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Enhancing heat and mass transfer efficiency is crucial for reducing energy consumption and mitigating environmental impact in various industries, including power generation, electronics cooling, and chemical processing. This study explores the impact of solar radiation, bioconvection, micropolar fluid properties, and nanoparticle and chemical reactions on a stretching surface. The research uses mathematical modeling and analysis to solve the 2-dimentional laminar bioconvection boundary layer flow of micropolar based nanofluids. The study concludes that bioconvection significantly enhances heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics, with heat generation and chemical reactions playing a crucial role. The thermophysical properties of the fluid, bioconvection parameters, and chemical reaction rates also have a significant impact on flow and heat transfer characteristics. The analysis reveals that increased heat generation leads to increased temperature, while chemical reactions decrease concentration flow. Unsteadiness parameters also impact velocity, energy, concentration, and microorganism. The findings can provide valuable insights for researchers and engineers in designing and optimizing heat transfer systems involving micropolar nanofluids with bioconvection, heat generation, and chemical reactions.

Cities in developing countries experience rapid expansion, which has a negative effect on the aesthetic value of the city. This paper thus examined urban metamorphosis and development control with the specific objectives of assessing the physical development between 1986 and 2018 and assessing residents' perceptions of development control regulation and challenges of development control enforcement as regards to road setbacks in Ile-Ife, Osun State. Landsat images were used to examine changes in the physical development (built-up) in Ile-Ife. A questionnaire and key informant interview were used to examine residents' perceptions of development control regulation and the challenges of development control enforcement. The result showed that built-up area increased from 2760.05ha (94.81%) between 1986 and 2002 to 6843.41ha (120.67%) between 2002 and 2018, and 9603.46ha (329.87%) between 1986 and 2018. Between 1986 and 2018, a recorded annual magnitude and frequency of 9603.46ha and 600.22 ha were built up. The study revealed that 60% of the informants confirmed that the planning authorities were grappling with inadequate funds and inadequate technical and manpower, which had resulted in their inability to undertake planning activities. The study concluded that rapid development had negatively affected development control in the study area. It is therefore recommended that the government strengthen the planning authority, subsidize the cost of plan approval, and provide easy access to building permits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planting espacement is a vital process which affects the quality of tree's growth and development but this information is lacking in Monodora tenufolia (a multipurpose species). This study aimed at obtaining the appropriate espacement for plantation of this species by subjecting seedlings to three (3) different espacement on field trial. Forty five (45) seedlings were selected and planted in 1m x 1m, 2m x 2m and 3m x 3m spacing. Randomized Complete Block Design was the experimental design used. Tending operations were carried out. Morphological parameters such as seedling height, diameter, number of leaves and number of branches and physiological parameters [Relative Growth Rate (RGR) and Absolute Growth Rate (AGR)] were assessed. Data collected was subjected to analysis of variance and descriptive statistics. Seedlings subjected to 1m x 1m spacing (77.01±4.7 cm) were significantly taller than in 2m x2m and 3m x3m spacing and had highest mean diameter at base (9.02±0.6), mean number of leaves (63.6±7.7) and number of branches with 6.89±0.9. Seedlings in 2m x 2m had highest values for both RGR (0.22 gg-1 wk-1) which was followed by 3m x3m (0.15 gg-1 wk-1) while least was observed in 1m x 1m (0.13 gg-1 wk-1) while highest mean value (1.55 g-1 wk-1) was observed in 3m x 3m while 2m x 2m had the least (1.22 g-1 wk-1). In conclusion, closer spacing (1m x1m) favoured the morphological parameters but wider spacing supported the physiological parameters (2m x2m and 3m x 3m). Therefore, wider spacing is recommended when seed production is the management objective but for ornamental, closer spacing can be considered with proper maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities in developing countries experience rapid expansion, which has a negative effect on the aesthetic value of the city. This paper thus examined urban metamorphosis and development control with the specific objectives of assessing the physical development between 1986 and 2018 and assessing residents' perceptions of development control regulation and challenges of development control enforcement as regards to road setbacks in Ile-Ife, Osun state. Landsat imageries were used to examine changes in the physical development (built up) in Ile-Ife. A questionnaire and key informant interview were used to examine residents' perceptions of development control regulation and challenges of development control enforcement. The result showed that built-up area increased from 2760.05ha (94.81%) between 1986 and 2002 to 6843.41ha (120.67%) between 2002 and 2018, and 9603.46ha (329.87%) between 1986 and 2018. Between 1986 and 2018, built up recorded annual magnitude and frequency of 9603.46ha and 600.22ha. The study revealed that 60% of the informants confirmed that the planning authorities were grappling with inadequate funds and inadequate technical and manpower which had resulted in their inability to undertake planning activities. The study concluded that rapid development had negatively affected development control in the study area. It is therefore recommended that the government should strengthen the planning authority, subsidize the cost of plan approval, and provide easy access to building permits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the nutritional and anti-nutrient profiles of extrudates produced from seven formulations of pearl millet and Bambara groundnut flour in seven different ratios: 20:80, 30:70, 40:60, 50:50, 60:40, 70:30, and 80:20, with 100% pearl millet and 100% Bambara groundnut extrudates used as controls. The extrudates were processed using a twin screw extruder and analyzed for their nutritional and anti-nutritional properties. The findings revealed a rising pattern in the content of fiber, moisture, protein, ash and fat as the substitution of Bambara groundnut increased in the extrudate. Conversely, the level of carbohydrates decreased with increased inclusion of Bambara groundnut. Our results also indicated a significant difference in the mineral composition of the pearl Millet-Bambara groundnut extrudates, except for manganese. The values for calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, copper, manganese, and potassium ranged from 38.43-67.97, 3.60-5.10, 39.64-64.65, 290.84-413.15, 10.60-21.76, 0.10-0.24, ND-0.08, and 21.51-70.45 mg/100 g, respectively. Notably, the calcium, sodium, and potassium levels in the snacks rose with higher proportions of Bambara groundnut in the extrudates. Conversely, the concentrations of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper in the samples decreased as the percentage of Bambara groundnut in the formulation increased. However, the mineral levels recorded did not exceed the recommended daily intake, assuring no negative health effects upon consumption. Furthermore, the anti-nutrient content, including trypsin inhibitor, phytate, and tannin, increased with the addition of Bambara groundnut flour, while the phenolic content decreased with increasing Bambara groundnut substitution. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for the development of nutritious snacks using locally available grains., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Harm reduction for people who use drugs (PWUD) is an established evidence-based practice that encompasses a wide variety of services, delivery formats, and settings and has been named a priority in US drug policy. Harm reduction is focused on planning with communities and meeting PWUD where they are and encompasses a wide variety of interventions. We describe and report the feasibility, acceptability, and process implementation outcomes for an innovative pilot drug overdose harm reduction intervention, Block-by-Block (BXB), focused on training for and distribution of naloxone and test strips in areas identified as high risk for fatal overdoses., Case Presentation: Beginning operations in 2022, BXB operates in five pilot sites in four Illinois counties. Through partnerships with local organizations, BXB delivers harm reduction services in a private setting (home) or in a setting not specifically focused on serving PWUD (businesses, libraries, faith-based organizations, etc.) to reach PWUD and their friends, family and neighbors living in areas disproportionately affected by opioid overdose death. The intervention theory is based on acknowledgement that harm reduction services that require PWUD to visit a mobile unit, van or community organization, may not reach those in need or their friends, neighbors, and family for a variety of reasons including stigma associated with drug use, lack of awareness about these services, or where to locate them. Services delivered include education and training in the use of naloxone and fentanyl, xylazine and benzodiazepine test strips. Leave behind materials include naloxone, test strips and handouts with information on the intervention and local resources., Conclusions: Results to date indicate that this intervention is feasible -over half (55%) of the doors approached were answered. Acceptability of the intervention as delivered is high --people at 75% of doors that were answered were interested in and received training and/or supplies. BXB is flexible in that it has been quickly adapted to changes in community conditions, the drug supply, and shifting high risk areas as they developed. This is a promising intervention that leverages available data and resources and is readily implementable in communities with support from a central program administrator and access to geo-coded data., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was determined reviewed by the Northwestern University Institutional Review Board (STU00218306) and found not to be human research. No consent for participation was obtained. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Plastic waste poses a significant challenge to achieving sustainable production and consumption of resources, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where effective governance and waste management systems are lacking. In this paper, we develop an empirical understanding of the influence of public governance system on promoting circular economy (CE) for plastic actions among individuals. Through a survey of 1475 participants across five sub-Saharan African countries, we tested five hypotheses drawing on New Governance Theory and CE Action Recipe to explore the relationship between governance and individual's actions supporting CE for plastic. We found that a governance system that supports CE practices and exhibits governance efficiency is positively associated with individuals' actions supporting CE for plastic. The awareness of government policies, laws and regulations, institutions, processes, and programmes have a significant impact on individuals' engagement in plastic circularity practices. The paper's theoretical and governance implications highlight the relevance of public governance in shaping action towards a CE for plastic at the individual level., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In a bid to improve entrepreneurial outcomes of graduates from Nigerian universities, the Nigerian government has launched a range of interventions, including a 2004 national policy mandating compulsory inclusion of entrepreneurship education in the curriculum, and support for the establishment and implementation of entrepreneurship development activities by university departments. However, not much is known about the operational nuances, challenges and impact cases that characterise the implementation of this national policy in such a vast, culturally diverse country as Nigeria. To address this lacuna, this study draws on qualitative data from five focus groups, crystalised with quantitative data from 151 students across four Nigerian Universities, to explicate the current trends, successes, and challenges of entrepreneurship development and innovation support in Nigerian universities. The paper offers recommendations on how the current policy on entrepreneurship education in Nigeria can be enhanced to improve student entrepreneurial aspirations and outcomes. It also signposts innovative pedagogic activities which could be deployed to achieve this., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Muyiwa Oyinlola reports financial support was provided by 10.13039/501100000308British Council London., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: The relationship between diagnosed high blood pressure (HBP) and proximity to health facilities and noise sources is poorly understood. We investigated the relationship between proximity to noise sources, sociodemographic and economic factors, and diagnosed HBP in Ibadan, Nigeria., Methods: We investigated 13,531 adults from the African Rigorous Innovative Stroke Epidemiological Surveillance (ARISES) study in Ibadan. Using a Geographic Information System (GIS), the locations of healthcare facilities, pharmaceutical shops, bus stops, churches, and mosques were buffered at 100m intervals, and coordinates of persons diagnosed with HBP were overlaid on the buffered features. The number of persons with diagnosed HBP living at every 100m interval was estimated. Gender, occupation, marital status, educational status, type of housing, age, and income were used as predictor variables. Analysis was conducted using Spearman rank correlation and binary logistic regression at p<0.05., Results: There was a significant inverse relationship between the number of persons diagnosed with HBP and distance from pharmaceutical shops (r=-0.818), churches (r=-0.818), mosques (r=-0.893) and major roads (r=-0.667). The odds of diagnosed HBP were higher among the unemployed (AOR=1.58, 95% CI: 1.11-2.24), currently married (AOR=1.45, CI: 1.11-1.89), and previously married (1.75, CI: 1.29-2.38). The odds of diagnosed HBP increased with educational level and age group., Conclusion: Proximity to noise sources, being unemployed and educational level were associated with diagnosed HBP. Reduction in noise generation, transmission, and exposure could reduce the burden of hypertension in urban settings., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declare they had no conflict of interest.

Objectives: Parents experiencing mental health difficulties consistent with "personality disorder", often related to a history of complex trauma, may face increased challenges in parent-child relationships and child socioemotional development. There are no published randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating perinatal parent-child interventions for this population. We evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of undertaking an RCT of the video feedback intervention for positive parenting adapted for perinatal mental health (VIPP-PMH)., Design: Feasibility study incorporating a pilot RCT., Methods: Mothers with enduring difficulties in managing emotions and relationships, consistent with a "personality disorder", and their 6- to 36-month old infants were randomly allocated to receive six sessions of VIPP-PMH (n = 20) or usual care alone (n = 14)., Results: 76% of eligible mothers consented to participate. Intervention uptake and completion rates were 95% (≥1 VIPP-PMH session) and 70% (6 sessions), respectively. Follow-up rates were 85% at month 5 and 65% at month 8 post-baseline. Blinded observer-ratings of maternal sensitivity in parent-child interaction favoured the intervention group at month 5 (RR = 1.94, 95% CI 0.67-5.63) and month 8 (RR = 1.91, 95% CI 0.68-5.33). Small changes over time in self-rated parenting confidence and stress favoured the intervention group. There were no clear intervention effects on maternal non-intrusiveness or mental health, or on child behaviour problems, emotional functioning, or self-regulation., Conclusions: An RCT of VIPP-PMH is feasible and acceptable to implement with mothers experiencing difficulties consistent with perinatal "personality disorder". A fully powered definitive RCT should be undertaken., (© 2022 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.)

Apparent age estimation via human face image has attracted increased attention due to its numerous real-world applications. Predicting the apparent age has been quite difficult for machines and humans. However, researchers have focused on machine estimation of "age as perceived" to a high level of accuracy. To further improve the performance of apparent age estimation from the facial image, researchers continue to examine different methods to enhance its results further. This paper presents a critical review of the modern approaches and techniques for the apparent age estimation task. We also present a comparative analysis of the performance of some of those approaches on the apparent facial aging benchmark. The study also highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each approach used for apparent age estimation to guide in choosing the appropriate algorithms for future work in the field. The work focuses on the most popular algorithms and those that appear to have been the most successful for apparent age estimation to improve on the existing state-of-the-art results. We based our evaluations on three facial aging datasets, including looking at people (LAP)-2015, LAP-2016, and APPA-REAL, the most popular and publicly available datasets benchmark for apparent age estimation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Agbo-Ajala, Viriri, Oloko-Oba, Ekundayo and Heymann.)

The uncommon case of thoracic splenosis is presented in this paper. A patient presents to the hospital with the complaint of dyspnea on exertion. He is incidentally found to have thoracic splenosis. The case of thoracic splenosis is a vital topic to discuss in order to accurately diagnose, recognize, treat symptoms, and explore how it can exacerbate pulmonary or cardiology pathology., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Ajala et al.)

Gastrointestinal dysmotility is a substantial public health challenge globally. Based on previous findings in developed countries, it has been observed that there is an association between diarrhea, constipation, and some cardiovascular variables. This study investigated the effects of experimentally-induced short-term acute constipation and short-term acute diarrhea on certain cardiovascular variables in rats. Thirty (30) male Wistar rats (150 -180 g) were divided into three groups; Control, Diarrhoea, and Constipation. The experiment was carried out in 2 phases, the period after induction and the recovery period, and 5 animals per group were used for each phase. The control group received an equivalent amount of distilled water while Diarrhoea and the Constipation group were induced by oral administration of 2ml Castor oil and administration of Loperamide (3mg/kg, b.d, orally x 3 days), respectively. Cardiovascular variables were assessed using the Edan Scientific® Electrocardiography and  Heart Rate Variability machine. Recovery was allowed for 4 days after the onset of the procedure and cardiovascular parameters were reassessed. Post-induction Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) and Heart Rate (HR) significantly increased in constipated rats (153.2 ± 2.9 mmHg; 109.0 ± 3.7 mmHg;     123.7 ± 3.2 mmHg; 123.4±5.6 bpm) when compared with the control values (95.5±4.8 mmHg; 61.2 ± 3.5 mmHg; 72.6 ± 3.6 mmHg; 72.3 ± 5.2 bpm), respectively. The recovery SBP, DBP, MAP, and Heart Rate in the constipated group remained significantly higher compared to the control. Diarrhea had no significant effect on the parameters determined in both post-induction and recovery phases. The electrical activities did not change in both experimental groups compared to the control. This study revealed increased SBP, DBP, MAP, and HR in short-term acute constipated rats but not so with short-term acute experimental diarrhea.

Background: There are few studies to evaluate the association between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and Crohn's disease (CD). We examined this association in a USA-based cohort of patients with CD., Methods: We queried the Nationwide Readmission Databases 2018 using the International Classification of Disease, 10th Revision, and Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes to identify all adult patients admitted with a diagnosis of CD. Primary outcomes were the prevalence of IDA among patients with CD. Secondary outcomes included inpatient mortality, the length of stay, all-cause 30-day non-elective readmission rate, and total cost of hospitalization. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to study the impact of IDA on inpatient mortality and non-elective readmissions., Results: Of the 72,076 patients discharged from an index hospitalization for CD, 8.1% had IDA. CD patients with IDA had increased length of stays in days (4, interquartile range (IQR): 2 - 6 vs. 3, IQR: 2 - 5; P < 0.001), increased median total charges ($35,160, IQR: $19,786 - $64,126 vs. $31,299, IQR: $17,226 - $59,561; P < 0.001), and were more common to require blood transfusion during hospitalization (13.6% vs. 3.4%, P < 0.001) compared to CD patients without IDA, respectively. IDA was independently associated with increased odds of all-cause 30-day non-elective readmission (odds ratio (OR): 1.254, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.154 - 1.363, P < 0.001) and increased odds of all-cause 90-day non-elective readmission (OR: 1.396, 95% CI: 1.302 - 1.498, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: In a large nationwide cohort of patients hospitalized for CD, we observed a significant burden of IDA. Additionally, we found a significant association between IDA and worse hospitalization outcomes., Competing Interests: None to declare., (Copyright 2022, Abomhya et al.)

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals are at increased risk of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) due to immune suppression. The increasing resistance of uropathogens necessitates the need for regular monitoring of their profile to reduce drug resistance., Objectives: We determined the prevalence of ASB and the characteristics of antibiotic-resistant uropathogens isolated from HIV patients., Methods: Mid-stream urine samples from 100 HIV positive and 100 HIV negative healthy individuals were cultured for significant bacteriuria. The isolates were identified by standard techniques and their susceptibility patterns determined by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. All the Gram-negative isolates were screened for ESBL production by combined disc method, ESBL genes and class 1 integrons by Polymerase chain reaction., Results: Nine (9%) HIV positive individuals and 4 (4%) healthy individuals had ASB yielding a total of 13 (6.5%) uropathogens dominated by Escherichia coli (53.9%). All isolates were multidrug resistant. Five isolates harboured both the blaTEM-1 gene and class 1integrons while Serratia liquefaciens produced ampC., Conclusion: There is a higher burden of ASB characterized by multi-drug resistant uropathogens among HIV patients. Thus emphasizing the need for continuous resistance surveillance and antibiotic stewardship in our environment to reduce drug resistance and prevent treatment failure., (© 2022 Ajala O et al.)