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Fused filament fabrication (FFF) with the use of metal-polymer filaments offers a cost-effective solution in additively manufacturing metal parts. Nevertheless, the quality and dimensional characte...

PURPOSE Authorship is a proxy indicator of research capacity. Understanding the research capacity is imperative for developing population-specific cancer control strategies. This is particularly apropos for African nations, where mortality from cancer is projected to surpass that from infectious disease and the populations are critically under-represented in cancer and genomics studies. Here, we present an analysis and discussion of the patterns of authorship in Africa as they pertain to cancer genomics research across African countries. METHODS PubMed metadata of relevant cancer genomics peer-reviewed publications on African populations, published between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2019, were retrieved and analyzed for patterns of authorship affiliation using R packages, RISmed, and Pubmed.mineR. RESULTS The data showed that only 0.016% (n = 375) of cancer publications globally were on cancer genomics of African people. More than 50% of the first and last authors of these publications originated from the North African countries of Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria. South Africa (13.6% and 12.7%) and Nigeria (2.2% and 1.9%) were the Sub-Saharan African countries most represented by first and last authorship positions, respectively. The United States contributed 12.6% of first and last authored papers, and nearly 50% of all African countries had no contributing author for the publications we reviewed. CONCLUSION This study highlights and brings awareness to the paucity of cancer genomics research on African populations and by African authors and identifies a need for concerted efforts to encourage and enable more research in Africa, needed for achieving global equity in cancer outcomes.

Payment of bride price is a popular tradition in Nigeria as in most parts of Africa. However, in Nigeria, the practice has virtually lost its traditional purpose of marriage validation and honouring because of the commercialisation by many parents. For this reason, some critics have called for a cancellation of the custom, as it has turned women to commodities to be bought and sold. This article examined the purpose of bride price in the traditional African setting, the changes that have crept into the practice over time, and the desirability or non-desirability of bride price payment for Christians in Nigeria. The article employed the exegetical method for the study of the relevant texts and, using the descriptive approach, it gathered and utilised material relevant for bride price payment, as practised in Nigeria. The author found that payment of bride price is not prohibited in the Bible. In the traditional African society, bride price served mainly as the legal exchange that validated marriage. It was discovered that charging exorbitant bride prices by Nigerian parents obliterated the original purpose of the custom. Commercialisation of bride price in this way is partially responsible for the increasing rate of late marriages and non-marriages amongst Christians. The inability to pay high bride prices had created a situation whereby young Christian men and women cohabit without legally getting married. Exorbitant bride price sometimes leads to domestic violence against women. It is for these reasons that some have considered payment of bride price unchristian, whilst others have called for its abolishment. Nevertheless, this study concluded that as payment of bride price is not prohibited in the Bible, it is not wrong for Christians to pay and receive bride prices. Moreover, if its traditional purpose is adhered to, payment of bride price need not cause women abuse. Its cancellation would amount to doing away with the original purpose of the practice, particularly the legitimisation and honouring of marriage. Therefore, rather than abolishing bride price, one would call for a return to its original purpose. More than recognising the value of bride price, the church in Nigeria has the responsibility to educate Christian parents on the adverse implications of charging exorbitant bride prices.Contribution: This article is a contribution in ethics of Christian marriage. It is relevant for educating Nigerian Christian parents against charging excessive bride prices.

The emerging increasing issues with the use of fossil fuel-derived energy resources and related challenges like pollution, global warming and climate change are boosters for adoption of renewable energy resource. Energy is a key criteria for socio-economic development of any nation, thus the search for an environmentally-friendly solution. Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a promising method for the generation of green energy from waste. This study investigated the use of Nigerian corn starch wastewater as substrate for a dual-chamber MFC set-up. Iron electrodes were used for electron transfer. Up to 1.43 mA current, 0.97 V, 8.10 mA/cm2 maximum current density and 7.7 mW/cm2 maximum power density was achieved in 9 days of the experiment. The results present a relatively improved version when compared to previous studies. The experiment proves a promising alternative energy source for off-grid power solution, during Covid-19 and post-Covid-19 era.

Background: Estrogen deficiency following menopause creates an imbalance in plasma micronutrient resulting in several degenerative pathological conditions, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, etc. Objectives: The present study was designed to compare zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and selenium (Se) concentrations between premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Methods: In this descriptive study a total of 200 participants were classified into two groups of postmenopausal (age range: 46-75 years, served as experimental) and premenopausal (age range: 30-45 years, served as control). Each group consisted of 100 subjects. After obtaining informed consent from all participants, blood samples were collected from the antecubital fossa vein of each participant by venipuncture. The concentrations of Fe, Zn, and Se in each blood sample were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Results: No significant difference (P>0.05) was observed in serum Fe (114.24 ± 26.79 µg/dL), Zn (83.11 ± 20.45 µg/dL), and Se (41.99 ± 9.78 µg/dL) levels between the control and experimental groups. However, serum Fe and Zn showed progressive significant (P=0.04, 0.03, respectively) increase with increasing postmenopausal age. Conversely, serum Se concentration decreased significantly (P=0.03) with increasing menopausal age. Conclusion: Although no significant difference was observed in serum levels of Fe, Zn, and Se between pre- and post-menopausal women, the progressive significant increase in the serum Fe and Zn levels as well as significant decrease in serum Se level with advancing post-menopausal age portend a great risk.

Background The prison population is considered at high risk of acquiring infectious diseases due to confined conditions, behavioral factors, injection drug use, unprotected sexual activity, non-professional tattooing and scarification, and needle sharing. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a blood borne pathogen mostly transmitted via percutaneous exposure that results in inflammation of the liver. It is one of the public health problem worldwide and is the principal cause of parenterally transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis. The study was aimed at evaluating the prevalence of HCV among prison inmates in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria and the associated factors. Methods The study took a descriptive cross sectional approach using multi-stage sampling technique. One hundred and forty-two (142) prison inmates within the age range of 18–50 years and above were recruited for this study. Result Forty two (42); [29.6%] of the participating prison inmates were seropositive for HCV. Gender stratification showed that 31.0% of the males were seropositive for HCV while 15.4% of the females were seropositive for HCV. Fisher exact test showed that gender, age, marital status, occupation and level of education had no association in distribution of seroprevalence of HCV (p > 0.05) but the duration in prison was significantly associated with distribution of seropositivity of HCV in the studied population (p p > 0.05). However, 23.5% who had tattoo/scarification, 29.6% who used injection drug, 33.3% who had history of blood transfusion, 29.8% who had sexual experience, 21.2% who shared shaving equipment, and 28.3% who had multiple sex partners were seropositive for HCV. Conclusion Approximately 29.6% prevalence of Hepatitis C virus infection observed among inmates studied is high and calls for concern. Attitude and behaviors by inmates such as tattooing/scarification, injection drugs use, sharing of shaving equipment, multiple sexual partners should be discouraged.

Background: The sanitary state of the environment and general hygiene has long been known to play a critical role in the cause and spread of infectious diseases, be it directly or indirectly. Objective: This study was aimed at exploring the implications of some WASH practices on the prevalence of malaria infection among school children in Gombe State, Nigeria. Methodology: A cross sectional survey design was employed to study 745 school children (aged 6 to 15 years) who were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique from 12 public and 6 private schools in six Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State. Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) was used to screen the children for malaria. Descriptive statistics were generated to summarize research findings while chi square statistics was used to compare proportions at 0.05 significance levels. Risks were estimated using odd ratio (OR). Results: The mean age of the pupils was 9.96±2.26 years and slightly more than half (50.9%) of them were males while the rest (49.1%) were females. Out of the 745 subjects only 101 (13.6%) tested positive for malaria. And even though, 86.4% of them indicated availability of toilets in their residences, not all (98.6%) of them used the toilets. Slightly more than half (51.5%) of the participants dwell in houses without proper drainage while 46.7% reside in mud houses. Children from households without toilets had more than five times odds of having malaria (OR=5.230; 95% CI= 3.236-8.453, P=0.000). Furthermore, children from households that were sourcing their drinking water from streams, rivers and wells suffered more from malaria than those using portable/pipe borne water (OR=0.230, CI= 0.131-0.405, p=0.000). While children who dwelt in cement houses had less odds of malaria infection (OR=0.270, 95% CI=0.169-0.431, P=0.000), those who dwelt in houses without drainages had more than twice odds of malaria infection (OR=2.642, 95% CI= 1.671- 4.176). Again, proper waste disposal was associated with lower odds of malaria infection. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggests the existence of association between selected WASH practices and malaria prevalence among the school children. This should inform an integrated WASH and malaria advocacy as well as high level engagement with concerned authorities and communities.

Background: Despite the complex nature of inter-relationship between malnutrition and malaria, there has been continued emphasis and need to further re-examine the twin issues side-by-side with a view to forging an integrated public health care strategy. Objective: This study aimed to make comparison and possibly add to the increasing body of evidence on the relationship between malnutrition and malaria among apparently healthy primary school children in Gombe state, Nigeria. Methodology: Between the months of March and June 2019, a total of 745 school children aged 6 to 15 years were studied using a cross sectional design. Selection of the children was done by means of a multi-stage sampling technique, from 12 public and 6 private schools in 6 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state. Levels of malnutrition among the subjects were measured using three anthropometric indices, namely; stunting (Height-for-age Z-scores, HAZ), underweight (Weight-for-age Z-scores, WAZ) and wasting (Weight-for-height Z-score, WHZ); while screening for malaria infection was done using rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits. The WHO AnthroPlus and IBM SPSS version 21 statistical software packages were used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics was employed to summarize research findings, while chi square statistics was used to compare proportions at 0.05 alpha significance level. Results: About half (50.9%) of the subjects were boys while girls constitutes the rest 49.1%. The overall prevalence of stunting was 22.5% (19.6 - 25.6), underweight 20.9% (18.1 - 23.9), and wasting, 16.8% (13.7 - 20.4). Furthermore, malaria infection prevalence among the subjects was 13.6%. Age group and sex were found to be significantly associated with malnutrition (underweight or stunting or both) but they weren’t with malaria. On the other hand, while place of residence and level of education were significantly associated with malaria, they were not associated with malnutrition. Overall, both malnutrition and malaria were found to be significantly associated with type of school, senatorial district, tribe, religion, occupation of father, occupation of mother and level of education of mother. On the whole, malnutrition and malaria were significantly associated. Conclusion: In light of the above epidemiological pattern of distribution and associations between the two public health problems, the design of intervention programmes should integrate approaches targeted at the two issues among primary school children.

The effect of heat transfer medium (HTM) on the environment is associated with ozone layer depletion and global warming. The role of HTM (working fluid) in the heating and air conditioning industries is paramount, which cannot be underestimated. The conventional refrigerant has been predominantly used over decades due to their thermodynamic properties. However, hydrocarbon refrigerants such as isobutane are considered substitutes because they have negligible global warming potential and zero ozone depletion. That makes it eco-friendly among other existing refrigerants. The investigation of the refrigeration system’s performance characteristics required consideration for the coefficient of performance, refrigerating effect, and the compressor work; this enables the determination of the system’s efficiency without any assumption. Another factor that suggests a better absorption of refrigerant (working fluid) into a refrigeration system is an increase in the coefficient of performance (COP). The effect will cause a reduction in the rate of energy consumption by the compressor. The result shows that the system’s coefficient of performance when using R600a was 27.1% higher than when working with R134a, with an energy reduction of 23.3%.

Introduction Active matrix metalloproteinase (aMMP)-8 utilized in point-of-care testing (POCT) is regarded as a potential biomarker for periodontal and peri-implant diseases. Various host and microbial factors eventually influence the expression, degranulation, levels and activation of aMMP-8. The type of oral fluids (saliva, mouthrinse, gingival crevicular, and peri-implant sulcular fluids [GCF/PISF], respectively) affect the analysis. Areas covered With this background, we aimed to review here the recent studies on practical, inexpensive, noninvasive and quantitative mouthrinse and GCF/PISF chair-side POCT lateral flow aMMP-8 immunoassays (PerioSafe and ImplantSafe/ORALyzer) and how they help to detect, predict, monitor the course, treatment and prevention of periodontitis and peri-implantitis. The correlations of aMMP-8 POCT to other independent and catalytic activity assays of MMP-8 are also addressed. Expert opinion The mouthrinse aMMP-8 POCT can also detect prediabetes/diabetes and tissue destructive oral side-effects due to the head and neck cancers’ radiotherapy. Chlorhexidine and doxycycline can inhibit collagenolytic human neutrophil and GCF aMMP-8. Furthermore, by a set of case-series we demonstrate the potential of mouthrinse aMMP-8 POCT to real-time/online detect periodontitis as a potential risk disease for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The clinical interdisciplinary utilization of aMMP-8 POCT requires additional oral, medical, and interdisciplinary studies.

Teaching and learning in the 21st century is greatly influenced by advancements in technology. Numerous technological tools are today being maximized as mediums of communication and instruction. Learning at various levels requires a level of technological literacy, especially to communicate, as well as partake in educative tasks. Similarly, to gain access to opportunities in the 21st century, a certain level of technological skill is needed. Therefore, it has become imperative that both young and adult learners acquire the skills needed to navigate the contemporary infrastructures of communication. This chapter is a discussion of the historical perspectives, definitions, significance, as well as the approaches to the development of digital literacy in adult learners, a key literacy required for social justice in a tech-dependent world.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented several organizations with the opportunity to review their operational strategies, as well as the existing safety climate within their establishments. The healthcare sector is not an exception, especially those in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs), where most safety systems are not robust when compared with developed countries. The study aim is to assess the occupational safety climate among healthcare workers (HCWs) in LMICs using Nigeria as a case study. A cross-sectional study was adopted to measure safety climate perception among professionals working in healthcare establishment during the COVID-19 pandemic using a validated Nordic Safety Climate Questionnaire (NOSACQ-50). At the end of the survey period, 83% (433) of the responses were adjudged to have met the threshold criteria and were used to inform the study outcome. Worker safety commitment within the healthcare facilities (M = 3.01, SD = 0.42) was statistically significantly higher than management safety priority, commitment, and competence (M = 2.91, SD = 0.46), t(130.52), p &lt, 0.001. A significant effect of the management role was found in regards to management safety priority, commitment, and competence (F(1, 406) = 3.99, p = 0.046, η2 = 0.010). On the contrary, the managerial position does not have a significant effect on worker safety commitment (F(1, 417) = 0.59, p = 0.440, η2 = 0.001). The outcome from the study showed that, where there is active promotion of a positive safety climate in healthcare sectors in LMICs, employees are more likely to engage in positive safety behaviour. To help address the identified gaps, there is the need for more effort to be made towards promoting an effective and positive safety climate across the establishment, including management and healthcare worker commitments.

Finance is the bedrock of real estate development. Its availability and accessibility are important for a successful investment. In most cases, investors don’t have substantial finance to execute a project; instead, they resort to an external source through mortgage financing. However, there are difficulties in accessing mortgage finance particularly due to borrower’s default, thereby hindering finance accessibility. This study investigates factors determining mortgage finance accessibility for providing real estate projects in Lagos State, Nigeria. The target populations are the Primary Mortgage Institutions and Real Estate Developers in Lagos State. The collected data were analysed using factor analysis and Mann-Whitney U test. The study revealed that income, nature of the occupation, type of collateral, years of the banking relationship, loan duration and loan sector are the major determinants of access to mortgage finance. These factors must be succinctly considered to ensure ease of access, adequate provision and utilisation for real estate development. Keywords: Collateral, determinants, finance, investors, mortgage.

Artisans form a large percentage of the workforce in the informal sector of Nigeria’s economy and the importance of their activities to the growth of the economy cannot be overemphasized. They play an active role in the primary production and exchange of good and services and serve as dynamic promoter of entrepreneurial spirit among the populace. However, in spite of the potentials and inherent benefits that accrue from various services provided by artisans, there is lack of knowledge on their state of literacy skills and what might be of priority to them in terms of literacy acquisition. This study, therefore, assessed the literacy needs of artisans in Ibadan metropolis. The study adopted a quantitative research approach and the participants comprised 200 artisans who were randomly selected within Ibadan metropolis. The instrument used for the study was a self-designed questionnaire which was developed and subjected to content validity by experts in the field of adult education, measurement and evaluation. The instrument was pilot-tested with road transport workers and reliability coefficient of 0.75 was obtained. The data collected for the study were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages and mean score. The study revealed that the literacy status of artisans is high and they ranked the need for acquisition of more technical skills in their profession and acquisition of basic literacy skills as 1st and 2nd among other literacy needs in order of priority to them. It was also revealed that artisans’ perceived effect of literacy acquisition on their livelihood is positive (Weighted Average = 3.33). Therefore, it was recommended that there should be a conscious effort by all stakeholders at providing an avenue for artisans to upgrade their technical skills in order to keep abreast with the latest development in their profession and this should incorporate basic literacy skills acquisition alongside it.

Design and Engineering Economic Analysis of two widely used Air-Conditioning (AC) systems, Mini-Split and Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF), in the new Engineering Complex Building under the same indoor and outdoor conditions for an entire year is carried out by using Carrier Hourly Analysis Program software for cooling load estimation, and the Net Present Worth Analysis for Economic Analysis of both systems. Both systems are direct expansion air conditioning systems; hence the cooling load estimation was done using the ASHRAE transfer function method embedded within the Carrier software. Equipment to be used in analysis were selected from the Toshiba selection catalogues (Mini Split system), while that for the VRF system was selected using Toshiba simulation software. The annual energy analysis of both systems indicated that the VRF system will require more energy to run on an annual basis than the Mini Split system. However, the analysis was carried out without considering the part load potential energy savings of the VRF system. Net Present Worth Analysis carried out also favoured the Mini Split system in terms of Net Present Value of the systems. Based on the Engineering Economic Analysis carried out on the two systems, the overall Net Present Value for the VRF system is N77,891,808.66, while that of the Mini-Split system is N46,641,828.74. This result shows that the VRF system has a higher cost implication than the Mini-Split system. Hence, in terms of cost, the Mini-Split system is a more viable option.

Objective: During pregnancy, mothers undergoe considerable physiological changes affecting the whole body including periodontal tissues. Susceptibility to gingival inflammation during pregnancy could be mediated by modulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate salivary and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of MMPs and TIMPs during the second and third trimester of pregnancy and postpartum. Design: Saliva and GCF samples were collected from 96 pregnant women (PW) before and after giving birth. The sixty matched non-pregnant women (N-PW) were recruited as a control group and full-mouth periodontal examination was performed. The levels of MMP-8, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were determined by immunofluorometric and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results: The PW group exhibited significantly higher levels of MMP-8 and MMP-9 in their saliva than the N-PW group while corresponding salivary TIMP-1 levels were significantly lower in NPW compared to the postpartum stage. This resulted in significantly higher MMP-8/TIMP-1 and MMP-9/TIMP-1ratio in the saliva from PW before and after birth than in that from N-PW. MMP-8, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels were higher in GCF from PW and postpartum than in that from N-PW. Conclusions: MMP-8 and MMP-9 levels in saliva and GCF reflect inflammatory burden during pregnancy. They could be used for monitoring the inflammatory state of gingival tissues during pregnancy. © 2021, 2292018, 2512017, TYH2512016, Y1149SUL32 Karolinska Institutet, KI: 10488415B2, The research in our laboratories has been supported by grants from the Helsinki University Hospital Research Foundation (TYH2512016, 2512017, 2292018, Y1149SUL32), Apollonia Foundation, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (T?bitak Grant program 2219) and the strategic funds from Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Prof Timo Sorsa is an inventor of US-patents 10488415B2 and Japan Patent 2016 -554676., The research in our laboratories has been supported by grants from the Helsinki University Hospital Research Foundation ( TYH2512016 , 2512017 , 2292018 , Y1149SUL32 ), Apollonia Foundation, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (Tübitak Grant program 2219 ) and the strategic funds from Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden . Prof Timo Sorsa is an inventor of US-patents 10488415B2 and Japan Patent 2016 -554676.

We describe a patient who presented to hospital during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (sCJD). The case demonstrates the typical clinical, radiological and laboratory features of this condition. It also highlights some of the challenges associated with diagnosis and care of patients with rare diseases such as sCJD, and how these have been intensified by COVID-19.

Canine distemper virus (CDV) has long been recognized as a cause of myocarditis; however, cases of myocarditis caused by naturally acquired CDV infection have been reported only rarely in dogs. We describe here our retrospective study of naturally acquired systemic CDV infection in 4 dogs, 4–7 wk old, that had myocarditis, with myocardial necrosis and fibrosis. One of the 4 dogs had intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion bodies in cardiomyocytes. Other lesions included bronchointerstitial pneumonia (4 of 4), necrotizing hepatitis (2 of 4), splenic lymphoid necrosis (2 of 4), encephalitis (1 of 3; brain was not submitted in 1 case), and necrotizing gastroenteritis (1 of 4). The presence of CDV in the heart was confirmed by immunohistochemistry in all 4 dogs.

Although the value and impact of safety award programmes (SAPs) have been criticised in literature, various programmes still operate within and across industries to recognise safety achievements, motivate employees and organisations, promote participation in safety improvements and raise the overall profile of nominees. In our study, following the request of a large aviation organisation (LAO) already implementing a SAP based merely on rates of safety events and occurrences, we introduced an award scheme by including and balancing safety positives and negatives as per the suggestions of contemporary safety thinking. The new SAP was based on the existing safety management system of the organisation and the data already available, included contributions to safety and considered differences in the context nominees operated along with lagging indicators. The pilot implementation of the new programme resulted in remarkable differences from the results obtained via the previous award scheme, a finding that satisfied management. Nonetheless, difficulties relating to the inadequate understanding of the new SAP by the targeted nominees and inconsistencies in the recording of data across the organisation led to the suspension of the programme after its first launch. Due to its limitations, this study does not recommend a safety awards standard for the industry. However, its methodological approach, the concepts embraced and the difficulties encountered could be considered by any organisation.

Periodontal disease is a chronic multifactorial infectious and inflammatory disease associated with several chronic systemic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, Alzheimer's disease and so on. These same systemic diseases have been associated with severe COVID-19 infections. Several recent studies have suggested hypotheses for the potential association between periodontal disease and severe COVID-19. Periodontal disease is also one of the most prevalent diseases globally. All this supports the importance of good oral health, also in the COVID-19 era. Thus, new strategies and approaches to identify patients at risk of periodontal disease could be beneficial to enhance secondary prevention, especially if targeted to COVID-19 risk groups. Diagnostic biomarkers for periodontal disease have been researched extensively. Potential biomarkers in oral fluid with currently available rapid non-invasive point-of-care technology, such as aMMP-8, could help to extend screening and identification of patients at risk for periodontal disease also to situations and places where professional dental expertise and equipment are limited or unavailable. i.e., nursing and care homes, and rural and distant places. The oral fluid point-of-care technologies could also be useful in the hands of medical professionals (diabetes, CVD, etc.) to identify patients at risk for undiagnosed periodontal disease and to refer them to a dentist for examination and evaluation. Finally, if there is a causality between periodontal disease and severe COVID-19 infections, these point-of-care oral fluid biomarker technologies could possibly also help in the assessment of the risk of deterioration and complications.

This study investigated the effect of methanolic leaf extract of Peristrophe Bicalyculata (MEPb) on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) associated cognitive decline in Wistar rats. 36 male rats weighing 130-200 g were assigned into 6 groups (n = 6) as follows: normal control, diabetic control, pioglitazone-treated diabetic and three MEPb-treated diabetic groups, type 2 diabetes mellitus was induced with low dose streptozocin (STZ) injection following 3 weeks of high fat diet (HFD) intake. Thirty days after diabetes induction, rats exhibited marked and persistent hyperglycemia, animals were treated with MEPb (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) and pioglitazone (10 mg/kg) as standard. Morris water maze (MWM) test and Novel object recognition test (NORT) were used to assess learning and memory. Blood glucose level, oxidative stress makers, pro-inflammatory marker and acetylcholinestarase activities were analysed. Both MEPb and pioglitazone significantly (P < 0.05) reduced escape latency in treated animals compared to the diabetic control group in the MWM test. Methanolic leaf extract of Peristrophe bicalyculata and pioglitazone also significantly (P < 0.05) increased discrimination index in treated animals compared to the diabetic control group in the novel object recognition test. Serum, brain and liver MDA levels were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in MEPb and pioglitazone treated rats compared to diabetic control. Serum and liver GSH as well as CAT levels were significantly (P < 0.05) increased while brain GSH and CAT levels shows apparent increase in MEPb and pioglitazone treated rats compared with diabetic control. Treatment with MEPb caused a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in brain nitrite level, interleukin 6 and acetylcholinesterase activity compared to diabetic control group. We conclude that Methanolic leaf extract of Peristrophe bicalyculata enhanced antioxidant capacity and prevented neuroinflammation, consequently improving brain neuronal cholinergic function in experimental animals.

The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of incorporating active matrix metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8) as a biomarker into the new periodontitis classification system (stage/grade) presented in 2018. This study included 150 Greek adults aged 25−78, of whom 74 were men and 76 women. Participants were tested with an aMMP-8 point-of-care mouthrinse test, after which a full-mouth clinical examination was performed to assess their periodontal and oral health. The aMMP-8 levels in mouthrinse were significantly lower among healthy patients compared with patients in more severe periodontitis stages and grades (Kruskal−Wallis test and Dunn−Bonferroni test for pairwise post-hoc comparisons; p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). Furthermore, aMMP-8 levels were less correlated with plaque levels than bleeding on probing (BOP) (Spearman’s rho = 0.269, p < 0.001; Spearman’s rho = 0.586, p < 0.001); respectively). Thus, aMMP-8 was more robust to the confounding effects of oral hygiene than traditional periodontal parameter bleeding on probing. The aMMP-8 point-of-care mouthrinse test can be utilized as an adjunctive and preventive diagnostic tool to identify periodontal disease, classified by stage and grade, and ongoing periodontal breakdown chairside in clinical practice in only 5 min. Overall, integrating aMMP-8 into the new periodontitis classification system seems beneficial.

Introduction:it has been close to four years since the authors highlighted the total neglect of the oral health of street children in the Journal of Public Health Policy. Since then, the authorities appear to have simply turned the blind eye making this follow-up imperative. This follow-up report specifically examines the resultant oral health disparity between Nigeria's street children and Private, fee-paying secondary school students in Northern Nigeria. Methods:we conducted a cross-sectional comparative survey of randomly selected 12-14 years old street children (children of Quranic informal educational institutions) in Northern Nigeria while fee paying, private secondary school children served as controls. A simple close-ended questionnaire translated into Hausa language was used to assess oral health knowledge and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index used to categorize oral hygiene status of the participants. Results:the mean age (SD) of the participating street children was 12.7 (0.86) while that of the private secondary school students (PSSS) was 13.05 (0.96). The majority (89%) of parents of street children compared with that (7%) of parents of students of private secondary schools had no western education. Only 6% of street children compared with 90% of PSSS cleaned their teeth for the right reasons. Only 5% of street children compared with 90% of private secondary school students used a fluoride-containing toothpaste. Though both groups of children have poor knowledge (street children 3%, private secondary school students 16%) on the use of dental floss, the mean oral hygiene score (SD) for street children was 4.42 (0.85) compared with 1.90 (0.09) for private secondary school students. There were striking differences in knowledge and practice with only 4% of street children compared with 69% of PSSS with knowledge about fluoride and its use (p < 0.0005). Also, 2% of street children compared with 40% of PSSS were aware of the benefits of regular dental visits. Sixty five (65%) of street children used finger and water only for tooth cleaning, none of the secondary school students practiced this (p = 0.0005). Conclusion:there is disparity in oral health practice between Nigeria's street children and private secondary school children. This disparity may be attributed to lack of western education and socio-economic status.

This paper proposed Strategic Fuel Substitution Initiative (SFSI) as an intervention to managing gas flare and reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) from road transport and gas flaring in Nigeria. Data on volumes of flared gas (FG) and those of gasoline and diesel from 2001 to 2015 sourced from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation were used in this study. Empirical formulas and relevant emission factors were utilized in estimating various parameters involving GHGs and costs as related to the fuels (CNG, gasoline and diesel). Business as usual (BAU) and SFSI scenarios was examined with baseline year as 2015. Energy equivalence of the total volume of gasoline and diesel distributed in the baseline year was 25.2% of FG. Under the BAU scenario, 2.67 × 107 t, 1.33 × 107 t, 229.5 t and 6.01 × 107 t of CO2, CH4, N2O and GHGs were emitted at fuel cost of $2.05 billion. With SFSI, CO2, CH4, N2O, GHGs and cost were reduced from 2.5% to 32%, 2.2–74.6%, 5.7–72.3%, 2.4–55.6% and 41.3–80.5%, respectively, compared to BAU scenario. The implementation of SFSI appears a sustainable means of reducing FG, national GHGs, and associated environmental and health footprints in Nigeria.

In this present investigation, an original and detailed empirical data on the transfer of heat in a tomato postharvest storage system was presented. No-load tests were performed for a period of 96 h. The heat distribution at different locations, namely the top, middle and bottom of the system was acquired, at a time interval of 30 min for the test period. The humidity inside the system was taken into consideration. Thus, No-load tests with or without introduction of humidity were carried out and data showing the effect of a rise in humidity level, on temperature distribution were acquired. The temperatures at the external mechanical cooling components were acquired and could be used for showing the performance analysis of the storage system. Keywords: Energy systems, Heat transfer, Vapour compression refrigeration system, Tomato postharvest storage system, Agriculture engineering, Biosystem engineering

Inventories of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted into the atmosphere through gas flaring are scarce; hence, the need for this study. Formulae reported by the Association of Petroleum Institute were used for estimating GHGs based on data (1965 to 2013) sourced from the national agency for information on gas production and flaring in Nigeria. Analytica® (4.5) was employed to estimate the uncertainty associated with the emission inventory using a Tier 2 method. In this study, 1.87 × 109 tons of CO2, 1.09 × 107 tons of CH4 and 37.41 tons of N2O were estimated to have been released into the environment through the flaring of 895.01 billion cubic metre (bcm) of gas (55.6% of the total gas produced) over the 49-year period. The homogeneity tests conducted on the CO2 data obtained from reputable institutions and those of this work showed that they are statistically unequal, though with a relatively strong positive correlation. Furthermore, the estimated CO2 in our study showed good agreement with those reported...

The Benin Basin, just like other marginal basins in the Gulf of Guinea, evolved in the Cretaceous following the opening of the Atlantic. These other basins have recorded significant oil and gas discoveries offshore unlike the Benin Basin that has records of only large tar sand deposits onshore. A review of key play elements of the basin is carried out to assess the possible occurrence of oil and gas in its offshore part. The basin holds a high prospect for both oil and gas in the offshore with the oil kitchens probably occurring within the lower to upper Cretaceous sediments. Besides containing shales deposited during the world-wide Turonian anoxic event that could serve as source rock, the Turonian sequences also have shelf to slope deposits, which are likely to be turbidite of deep-water environments. These turbidites could serve as an excellent reservoir in the basin. Several thick shale sequences within the Cretaceous to Tertiary could provide enough seal for hydrocarbons. In addition, unconfo...

This study investigated the diagnostic utility of mouthrinse and saliva in aMMP-8 measurements to analyze patients' risk for active periodontal tissue destruction and progression of periodontal disease among 47 adolescents. Results show that measurements from mouthrinse produce better discrimination and should be used instead of saliva measurements. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Background: The rising cases of cancer and associated mobidity and mortality are indirectly linked to occupational health hazards especially in developing cases. This is further comounded by low level of compliance to safety health measures among factory workers. Ignorance and low-level of awareness on the associated health-implication of occupational risk exposure have been implicated in this regard. Methods: The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of cement dust exposure on selected liver function parameters in cement handlers at Ekpoma, Nigeria. A total of 114 subjects comprising 57 with history of exposure to cement dust by means of their occupation or by means of livelihood for at least one (1) year, designated as cement handlers (CH) and another 57 non-cement handlers designated as control (CT). Blood sample was collected from the anti-cubital fossa vein of each participant by venipuncture first thing in the morning before the commencement of daily activity into lithium heparin anticoagulant bottles. Plasma bilirubin (conjugated, unconjugated and total) as well as AST, ALT, ALP activities were determined using standard colorimetric methods. Results: Bilirubin levels were altered significantly (p < 0.05), while ALT activity was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in CH compared CT. AST and ALP activities were not significantly altered. Conclusion: The results presented in this study showed that exposure to cement dust led to markedly increased level of some liver function parameters in cement handlers. This is indicative of a compromised liver function due to hepatotoxicity.

Waste management practices differ from nation to nation depending on the waste sources, types, and characteristics. It plays a vital role in nature’s ability to sustain life within its capability. In many developing nations of the world, it has become a recurrent challenge, especially in urban areas. Waste generation in Nigeria is on the increase due to the rise in population resulting from the techno-economic development in cities and the pattern of production and consumption of materials. The current waste management practices in the nation are fast becoming a national issue and unsustainable, leading to apparent environmental risk. This study presents a systematic review of existing literature, significant aspects of the existing novels was assessed: waste characterization, waste management practices, ecological impacts, public-private partnership, ethical issues, and legal framework and challenges militating against the current waste practices. This study shows that the existing waste management methods are ineffective and the demand for an all-inclusive waste management approach, proper execution, and enforcement of environmental regulations and laws.

Nigeria is posed with a myriad of challenges to achieving efficient energy systems; the colossal collective demand for sufficient electricity for approximately 200 million is a concern. Another challenge is the mismanagement of Nigeria’s abundant resources, by individuals and by groups. It has withheld us, for decades, from making the bold and rapid progress which ought to have made for the energy system. This report explores the concept of an energy system in Nigeria perspective and progresses.

Aflatoxins are toxic compounds produced by molds of the Aspergillus species that contaminate food primarily in tropical countries. The most toxic aflatoxin, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), is a major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in these countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, aflatoxin contamination is common, and perinatal AFB1 exposure has been linked to the early onset of HCC. Epigenetic programming, including changes to DNA methylation, is one mechanism by which early life exposures can lead to adult disease. This study aims to elucidate whether perinatal AFB1 exposure alters markers of offspring health including weight, lipid, and hormone profiles as well as epigenetic regulation that may later influence cancer risk. Pregnant rats were exposed to two doses of AFB1 (low 0.5 and high 5 mg/kg) before conception, throughout pregnancy, and while weaning and compared to an unexposed group. Offspring from each group were followed to 3 weeks or 3 months of age, and their blood and liver samples were collected. Body weights and lipids were assessed at 3 weeks and 3 months while reproductive, gonadotropic, and thyroid hormones were assessed at 3 months. Prenatal AFB1 (high dose) exposure resulted in significant 16.3%, 31.6%, and 7.5% decreases in weight of the offspring at birth, 3 weeks, and 3 months, respectively. Both doses of exposure altered lipid and hormone profiles. Pyrosequencing was used to quantify percent DNA methylation at tumor suppressor gene Tp53 and growth-regulator H19 in DNA from liver and blood. Results were compared between the control and AFB1 exposure groups in 3-week liver samples and 3-week and 3-month blood samples. Relative to controls, Tp53 DNA methylation in both low- and high-dose exposed rats was significantly decreased in liver samples and increased in the blood (p &lt, 0.05 in linear mixed models). H19 methylation was higher in the liver from low- and high-exposed rats and decreased in 3-month blood samples from the high exposure group (p &lt, 0.05). Further research is warranted to determine whether such hormone, lipid, and epigenetic alterations from AFB1 exposure early in life play a role in the development of early-onset HCC.

We studied oral health knowledge and practices of 12 to 14-year-old Almajiri boys in northern Nigeria because we found few studies on their health, and none on their oral health. We present our study after explaining the desperate life circumstances and context of Nigeria's approximately 10 million Almajiri youth. Our results, when compared with those of previously studied populations (those most similar in terms of environment, age range, and oral health characteristics) show that the Almajiris fare poorly. Although the international community has paid some attention to the Nigerian Almajiri children's educational needs, there has been little support for health, and none for oral health. We argue that the World Health Organization could better assist Nigeria and these children by assuring that the Almajiris are not excluded from programs targeting children classified as 'street children', and make specific recommendations.

Aim and objective: Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is becoming increasingly common in Africa and indeed in Nigeria. Data on the efficacy of proton pump inhibitors in patients with GERD are scanty. In this study, we compared symptom relief rate after first dose treatment with Rabeprazole i.e. 20 mg versus omeprazole 20 mg in GERD/Heart burn patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 66 consenting consecutive patients attending the General Out- Patient Department (GOPD) Clinic of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria presenting with symptoms of GERD/ heartburn were enrolled for the study. At enrolment, severity of symptom was graded on a five-point scale from none (0), mild (1), moderate (2), severe (3) and very severe (4). After enrolment, the patients were blindly randomized into two groups of 33 each which received either 20mg of Rabeprazole (Barole) stat; Rab- group or 20mg of Omeprazole stat; Ome- group. Symptom status was recorded in Case Report Form (CRF) at enrolment and 1hr 30 min after the treatment with stat dose of the proton pump inhibitor. Efficacy of proton pump inhibitor in symptom relief for GERD/heartburn was assessed by observing the degree of symptom relief after 1hr 30 minutes in each of treatment groups. Approval for the study was obtained from the Ethical and Research Committee of EKSUTH. Informed consent was equally obtained from each of the participants. Data obtained were analyzed using scale of comparison. Results: The mean age of the population studied was aged 33.98 ± 9.43 years (age range 18-50 years). 19 (28.8%) were males while 47 (71.2%) were females (M: F of 1:2.5). 25.8% of participants had regurgitation as a symptom in addition to heartburn while 40.9% had other GI symptoms. The mean symptom severity score at baseline were 2.33, 0.36 and 0.52 for heartburn, regurgitation and other symptoms respectively. Two of the Rabeprazole group who had 'Very severe' heartburn was after 1hr 30mins downgraded to 1(50%) 'Mild' and 1 (50%) 'Moderate' while only 1 participant with 'very severe' heartburn was downgraded to 'severe' heartburn, 1hr 30mins after Omeprazole.Ten in the Rabeprazole group who presented with 'severe' heartburn were downgraded 4(40%) to 'moderate' and 6 (60%) 'Mild' heartburn compare with Omeprazole group where 10 of the participants who had 'severe' heartburn were downgraded to 6(60%) and 4(40%) with 'moderate' and 'mild' heartburn respectively. One of the participants in Rabeprazole group who had 'Severe' regurgitation was downgraded to 'Nil' regurgitation, while none of the participants in Omeprazole group had 'severe' regurgitation. Two of the participants in Rabeprazole group had other symptoms of 'moderate' severity that were downgraded to 'No symptoms' compared with 5 participants in Omeprazole group with other symptoms with 'moderate severity' out of which 3(60%) and 2(40%) were downgraded to 'mild' and 'No symptoms respectively'. Conclusion: Symptomatic relief is one of the primary goals in the management GERD. In this study Rabeprazole (Barole®) is more effective in downgrading the heartburn and other symptoms in GERD within 90 minutes of treatment compared to treatment with Omeprazole.Read Complete Article at ijSciences: V5201602934 AND DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18483/ijSci.934

Introduction: Testosterone is not just a “male sex hormone” but a biomolecule with a broad spectrum of demonstrated physiological functions as well as a wide variety of physiological and pathophysiological associations about which we are just learning. The level of testosterone impacts the general well-being and outcomes of individuals and populations. Consequently, testosterone levels influence disparity in health outcomes and its variation is determined by gender, age, and racial differences. There is however, a dearth of empirical evidence regarding whether there are geographical variations in the level of testosterone and whether this variation is associated with ill health in different African populations. The current study therefore, elucidated the documented levels of testosterone in African populations. Methodology: A systematic search was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, with a combination of terms including ‘testosterone’ and nationality/ancestry descriptors. The search included studies from the last 10 years using databases including Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, EBSCOHost, and ProQuest. Results: We identified 64 eligible peer-reviewed original research publications across Africa on the levels of testosterone in health and several diseases including erectile dysfunction, obesity, and drug use. Changes of plasma total testosterone (ng/dL) from control to case were evaluated; more often, regardless of region, testosterone levels for case groups were lowered, as was the case in patients with diabetes mellitus. Although, this did not hold true for every study like one for hepatitis and benign prostate hyperplasia in which levels rose for the case group. Variations across countries were evaluated. Studies from Morocco reported the least levels of testosterone, following South Africa and Tunisia with levels nearing 3.9 ng/ml. In the middle of the spectrum was Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Egypt, with levels nearing 6 ng/dl. Ethiopia had the highest levels of testosterone nearing 7.9 ng/ml. Further, the variation based on African region suggests there is no statistically significant difference between the reported levels of testosterone across North, South, West, and East Africa (p-value of 0.7804). Nevertheless, the data suggests variation in the level of testosterone across African populations. Conclusion: It is hoped that our findings will provide biological evidence for the physiological dissimilarity among Black populations and the impact of such differences on disease risk. Citation Format: Cristina Orozco, Solomon Rotimi. A systematic review of testosterone status and ill health across African populations [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: Thirteenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2020 Oct 2-4. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(12 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-194.

Background Kafura pelebe (camphor) {C10H16O} is a chemical substance used mostly amongst the Yoruba ethnic group in Western Nigeria to treat infantile colic during early childhood. This study assess the neurotoxic potentials of Kafura following sub-chronic exposure in female albino Wistar rats. Methods Twenty-eight female rats (mean weight of 130 g) were randomly selected and assigned into four (4) groups. Control, received 1ml coconut oil while the treatment groups received 79, 158 and 237. mg/kg b.wt (d ose p.o) of Kafura for the period of 14 days. On day fifteen, animals were dissected and the brain organ excised for the homogenate and histopathologic assay, blood samples were also collected for haematological analysis. Morris Water Maze experiment for reference memory was also carried out to ascertain effect of Kafura in the Central Nervous system (CNS). Results A trend toward decreased body-weight gain and increase brain weight was observed in Kafura-treated rats but was statistically not significant, compared to control. The biochemical assessment of the antioxidant status of brains of Kafura-treated rats showed significant (p ≤ 0.05) increase in activities of some anti-oxidant enzymes (Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Glutathione peroxide (GPx), and Catalase (CAT)). There was increase in acetylcholinesterase (AChE), Malondialdehyde (MDA), and Total protein activities in the brain of treated rats compared to control. Alterations of the haematological parameters were observed, with the plasma granulocytes, lymphocytes, and haemoglobin (HGB), showing significant decrease in the treated rats compared to control. The water maze test showed a marked increase in spatial learning and memory time (seconds) in kafura-treated rats, compared to control and across treated groups. Conclusions The present study provides indication that kafura Pelebe shows apparent neurotoxicity in experimental animals. Incessant exposure in humans though may lead to development of some central nervous system defects.

As part of the airworthiness requirements, an aircraft cannot be dispatched with an inoperative equipment or system unless this is allowed by the Minimum Equipment List (MEL) under any applicable conditions. Commonly, the MEL mirrors the Master MEL (MMEL), which is developed by the manufacturer and approved by the regulator. However, the increasing complexity of aircraft systems and the diversity of operational requirements, environmental conditions, fleet configuration, etc. necessitates a tailored approach to developing the MEL. While it is the responsibility of every aircraft operator to ensure the airworthiness of their aircraft, regulators are also required to publish guidelines to help operators develop their MELs. Currently, there is no approved standard to develop a MEL, and this poses a challenge to both aviation regulators and aircraft operators. This paper reviews current MEL literature, standards and processes as well as MEL related accidents/incidents to offer an overview of the present state of the MEL development and use and reinstate the need for a systematic approach. Furthermore, this paper exposes the paucity of MEL related literature and the ambiguity in MEL regulations. In addition, it was found that inadequate training and guidance on the development and use of MEL as well as lack of prior experience in airworthiness topics can lead to mismanagement and misapplication of the MEL. Considering the challenges outlined above, this study proposes the combination of system engineering and socio-technical system approaches for the development of a MEL.

The study was aimed at determining the possible volatile organic compounds present in groundwater from hand-dug wells within and around filling stations across Ilorin metropolis as well as to ascertain the possible sources of the contaminants and their health effects. Water samples were obtained from twenty-six (26) wells that were found within the scope of stations above the age of 15 years and functioning with underground storage tank capacities of over 33,000 L each for different petroleum products stored above the water level. Laboratory analysis to determine volatile organic compounds and their concentrations were carried out using the gas chromatography- mass spectrophotometer (GC-MS) after prior extraction of hydrocarbon from the water samples by the Liquid-Liquid Extraction (LLE) method. The result revealed a total of fifty-three (53) VOCs across samples where nonanal, dodecane, methyl palmitate, heptanophenone, 13, hexyloxacyclotridec – 10 – en – 2 – one, cyclohexane, octyl, decahydro- 4, 4, 8, 9, 10 – pentamethyl naphthalene, (z) – 3 – heptene, were the most frequently occurring compounds, which could be traced to anthropogenic activities involving the use of paints, detergents, stain removers, leaking underground storage tanks, piped networks containing petroleum products as the possible sources of release into the environmental media. Related health impacts from exposure to these contaminants includes brain damage, cancer, tumours, anaemia, central and peripheral nervous system breakdown, liver, bones, autism, Skin, eye, and nose irritation, headache, dizziness, narcosis, and death at high levels of exposure. The study concluded that groundwater sources at close proximity to filling stations are susceptible to contamination through activities in the stations and such water resource should be treated before consumption and use to avoid negative health effects.

The negative influence of refrigerants on the climate and the immediate environment in terms of their higher global warming potential (GWP) and ozone depletion potential (ODP) has prompted this study. Currently, natural refrigerants are the preferred alternative refrigerants and hydrocarbon is numbered among these natural refrigerants with zero ODP and negligible GWP. In order to improve and enhance the performance of the refrigeration system, the performance characteristics of the system were investigated experimentally using eco-friendly refrigerant HC600a as alternative to HFC134a. In addition, comparisons were made using refrigerant mass charge of 46 g of isobutane (HC600a) and 70 g of conventional refrigerant (HFC134a). Thermodynamic parametric analysis was conducted using electric power consumption, coefficient of performance (COP), cooling load and pull-down time (PDT) for the used mass charges. REFPROP software was applied to capture the thermodynamic properties of the vapour compression system (VCS). The results showed that the COP increased by 32.2 % when using 46g charge of hydrocarbon refrigerant with energy reduction of 4.5 %. Furthermore, the vapour compression system while using 46 g of isobutane (HC600a) attained an evaporating temperature of -21 °C in 60 minutes while 70 g of HFC134a attained the same temperature in 2 hours 15 minutes, which makes HC600a alternative refrigerant to run in the traditional refrigerator.

There is rising interest about influences of periodontal diseases on systemic health, while traditional measures cannot quantify periodontal inflammation. Confusing case definitions make the need to quantify periodontal inflammation greater than ever. Modern measures of periodontal inflammation depend on metabolism-mediated changes in salivary metabolites (salivary metabolomics)—an extra mile in salivary diagnostics.

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel to replace fossilbased diesel fuel. It has fuel properties similar to diesel which are generally determined experimentally. The experimental determination of various properties of biodiesel is costly, time consuming and a tedious process. To solve these problems, artificial neural network (ANN) has been considered as a vital tool for estimating the fuel properties of biodiesel, especially from its fatty acid (FA) composition. In this study, four ANNs have been designed and trained to predict the cetane number (CN), flash point (FP), kinematic viscosity (KV) and density of biodiesel using ANN with logsig and purelin transfer functions in the hidden layer of all the networks. The five most prevalent FAs from 55 feedstocks found in the literature utilized as the input parameters for the model are palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids except for density network with a sixth parameter (temperature). Other FAs that are present in the biodiesels have been considered based on the number of carbon atom chains and the level of saturation. From this study, the prediction accuracy and the average absolute deviation of the networks are CN (96.69%; 1.637%), KV (95.80%; 1.638%), FP (99.07%; 0.997%) and density (99.40%; 0.101%). These values are reasonably better compared to previous studies on empirical correlations and ANN predictions of these fuel properties found in literature. Hence, the present study demonstrates the ability of ANN model to predict fuel properties of biodiesel with high accuracy.

Growing concern about antibiotic growth promoters in animal nutrition and its health implication to consumers of poultry products has initiated efforts towards use of alternative growth promoting agents especially medicinal plants. This study aimed at investigating the response of broiler chicks administered bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) infusion. Sixty day-old Marshal broiler chicks were allotted in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) to four treatment groups identified as T1, T2, T3 and T4 consisting of three replicate with five birds per replicate. 50 g of dried bitter leaf was infused for 12 h in 1 L of hot boiled water and given to the birds at T1 (0, 25 (T2), 50 (T3) and 75 mL LG 1 (T4) of drinking water ad-libitum. Data collected on growth performance traits revealed that feed intake was not influenced due to treatment, but final body weight, weight gain and feed conversion ratio were increased. Carcass, drumstick, thigh and breast weights and dressing percentage improved in treated groups. There was a reduction of 14.58-23.44% in abdominal fat in the treated group compared to T1. Although birds on T4 gave the highest revenue, the best cost-benefit ratio was obtained from birds on T3. Except for packed cell volume and white blood cell, the results showed no variations in other haematological parameters measured. Cholesterol, low density lipoprotein and glucose concentration in the serum was reduced in the treated group compared to the control. There was no influence on total protein and albumin: globulin ratio in all treatment groups. T3 had the highest value for albumin. Administration of bitter leaf infusion improved the growth performance, haematological and serum biochemical indices of broiler chickens and can be applied in broiler nutrition.

Periodontitis is one of the most common infection-induced inflammatory tissue destructive diseases globally. According to the epidemiological studies in Western countries, about 30% of populations are affected by periodontitis [1]. The pathogenesis of periodontitis can be briefly described and summarized as follows: the dental plaque, a bacterial biofilm, induces an inflammatory and immune responses in the adjacent gingival and periodontal or peri-implant tissues. The cells of the immune and inflammatory system are together with resident gingival cells (including fibroblasts, cementoblasts, and epithelial cells, bone cells) triggered to express and release pro-inflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) [2–5]. MMPs are genetically distinct but structurally related proteinases that can degrade not only almost all extracellular matrix proteins but also non-matrix bioactive molecules such as growth factors, serpins, insulin receptor, apolipoprotein-1, complement components, and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines [2–5]. Thus, MMPs can modify immune responses [2–5]. The active form of catalytically competent matrix metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8; neutrophil collagenase or collagenase-2) is the predominant MMP in periodontitis-affected gingiva, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), peri-implant sulcular fluid (PISF), saliva, and mouthrinse [2–5]. MMP-8 cleaves preferably and efficiently the interstitial collagens, mainly type I fibers of the gingival and periodontal tissues, leading to irreversible soft and hard tissue destruction, i.e., the development of periodontal pockets and attachment loss, and eventually leading to tooth loss [2–5]. Physiological levels of MMP-8 in periodontal tissue also participate to protective and anti-inflammatory resolution of infection-induced tissue destruction [6, 7].

Obnoxious gases, particulates and enormous heat are the products of gas flaring causing environmental pollution and human health problem. Black carbon (BC) is an aerosol formed from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuel, biomass and biofuel. This present study aims to provide baseline emission inventory for the amounts of BC released into the atmosphere via gas flaring in the Niger Delta region for a period of 49 years (1965 – 2013); spanning five decades. Emission factors and volume of gas flared for each year for a 49-year period were sourced from literature and were employed to empirically estimate the amounts of BC emitted. For this said period, 55% of the gas produced was flared releasing an enormous amount of 4.56 × 105 tons (4.11 × 108 tons CO2 equivalent) of BC into the environment. It was observed that the amounts of BC released into the environment increased progressively (5.06 × 104–1.27 × 105 tons) for the first decade (1965–1974) of gas flaring to the fourth decade (1995–2004) with a significant reduction (8.74 × 104 tons) in the amounts of BC emitted in the fifth decade (2005–2013). Of the probable solutions proffered to reduce BC emission through gas flaring is the utilization of the gas as transportation fuel (compressed and liquefied natural gas) in the country.

Objective To determine the prevalence and determinants of chronic periodontitis in HIV positive patients. Methods A total of 120 HIV positive patients attending the dedicated HIV outpatient clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria were recruited for the study. Their periodontal status was assessed using the community periodontal index of treatment needs. Their CD4+ cell count was determined using the flow-cytometer method. The risk factors for periodontitis including age, gender, education, smoking, CD4+ cell counts, bleeding on probing (BOP) were determined. Results Prevalence of periodontitis was high (63.3%) in the HIV positive patients. In a bivariate analysis, significant associations were observed between severity of periodontitis and age ≥35 years (P=0.021), male gender (P=0.005), smoking (P=0.040) and ≥3 community periodontal index of treatment needs sextants exhibiting BOP (P=0.004). In a binary logistic regression, independent predictors of periodontitis were ≥3 sextants exhibiting BOP (odds ratio 1.738, 95% CI 1.339 to 2.256, P=0.000) and age ≥35 years (odds ratio 1.057, 95% CI 1.005 to 1.111, P=0.030). The CD4+ cell counts were not associated with periodontitis in the HIV positive patients (P=0.988). Conclusions A high prevalence of periodontitis was found among the HIV positive Nigerian patients in this study. Older age ≥35 years and BOP were the determinants of periodontitis. There is therefore a need for close periodontal monitoring of HIV positive Nigerian patients with emphasis on preventive, professional oral prophylaxis.

Objectives: 1. To investigate the relationship between periodontitis and infertility. 2. To evaluate the importance of oral hygiene to general health. Materials and methods Eighty-six men requiring seminal fluid analysis as part of an on-going investigation for infertility in their spouses were serially recruited into the study. Basic dental and periodontal examination were performed. Each participant was also screened for periodontitis using a lateral flow immunoassay kit which detected levels of active membrane metalloproteinase-8. Results were read-off as a color change. Due to some incomplete entries, only 76 participants were involved in the final data analysis. Results There were 55 subjects with subnormal counts (of which ten were found to be azoospermic, 41 oligospermic) and 25 normospermic controls. A positive association was found between periodontitis and subnormal sperm count in only one age group but statistically significant association was found between poor oral hygiene and subnormal sperm count across all age groups. Conclusion For the first time, there appears to be a significant association between poor oral and subnormal sperm count. There also appears to an association between chronic periodontitis and subnormal sperm count. These relationships warrant further investigation. Principal findings There appears to be a link between poor oral hygiene and low sperm count. How to cite this article Nwhator SO, Umeizudike KA, Ayanbadejo PO, Opeodu OI, Olamijulo JA, Sorsa T. Another Reason for Impeccable Oral Hygiene: Oral Hygiene-Sperm Count Link. J Contemp Dent Pract 2014;15(3):352-358.