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Water utilization for different human activities is universally crucial, but it is not readily available for consumption in some areas, such as the central parts of Lagos State, Nigeria. Moreover, there are many groundwater controlling factors (GWCFs) spanning geological, geophysical, and hydrological factors that contribute to this scenario, coupled with uncertainties that necessitate their careful selection using appropriate modelling techniques. In this study, the Dempster–Shafer Theory of Evidential Belief Function (DST-EBF) model (a coupling approach) was deployed to produce a groundwater prospectivity zonation (GWPZ) map for the study areas. The choice of the selected locations was informed by the continued dearth of water supplies, necessitating the need to discover new locations or re-appraise the existing ones for groundwater resource development. Furthermore, remote sensing, geological, field geophysical, and hydrological datasets that constituted GWCFs were integrated into a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. Next, the computed values for the evidence of the mass functions (i.e., belief, disbelief, uncertainty, and plausibility) were combined using the Dempster–Shafer combination rule and then interpolated using the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) method. Subsequently, the GWPZ map was generated and classified into five zones, ranging from very low to high prospectivity zones. The GWPZ map was validated using cross-validation to estimate statistical errors, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and the use of inverted resistivity models from the 2D electrical resistivity imaging surveys. All the metrics used for the validation provided good account for the classified GWPZ map. The north-eastern and the south-central parts are the most promising regions for groundwater, which could be harnessed for sustainable development through borehole drilling. Thus, the integration of the DST-EBF model and GIS for effective groundwater resources and uncertainty mapping was quite successful and impressively reliable.

Rising energy costs in Uganda's industrial sector have significantly increased manufacturing expenses and led to the closure of potential enterprises, underscoring the urgent need for efficient energy management solutions. The study presents an optimization-based predictive energy control model that integrates Gene Expression Programming (GEP) and Adaptive Network-based Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS) for grid-connected solar PV-battery systems. The hybrid GEP-ANFIS model leverages GEP's strength in complex pattern recognition and ANFIS's adaptive learning capability to manage nonlinear data, resulting in more accurate and reliable energy predictions. The model utilizes historical load patterns, grid data, and solar PV/battery inputs to forecast load demand and solar power generation, optimizing energy usage based on Time of Use (TOU) pricing. The approach addresses the limitations of existing energy management techniques by enhancing predictive accuracy and ensuring seamless integration with industrial applications. The present work demonstrates that the proposed GEP-ANFIS double diode model consistently outperforms its counterparts, achieving a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 7.25 %, a mean absolute deviation (MAD) of 2.95 %, and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 8.42 %. Moreover, the model exhibits superior accuracy in predicting short-term load demand, with a MAPE of 2.24 %, a MAD of 0.13 %, and an RMSE of 0.18 %. Additionally, the model results in an average energy cost reduction of 6.7 % for hybrid grid-connected solar PV/battery configurations, highlighting its economic benefits. The study's key contributions include the creation of a novel hybrid predictive model, significant cost savings, improved load prediction accuracy, and the integration of renewable energy sources into industrial energy management. The model's inferences can effectively address the challenges of rising energy costs, providing a robust framework for sustainable and efficient energy management in industrial settings.

Active targeting to cancer involves exploiting specific interactions between receptors on the surface of cancer cells and targeting moieties conjugated to the surface of vectors such that site-specific delivery is achieved. Prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) has proved to be an excellent target for active targeting to prostate cancer. We report the synthesis and use of a PSMA-specific ligand (Glu-NH-CO-NH-Lys) for the site-specific delivery of brusatol- and docetaxel-loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles to prostate cancer. The PSMA targeting ligand covalently linked to PLGA-PEG3400 was blended with methoxyPEG-PLGA to prepare brusatol- and docetaxel-loaded nanoparticles with different surface densities of the targeting ligand. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the impact of different surface densities of the PSMA targeting ligand in LNCaP prostate cancer cells at 15 min and 2 h. Cytotoxicity evaluations of the targeted nanoparticles reveal differences based on PSMA expression in PC-3 and LNCaP cells. In addition, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured using the fluorescent indicator, H2DCFDA, by flow cytometry. PSMA-targeted nanoparticles loaded with docetaxel and brusatol showed increased ROS generation in LNCaP cells compared to PC-3 at different time points. Furthermore, the targeted nanoparticles were evaluated in male athymic BALB/c mice implanted with PSMA-producing LNCaP cell tumors. Evaluation of the percent relative tumor volume show that brusatol-containing nanoparticles show great promise in inhibiting tumor growth. Our data also suggest that the dual drug-loaded targeted nanoparticle platform improves the efficacy of docetaxel in male athymic BALB/c mice implanted with PSMA-producing LNCaP cell tumors.

The fiber of the empty date fruit is one of the waste products left after the date fruit is harvested from the date palm. Optimization of the treatment parameters as well as the economics of the treatment process are critical to the successful commercialization of the treatment of natural fibers for the production of biocomposites. Of the natural fiber treatment methods described in previous work, hot water and alkali treatments are the most cost-effective, which justified the choice of these treatment methods in this work. Here, date empty fruit bunch fibers were pulverized to a particle size of 0–500 µm and then treated with boiling water at 100 °C for 3 h or with sodium hydroxide at different concentrations (2, 5, 10%) for 3 h at room temperature with constant stirring at 800 rpm. To confirm the effect of temperature on the fiber treatment, another fiber sample was treated at a 5% concentration of sodium hydroxide solution at an elevated temperature of 80 °C for the same period and stirring condition. The untreated and treated DEFB fibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Chemical analysis of the fibers showed that DEFB fiber treated with 5% sodium hydroxide solution at room temperature had the highest cellulose content (52.0%), which was also confirmed by the XRD analysis. The DEFB fiber treated with boiling water exhibited higher thermal stability while the sodium hydroxide-treated fiber exhibited higher crystallinity index and cellulose content. Apparently, DEFB fiber treated with sodium hydroxide solution at 5% concentration for 3 h at room temperature for continuous stirring at 800 rpm offered the best properties. The treated fibers are expected to be viable reinforcement in the production of biocomposites with the goal of achieving energy efficiency. The developed materials could be used in industrial applications such as insulating building systems, automotive parts, and home furniture.

The potential for reducing oil uptake by applying aided pre-drying techniques (microwave, infrared, and convective hot air) was studied on chicken nuggets. Convective hot air (60, 80, and 100 °C); microwave (20, 40, and 60 W); and infrared (150, 250, and 400 W) drying techniques were used to pre-treat chicken nuggets between 1 and 11 min based on preliminary study before frying at 170 °C for 3 min. Standard laboratory methods were employed to assess the quality attributes of fried chicken nuggets, including oil and moisture content, colour, and texture. By comparing the micrographs obtained from chicken nuggets pre-dried using the three pre-dried methods (Microwave, conventional hot air and infra-red), chicken nugget pre-dried using microwave at 60 W have lesser oil cracks (18.05 %) when compared to the rest pre-dried method.Pre-drying substantially lowers moisture content, with microwave pre-drying being most effective, particularly at higher power levels (19.38 ± 1.36–43.11 ± 0.10). Microwave pre-drying densifies the nugget structure, reducing oil absorption during frying (13.15 ± 0.13–28.38 ± 0.12). Microscopic examination of chicken nuggets pre-dried using three methods (microwave, conventional hot air, and infra-red) reveals that those pre-dried with a microwave at 60 W exhibit fewer oil cracks (18.05 %) compared to the other pre-drying methods. It also affects (p

Background: The rising incidence of cancer is a major concern globally being a leading cause of early mortality in most countries. This burden is projected to increase to 28.4 million cases worldwide by 2040 and yet, may be worsened by continuous exposure to risk factors due to a sheer shift from consumption of natural nutrients. To reverse this trend, it is imperative to source novel anticancer metabolites from plants that could minimize carcinogenic effects by suppressing the proliferation and survival of cancer cells. Purpose: This study aimed at characterizing and quantifying index anticancer and antioxidant metabolites, in the cultivars of T. portulacastrum. Methods: The Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (UHP-LCMS) was used to quantify and characterize index anticancer and antioxidant metabolites in shoot, root and whole plant extracts of Trianthema portulacastrum (T01,T02,T03,T04,T05,T06). The biological activity of the tested samples was monitored on the xCELLigence Real Time Cell Analyzer to determine the cytotoxicity of the extracts as a function of cell index at a specific time post dose using the concentration range of 0.16–2.5 %. Results: Based on the responses observed 48 h post exposure, all extracts showed high levels of cytotoxicity as determined by the xCELLigence apart from the root extracts. Rapid decreases in cell index (CI) values observed at higher extract percentages are highly indicative of cell death. These biological activities may be attributed to different anticancer metabolites such as epigallocatechin, glucaric acids, byakangelicin, xanthotoxin, apaensin, acetoxy-6-gingerol among other compounds of significant therapeutic benefits that were quantified with UHP-LCMS. Conclusion: These findings suggest that T. portulacastrum contains diverse anticancer metabolites which could be leveraged to develop plant-based anticancer drugs or novel chemicals with extended therapeutic utility.

The need to explore the abundance of natural products cannot be overemphasized particularly in the management of various disease conditions. In traditional medical practice, Vernonia amygdalina has been widely adopted in the management of various inflammatory disorders. The objective of this investigation was to isolate the bioactive principles from the stem-bark and root of V. amygdalina and assess the anti-inflammatory (in vitro) activity of both the crude extracts and the isolated compounds. Following extraction with the methanol, the extract was subjected to gravity column chromatography and the resultant fractions was further purified to obtained pure compounds. The structural elucidation of the compounds were based on data obtained from 1H to 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies as well as fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). Using diclofenac as a control drug, the albumin denaturation assay was used to determine the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts and isolates. Three distinct compounds characterized are vernoamyoside D, luteolin-7-α-o-glucuronide, and vernotolaside, a new glycoside. When compared to diclofenac, which has an IC50 of 167.8 μg/mL, luteolin-7-α-o-glucuronide, vernoamyoside D, and vernotolaside all showed significant inhibitions with respective IC50 values 549.8, 379.5, and 201.7 μg/mL. Vernotolaside is reported for the first time from the root. The assertion that the plant is used in traditional medicine for the management of inflammatory disorder is somewhat validated by the confirmation of the existence of the compounds with the biochemical actions. Further validation of the isolated compounds would be required in animal studies.

The effective treatment of wastewater to mitigate environmental pollution remains a critical concern in modern society. This review examines the synthesis methods, physicochemical properties, and different application of ferric tungstate (FeWO4) as advanced multifunctional nanomaterial for wastewater treatment. The removal of various pollutants, including heavy metals, organic dyes, emerging contaminants, micro and nanoplastics from wastewater by FeWO4 are discussed. The review also highlights the significant uniqueness of FeWO4 nanoparticles, such as its high surface area, tunable surface chemistry, and adsorption, ozonation, photocatalytic and photo-Fenton capabilities. The environmental implications including the fate of FeWO4 adsorbed pollutants, toxicity and potential secondary pollution, are also discussed. Furthermore, the challenges and limitations, such as regeneration and scalability, that might affect the practical implementation of FeWO4-based treatment systems are also addressed. The multifunctional behaviour of FeWO4 provide insights into its efficiency and applicability in diverse wastewater treatment scenarios. Comparisons with other adsorbents and treatment methods elucidate the distinct advantages of FeWO4. The comprehensive analysis of its synthesis, properties, mechanisms, and applications is a foundation for researchers and practitioners working towards efficient and sustainable wastewater treatment solutions.

Background: The reproductive system is the chief precursor system, whose germ cell activities lead to the emergence of other systems, that work synergistically to maintain body homeostasis. Androgen plays an integral role in the development and optimal functioning of the male reproductive organs. Green coconut water (Yezi shui) is a natural, thirst quenching and therapeutic beverage consumed both recreationally and medicinally amidst the Chinese populace for its diverse health benefits. Aim and objectives: This study was aimed at investigating the action of green coconut water (GCW) on the antiandrogenic effects of flutamide on the sex hormone homeostasis along the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal (HPG) axis and its correlation to the weight distributions of the reproductive organs: testis, epididymis, prostate and seminal vesicle in male peripubertal Wistar rats. Materials and methods: Thirty-six (36) pre-pubertal male Wistar pups at postnatal ages of Postnatal day (PND) 11 were purchased, acclimatized, and randomly distributed at PND 25 into six experimental groups A-F. Group A, B and C received distilled water, flutamide at 25 mg/kg and green coconut water (GCW) at 20 ml/kg respectively for 6 weeks. Group D and E received 25 mg/kg flutamide for 2 weeks then GCW at 10 ml/kg and 20 ml/kg respectively 4 weeks, while Group F received 25 mg/kg flutamide and GCW at 20 ml/kg concomitantly for 6 weeks. At the end of the experiment PND 67, the testis, the epididymis, the prostate, the seminal vesicles, and blood sample were obtained for both morphological and hormonal evaluations. Results: GCW administration significantly revived weight distributions of reproductive organs that were reduced due to the anti-androgenic action of flutamide. More so, GCW significantly increased the concentrations of intratesticular testosterone and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), while it brings to moderate threshold luteinizing hormone (LH) concentration in flutamide treated peripubertal Wistar rats. There is an evident submission that the increment in reproductive organs’ weight correlate with the increase in the sex hormones profiles. Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that GCW administration may be efficient to restore sex hormone imbalance with corresponding increase in organ weights which underpin many cases of male factor infertility.

An upgraded technology is needed in the agricultural sector in order to adopt sustainable practice to maintain high yield as well as reducing environmental pollution due to ammonia emissions attributed to mineral nitrogen fertilization. This study reports a modified urea-hydroxyapatite nanohybrids fertilizers incorporated with carbon nanotube for more efficient sustainable nutrients utilization and reduction of ammonia emissions from fertilizers application. The urea-hydroxyapatite fertilizer was mixed with carbon nanotube at varying ratio by mass percentage (Sample A = 1:0.5. B = 1:1, C = 1:2, and D = 1:3) using simple liquid immersion method. The assessment of all the samples and the control specimen (sample E) was conducted by subjecting them to the analysis of thermogravimetric at intervals of 20 min to 200 min, to determine their nitrogen release behaviour activities. The morphological properties of urea-hydroxyapatite fertilizer with and without carbon nanotubes were compared using spectroscopic analysis (SEM, FTIR and XRD). The mechanical tests were conducted to examine the tensile and compressive strengths of the urea-hydroxyapatite fertilizer with carbon nanotubes using diametral tensile strength technique. The data obtained reveals that the control sample (urea-hydroxyapatite fertilizer) released 70 to 80 % urea within first 50minutes while the samples with carbon nanotubes retained urea for longer and 76 to 90 % amount of nitrogen release was recorded in the first 150minutes. It is revealed that the sample C with mixing ratio 1:2 exhibited best slow-release nitrogen properties. The sample C displayed a moderately large amount of nitrogen in form of urea in the initial phase and followed by slow-release even until the last minutes (200minutes). In the contrary, urea-hydroxyapatite fertilizer (control sample) which released heavily in the initial phase followed by the release of low and non-uniform quantities until its last drop towards 150minutes. SEM result demonstrated that chemical reaction occurred between urea-hydroxyapatites particles and carbon nanotubes. XRD patterns of urea-hydroxyapatites nanohybrid structures with carbon nanotubes demonstrate that the samples show the hydroxyapatite properties with monocrystalline structure. It is confirmed from the FTIR spectra that chemical functionalization cropped up between urea-hydroxyapatites nanohybrid and carbon nanotubes particles. A remarkable increase in the mechanical strength (150 % for the tensile strength and 100 % for the compressive strength) of the sample C structures confirms that introduction of carbon nanotubes improved its strength properties for the purpose of prolong stability while discharging its role as a nutrients slow-release fertilizer. Thus, the designed nano-fertilizer formulation of sample C mixing ratio can therefore be used as alternative way of improving the nutrients usage efficiency for the plants growth as well as to reduce the ammonia emission to the environment as pollutant.

In developing countries where feed resources are scarce, cassava leaves can be used as feed for animals. However, the use of cassava leaves is limited mainly because of their high fibre content and overall acceptability by animals. The resolution to this problem is to process the cassava leaves by ensiling and using additives. Therefore, the objective of the study was to determine the effects of including different inclusion levels of molasses and bacteria concentration on the physicochemical properties of cassava leaf silage. Molasses was added at inclusion levels of 0, 3, 5 and 7 g/100g of the chopped cassava leaves, and Lactobacillus buchneri was mixed with chopped cassava leaves at different concentrations of 0, 3.1 × 106 cfu/ml, 3.1 × 108 cfu/ml and 3.1 × 1010 cfu/ml. The effects of inclusion level of molasses on the colour, smell and texture of cassava leaf silage were significant (P

The need to promote solid waste in concrete production prompted the use of waste glass powder (WGP) and silica fume (SF) powder in partial replacement for ordinary Portland cement in ternary blended concrete. The concrete was prepared with a total binder of 350 kg (in 1 m3) with 90% of cement and 10% the combination of silica fume and waste glass powder. The water/binder ratio was 0.42, and the fine aggregate to the total aggregate was 0.4. Models of wet density and 90-day strength development were presented in terms of age, WGP, and SF. Similarly, the concrete compressive strength and elastic/shear moduli were modelled for rebound numbers and response frequencies. The impact of geometrical shape and aspect ratio was also studied using cylindrical (100 - and 75-mm diameters) and rectangular specimens with an aspect ratio of 4 and 5. Transverse response frequency decreased with an increase in sample diameter and aspect ratio. The 90-day strength of C90G2.5S7.5 had a maximum strength of 55.5 MPa. Furthermore, the ternary blended sample (C90GyS10-y) was better than glass blended concrete (C90G10S0) in terms of 28-day strength, elastic and shear moduli, while the presence of SF (C90G0S10) decreased the response frequencies of OPC concrete (C100G0S0).

Background: Substantive literature has assessed the impact of starting school at younger ages relative to peers on health in high-income countries (HICs), but there is little evidence from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Conclusions drawn from HICs may not apply to different education contexts and health threats. This study maps the empirical evidence on the effect of school-entry age on health in LMICs and identifies directions for future research. Methods: We conducted a scoping review between August and September 2022 by systematically searching the health sciences, education, economics, psychology, and general sciences literature and included quantitative and qualitative studies. The exposure of interest was relative age for grade defined as starting or progressing through school at a younger or older age compared to peers who are in the same grade. We extracted key characteristics of included studies and summarized their findings. We categorized results into broad health domains which emerged a posteriori from our analyses of included studies, including neurodevelopment and mental health, sexual and reproductive health, non-communicable diseases, and nutrition. Findings: We identified 8 studies from middle-income countries published between 2017 and 2022. Among those studies, we identified 3 quasi-experimental studies using data from Brazil, Mexico, and Vietnam, and 5 observational studies primarily from Türkiye. Children starting school earlier had an increased risk of being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, earlier sexual debut and cohabitation, adolescent pregnancy, adolescent marriage, and engaged more frequently in risky behavior compared to children who started school later. Pregnant women who started school younger also had fewer prenatal care visits and experienced more pregnancy complications. Although most studies identified negative health consequences from starting school earlier, the evidence for nutritional outcomes, such as overweight and stunting, was mixed. No studies were identified from low-income countries. Conclusions: Little is known about the health consequences of school-entry age in low-resource settings. Additional research is needed to investigate the impact of relative age for grade, whether and how these effects persist into adulthood, and to inform strategies that can offset potential disadvantages stemming from school-entry cut-off dates.

Access to microcredit has received a lot of attention, but, its role in the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies and improvement of rice yield is not often debated. This study investigated the impacts of access to microcredit on the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies and the yield of rice farmers. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select 320 rice farmers for the study. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Multivariate Probit regression model, the Poisson regression model with endogenous treatment, and the Endogenous Switching Regression Model. The descriptive results for the entire sample show mean values of 45 years for age, 9 people for household size, 20 years for farming experience, and 19 hectares for farm size. The result also showed that many of the rice farmers are male (94%), married (92%), educated (97%), and belong to rice farmer's associations (85%). Most of the rice farmers have access to microcredit (80%) and the farmers depend largely on their funds from other enterprises (100%). Many of the farmers mostly adopted high-quality-improved seeds (92%). Further findings reveal that age, educational status, household size, farm size, and years of farming experience are factors that largely determine the choice of climate change adaptation strategies adopted. The study also revealed that access to microcredit significantly affected the intensity of adoption of climate change adaptation strategies; and farmers’ age, education, and farm size significantly affected rice yield. Hence, policies that can promote increased access to microcredit should be promoted.

Demand-side energy management techniques, such as load shielding, shifting, and delaying appliance operation during peak periods, are typically used to reduce electricity costs at the expense of users’ comfort. To address these challenges, especially where operational delays are unacceptable, distributed generation (DG) is frequently incorporated into the grid system to improve power balance and total energy costs. However, dynamic load demands and varying outputs from renewable DG sources such as solar photovoltaic (PV) systems make energy management in microgrids (MGs) extremely challenging. Moreover, most of the existing studies in this domain focus on objective functions that are geared on optimising the economic balance between cost and value of MG operation over a certain time period. Nevertheless, research that took into consideration the stochastic behaviour of DG’s subsystems in addition to cost and benefit of MG operation are still limited. This current study proposed a fuzzy logic control (FLC) integrated energy management system (EMS) for commercial loads with hybrid grid-solar PV/battery energy system. The proposed technique intelligently selects energy sources using the grid energy cost and the state of charge (SoC) of the solar PV/battery at any time of the day. The EMS operate the loads at a reduced cost without any operational delay or shifting. The system was implemented in the MATLAB/Simulink environment, and the techno-economic feasibility of energy cost savings was investigated by comparing the developed scheme with the Homer hybrid energy system model for a hotel building. The developed EMS reduced energy costs by an average of 11.87 % per day and 7.94 % over a 20-year lifetime.

Summary: mRNA vaccines are effective in preventing severe COVID-19, but breakthrough infections, emerging variants, and waning immunity warrant the use of boosters. Although mRNA boosters are being implemented, the extent to which pre-existing immunity influences the efficacy of boosters remains unclear. In a cohort of individuals primed with the mRNA-1273 or BNT162b2 vaccines, we report that lower antibody levels before boost are associated with higher fold-increase in antibody levels after boost, suggesting that pre-existing antibody modulates the immunogenicity of mRNA vaccines. Our studies in mice show that pre-existing antibodies accelerate the clearance of vaccine antigen via Fc-dependent mechanisms, limiting the amount of antigen available to prime B cell responses after mRNA boosters. These data demonstrate a “tug of war” between pre-existing antibody responses and de novo B cell responses following mRNA vaccination, and they suggest that transient downmodulation of antibody effector function may improve the efficacy of mRNA boosters.

A Box-Behnken (three-factor) response surface design was utilized to determine effect of grits rehydration level (35–45%), frying temperature (155–175 °C) and frying time (7–13 min) on some attributes (moisture, oil, textural parameters and colour) of instant Akara iwe, a cassava based fried snack and optimize the process. Sensory evaluation of the optimized sample to measure its degree of acceptability was conducted including comparison with Akara iwe from raw cassava mash. Frying temperature, frying time and grits rehydration level had significant (p

Purpose: To determine the seroprevalence of some arboviruses among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods & Materials: Sera of 36 ELISA anti-Zika virus immunoglobulin M (IgM)- and/or immunoglobulin G (IgG)-positive pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in 3 hospitals in Ibadan, Nigeria were screened for the presence of antibodies to Zika, yellow fever, dengue-1 and -2, Spondweni, West Nile, and chikungunya viruses using haemagglutination inhibition (HI). Results: Overall, 22 (61.1%) of the 36 sera tested had antibodies to other tested arboviruses. All the sera which tested positive, had antibodies to at least two or more viruses, 4 (11.1%) tested positive to 6 of the viruses, 4 (11.1%) tested positive to 5 of the viruses, 1 (2.8%) to 4 of the viruses, 8 (22.2%) to 3 of the viruses, 5(13.9%) to only 2 of the viruses. Antibody to dengue-1 was observed in all positive sera. Antibodies to Zika, dengue-2 and chikungunya were observed in 55.6%, 38.9%, and 25%, respectively while antibodies to Spondweni, West Nile and yellow fever were detected in 22.2%, 13.9% and 11.1% respectively. Titre values observed ranged from 1:20 to 1:320.About 47% of participants had antibodies to Zika and 2 other arboviruses and 25% to Zika virus and 3 or more arboviruses. The presence of antibodies to these viruses suggests a persistence of infections in Ibadan. A low (11.1%) prevalence of antibodies to yellow fever virus was observed. Sera of 14 (38.9%) participants positive for anti-ZIKV IgM and/or IgG by NS-1 based ELISA were negative for Zika virus antibodies by HI. Conclusion: This study showed a high seroprevalence to arboviruses despite the low rate of reporting these infections in Nigeria. It also demonstrated a very low herd immunity to yellow fever despite Nigeria being in the category of countries recommended for vaccination in the Yellow Fever belt. Therefore, a large proportion of the community is at risk of yellow fever. These results further emphasize the importance of seroprevalence studies as an important tool in the assessment of disease burden, and epidemiology of arboviral diseases as well as herd immunity.

Background: Hypoxaemia is a common complication of pneumonia and a major risk factor for death, but less is known about hypoxaemia in other common conditions. We evaluated the epidemiology of hypoxaemia and oxygen use in hospitalised neonates and children in Nigeria. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study among neonates and children (

A passive co-treatment of acid mine drainage and hospital wastewater previously demonstrated a promising bioremediation viable approach for both toxic streams. The study of inhibition kinetics and microbial communities is essential to understand better the diverse species and the reaction mechanisms within the system. The kinetics and microbiology diversity in the sulfidogenic fluidized-bed reactor (at 30 °C) for co-treatment of hospital wastewater and metal-containing acidic water were examined. The alkalinity from organic oxidation raised the pH of the effluent from 2.3 to 6.1–8.2. Michaelis-Menten modeling yielded (Km =7.3 mg/l, Vmax = 0.12 mg/l min−1) in the batch bioreactor treatment using sulfate-reducing bacteria. For COD oxidation, the dissolved sulfide inhibition constant (Ki) was 3.6 mg/l, and the Ki value for H2S was 9 mg/l. The dominant species in the treatment process belong to the Proteobacteria group (especially Deltaproteobacteria). The ibuprofen and diclofenac compounds achieved the highest removal rates in the bioreactor of 58.6% and 52.3%, respectively; while, ketoprofen and naproxen of 41.9% and 46.6%, respectively. The findings in COD kinetics, sulfate-reducing bacteria abundance, and selected pharmaceutical concentration reduction provide insight into this co-treatment process's capability.

Globally, effective emergency response to disease outbreaks is usually affected by weak coordination. However, coordination using an incident management system (IMS) in line with a One Health approach involving human, environment, and animal health with collaborations between government and non-governmental agencies result in improved response outcome for zoonotic diseases such as Lassa fever (LF).We provide an overview of the 2019 LF outbreak response in Nigeria using the IMS and One Health approach. The response was coordinated via ten Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) response pillars. Cardinal response activities included activation of EOC, development of an incident action plan, deployment of One Health rapid response teams to support affected states, mid-outbreak review and after-action review meetings.Between 1st January and 29th December 2019, of the 5057 people tested for LF, 833 were confirmed positive from 23 States, across 86 Local Government Areas. Of the 833 confirmed cases, 650 (78%) were from hotspot States of Edo (36%), Ondo (26%) and Ebonyi (16%). Those in the age-group 21–40 years (47%) were mostly affected, with a male to female ratio of 1:1. Twenty healthcare workers were affected. Two LF naïve states Kebbi and Zamfara, reported confirmed cases for the first time during this period.The outbreak peaked earlier in the year compared to previous years, and the emergency phase of the outbreak was declared over by epidemiological week 17 based on low national threshold composite indicators over a period of six consecutive weeks.Multisectoral and multidisciplinary strategic One Health EOC coordination at all levels facilitated the swift containment of Nigeria's large LF outbreak in 2019. It is therefore imperative to embrace One Health approach embedded within the EOC to holistically address the increasing LF incidence in Nigeria.

ABSTRACT: Increasing industrialization and urbanization has led to increased wastewater effluents, which affect the environment if not properly treated before discharge into water bodies. Hence, it is important to adopt an efficient technique for treating wastewater before discharge into water bodies. This study investigated the interaction of initial concentration, pH, adsorbent dosage, and particle size with orange peels for the biosorption of Cu2+ and Pb2+ from aqueous solution using the response surface methodology (RSM) with the central composite design (CCD). The regression model ascertained the validity of the second-order polynomial equation for the biosorption of Cu2+ and Pb2+ using orange peels. The coefficient of determination (R2) obtained from the analysis of variance (ANOVA) for Cu2+ and Pb2+ are 0.9852 and 0.9433, respectively. The maximum adsorption uptakes of Cu2+ and Pb2+ were 54.94 mg/g and 65.14 mg/g respectively, which suggests that orange peels have a higher affinity for Pb2+ than for Cu2+. The maximum efficiencies of Cu2+ and Pb2+ under the optimum conditions of the process variables are 88% and 90%, respectively. The agreement between the experimental and predicted values shows that the quadratic model developed can be used to adequately determine the interaction between process parameters in the bio-sorption of Cu2+ and Pb2+ onto orange peels. The study contributes to the search for eco-friendly and sustainable solutions to the treatment of water contaminated with low concentrations of Cu2+ and Pb2+ metal ions.

Napoleona vogelii is used in traditional medicine for the management of pain, inflammatory conditions and cancer.This study was conducted to investigate the modulatory mechanisms of methanol stem bark extract of N. vogelii on induction of micronuclei, apoptotic biomarkers and in vivo antioxidant enzymes in mice.Forty male albino mice were randomly divided into eight groups (n = 5) and were administered distilled water (DW, 5 mL/kg) as negative control, 100, 200 or 400 mg/kg of the extract respectively for 28 days before the injection of cyclophosphamide (CP, 40 mg/kg) i.p. on the 28th day. The remaining groups were administered 100, 200 or 400 mg/kg of the extract only for 28 days. Twenty four hours after injection of CP or administration of the last dose of extract, animals were euthanized by cervical dislocation and blood samples collected for determination of in vivo antioxidants, the spleen harvested for immunohistochemical expression of NFκB, Bcl-2, Bax and p53. Bone marrow smears were also made for the micronucleus assay.Treatment with the extract resulted in a significant (p

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most cancer-related mortalities worldwide and remains a major public health issue. Despite several attempts to develop promising therapies for CRC, its survival rate decreases with metastasis. Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are a family of protein kinases with various regulatory activities including cell cycle, mRNA expression, transcription, and differentiation. Aside from their role in cell proliferation when mutated, abnormal expression of these genes has been reported in some human cancer subtypes. This study explored the roles and therapeutic potentials of CDK 1 and 4 as prognostic biomarkers in CRC. Methods: Bioinformatics analyses were carried out to demonstrate the expression and prognostic values of CDK-1 and CDK-4 with immune infiltrate in CRC. Discussion: CDK levels in CRC were remarkably higher than those in normal tissues (p < 0.05), and overexpression in CRC tissues was significantly related to nodal metastatic status (p < 0.05) and histological subtypes. Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that patients with CRC who exhibited CDK-1 overexpression had worse overall survival (OS) as against patients with CDK-4 overexpression. The alteration observed was a mutation while the mutation hotspots include E163* and R24A/C/H/L respectively for CDK-1 and CDK-4 on the Pkinase domain. Of the associated genes, AURKA and RB1 were predominantly altered. Furthermore, CDK-4 is positively correlated with tumor purity in both COAD and READ while CDK-1is only positively correlated in COAD. CDK-1 overexpression was significantly associated with poor prognosis as opposed to CDK-4. Conclusion: The expression and prognostic values of AURKA and RB1 may also be significant to CRC diagnosis. CDKs together with the co-expressed genes and their association with immune infiltrates may serve as target molecules for immunotherapy in CRC.

Food insecurity caused by climate change has become one of the main issues on the global agenda. Worldwide, the importance of digital tools as a means to enhance adaptive capacity and resilience of smallholder farmers (SHFs) in the face of climate variability has long been recognised. Technology-based systems in agriculture frequently neglect to consider the actual context of use and adoption by SHFs in rural and developing contexts. These conditions, as pointed out in the literature, range from high “illiteracy” rates to poor technology infrastructure to a requirement for smartphone-based technology of which very few SHFs in the developing world can take advantage. However, very little is known about the information and communication technology (ICT) literacy levels of SHFs in general in terms of supporting them in their farming decisions. This paper, therefore, explores the ICT literacy levels of Msinga SHFs in order to understand what could enhance their use and adoption of ICT for weather forecasting. Msinga is a hotspot for climate change. Consequently, the means of livelihood of the SHFs in this municipality have been negatively impacted.Volunteering sampling was used, in which 35 SHFs were purposively selected from a population of 100 SHFs who belong to the Asisukume Msinga Agricultural Cooperative (AMAC) – all irrigation farmers. A sequential transformative mixed method design, embedded in an Indigenous research framework, was employed. This paper reports on the quantitative aspects of the study which addressed the following two research questions: (i) What are Msinga SHFs ICT literacy capability levels? and (ii) What is the relationship between SHFs ICT levels and their demographic data w.r.t. their adoption of ICT tools in their agricultural practices? Data were collected using a demographic details questionnaire (examining age, marriage, educational level, and years of farming experience) and an assessment of ICT literacy (assessing 5 ICT literacy skills which included mobile phone symbol identification to advanced ICT literacy). Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, specifically the use of Spearman rank-order correlation using IBM® Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS®), version 20.The results suggest that for the ICT literacy levels, SHFs were not able to display use of the various ICT related skills, with the exception of ICT levels 1 and 2 where satisfactory display of ICT literacy were displayed among most of the SHFs. When examining the associations between ICT literacy levels and the demographic variables, significant negative associations were found between the ICT literacy levels and age as well as years of experience, while significant positive associations were found between ICT literacy levels and educational level. The results, furthermore, suggest that marital status has no correlation with ICT literacy proficiency.The findings arising from this study highlight the “importance of context” in helping SHFs to mitigate the threats of climate change on food production, an issue that is completely ignored in curriculum policies and policies aimed at integrated national adaptation responses to climate change impact and vulnerability.

Background: Food and herbal usage of Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) is attaining improved global relevance and acceptance without recourse to its potential toxic effects. This study investigated the safety profile of acute, sub-acute, sub-chronic administrations and diuretic potential of aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces (AEHSC). Method: Acute oral toxicity, sub-acute and sub-chronic toxicity as well as diuretic studies were carried out on HS. A total of 20 Wistar rats were used for each toxicity study and assigned into four groups of five rats. The extract was administered as a single daily dose of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight (bwt) for 28 and 90 days respectively. To evaluate diuretic activity, 25 rats were divided into five groups of five rats and administered normal saline, hydrochlorothiazide 10 mg/kg, AEHSC 67.5, 125 and 250 mg/kg via the oral route. Urine sample was collected after 18 h, volume measured and concentration of electrolytes analyzed. The hematological and biochemical parameters were evaluated as well as the histopathology of kidney and liver. Results: The acute oral toxicity was found to be >2000 mg/kg. AEHSC did not alter concentration of WBC, MCV, MCHC, lymphocyte as well as total and direct bilirubin in the sub-acute study. However, AEHSC significantly (p < 0.05) increased total protein, albumin, globulin, Na+, Cl−, HCO3- and platelet levels, while levels of uric acid, creatinine, K+, RBC, Hb, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, HDL-C and atherogenic index were decreased significantly (p < 0.05). In the sub-chronic study, AEHSC significantly (p < 0.05) increased the levels of globulin, urea, creatinine, MCH and atherogenic index. The concentrations of uric acid, WBC, platelets and HDL-C were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased. In both the sub-acute and sub-chronic studies, activities of ALP, ALT, AST, GGT and LDH in selected organs were altered without significant increase (P < 0.05) in activity of these enzymes in the serum. The AEHSC at all the doses showed remarkable diuretic activity during 18 h period comparable to hydrochlorothiazide. The extract also showed a non-dose-dependent increase in excretion of electrolytes. Histological analysis of sections of the liver and kidney for both sub-acute and sub-chronic studies showed normal histology comparable to the control group. Conclusion: This study revealed AEHSC has some toxic effects in rats on sub-chronic administration. In addition, the extracts produced a significant diuretic activity. Hence, prolonged oral consumption of the extract may not be recommended.

The quest for improvement in service life and performance of road pavement via reduction of oxidative aging failure of bitumen, led us to the investigation of novel application of Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as potential anti-oxidative material for Agbabu natural bitumen (ANB). The raw ANB was purified to form the base and the base modified in a stainless reactor using AgNPs via melt blend technique at temperature of 120 °C under stirring at 1200rpm. The proportions of AgNPs used for the modification were 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 wt% and long-term aging was thermally simulated on the base and modified base samples at 60 °C. The aged samples were then subjected to Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopic Analysis to study the changes in the size of the peaks of the oxidation-related compounds. Physical and flow parameters (PFPs) of the base and modified base samples were characterized using softening point temperature, kinematic viscosity, penetration index, flash and fire points, penetration, kinematic viscosity and Oscillatory disc Rheometer (ODR) test. FTIR analysis showed that the AgNPs incorporation into ANB at 1797 cm−1, 1217 cm−1, 1300 cm−1 and 1097 cm−1 in the spectrum of the base sample. The sulphoxide peaks at 1031 cm−1 was completely obliterated. There was progressive reduction in the area of the carbonyl peak at 1693 cm−1 implying progressive lowering of the carbonyl index value with increasing in the amount of AgNPs used in the modification. These changes are attributable to the anti-oxidative potential of the AgNPs. The mechanism of the anti-oxidative effect of AgNPs is proposed to be due to scavenging of the free radical produced in the oxidation process. The values of softening point temperature, kinematic viscosity, penetration index, and flash and fire points increased while that of penetration and specific gravity reduced as the quantity of AgNPs in the base increased. The ODR test showed that, the modified samples compared to base sample at lower and higher road pavement temperatures are less prone to fatigue cracking and rutting, respectively. Thus, this study provides preliminary information about the novelty of AgNPs as potential antioxidant for improving the durability/performance of bitumen in pavements.

The data described in this article are related to drought occurrence in inland valleys and farmers adaptation strategies. The data were collected in 300 inland valleys distributed in 14 regions of West Africa. The data were collected in two phases. In the first phase, 300 inland valleys were identified in 14 regions and their locations were determined with handheld GPS devices. Questionnaires and informal interviews were administered to inland valleys users to collect data on physical and socio-economic characteristics, hydrology, farmers experience with drought affecting rice production in inland valleys and adaptation strategies. In the second phase, the locations of the inland valleys were imported in a GIS environment and were used to extract additional parameters on soil characteristics and water demand from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), Africa Soil Information Service (africasoils.net) and POWER database (http://power.larc.nasa.gov). In total, the dataset contains 41 variables divided into seven themes: farmers’ experience with drought, adaptive management of rice farmers to drought, physical characteristics, hydrology, management practices, socio-economic characteristics and weather data of inland valleys. Keywords: Drought, Inland valleys, Rice, Africa

This study evaluates the performance of two laboratory scale aerobic sequencing batch reactor operated under continuous low aeration and cyclic aeration scheme for the treatment of wastewater generated from a local brewery in Durban South Africa. The continuous low aeration scheme was intended to determine its effect on the performance of the reactor in terms of organic material removal compared to a typical cyclic aeration reactor for biological organic material removal. The performance of the two laboratory scale reactor was determined in terms of removals of chemical oxygen demand and biological oxygen demand. These two parameters were selected because they are priority pollutants and organic components in brewery wastewater. The experimental results demonstrated that reductions in chemical oxygen demand and biological oxygen demand in wastewater generated from the breweries can be successfully achieved using both aeration configurations. However, the treatment efficiencies in terms of the removal of chemical oxygen demand was consistently maintained above 90% and for biological oxygen demand it was observed to be above 80% with the reactor operated under the continuous low aeration scheme performing significantly better than the reactor operated under the cyclic aeration scheme. Keywords: Continuous low aeration, Cyclic aeration, Sequencing batch reactor, Organic components, Treatment efficiencies, Sludge

Nigeria is greatly endowed with large deposit of natural bitumen at Agbabu, Ondo State. The country was reported to have a proven reserve of about 42.47 billion tonnes of bitumen, a quantity which is estimated to be second largest in the world but yet to be explored for economic purposes. However, literature has shown paucity of research work on its modification. This study is therefore carried out to investigate the suitability of polyphosphoric acid (PPA) as a modifier in Agbabu natural bitumen (ANB). The performance of unmodified and PPA modified ANB has been comparatively studied with specific emphasis on Fourier Transform Infrared investigation and fundamental physical tests like penetration, softening point, fire and flash point and specific gravity. Kinematic viscosity (flow) test was also investigated. Penetration indexes of ANB samples were calculated from the penetration values for softening points. The comparative study of FTIR spectra of both base ANB and PPA modified ANB samples showed appearance of some few new peaks in the infrared spectra of PPA modified ANB samples confirming that the structure of the neat ANB had been modified. On the basis of our experimental results, incorporation of PPA up to 6% into ANB structure greatly enhances the fundamental physical and flow properties of ANB. This showed that PPA has the potential of improving the service life of ANB.

Dyke–Davidoff–Masson syndrome (DDMS) is a rare, but important cause of drug-resistant seizures. Dyke–Davidoff–Masson syndrome is a constellation of clinical features that consists of hemiparesis, seizure, facial asymmetry, and intellectual disability with distinct neuroimaging features. A 27-year-old lady presented to us with drug-resistant epilepsy, hemiparesis, and intellectual disability that necessitated her withdrawal from school. Her brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed cerebral hemiatrophy, calvarial thickening, and hyperpneumatization of the frontal sinuses consistent with DDMS. We discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic implications of DDMS and advocate early referral and evaluation of people with epilepsy in sub-Saharan African settings.