Studies on the Effects of Ammonium Phosphates on the Flammability Properties of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Films

Poly(vinyl alcohol) was solvent-cast from aqueous solution of n-hexane into 125 μm films. Three ammonium phosphates, (NH4)3PO4, NH4H2PO4 and (NH4)2HPO4, were then added to produce eight sample films. Burning time, flame spread, limiting oxygen index, ignition time, and afterglow time of the samples were evaluated to determine the flame retardant efficiency of the three fillers. From the results, burning time, flame spread, after-glow time, and ignition response indices of the filled samples were found to be lower than the control sample. However, limiting oxygen index of the filled samples was found to be higher than that of the control sample. The efficiency of the fillers in fireproofing the poly(vinyl alcohol) film was found to follow the order (NH4)3PO4 > NH4H2PO4 > (NH4)2HPO4. Additive effect was observed when the fillers are added in pairs with the fireproofing efficiency following the order (NH4)3PO4 + NH4H2PO4 > (NH4)3PO4 + (NH4)2HPO4 > (NH4)2HPO4 + NH4H2PO4. Antagonism in fireproofing efficiency was observed when all the three fillers were present in the poly(vinyl alcohol) film. The fireproofing efficiency of the ammonium salts is attributed to the quantity and the ease with which ammonia (NH3) gas is released when the filled poly(vinyl alcohol) films were heated

Epidemiology of armed robbery‑related gunshot injuries in Maiduguri, Nigeria

Background and Objectives: Gunshot Injuries used to be rare in Nigeria until the civil war of 1967–1970. Unfortunately, it has become very rampant recently. The objective of this paper is to look at the epidemiology of armed robbery‑related gunshot injuries as seen in the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital over a five‑year period. Materials and Methods: Data on patients that presented with gunshot injuries within the study period (January 2002 to December 2006) were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Results: We studied 129 patients with gunshot injuries that were managed during the study period. This comprises of 117 males and 12 females (M:F=9.8:1). Eighty four (65.1%) were young males between 20 and 40 years. One hundred and fifteen (89.2%) of the 129 victims were shot by armed robbers, the remaining 14 (10.8%) were shot under other circumstances not related to armed robbery. Analysis of the time of attack revealed 72% of victims were attacked at night. Over 80% of victims were shot along the highway. The anatomical sites of gunshot entry wound show the extremities having the highest of 46.1%. Ninety one (79.1%) victims were treated operatively while 16 (13.9%) were treated nonoperatively. Conclusion: Armed robbery is the motive behind most gunshot injuries in Nigeria. Most of these attacks are preventable if the government would support and motivate the security apparatus responsible. There is also need for the government to support the victims by shouldering their treatment and subsequent rehabilitation.Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice • Jan-Mar 2012 • Vol 15 • Issue

Discovery and Preclinical Validation of Salivary Transcriptomic and Proteomic Biomarkers for the Non-Invasive Detection of Breast Cancer

A sensitive assay to identify biomarkers using non-invasively collected clinical specimens is ideal for breast cancer detection. While there are other studies showing disease biomarkers in saliva for breast cancer, our study tests the hypothesis that there are breast cancer discriminatory biomarkers in saliva using de novo discovery and validation approaches. This is the first study of this kind and no other study has engaged a de novo biomarker discovery approach in saliva for breast cancer detection. In this study, a case-control discovery and independent preclinical validations were conducted to evaluate the performance and translational utilities of salivary transcriptomic and proteomic biomarkers for breast cancer detection.Salivary transcriptomes and proteomes of 10 breast cancer patients and 10 matched controls were profiled using Affymetrix HG-U133-Plus-2.0 Array and two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE), respectively. Preclinical validations were performed to evaluate the discovered biomarkers in an independent sample cohort of 30 breast cancer patients and 63 controls using RT-qPCR (transcriptomic biomarkers) and quantitative protein immunoblot (proteomic biomarkers). Transcriptomic and proteomic profiling revealed significant variations in salivary molecular biomarkers between breast cancer patients and matched controls. Eight mRNA biomarkers and one protein biomarker, which were not affected by the confounding factors, were pre-validated, yielding an accuracy of 92% (83% sensitive, 97% specific) on the preclinical validation sample set.Our findings support that transcriptomic and proteomic signatures in saliva can serve as biomarkers for the non-invasive detection of breast cancer. The salivary biomarkers possess discriminatory power for the detection of breast cancer, with high specificity and sensitivity, which paves the way for prediction model validation study followed by pivotal clinical validation

SPARC 2017 retrospect & prospects : Salford postgraduate annual research conference book of abstracts

Welcome to the Book of Abstracts for the 2017 SPARC conference. This year we not only celebrate the work of our PGRs but also the 50th anniversary of Salford as a University, which makes this year’s conference extra special. Once again we have received a tremendous contribution from our postgraduate research community; with over 130 presenters, the conference truly showcases a vibrant PGR community at Salford. These abstracts provide a taster of the research strengths of their works, and provide delegates with a reference point for networking and initiating critical debate. With such wide-ranging topics being showcased, we encourage you to exploit this great opportunity to engage with researchers working in different subject areas to your own. To meet global challenges, high impact research inevitably requires interdisciplinary collaboration. This is recognised by all major research funders. Therefore engaging with the work of others and forging collaborations across subject areas is an essential skill for the next generation of researchers