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BackgroundIn 2018, the total number of Lassa fever cases in Nigeria was significantly higher than that observed in previous years. Hence, studies had attempted to determine the underlying cause. However, reports using phylogenetic methods to analyze this finding ruled out the emergence of potentially more transmissible Lassa virus strains or an increase in human-to-human viral transmission as the cause underlying the increase in cases. Two years later, the situation seems even worse as the number of confirmed cases has reached an all-time high according to situational reports released by the Nigerian Center for Disease Control. ObjectiveConsidering the increasing trend of Lassa fever cases and related mortality, the major objective of this study is to map mutations within the genomes of Lassa virus isolates from 2018 and 2019 using the reference sequence available at the National Center for Biotechnology Information as a benchmark and compare them to the genomes of viruses isolated during 1969-2017. This study would also attempt to identify a viral marker gene for easier identification and grouping. Finally, the time-scaled evolution of Lassa virus in Nigeria will be reconstructed. MethodsAfter collecting the sequence data of Lassa virus isolates, Bayesian phylogenetic trees, a sequence identity matrix, and a single nucleotide polymorphism matrix will be generated using BEAST (version 2.6.2), Base-By-Base, and DIVEIN (a web-based tool for variant calling), respectively. ResultsMining and alignment of Lassa virus genome sequences have been completed, while mutational analysis and the reconstruction of time-scaled maximum clade credibility trees, congruence tests for inferred segments, and gene phylogeny analysis are ongoing. ConclusionsThe findings of this study would further the current knowledge of the evolutionary history of the Lassa virus in Nigeria and would document the mutations in Nigerian isolates from 1969 to 2019. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/23015

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. We estimate by phylogenomic molecular clock that the B.1 lineage responsible for the 2022 mpox outbreaks has been in circulation since 2016. We interrogate the host-virus interactions that modulate the virus infection biology, signal transduction, pathogenesis, and host immune responses. We highlight the changing pathophysiology and epidemiology of MPXV and summarize recent advances in the prevention and treatment of mpox. In addition, this review identifies knowledge gaps with respect to the virus and the disease, suggests future research directions to address the knowledge gaps, and proposes a One Health approach as an effective strategy to prevent current and future epidemics of mpox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the differences between the utilisation of mobile library technologies and library service delivery in public and private universities in south west, Nigeria. In addition to stating the purpose of the study and the associated research questions and hypotheses, two models and one theory were used which include the technology acceptance model, service quality models and diffusion of innovation theory. The technology acceptance model suggests that the acceptance of any technology is based on the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of the introduced technology. Diffusion of innovation theory suggests ways mobile technologies can be introduced and diffused into library and information services. The service quality model suggests that a user's perception of quality service is based on their loyalty and the satisfaction they get from the services. The descriptive survey research design was adopted with a population of 162 library staff and a purposive sampling technique was used to select all 162 staff. A face-validated researcher-developed instrument titled: Utilisation of Mobile Technologies and Library Service Delivery Questionnaire" (UMTLSDQ) was used for the collection of data. A reliability coefficient of 0.83 was obtained using Cronbach alpha reliability statistics which made the instrument reliable. The data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to test all the hypotheses at a 0.05 significant level. The findings of the study showed that private university libraries utilise mobile technologies more than public university libraries. The study therefore concluded that the utilisation of mobile technology is important for effective library service delivery in South-West, Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of dietary inclusion of Brewers Dried Grains (BDG) supplemented with Grandizyme® enzyme as a partial substitute for maize in layers diets. One hundred and twenty Isa-Brown laying hens were randomly allotted to three diets formulated with 0 (control), 10% and 20% BDG, and fed for 12 weeks. There were 4 replicates of 10 birds each in a dietary treatment. Feed mintake, hen day production and net profit generated from the sales of eggs were msignificantly (p

The effect of feeding varying dietary levels of Palm Kernel Cake (PKC) on the haematological parameters of the Nigerian local grower chicken was investigated. Sixty (60) nine-week old local chickens were randomly allotted to five experimental diets at four birds per three replicates. Five isonitrogenous (17% CP) grower diets containing 2,813 to 3,070 Kcal ME/kg with varying levels of 10, 15, 20 and 25% PKC used to replace maize and soybean in diets 2, 3, 4 and 5 were formulated respectively. Diet 1 without PKC (0% PKC) was the control. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum for ten weeks. Packed cell volume, haemoglobin, red blood cell, platelets, heterophil and eosinophil were similar (p>0.05) among birds across diets whereas variations in white blood cell (15.95 to 19.53 x 106/mm3), lymphocytes (60.00 to 67.00%) and monocytes (0.67 to 2.00%) were significant (p

Objectives: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates are low in Nigeria compared to global trends. This research mapped the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in Nigeria and globally to determine whether the Nigerian isolates are genetically distinct from strains circulating in regions of the world with a high disease burden. Methods: Bayesian phylogenetics using BEAST 2.0, genetic similarity analyses, and genomewide mutational analyses were used to characterize the strains of SARS-CoV-2 isolated in Nigeria. Results: SARS-CoV-2 strains isolated in Nigeria showed multiple lineages and possible introductions from Europe and Asia. Phylogenetic clustering and sequence similarity analyses demonstrated that Nigerian isolates were not genetically distinct from strains isolated in other parts of the globe. Mutational analysis demonstrated that the D614G mutation in the spike protein, the P323L mutation in open reading frame 1b (and more specifically in NSP12), and the R203K/G204R mutation pair in the nucleocapsid protein were most prevalent in the Nigerian isolates. Conclusion: The SARS-CoV-2 strains in Nigeria were neither phylogenetically nor genetically distinct from virus strains circulating in other countries of the world. Thus, differences in SARS-CoV-2 genomes are not a plausible explanation for the attenuated COVID-19 outcomes in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]