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Maintenance of gastrointestinal health is challenging as it requires balancing multifaceted processes within the highly complex and dynamic ecosystem of the gastrointestinal tract. Disturbances within this vibrant environment can have detrimental consequences, including the onset of gastrointestinal cancers. Globally, gastrointestinal cancers account for ~19% of all cancer cases and ~22.5% of all cancer-related deaths. Developing new ways to more readily detect and more efficiently target these malignancies are urgently needed. Whereas members of the tumour microenvironment, such as immune cells and fibroblasts, have already been in the spotlight as key players of cancer initiation and progression, the importance of the nervous system in gastrointestinal cancers has only been highlighted in the past few years. Although extrinsic innervations modulate gastrointestinal cancers, cells and signals from the gut's intrinsic innervation also have the ability to do so. Here, we shed light on this thriving field and discuss neural influences during gastrointestinal carcinogenesis. We focus on the interactions between neurons and components of the gastrointestinal tract and tumour microenvironment, on the neural signalling pathways involved, and how these factors affect the cancer hallmarks, and discuss the neural signatures in gastrointestinal cancers. Finally, we highlight neural-related therapies that have potential for the management of gastrointestinal cancers.

Castor seeds were processed and the oil was extracted from the paste by cold pressing and the yield obtained was 42.80%. Moisture content of 4.38% was found. The crude oil was obtained as clear, viscous, pale-yellow liquid. of crude castor oil with methanol to produce in the presence of calcium oxide (CaO) as a catalyst was carried out. This study the fuel properties of ; the FTIR spectrum for the revealed the functional groups with characteristics bands, C=O, (CH2) n-, C-O, C=C, OH and C-H in the spectrum. From the result of the FTIR and GC-MS, the methyl ester groups present in the produced was determined and 9-Octadecenoic acid-12-hydroxy- methyl ester was identified as the most abundant compound in the which have all the functional groups as revealed by the FTIR. The experimental design as well as statistical analysis were done and using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) design expert 12.0 version software which was also used for the optimization of the three process parameters. The optimum conditions for production were a reaction temperature of 620C, methanol to oil ratio of 11:1 and a catalyst of 3.5 of oil at 1hour. The content under these optimum conditions was 54%. R2 value of 0.9996 was obtained showing good fitting

Nigeria, via the use of Hydrocarbon Reforming technologies, can create a unique link between its existing & planned petroleum projects and Hydrogen production; Clean Hydrogen will be produced from Petroleum fields, water resulting from hydrogen combustion could also be produced for host communities and climate change will be mitigated. This interdisciplinary paper identifies technologies that could be used to produce hydrogen from petroleum fields / refineries, facilitating cleaner energy generation. A one-stop document that could facilitate collaborative hydrogen-petroleum investments, translating into the reduction of carbon emissions and energy poverty. A comparative analysis between technologies is carried out, insinuating solutions that could be quickly deployed. The document narrates the logical journey of energy to hydrogen. There has been no societal development without energy. The manufacturing industries, health sector, employment etc. are all dependent on energy utilisation. Multiple literature has directly linked a nation's standard of living to the availability of energy; thus, nations are always focused on increasing energy utilisation. The utilisation of hydrocarbons (petroleum, coal etc.) has been the driving force for different nations and epochs (industrial revolution, digital revolution etc). Currently, a novel mentality is gaining massive traction; the energy source being utilised should have minimal effects on the environment, irrelevant of its energy density. Strong scientific evidence exists pointing to hydrocarbons as the major cause of climate change. Therefore, efforts are constantly exerted in transitioning to cleaner energy sources. Albeit climate change and its devastating effects, Nigeria and some other nations also face the unique battle of fighting energy poverty. It is important to note that countries that currently consume the most energy (China, Japan, US etc.) are still developing projects associated with hydrocarbons, although also exerting efforts towards cleaner energy sources. Nigeria needs energy solutions that take into cognisance its political environment, high degree of energy poverty and obviously, climate change. The Nigerian government has initiated a drive aimed at developing gas and petroleum refining infrastructure over the years; Hydrogen generation could be inculcated into these policies, thus mitigating climate change, yet also increasing energy availability. Subsequent to the extraction and processing of hydrocarbons, it is then refined or reformed into a variety of products such as gasoline, diesel etc. These are then burnt in engines, producing energy and undesirable emissions responsible for climate change. Whilst hydrogen could be utilized in cars, without producing undersirable emissions. Hydrogen could be fuel that changes the dynamics of the petroleum sector, via a collaborative approach.

Ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE) process increases the rate of extraction, the yield of extracted components and reduces extraction time. The high sensitivity of GC-MS/MS provides reliable identification of phytoconstituents present in a plant extract. This research is to develop an easy and effective method for the extraction and analysis of phytochemicals in C. singueana, C. sieberiana, C. tora and C. occidentalis using UAE and GC-MS/MS techniques. The crude extracts obtained from the four Cassia species under UAE conditions of 50 mins extraction time, 50 oC extraction temperature and 20 mL/g solvent to sample ratio were analyzed using GC-MS/MS. Thirty-four compounds were identified by comparison of their mass spectra with those in the National Institute of Standards and Technology library, requiring at least 80% similarity. These compounds comprise fatty acids, fatty alcohol, carboxylic acid, long-chain alkanes, diterpenes, triterpenes, sterols and anthraquinones. n-Hexadecanoic acid and phytol were identified in all the Cassia species while anthraquinone was detected only from the methanol extracts of C. tora and C. occidentalis. The bioactivities reported in the literature for these compounds corroborate with the phytoconstituents identified in these plants and support the ethnomedicinal uses of these Cassia species.

Background: The enteric nervous system (ENS) is an extensive neural network embedded in the wall of the gastrointestinal tract that regulates digestive function and gastrointestinal homeostasis. The ENS consists of two main cell types; enteric neurons and enteric glial cells. In vitro techniques allow simplified investigation of ENS function, and different culture methods have been developed over the years helping to understand the role of ENS cells in health and disease. Purpose: This review focuses on summarizing and comparing available culture protocols for the generation of primary ENS cells from adult mice, including dissection of intestinal segments, enzymatic digestions, surface coatings, and culture media. In addition, the potential of human ENS cultures is also discussed.

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.The aim of this study is to identify the clinical predictors of mortality among patients with COVID-19 pneumonia during first and second waves in a treatment center in northwestern Nigeria.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of 195 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between April 2020 to March 2021 at a designated COVID-19 isolation center in Kano State, Northwest Nigeria. Data were summarized using frequencies and percentages. Unadjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals and p-values were obtained. To determine independent determinants of mortality, we performed a stepwise multivariate logistic regression model.ResultsOf 195 patients studied, 21(10.77%) patients died. Males comprised 158 (81.03%) of the study population. In the adjusted stepwise logistic regression analysis, age>64 years (OR = 9.476, 95% CI: 2.181–41.165), second wave of the pandemic (OR = 49.340, 95% CI:6.222–391.247), cardiac complications (OR = 24.984, 95% CI: 3.618–172.508), hypertension (OR = 5.831, 95% CI:1.413–24.065) and lowest systolic blood pressure while on admission greater than or equal to 90mmHg were independent predictors of mortality (OR = 0.111, 95%CI: 0.021–0.581).ConclusionStrategies targeted to prioritize needed care to patients with identified factors that predict mortality might improve patient outcome.

Loss of conventional NPK fertilizer in low fertility soils not only reduces profit and pollutes ground and surface water but also causes indirect land-use change. Addition of pure biochar to low fertility soil generally improves crop yield and mitigates climate change but requires added value to be viable. This study aims to establish whether industrially produced oil palm kernel shell (OPKS) biochar impregnated with NH4NO3 and KH2PO4 can release nutrients similar to commercially available slow release fertilizer (Agroblen). Impregnation was carried out via soaking for 21 h with a fertilizer-to-OPKS biochar ratio of 25:75 (w/w) followed by oven-drying until constant weight. Distilled water was added to the leaching column containing quartz sand and the impregnated OPKS biochar, soaked for 1 h before collecting the leachate for spectrophotometric analysis. Agroblen was used as positive and OPKS biochar as negative control. Leaching experiments showed that impregnated OPKS biochar had the greatest nutrient release (NO3− was 52.9%, 77.4% for NH3 and 55.2% for PO4) followed by positive and negative control. The carbon sequestration potential of OPKS biochar was estimated to be 0.398 tonnes CO2 per tonne biomass making it a suitable candidate for climate change mitigation and carbon credit trading further research into the impregnation of NP fertilizer on OPKS biochar with suitable coatings is required to improve its nutrient release.

Sickle cell disease is often complicated by retinopathy, which can be proliferative or non proliferative. Proliferative sickle cell retinopathy potentially leads to blindness. There is a paucity of data on sickle cell disease-related retinopathy from Africa, where the disease is most prevalent. We aimed to determine the clinical, ophthalmic, and laboratory predictors of sickle cell retinopathy in an African population. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 262 participants, aged 13 years and above, with sickle cell disease. Demographic and clinical data were collected using a structured questionnaire and standard physical examinations. Vitreo-retinal specialists performed eye examinations on all the participants. Hematological and biochemical assessments were conducted using standard methods. A multivariate stepwise forward logistic regression was performed to determine the predictors of retinopathy. The median age of the participants was 20 years (interquartile range: 17-25 years). Most of the participants had a homozygous Hb S (HBB: c.20A>T) genotype (96.9%), with 3.1% who carried a Hb S/Hb C (HBB: c.19G>A) genotype. The prevalence of non proliferative sickle cell retinopathy was 24.4%. Only 1.9% had proliferative sickle cell retinopathy (PSCR). Elevated systolic blood pressure (BP) [odds ratio (OR): 6.85, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.05-44.45, p = 0.059], moderate visual impairment (OR: 5.2, 95% CI: 1.39-19.63, p = 0.015), and anterior segment changes (OR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.19-4.13, p = 0.012) were independently predictive of retinopathy. This study provides new insight into predictors of retinopathy in sickle cell disease, with implications on early screening and prevention.

Biodiesel was produced from neem seed oil via a two-step process of esterification and transesterififcation reactions. The transesterification was carried out using CH3ONa as catalyst with ethanol as the alcohol. The reaction temperature was varied between 30, 40, 50, 60, and 700C, while all other process parameters were kept constant. From the results obtained, a significant change in biodiesel yield (73-79%) from 30-50oC temperatures was observed. At a temperature of 60oC, a good yield of 94% was obtained which was observed at a temperature below the boiling point of the alcohol used. At 70oC biodiesel yield of 67% was obtained; this indicates a drop in biodiesel yield. Further flash point of 149.60C indicated that the biodiesel produced is within the specification of ASTM D6751. Also, the high value of flash point indicated that the fuel is safe for handling as it exceeds the minimun ASTM requirement (130min). It is worthy to mention that other properties such as viscosity, pour point and cloud point etc investigated also presented good values which were within ASTM D6751. The formation of biodiesel was confirmed by FT-IR analysis. The conversion of the ester functional group into methyl esters in biodiesel verified the success of the reaction.

Biodiesel is defined as mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats, which conform to ASTM D6751 specifications for use in diesel engines. Fuel-grade biodiesel must be produced to strict industry specifications in order to ensure proper performance. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. From the production and characterization of biodiesel via the alkaline transesterification of coconut oil using different concentrations homogeneous catalyst (sodium hydroxide), oil to methanol molar ratio of 1:6, reaction temperature of 550C and reaction time of 60 min. Biodiesel can serve as a potential feedstock for the production of biodiesel owing to its high conversion rate and relatively low FFA content. At a catalyst concentration of 1%w/w oil NaOH catalyst, optimum yield of up to 96% was achieved. It is interesting to note that the viscosity of the biodiesel obtained falls within the limit as specified by ASTM D445 (2003). A flash point of 154.2 was obtained for the coconut biodiesel. This shows that the biodiesel is safe for handling as the flash point exceeds the minimum stipulated by the ASTM (93min). The transformation of the triglycerides present in most oils into methyl ester was confirmed by FT-IR studied. Further investigation regarding the profile of the acid methyl esters present in the oil was confirmed using GC-MS analysis.

International audience; Modeling colorectal cancer (CRC) using organoids has burgeoned in the last decade, providing enhanced in vitro models to study the development and possible treatment options for this type of cancer. In this review, we describe both normal and CRC intestinal organoid models and their utility in the cancer research field. Besides highlighting studies that develop epithelial CRC organoid models, i.e. organoids without tumor microenvironment (TME) cellular components, we emphasize on the need for TME in CRC modeling, to help reduce translational disparities in this area. Also, we discuss the utilization of CRC organoids derived from pluripotent stem cells, as well as their potential to be used in cancer research. Finally, limitations and challenges in the current CRC organoids field, are discussed.

Significance: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive age-related lung disease with a median survival of only 3 years after diagnosis. The pathogenic mechanisms behind IPF are not clearly understood, and current therapeutic approaches have not been successful in improving disease outcomes. Recent Advances: IPF is characterized by increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), primarily by NADPH oxidases (NOXes) and mitochondria, as well as altered antioxidant defenses. Recent studies have identified the NOX isoform NOX4 as a key player in various important aspects of IPF pathology. In addition, mitochondrial dysfunction is thought to enhance pathological features of IPF, in part by increasing mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) production and altering cellular metabolism. Recent findings indicate reciprocal interactions between NOX enzymes and mitochondria, which affect regulation of NOX activity as well as mitochondrial function and mtROS production, and collectively promote epithelial injury and profibrotic signaling. Critical Issues and Future Directions: The precise molecular mechanisms by which ROS from NOX or mitochondria contribute to IPF pathology are not known. This review summarizes the current knowledge with respect to the various aspects of ROS imbalance in the context of IPF and its proposed roles in disease development, with specific emphasis on the importance of inappropriate NOX activation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and the emerging evidence of NOX–mitochondria cross-talk as important drivers in IPF pathobiology.

Internationally, one of the most widely adopted criteria for determining the jurisdictional basis of a state’s taxing power is that of the taxpayer’s “residence”, “principal residence” or “ordinary residence”. However, statutory definitions often complicate these concepts, as is the case in Nigeria, and it is common for relief to be granted where the application of these criteria would expose the taxpayer in question to tax on the same income in more than one tax jurisdiction. In Nigeria, the determination of the residence of taxable persons involves the application of statutory criteria and moreover, the legislation makes it necessary to locate residence within a particular state of Nigeria. In the interpretation of the statutory criteria, precedence is given to decisions of the Nigerian courts.

Foaming problem which occurred occasionally during food waste (FW) anaerobic digestion (AD) was investigated with the Malaysian FW by stepwise increase in organic loading (OL) from 0.5 to 7.5 g VS/L. The FW feedstock with carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 17 was upgraded to C/N ratio of 26 and 30 by mixing with other wastes. The digestion which was carried out at 37 °C in 1-L batch reactors showed that foam formation initiated at OL of 1.5 g VS/L and was further enhanced as OL of feedstock was increased. The digestion foaming reached its maximum at OL of 5.5 g VS/L and did not increase further even when OL was increased to 7.5 g VS/Ld. Increase in the C/N ratio of feedstock significantly enhanced the microbial degradation activity, leading to better removal of foam causing intermediates and reduced foaming in the reactor by up to 60 %.

Cordia africana (Boraginaceae) is a tree used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation related conditions and infectious diseases. This study was undertaken with the objectives of establishing the scavenging effect of extracts and fractions of Codia africana on the mediator of inflammation Lipoxygenases (LOX), and some non-biological free radicals such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), the [2, 2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] (ABTS) radicals and the Ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). Antimicrobial activities, total phenolics/flavonoids and cytotoxicity of extracts of Codia africana were also evaluated. Extracts were obtained by maceration. Anti-inflammatory activity was determined using a LOX-inhibitor screening assay kit according to the manufacturer's instructions. A broth serial micro dilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and Mycobacterium species. The antioxidant activity was determined using free-radical-scavenging assays, and the 3-(4,5- dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide reduction assay was used for cytotoxicity. Both the extracts of C. africana inhibited LOX enzyme. The most active being the methanol extract of the bark with IC50 value of 55 ± 0.9 μg/ml. Both the extracts of C. africana, had excellent to weak antimicrobial activites (MICs ranging from 32 to 1024 μg/ml) against bacteria. All the extracts had significant (P< 0.05) free-radical scavenging activity (IC50 ranging from 6.79 ± 0.07 to 331.98 ± 0.07 μg/ml). There was a positive correlation between the antioxidant activity and the total flavonoid and total phenolic contents of Cordia africana. The cytotoxicity on Vero cells was low with LC50 of 81.79 ± 13.31 and 99.67 ± 16.10 μg/ml. The results support the use of C. africana leaves in traditional medicine to treat inflammation related conditions and infectious diseases.Keywords: Cordia Africana, Inflammation, antibacterial, antioxidant, total flavonoid.

Background: Quantitative and qualitative abnormalities of platelets are common among patients with malaria infection, and these correlate with severity. Few studies documented platelet changes in uncomplicated malaria in the endemic regions. This study aimed to describe the changes in platelet counts (PLTs) and automated platelet indices in uncomplicated malaria infection in a Nigerian population. Materials and Methods: This is a comparative cross-sectional study of 152 patients presenting with symptoms of uncomplicated malaria to the general outpatient Department of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. Malaria diagnosis was made using gold-standard microscopy of Giemsa-stained thick blood smear, while PLTs and indices (mean platelet volume [MPV], plateletcrit [PCT], platelet distribution width [PDW] and platelet-large cell ratio [P-LCR]) were determined using automated haematology analyser. Data were analysed using STATA v13 and results presented in descriptive terms. P =0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There were more female 8 (51.3%) than male 74 (48.7%) patients. A total of 84 patients (55.3%) were malaria positive. The prevalence of malaria-positive smears was higher in males 48 (31.6%) and among the age groups of 5–14 and 15–24 years (13.8% each). Thrombocytopenia was seen in 15 (19.7%) and 2 (2.6%) of malaria-positive and malaria-negative individuals, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Platelet indices reveal significant differences in the MPV (P = 0.0016) and P-LCR (P = 0.0265) between malaria-positive and malaria-negative patients. Although both lower mean PLT and PCT, and higher PDW were found in malaria-positive than in malaria-negative individuals, this difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that abnormalities in PLT and indices are more common among patients with an acute febrile illness who are malaria positive than those who are malaria negative.

In this paper, we introduce a new iterative scheme by a hybrid method and prove a strong convergence theorem of a common element in the set of fixed points of a finite family of closed quasi-Bregman strictly pseudocontractive mappings and common solutions to a system of equilibrium problems in reflexive Banach space. Our results extend important recent results announced by many authors. MSC:47H09, 47J25.

The increasing incidence of the twin evils of corruption and insecurity in Nigeria in spite of efforts made bysuccessive administrations aimed at reducing their tide have been issues of public concern. The major objectiveof this paper is to identify the causes of corruption and insecurity in Nigeria between 2001 – 2010 and examinethe relationship between the two. The research design is content analyses of secondary data from TransparencyInternational for corruption and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation for data on insecurity. The data has been presentedin tables and analysed using percentages and averages. The Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient was usedin testing the hypothesis postulated. The major cause of insecurity in Nigeria is corruption and failure ofgovernance to achieve the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy as contained in theConstitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Others are greed by insurgent groups and the proliferation ofweapons. The study revealed that there exist a perfect correlation between corruption and insecurity in Nigeriaand that greed by insurgent groups and corruption by public officials caused deprivation, alienation, conflict andinsecurity in Nigeria. The study recommends for improvement in the quality of governance in order to reduce theincidence of corruption and insecurity in Nigeria.