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Background: Pornography remains an elusive concept and disproportionate numbers of young people continue to view the websites despite the effects it has on their psychological, emotional and cognitive development. Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of exposure/access to internet pornography and its influence on sexual behavior of undergraduate students of the Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was employed to study 280 undergraduate students, via structured self–administered questionnaires. Ethics were adhered to as the human dignity of the participants was respected. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to investigate independent predictors that had significant chi-square at P < 0.05. Results: Exposure to pornography amongst the respondents started as early as 10 years; 46.94% of them who had initial exposure continued to view the websites, 21.7% viewed the internet pornography on a frequent basis. Majority (88.0%) of them practiced what they watched, 71.4% became addicted to sex, and 56.4% record the video and send to friends/colleagues. The exposed respondents are about 2.8 times more likely to practice risky sexual behaviors as compared to those not exposed {(OR-2.819 (95% CI = 0.0292 - 0937) p= 0.029), and or group sex {(OR- 0.444 (95% CI = 0.9.782 – 7.584) p= 0.000). The fun of the porn, seeking for sexual partners, knowledge of knowing how to make love, and sexual arousal were thecom-mon contributing factors to viewing pornography. Conclusion: Access to pornography and negative health behavior among the undergraduate students will presumably remain unrestrained if not promptly addressed. It is therefore important to offer youth friendly centers for discussing pornography in order to counterbalance the fictional world presented in pornography.

Abstract The uncertainty in precipitation projections across the Sahel has persisted across generations of climate models. Many projections show a zonal dipole in the sign of precipitation change, with wetting across the Central Sahel and drying across the Western Sahel. We analyze the outputs from an ensemble of current climate models to explain why some produce this dipole and understand the inter‐model variability in the transition region for these models. Models projecting the dipole tend to shift the Atlantic Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) to the south, while models that do not tend to shift the ITCZ to the north. We find that the strong relationship between the change in Sahel precipitation and surface temperature‐based indices is highly driven by the non‐dipole models. These indices do not explain most of the variance in where models transition. This suggests that understanding zonal variability in Sahel precipitation change must go beyond these temperature‐based analysis.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate daily empirical rainfall data covering 1979-2020 as a guide to agriculture and water resources management in Ondo, State, Nigeria by collecting data from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Abuja, using various standard methods. Results showed that, the area observed rainfall throughout the year with March (86.4 mm) as the rainfall onset, November (56.4 mm) was the cessation, double maximum rainfall occurred in July (254.2 mm) and September (282.1 mm) with the climatological mean of 1752.2 mm. Also, the percentage (%) difference rainfall showed seven (7) positive and four (4) negative occurrences. The highest positive % difference occurred in September (10.4), while the lowest occurred in July (2.6). The highest negative % difference was -26.5 (November), while the lowest was -5.9 (August). The stations deviation from zonal average monthly rainfall showed that, Igbokoda, Ilaje LGA deviated in all the months negatively, while Okitipupa, Okitipupa LGA and Oka-Akoko, Akoko South West LGA deviated positively in eleven (11) months each. The study concluded that, rainfall varied and had declined generally over the study area. Hence, it was recommended that, the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) by Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) should be down-scaled early to serve as a guide to farmers and hydrologists; irrigation should be encouraged; hybrid crops should be cultivated and more water reservoirs should be constructed.

This research is based on the pre-treatment and physicochemical characterization of rice husk and production of Bioethanol from rice husk using fungal isolates obtained from waste dump sites in Kaduna Nigeria. Standard procedures were followed. The results revealed a reduction in lignin (from 21.40 to 12.08%), hemicellulose (22.04-18.92%), protein (14.56-8.56%) and ash (1.31-1.04%) contents which resulted to an increase in the cellulosic fraction (49.55-58.29%) of the rice husk.. A significant difference (p

The objective of this study is to examine the potential product yields and energy recovery of maize cobs (MC) through carbon dioxide-assisted torrefaction using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The CO2-assisted torrefaction of MC was performed from 240 °C to 300 °C (Δ 30 °C) for the residence time of 30 minutes based on the selected non-isothermal/isothermal heating program of the TGA. Furthermore, the physicochemical, microstructure and mineral characteristics of MC were examined. The results showed that the CO2-torrefaction of MC resulted in a mass loss (ML) ranging from 18.45% to 55.17%, which resulted in the mass yield (MY) ranging from 81.55% to 44.83%. The HHV of the solid product was in the range from 22.55 MJ/kg to 26 MJ/kg, which indicates the CO2-torrefaction process enhanced the energy content of MC by 40% – 60%. In conclusion, the findings showed that the CO2 torrefaction is a practical, sustainable, and cost-effective approach for the valorization of MC into a clean solid biofuel for enhanced energy recovery.

Macrophages are a primary immune cell involved in inflammation, and their cell plasticity allows for transition from an inflammatory to a reparative phenotype and is critical for normal tissue repair following injury. Evidence suggests that epigenetic alterations play a critical role in establishing macrophage phenotype and function during normal and pathologic wound repair. Here, we find in human and murine wound macrophages that cyclooxygenase 2/prostaglandin E2 (COX-2/PGE2) is elevated in diabetes and regulates downstream macrophage-mediated inflammation and host defense. Using single-cell RNA sequencing of human wound tissue, we identify increased NF-κB–mediated inflammation in diabetic wounds and show increased COX-2/PGE2 in diabetic macrophages. Further, we identify that COX-2/PGE2 production in wound macrophages requires epigenetic regulation of 2 key enzymes in the cytosolic phospholipase A2/COX-2/PGE2 (cPLA2/COX-2/PGE2) pathway. We demonstrate that TGF-β–induced miRNA29b increases COX-2/PGE2 production via inhibition of DNA methyltransferase 3b–mediated hypermethylation of the Cox-2 promoter. Further, we find mixed-lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1) upregulates cPLA2 expression and drives COX-2/PGE2. Inhibition of the COX-2/PGE2 pathway genetically (Cox2fl/fl Lyz2Cre+) or with a macrophage-specific nanotherapy targeting COX-2 in tissue macrophages reverses the inflammatory macrophage phenotype and improves diabetic tissue repair. Our results indicate the epigenetically regulated PGE2 pathway controls wound macrophage function, and cell-targeted manipulation of this pathway is feasible to improve diabetic wound repair.

For the successful implementation of Distributed Drug Discovery (D3) (outlined in the accompanying Perspective), students, in the course of their educational laboratories, must be able to reproducibly make new, high quality, molecules with potential for biological activity. This article reports the successful achievement of this goal. Using previously rehearsed alkylating agents, students in a second semester organic chemistry laboratory performed a solid-phase combinatorial chemistry experiment in which they made 38 new analogs of the most potent member of a class of antimelanoma compounds. All compounds were made in duplicate, purified by silica gel chromatography, and characterized by NMR and LC/MS. As a continuing part of the Distributed Drug Discovery program, a virtual D3catalog based on this work was then enumerated and is made freely available to the global scientific community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed Drug Discovery (D3) proposes solving large drug discovery problems by breaking them into smaller units for processing at multiple sites. A key component of the synthetic and computational stages of D3is the global rehearsal of prospective reagents and their subsequent use in the creation of virtual catalogs of molecules accessible by simple, inexpensive combinatorial chemistry. The first section of this article documents the feasibility of the synthetic component of Distributed Drug Discovery. Twenty-four alkylating agents were rehearsed in the United States, Poland, Russia, and Spain, for their utility in the synthesis of resin-bound unnatural amino acids 1, key intermediates in many combinatorial chemistry procedures. This global reagent rehearsal, coupled to virtual library generation, increases the likelihood that any member of that virtual library can be made. It facilitates the realistic integration of worldwide virtual D3catalog computational analysis with synthesis. The second part of this article describes the creation of the first virtual D3catalog. It reports the enumeration of 24 416 acylated unnatural amino acids 5, assembled from lists of either rehearsed or well-precedented alkylating and acylating reagents, and describes how the resulting catalog can be freely accessed, searched, and downloaded by the scientific community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wound repair following acute injury requires a coordinated inflammatory response. Type I IFN signaling is important for regulating the inflammatory response after skin injury. IFN-κ, a type I IFN, has recently been found to drive skin inflammation in lupus and psoriasis; however, the role of IFN-κ in the context of normal or dysregulated wound healing is unclear. Here, we show that Ifnk expression is upregulated in keratinocytes early after injury and is essential for normal tissue repair. Under diabetic conditions, IFN-κ was decreased in wound keratinocytes, and early inflammation was impaired. Furthermore, we found that the histone methyltransferase mixed-lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1) is upregulated early following injury and regulates Ifnk expression in diabetic wound keratinocytes via an H3K4me3-mediated mechanism. Using a series of in vivo studies with a geneticall y engineered mouse model (Mll1fl/fl K14cre–) and human wound tissues from patients with T2D, we demonstrate that MLL1 controls wound keratinocyte–mediated Ifnk expression and that Mll1 expression is decreased in T2D keratinocytes. Importantly, we found the administration of IFN-κ early following injury improves diabetic tissue repair through increasing early inflammation, collagen deposition, and reepithelialization. These findings have significant implications for understanding the complex role type I IFNs play in keratinocytes in normal and diabetic wound healing. Additionally, they suggest that IFN may be a viable therapeutic target to improve diabetic wound repair.

This study investigates the immunopathological responses to Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) heat shock protein (Ct-Hsp) and their association with infertility. The objective was to explore the prevalence of anti-Ct antibodies and the gyneco-epidemiological risk factors for infertility among women attending a fertility clinic in Zaria, Nigeria, and to analyze the host immune cytokine or Ct-antigen levels in Ct-positive samples for correlation. From December 2022 to January 2024, 215 women (109 infertile and 106 fertile) from Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital participated in this study. Endocervical specimens were tested for Ct-specific IgM and IgG antibodies to identify current and past infections. Additionally, antibodies to Ct-Hsp60, and cytokine levels of IFN-γ and IL-10, were measured using ELISA kits. The overall prevalence of Ct infection was 9.3 %. Past infection, indicated by IgG, was 40 %, while current infection, indicated by IgM, was 25 %. The remaining 35 % of Ct infection were detected by both immunological assay. Among infertile women, primary and secondary infertility prevalence was 41 % and 59 %, respectively. Serum IL-10 levels were significantly higher in Ct-positive infertile women compared to fertile controls. Serum IFN-γ levels were higher in Ct-negative fertile and infertile women than in Ct-positive cases. Serum Ct-Hsp60 levels were significantly higher in Ct-positive fertile women compared to infertile cases. The Th1/Th2 cell ratio was lower in both fertile and infertile women, regardless of Ct status, but fertile controls had a higher Th1/Th2 ratio compared to Ct-positive infertile women. Logistic regression identified significant infertility risk factors: vaginal discharge, age, second marriage, increasing years of childless marriage, and being over 35 years. Protective factors included anti-Ct IgM antibodies, teaching, lower education, and more children. Higher secondary infertility prevalence was linked to family planning history and reactivity to Ct-Hsp60. Ct-positive cases were associated with tubal factor and pelvic inflammatory disease infertility. This study highlights a low overall prevalence of Ct infection but a higher prevalence in women with tubal factor infertility, emphasizing the need for further research on cytokine responses in Ct-associated infertility., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of human papilloma virus (HPV) is a necessary measure in curtailing delayed diagnosis and poor control practices. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices vis-à-vis HPV infection, cervical cancer and vaccination among women., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at 15 selected health-care facilities in Otukpo metropolis and it involved 168 pregnant women. The data were collected using structured questionnaire, and analysed for descriptive and analytical statistics using Epi Data Version 3.1 and SPSS statistical package Version 21., Results: Most of the respondents (75.0%) have heard of human papilloma virus and their information source were mostly the health-care providers. In total, 132(78.6%) agreed to take the vaccine if offered for free but 152(90.5%) stated that it is imperative to seek the opinion of health providers before vaccine uptake. However, only 27(16.1%) have undergone recommended checkup for human papilloma virus/cervical cancer and 23(13.7%) have taken at least a vaccine dose. Some respondents 66(39.3%) had good knowledge while 95(56.6%) demonstrated positive attitude. However, most respondents 161(95.8%) demonstrated poor practices., Conclusions: There is enormous need to improve HPV sensitization especially in women due to cervical cancer associated risks. Healthcare personnel are therefore encouraged to create more awareness on HPV infection and screening of cervical cancer (CC) via counseling sessions and communications tool like the new media. KAP approach is a critical tool towards successful CC screening and HPV control., (© 2024 Olajide A, et al.)

Background: Previous studies in Nigeria have reported the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype E and the availability of immune escape mutants. There is a paucity of data on chronic patients on long-term antiviral therapy for HBV infection., Objective: This study assessed HBV genotypes and drug resistance variants among patients with chronic HBV infection receiving tenofovir in Jos, Nigeria., Methods: This cross-sectional study consecutively enrolled 101 patients (51 with HIV/HBV co-infection and 50 with HBV infection only) on antiviral therapy from February 2018 to May 2019 at four hospitals in Jos, Nigeria. DNA quantification of HBV was performed on all samples; 30 samples with detectable viral load were selected for genotyping using Sanger sequencing by targeting the full-length sequences of reverse transcriptase gene of the HBV genome. Phylogenetic analysis was performed with reference sequences from GenBank. Escape mutant and drug resistance analysis were performed using HBV drug resistance interpretation and Geno2pheno., Results: Only 30 (29.7%) of the 101 study participants had detectable HBV DNA. Of these, six (20.0%) isolates were successfully amplified and sequenced. The identified genotype was E, including escape mutations L127R (16.7%) and G145A (16.7%)., Conclusion: This study revealed exclusive dominance of genotype E in Nigeria. The S gene mutations G145A and L271R are known to be associated with modified antigenicity and impaired serologic assays, which may cause false negatives in the detection of anti-HBV surface antigen. The presence of mutants that are associated with vaccine immune escape may also have diagnostic and vaccine immune response implications., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article., (© 2022. The Authors.)

Identifying novel lead compounds in drug discovery has been challenging because of the rapid rise of drug resistance to the existing chemotherapeutics and a lack of understanding of complex metabolic pathways in the parasite. Integrating computational and experimental approaches has shown to be of great worth in identifying and developing novel promising pharmacophore hybrids. In this present research, a series of new 4-(1H)-pyridone-derived antimalarial agents were designed based on recent reports and our preliminary findings through in silico studies. Two of the 4-(1H)-Pyridone derivatives showed potential to bind to the Q 0 site of the cytochrome bc1 complex and disrupt the mitochondrial electron transport chain. These compounds, along with previously synthesized compounds, exhibited significant inhibitory activities against the malaria parasite. Presently, seven compounds were successfully synthesized, characterized and these novel compounds have shown promise as antimalarial agents., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Eyelash extensions involve the attachment of synthetic eyelashes made of chemical fibers or other materials onto natural eyelashes. It has become common practice among Nigerian women for various reasons. Aim/Objectives: The aim is to assess eyelash extension use among students of a higher institution in Nigeria, the reasons for its use and related eye complications., Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study using structured self-administered questionnaire. Stratified sampling technique was used. The key items in the questionnaire were sociodemographic variables, knowledge and use of eyelashes extension, reasons for the use of eyelashes extension and eye symptoms/complications experienced during such use. A total of 310questionnaires were completely and correctly filled. The results were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 statistical package., Results: There were 310 respondents; the age range was 16-52 with a mean of 23.0 years ± 4.8. The prevalence of eyelash use was 38.7%. Beauty was the most common reason for lash extension 56.1% (n = 174). Others were curiosity, peer pressure, and replacement therapy. The most common complication was itching 45.8% (n = 142). Others were redness, pain, heavy eyelids, loss of lashes, casting of shadow in vision, tearing, burning sensation, foreign body sensation, and boils (stye) on the eyelid., Conclusion: Eyelash extension use is popular among young female students of higher institutions commonly for esthetic reasons (often because they desire to become more beautiful). Majority of them experience one ocular symptom or the other. Attention should, therefore, be paid to the potential health risk of the procedure and its use should be made much safer for our women.

Purpose: There is limited evidence to fully justify the use of standing interventions for children with cerebral palsy (CP). This case report describes the impact of an 8-week standing program on motor function in a child with severe CP living in western Africa., Methods: The subject was diagnosed with ischemic - hypoxic encephalopathy shortly after birth and with CP at 12 months of age. Gross Motor Function Classification of CP was level IV. Early attempts at physical therapy were interrupted by limited access to medical services. At 18 months, a standing program using a locally constructed standing frame was initiated. The standing intervention was completed at home 5 times a week for 8 weeks. Motor skills were assessed at baseline and post-intervention using the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66)., Results: Scores on the GMFM-66 increased from 28 at baseline to 37.4 in 8 weeks. Improvements in motor function included improved head control, improved upper extremity function, and increased sitting ability., Conclusions: Implementation of a home-based standing program may have contributed to improved motor skills for this child. Further research is needed to determine the effect of standing interventions on functional motor development for children with severe CP.

Introduction: Cryptosporidium is an important cause of diarrhea in children and immune-compromised individuals. Recent advances in molecular diagnostics have led to the discovery of subtype families that are thought to be more commonly associated with diarrhea. We aimed to isolate and characterize Cryptosporidium spp among children with diarrhea in Jos, Nigeria., Methods: Stool samples were collected from165 children aged 0-5 years with diarrhea. Cryptosporidium oocysts were examined by wet mount preparation, using formalin ether and a modified acid fast staining method. DNA was extracted from positive samples using QIAamp DNA stool mini kit and PCR-RFLP assay was carried out after quantification. Genotyping and phylogenetic analysis were done to determine the subtype families and their relatedness., Results: From the 165 children studied, 8 (4.8%) were infected with Cryptosporidium. PCR-RFLP assay and genotype characterization found the following Cryptosporidium species: C. hominis 6 (75%) and C. parvum 2 (25.0%), with family subtypes Id-5, Ie-1 and IIa-1, IId-1 respectively.The most common species was C. hominis and the frequent subtype was C. hominis-Id 5 (62.5%)., Conclusion: Cryptosporidium is not an uncommon cause of diarrhea in children, with C. hominis being the dominant species. Also C. hominis Id is the commonest sub-family subtype. Put together, zoonotic species may be an important cause of diarrhea in children aged 0-5 years in Jos, Nigeria., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

In Nigeria, just like in many other parts of the world, one of the most extensively discussed issues on the public agenda today is the increase in prison population. The aims of imprisonment are protection, retribution, deterrence, reformation and vindication. Investigations revealed that the prison services have been,neglected more than any other criminal justice agency in Nigeria. For example, most of the prisons were built during the colonial era for the purpose of accommodating a small number of inmates. Human Rights are the basic guarantees for human beings to be able to achieve happiness and self-respect; consequently, in most jurisdictions, the Human Rights Act confirms that these Rights do not stop at the prison gates. However, most States fail to meet the Human Rights obligations of their prisoners. As regards to health, for example, every prison should have proper health facilities and medical staff to provide dental and psychiatric care among others. This article discusses the Nigerian Prison System and challenges, trends and the related Human Rights and Ethical issues in Nigerian prisons. Some of the unmet needs of Nigerian prisoners which include, inter alia, living in unwholesome cells, delayed trial of inmates, lack of voting rights, access to information, lack of conjugal facilities for married prisoners, poor and inadequate nutrition, poor medical care, torture, inhumane treatment and the need to protect prisoners in a changing world. The present report has policy implications for reforming prison services in Nigeria, and countries that sing from the same song sheet with Nigeria on prison services, to conform to the Fundamental Human Rights of prisoners in the 21St century.

Background: A key to the effective management of malaria is prompt and accurate diagnosis, and the use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs) is becoming relevant in the absence of reliable microscopy. This study explored the phenomenon of using the wrong buffer vial (often a kit from another brand or buffer from HIV rapid test kits), dextrose, saline or distilled water among health care providers who used RDTs for malaria diagnosis in resource poor settings in Enugu South East, Nigeria., Materials and Methods: Laboratory personnel (medical laboratory scientists, technicians, assistants, nurses, community health extension workers (CHEW), community health officers (CHO) and doctors) were interviewed using structured questionnaires and results were checked using the SOP checklist. The selection criterion was a prior experience with using RDTs, and any facility that did not use RDTs was excluded., Results: Of the 80 study participants that completed their questionnaires, 56.3% reported that malaria diagnosis was positive using non-buffer RDTs detection while others reported negative results. Among the various professionals who used RDTs, 76.2% reported to have run out of RDT buffer stock at least once. Of the study participants that ran out of RDT buffer solution, 73% declared to have used non-RDT alternatives (physiological saline, 0.9% NaCl), distilled water, HIV buffer or ordinary water). Only 30% had received formal training on the proper usage and application of RDTs while 70% had never received any formal training on RDTs but learnt the technique of using RDT on the job., Conclusions: This study demonstrated that at least three quarters of health care workers in a resource poor setting had run out of buffer when using malaria RDTs and that the majority of them had used buffer substitutes, which are known to generate inaccurate tests results. This has the consequence of misdiagnosis, thus potentially damaging the credibility of malaria control., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: No competing interests declared., (Copyright © 2014: Ogboi et al.)

Background: Several controversies exist about the methods of harvesting and eventual utilization of stem cells in Medicine and Dentistry. The objective of the study was to investigate the awareness, attitude and knowledge of the use of stem cells in Dentistry among Nigerian Dentists., Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among dentists selected from both private and public health sectors, in some of the major cities in Nigeria., Results: The majority of the participants were ≤35 years in age, male, Pentecostal Christians, possessed a postgraduate qualification, had practiced for ≤5 years and were specialists or specializing. In this study, 153(81.0%) of the participants reported awareness about the use of stem cells in dentistry which was significantly associated with qualification and type of practice. Most of the respondents 114 (60.3%) had a poor knowledge of the use of stem cells in Dentistry. This was significantly associated with type of practice and awareness about stem cell use in dentistry but binary logistic regression showed awareness as the only determinant of knowledge. About three-quarters 142 (75.1%) of the participants exhibited positive attitude towards stem cell use. This had a positive non-significant association with knowledge and reported awareness., Conclusion: Data from this study revealed a high level of awareness, positive attitude to and poor knowledge of the use of stem cells in Dentistry among a cross section of Nigerian Dentists.