Changes in FGM/C in Somaliland: Medical narrative driving shift in types of cutting

In Somalia, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) prevalence is nearly universal at 98 percent. This qualitative study sought to explore: 1) views and experiences of married and unmarried men and women on FGM/C and potential changes in its practice; 2) individual, family, and societal factors contributing to any changes, or continuation of FGM/C; 3) the knowledge, views, and experiences of healthcare workers who offer FGM/C services and their role as change agents rather than providers; and 4) how healthcare systems’ capacities can be strengthened for management and prevention. The study finds that normative changes appear to be occurring in Somaliland society and there is a growing readiness for change. However, the nature of that change is not toward the abandonment of the practice per se, but rather its transformation into a more socially acceptable version, thus reinforcing the continuity of the practice

Exploring the nature and extent of normative change in FGM/C in Somaliland

More than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM/C across 30 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. While most affected countries have adopted legal frameworks prohibiting FGM/C, these have been varyingly effective in preventing the practice or significantly accelerating its abandonment. The success of programmatic interventions to address FGM/C has also been variable. One possible reason for the limited success of these initiatives is the neglect of the collectively held social norms underpinning the practice’s continuation. This study, conducted in 30 villages in Somaliland, aimed to investigate: 1) if the norms associated with FGM/C are consistent with a social coordination norm; 2) which norms—if any—are associated with different stages of readiness to change; 3) how, to what extent, and by whom the norms and practices are being contested or altered; and 4) if the stages of readiness to change are associated with gender, location (rural/urban), and generational differences

Two case reports on Mandibular metastases

Metastatic tumours of the oral cavity are not common. The most common site for bone metastases in the head and neck region is the mandible. Metastatic lesion of the mandible most commonly originate from the lungs in men and breast in women, and these lesions (or tumours) usually are carcinomas rather than sarcomas. We report two cases of metastatic lesions in the mandible: (1) A 19year old male with right mandibular swelling and a nodular swelling in the distal two–third of the right tibia. Radiograghs revealed sclerotic lesion with a sunburst appearance in both the jaw and tibia. Histology of the jaw lesion confirmed a metastatic osteosarcoma of the mandible. (2) A 51year old female with a right mandibular swelling with associated swelling in the anterior neck, right shoulder and right parietal region of the skull. Computerised tomography scan (CT) of the jaws showed an osteolytic lesion of the right mandible. CT scan of the brain also showed a large lytic lesion seen in the posterior aspect of the right parietal bone. Histology of the jaw mass confirmed a metastatic follicular carcinoma from the thyroid. Mandibular metastasis may be the first presenting feature of underlying occult malignancy of another primary site. Therefore, clinicians should maintain a high level of suspicion while evaluating patients with a history of cancer presenting with oral lesions. Keywords: metastatic tumours, mandible, tibia, thyroi

Mycoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon polluted soil by Pleurotus pulmonarius

Mycoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon polluted soil was investigated using Pleurotus pulmonarius for a period of 62 days. Hydrocarbon (Petrol + diesel + spent petrol engine oil + spent diesel engine oil in ratio 1:1:1:1) polluted soil in 2.5%, 5%, 10% and 20% concentration were inoculated and incubated with pure culture of P. pulmonarius obtained from commercial mushroom laboratory of Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (F.I.I.R.O.) Lagos Nigeria. Inoculation was done by adding 20 g of vigorously growing spawn of P. pulmonarius. A set of control treatment was used where different concentrations of the petroleum hydrocarbon were added to all soils but no inoculation with the fungus. The results showed that the initial organic matter content of the soil increased with increase in the concentration of petroleum mixture added to the soil.  The highest impact of P. pulmonarius on the organic matter content of the soil was noticed in soil with 10% concentration treatment (68.34%) and the least was in soil with 2.5% treatment concentration (22.12%). The initial nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus contents of the soils samples decreased with increase in the petroleum concentration. The difference was significant at 2.5%, 5%, 10% and 20% concentration of contamination for organic matter, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus (p<0.05). A significant (p<0.05) reduction in concentration of the heavy metals (manganese, copper, and zinc) after 62 days of incubation with P. pulmonarius suggested that the mushroom is a good agent for heavy metal remediation. The highest reduction of Mn was at 10% concentration (24.00±0.04 to 1.73±0.10), Cu at 10% concentration (37.24± 0.02 to 0.00), and Zn was at 10% concentration (63.03±0.02 to 5.75±0.14). The percentage loss of the TPH due the growth of P. pulmonarius decreased with increase in the concentration of petroleum added to the soil. The percentage loss for 2.5%, 5%, 10% and 20% concentration are 52.60%, 38.71%, 27.20% and 8.31% respectively. Heptane, toluene, octane, M-p xylene, Alpha xylene, nonane, propylbenzene, decane, tridecane, tetradecane, anthracene and pentadecane had high reduction; however, the reduction is more significant (p<0.05) in soil inoculated with P. pulmonarius. Our results suggest that P. pulmonarius can be used to clean soils polluted with moderate level of petroleum products mixtureKey Word: Mycoremediation, petrol, diesel, spent engine oil, P. Pulmonarius, TP

Digital-consulting: features of digital transformation in the field of consulting

The leading direction in the field of consulting: digital-consulting, which appeared in the conditions of transformation of the traditional economy into a digital one, has been considered. An attempt has been made to determine the essence of digital consulting, to identify priority areas for the development of consulting companies in the era of digitalization, which was the purpose of the work. The main stages of the formation and changes in the field of consulting taking into account trends in the global economy have been noted. Specific features and development opportunities of a consulting company that reflect the essence of digital transformation in this area have been defined and presented in the form of a consulting model 4.0. The results of studying the development of this market, including digital consulting in market leading companies, have been presented. It has been concluded about the importance of the transition to the digital transformation according to the Consulting 4.0 model, using all the features of the digital-consulting formation stage, in order to achieve digital leadership. The research results can be used to expand and systematize scientific knowledge in the field of digital consulting, as well as to determine strategic guidelines for the development of consulting organizations in the context of digitalization

The enhancement of heavy metal removal from polluted river water treatment by integrated carbon-aluminium electrodes using electrochemical method

The heavy metal removal enhancement from polluted river water was investigated using two types of electrodes consist of integrated carbon-aluminium and a conventional aluminium plate electrode at laboratory-scale experiments. In the integrated electrode systems, the aluminium electrode surface was coated with carbon using mixed slurry containing carbon black, polyvinyl acetate and methanol. The electrochemical treatment was conducted on the parameter condition of 90V applied voltage, 3cm of electrode distance and 60 minutes of electrolysis operational time. Surface of both electrodes was investigated for pre and post electrolysis treatment by using SEM-EDX analytical technique. Comparison between both of the electrode configuration exhibits that more metals were accumulated on carbon integrated electrode surfaces for both anode and cathode, and more heavy metals were detected on the cathode. The atomic percentage of metals distributed on the cathode conventional electrode surface consist of Al (94.62%), Zn (1.19%), Mn (0.73%), Fe (2.81%) and Cu (0.64%), while on the anode contained O (12.08%), Al (87.63%) and Zn (0.29%). Meanwhile, cathode surface of integrated electrode was accumulated with more metals; O (75.40%), Al (21.06%), Zn (0.45%), Mn (0.22), Fe (0.29%), Cu (0.84%), Pb (0.47%), Na (0.94%), Cr (0.08%), Ni (0.02%) and Ag (0.22%), while on anode contain Al (3.48%), Fe (0.49 %), C (95.77%), and Pb (0.26%). According to this experiment, it was found that integrated carbon-aluminium electrodes have a great potential to accumulate more heavy metal species from polluted water compare to the conventional aluminium electrode. Here, heavy metal accumulation process obviously very significant on the cathode surface

Radiation Shielding Properties of Synthetic Ca-Al2O3 Polymer Based Composites

Ionizing radiation exposure from medical diagnostic equipment, industries, nuclear research facilities, and nuclear weapon development has led to health impacts such as cancer and acute radiation syndrome, necessitating the use of proper radiation shielding. The optical and radiation shielding capabilities of Ca-Al2O3 polymer-based composites were explored in this article. The composites were made by combining synthesized Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) with calcium (Ca) formed from Periwinkle shells, Snail shells, and Seashells and calcining them at 1000 oC for 13 hours. The synthesized Ca-Al2O3 powders were dispersed into polymeric materials in a ratio of 1:1 using an effective melt-mixing process, then cast in a 10 cm by 10 cm square Mold with a thickness of 10 mm and allowed to set overnight at ambient temperature. The composite samples obtained were transferred to the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NNRA) in Ibadan for radiographic examinations and analyses. X-ray transmission through the manufactured composites samples was investigated using a well-collimated point source. The produced x-rays' initial intensity (Io) was determined. With the sample in front of the detector, the transmitted x-ray beam (I) was measured. The measurements were repeated three times for each composite sample, and the average value was calculated. Using relevant and referenced equations, the linear attenuation coefficient, half-value layer, relaxation length, and absorbance for each sample were calculated. The radiation shielding composites' x-ray photon absorptions were determined using transmission data by Beer's Lambert law. The XRF results revealed that the calcined samples were mostly calcium with only a few traces of other elements, with percentage calcium quantities of approximately 32, 37, and 34 for snail shells, seashells, and periwinkle shells, respectively, and the XRD result confirmed the Al2O3 polymorphs at approximately 32o and 57 o and the Aluminum phase at 46 o. For the three radiation shielding composites under investigation, the x-ray photon transmittance is quite low at 40 keV to 60 keV and comparatively high at 100 keV to 200 keV. From 100 keV to 200 keV, the transmittance of periwinkle shells and snail shell calcium sources polymer-based composites was similar, and their differences became significant at lower energies. For Ca-Al2O3 polymer-based composites with calcium contents sourced from seashells, periwinkle shells, and snail shells, the maximum linear attenuation coefficients were 1.0 cm-1, 0.79 cm-1, and 0.65 cm-1, respectively. At 60 keV and below, the radiation shielding composites have the highest attenuation coefficient. The half-value layer (HVL) of all the samples under investigation reduced abruptly at 40 and 60 keV and grew linearly as the energy increased from 100 to 200 keV. The relaxation length is comparatively low at 40 and 60 keV compared to other x-ray sources utilized at higher energies. Each radiation shielding composite's properties are determined by the amount of calcium present in the samples. Over a certain photon energy range (40 keV–200 keV), the Ca-Al2O3 polymer-based composites with calcium contents sourced from seashells were found to have higher x-ray attenuating characteristics than other composites. The attenuating capacity of all the composites under this study can be enhanced by increasing the radiation shielding composite thickness.     &nbsp

Movement Patterns of African Elephants (Loxodonta africana) in a Semi-arid Savanna Suggest That They Have Information on the Location of Dispersed Water Sources

Water is a scarce resource in semi-arid savannas where over half of the African elephants (Loxodonta africana) populations occur and may therefore influence their movement pattern. A random search is expected for an animal with no information on the location of the target resource, else, a direction-oriented walk is expected. We hypothesized that elephants movement patterns show a stronger directional orientation toward water sources in the dry season compared to the wet season. We investigated the movement paths of four male and four female elephants with hourly GPS fixes in Tsavo National Park, Kenya in 2012–2013. Consistent with our predictions, the movement paths of elephants had longer step lengths, longer squared net displacements, and were directed toward water sources in the dry season as compared to the wet season. We argue that African elephants know the location of dispersed water resources, enabling them to survive with scarce resources in dry savannas. These results can be used in conservation and management of wildlife, through for instance, protection of preferred water sources

Seroprevalence of syphilis among blood donors in Ilorin

Background: One of the greatest values of serological test for syphilis is as a surrogate marker for lifestyle known to be associated with high risk of HIV and HCV infections. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of syphilis among blood donors in Ilorin and also the relationship between seropositivity and lifestyle known to be associated with high risk for HIV and Hepatitis infection.Method: This was a hospital based cross sectional study involving 350 consenting blood donors. The socio-demographic details (e.g., age, sex, occupation, risk behavior etc) were obtained using a structured questionnaire designed for the study. Screening for syphilis was carried out using the DiaSpot Rapid Diagnostic Test kit (DS 401- Syphilis test strips; lot: SYP2070028) according to the manufacturer's (Sam Tech Diagnostics) instructions.Result: The seroprevalence of syphilis among the blood donors was 1.1%. None of the seropositive donors was a homosexual, commercial sex worker or intravenous drug user. None of them had history of blood transfusion. Only one out of the 4 seropositive donors engaged in extramarital sex.Conclusion: The seroprevalence of syphilis among blood donors in Ilorin was low and therefore the relationship between syphilis seropositivity and high risk lifestyle could not be determined. A prospective study design where cases and controls are appropriately matched to exclude confounders would be more appropriate. The relationship of syphilis seropositivity and high risk lifestyle can therefore be better studied among patients attending Sexually Transmitted Infection clinic and using seronegative patients as controls.Keywords: syphilis, blood donors, risky lifestyl

2.45 Ghz passive RFID tag antenna mounting on various platforms

This chaptcr presents the design of Microwave RFID ug antenna. The lag ameDnaS are designed using the electromagnetic simulation software called CST for a passive RHO tag operaling in the Microwave frequency band. A microwave band ug antenna was designed and simulated for 2.45GHz. A high gain (5.842dB), a good impedance matching with the microchip (-30.0 dB Retum Loss) and a satisfactory read range performance (up to 5 m) was obtained. One approach of designing RFlO ug is thai the lag should be less sensilive to lhe various types of objects. The effects of obstacles on antenna's characterislics have been investigated by placing the tag amenna against a meullic, rubber, glass and wood surfaces. Simulation results show slighl variations which is within tolerance rang