The Pre-Fibroscan and Fibroscan Era: A Comparative Study of Histologic Diagnosis of Liver Biopsies.

Background: The advancement in non-invasive methods for diagnosing and characterizing liver disease has achieved significant success. One such methods, FibroScan, combines non-invasiveness, rapidity, painlessness, and reproducibility. However, its accuracy and value are limited in many clinical settings.

Factors Associated With Feeling Ashamed of Disclosure of HIV-Positive Status Among Women Who Self-Reported to Health Facilities for HIV Testing in Kenya: Analysis of 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey.

Background: This study aimed to determine the factors associated with feeling ashamed of disclosing HIV-positive status among females who self-reported to health facilities for HIV testing in Kenya.

Method: This study used the Kenya Demographic Health Survey data set for 2022. A total of 18,506 women aged 15-49 years were selected from the sample clusters; 13,815 had ever tested for HIV and 332 had positive results for HIV.

Artificial intelligence-enhanced biosurveillance for antimicrobial resistance in sub-Saharan Africa.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a critical global health threat, with significant impacts on individuals and healthcare systems, particularly in low-income countries. By 2019, AMR was responsible for >4.9 million fatalities globally, and projections suggest this could rise to 10 million annually by 2050 without effective interventions.

Challenges and prospects of clinical trials in Nigeria - Lessons from the WHO COVID-19 solidarity plus trial.

Conducting randomized clinical trials (RCTs) during a pandemic is essential for obtaining timely evidence on safe and effective treatments, but it presents numerous obstacles. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) sponsored multinational RCTs investigating repurposed drugs among hospitalized COVID-19 patients across countries with varying clinical research capacities. In Nigeria, several challenges hindered our progress, including inadequate infrastructure, initial insufficient investigator certification and expertise, and delays in securing regulatory approvals due to bureaucratic hurdles.

Celiac disease autoimmunity among Nigerian children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Celiac disease (CD) affects the small intestine and can hinder nutrient absorption. It is found worldwide and common in certain groups of people including individuals with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). However, the prevalence of CD in the West African region is not documented.

Comparative sonographic assessment of renal volume and arterial Doppler velocimetric indices among women with pregnancy-induced hypertension and normotensive controls in Northern Nigeria.

Introduction: Pregnancy-induced hypertension is a global public health problem, worsening maternal morbidity and mortality. Renal complications have additional devastating consequences on maternal morbidity. Renal Doppler ultrasound is a valuable tool in the management of pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus infection in neonates- a major concern and a call for action.

Background: Methicillin-Resistant (MRSA) is both a human commensal and a pathogen that causes neonatal infection which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Its genetic flexibility and versatility have equipped it with the ability to develop resistance to numerous antibiotics. Outbreaks of infections in neonatal intensive care units as well as community infections have been reported mostly in developed countries.

Aging impaired locomotor and biochemical activities in Drosophila melanogaster Oregon R (fruit fly) model.

Despite advancements in healthcare and increased lifespan, aging populations face numerous challenges, including declining cognitive function, increased susceptibility to chronic diseases, and reduced quality of life. This study investigated Aging impaired Locomotors and Biochemical Activities in Drosophila melanogaster Oregon R (Fruit Fly) Model with the aim to elucidate the mechanism involved. Adult wild-type Drosophila melanogaster Oregon R was used for this study.

Harnessing bio and (Photo)catalysts for microplastics degradation and remediation in soil environment.

Soil pollution by microplastics (MPs) is an escalating environmental crisis with far-reaching consequences. However, current research on the degradation and/or remediation of MPs has mainly focused on water-simulated environments, with little attention given to soil MPs. Therefore, the review explores such terrestrial territory, exploring the potential of biodegradation and novel photocatalytic technologies for MPs degradation/remediation in soil.

Incidence of childhood cancers in the North East geopolitical zone of Nigeria.

Introduction: Cancers are a major cause of childhood mortality worldwide especially in LMICs where underdiagnoses and lack of quality cancer data hampers effective cancer control efforts. This study aimed to document and describe the patterns and characteristics of childhood cancers in the North East geopolitical zone of Nigeria.

Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study that collected cancer data from 4 out of the 6 states in the North East of Nigeria.

Placental Malaria and Its Relationship with Neonatal Birth Weight among Primigravidae: An Analytical Cross-sectional Study.

Background And Objectives: Malaria can be fatal during pregnancy, posing a serious risk to both mothers and fetuses, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Primigravidae are particularly susceptible to placental malaria in areas with high rates of transmission due to insufficient immunity. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of placental malaria infection, risk factors, types of Plasmodium causing malaria during pregnancy, and its relationship with neonatal birth weight among primigravidae.

A protocol for obtaining upper and lower extremity joints' range of motion in children using three-dimensional motion analysis system.

Three-dimensional (3D) motion analysis (MA) techniques are progressively being used in biomechanics research and for clinical applications to assess the risk of injuries. A marker-based 3D MA protocol has been developed to measure the upper and lower extremity (UE and LE) joints' active and passive ranges of motion (AROM and PROM) in children. The joints that were included in this protocol are shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle.

From Traditional Use to Modern Evidence: The Medicinal Chemistry of Antimalarials from Genus Artemisia.

While the use of plants in traditional medicine dates back to 1500 B.C., modern advancements led to the development of innovative therapeutic techniques.

Real-time object detection, tracking, and monitoring framework for security surveillance systems.

The concept of security is becoming a global challenge, and governments, stakeholders, corporate societies, and individuals must urgently create a reasonable protection mechanism for good. Therefore, a real-time surveillance system is essential for detection, tracking, and monitoring. Many studies have attempted to provide better solutions but more research and better approaches are essential.

Patients' Acceptance of Glaucoma Therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Prcis: Patients' acceptance of glaucoma therapy was high overall in this study, but lower for surgery than for laser or medical therapy. Fear and cost were the leading reasons why patients declined recommended therapy and they were treatment-specific. Cost was the primary reason for declining medical and laser therapy, while fear was the most common reason for declining surgical therapy.

Pyrolysis of metal oxides treated Shell: Investigation of thermogravimetric kinetics and thermodynamics.

Metal oxides as catalysts alter the properties of the pyrolysis vapor secondary reactions during the thermal decomposition of several biomass leading to high-value bio-oils. This study aimed to investigate the thermal decomposition characteristics of (CS) shells that were treated with various metal oxides (ZnO, CuO, FeO/FeO, and FeO) using pyrolysis. The study also sought to identify pyrolysis reaction parameters (kinetics and thermodynamics parameters) that are not widely documented.

Emerging cancer disease burden in a rural sub-Saharan African population: northeast Nigeria in focus.

Introduction: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is plagued by myriads of diseases, mostly infectious; but cancer disease burden is rising among non-communicable diseases. Nigeria has a high burden of cancer, however its remote underserved culturally-conserved populations have been understudied, a gap this study sought to fill.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional multi-institutional descriptive study of histologically diagnosed cancers over a four-year period (January 2019-December 2022) archived in the Departments of Pathology and Cancer Registries of six tertiary hospitals in the northeast of Nigeria.

Double stigma: a cross-sectional study of Lassa patients with hearing loss in North Central Nigeria.

Introduction: Lassa fever is a zoonotic infectious disease endemic in West Africa with a high case-fatality rate and reported stigmatization of surviving patients. This study examines discrimination among survivors of Lassa fever (LF) complicated by hearing loss (HL).

Methods: This cross-sectional qualitative study used an in-depth interview guide to collect information from patients with HL about their experience of stigma.

Hypothermia in preterm infants admitted to low-resource neonatal units in northern Nigeria: an observational study of occurrence and risk factors.

Background: Hypothermia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality among preterm and low-birth-weight neonates. In resource-constrained settings, limited referral infrastructure and technologies for temperature control potentiate preterm hypothermia. While there is some documentation on point-of-admission hypothermia from single center studies, there are limited multicenter studies on the occurrence of hypothermia among preterm infants in resource-limited-settings.