Spark Plasma Sintered High-Entropy Alloys: An Advanced Material for Aerospace Applications

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are materials of high property profiles with enhanced strength-to-weight ratios and high temperature-stress-fatigue capability as well as strong oxidation resistance strength. HEAs are multi-powder-based materials whose microstructural and mechanical properties rely strongly on stoichiometry combination of powders as well as the consolidation techniques. Spark plasma sintering (SPS) has a notable processing edge in processing HEAs due to its fast heating schedule at relatively lower temperature and short sintering time. Therefore, major challenges such as grain growth, porosity, and cracking normally encountered in conventional consolidation like casting are bypassed to produce HEAs with good densification. SPS parameters such as heating rate, temperature, pressure, and holding time can be utilized as design criteria in software like Minitab during design of experiment (DOE) to select a wide range of values at which the HEAs may be produced as well as to model the output data collected from mechanical characterization. In addition to this, the temperature-stress-fatigue response of developed HEAs can be analyzed using finite element analysis (FEA) to have an in-depth understanding of the detail of inter-atomic interactions that inform the inherent material properties

Biological activities and nutritional value of Tapinanthus bangwensis leaves

The cytotoxic and antioxidant properties of the ethanolic extract and fractions of the leaves of Tapinanthus bangwensis were evaluated. The investigation of their total phenol and flavonoid contents, proximate analysis and their mineral composition were also carried out. In the brine shrimp lethality assay, the ethyl acetate and dichloromethane fractions showed cytotoxic activity with LD50 values of 11.22 and 15.84 μg/ml, respectively. The ethyl acetate and dichloromethane fractions exhibited significant cytotoxic effects towards HeLa cells with IC50 values of 24.25 and 24.43 μg/ml respectively. In the DPPH assay, the ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest activity while the butanol fraction showed the highest activity in the metal chelating and the lipid peroxidation assays. The quantitative analysis gave the total phenol and flavonoid contents in the range of 13.38 to 668.65 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g and 0.53 to 34.52 mg quercetin equivalent (QE)/g, respectively. For the proximate analysis, the crude fibre, carbohydrate, protein, total ash and moisture content values were 58.03, 17.80, 7.79, 13.70 and 0.60%, respectively while iron occurred in the highest amount and sodium in the least in the mineral composition analysis. These results demonstrate the cytotoxic and antioxidant activities of T. bangwensis leaves and support the traditional use of the plant in cancer treatment.Keywords: Tapinanthus bangwensis, brineshrimp, HeLa, antioxidan

Polysaccharide Based-Mucilage and Their Adhesion, Textile and Paper Applications

Mucilage are bio-substances derived from plants or microorganisms that have positive effects on health, including boosting the immune system, calming the gastrointestinal tract, and decreasing blood pressure. Overall, recent developments in mucilage research have shown the materials’ potential for usage in variety of other fields, including adhesion or binding, textiles, papers, etc. However, there is limited widespread knowledge on the characteristics and use of mucilage in adhesion, textile, and paper industries. Therefore, this review navigates through the mucilage's chemical structure, and thermal, mechanical, physiochemical, and phytochemical features, weaving together their advanced applications. As the scientific community continues to unravel the advantages of mucilage extracts and harness their untapped potential, this review serves as both a testament to past achievements and a beacon guiding researchers towards a future enriched by the possibilities they hold

Sleep Quality and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Among Patients with Prostatic Diseases

Background: Incidence of symptomatic prostatic diseases increases with age. Nocturia disturbs sleep. We set out to determine the quality of sleep and severity of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and bother score in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and carcinoma of the prostate (CAP). Methods: A cross-sectional study of new patients seen in the urology outpatient clinic with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) from either BPH or CAP over a period of 18 months. Patients were interviewed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and International prostate symptoms score (IPSS) questionnaires. Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results:168 patients were interviewed. CAP patients were older than their BPH counterparts. About 45% of the patients had poor sleep quality. CAP patients (52.9%) were more of poor sleepers compared with BPH patients (40.0%). CAP patients (46.3%) had more severe IPSS than BPH patients (33.3%). Both CAP (70.6%) and BPH (76.0%) patients reported high bother score. Conclusion: CAP and BPH patients have high bother score, affirming need for early treatment. CAP patients had more severe lower urinary tract symptoms and poorer sleep quality than BPH patients. Keywords: IPSS, Sleep quality, LUTS, Bother scor

Pattern of completion of Laboratory Request Forms in a tertiary health facility

Background: Laboratory request form is an important means of interaction between clinicians and laboratory service providers. The omission of information on the request form may result in laboratory errors which may have a negative impact on patients’ outcome. Objective: To assess the pattern of completion of laboratory request forms in a tertiary facility. Methods: Two thousand, two hundred and forty-one laboratory request forms sent to the laboratory over a period of two months were assessed for their level of completeness. Results: Out of 2241 laboratory request forms, only 5 (0.2%) was fully completed. The most complete information on the forms included types of investigation required (98.9%), the gender of the patient (97.8%), the identity of consultant-in-charge of the patient (95.3%) and the referring physician's name and signature (93.8%). The least provided information was the time of collection of the specimen (0.7%). Conclusion: This study shows that laboratory request forms are frequently incompletely and inadequately completed. Continuous medical education of clinicians on the need for adequate completion of request forms is required

Laser Based Additive Manufacturing Technology for Fabrication of Titanium Aluminide-Based Composites in Aerospace Component Applications

Titanium aluminides has the potential of replacing nickel-based superalloys in the aerospace industries because its density is almost half that of nickel-based alloys. Nevertheless, the room temperature properties (ductility) have made the wider application of this class of intermetallic alloy far from being realized. This has led to various research been carried out in adjusting the production processing and/or material through alloying, heat treatment, ingot metallurgy, powder metallurgy and most recently additive manufacturing processing. One of the additive manufacturing processing of titanium aluminide is laser engineered net shaping (LENS). It is used to produce components from powders by melting and forming on a substrate based on a computer-aided design (CAD) to shape the components. This contribution will focus on the laser processing of titanium aluminides components for aerospace applications. Also, the challenges confronting this processing techniques as well as suggested finding to solve the problems would be outlined. The objective of this work is to present an insight into how titanium aluminides components have been developed by researchers with emphasis on aerospace applications

Metal and metal oxide nanomaterials for heavy metal remediation: novel approaches for selective, regenerative, and scalable water treatment

Heavy metal contamination in water sources poses a significant threat to environmental and public health, necessitating effective remediation strategies. Nanomaterial-based approaches have emerged as promising solutions for heavy metal removal, offering enhanced selectivity, efficiency, and sustainability compared to traditional methods. This comprehensive review explores novel nanomaterial-based approaches for heavy metal remediation, focusing on factors such as selectivity, regeneration, scalability, and practical considerations. A systematic literature search was conducted using multiple academic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, to identify relevant articles published between 2013 and 2024. The review identifies several promising nanomaterials, such as graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, and metal-organic frameworks, which exhibit high surface areas, tunable surface chemistries, and excellent adsorption capacities. Surface functionalization with specific functional groups (e.g., carboxyl, amino, thiol) significantly enhances the selectivity for target heavy metal ions. Advances in regeneration strategies, including chemical desorption, electrochemical regeneration, and photocatalytic regeneration, have improved the reusability and cost-effectiveness of these materials. Scalability remains a critical challenge, but recent developments in synthesis methods, such as green synthesis and continuous-flow synthesis, offer promising solutions for large-scale production. The stability and longevity of nanomaterials have been improved through surface modification and the development of hybrid nanocomposites. Integrating nanomaterials with existing water treatment infrastructure and combining them with other remediation techniques, such as membrane filtration and electrochemical methods, can enhance overall treatment efficiency and feasibility. In conclusion, nanomaterial-based approaches hold immense promise for revolutionizing heavy metal remediation and advancing sustainable water management practices. As future research is geared towards retrofitting existing treatment plants, it is equally critical to mitigate unintended environmental and public health consequences associated with the widespread production and use of nanomaterials, such as their leachability into water systems and environmental persistence

Clinically actionable secondary findings in 130 triads from sub-Saharan African families with non-syndromic orofacial clefts

Abstract Introduction The frequency and implications of secondary findings (SFs) from genomic testing data have been extensively researched. However, little is known about the frequency or reporting of SFs in Africans, who are underrepresented in large‐scale population genomic studies. The availability of data from the first whole‐genome sequencing for orofacial clefts in an African population motivated this investigation. Methods In total, 130 case‐parent trios were analyzed for SFs within the ACMG SFv.3.0 list genes. Additionally, we filtered for four more genes (HBB, HSD32B, G6PD and ACADM). Results We identified 246 unique variants in 55 genes; five variants in four genes were classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP). The P/LP variants were seen in 2.3% (9/390) of the subjects, a frequency higher than ~1% reported for diverse ethnicities. On the ACMG list, pathogenic variants were observed in PRKAG (p. Glu183Lys). Variants in the PALB2 (p. Glu159Ter), RYR1 (p. Arg2163Leu) and LDLR (p. Asn564Ser) genes were predicted to be LP. Conclusion This study provides information on the frequency and pathogenicity of SFs in an African cohort. Early risk detection will help reduce disease burden and contribute to efforts to increase knowledge of the distribution and impact of actionable genomic variants in diverse populations