis.

Correction: Aerobic Exercise in HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/29230.].