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Synergistic properties usually produce combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. Hence, this paper assessed the synergistic effect of cow dung, goat droppings and poultry manure wastes for bioremediation of naphthalene, chrysene and pyrene in a crude oil-impacted soil at an experimental plot in a botanical garden, located at Abia State University, Nigeria, using appropriate standard methods. The result of the study showed about 96%, 93% and 90% removal of naphthalene, pyrene and chrysene respectively. This is in contrast with about <25% removal for the three contaminants using the natural attenuation method. It could also be seen that the amendment agents when combined performed better than when used singly, this shows that the combination of the animal manures has a synergistic effect on the removal of PAHs in a crude oil-impacted soil. The use of various animal wastes as supplements promotes microbial growth, accelerates the breakdown of contaminants, and improves soil fertility. In addition, combining multiple animal wastes produces a synergistic effect, leading to improved removal efficiency. This result highlights the potential of using a combination of animal wastes as an effective and sustainable strategy to remediate oil-contaminated PAH-contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Australian guidelines recommend that people aged 50–70 years consider taking low-dose aspirin to reduce their risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Aim: To determine the effect of a consultation with a researcher before an appointment in general practice using a decision aid presenting the benefits and harms of taking low-dose aspirin compared with a general CRC prevention brochure on patients' informed decision making and low-dose aspirin use. Design and setting: Individually randomised controlled trial in six general practices in Victoria, Australia, from October 2020 to March 2021. Method: Participants were recruited from a consecutive sample of patients aged 50–70 years attending a GP. The intervention was a consultation using a decision aid to discuss taking aspirin to reduce CRC risk while control consultations discussed reducing CRC risk generally. Self-reported co-primary outcomes were the proportion of individuals making informed choices about taking aspirin at 1 month and on low-dose aspirin uptake at 6 months, respectively. The intervention effect was estimated using a generalised linear model and reported with Bonferroni-adjusted 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and P-values. Results: A total of 261 participants (86% of eligible patients) were randomised into trial arms (n = 129 intervention; n = 132 control). Of these participants, 17.7% (n = 20/113) in the intervention group and 7.6% (n = 9/118) in the control group reported making an informed choice about taking aspirin at 1 month, an estimated 9.1% (95% CI = 0.29 to 18.5) between-arm difference in proportions (odds ratio [OR] 2.47, 97.5% CI = 0.94 to 6.52, P = 0.074). The proportions of individuals who reported taking aspirin at 6 months were 10.2% (n = 12/118) of the intervention group versus 13.8% (n = 16/116) of the control group, an estimated between-arm difference of −4.0% (95% CI = −13.5 to 5.5; OR 0.68 [97.5% CI = 0.27 to 1.70, P = 0.692]). Conclusion: The decision aid improved informed decision making but this did not translate into long-term regular use of aspirin to reduce CRC risk. In future research, decision aids should be delivered alongside various implementation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical properties of agricultural products are essential in designing machines, equipment, and systems for efficient processing operations. Two periwinkle varieties, viz Tympanotonus fuscatus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Pachymelania aurita O. F. Müller, 1774, were utilised in this study to investigate and determine their physical properties relevant to the design of efficient processing equipment. The geometric (axial dimensions, mean diameters, surface area, sphericity, aspect ratio) and gravimetric (bulk and true densities, mass, and porosity) properties were measured. The averages for the major diameter, arithmetic mean diameter, geometrical mean diameter, and surface area were highest in the T. fuscatus variety. In contrast, the minor diameter, sphericity, and aspect ratio were highest in the P. aurita variety. The average bulk and true densities, porosity, and average periwinkle weight for T. fuscatus were higher than the P. aurita variety. Tukey's pairwise comparison analysis carried out on all the physical properties of the T. fuscatus, and P. aurita varieties of the periwinkle shells revealed a statistically significant difference at P < 5%.

An in-depth knowledge on variations in soil heat transfer under different land uses is essential for proper understanding of the variations in thermal energy transfer under different human activities and modifications on land. This paper presents an investigation on the variations in soil heat transfer under different land use types in Abia State. This study evaluates three land use types: forest land (FL), continuously cultivated land (CC) and excavation site (EX). The parameters investigated in this study include; particle size distribution, bulk density, volumetric moisture content, atmospheric temperature, soil temperature, soil thermal conductivity, soil heat flux, soil volumetric heat capacity and soil thermal diffusivity. The results show that the different land use types studied influenced the soil heat energy transfer and had a significant effect on soil thermal properties. The results revealed that excavation site recorded the highest soil bulk density (1.70 Mg m-3) and soil temperature (42.6oC) while forest land recorded the lowest bulk density (1.36 Mg m-3) and soil temperature (30.3oC). The transmission of heat through a unit length of soil per unit cross-sectional area (2.476 W mk-1) was higher in forest land than the other land use types studied. Soil under continuously cultivated land recorded the highest volumetric heat capacity (1.407 J (m3K)-1). This study will help farmers and land owners in terms of choice and management of different land use types for agricultural and industrial purposes.

The study involves the use of periwinkle shell particles as reinforcement in the production of grindstone to meliorate its physical and mechanical properties. The assessment of the properties of the periwinkle shell reinforced concrete grindstone showed that reinforcement yielded several promising results. The compressive strength was higher for samples with lower water/cement ratio (7%) than those with higher water/cement ratio (10%). The introduction of concrete that contains periwinkle shells as fine aggregates resulted in the loss of smooth like appearance and reduction in weight. The loss of its smooth like nature introduces the rough nature which improved its functionality. The reinforced sample had the lowest hardness test and in hardness test the lower the number the higher the hardness. There was an increase in the density after absorption test was carried out on specimens. There was also reduction in production cost with periwinkle shells partial replacement of cement and gravel as fine aggregate. The composite was adequate for grindstone production since its sample has a compressive of 18.15Mpa and thus satisfied MOR requirements of 11.5 MPa for general purpose boards.

IEEE 802.11 Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is becoming the prevailing technology for the broad band wireless Internet access. However, IEEE 802.11 WLAN has been discovered to be naturally weak in supporting the mobility of mobile host (MH) when there is no traffic to be served for the MHs. Quite a number of commendable works have been done to introduce paging in WLAN and, thereby properly manage scarce network resources such as bandwidth and power. In this work, the authors consider it pertinent to go a step further and design a paging algorithm for campus WLAN, which will take advantage of the unique campus setting and activities. We, therefore, propose a User-Activity Dependent Paging Scheme (UADPS) in a Multi-Cell Campus WLAN Environment; a paging algorithm that considers mobile devices in a multi cell WLAN. This is because we believe that such algorithm will not only be simple to implement, but will make a great positive impact on resource savings for on-campus WLAN users. Results obtained shows that the UADPS utilizes less network resources in searching for an MH when compared to the IEEE 802.11 power save mode algorithm.

This study assessed the level of compliance of Nigerian small-scale metal fabrication workshops to the provisions of Occupational Health and Safety Regulations in order to ascertain the major causes of incessant accidents in this sector. Descriptive statistical tools were used to compare the safety practices in forty-four small scale metal fabrication workshops sampled from Nigeria to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (O.H.S.R) for metal fabrication workplace under the ‘FOUR Ps’(Premises, Plant and Materials, Procedures and People). Results revealed 3.86% and 84.09% as the mean availability/usage and non-availability of appropriate protective equipment in these workshops respectively. Also, less than 34% of the workshops sampled were 50% compliant to basic workshop safekeeping practices while none was up to 70% compliant. This shows that the use of protective equipment and adherence to safety precautions in these fabrication workshops is very poor. The nonchalant attitude of the owners of these workshops toward safety practices and inadequate supervision by regulatory agencies constitute the major reasons for this observed practice, hence, the incessant workplace accidents and negative cost-time overrun in this sector.

Introduction: Poor oral health status in pregnant women is known to be associated with poor outcomes in pregnancies. Despite this, the oral health status of pregnant women has been grossly overlooked during antenatal period. Aim: To determine the awareness and practices of oral health among pregnant women in Enugu, Southeastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional questionnaire based study of 413 women who attended the antenatal clinic of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku/Ozalla from January 2018 to May 2018. An interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire which was pretested before the commencement of the study was used. The information obtained was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. A p-value of

BACKGROUND: Oro-facial melanomas are rare malignancies of the maxillofacial region accounting for 0.5% of malignancies seen in oral mucosa. This is a case series of three case reports of orofacial melanomas highlighting their management and outcome in our centre. FINDINGS: The cases reported are of three oro-facial melanomas occurring in two females and a male. The age range of the patients was 40-68 years. There were two cases of melanoma of the palate and gingivae and a single case of melanoma of the parotid gland. All the patients presented with stage IV tumours. Of the three cases one died within few weeks of presentatio while the remaining two are alive and under review. CONCLUSION: Orofacial melanomas are rare painless lesions which are wrongly considered non-harmful in our environment thus leading to late presentation and poor prognosis.

Abstract Objectives Serum level of vitamin D has been used as a predictor for cancer development. We intend to measure the baseline vitamin D level in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to compare same with non‐cancer controls to determine any association. Materials and methods Patients with OSCC presenting to our clinics were included in this study. Their baseline serum vitamin D levels were measured prior to cancer treatment after obtaining their consents. These patients were then matched with at least 2 cancer‐free subjects to serve as controls and whose serum vitamin D levels were also measured. The serum vitamin D levels obtained for the two groups were then categorized into normal (>35 ng/ml), mild deficiency (25–35 ng/ml), moderate deficiency (12.5–25 ng/ml), and severe deficiency (

Abstract Preliminary field assessment of the geological evidence for the September 2016 multiple tremors was felt as far as 10 km in Nok and Chori villages in the north and northwest of Kwoi respectively. This involved systematic studies of the crack pattern and intensity on buildings, rocks and hanging walls of slopes around the area with the highest shock. The structural mapping was complemented by composite images of SPOT 5, supplementary subsurface investigations utilized aeromagnetic data, seismic data, and Digital Terrain Model (DTM) for the area. Results show that the major evidence that proved a possible link to the area of highest impact is the tremor triggered displacement of a 4 by 3 m diameter rock boulder situated about a kilometre from the Kwoi town, some 3 km from the nearest epicentre that fell through a cumulative distance of 25 m, splitting the fresh granite boulder into two and creating a high impact scar on its path. Seismic vibrations that shook the residents of Kwoi and environs (with epicentres located along a NE-SW linear traverse and remotely coinciding with buried fractures) appear to have been generated and propagated laterally from the rocks along a northwest-southeast profile. Despite the non-homogenous strengths of the impacted buildings, the near-consistency of the E-W striking walls being the most fractured gives a remote connection with the major 345° to 015° fracture patterns on the granitic plutons that shields Kwoi town to the north. Additionally, the intensity of the fractures and collapse in the buildings increased south-westwards from the perceived area of highest impact. A possible tectonic origin related to stress build up in the rocks of the area for the tremors can be insinuated thereby foreclosing the theory of a non-tectonic origin being considered in some quarters including the recent Mpape Abuja tremor of 2018. All these epicentres plot along an extrapolated trend that coincides with the Chain Fracture Zone of the North Atlantic.

Abstract Background Differential DNA methylation panel derived from peripheral blood could serve as biomarkers of CRC susceptibility. However, most of the previous studies utilized post-diagnostic blood DNA which may be markers of disease rather than susceptibility. In addition, only a few studies have evaluated the predictive potential of differential DNA methylation in CRC in a prospective cohort and on a genome-wide basis. The aim of this study was to identify a potential panel of DNA methylation biomarkers in peripheral blood that is associated with CRC risk and therefore serve as epigenetic biomarkers of disease susceptibility. Methods DNA methylation profile of a nested case-control study with 166 CRC and 424 healthy normal subjects were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The differentially methylated markers were identified by moderated t-statistics. The DNA methylation panel was constructed by stepwise logistic regression and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator in the training dataset. A methylation risk score (MRS) model was constructed and the association between MRS and CRC risk assessed. Results We identified 48 differentially methylated CpGs sites, of which 33 were hypomethylated. Of these, sixteen-CpG based MRS that was associated with CRC risk (OR = 2.68, 95% CI: 2.13, 3.38, P

Abstract Sorption of synthetic dyes on low-cost solid sorbents is a simple technique for their removal from wastewater. Recent initiatives in the sorption process have sought the use of activated carbon derived from agricultural wastes as it provides an attractive and cheaper alternative to commercial activated carbon, which is usually expensive. This research investigates the sorption kinetics and equilibrium of two synthetic cationic dyes, crystal violet and methylene blue from aqueous media using activated carbon prepared from an agro-waste, Millettia thonningii seed pods. Sorption experiments were carried out using the batch process. The kinetic data were analyzed using the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intraparticle diffusion models while the equilibrium data were analyzed using the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Redlich–Peterson isotherm models. Nonlinear regression method was used to fit the data to the isotherm models in order to determine model parameters and the best-fit isotherms. Thus, three error functions; coefficient of determination, Chi-square statistic test, and the sum of error squares were applied to evaluate the sorption data. The pseudo-second-order model best described the sorption kinetics of both dyes while the Redlich–Peterson model described the equilibrium data the most, followed closely by the Freundlich isotherm model indicating a heterogeneous sorbent surface. The experimental results indicate that the agro-waste derived activated carbon is a viable adsorbent for the remediation of dye-contaminated water.

Abstract Background Existing data from several reports on the association between lipid profile and ovarian tumour (OT) suggests divergent conclusions. Our aim was to examine whether circulating lipid profile: total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) differed between cases and non-cases of OT. Methods Electronic repositories; PUBMED, EMBASE and Cochrane library were explored through December 2019 to retrieve published articles for inclusion in the meta-analysis after quality assessment. Heterogeneity was assessed using I 2 statistics, the effect of individual studies on the overall effect size was tested using sensitivity analysis and funnel plot was used to evaluate publication bias. Results Twelve studies, involving 1767 OT cases and 229,167 non-cases of OT were included in this meta-analysis and I 2 statistics ranged between 97 and 99%. Mean circulating TC (− 16.60 [− 32.43, − 0.77]mg/dL; P = 0.04) and HDL (− 0.25[− 0.43, − 0.08]mmol/L; P = 0.005) were significantly lower among OT cases compared to non-OT cases. Conclusion Decreased TC and HDL profiles were observed among subjects with OT in this collection of reports. The implications of TC and HDL in tumour manifestations and growth need to be validated in a large multi-ethnic longitudinal cohort adjusting for relevant confounders.

Series-connection of the stator windings of electric motors could serve a number of purposes, including load balancing between two synchronous motors. This paper modeled and analyzed a drive system of two separate three-phase synchronous motors whose stator windings are series-connected by a unique stator winding scheme, and whose shafts are mechanically coupled to a common load shaft through a speed reduction gear driven through the pinions of the respective motors. The mathematical model is developed in detail, and the system is simulated using MATLAB/SIMULINK. It is observed that for the case of a balanced load on the respective shafts of the two motors, the dynamic behavior of the two motors are identical. It is further observed that with the particular stator winding arrangement giving rise to six-windings per motor unit, each motor is essentially a three-phase motor and may be operated direct on line (DOL).

Objectives: This work investigated the effect of acetogenin-rich fraction of Annona muricata leaves (AFAL) on antioxidant status and some markers of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in rats. Methods: BPH was experimentally induced in the rats by subcutaneous injection of testosterone propionate (TP, 3 mg/kg) for 28 consecutive days. The rats were administered orally different doses of AFAL (100 and 200 mg/kg) for 7 days. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostate weight, relative prostate weight, prostate protein content and oxidative stress indices of the rats were evaluated. Results: It was observed that 200 mg/kg AFAL significantly reduced the PSA level, mean prostate weights and mean relative prostate weights of the test rats compared to the TP group, and the values were not significantly different from the normal control and group treated with a standard drug. The plant extract also significantly enhanced the antioxidant capacity of the test rats which were evidently compromised in the group that received the exogenous hormone alone. Histopathology of the prostate showed a marked recovery for the test rats after treatment with AFAL. Conclusion: Oral administration of acetogenin-rich fraction of Annona muricata leaves ameliorated TP-induced BPH in rats and significantly enhanced the antioxidant capacity of the rats.

Heavy metal toxicity in aquatic life as a result of human activities poses a grave health threat to water quality, aquatic and human life. Parasites may serve as indicators of heavy metal pollution. This research investigated the health status of the fish Heterotis niloticus viz-a-viz quality of the water and sediments in Lekki lagoon, parasitic infection, presence of heavy metals and oxidative stress response in the liver and intestine of the fish. Parasites recovered were also analyzed for the extent of bioaccumulation of heavy metals. The metals in water, sediments, parasites, and fish were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Heavy metal concentrations in the surface water were generally below regulatory limits of World Health Organization. Sediment had high levels of aluminium (124.78 mg/kg) and iron (327.41 mg/kg); other heavy metals were below regulatory limits. Tenuisentis niloticus, an acanthocephalan, was the only parasite recovered. Seventy (70) out of 100 fish sampled were infected with the parasite. T. niloticus bioaccumulated Cd, Ni, and Pb between 65 to 100 times more than the liver and 12 to 200 times more than the intestine. Other metals bioaccumulated from the host tissues by the parasite had the magnitude between 1 to 12 times as the liver and 1 to 30 times as the intestine. There were significant differences in the activities of antioxidant enzymes between the parasitized and non-parasitized fishes. Fish tissues also showed histological alterations, ranging from mild infiltration of inflammatory cells to moderate inflammation and haemorrhagic lesions. Human activities that introduce stressors into the lagoon should be controlled.

Background: This study assessed primary school teachers' knowledge of immediate management of tooth avulsion in Enugu, Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 135 primary school teachers in Enugu metropolis of Enugu State, Nigeria. Data on sex, age, academic qualification, school type, years of service, and the knowledge of immediate management of avulsed tooth among primary school teachers were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 18. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: The age of study participants ranged from 20 to 58 years. Many teachers in public schools 73 (54.1%) and those with bachelor degree in education 69 (51.1%) participated in the study, They were mostly females 123 (91.1%). The year of service of the teachers ranged from 1 year to 35 years. Only 25 (18.5%) of the teachers had good knowledge of the immediate management of avulsed teeth. Six (4.4%) knew that re-implantation was the immediate treatment for an avulsed permanent tooth. However, there was a significant association between sex (P < 0.001) and having good knowledge of the management of avulsion, but there was no significant association between age (P = 0.42), school type (P = 0.27) qualification (P = 0.09), year of service (P = 0.42), and having good knowledge of the management of avulsion. Conclusion: Few primary school teachers had good knowledge of immediate management of avulsed tooth indicating the need for increased oral health awareness among teachers in the study area.

There are increasing research efforts on the possibilities of the utilization of natural sources of bioactive compounds for the dietary management of certain degenerative diseases due to their deleterious health effects associated with the the use of synthetic chemicals. Therefore, this study evaluated the yield of total phenol from bambaranut, cowpea, red bean and pigeon pea. A set of single factor experiments, namely solvent types (acetone, ethanol and methanol), solvent concentration (20 – 100 %, v/v), extraction time (30 – 50 min) and extraction temperature (40 – 60 C), were evaluated for the optimization of total phenol recovery. The results show that extraction variables significantly (p < 0.05) affected the total phenol yield. Ethanol at 60% concentration (v/v) incubated at 50 C for 40 min gave the highest total phenol (217.11 mg/100 g) yield in bambaranut. In cowpea, ethanol at 90% concentration (v/v) incubated at 50 C for 50 min gave the highest total phenol (192.61 mg/100 g). Methanol at 100% concentration incubated at 50 C for 40 min gave the highest total phenol (212.00 mg/100 g) in the red bean while methanol at 100 % concentration (v/v) incubated at 50 C for 40 min gave the highest total phenol (196.33 mg/100 g) in pigeon pea.

This study investigated whether the interval of monitoring at-risk, fellow eyes of patients with unilateral neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) has any bearing on the severity of the disease at the time of diagnosis. The study comprised a retrospective, cross-sectional comparative case series of treatment-naïve eyes in patients who were diagnosed sequentially with nAMD. We compared the visual acuity (VA) and central macular thickness (CMT) of patients who were actively receiving intravitreal injections (IVIs) of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents at the time of second eye diagnosis with the VA and CMT of patients who had ceased treatment in their first eye because of reaching end-stages of disease. Intervals of visits and frequency of monitoring the macula of fellow eyes by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT) were abstracted from the medical record. We found that the at-risk fellow eyes of patients who had stopped treatment for nAMD in their first eye prior to fellow eye conversion were monitored significantly less frequently than the fellow eyes of patients who continued to receive treatment at the time of second eye diagnosis. Despite less frequent monitoring, VA and CMT were similar at the time of fellow eye diagnosis for both groups.

A novel brush atomization machine for the production of micro-sized metal powders with minimal energy, complexity, and cost was developed using locally sourced materials. This machine utilizes a round wire brush to produce tiny splatters of molten metals which solidify into powders. Performance test revealed respective powder median diameters of 201 µm, 174 µm, and 212 µm for aluminum, brass, and lead at brush speed of 3,905 rpm. These powder particles were largely irregular and round, although needle-like and dendritic particles were also noticed in sparse amounts. Bulk densities values are 5.61 g/cm3, 1.51 g/cm3, and 4.18 g/cm3 for lead, aluminum, and brass respectively. High brush speed, smaller bristle diameter, and low flow rate are some factors favoring the production of smaller-sized powders. Adoption of this innovation will make powder metallurgy components cheaper, encourage manufacturing processes like additive manufacturing and sintering, create job opportunities, and reduce importation.