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The effect of bubble-bubble interaction on wave propagation in homogeneous weakly compressible viscoelastic bubbly flow is investigated using the reductive perturbation method. The bubble dynamics equation is derived using the kinetic energy conservation approach. The bubble dynamics and mixture equations are coupled with the equation of state for gas to investigate the shock wave propagation phenomenon in the mixture. A two-dimensional Korteweg-de VriesBurger (KdVB) equation in terms of a pressure profile is derived. It is found that the bubble-bubble interaction has no effect when using the parameters under our consideration.

Objectives The objective of this study was to assess treatment satisfaction, medication adherence and drug utilization amongst glaucoma patients receiving care at secondary health facilities. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst glaucoma patients attending eye clinics of General Hospital Ilorin and Civil Service Hospital Ilorin in Kwara State, Nigeria from October 2020 to January 2021. Three hundred and eleven patients were enrolled in the study. Sampling was based on convenience as dictated by the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Ethical permission and informed consent were obtained before data collection. Validated instruments of Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication were used during the data collection process. Descriptive and Chi-square analyses were employed. Key findings Amongst the 311 patients studied 184(59.2%) were females with a mean age of 63.79 ± 14.89 years. Timolol eye drop was the drug of choice for monotherapy in (8.7%) of patients. Combination therapy of beta blockers and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors had the highest number (59.5%) of prescriptions. More than half (55.6%) of the patients were adherents. Participants reported being more satisfied with their anti-glaucoma therapy in the domain of global satisfaction (62.89 ± 21.85) followed by medication effectiveness (62.67 ± 20.78) and convenience (60.16 ± 15.79) while medication side effects had the least score (17.17 ± 11.09). There is a statistically significant relationship between patient satisfaction with treatment and medication adherence at P= 0.001. Conclusions Combination therapy was the most frequently utilized anti-glaucoma agent. Most of the patients adhered to their medications and were satisfied with the treatment received.

Rapidly developing modern energy systems incorporate significant contributions from renewable sources. The recent adoption of distributed generation sources and microgrids powered by renewable sources such as solar cells, tidal wind, and fuel cells is one of the primary causes of rising global energy demand. Integration of different energy sources into a hybrid system is envisioned as a viable solution for decentralized energy generation. Consequently, this study aims to integrate two energy sources with storage devices to construct a hybrid renewable energy system that will provide reliable electricity for remote and off-grid installations in the Sabon Gida Community of Kaduna State. This will contribute to the attainment of the seventh United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (Affordable and clean energy) (UN). This study utilized the Felicity PV panel. Its cell specifications are as follows: Peak power 175Wp, Open-circuit voltage (VOC) 21.6V, Maximum power current Imp 9.72A, Maximum power voltage Vmp 18V, short-circuits current Isc 10.2A, operating cell temperature Tc 250C, and Ideality factor Am 1.5. For the wind turbine, a model WT-400 with a rated power of 400W, 12V output voltage, and a wind controller with a standby current of 3.6mA, rated at 12/24V auto output voltage were utilized. The maximum power output of the PV energy model based on the specified weather variable was 620watts, whereas the maximum power output of the wind turbine energy model based on the selected wind speed was 301watts. Based on design calculations, the projected load demand for the location under consideration was 304 watts. The prototype was implemented, tested, and validated. The test results indicate that the output power was sufficient to fulfil the load requirements of the chosen location.

Background This project was completed by a team of junior doctors working across two general medical wards at Queen Alexandra Hospital. Introduction Due to persistently high bed occupancy, patients are increasingly subject to multiple moves, increasing the risk of missed or delayed communication (Toye C et al, Clin interv aging, 2019, 14, 2223-2237). Importantly, families who receive good communication from staff are more likely to feel satisfied with the care of their loved one (Ersek M et al, J pain symptom manage, 2021, 62(2), 213–222). Our aim was to increase the occurrence and comprehensiveness of documented discussions between next of kin (NOK) and the medical team, especially in vulnerable patients who may be unable to advocate for themselves. Methods We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of patient notes across two PDSA cycles. NICE guidelines NG27, NG97 and NG96 provided an audit standard. Patients were identified as at-risk of poor communication if diagnosed with dementia, cognitive impairment, addiction, learning difficulties or needing an interpreter. Targeted intervention prior to re-audit included education of the medical team and introduction of a written prompt within the patient’s notes. Results 25/55 patients were identified as at-risk in cycle one, with 39/71 patients at-risk in cycle two. Post-intervention, the number of at-risk patients with a documented NOK discussion increased from 74% to 82%. Patient treatment plan discussions increased from 81% to 97%. Discussions, where applicable, regarding escalation of care, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), capacity and Mental Health Act (MHA) slightly decreased. Conversations regarding patient consent for data sharing were rarely documented. Conclusion Our intervention increased the proportion of documented patient discussions; however, it did highlight the need to improve the frequency of documented conversations surrounding escalation of care, DoLS, capacity and MHA. This has provided impetus for further improvement projects.

Remanufacturing is the process of restoring discarded goods and components to a brand-new, technologically sophisticated state with the least amount of waste and expense. In a rebuilt product that incorporates the technological advancements deemed required to ensure that repairs may be completed promptly and the item is returned to functionality in an efficient manner, non-wearing parts are reused. This review article provides an overview of the remanufacturing process. The significance of it, how it contributes to sustainability, and a list of difficulties with product remanufacturing. When industries adopt new technologies for component restoration, higher material recovery, and even the retention in-house of competencies that could have previously been outsourced, the scope and benefits of remanufacturing expand. However, its drawbacks are also explained. &nbsp

World Health Organization (WHO) classified Nigeria as a hyper-endemic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive nation with prevalence ≥ 8%. This study intends to add information that could strengthen established database to improve awareness and prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. We aimed to evaluate seroprevalence and trend of HBsAg among blood donors in Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria over a five-year period. Data from records of 7,102 individuals aged ≥ 20 years old who donated blood to blood bank in this hospital from January 2012 to December 2016 were analysed for gender, age, number of donors per year and HBsAg status. Data analysis was done with Statistical Package for Social Sciences software. P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Males were in the majority (6,547 [92.2%]). Age 30–39 years old was the major group (3,052 [43.0%]). Pooled HBsAg seroprevalence was 486 (6.8%). Females had the highest HBsAg seroprevalence across board with highest rate of 10 (19.6%) in year 2012 and pooled prevalence of 73 (13.2%). Age group of ≥ 50 years old had highest HBsAg seroprevalence 39 (8.5%) while age group of 20–29 years old had least 128 (5.8%). Stratified HBsAg positivity decreased steadily from year 2012 to year 2016. This location was HBV intermediate-endemic. There were age, gender and yearly seroprevalence of HBsAg related trends which could be leveraged upon in finding effective preventive measures against the disease. We recommend mass vaccination by government against HBV infection in addition to provision of sensitive blood investigational equipment.

The aim of this work was to evaluate reliability index (RI) with respect to fatigue and rutting within the different seasons peculiar to Nigeria, in order to improve Empirical-Mechanistic flexible pavement design approach, using First Order Reliability Method (FORM). Flexible pavement design involves many uncertainties, variabilities, and approximations regarding the input parameters like material properties, traffic loads. Others include subgrade strength, drainage conditions, construction, compaction procedures and climatic factors such as temperature, rainfall, and snowfall, etc. The combination of the variances associated with input parameters contributes to components and system uncertainty, and this combination of variances can have a significant effect on the predicted performance of the pavement. Reliability in pavement design is introduced to consider these uncertainties. Layers thicknesses, material properties, and Equivalent Standard Axle Load (ESAL) were entered into a multi-layer elastic theory software, ELSYM-5, which in turn were used to calculate strains and stresses for different seasons. The results obtained were entered into Nigerian fitted transfer function distress models to compute allowable ESALS. Miner’s hypothesis theory equation was used to calculate the cumulative damage due to stress and strains generated. A Framework was generated for finding individual reliability index (RI), systemic reliability index (SRI), and probability of failure. The findings showed that Season I (Winter) recorded the highest component reliability index for fatigue (5.63 for Normal Distribution). Season II (Summer) recorded the lowest component reliability index (β) for rutting (5.4 for Normal Distribution). Season III (Spring) recorded the lowest component reliability index for fatigue (1.85 for Normal Distribution)

Energy sources that are sustainable and renewable include biomass resources. Efficient use of these biomass resources to provide a worldwide energy supply that is sustainable. The techniques that enhance this biomass's energy potential require a thorough grasp of its physicochemical characteristics. The energy content of biomass resources (HHV or NHV) is a crucial factor to consider when determining their suitability for energy production. In this work, proximate assessments of biomass materials (agricultural residues) and their blends were developed based on some published empirical model equations to investigate the impact on their net and high heating value.EFB, corncob, and groundnut shell blends' computed net heating value (NHV) and high heating value (HHV) were found to be between 16.157 and 18.483 MJ/kg. According to the findings, agricultural residues are excellent substrates for the generation of solid fuel. The energy values of biomass samples might also be calculated using the empirical formulae based on their nearby characteristics.

Coconut water contains cytokinins and lauric acid which have potentials to enhance immune response. Poor immune response after vaccination is a common problem in poultry industry. Due to this challenge, this experimental study was carried out to evaluate the effects of coconut water on cell mediated and humoral immunity in cockerel chicks. Seventy five day-old cockerel chicks were randomly divided into three groups (A, B and C) and each group contained 25 birds. Group A (control) received ordinary water for 32 days while birds in group B received 100 ml of coconut water/1 L of water for 32 days. Group C received 100 mL of coconut water/1 L of water till day 19 of age and ordinary water from day 20 to day 32 of age. The birds were vaccinated against Newcastle disease (NDV) on day 20. Blood samples were collected on day 19 and 32 to evaluate the leukogram, antibody titer against NDV, total proteins and cytokines. Intestinal samples were also collected for immunoglobulin A analysis following the euthanasia of the birds. Means ± SD of the parameters were calculated and compared for significance differences using one-way ANOVA (p

In the present day, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are widely used in every field, almost from commercial purposes to military usage. The usage of UAVs has decreased the burden on humans, where manpower and risks during critical conditions (war fields) are reduced also. Consequently, the demand for the development of unmanned aerial vehicles is high. Understanding the theoretical design information of the UAV is difficult because of the lack of accessibility of its information sheets. &nbsp

In the care of patients, assessment of the use of drugs is very imperative as it shows the quality of care delivered to patients by the caregivers. The study aimed to compare the prescription patterns of antipsychotics in two public healthcare facilities in Nigeria using a standardized World Health Organization instrument. The studies were conducted at the General Hospital, Offa (GHO), Kwara State, and the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri (FNPHMM), Borno State. Ethical approvals were obtained from the studied facilities. A total of 625 prescriptions in each of the facilities were selected by random sampling. Frequency distributions and student t-test were used. The average number of drugs prescribed per encounter was 3.9 in the GHO, while 1.2 was recorded in the FNPHMM. Injections were prescribed in 14.4% and 18.7% of encounters in the GHO and the FNPHMM, respectively. One hundred percent (100.0%) of the drugs were prescribed by generic name in the GHO and 98.2% in the FNPHMM. The percentage of drugs from the National Essential Drug List was 72% in the FNPHMM and 100% in the GHO. The prescribing indicators assessed were found to be below standard in the FNPHMM while the GHO showed polytherapy.

Background: The rehabilitation phase of patients with lower extremity fractures (LEF) is often hindered post-operatively by fear of moving (kinesiophobia) with consequent deconditioning and declining of functions. Profiling the prevalence of kinesiophobia and its association with demographic variables could become useful during the rehabilitation process. Objective: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of kinesiophobia and its correlation with lower limb functions among patients with LEF post-operatively. Methods: One-hundred and nine (n = 109) patients [male = 79 (72.50%)] with mean age of 41.83 ± 17.37 yr. participated in the cross-sectional study. Participants with LEF who had either undergone closed reduction and immobilization or open reduction with internal or external fixation were recruited into this study using convenience sampling during the rehabilitation phase at the orthopaedic wards of two tertiary healthcare facilities in Accra. Data collection was performed using the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) and Lower Extremity Functional Scale. Data were analyzed using Spearman’s Rho correlation coefficient and Chi-square tests at p < 0.05.Results: Seventy-nine (72.50%) of the participants exhibited kinesiophobia based on their TSK scores (≥37). The TSK scores were significantly inversely correlated with participants’ lower limb function (r = -0.345; p < 0.001). Participants’ sex as well as the causes, types and sites of the fractures sustained had no significant association (p > 0.050) with the level of kinesiophobia. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of kinesiophobia which negatively correlated with LEF but was not associated with the type, site, and cause of fracture as well as the participants’ sex. Mitigating kinesiophobia should always be considered an integral rehabilitation goal for in-patients with LEF.

The rate of psychoactive substance (PAS) use in the adolescent group is increasing around the world. Drug abuse has a negative impact on students’ education especially that of secondary school students. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of psychoactive substance use and knowledge of the health consequences among secondary school students in Ogun State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 528 consenting students selected using random sampling method. Data obtained using a validated modified World Health Organization’s guidelines questionnaire were analyzed with SPSS 20, p-Value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Majority (78.8%) were within the age group 15-18 years, males were 61.4%. Alcohol (95.0%) ranked first of all the substances been consumed among the current PAS users. Age was highly significantly associated with PAS use. Average knowledge of health consequences of PAS use was 11.5%. There is need for continuous health educational intervention to boost the respondents’ knowledge about health consequences of uses of psychoactive substances. Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 19(2): 199-205, 2020 (December)

Training physiotherapists to a level where they can influence the standard of health care practice could be a complex process. Entry-level physiotherapy education in Ghana is a continuum between academic and clinical training during which they have to integrate the application and development of skills in communication, collaboration, advocatory and leadership. Self-directed learning is considered by many as one of the appropriate methodologies to allow practitioners to stay up-to-date and knowledgeable of the current literature. A teacher-centered approach is characterized by lecturing and hands-on skills training as the main or only way of facilitating student learning. Students who qualify as physiotherapists from teacher-centered tertiary institutions need to be self-directed life-long learners to be able to meet the demands of a complex work environment in the field of physiotherapy and professional health care delivery. The teacher-centered traditional approach to teaching and learning appears to be the predominant form of teaching among most universities in Ghana. Since a student-centered teaching approach has been widely recommended as the approach of choice, especially in the education of health care professionals, there is a need to determine if it is possible to design and implement physiotherapy based modules that include student-centered approaches such as Self-directed learning which may address minimal guidance that is usually associated with teacher centered tertiary training in Ghana. Keywords: Self-directed learning; teacher-centred; Physiotherapy, student-centredAbstract

What many nations like Nigeria need now is a functional and qualitative science education that will assist in national development. Science education has been identified to be one of the major bedrocks for the transformation of our national economy, hence must be adequately attended. This work was carried out to determine the impact of economic recession on teaching and learning sciences in higher institutions. A survey research design was adopted for the study. While a sampling random was used, using cluster as a sampling technique to select a sample of two hundred and twelve (212) respondents from Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare , Bauchi state,Nigeria. The instrument used for the study was questionnaire, the data collected was sorted out and analyzed using frequency distribution table and simple percentage. The problems associated with educational development through teachers, students and management staff were investigated and result pointed out that, all these contributed greatly to the aforementioned negative impact economic recession has on educational development. The government, teachers, students and management staff are therefore faced with challenges of maximizing whatever allocated to them to reduce the effect of current recession on education.

A reliable estimation of seismic hazard-facing Mexico City from local earthquakes has suffered from poor seismic instrumentation, complex crustal structure, large and variable site amplification, and lack of knowledge of recurrence period of earthquakes on the mapped faults. Owing to recent improvement in local seismic networks, an earthquake swarm activity, which occurred in June–August 2019, was well recorded. The largest event of the sequence, an Mw 3.2 earthquake, caused panic in the city and produced peak ground acceleration (PGA) exceeding 0.3g at the closest station (MHVM) about 1 km away. An analysis of the event shows that it had normal-faulting focal mechanism, consistent with northeast–southwest-oriented mapped faults in the region. It was located at a depth of ∼1 km and had a low stress drop (∼0.1 MPa). We find that the high PGA for this low stress-drop event resulted from high-frequency amplification at MHVM (about factor of ∼6 around 13 Hz), likely due to topographic site effects, superimposed on a pervasive broadband amplification of seismic waves at hill-zone sites in the Valley of Mexico (up to ∼10 in the frequency band of 0.2–10 Hz). Simulation of ground motion for a scenario Mw 5.0 earthquake, using an empirical Green’s function technique, reveals that such an event may give rise to significant seismic intensities in the lake-bed zone of Mexico City. The results emphasize the need to re-evaluate the seismic hazard to Mexico City from local crustal earthquakes in the Valley of Mexico.

Synoptic findings by researchers have revealed tremendous physic-chemical improvements of polymer modified mixes over the conventional asphalt. Traditionally, laboratory mechanical properties were carried out for asphalt testing, but cannot calibrate simple performance test (SPTs) criteria for fatigue and field performance. Marshall test-sized specimens of polymer asphalt mixtures were engineered with arbitrary contents of 0 to 3.0% polypropylene waste admixed with 4.5 to 6.5% bitumen contents based on relevant literature. Creep deformation involves uniaxial static creep (USC) test using BS 598-111. Morphological examinations were test with Hitachi S-4700 field-emission scan-electron-microscope (FE-SEM). Thirdly, thermal degradation was determined using Shimadzu TGA-50 thermo-gravimetric analyzer. The results showed creep resistivity with fatigue recovery of 23.2% and 28.9% strain reduction at 10oC and 60oC respectively from the optimal 2.0% polypropylene and 6.0% bitumen compared to the control mix. Also, the same mix produced well dispersed and better enhanced pore packaging micro-structure capable of resisting ageing volatization under severe traffic and environmental loading conditions considered. Keywords: Asphalt pavement, polypropylene, creep deformation, age volatization and microstructure

The utilization of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) in the management of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection could lead to diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the incidence and risks for diabetes mellitus and hypertension amongst HIV-infected patients on cART at ART Clinic of Civil Service Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria. Crosssectional research was conducted among 262 consented HIV-infected patients on cART from April to July 2018. Random blood sugar and blood pressure of the patients were measured with glucometer and sphygmomanometer, respectively. The subjects were administered with standardized sociodemographics, treatment, and clinical variable forms. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used, and ethical approval was obtained. The patients had a mean age of 44.32±11.60 years and had received cART for a median duration of 6.01± 2.16 years. There was a high incidence (18.3%) of hypertension and diabetes mellitus diseases among the patients on cART. The majority of 32 (66.67%) of the patients were on Efavirenz + Lamivudine + Tenofovir combination therapy. The risk factors for the comorbidity were gender (OR 1.113; 95% CI 0.014-0.938, p < 0.043), duration on HIV infection (OR 1.084; 95% CI 0.860-1.366, p < 0.049), duration on cART (OR 1.928; 95% CI 0.861-1.679, p < 0.048) and types of cART (OR 1.042; 95% CI 1.000-1.085, p < 0.047). The high incidence of the comorbid conditions in HIV-infected patients on cART affirms the necessity to integrate screening for these two concomitant diseases in the HIV program as part of a healthcare support strategy. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 23(2): 125-134, 2020

This paper presents the design and development of a pick and place automated Cabot system for sorting black colors. It also proposed a method by which the Cabot’s can detect the color of an object by the use of an IR sensor to detect the black color and pick and place the item in a specific place by employing an Arduino nano and servo motors to control the robotic arm. The performance of the proposed intelligent device has been tested through the detection of random colored objects. But it will only detect and pick black-object items and take them to the desired location. The proposed system is expected to reduce labor costs and increase productivity and efficiency in industries. &nbsp

Direct Current (DC) motors are widely used because they come in many shapes and sizes, so their application is quite easy and flexible, and they have high reliability and low cost. Speed and position control are required in industrial applications, robot manipulators and home appliances. Because of the accurate and efficient tuning of parameters for PID controllers, they have become very important for the process industries. They have a simple structure, good stability, and high reliability. Electric motors are used in many homes, industrial, military, and other systems. Electric motors have properties that depend on the type of motor selected for the appropriate application. The performance of the motor depends on the system of which it is part. The appropriate design must be chosen for each part to obtain the best performance and the highest efficiency. Elevators, jacks, cars, trains, printers, home appliances, industrial, civil, and military systems, as well as robots, all use electric motors. It can be used in different applications, such as underwater welding, and in other places that are dangerous to humans, such as the operation of mine-removal, explosive dismantling, and others. The aim of this research is to review papers related to various servo motors and also the comparison between the different motors has been discussed in detail.&nbsp

IntroductionNon-melanoma skin cancer is the most common tumor. The combination of IFN-alpha 2b and IFN-gamma has been used as a new therapeutic opportunity to treat basal cell carcinomas and cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. The aim of this report is to record prospectively the recurrence and new lesions rates in patients participating in phase II clinical trials.MethodsPhase II clinical trials (double-blind randomized one center study, InCarbacel-III, in patients with basal cell carcinoma; and open, non-randomized multicenter study, CECIN, in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas), with the use of the combination of IFN-alpha 2b and IFN-gamma were conducted to evaluate the efficacy, safety and the 5-year duration of clinical responses. Both studies were approved by institutional ethic committees and all the patients given their written informed consent. The investigational treatment was administered, peri- or intralesionally, three times per week, during 3 weeks. Clinical (RECIST 1.0) responses were evaluated three months after the end of treatment.ResultsThe combination of IFNs in InCarbacel-III study showed the best clinical response (complete response of 64.3%, overall response of 85.7%) with the highest doses (10.5 MIU); without patient’s recurrence at 5 years follow-up (3.5 MUI and 10.5 MUI groups). The frequency of new lesions decreased in the treated patients 8 times. In the CECIN study 14 patients achieved complete response and 4 partial responses (overall response rate 67%). Up to the 5-year follow-up none of the patients with complete response had recurrence or new lesion. In both studies the cosmetic results were excellent and the reported adverse events were mostly of mild intensity.ConclusionsThe use of the combination of IFN-alpha 2b and IFN-gamma showed efficacy in basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma promoting a long term response for at least 5 years and decreasing the rate of new lesions, safely and with excellent cosmetic effects.

New solid-state metal complex of Fe (II) with paracetamol (ligand), that is, [Fe(para)2Cl2] were synthesized mechanically in 1:2 ratio. The complex has been characterized using physicochemical properties and spectral studies. From the IR and electronic spectral studies, the spectra of the complex were different from that of ligand suggesting the formation of coordination compound. Paracetamol was found to be bidentate ligand in which Fe (II) ion coordinated through the oxygen atom of carbonyl of ketone and nitrogen atom of amide in which the complex is assumed to have octahedral geometry. The complex has shown good antimicrobial activities. The solid-state synthetic method is quick and gives a higher yield, without the need of solvent or heating. Its present higher efficiency in terms of materials, time and energy compared to solution-based synthesis. It is therefore, recommended among others that, solid-state synthesis method should be used in the synthesizing drugs with metals.

The paper characterized and transesterified castor seed oil. The resulting product was tested as feedstock for biodiesel production. It was carried out at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria, over a period of eight months. The oil was extracted in a soxhlet extractor with n-hexane as the solvent. The oil obtained was filtered and then characterized. Transesterification was carried out using a laboratory scale biodiesel processor. The fuel and physico-chemical properties of the oil and its biodiesel were determined following ASTM, EN and AOCS methods. The results revealed that all the properties of the biodiesel are within the ASTM limits for biodiesel except the kinematic viscosity. The oil contains 89% ricinoleic acid and has high solubility in methanol due to the hydroxyl group and requires minimum amount of catalyst to give maximum biodiesel yield. The heating value obtained for the oil and its biodiesel were 32 MJ/kg and 38 MJ/kg. The castor seed oil investigated has oil content of 34%, and the properties characterized are all within the limits for biodiesel. Castor oil has excellent solubility in methanol and hence theoretically an ideal feedstock for biodiesel production.

The correlation and prediction of optimum process parameters in biodiesel production is useful in obtaining high rate of conversion of vegetable oil to biodiesel as well as in process control. In this study, the correlation of the operating parameters such as reaction time, reaction temperature, stir speed, catalyst concentration and methanol-oil ratio at a pressure of 400 kPa for the production and prediction of the optimum biodiesel yield during biodiesel production was carried out using the Central Composite Design (CCD) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN). By adjusting networks and initializing weights, the neural network was iteratively trained with the aid of the Levenberg Marquardt algorithm in MATLAB R2018b environment using experimental results from the central composite design. From the analysis of results obtained, the correlation coefficients, adjusted and predicted R as well as R squared were close to1. In addition, predicted values from the central composite design and neural network show good correlation results when compared to the experimental data. The validation of the neural network was done with arbitrary values and random selection of process parameters. The observed output in terms of percentage yield of biodiesel from the trained network fell within the range of experimental results, thus, indicating that the network is an efficient tool for correlating and predicting process parameters for biodiesel production.

Due to increased global warming and pollution, the use of biodiesel as alternative to biodiesel has become a widespread. The use of Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) oil as a possible feedstock for biodiesel production was evaluated. The biodiesel was produced through transesterification with sodium hydroxide and gave a biodiesel yield of 94 wt.%. The fatty acid profile obtained by chromatography analyzer was mainly erucic acid 45.7 wt.%, linoleic acid 14.2 wt.% and linolenic acid 13.0 wt.% acids. The distillation characteristics show higher distillation temperature than diesel and the mineral elements in the oil and biodiesel are within the ASTM limits for biodiesel. The oil and biodiesel were characterized and they gave properties that are similar to those of fossil diesel and within the ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 limits for biodiesel, which led to the conclusion that mustard seeds can be a viable source of feedstock for biodiesel production. The glycerin analysis shows the completeness of the transesterification process.

The need for quality control of biodiesel is important to ensure the development of a clean, trouble free and safe alternative fuel technology to fossil diesel. In this work, the gas chromatography analysis of the biodiesel produced from used frying oil was carried out using PerkinElmer Clarus 500 Gas Chromatograph (GC), fitted with a capillary split injector and Fourier Infrared Detector (FID). Also, the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy was used to determine and monitor the concentration of biodiesel produced from used and unused palm olein oil. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis was carried out using the FTIR Spectroscopy (FTIR 1-S Shimadzu, Japan, Model 4100) and Microlab software as well as Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) sample interface system. 0.5 ml of samples of the unused palm olein oil and biodiesel were taken in at the interface at a resolution of 4 cm-1 within the region of 4000 cm-1 to 400 cm-1 . The GC-MS analysis did not indicate any soap-like material, indicating that the catalyst was able to handle transesterification reaction without transition to saponification reaction. The results of the interaction between the components of the fuel samples and the radiation as a function of wavelength indicates the functional groups and the type of vibration in the fuel samples. The results obtained indicate the presence of an intense band of C=O stretching of methyl ester and O-CH3 group. It also show concentration of the five main fatty acids that are present in most biodiesel; palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids indicating the successful transesterification of palm olein oil to biodiesel.

Objectives: To determine the patterns of ethical issues and decision-making challenges encountered by practicing physiotherapists in Ghana.Design: This is a cross-sectional study in which the stratified sampling technique was adopted to sample the participants.Setting: The study involved physiotherapists at the private healthcare setting and from different levels of public healthcare facilities.Participants: Eighty-two duly registered physiotherapists who were practising in Ghana participated in the study.Interventions: Participants completed a 30-item questionnaire related to ethical issues and challenges encountered in making ethical decisions. Data analysis was premised on the frequency of occurrence of ethical tensions and difficulty in decision making which were dichotomized as 'high' and 'low' issues, and 'extreme' and 'low' difficult decisions, respectively.Results: The age range of the participants was 21-49 years (mean 31.5 ± 1.4years). 18 (22%), 31 (37.8%) and 33 (40.2%) physiotherapists practice in the primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare settings respectively. 56 (68.3%) and 43 (52.4%) of the participants affirmed that 'establishing priorities for patient's treatment amidst limited time resources' was the most frequently encountered and the most extremely difficult ethical issue to make a decision on respectively. Whereas, limiting physical therapy services for personal or organizational gains sub-theme was the least occurred issue which was also the least difficult to make a decision on as indicated by the respective 16 (19.5%) and 18 (22.0%) physiotherapists.Conclusion: A wide range of primary and secondary ethical issues were reported by the sampled physiotherapists, which tend to pose difficulty during the decision-making process in practice.Keywords: Ethical issues; code of ethics; decision making; physiotherapy practice, ethical judgementFunding: The research work was self-funded by the authors.

Hypertension is a major challenge in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected people globally. A prospective, cross-sectional study comprising two hundred and eighteen HIV-infected patients was conducted in Antiretroviral Therapy Clinic of General Hospital, Offa between November 2015 and December, 2016. Patients’ blood pressure was evaluated using Omron automated blood pressure monitor following standard procedures. Dual weight and height balance was utilized to measure the weight and height of the subjects. Hypertension incidence among patients receiving combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) was 34%, while those that were yet to start cART was 9.6 %. In HIVinfected women on cART, occurrence of hypertension was high (75.5%) as compared to men (24.5%). The hypertension pervasiveness in HIV-infected patients on cART was 75.5% in women and 24.5% in men. Risk factors that were markedly linked with hypertension among patients on cART include body mass index (OR: 3.29,95% CI:1.21-2.27; p< 0.050), sedentary lifestyle (OR: 1.63, 95% CI:1.20-5.38; p < 0.043), age (OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.22-2.33; p< 0.004) and gender (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 0.85-2.41; p < 0.037). Patients on cART were found to have higher hypertension prevalence than cART-naive. The cART, however, is not a risk factor for hypertension.Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 21(1): 35-41, 2018

Assessment of quality of life of HIV-infected patients on combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) is imperative in the management of the disease. This study was done to assess the quality of life (QOL) of HIV-infected patients on cART before and after the pharmacist intervention. Consented HIV diagnosed outpatients in a tertiary health care facility in Benin City that met inclusion criteria were consecutively enrolled into the study. The QOL of these patients was determined in the four domains of WHOQOLHIV BREF instrument. The raw scores for each domain in the WHOQOL-HIV BREF were calculated by adding values of single items. The scores were computed on the scale of 0 to 100. One way ANOVA and Student t-test were used to compare means. At baseline, mean QOL values were below 73. The lowest values were in the social domain and the best values in the physical domain. The QOL values increased steadily over the period of interventions with the highest mean QOL of 93.7 in the physical domain. The improvement in QOL was significant at 6 and 9 months following interventions (p < 0.001). The values obtained are expressed in percentage. There was no statistically significant difference between male and female patients on cART in all domains of QOL following the intervention. Patients on Tenofovir + Emtricitabine + Efavirenz combination therapy had significantly higher scores in all the domains of QOL as compared with other drug combinations used in the management of the patients. The only educational level of the patients was significantly associated with the patients’ QOL. The intervention in this prospective study was a success, as it led to increasing in QOL for the patients on cART from the baseline level to the end of the 9th month.Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 20(2): 132-138, 2017

The relationship between capital flight and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has generated continuous debate in literature. This study aims at providing quantitative analysis of cointegration and causality between capital flight and FDI in Nigeria from 1985 to 2015. The study employed secondary data which was obtained from Statistical bulletin of Central Bank of Nigeria and data base of World Bank.The data obtained were subjected to Units root test, Co-integration test and Pair–Wise test of Granger Causality. The findings of co-integration revealed that the estimated equation and the series are co-integrated. The Granger-Causality test shows that there is no bi-directional causality between FDI and Capital Flight in Nigeria.The study concludes that the success to curtail capital flight in Nigeria is to improve level of infrastructural facilities in the country which can facilitate increase in domestic investment and also attract FDI. It is recommended that enhancing investment environment by minimizing the obstacles to doing economic activities, and increasing the effort against international financial crime will help reduce capital flight and improve FDI in Nigeria.