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    Evaluation of Fire Safety Management Strategies in Selected Shopping Malls in Abuja, Nigeria
    (F1000Research, 2025-04) Sholanke Anthony Babatunde; Dimuna K. O.; Olukayode B. G.
    Background Incessant incidences have led to losses of several lives and huge investments in many developing countries, particularly Nigeria. This study evaluated fire safety management strategies of selected shopping malls in the city of Abuja, Nigeria in order to identify specific areas that require improvement. Methods The research adopted a case study approach and analysis of data through qualitative means. An observation guide designed for the study was used to collect data. The data were content analysed and the findings reported in themes with the aid of tables and photographs to enhance clarity and understanding. Results The result revealed that the efficacy of active fire safety strategies of the shopping malls exhibited various levels of inadequacies. Fire prevention devices such as sprinklers, smoke detectors and drenchers were either not provided or sparsely provided. The prevalent firemitigation devices found in the malls were fire extinguishers and fire buckets, which are grossly inadequate to prevent the rapid spread of large-scale fire. The passive fire safety measures of the malls also exhibited some levels of inadequacies. The study underscored the need for fire safety strategies in public buildings, particularly largescale commercial structures with high capacity of users, to be adequately provided and managed in adherence to standard practice and building code requirements. Conclusion The study recommends that building professionals should adapt innovative means to mitigate fire risk in the planning and development of commercial buildings. Also, making provisions to accommodate impulsive human behaviour during times of chaos should be a primary design consideration for building designers. The study emphasizes the need for further attention and improvement in fire safety management strategies implementation in commercial buildings, especially large-scale public facilities such as shopping malls, in order to appreciably guide against the devastating effect of fire in case of an occurrence.
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    Frequency Of BRCA1 Polymorphisms (rs799917 and rs1799966) Among Nigerian Breast Cancer Patients
    (Covenant University Ota, 2025-03) OGUNNIYI, OLUWABUSAYO BUNMI; Covenant University, Dissertation
    Breast cancer (BCa) is the most diagnosed malignancy among women worldwide, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases and 666,103 deaths recorded in 2022. In Nigeria, BCa remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women, accounting for 32,278 (25.3%) new cases and 16,322 (20.5%) deaths in 2022. Breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) is a tumour suppressor gene involved in DNA damage repair, cell cycle regulation, and maintenance of genome stability. Studies suggest that genetic factors, such as Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) in the BRCA1 genes, play a pivotal role in the development of cancers. The BRCA1 gene harbors specific SNPs within its coding sequence, including rs799917 and rs1799966. These SNPs interfere with the interaction between BRCA1 mRNA and miR-638, significantly decreasing BRCA1 expression among individuals carrying these variants. Several studies have reported correlations between BRCA1 polymorphisms rs799917 and rs1799966 with the risk of BCa. However, this relationship remains controversial. This study assesses the frequency of BRCA1 rs799917 and rs1799966 polymorphisms and their association with BCa in Nigeria. The case-control study included 500 BCa patients and 200 paired healthy controls. TaqMan genotyping assay was used to determine the genotypes of rs799917 and rs1799966 polymorphisms. Using logistic regression and Pearson's chi-square test, a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was identified in the genotype frequencies. The G allele of rs799917(p= 0.017; OR: 1.39) showed significant associations with the risk of breast cancer in Nigeria and, while globally reported as the wild-type allele, is observed as the variant allele in our population. The C Allele of rs1799966 confers a protective risk against breast cancer. Further study should focus on functional genomics to evaluate the interaction between miR-638 and the mRNA in individuals carrying this SNP, particularly in the Nigerian population. Keywords: breast