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Aim of study: To evaluate the weight gain, pathological lesions, and hematology in broilers treated with hydro-methanol extract of Mangifera indica stem bark (MISB) after experimental exposure to Eimeria tenella infection. Material and methods: This investigation involved 56 three-week-old Ross 308 broilers, divided into 7 groups (A–G) of 8 birds each. Groups A–E were experimentally exposed to 25,000 oocysts of E. tenella orally. Groups A, B, and C were treated orally with graded doses of M. indica (250, 125 and 62.5 mg/kg, respectively), for seven consecutive days. Groups D (0.6 g/L sulfaquinoxaline, reference drug), E (infected non-treated), F (uninfected non-treated), and G (uninfected 125 mg/kg MISB-treated to validate effect of MISB on weight increase). After infection, blood and organs were extracted from each experimental group for hematology and pathology, and measurements of body weight gain and oocyst counts were made. Main results: M. indica improved (p0.05) after medication. Reduced packed cell volume at 7 dpi in the broilers of groups A (22.5% ± 0.7), B (27.0 % ± 2.83), and C (25.7 % ± 0.71), improved at 14 dpi after medication. Research highlights: M. indica improved weight gain, reduced oocyst shedding, and ameliorated cecal lesions in MISB-treated chickens.

Borate glass systems have been extensively studied for practical applications in optical display devices by virtue of their peculiar luminescence efficiency. However, the attainment of high emission from borate glass materials via apposite control of rare earth ions (REIs) contents remains a topical issue in Material Physics. In this paper, we report the influence of REIs (Dy3+, Eu3+, and Sm3+) on multiple-colour emission of magnesium sodium borate (MSB) glasses fabricated by using the conventional melt-quenching method. These glasses were optically characterized via X-ray Diffraction (XRD), UV-VIS-NIR and Photoluminescence techniques. The XRD pattern confirms the amorphous nature of the as-prepared glasses. The absorption spectra disclosed several absorption bands at 347 nm (6H15/2 → 6P7/2) for Dy3+, 393 nm (7F0 →5L6) for Eu3+ and 403 nm (6H5/2 →6P5/2) assigned for Sm3+ respectively. Also, the emission spectra radiate at 463 nm (4F9/2 → 6F11/2 + 6H9/2), 612 nm (5D0 → 7FJ) and 599 nm (4G5/2 → 6H7/2) for Dy3+, Eu3+, and Sm3+ correspondingly, wherein Dy3+ emits blue, yellow, and red light, Eu3+ emits red light and Sm3+ emits reddish-orange light. Finally, 1.0 mol% content of Dy3+, Eu3+, and Sm3+ in MSB glasses was found to be optimal and hence considered the best optical host for colour display devices.

In this paper, the effect of substituting europium (Eu3+) ion on physical and photoluminescence properties of zinc phosphor-sulfo-tellurite glasses is reported for the first time. The glass matrices with novel compositional range of 10ZnO–40TeO2–10SO3–(40-x)P2O5– xEu2O3 were synthesized by convectional melt-quenching route and characterized via density and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The non-linearity properties of these glasses was ascertained and dependence of red emission performance under λex= 394 nm excitation wavelengths disclosed bright red emission at λem. = 612nm. The concentration quenching phenomenon was observed after a particular value of europium ions (beyond 2 mol %). Thus, 2 mol% of Eu3+ in the glass composition was identified as the optimized concentration for the design and development of solid state red laser and color display devices.

This study used aeromagnetic data of Jema’a, sheet No.188 to estimate the geothermal energy resource potential in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study area lies between latitude and N and longitude and E. Total magnetic intensity (TMI) map of the area was produced from the gridded data. Residual map was obtained by removing regional field from the TMI which was divided into 36 blocks for spectral analysis. The centroid depth (Z_0) was obtained by dividing the gradient of the lengthiest wavelength part of the spectrum by the wave number. The depth to top (Z_t) of the magnetic source was obtained from the gradient of high wave number portion of the power spectrum. The values of Z_0 and Z_t were used to obtain the values for depth to bottom of the magnetic source (Z_B). The geothermal gradient (dT/dZ) values were obtained by dividing by Z_B while the heat flow (q) values were obtained by multiplying dT/dZ by the constant k (2.51). The dT/dZ values obtained range from 13.560 to 4000.000℃/km with an average value of and having the least (13.560 ℃/km) around Kafanchan axis and the highest (4000.000 ℃/km) around Sanga. The values range from 34.036 to 1004.00 mW m^ (-2) with an average value of 118.089 mW m^ (-2). The dT/dZ values were observed to be greater than 100 mW m^ (-2) around Sanga and Andaha axes. The Curie depth (28 km) was deepest at the South-South, South-East and South-West regions. Since magnetic properties of minerals disappear at this temperature and thermal conductivity of rocks increases with depth, these areas are potential geothermal energy source.

This study aimed to estimate the depth of Nickel deposit in Bakin Kogi – Dangoma region, which lies between latitude 901''and 9027'N and longitude 8000' and 8017' E. The study area is located in Jema’a local government area of Kaduna state. The data was gridded using Oasis Montaj® to produce Total magnetic Intensity Map (TMI) of the area, and further subjected to some filtration processes in order to obtain regional and residual map of the study area. Enhancement methods such as first vertical derivative and analytic signal methods were applied to the residual map to delineate the area with potential Nickel deposit. The quantitativemethod applied were source Parameter Imaging and Euler Deconvolution to determine the various depths of Nickel deposit. From the results of the TMI map and the residual map, the magnetic intensity of the study area was between 32976.5 to 33093.3 nT and 32963.6 to 33072.9 nT respectively with Bakin kogi-Dangoma region, having the highest magnetic intensity of about 33093.3nT and 33072.9 nT respectively. The study area has a high magnetic intensity due to nickel deposit because Nickel ore environment are notable with recognizable “magnetic stratigraphy”, prospective mafic-ultramafic contact, typified by strong magnetic contrast. Abrupt changes in the magnetic intensity infer position of the outer contact of a Nickel bearing zone. The results on the superimposed analytic map on the lineament map showed regional lineaments in Bakin kogi-Dangoma region trending NE -SW, ENE – WSW and NNE – SSW directions. The fractures and faults seen around the study area were strongly associated with minerals deposit. The results of Source Parameter Imaging (SPI) gave a depth of shallower magnetic sources ranges from 92.7 to 116.0 m with an average depth value of 104.35 m while the depth of deeper magnetic sources ranges from 651.2 to 976.2 m with an average depth of 813.7 m. The results obtained from 3D Euler deconvolution which was associated with dykes (SI = 1) anomaly produced at a shallower depth range of 100 - 700 m. Results obtained, shows a correspondence between the depths results obtained from the SPI and that of the Euler Deconvolution methods, indicating correlation in the magnetic depth estimation.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) may result from surgical procedures requiring a secondary administration of drugs at site or systemically in treating the infection. Drug-eluting sutures containing antimicrobial agents symbolise a latent strategy that precludes a secondary drug administration. It also offers the possibility of delivering a myriad of therapeutic agents to a localised wound site to effect analgesia, anti-inflammation, or the deployment of proteins useful for wound healing. Further, the use of biodegradable drug-eluting sutures eliminates the need for implanting foreign material into the wound, which needs to be removed after healing. In this review, we expound on recent trends in the manufacture of drug-eluting sutures with a focus on the hot-melt extrusion (HME) technique. HME provides a solvent-free, continuous one-step manufacturing conduit for drug-eluting sutures, hence, there is no drying step, which can be detrimental to the drug or suture threads and, thus, environmentally friendly. There is the possibility of combining the technology with additive manufacturing platforms to generate personalised drug-loaded implantable devices through prototyping and scalability. The review also highlights key material requirements for fabricating drug-eluting sutures by HME, as well as quality attributes. Finally, a preview of emerging drug-eluting sutures and advocacy for harmonisation of quality assurance by regulatory authorities that permits quality evaluation of novelty sutures is presented.

Background: Drug and substance abuse among university students is of public health concern and is becoming a global threat to the education system. This is more devastating to the academic performance of the addicts. The present study aims to assess the prevalence and impacts of psychoactive substance abuse among the university undergraduate students in Katsina State, Nigeria, and to determine the effects of such abuses on the students’ academic performance.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using online survey tool (Google Form) validated by content validity and pilot study. The hyperlink to the online survey tool was shared with undergraduate students from three universities located in Katsina State via emails and social media platforms, namely WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. Data collected from eligible participants were analyzed using descriptive statistics.Findings: A total of 308 students from the three universities returned the online questionnaire, of which 67.2% were men and 32.8% were women. Among the respondents, 37% admitted practicing drug and/or substance abuse. Majority of them (56.2%) were third-year students in the age range of 20-25 years.Conclusion: Drug and substance abuse among the undergraduate university students in Katsina State is common, and it cuts across both male and female students. Concerted efforts towards parental support and supervisions, social intervention programs, and campus-based prevention and supported programs against drug and substance abuse should be encouraged.

BackgroundCrowdsourcing is a low-cost, adaptable, and innovative method to collect ideas from numerous contributors with diverse backgrounds. Crowdsourcing from social media like Twitter can be used for generating ideas in a noticeably brief time based on contributions from globally distributed users. The world has been challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic in the last several years. Measures to combat the pandemic continue to evolve worldwide, and ideas and opinions on optimal counteraction strategies are of high interest.ObjectiveThis study aimed to validate the use of Twitter as a crowdsourcing platform in order to gain an understanding of public opinion on what measures can help to end the COVID-19 pandemic faster.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted during the period from December 22, 2021, to February 4, 2022. Tweets were posted by accounts operated by the authors, asking “How to faster end the COVID-19 pandemic?” and encouraging the viewers to comment on measures that they perceive would be effective to achieve this goal. The ideas from the users' comments were collected and categorized into two major themes – personal and institutional measures. In the final stage of the campaign, a Twitter poll was conducted to get additional comments and to estimate which of the two groups of measures were perceived to be important amongst Twitter users.ResultsThe crowdsourcing campaign generated seventeen suggested measures categorized into two major themes (personal and institutional) that received a total of 1,727 endorsements (supporting comments, retweets, and likes). The poll received a total of 325 votes with 58% of votes underscoring the importance of both personal and institutional measures, 20% favoring personal measures, 11% favoring institutional measures, and 11% of the votes given just out of curiosity to see the vote results.ConclusionsTwitter was utilized successfully for crowdsourcing ideas on strategies how to end the COVID-19 pandemic faster. The results indicate that the Twitter community highly values the significance of both personal responsibility and institutional measures to counteract the pandemic. This study validates the use of Twitter as a primary tool that could be used for crowdsourcing ideas with healthcare significance.

While great effort is being placed on reducing disease burdens in Africa, the circulation of falsified and substandard medicines in the continent are reversing the hard-won gains. This commentary provides insights on the high (and increasing) burden, impact and threat that falsified and substandard medicines pose to the region's development. The proposed recommendations, such as a coherent multi-sectorial and government-led strategy, call for a fundamental rethink of approaches towards strong regulations, policies, legislations, community-based approaches, collaborations and investments, which all must be scaled up before this the situation gets out of control. These recommendations are of paramount importance and have the potential to ensure access to genuine medicines and also to avert therapeutic failure and intoxication from dangerous substances. In addition, there will be added benefits to the economic, social, health and well-being of the region. Concerted efforts towards medicine regulations have enormous potential to contribute towards averting many preventable deaths and reducing disease burden in the region. A paradigm shift is necessary to ensure quality medicines reach patients at community and healthcare facilities to prevent this silent epidemic in Africa.

Abstract Background The plant Cochlospermum tinctorium A. Rich is a sub-shrub that belongs to the family Cochlospermaceae. The plant has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of malaria, rickets, stomachache, diarrhea, gastric ulcer, parasitic infestations, liver diseases, fever, pain, inflammation, infectious diseases, epilepsy, snake bite, burns, orchitis, labour, menstrual problems, and many other diseases. This review summarizes the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of Cochlospermum tinctorium. Main text To date, few bioactive molecules have been identified and isolated from the plant such as 7,3-dimethyldihydroquercelin, 5,4-dimethylquercelin, cochloxanthine, dihydrocochloxanthine, arjunolic acid, 3-O-E-p-coumaroylalphitolic acid, alphitolic acid, 1-hydroxytetradecan-3-one, 3-bisabolen, 2-tridecanone, 3-hexadecanone, 1-dodecanol, l-tetradecanol, 2-pentdecanone, 3-octadecanone, 1-hydroxy-3-hexadecanone, 1-nonadecanol, l-O-acetyl-3-hexadecanone, and l-hydroxy-3-oetadecanone. The literature related some of the reported ethnomedicinal uses of the plant to these compounds found in the different parts of the plant. Conclusion The comprehensive information documented in this review about the importance of the C. tinctorium may provide an opportunity for research advancement in drug discovery and a better understanding of the medicinal benefits of the plant.

Abstract Background Pharmaceutical excipient development is an extensive process requiring a series of pre-formulation studies to evaluate their performance. The present study compares the conventional compaction and compression pre-formulation studies with artificial intelligence (AI) modeling to predict the performances of thermally and chemically modified starches obtained from Livingstone potato. Results The native starch was modified by three methods, and we obtained the following starches; pregelatinized starch (PS), ethanol dehydrated pregelatinized starch (ES), and acid hydrolyzed starch (AS). Microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel® PH101) was employed as a reference since its use in tablet direct compression has been established. The role of compaction pressure on the degree of volume reduction of the tablets was studied using Kawakita and Heckel models which highlighted that when the starch is modified by pregelatinization followed by ethanol dehydration, and/and or acid hydrolysis modification, a directly compressible starch can be obtained that can plastically deform. The data-intelligence results indicated the reliability of the AI-based models over the linear models. Hence, the comparative results demonstrated that the Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) outperformed the other two models in modeling the performance of all of the four excipients with considerable performance accuracy. Conclusion The compressibility indices have shown matching characteristics of AS and ES to Avicel® PH101 in terms of direct compressibility potential than PS. Moreover, the data intelligence modeling demonstrates the reliability and satisfactory of ANFIS as a hybrid model over the other two models with increased performance skills in modeling the compaction properties of these novel pharmaceutical excipients.

The open innovation hub Digital Health and Patient Safety Platform (DHPSP) was recently established with the purpose to invigorate collaborative scientific research and the development of new digital products and personalized solutions aiming to improve human health and patient safety. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a Twitter-based campaign centered on using the hashtag #DHPSP to promote the visibility of the DHPSP initiative. Thus, tweets containing #DHPSP were monitored for five weeks for the period 20.10.2020–24.11.2020 and were analyzed with Symplur Signals (social media analytics tool). In the study period, a total of 11,005 tweets containing #DHPSP were posted by 3020 Twitter users, generating 151,984,378 impressions. Analysis of the healthcare stakeholder-identity of the Twitter users who used #DHPSP revealed that the most of participating user accounts belonged to individuals or doctors, with the top three user locations being the United States (501 users), the United Kingdom (155 users), and India (121 users). Analysis of co-occurring hashtags and the full text of the posted tweets further revealed that the major themes of attention in the #DHPSP Twitter-community were related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), medicine and health, digital health technologies, and science communication in general. Overall, these results indicate that the #DHPSP initiative achieved high visibility and engaged a large body of Twitter users interested in the DHPSP focus area. Moreover, the conducted campaign resulted in an increase of DHPSP member enrollments and website visitors, and new scientific collaborations were formed. Thus, Twitter campaigns centered on a dedicated hashtag prove to be a highly efficient tool for visibility-promotion, which could be successfully utilized by healthcare-related open innovation platforms or initiatives.

In Nigeria, the disparity between available healthcare services and need for mental health services is palpable. Although, the country has made significant advances on challenging public health problems, health-related policy development and legislation in trying to achieve health for all policy, there have been challenges with regards to mental health services including that of policy development and legislation, financing, research, training and integration of mental health care into primary health care. We consulted relevant publications, official document, policy statement, blueprints, working plans of the relevant organizations responsible for mental care and services locally and globally. We identify and highlight challenges faced in mental health services implementation and provide recommendations as way forward and call for urgent action to government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), policy makers and legislatives which are urgently needed to reform and implement them for a better, accessible, and affordable mental health services for the mental well-being of the populace.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is revolutionizing the way medicines are designed, manufactured, and utilized. Perhaps, AM appears to be ideal for the fit-for-purpose manufacturing of medicines in contrast to the several disadvantages associated with the conventional fit-for-all mass production that accounts for less than 50% of pharmacotherapeutic treatment/management of diseases especially among children and elderly patients, as well as patients with special needs. In this review, we discuss the current trends in the application of additive manufacturing to prepare personalized dosage forms on-demand focusing the attention on the relevance of coupling solid dispersion with FDM 3D printing. Combining the two technologies could offer many advantages such as to improve the solubility, dissolution, and oral bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs in tandem with the concept of precision medicine and personalized dosing and to address the dilemma of commercial availability of FDM filaments loaded with Class II and/or Class IV drugs. However, thermal treatment especially for heat-sensitive drugs, regulatory, and ethical obligations in terms of quality control and quality assurance remain points of concern. Hence, a concerted effort is needed between the scientific community, the pharmaceutical industries, the regulatory agencies, the clinicians and clinical pharmacists, and the end-users to address these concerns.

Background: Occupational Violence is prevalent among healthcare workers, including pharmacists, and poses a big threat to their job satisfaction, safety, and social wellbeing. Objective: This study seeks to assess the incidents and factors associated with occupational violence towards pharmacists in Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among pharmacists practicing in Nigeria, using an online survey (Google FormTM). Occupational violence was assessed using a validated questionnaire. The survey was conducted and reported based on the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES). Participants were recruited by sharing the survey link via social media platforms including WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Results: A total of 263 respondents returned the online questionnaire, with a completion rate of 99.2%. The prevalence of occupational violence was 92.7% (95% CI, 90 to 96). Violent events occurred among 48.7% of pharmacists with at least six years of experience, and 68.4% of hospital pharmacists. The commonly reported factors associated with the violence include long waiting times in the pharmacy (36.5%), refusal to fulfil aggressor’s demands (22.1%), and counseling/poor communication (21.7%). Events related to verbal abuse were reported among 95% of the participants. The prevalence of violence was significantly higher among hospital pharmacists, compared with those practicing in administration/regulatory, and in community pharmacies (chi-square=10.213 (2); p=0.006). Similarly, physical aggression was higher among hospital pharmacists (chi-square=10.646 (2), p = 0.005). Conclusions: The prevalence of occupational violence towards pharmacists practicing in Nigeria appeared to be high. Major factors associated with the violence were refusal to fulfil aggressors’ demands and frustrations due to long waiting times at pharmacy. Recommended strategies to slowdown the incidences of violence were improved pharmacists’ workforce, interprofessional harmony, and penalties against perpetrators.

Background: Maternal health outcomes in Nigeria, the most populous African nation, are among the worst in the world, and urgent efforts to improve the situation are critical as the deadline (2015) for achieving the Millennium Development Goals draws near. Objective: To evaluate the results of an integrated maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) program to improve maternal health outcomes in Northern Nigeria. Design: The intervention model integrated critical health system and community-based improvements aimed at encouraging sustainable MNCH behavior change. Control Local Government Areas received less intense statewide policy changes. Methods: We assessed the impact of the intervention on maternal health outcomes in 3 northern Nigerian states by comparing data from 2360 women in 2009 and 4628 women in 2013 who had a birth or pregnancy in the 5 years prior to the survey. Results: From 2009 to 2013, women with standing permission from their husband to go to the health center doubled (from 40.2% to 82.7%), and health care utilization increased. The proportions of women who delivered with a skilled birth attendant increased from 11.2% to 23.9%, and the proportion of women having at least 1 antenatal care (ANC) visit doubled from 24.9% to 48.8%. ANC was increasingly provided by trained community health extension workers at the primary health center, who provided ANC to 34% of all women with recent pregnancies in 2013. In 2013, 22% of women knew at least 4 maternal danger signs compared with 10% in 2009. Improvements were significantly greater in the intervention communities that received the additional demand-side interventions. Conclusions: The improvements between 2009 and 2013 demonstrate the measurable impact on maternal health outcomes of the program through local communities and primary health care services. The significant improvements in communities with the complete intervention show the importance of an integrated approach blending supply- and demand-side interventions.

The paper aimed to propose a new Bayesian test method for establishing a non-inferiority measure between an active treatment (drug) and a new (cheaper) treatment using two independent binomial samples. A Bayesian test statistic was developed for testing non-inferiority between two independent binomial proportions. Conjugate Beta prior was assumed for the binomial proportions to elicit posterior from the same Beta family of distributions. The efficiency of this test method was established via power analysis and its ability to yield the nominal Type I error rate (alpha) in a detailed Monte-Carlo study. Results from this study showed that the proposed test method yielded higher powers and good estimates of the Type I error rate at the chosen sample sizes and varying non-inferiority margins (effect sizes). Thus, the new Bayesian test method is very efficient at detecting the significance of the non-inferiority margin between two independent binomial proportions when such is not negligible at all sample sizes. Further results showed that the size of the two population proportions being tested influences the power and the estimated nominal Type I error rate with an increase in power and a good estimate of Type I error rate achieved when both population proportions being tested are less than 0.5. It is therefore concluded that the new Bayesian test method can be employed whenever it is desirable to establish the existence of noninferiority or otherwise between a pair of (clinical) treatments (drugs). All the simulations and analyses were performed with the R statistical package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Declining soil fertility is a major threat to agricultural productivity and livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Niger, where most farmers have few resources and depend on degraded lands. Large-scale adoption of soil fertility management technologies (SFMT) by small-scale farmers is among the proposed solutions, but this remains low because of various constraints. A better understanding of the socio-economic factors that influence farming practices is needed to adapt SFMT to farmers' use. A survey using semi-structured interviews with 101 household heads was conducted in 2013 in Karabedji, Niger. The influence of household socio-economic factors on soil fertility management practices (SFMP) was assessed through farmers that were involved in demonstration activities as part of a long-term research project (13 years) on the restoration of soil fertility on farmers' fields. The results showed that the farmer's household size was between 9 and 14 people and that the majority of farmers did not attain formal education. Fifty percent (50%) of the non-participating farmers and 69% of the participants of the demonstration were affiliated with farmers' organizations. The proportion of demonstration participants and non-participants having an average farm income of less than 300,000 FCFA (about US $ 600) was 70 to 75%. Logistic regression analysis showed a significant positive effect (P Key words: Livelihood, Farmer-Association, Resource-Endowment, Pearl Millet, Fertilizer, Soil fertility, sub-Saharan Africa La baisse de la fertilite des sols est une menace majeure pour la productivite agricole et les moyens de subsistance en Afrique subsaharienne, en particulier au Niger, ou la plupart des agriculteurs disposent de peu de ressources et dependent de terres degradees. L'adoption a grande echelle de technologies de gestion de la fertilite des sols (SFMT) par les petits agriculteurs fait partie des solutions proposees, mais reste faible en raison de diverses contraintes. Une meilleure comprehension des facteurs socio-economiques qui influencent les pratiques agricoles est necessaire pour adapter SFMT a l'utilisation par les agriculteurs. Une enquete utilisant des entretiens semi-structures avec 101 chefs de menage a ete menee en 2013 a Karabedji, au Niger. L'influence des facteurs socioeconomiques des menages sur les pratiques de gestion de la fertilite des sols (SFMP) a ete evaluee a travers des agriculteurs participant a des activites de demonstration dans le cadre d'un projet de recherche a long terme (13 ans) sur la restauration de la fertilite des sols dans les champs des agriculteurs. Les resultats ont montre que le menage de l'agriculteur comprenait entre 9 et 14 personnes et que la majorite des agriculteurs n'assistaient pas a l'education formelle. Cinquante pour cent (50%) des agriculteurs non participants et 69% des participants a la demonstration etaient affilies a des organisations d'agriculteurs. Les participants a la demonstration et les non-participants ayant un revenu agricole moyen inferieur a 300 000 FCFA (environ 600 USD) representaient entre 70 et 75%. Une analyse de regression logistique a montre un effet positif significatif (P Mots-cles: Subsistance, Organisation paysanne, Ressources, Mil, Engrais, Fertilite sol, Afrique Subsaharienne, INTRODUCTION Soil fertility decline is a major concern in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Niger where agricultural activities generally depend on rainfall [1-4]. The rainfall pattern is unimodal and spread over [...]

Fraudulent credit card transactions are committed by unauthorized individuals and organizations employing methods such as phishing and social engineering fraud tactics. Researchers propose several Machine Learning (ML) techniques to deter the challenges of credit card fraud. However, the ML approaches are endorsed with some challenges, which makes the detection of credit card fraud extremely difficult. This study proposes a Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) with Synthetic Minority Oversampling Techniques (SMOTE) as an ideal solution. Kaggle datasets with 284,807 records and 31 features were exploited. Implementation was performed on the Google Colab cloud-based platform, embedding a Jupyter notebook setting with Graphical Processing Units (GPUs). Two experiments were conducted; the first was probed to determine suitable models among baseline models: Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), Isolation Forest, and a single Deep Learning (DL) model of Multiple Layer Perceptron (MLP). The baseline models yielded an overfitting accuracy score, with recall, specificity, precision, and F1-score all presenting 1.00% respectively. This outcome is not sufficient in establishing findings on imbalanced data distribution as it's biased. This led to the construction of a new ML model incorporating Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM), with Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and the proposed DCNN+SMOTE for the second experimental phase alongside baseline models. Experimental results via simulation show the proposed DCNN+SMOTE yielded awesome superclass performance across the board, displaying 1.00% results respectively. Its Error Rate (ER) and Null Error Rate (NER) are 0.00% distinctly. Meanwhile, the False Positive Rate (FPR) yields a 0.001% result, lesser and better than the baseline models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparative analysis of biodiesel from kernel oils of Jatropha curcas and Azadiracta IndicaIndica (Neem) was carried out The seeds of the two plants were collected in August-October 2009 for the study. Biodiesel has attracted immense attention in recent times due to its environmental benefits and the fact that it is made from renewable resources such as vegetable oil of plant origin. The crude oil contents of the two plant seeds, as well as the physicochemical properties of biodiesels extracted from them, were evaluated. results showed that Jatropha curcas seeds contain 52.70±2.91% (dry w/w) and Azadirachta indica seeds, 32.50±2.60% (dry w/w). crude oil respectively. The physicochemical properties of the biodiesel produced from these oils showed that Jatropha biodiesel has low FFA (0.21±0.02%), acid value (0.41±0.02%), specific gravity (0.8867±0.01 g/cm3), viscosity (3.73±0.21mm2/s), saponification value (45.85±0.29 mg/g), iodine value (53.33±4.62 mg/g) and peroxide value (0.32±0.04 meq/l) while Neem biodiesel has FFA (0.28±0.03 %), acid value (0.56±0.05 %), specific gravity (0.8831±0.04 g/cm3), viscosity (4.40±0.20 mm2/s), saponification value (53.54±2.95 mg/g), iodine value (47.18±1.17 mg/g) and peroxide value (0.43±0.07 meq/l). When both biodiesels were compared with ASTM and EN standard values, Jatropha biodiesel proved to be of superior quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Diabetes is defined as a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by increased blood glucose level (hyperglycemia) which is a result of defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. Metformin has been the preferred drug of choice in the first-line management of type 2 diabetes, particularly in overweight or obese patients with normal kidney function. Diabetic patients experiencing erectile dysfunction, tend to try out herbal medicines for a remedy. Some of these herbal medicines such as Syzygium aromaticum and Garcinia kola are ethno medicinally used as enhancement agents in treating erectile dysfunction. The study aimed to determine the effect of the methanol extract of Syzygium aromaticum (clove buds) on the dissolution profile of different brands of commercially available metformin tablets to determine whether or not there is a possible interaction. The dissolution study was carried out to simulate the gastrointestinal tract pH with and without the herbal drug. Ppotassium dihydrogen orthophosphate adjusted to pH 6.8 using 0.1M NaOH, served as dissolution medium. Five milliliters (5 mi) of samples were withdrawn at predetermined time intervals. The results obtained showed that the percentage of drug release was higher when metformin was introduced alone in the dissolution medium compared to when it was in combination with cloves. The study thus, showed that Syzygium aromaticum buds decreased the release of metformin tablets, hence, patients on metformin and clove buds should be advised to delay the administration of the herb to avoid possible interaction which may lead to a decrease in bioavailability of the drug resulting in therapeutic failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metformin is an oral hypoglycemic agent and the first-line drug for the management of type II diabetes mellitus (DM). Moringa Oleifera leaves, are widely used in traditional African medicine in West and Central Africa especially Nigeria, particularly among diabetic patients. The study aims to investigate if ethanolic extract of Moringa leifera leaves will affect the in-vitro dissolution of metformin tablets. Five (5) different brands of Metformin tablets (500 mg) were randomly sourced from retail outlets within the Kaduna metropolis, Kaduna State, and the identification of the samples was conducted using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Standard methods by Trease and Evans, 1996, USP/NF 25, 2007, and BP, 2009 were used for the phytochemical, physicochemical, and quantitative assay of the samples and plant material. From the results obtained, the dissolution of metformin alone and in the presence of Moringa were 95% at 50 min and 19% at 50 min, respectively. The study concludes that the presence of Moringa affects the dissolution profile of metformin tablets, therefore, taking Moringa and metformin tablets concomitantly, may alter the bioavailability of metformin and ultimately lead to therapeutic failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of treated wastewater (TWW) for agricultural irrigation is becoming important in water stressed regions like the semi-arid tropical zone of Nigeria for replacing fresh water (FW) sources. However, elevated salt concentrations and organic compounds in TWW could exert potential adverse effects on soil and crop quality. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of irrigation with mixture of different industrial TWW on variation of chemical and physical soil properties. Existing irrigation farms in Sharada industrial area where TWW had been applied for many years were selected. Topsoil samples (0-30 cm) were collected and analysed for some selected soil physicochemical characteristics. The study area was divided in three phases: phase I, phase II and phase III, respectively. Findings indicated that the soil parameters: OC, TN, CEC, P and Exchangeable bases increased in concentration compared with control, with corresponding average values of 1.0-2.2% and 0.40% control, 0.12-0.25% and 0.02% control, 4.6-Ó.8 cmol/kg and 3.0 cmol/kg control, 8.5-14.1 mg/kg and 4.2 mg/kg control respectively, and exchangeable Ca, Mg, K and Na recorded 1.62-3.69 cmol/kg and 0.49 cmol/kg control, 1.01-1.91 cmol/kg and 0.92 cmol/kg control, 0.61-0.67 cmol/kg and 0.21 cmol/kg control, and 0.12-0.46 cmol/kg and 0.09 cmol/kg control in that order, with exchangeable bases and CEC recorded significant differences (P<0.05) between TWW and different phases after irrigation with the TWW. Furthermore, the analysed physical soil texture was sandy loam. However, the concentration recorded for EC and BD were low in all phases and above control for the former and the reverse was the case for the latter and no significant statistical difference recorded. The study confirmed that disposal of mixed industrial TWW through land application can only be recommended where wastewater application will not exceed the water requirement of the crop to avoid leaching and could be a viable option, but potentially harmful, as it alters soil physical and chemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]