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The use of the Internet has become highly pervasive among adolescents. While these people derive numerous benefits from their use of this technology, they are also faced with a challenge of being exposed to many cyber risks. Nigeria is a developing country with a teeming population of adolescents who are regular users of the Internet, but with inadequate research on adolescent Internet safety. There is therefore, a need to conduct studies on child online risks in Nigeria, to help evaluate the enormity of child online abuses. The present study investigated Internet use and cyber-risk prevalence among four hundred secondary school students from a Nigerian state capital. This study employed a survey research method. The findings reveal that students in selected secondary schools in Ibadan metropolis are regular users of the Internet with considerable exposure to different cyber-risk behaviours. Male students are significantly more susceptible to cyberbullying than female students while public school students are more susceptible to cyberbullying and sexual solicitation risks than private school students. The study amongst others, recommends that Information Technology professionals and educators should intentionally get involved in enlightening students on the importance and means of ensuring safety while they use the Internet.

The study evaluated comparative effects of formulated soybean diets on the development of juvenile catfish (C. gariepinus) at the Fishery unit, Federal College of Forestry Jos (FCF, Jos), Plateau State Nigeria. The parameters assessed were length, width, weight gain and survival rate; the experimental period was 6 weeks (42days). A total of 150 C.gariepinus fingerlings were purchased at the Fishery unit, FCF, Jos for the experimental study. The experimental setup comprised five treatments and each replicated. The trial layout was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) utilizing five (5) treatments; with one (1) control. Collected data was analysed using ANOVA and average values were isolated utilizing the New Duncan multiple range test at 5% (p ≤ 0.05) likelihood level. Diet formulation was done using a Pearson square method. The graded inclusion levels of the soybean diets [soybean residue (SBR) and soybean meal (SBM)] were: Treatment one (T1) (100% SBR); Treatment 2 (T2) (25% SBR/ 75% SBM); Treatment 3 (T3) (50% SBR / 50% SBM); Treatment 4 (T4) (75% SBR/25% SBM); and Treatment 5 (T5) (100% Control). The results revealed that C.gariepinus fingerlings in T5 indicated pre-eminent values for the growth parameters with regards to average length (7.00cm), width (2.48cm), weight gain (0.52kg) and survival rate (97%). Therefore, this study recommends increased utilization of soybean meal (100%) formulated at 44% crude proteins as the central diet for C.gariepinus fingerlings; intensification of soybean production and extensive research on formulated soybean diets in aquaculture systems.

Background: The evaluation of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is critical among children and adolescents as it can predict cardiovascular disease in adulthood. The TG/HDL-C ratio has the best predictive accuracy among the different lipid ratios. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with a high TG/HDL-C ratio and the predictive accuracy for pediatric MetS. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of adolescents aged 9–21 to determine the prevalence of and associations between an elevated TG/HDL-C ratio and MetS. A ROC curve analysis was performed to determine the predictive accuracy of TG/HDL-C with MetS. Results: Of the 604 subjects, 29.8% had elevated TG/HDL-C, MetS was identified in 28.2%, and 54.5% were obese. Among patients with MetS, those with obesity were more likely to have an elevated TG/HDL-C ratio compared to those with a normal BMI (64% vs. 14%, p < 0.05). Gender, obesity, ethnicity, and METS are significantly associated with a high TG/HDL-C ratio. TG/HDL-C has a good discriminatory ability to distinguish patients with MetS from those without (AUC 0.65, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The TG/HDL-C ratio was able to distinguish between children and adolescents with MetS. Hence, the TG/HDL-C ratio may be used in the rapid risk assessment of pediatric MetS, especially in those with obesity.

The use of the Internet among children and adolescents is now a norm in many parts of the world. As the Internet offers a wide range of benefits to these ones, so does it expose them to possible various risks and harm. Researchers in different countries across the world have engaged in the production of relevant research-based knowledge in order to make the virtual world a safe place for the younger ones. However, while studies have been carried out on the subject of Internet risk among children and adolescents, there is a dearth of information on the assessment of research activities across different parts of the world. The present study employed Bibliometric techniques to determine research productivity patterns across the different regions and countries of the world. All relevant publications indexed in Google Scholar were collected between November and December, 2018. The findings of the study reveal that while countries in the American and European regions of the world have been very productive in researching on the subject, the same is not the case with their African counterparts.

Background: Suicidal behaviour is an established psychiatric complication of congestive cardiac failure (CCF), contributing significantly to morbidity and death by suicide. The magnitude and risk factors for suicidal behaviour among patients with CCF are yet to be unpacked, especially in developing nations such as Nigeria. Aim: To determine the prevalence of suicidal behaviour and the risk factors associated with suicidal behaviour, among patients with CCF in Nigeria. Setting: Cardiology outpatient clinic of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 98 randomly selected patients with a diagnosis of CCF. Participants were assessed with a socio-demographic and clinical factors questionnaire and Beck Scale of Suicidal Ideation. Chi-square test, t-test and logistic regression were used to analyse data. Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicidal attempt among patients with CCF was 52% and 1%, respectively. No socio-demographic factor was significantly associated with suicidal ideation. Clinical factors associated with suicidal ideation were age at diagnosis (p = 0.042), aetiology of CCF (p = 0.001) and severity of CCF (p = 0.032). Only the severity of CCF (odds ratio [OR] = 20.557, p = 0.014) predicted suicidal ideation among patients with CCF. Conclusion: Suicidal behaviour constitutes a huge burden among the outpatient CCF population. The identification of clinical risk factors for suicidal ideation (age at diagnosis, aetiology and severity of CCF) further illuminates a pathway to mortality among patients with CCF. Contribution: The findings lend a voice to the need for screening for suicidal behaviour, suicide prevention programmes, surveillance systems and government policies that support mental health for patients with CCF.

Beginning teachers should be adequately prepared for their roles as propagators of sustainable development core messages. Using a mixed method approach, this study assessed current knowledge, perceptions and readiness of beginning teachers for sustainability education. Two hundred (200) randomly selected final-year undergraduates from the Faculty of Education of the Nigerian University participated in the study. Results revealed gaps in the awareness and understanding of sustainability concepts and issues among the respondents. However, a high level of interest in handling the core issues was expressed. The respondents differed according to gender and age, but there were no significant differences according to mode of entry. The study recommended infusion of sustainability concepts in teacher education curricula and promotion of sustainable development issues through students' activities within and outside university campuses to address knowledge gap and sustain interests in sustainability education among beginning teachers.

The human face stands out as a preferable choice for biometric human authentication, the iris is a secure biometric that contains features with a low forgery rate and is unique to individuals. This paper presents a model for age and gender classification from iris images captured from male and female genders between the ages of 5 and 60 years. The age and gender were grouped as FemaleYoung, FemaleTeen, FemaleAdult,MaleYoung, MaleTeen, and MaleAdult. On the six categories, feature extraction was done using a 3D histogram with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) applied for dimension reduction to further reduce duplicated or unwanted features. Next, the Support Vector Machine (SVM) was applied to classify the iris images into the six groups recording various performance values. The 3D histogram with PCA recorded an excellent classification performance accuracy of 99.27% as against the EfficientNet deep learning model which recorded 52.29%. The recommended feature technique can help to adequately classify gender and age from iris images leading to a more robust recognition model. Identifying gender using biometric input will lead to a robust automatic classification devoid of bias and failure.

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) suffer a disproportionate burden of asthma-related deaths. This may be attributed to the underdiagnosis and undertreatment. It remains unclear the extent to which the access to utility of peak flow meters (PFMs) affect the mortality rates recorded across LMICs. The purpose of this narrative review was to offer a comprehensive overview of PFMs’ clinical value for diagnosing and monitoring asthma in low- and middle-income nations. Using the standards for conducting a narrative review, this paper carried out a literature search on three major databases: Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and PubMed. Search terms were created from the variables present in the topic and strung together to find relevant literature. Exclusion criteria were used to ensure that the chosen articles were relevant after a trickle of articles was collected from various databases on the internet. There is limited knowledge about the clinical utility of PFM in LMICs despite the evidence that it can be used to demonstrate large airway obstruction. There is also limited access to the device in most health facilities and patients for self-monitoring. There is a need for more awareness on the usefulness of peak flow among doctors on the utility of the device for asthma diagnosis and monitoring. There is also a need for more research to assess the impact of the poor use of the device on asthma diagnosis, management, and overall outcome.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26668.].

Based on their lobule location, hepatocytes display differential gene expression, including pericentral hepatocytes that surround the central vein, which are marked by Wnt-β-catenin signaling. Activating β-catenin mutations occur in a variety of liver tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but no specific therapies are available to treat these tumor subsets. Here, we identify a positive relationship between β-catenin activation, its transcriptional target glutamine synthetase (GS), and p-mTOR-S2448, an indicator of mTORC1 activation. In normal livers of mice and humans, pericentral hepatocytes were simultaneously GS and p-mTOR-S2448 positive, as were β-catenin-mutated liver tumors. Genetic disruption of β-catenin signaling or GS prevented p-mTOR-S2448 expression, while its forced expression in β-catenin-deficient livers led to ectopic p-mTOR-S2448 expression. Further, we found notable therapeutic benefit of mTORC1 inhibition in mutant-β-catenin-driven HCC through suppression of cell proliferation and survival. Thus, mTORC1 inhibitors could be highly relevant in the treatment of liver tumors that are β-catenin mutated and GS positive.

Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common pediatric liver malignancy. Around 80% of HB demonstrate simultaneous activation of β-catenin and Yes-associated protein 1 (Yap1). The mechanism by which these signaling pathways contribute to HB pathogenesis remain obscure. Recently, mTORC1 activation was reported in human HB cells and in a murine HB model driven by β-catenin and Yap1. Here, we directly investigate the therapeutic impact of mTOR inhibition following HB development in the Yap1-β-catenin model. HB were established by hydrodynamic tail vein injection of Sleeping Beauty transposase and plasmids coding for ΔN90-β-catenin and S127A-Yap1. Five weeks after injection, when HB were evident, mice were randomized into Rapamycin diet-fed or basal-diet-fed groups for 5-weeks. Tumor growth was monitored via ultrasound imaging and mice in both groups were euthanized after 5-weeks for molecular analysis. Transcriptomic analysis showed a strong correlation in gene expression between HB in the Yap1-β-catenin model and HB patient cohorts. Rapamycin treatment decreased HB burden, almost normalizing liver weight to body weight ratio. Ultrasound imaging showed reduction in tumor growth over the duration of Rapamycin treatment as compared to controls. Majority of HB in the controls exhibited crowded fetal or embryonal histology, while remnant tumors in the experimental group showed well-differentiated fetal morphology. Immunohistochemistry confirmed inhibition of mTORC1 in the Rapamycin group. Thus, Rapamycin reduces HB in a clinically relevant model driven by β-catenin and Yap1, supporting use of mTORC1 inhibitors in their therapy. We also show the utility of standard and 3D ultrasound imaging for monitoring liver tumors in mice.

Smoking, a major behavioral health burden, causes preventable and premature deaths globally. Nicotine, the addictive component present in tobacco products and Electronic cigarettes (E‐cigarettes, vape), can bind to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain to trigger a dopamine release that reinforces smoking. Despite the widespread usage of nicotine, its mechanisms of toxicity, particularly in e‐cigarettes, are poorly understood. Using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism, this study aims to investigate the mechanism of the toxicity of nicotine and vape. Behavioral parameters, oxidative stress indicators, mRNA expression levels of Dopamine 1‐ receptor 1 (Dop1R1), Acetyl‐coenzyme A synthetase (AcCoAs), and apoptotic proteins were assessed in the flies after a 5‐day exposure to varying concentrations of nicotine (0.15, 0.25, and 0.35 mg/mL diet) and vape (0.06, 0.08, and 0.12 mg/mL diet). Furthermore, Gas Chromatography‐Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and Gas Chromatography‐Flame Ionization Detection (GC/FID) analyzes were conducted to gain more insight on the composition of the vape used in study. Findings indicate that both nicotine and vape exposure significantly reduced lifespan, impaired locomotor activity, and disrupted sleep patterns. Notably, nicotine exposure stimulated Dop1R1 transcription and altered Acetyl‐CoA gene expression, impacting the viability and behavior of the flies. Elevated levels of reactive oxygen biomarkers were observed, contributing to cellular damage through oxidative stress and apoptotic mechanisms mediated by the Reaper and DIAP1 proteins. Additionally, the composition analysis of vape liquid revealed the presence of propylene glycol, nicotine, methyl esters, and an unidentified compound. This study highlights the complex interplay between nicotine, gene expression, and physiological responses in Drosophila. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Two experiments were conducted, the first was to investigate the effect of increasing digesta viscosity by dietary carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) on the growth performance and intestinal morphology and characteristics of healthy birds. The second experiment evaluated the impact of increased digesta viscosity in birds during an Eimeria spp. challenge. 2. In experiment 1, a corn-soybean meal-based basal diet was supplemented with 0, 10 or 20 g/kg CMC at the expense of cornstarch and offered to seven birds in each of eight replicate cages per diet from d 8 to 22 post hatching. 3. Increasing digesta viscosity due to dietary CMC linearly reduced (p < 0.05) body weight (BW) gain and the apparent ileal digestibility of nutrients. The relative lengths of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum linearly increased (p < 0.01) with dietary CMC inclusion. 4. In experiment 2, on d 14, 256 broiler chickens were randomly assigned to eight replicate cages in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with two CMC concentrations (0 or 10 g CMC/kg of diet), with or without an Eimeria challenge. On d 15, birds in the challenge groups were orally gavaged with a 1 ml solution containing 25,000, 25,000 or 125,000 oocysts of E. maxima, E. tenella and E. acervulina; or 1% PBS, respectively. 5. Increasing digesta viscosity in Eimeria-challenged birds decreased the total tract digestibility of dry matter and gross energy (p < 0.05). The ileal gene expression of glucose transporters was upregulated (p < 0.05) in challenged birds that received the CMC-supplemented diet. 6. In summary, increased digesta viscosity induced changes in the expression of nutrient transporter genes and decreased nutrient utilisation in Eimeria-challenged birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The evaluation of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is critical among children and adolescents as it can predict cardiovascular disease in adulthood. The TG/HDL-C ratio has the best predictive accuracy among the different lipid ratios. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with a high TG/HDL-C ratio and the predictive accuracy for pediatric MetS. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of adolescents aged 9–21 to determine the prevalence of and associations between an elevated TG/HDL-C ratio and MetS. A ROC curve analysis was performed to determine the predictive accuracy of TG/HDL-C with MetS. Results: Of the 604 subjects, 29.8% had elevated TG/HDL-C, MetS was identified in 28.2%, and 54.5% were obese. Among patients with MetS, those with obesity were more likely to have an elevated TG/HDL-C ratio compared to those with a normal BMI (64% vs. 14%, p < 0.05). Gender, obesity, ethnicity, and METS are significantly associated with a high TG/HDL-C ratio. TG/HDL-C has a good discriminatory ability to distinguish patients with MetS from those without (AUC 0.65, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The TG/HDL-C ratio was able to distinguish between children and adolescents with MetS. Hence, the TG/HDL-C ratio may be used in the rapid risk assessment of pediatric MetS, especially in those with obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Loss-of-function mutations in parkin is associated with onset of juvenile Parkinson’s disease (PD). Resveratrol is a polyphenolic stilbene with neuroprotective activity. Here, we evaluated the rescue action of resveratrol in parkin mutant D. melanogaster. The control flies (w 1118) received diet-containing 2% ethanol (vehicle), while the PD flies received diets-containing resveratrol (15, 30 and 60 mg/kg diet) for 21 days to assess survival rate. Consequently, similar treatments were carried out for 10 days to evaluate locomotor activity, oxidative stress and antioxidant markers. We also determined mRNA levels of Superoxide dismutase 1 (Sod1, an antioxidant gene) and ple, which encodes tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting step in dopamine synthesis. Our data showed that resveratrol improved survival rate and climbing activity of PD flies compared to untreated PD flies. Additionally, resveratrol protected against decreased activities of acetylcholinesterase and catalase and levels of non-protein thiols and total thiols displayed by PD flies. Moreover, resveratrol mitigated against parkin mutant-induced accumulations of hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide and malondialdehyde. Resveratrol attenuated downregulation of ple and Sod1 and reduction in mitochondrial fluorescence intensity displayed by PD flies. Overall, resveratrol alleviated oxidative stress and locomotor deficit associated with parkin loss-of-function mutation and therefore might be useful for the management of PD.

Abstract Trans-astaxanthin (TA), a keto-carotenoid found in aquatic invertebrates, possesses anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. Rotenone is used to induce oxidative stress-mediated Parkinson’s disease (PD) in animals. We probed if TA would protect against rotenone-induced toxicity in Drosophila melanogaster. Trans-astaxanthin (0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 10, and 20 mg/10 g diet) and rotenone (0, 250 and 500 μM) were separately orally exposed to flies in the diet to evaluate longevity and survival rates, respectively. Consequently, we evaluated the ameliorative actions of TA (1.0 mg/10 g diet) on rotenone (500 μM)-induced toxicity in Drosophila after 7 days’ exposure. Additionally, we performed molecular docking of TA against selected pro-inflammatory protein targets. We observed that TA (0.5 and 1.0 mg/10 g diet) increased the lifespan of D. melanogaster by 36.36%. Moreover, TA (1.0 mg/10 g diet) ameliorated rotenone-mediated inhibition of Catalase, Glutathione-S-transferase and Acetylcholinesterase activities, and depletion of Total Thiols and Non-Protein Thiols contents. Trans-astaxanthin prevented behavioural dysfunction and accumulation of Hydrogen Peroxide, Malondialdehyde, Protein Carbonyls and Nitric Oxide in D. melanogaster (p

Background: Identifying the factors that influence the choices medical students make regarding their careers can prove invaluable in the management of healthcare manpower. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the career choices and the determining factors for these choices among final year medical students at the Lagos State University College of Medicine, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional survey of two consecutive final year classes with a total of 141 students surveyed in February 2014 and February 2015. Results: A total of 141 students were surveyed. 75.2% intended to specialise, the most common specialties being: Surgery (29.2%), Paediatrics (14.2%), Obstetrics and Gynaecology (13.2%) and Internal medicine (13.2%). More men preferred surgery (43.5% vs 18.3%; p = 0.005) and more women paediatrics (20% vs 6.5%; p = 0.011). 24.8% did not want to specialise. The reasons included: rigours of residency (48.6%), unacceptable hours of practice (34.3%), difficulty getting placements (28.6%) and family requirements (22.9%). 48.1% of the respondents chose to do their residency abroad, 27.4% chose to stay at home and 24.5% were undecided. The main factors influencing choice of residency abroad were better exposure (88.2%), improved standards of living (82.4%), avoiding incessant strike actions (80.4%) and better financial rewards (72.5%). Conclusion: Most students showed a preference for the core clinical specialties with significant gender disparity in specialty preference. The potential for continuous 'brain drain' is also identified. Appropriate steps should be taken to mitigate the factors identified that influenced these choices, to protect the future medical workforce.

Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) is a large-body old world rodent found in sub-Saharan Africa. The body size and the unique taste of the meat of this major crop pest have made it a target of intense hunting and a potential consideration as a micro-livestock. However, there is insufficient knowledge on the genetic diversity of its populations across African Guinean forests. Herein, we investigated the genetic diversity, population structures and evolutionary history of seven Nigerian wild grasscutter populations together with individuals from Cameroon, Republic of Benin, and Ghana, using five mitochondrial fragments, including D-loop and cytochrome b (CYTB). D-loop haplotype diversity ranged from 0.571 (± 0.149) in Republic of Benin to 0.921 (± 0.013) in Ghana. Within Nigeria, the haplotype diversity ranged from 0.659 (± 0.059) in Cross River to 0.837 (± 0.075) in Ondo subpopulation. The fixation index (FST), haplotype frequency distribution and analysis of molecular variance revealed varying levels of population structures across populations. No significant signature of population contraction was detected in the grasscutter populations. Evolutionary analyses of CYTB suggests that South African population might have diverged from other populations about 6.1 (2.6–10.18, 95% CI) MYA. Taken together, this study reveals the population status and evolutionary history of grasscutter populations in the region.

Work was conducted to test the hypothesis that the nutritional composition of bakery meal varies depending on where in the United States the meal is produced due to different raw materials being used in the production of the meals. Forty-six samples of bakery meal were collected from feed mills located in the swine producing states in the United States. Based on the state where samples were collected, they were grouped into 5 regions: 1) AL, DE, GA, NC, PA, and VA (10 samples); 2) CO, MO, OK, and TX (10 samples); 3) IN, KY, OH, and TN (8 samples); 4) IA (11 samples); and 5) MN (7 samples). All samples were analyzed for proximate components, GE, AA, carbohydrates, and minerals, and IVDMD and in vitro energy digestibility (IVGED) were also determined. Results indicated that the average concentration of DM was (91.84 ± 1.29%) and there was no difference among regions. The concentration of ash in bakery meal from MN was greater (P < 0.05) than in meals from other regions, but for all other proximate components, no differences among sources were observed. The average concentration (DM basis) of CP (12.20 ± 2.16%), acid hydrolyzed ether extract (AEE, 9.38 ± 1.95%), starch (44.61 ± 5.47%), and NDF (13.77 ± 4.23%) indicated that bakery meal consists of a mixture of food ingredients originating from flour or whole cereal grains and with some high-fiber ingredients such as brans or canola coproducts also included. It also appears that oil or fats were added during production. With the exception of His, no differences among regions were observed for indispensable AA and the average concentrations (DM basis) of Lys, Met, Thr, and Trp were 0.35 ± 0.08%, 0.19 ± 0.03%, 0.38 ± 0.06%, and 0.13 ± 0.03%, respectively. The bakery meals from MN contained more (P < 0.05) Ca than bakery meals from other regions, indicating that limestone may have been added to bakery meal from MN to improve flowability. However, bakery meals from MN and IA contained less (P < 0.05) total P, phytate, and phytate-bound P than bakery meals produced in the states east of the Mississippi River. There were, however, no differences in IVDMD (79.06 ± 6.62%) or of IVGED (74.84 ± 8.20%) of bakery meals among regions. The present results indicate that variations in the chemical composition of bakery meal obtained from different regions in the United States are relatively small and likely without great impact on the nutritional value of the meals, but in vivo digestibility experiments are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Abstract Pre- and post-transcriptional modifications of gene expression are emerging as foci of disease studies, with some studies revealing the importance of non-coding transcripts, like long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs). We hypothesize that transcription factors (TFs), lncRNAs and miRNAs modulate immune response in bovine mastitis and could potentially serve as disease biomarkers and/or drug targets. With computational analyses, we identified candidate genes potentially regulated by miRNAs and lncRNAs base pair complementation and thermodynamic stability of binding regions. Remarkably, we found six miRNAs, two being bta-miR-223 and bta-miR-24-3p, to bind to several targets. LncRNAs NONBTAT027932.1 and XR_003029725.1, were identified to target several genes. Functional and pathway analyses revealed lipopolysaccharide-mediated signaling pathway, regulation of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2 production and regulation of IL-23 production among others. The overarching interactome deserves further in vitro/in vivo explication for specific molecular regulatory mechanisms during bovine mastitis immune response and could lay the foundation for development of disease markers and therapeutic intervention.