Validity and Reproducibility of a Semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire and Food Picture Book in Nigeria.

Background: Increasing noncommunicable diseases in Nigeria are partly related to dietary factors. However, the lack of validated nutrition assessment tools hinders the conduct of nutritional epidemiology research in this population. Objectives: To develop a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and Food Picture Book (FPB) for Nigerian adults, and to assess its reproducibility and validity compared with 24-h dietary recalls (24DRs) during different seasons in the year. Methods: We compiled 202 foods for the FFQ through focus groups and consultations with local dietitians. We created an FPB with standardized food portion images to enhance the accuracy of reports of dietary intakes. We administered the FFQs to 205 purposively selected adults in Ibadan, Nigeria at ∼6 monthly intervals between November 2018 and October 2020. We evaluated the FFQ's reproducibility and validity compared with 24DR across the dry and rainy seasons by examining the consumption of common food and mixed dishes. We computed the Spearman's correlation coefficients (SCC), intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and generated Bland and Altman plots. Results: Overall, we studied 110 women (53.7%) and 95 men (46.3%) with a mean age of 45.0 ± 13.4 y (mean ± SD). The reproducibility tests showed a mean ± SD SCC of 0.39 ± 0.14 and mean ± SD ICC of 0.32 ± 0.12. Higher mean ± SD SCC values were noted for cereal products (0.43 ± 0.09), starchy roots and tubers (0.45 ± 0.17), and soups (0.44 ± 0.20). Conversely, lower mean ± SD SCC values were observed for milk products (0.29 ± 0.02), solid fats (0.29 ± 0.26), and fish (0.22 ± 0.19). Regarding validity tests, the overall mean ± SD SCC was 0.27 ± 0.16 and mean ± SD ICC was 0.26 ± 0.16. We observed seasonal variations in intakes of fruits, cassava flour-based products, and nuts, although most foods did not show significant differences in intakes between seasons. Conclusions: Our FFQ and FPB demonstrated moderate correlations and seasonal variations in intakes of certain foods, emphasizing the need to account for seasonality in dietary intakes in nutritional studies in Nigeria and similar countries.

Correction: A Randomized Controlled Trial to Examine the Relationship Between Peer Mentoring for Physical Activity and Cardiometabolic Health.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.5334/joc.1268.].

SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV -2 cross-reactive antibodies in domestic animals and wildlife in Nigeria suggest circulation of sarbecoviruses.

Anthropogenic exposure of domestic animals, as well as wildlife, can result in zoonotic transmission events with known and unknown pathogens including sarbecoviruses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 infections in animals, most likely resulting from spill-over from humans, have been documented worldwide. However, only limited information is available for Africa. The anthropozoonotic transmission from humans to animals, followed by further inter- and intraspecies propagation may contribute to viral evolution, and thereby subsequently alter the epidemiological patterns of transmission. To shed light on the possible role of domestic animals and wildlife in the ecology and epidemiology of sarbecoviruses in Nigeria, and to analyze the possible circulation of other, undiscovered, but potentially zoonotic sarbecoviruses in animals, we tested 504 serum samples from dogs, rabbits, bats, and pangolins collected between December 2020 and April 2022. The samples were analyzed using an indirect multi-species enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV -2, respectively. ELISA reactive sera were further analyzed by highly specific virus neutralization test and indirect immunofluorescence assay for confirmation of the presence of antibodies. In this study, we found SARS-CoV reactive antibodies in 16 (11.5%) dogs, 7 (2.97%) rabbits, 2 (7.7%) pangolins and SARS-CoV-2 reactive antibodies in 20 (13.4%) dogs, 6 (2.5%) rabbits and 2 (7.7%) pangolins, respectively. Interestingly, 2 (2.3%) bat samples were positive only for SARS-CoV RBD reactive antibodies. These serological findings of SARS-CoV and/or SARS-CoV-2 infections in both domestic animals and wildlife indicates exposure to sarbecoviruses and requires further One Health-oriented research on the potential reservoir role that different species might play in the ecology and epidemiology of coronaviruses at the human-animal interface.

Association Between Cervical Inflammatory Mediators and Prevalent Cervical Human Papillomavirus Infection.

PURPOSE: Inflammatory mediators are important regulators of immune response and can modulate the inflammation caused by viral infections, including human papillomavirus (HPV). In this study, we evaluated the association between cervical immune mediators, including chemokines, cytokines, and growth factors with HPV infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used a nonmagnetic bead-based multiplex assay to determine 27 immune mediators in cervical secretions collected from 275 women in a prospective longitudinal cohort design. All the study participants were age 18 years or older, had a history of vaginal sexual intercourse, were not currently pregnant, and had no history of cervical disease or hysterectomy. RESULTS: The mean (±standard deviation) age of the participants was 41 (±8) years, and about half (51% [141/275]) were HPV-positive, of whom 7% (10/141) had low-risk HPV (lrHPV), 61% (86/141) had high-risk HPV (hrHPV), and 32% (45/141) had both lrHPV and hrHPV infections. Higher concentrations of some immune mediators were associated with HPV infections, including eotaxin, interferon-gamma, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-15, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1ß, regulated upon activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and any HPV; IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-7, IL-10, IL-12p70, and IL-13 and lrHPV; and eotaxin, interferon, IL-1B, IL-4, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-13, IL-15, MIP-1α, MIP-1ß, RANTES, TNF-α concentrations, and hrHPV infections. Higher concentrations of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) were associated with reduced odds of any HPV, while IL-1Ra and MCP-1 were associated with reduced odds of hrHPV infections. CONCLUSION: Several chemokines, cytokines, and growth factors are associated with group-specific HPV infections in this population of women. These important findings contribute to the understanding of the immune response to HPV, cytokine profiles and their potential implications for cervical pathogenesis, and can guide future research in this field.

Untargeted metabolomic profiling reveals molecular signatures associated with type 2 diabetes in Nigerians.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has reached epidemic proportions globally, including in Africa. However, molecular studies to understand the pathophysiology of T2D remain scarce outside Europe and North America. The aims of this study are to use an untargeted metabolomics approach to identify: (a) metabolites that are differentially expressed between individuals with and without T2D and (b) a metabolic signature associated with T2D in a population of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). METHODS: A total of 580 adult Nigerians from the Africa America Diabetes Mellitus (AADM) study were studied. The discovery study included 310 individuals (210 without T2D, 100 with T2D). Metabolites in plasma were assessed by reverse phase, ultra-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (RP)/UPLC-MS/MS methods on the Metabolon Platform. Welch's two-sample t-test was used to identify differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs), followed by the construction of a biomarker panel using a random forest (RF) algorithm. The biomarker panel was evaluated in a replication sample of 270 individuals (110 without T2D and 160 with T2D) from the same study. RESULTS: Untargeted metabolomic analyses revealed 280 DEMs between individuals with and without T2D. The DEMs predominantly belonged to the lipid (51%, 142/280), amino acid (21%, 59/280), xenobiotics (13%, 35/280), carbohydrate (4%, 10/280) and nucleotide (4%, 10/280) super pathways. At the sub-pathway level, glycolysis, free fatty acid, bile metabolism, and branched chain amino acid catabolism were altered in T2D individuals. A 10-metabolite biomarker panel including glucose, gluconate, mannose, mannonate, 1,5-anhydroglucitol, fructose, fructosyl-lysine, 1-carboxylethylleucine, metformin, and methyl-glucopyranoside predicted T2D with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.924 (95% CI: 0.845-0.966) and a predicted accuracy of 89.3%. The panel was validated with a similar AUC (0.935, 95% CI 0.906-0.958) in the replication cohort. The 10 metabolites in the biomarker panel correlated significantly with several T2D-related glycemic indices, including Hba1C, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and diabetes duration. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that metabolomic dysregulation associated with T2D in Nigerians affects multiple processes, including glycolysis, free fatty acid and bile metabolism, and branched chain amino acid catabolism. Our study replicated previous findings in other populations and identified a metabolic signature that could be used as a biomarker panel of T2D risk and glycemic control thus enhancing our knowledge of molecular pathophysiologic changes in T2D. The metabolomics dataset generated in this study represents an invaluable addition to publicly available multi-omics data on understudied African ancestry populations.

Genome, HLA and polygenic risk score analyses for prevalent and persistent cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infections.

Genetic variants that underlie susceptibility to cervical high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infections are largely unknown. We conducted discovery genome-wide association studies (GWAS), replication, meta-analysis and colocalization, generated polygenic risk scores (PRS) and examined the association of classical HLA alleles and cervical hrHPV infections in a cohort of over 10,000 women. We identified genome-wide significant variants for prevalent hrHPV around LDB2 and for persistent hrHPV near TPTE2, SMAD2, and CDH12, which code for proteins that are significantly expressed in the human endocervix. Genetic variants associated with persistent hrHPV are in genes enriched for the antigen processing and presentation gene set. HLA-DRB1*13:02, HLA-DQB1*05:02 and HLA-DRB1*03:01 were associated with increased risk, and HLA-DRB1*15:03 was associated with decreased risk of persistent hrHPV. The analyses of peptide binding predictions showed that HLA-DRB1 alleles that were positively associated with persistent hrHPV showed weaker binding with peptides derived from hrHPV proteins and vice versa. The PRS for persistent hrHPV with the best model fit, had a P-value threshold (PT) of 0.001 and a p-value of 0.06 (-log10(0.06) = 1.22). The findings of this study expand our understanding of genetic risk factors for hrHPV infection and persistence and highlight the roles of MHC class II molecules in hrHPV infection.

High-purified cannabidiol efficacy and safety in a cohort of adult patients with various types of drug-resistant epilepsies.

About 30% of patients with epilepsy are drug resistant. Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), Dravet syndrome (DS) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are diseases for which high-purified-cannabidiol (CBD) known as Epidiolex® (GW pharma) can be prescribed in add-on of other medications in case of drug-resistance. Currently, there are only a few recent data in the literature about the efficacy and safety of CBD in other forms of refractory epilepsies especially focal epilepsies in adults. We report retrospectively the experience of high-purified-CBD use in two French reference medical centers for epilepsy in various forms of drug-resistant epilepsy. We distinguished two groups of patients: group A with epileptic encephalopathies and group B with focal or multifocal epilepsy. Safety and efficacy (% of responder patients) were evaluated. Finally, 73 patients (51 in group A and 22 in group B) used high-purified CBD as an add-on treatment for their drug-resistant epilepsy. Patients in group A were significantly younger (P=0.0155), with a longer exposition of treatment (P=0.0497) than group B and with higher doses (P=0.0300). Respectively, 15 patients (29.4%) and five patients (22.7%) were responders during the follow-up period (P=0.552). The association with clobazam was more frequent in responders than in non-responder patients (16 patients [80%] versus four [20%]). The most frequent side effect was somnolence. At the end of follow-up, 15 patients in group A (29.4%) and nine patients in group B (40.1%) had stopped the high-purified-CBD treatment due to aggravation of seizure, absence of positive effects, or adverse events. This study showed no significant difference regarding the type of drug-resistant epilepsy and suggests that this treatment may be of interest for all types of drug-resistant epilepsy.

Association between Serum Folate and Vaginal High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infections in United States Women.

BACKGROUND: Serum concentration of folate was inversely associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer in some studies. The association between folate and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, a necessary cause of cervical cancer, has not been well elucidated. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated whether serum folate concentrations were associated with high-risk HPV (hrHPV) infection. METHODS: The study population was 11,801 females, aged 18-59 y, enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), from 2003 to 2016, in the United States. In this cross-sectional study, prevalence ratios (PRs) of vaginal hrHPV were calculated using logistic regression models, by quintiles of serum folate. RESULTS: Females in the lowest quintile had <21.3 nmol/L of folate. Approximately 23% of the females (2733/11,801) were hrHPV positive. In age-adjusted models, folate was significantly associated with hrHPV infection. The PRs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were (PR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.37, 1.70) for the first, (PR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.15, 1.44) for the second, (PR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.34) for the third, and (PR: 1.09; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.23) for the fourth quintiles, compared with the females in the highest quintile, with a significant P value for trend, <0.0001. The association remained statistically significant after the models were further adjusted for lifestyle and sexual risk factors for hrHPV infection; the females in the lowest quintile were more likely to have hrHPV infection than those in the highest quintile (PR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.53). CONCLUSIONS: Results from this sample of females in the United States suggest that serum folate concentration is inversely associated with hrHPV infection.

Population-based study of the reproductive risk factors for transvaginal ultrasound diagnosed uterine fibroids in Nigerian women.

There has been no previous systematic, epidemiological study of the reproductive risk factors for uterine fibroids (UF) in African populations despite African women having the highest burden of UF in the world. Improved knowledge of the associations between UF and reproductive factors would contribute to better understanding of the etiology of UF and may suggest novel opportunities for prevention and therapeutic interventions. We used nurse administered questionnaires to survey the demographic and reproductive risk factors of UF among 484 women who are members of the African Collaborative Center for Microbiome and Genomics Research (ACCME) Study Cohort in central Nigeria, and who had transvaginal ultrasound diagnosis (TVUS). We used logistic regression models to the evaluate associations between reproductive risk factors and UF, adjusted for significant covariates. In our multivariable logistic regression models, we found inverse associations with number of children (OR = 0.83, 95%CI = 0.74-0.93, p-value = 0.002), parity (OR = 0.41, 95%CI = 0.24-0.73, p-value = 0.002), history of any type of abortion (OR = 0.53, 95%CI = 0.35-0.82, p-value = 0.004), duration of use of Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA) (p-value for trend = 0.02), menopausal status (OR = 0.48, 95%CI = 0.27-0.84, p-value = 0.01), and a non-linear positive association with age (OR = 1.04, 95%CI = 1.01-1.07, p-value = 0.003). Other reproductive risk factors that have been reported in other populations (age at menarche and menopause, and oral contraceptives) were not associated with UF in this study. Our study confirms some of the reproductive risk factors for UF that have been found in other populations and shows that some of them are stronger in the Nigerian population. The associations we found with DMPA suggest opportunities for further research to understand the mechanisms of action of progesterone and its analogues in the etiology of UF, their potential use for prevention and treatment of UF.

Dataset for vaginal human papillomavirus infection among adolescent and early adult girls in Jos, Nigeria.

OBJECTIVES: To assess risk factors for HPV infection, determine knowledge about HPV vaccines, assess willingness to receive the HPV vaccine among adolescent and early adult girls in Nigeria, we administered a structured questionnaire. We also collected samples to determine the prevalence and patterns of HPV infections. DATA DESCRIPTION: The dataset contains the responses of 205 participants from 10 randomly selected public and private secondary schools in Jos, Nigeria. The data includes information on risk factors for HPV infections such as sexual behaviours, knowledge about HPV vaccine and willingness to receive the vaccine. This is valuable information that can be compared to data from studies in other environments or to determine changes in the pattern of risk factors and HPV prevalence in this population over time.

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Examine the Relationship Between Peer Mentoring for Physical Activity and Cardiometabolic Health.

Background: Studies examining the effect of peer mentoring on physical activity levels have been conducted in mostly elderly and young populations, and the results have been inconsistent. This study examined the impact of one-on-one peer mentoring on physical activity and cardiometabolic parameters in urban adults. Methods: The study participants were 353 overweight or obese adults residing in Abuja, Nigeria. They were randomized into two groups, peer-mentored (n = 128) and a control (n = 225) group. All the participants received nutritional counseling and were invited to attend instructor-led physical activity sessions each week for six months. Differences in the frequency, duration, and intensity of physical activity and cardiometabolic parameters, including body fat, muscle mass and lipids, were evaluated within and between the groups with t and rank sum tests. Results: At the end of the study period, the average time spent on physical activity increased significantly by 14% (p = 0.006), and the average time spent on vigorous physical activity increased by 99% (p = 0.003) compared to baseline for participants in the peer-mentored group. For those in the control group, the average time spent on physical activity decreased significantly by 7% (p = 0.03), while the average time spent on vigorous physical activity increased by 30%, but this was not statistically significant (p = 0.34). In both groups, there were significant improvements in the total cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoproteins and triglycerides levels, at the end of the study period, compared to baseline. Conclusions: In these overweight or obese adults, we observed that peer mentoring was positively associated with increased physical activity. Peer mentoring also holds great promise for improving cardiometabolic health and promoting a healthy lifestyle in adults.

The promise of data science for health research in Africa.

Data science health research promises tremendous benefits for African populations, but its implementation is fraught with substantial ethical governance risks that could thwart the delivery of these anticipated benefits. We discuss emerging efforts to build ethical governance frameworks for data science health research in Africa and the opportunities to advance these through investments by African governments and institutions, international funding organizations and collaborations for research and capacity development.

Population-based study of the reproductive risk factors for Transvaginal Ultrasound diagnosed Uterine Fibroids in Nigerian women.

Objective: There has been no previous systematic, epidemiological study of the reproductive risk factors for uterine fibroids (UF) in African populations despite African women having the highest burden of UF in the world. Improved knowledge of the associations between UF and reproductive factors would contribute to better understanding of the etiology of UF and may suggest novel opportunities for prevention and therapeutic interventions. Design: We used nurse administered questionnaires to survey the demographic and reproductive risk factors of UF among 484 women who are members of the African Collaborative Center for Microbiome and Genomics Research (ACCME) Study Cohort in central Nigeria, and who had transvaginal ultrasound diagnosis (TVUS). We used logistic regression models to the evaluate associations between reproductive risk factors and UF, adjusted for significant covariates. Results: In our multivariable logistic regression models, we found inverse associations with number of children (OR = 0.83, 95%CI = 0.74-0.93, p-value = 0.002), parity (OR = 0.41, 95%CI = 0.24-0.73, p-value = 0.02), history of any type of abortion (OR = 0.53, 95%CI = 0.35-0.82, p-value = 0.004), duration of use of Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA) (p-value for trend = 0.02), menopausal status (OR = 0.48, 95%CI = 0.27-0.84, p-value = 0.01), and a non-linear positive association with age (OR = 1.04, 95%CI = 1.01-1.07, p-value = 0.003). Other reproductive risk factors that have been reported in other populations (age at menarche and menopause, and oral contraceptives) were not associated with UF in this study. Conclusion: Our study confirms the reproductive risk factors for UF that have been found in other populations and shows that some of them are stronger in the Nigerian population. The associations we found with DMPA suggest opportunities for further research to understand the mechanisms of action of progesterone and its analogues in the etiology of UF, their potential use for prevention and treatment of UF.

Intranasal or airborne transmission-mediated delivery of an attenuated SARS-CoV-2 protects Syrian hamsters against new variants.

Detection of secretory antibodies in the airway is highly desirable when evaluating mucosal protection by vaccines against a respiratory virus, such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We show that intranasal delivery of an attenuated SARS-CoV-2 (Nsp1-K164A/H165A) induces both mucosal and systemic IgA and IgG in male Syrian hamsters. Interestingly, either direct intranasal immunization or airborne transmission-mediated delivery of Nsp1-K164A/H165A in Syrian hamsters offers protection against heterologous challenge with variants of concern (VOCs) including Delta, Omicron BA.1, BA.2.12.1 and BA.5. Vaccinated animals show significant reduction in both tissue viral loads and lung inflammation. Similarly attenuated viruses bearing BA.1 and BA.5 spike boost variant-specific neutralizing antibodies in male mice that were first vaccinated with modified vaccinia virus Ankara vectors (MVA) expressing full-length WA1/2020 Spike protein. Together, these results demonstrate that our attenuated virus may be a promising nasal vaccine candidate for boosting mucosal immunity against future SARS-CoV-2 VOCs.

Validation of self-report of uterine fibroid diagnosis using a transvaginal ultrasound scan.

Self-report of uterine fibroids (UF) has been used for epidemiologic research in different environments. Given the dearth of studies on the epidemiology of UF in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), it is valuable to evaluate its performance as a potential tool for much needed research on this common neoplasm in SSA women. We conducted a cross-sectional study of self-report of UF compared with transvaginal ultrasound diagnosis (TVUS) among 486 women who are members of the African Collaborative Center for Microbiome and Genomics Research (ACCME) Study Cohort in central Nigeria. We used log-binomial regression models to compute the classification, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of self-report compared to TVUS, adjusted for significant covariates. The prevalence of UF on TVUS was 45.1% (219/486) compared to 5.4% (26/486) based on self-report of abdominal ultrasound scan and 7.2% (35/486) based on report of healthcare practitioner's diagnosis. Self-report correctly classified 39.5% of the women compared to TVUS in multivariable adjusted models. The multivariable adjusted sensitivity of self-report of healthcare worker diagnosis was 38.8%, specificity was 74.5%, positive predictive value (PPV) was 55.6%, and negative predictive value (NPV) was 59.8%. For self-reported abdominal ultrasound diagnosis, the multivariable adjusted sensitivity was 40.6%, specificity was 75.3%, PPV was 57.4%, and NPV was 60.6%. Self-report significantly underestimates the prevalence of UF and is not accurate enough for epidemiological research on UF. Future studies of UF should use population-based designs and more accurate diagnostic tools such as TVUS.

Neutralizing and protective murine monoclonal antibodies to the hemagglutinin of influenza H5 clades 2.3.2.1 and 2.3.4.4.

BACKGROUND: Highly pathogenic avian H5 influenza viruses have spread and diversified genetically and antigenically into multiple clades and subclades. Most isolates of currently circulating H5 viruses are in clade 2.3.2.1 or 2.3.4.4. METHODS: Panels of murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were generated to the influenza hemagglutinin (HA) of H5 viruses from the clade 2.3.2.1 H5N1 vaccine virus A/duck/Bangladesh/19097/2013 and the clade 2.3.4.4 H5N8 vaccine virus A/gyrfalcon/Washington/41088-6/2014. Antibodies were selected and characterized for binding, neutralization, epitope recognition, cross-reactivity with other H5 viruses, and the ability to provide protection in passive transfer experiments. RESULTS: All mAbs bound homologous HA in an ELISA format; mAbs 5C2 and 6H6 were broadly binding for other H5 HAs. Potently neutralizing mAbs were identified in each panel, and all neutralizing mAbs provided protection in passive transfer experiments in mice challenged with a homologous clade influenza virus. Cross-reacting mAb 5C2 neutralized a wide variety of clade 2.3.2.1 viruses, as well as H5 viruses from other clades, and also provided protection against heterologous H5 clade influenza virus challenge. Epitope analysis indicated that the majority of mAbs recognized epitopes in the globular head of the HA. The mAb 5C2 appeared to recognize an epitope below the globular head but above the stalk region of HA. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that these H5 mAbs would be useful for virus and vaccine characterization. The results confirmed the functional cross-reactivity of mAb 5C2, which appears to bind a novel epitope, and suggest the therapeutic potential for H5 infections in humans with further development.

Dataset for Vaginal Human Papillomavirus infection among adolescent and early adult girls in Jos, Nigeria.

Objectives: To assess risk factors for HPV infection, determine knowledge about HPV vaccines, assess willingness to receive the HPV vaccine among adolescent and early adult girls in Nigeria, we administered a structured questionnaire. We also collected samples to determine the prevalence and patterns of HPV infections. Data description: The dataset contains the responses of 205 participants from 10 randomly selected public and private secondary schools in Jos, Nigeria. The data includes information on risk factors for HPV infections such as sexual behaviours, knowledge about HPV vaccine and willingness to receive the vaccine. This is valuable information that can be compared to data from studies in other environments or to determine changes in the pattern of risk factors and HPV prevalence in this population over time.

Distinct in vitro and in vivo neutralization profiles of monoclonal antibodies elicited by the receptor binding domain of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2.

Broadly neutralizing antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants are sought to curb coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections. Here we produced and characterized a set of mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD). Two of them, 17A7 and 17B10, were highly potent in microneutralization assay with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) ≤135 ng/mL against infectious SARS-CoV-2 variants, including G614, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Kappa, Lambda, B.1.1.298, B.1.222, B.1.5, and R.1. Both mAbs (especially 17A7) also exhibited strong in vivo efficacy in protecting K18-hACE2 transgenic mice from the lethal infection with G614, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta viruses. Structural analysis indicated that 17A7 and 17B10 target the tip of the receptor binding motif in the RBD-up conformation. A third RBD-reactive mAb (3A6) although escaped by Beta and Gamma, was highly effective in cross-neutralizing Delta and Omicron BA.1 variants in vitro and in vivo. In competition experiments, antibodies targeting epitopes similar to these 3 mAbs were rarely enriched in human COVID-19 convalescent sera or postvaccination sera. These results are helpful to inform new antibody/vaccine design and these mAbs can be useful tools for characterizing SARS-CoV-2 variants and elicited antibody responses.

EGFR and HER2 expression in cervical cancer patients in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in developing countries, including Nigeria where it is the second most common female malignancy. Studies from elsewhere have demonstrated the relationship between epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and advanced cervical cancer. However, we are not aware of such studies in Nigerian patients. The main objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of EGFR or HER1 and HER2 protein expression in cervical cancers and to determine their impact on overall survival. Clinical data and formalin-embedded tissue blocks of 124 patients who presented in the Radiation Oncology Department, University College Hospital (UCH), from 2006 to 2015 and had their histological diagnosis at the Pathology Department, UCH were retrieved and analysed for EGFR and HER2 expression using immunohistochemistry. EGFR expression was analysed using the immunoreactivity score by Remmele and Stegner. HER2 was analysed using the Hercep® test kit guidelines. Survival analysis was done using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis. Missing data were reported as missing, not documented. EGFR (immunoreactivity score > 4) was overexpressed in 26.6% of the 124 cervical tissue samples tested. Most patients whose samples were positive for EGFR were young, had squamous cell carcinoma and advanced diseases. HER2 was overexpressed in two samples (1.6%). The 5-year overall survival rate of the patients was 28.3%. The 5-year survival rate of patients who were EGFR positive was 9.5% and 34.1% for those who were EGFR negative. Screening for EGFR should be considered in cervical cancer patients. HER2 was overexpressed in two cervical tissue samples in this study and may be of poor interest as a potential target in the management of cervical cancer patients. Large prospective multi-institutional studies should be considered to further explore the relationship between EGFR and survival in cervical cancer patients.

Gas puff imaging on the TCV tokamak.

We present the design and operation of a suite of Gas Puff Imaging (GPI) diagnostic systems installed on the Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV) for the study of turbulence in the plasma edge and Scrape-Off-Layer (SOL). These systems provide the unique ability to simultaneously collect poloidal 2D images of plasma dynamics at the outboard midplane, around the X-point, in both the High-Field Side (HFS) and Low-Field Side (LFS) SOL, and in the divertor region. We describe and characterize an innovative control system for deuterium and helium gas injection, which is becoming the default standard for the other gas injections at TCV. Extensive pre-design studies and the different detection systems are presented, including an array of avalanche photodiodes and a high-speed CMOS camera. First results with spatial and time resolutions of up to ≈2 mm and 0.5 µs, respectively, are described, and future upgrades of the GPI diagnostics for TCV are discussed.