A Model for Determining the Effect of Irregular Power Supply on Machining Foundry Products in a Developing Economy

In this paper, profit is maximized (or production cost is minimized) by developing an Integer programming (IP) model to determine, at a given respective unit cost, optimal numbers of outputs obtainable per production cycle (time) using public electricity generated from national grids and alternate electricity from generators subject to production output capacity or demand constraint. The results obtained showed that production cycle time has a great impact on the determination of optimal outputs for the respective conditions. Also, increase in cost of public electricity per unit product has an upper limit beyond which it has negative effect on the profitability. The results served as determinant factors for production industry in establishing the level of outputs that sustained the profitability by providing optimal cost of public electricity to operate without having any effect on the profit, at a given cycle time. Keywords— Constraint, cycle time, integer programming, optimal number, mode

Recombinant Alkaline Phosphatase Prevents Acute on Chronic Liver Failure

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS)– toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) pathway plays an important role in liver failure. Recombinant alkaline phosphatase (recAP) deactivates LPS. The aim of this study was to determine whether recAP prevents the progression of acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Eight groups of rats were studied 4-weeks after sham surgery or bile duct ligation and were injected with saline or LPS to mimic ACLF. Acute liver failure was induced with Galactosamine-LPS and in both models animals were treated with recAP prior to LPS administration. In the ACLF model, the severity of liver dysfunction and brain edema was attenuated by recAP, associated with reduction in cytokines, chemokines, liver cell death, and brain water. The activity of LPS was reduced by recAP. The treatment was not effective in acute liver failure. Hepatic TLR4 expression was reduced by recAP in ACLF but not acute liver failure. Increased sensitivity to endotoxins in cirrhosis is associated with upregulation of hepatic TLR4, which explains susceptibility to development of ACLF whereas acute liver failure is likely due to direct hepatoxicity. RecAP prevents multiple organ injury by reducing receptor expression and is a potential novel treatment option for prevention of ACLF but not acute liver failure

In-silico and in-vivo comparative evaluation of the cardioprotective potential of Yellow turmeric and White turmeric in Mn-induced cardiac oxidative stress

Introduction The effect of the ethanol extracts of Curcuma longa Linn (yellow turmeric) and Curcuma zedoaria Rosc (white turmeric) on cardiac oxidative stress in rats exposed to manganese was evaluated in this study. Methods We divided 60 Wistar rats into 12 groups (n = 5) with some administered different concentrations of yellow or white turmeric extract. The animals except the control groups were exposed to manganese on days 1,3, and 7. All the animals were sacrificed on the 8th day and the hearts were harvested for biochemical assays. Ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and the levels of cardiac superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione, nitric oxide, and lipid peroxidation in rats were determined. Additionally, in silico studies were performed to further compare the cardioprotective potential of the two species of turmeric. Results The results showed that rats treated with manganese alone had decreased levels of FRAP, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione but increased levels of nitric oxide and lipid peroxidation were observed. The Mn-induced oxidative stress was ameliorated in animals co-treated with yellow or white turmeric. The yellow turmeric showed better activity than white turmeric. In the in-silico evaluation, phytocompounds from yellow turmeric had higher binding energy against Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) protein than the ones from white turmeric. Bioactive compounds from white turmeric did not violate any of Lipinski's rules of five or three, despite having lower binding energy. Conclusion These findings suggest that ethanol extract of yellow and white turmeric may have the potential to ameliorate manganese-induced cardiac oxidative stress

Waste tires steel fiber in concrete: a review

The emergence of waste tire steel fiber (WTSF) which is an undervalued resource was borne out of the need to extract the useful materials in waste tires considering the sheer volume of this resource that is disposed of in landfills globally. These fibers find applications in tunnel linings, hydraulic structures, bridge decks, pavements and slope stabilization. The fiber length has positive influence on compressive strength (increased by more than 10%), flexural strength (increased by more than 50%) and split-tensile strength(increased by more than 30%) while slump and flow (increased by more than 80%) were reduced but can be avoided through careful mixing, reduction of coarse aggregates and utilization of short fibers. Utilization of WTSF contributes to the sustainability of the construction industry. This paper focuses on reviewing the contemporary management of waste tires, fresh and hardened properties of steel fibers extracted from the waste tires, usage of the steel fibers and the durability of concrete containing these fibers

Patients with Refractory Ascites Treated with alfapump® System have Better Health-related Quality of Life as Compared to those Treated with Large Volume Paracentesis: The Results of a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Study

Background Refractory ascites (RA) is a complication of cirrhosis which is treated with large volume paracentesis (LVP) as the standard of care. Alfapump® system is a fully implantable pump system which reduces the need for LVP. The aim was to assess health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients treated with alfapump® versus LVP. Methods The data were collected in a multicenter open-label randomized controlled trial (clinicaltrials.gov #NCT01528410). Subjects with cirrhosis Child–Pugh class B or C accompanied by RA were randomized to receive alfapump® or LVP. The SF-36v2 and CLDQ scores were compared between the two treatment arms at screening and monthly during treatment. Results Of 60 subjects randomized, HRQL data were available for 58 (N = 27 received alfapump® and N = 31 received LVP only). At baseline, no differences were seen between the treatment arms (all p > 0.05): age 61.9 ± 8.4, 79.3% male, MELD scores 11.7 ± 3.3, 85.2% Child–Pugh class B, 70.7% had alcoholic cirrhosis. The mean number of LVP events/subject was lower in alfapump® than LVP (1.1 vs. 8.6, p  0.05) in the first 3 months. Multivariate analysis showed that treatment with alfapump® was independently associated with better HRQL at 3 months (total CLDQ score: beta = 0.67 ± 0.33, p = 0.05). Conclusion As compared to LVP, the use of alfapump® system is associated with both a reduction in the number of LVP events and improvement of health-related quality of life

Knowledge, attitudes and practices on adolescent vaccination among parents, teachers and adolescents in Africa: a systematic review protocol

Background: Vaccines are the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions available to avert vaccine-preventable diseases and deaths. Despite progress in the field of adolescent health, many young people in Africa still get sick and die from vaccine-preventable diseases due to lack of vaccination. Parents, adolescents and teachers are key players with regard to implementation of adolescent vaccination policies. Therefore, understanding their knowledge, attitudes and practices towards adolescent vaccination may provide clues on what can be done to improve vaccine uptake among adolescents. The aim of this study is to conduct a qualitative and quantitative systematic review on knowledge, attitudes and practices on adolescent vaccination among parents, teachers and adolescents in Africa. Methods: We will include both quantitative and qualitative primary studies. Eligible quantitative studies include both intervention and observational studies. Qualitative studies to be included are focus group discussions, direct observations, in-depth interviews and case ethnographic studies. We will search PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, Web of Science, WHOLIS, Africa Wide and CINAHL for eligible studies with no time and language limits. We will also check reference lists of included studies for other eligible reports. Two authors will independently screen the search output, select studies and extract data, resolving discrepancies by consensus and discussion. We will analyse qualitative data using thematic analysis where applicable, and quantitative studies findings will be presented in a narrative synthesis form based on the outcomes. Discussion: The findings from this systematic review will guide the identification of gaps on knowledge, attitudes and practices among the key role players on adolescent vaccination. We anticipate that our findings will guide the development of adolescent-focused vaccination policy in Africa, which is virtually non-existent at present. Systematic review registration: This review is registered with PROSPERO, registration number CRD42014010395.

Stakeholder perceptions of the benefits and barriers of implementing environmental management systems in the Nigerian construction industry

© 2016 Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) Press. This study investigates stakeholder opinions of the major benefits and barriers of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) to the Nigerian construction industry, and the perceived issues to EMS adoption among organisations in the industry. The study highlights the environment as an important stakeholder in the industry because it affects and is affected by construction activities on a regular basis. It identifies the importance of ISO 14001 in ensuring adequate consideration for the environment is maintained on construction projects. The research adopts a quantitative approach by analysing responses from an online survey among construction industry professionals in Nigeria. The questions on the survey were drawn from a similar study carried out in Asia and the results were analysed using the Weighted Average and Standard Deviation statistical approach. Results reveal that the major benefits of EMS to the Nigerian construction industry were improved efficiency in waste management and environmental protection, as well as an overall increase in employee motivation due to better opportunities for training and development. Lack of technological support in organisations and the high cost of implementing EMS were viewed as the major barriers towards its uptake in construction companies. The findings also indicate that a feasible EMS implementation strategy must not ignore the unique nature of the Nigerian construction industry, which comprises mostly small and medium enterprises. The study concludes by recommending the use of a waste management plan based on the Reuse-Reduce-Recycle-Recover model and an employee training plan to ensure continuous improvement in the organisation’s environmental management strategy

Electricity Supply and Business Performance in a Nigerian Private University

There has been a consistent argument in the literature as regards the impact of electricity consumption on economic growth with most studies focused on developed economies. However, little is known on impact of electricity consumption on business performance in a university system. This study examines the short-run and long-run impact of electricity supply on business performance in a Nigerian private university. The study adopted Engle and Granger approach to co-integration. The result reveals that in the long run, a negative relationship exist between electricity supply and turnover. However, cost of sales and wages have positive relationship with turnover. In the short-run, electricity supply has negative relationship with business performance. In addition, the cost of sales is not statistically significance with turnover. The findings of the study are in line with the principle of labour marginal productivity both in the short and long-run. Therefore, the study recommended need to consider alternative source of power supply most especially in the long-run in order to maximize the aggregate benefit on the business performanc

Global and regional burden of disease and injury in 2016 arising from occupational exposures : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

Objectives This study provides an overview of the influence of occupational risk factors on the global burden of disease as estimated by the occupational component of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2016 study. Methods The GBD 2016 study estimated the burden in terms of deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) arising from the effects of occupational risk factors (carcinogens; asthmagens; particulate matter, gases and fumes (PMGF); secondhand smoke (SHS); noise; ergonomic risk factors for low back pain; risk factors for injury). A population attributable fraction (PAF) approach was used for most risk factors. Results In 2016, globally, an estimated 1.53 (95% uncertainty interval 1.39-1.68) million deaths and 76.1 (66.3-86.3) million DALYs were attributable to the included occupational risk factors, accounting for 2.8% of deaths and 3.2% of DALYs from all causes. Most deaths were attributable to PMGF, carcinogens (particularly asbestos), injury risk factors and SHS. Most DALYs were attributable to injury risk factors and ergonomic exposures. Men and persons 55 years or older were most affected. PAFs ranged from 26.8% for low back pain from ergonomic risk factors and 19.6% for hearing loss from noise to 3.4% for carcinogens. DALYs per capita were highest in Oceania, Southeast Asia and Central sub-Saharan Africa. On a per capita basis, between 1990 and 2016 there was an overall decrease of about 31% in deaths and 25% in DALYs. Conclusions Occupational exposures continue to cause an important health burden worldwide, justifying the need for ongoing prevention and control initiatives

Determinants of insecticide-treated net ownership and utilization among pregnant women in Nigeria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malaria during pregnancy is a major public health problem in Nigeria leading to increase in the risk of maternal mortality, low birth weight and infant mortality. This paper is aimed at highlighting key predictors of the ownership of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and its use among pregnant women in Nigeria.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 2348 pregnant women were selected by a multi-stage probability sampling technique. Structured interview schedule was used to elicit information on socio-demographic characteristics, ITN ownership, use, knowledge, behaviour and practices. Logistic regression was used to detect predictors of two indicators: ITN ownership, and ITN use in pregnancy among those who owned ITNs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ITN ownership was low; only 28.8% owned ITNs. Key predictors of ITN ownership included women who knew that ITNs prevent malaria (OR = 3.85; <it>p </it>< 0001); and registration at antenatal clinics (OR = 1.34; <it>p </it>= 0.003). The use of ITNs was equally low with only 7.5% of all pregnant women, and 25.7% of all pregnant women who owned ITNs sleeping under a net. The predictors of ITN use in pregnancy among women who owned ITNs (N = 677) identified by logistic regression were: urban residence (OR = 1.87; <it>p </it>= 0.001); knowledge that ITNs prevent malaria (OR = 2.93; <it>p </it>< 0001) and not holding misconceptions about malaria prevention (OR = 1.56; <it>p </it>= 0.036). Educational level was not significantly related to any of the two outcome variables. Although registration at ANC is significantly associated with ownership of a bednet (perhaps through free ITN distribution) this does not translate to significant use of ITNs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>ITN use lagged well behind ITN ownership. This seems to suggest that the current mass distribution of ITNs at antenatal facilities and community levels may not necessarily lead to use unless it is accompanied by behaviour change interventions that address the community level perceptions, misconceptions and positively position ITN as an effective prevention device to prevent malaria</p