Effect of using vegetable oils as quenching media for pure commercial aluminium

This paper presents the effects of rate of heat extraction by groundnut, melon, palm kernel, shea butter and palm oils on the mechanical properties of various samples of pure commercial aluminium heat treated at 200°C, 250°C, 300°C and 350°C. Muffle furnace equipped with digital thermometer and thermocouple was used for the heat treatment. Tensile strength and hardness tests were carried out using Instron Universal Tester and Vickers hardness methods, respectively. Results obtained from the experiment were presented graphically. The results showed that palm kernel oil cools faster at 200°C and 250°C, while palm oil and shea butter oil quench faster at 300°C and 350°C, respectively. Palm kernel oil offers the highest elongation at 200°C, while at 350°C shea butter oil gave the best result. The best among the bio-quenching oils in providing good ductility is shea butter oil at 200°C, while at 300°C and 350°C groundnut oil give the best result. Highest hardness values were obtained from samples quenched in melon oil between 200°C-300°C. However, these values decreased with increased heating temperature probably due to density and viscosity variation with temperature rise. Similar observations were made on most of other samples quenched in other bio-quenching oils used in this experiment. This study shows that these locally available vegetable oils have promising potentials to serve as a possible replacement for non-biodegradable mineral oils in many applications

EVALUATION OF VIABLE OPERATING STRATEGIES FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT BETWEEN FUNAAB CAMPUS AND CAMP TERMINUS IN ABEOKUTA

Transportation is a live wire for national development regardless of a nation industrial capacity, population or technological development. It gives expressions to policy initiative in areas like health, education, employment, etc., and in the absence of it, these facilities would be inaccessible. Viable operating strategies for public transport between Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State Nigeria Campus and Camp Terminus in Abeokuta were evolved. Traffic study was conducted for seven (7) days to determine traffic volume and peak periods (morning and evening) along the route. Questionnaires were administered to the road users to obtain factors (availability of vehicles, travel time from Camp Terminus to FUNAAB, road condition, operational cost, comfortability of the vehicle) needed to generate operating strategies. These factors were subjected to statistical analysis. The traffic volume revealed that Private cab had the highest traffic flow for a.m. peak period (8: 00 – 9: 00 am) from Mondays to Thursdays while Public cab had the highest on Fridays to Sundays, and at the pm peak period (4:00 – 5:00 pm), Public cabs had the highest traffic volume on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays while the Private cabs had the highest on the rest days of the week. The analysis of the sampled population showed that public cab had the least total time travel (36.1 minutes) followed by mini- bus (37.8 minutes) while the school bus had the highest (43.7 minutes) and this justified the reason why 40% of the population choose to travel by public cab, 33% by mini– bus  and 27% by the school bus. However, for the viability of the operating strategies, more public cab and min-buses should be provided to ply the road because of their lesser travel time, also provision of more school buses because of the large number of passengers they carry per trip should be provided.     &nbsp

Comparative analysis of drivers to BIM adoption among AEC firms in developing countries : a case of Nigeria

Purpose – Building information modelling (BIM) adoption is vital to productivity and competitive nature of the construction sector. However, BIM adoptions have not been generally embraced by many Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) firms, particularly in developing countries; and studies that investigate the important drivers to BIM adoptions among construction professionals through quantitative approach are limited. The study purpose is to address the aforementioned gap. Design/methodology/approach – The study used a literature review, a pilot study and a questionnaire survey. The primary data were carried out using structured questionnaire distributed to the four different, selected BIM adopters’ AEC firms. These comprised architectural firms, facility management firms, quantity surveying firms and structural engineering firms in Lagos, Nigeria. Data obtained were analyzed using mean score, standard deviation, Kruskal-Wallis test, and factor analysis. Findings – The study identified 23 drivers to BIM adoption and the relative importance of the identified drivers was gauged from each selected BIM adopters’ AEC firm category. The result of the Kruskal-Wallis test showed that there is no statistically significant difference in the perceptions of the four selected AEC firms in the mean ranking of the identified 23 drivers to BIM adoption. The findings from factor analysis categorized the identified drivers into two major factors to include: cost and time savings, and improved communication; and BIM awareness and government supports. Practical implications – The study empirically identified important drivers to BIM adoption which will be useful for construction stakeholders to formulate strategies to adopt the full implementation of BIM in the Nigerian AEC firms and other developing countries. Also, this study is very important as it identified, analyzed, and compared the drivers to BIM adoptions from four different AEC firms; thereby providing robust and more reliable findings. Originality/value – The study findings would inform the decisions of policymakers and construction stakeholders to make some policy recommendations capable of positively influencing the widespread adoption of BIM in AEC firms and construction industry at large. This study is important because the studies that comparatively and empirically analysed BIM drivers in AEC firms are rare, particularly in developing countries. Hence, this study could be used to benchmark future studies in developing countries

Protective Roles of Adansonia digitata (African Baobab), Cucumeropsis mannii (Melon), and Abelmoschus esculentus (Okro) Supplemented Diets against Cadmium-Induced Lipotoxicity, Bone Demineralization, and Cytotoxicity in Rabbits

The present study was undertaken to investigate the protective roles of Adansonia digitata (African baobab) Cucumeropsis mannii (Melon), Abelmoschus esculentus (Okro),  on lipid profile, bone health, and selected organs (liver, kidney, brain, and testis) against cadmium-induced toxicity in rabbits. Twenty male rabbits were grouped into five with four rabbits in each group. Group 1 served as positive control and received standard feed and 1.5 mg/kg body weight normal saline, group 2 served as negative control and were exposed to 1.5 mg/kg body weight cadmium chloride, group 3 received 1.5 mg/kg body weight cadmium Adansonia digitata supplemented feed, group 4 received 1.5 mg/kg body weight cadmium chloride and Citrullus lanatus supplemented feed, while group 5 were given 1.5 mg/kg body weight cadmium chloride and Abelmoschus esculentus supplemented feed. All administrations were orally and lasted for 28 days. At the end of the administration, blood, liver, kidney, brain, and testes were harvested from the rabbits for biochemical and histological analysis. One-way analysis of variance followed by Turkey’s test was used to analyze the results with p < 0.05 considered significant. The results revealed that cadmium exposure caused a significant increase in serum total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration, and atherogenic index in rabbits exposed to cadmium. Cadmium exposure also reduced bone calcium concentration. Adansonia digitata maintained the atherogenic index of plasma at 2.67 compared with the positive control group (2.66). The three vegetables reversed the cadmium-induced up-regulation of total cholesterol and triacylglycerol in the liver, kidney, and brain but not in the testis. All the vegetables also restored bone calcium. Citrullus lanatus and Abelmoschus esculentus prevented organ damage induced by cadmium exposure. These vegetables however play different protective roles against cadmium exposed rabbits

Electrochemical studies and sensing of iodate, periodate and sulphite ions at carbon nanotubes/ Prussian blue films modified platinum electrode

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Exploratory Survey of Forest Plants in Traditional Treatment of Guinea Worm Infections (GWI)(Dracunculus medinensis Linn): Experiences from Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Traditional medicines using forest plants as the major source of raw materials has been the system of Medicare especially in treating guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis LINN) infections in endemic areas of Africa such as Nigeria and Ethiopia. This system is age long and predates the advents of modern Medicare. With the problems of drug resistances and inability of poor people's access to modern Medicare, traditional medicines could still be the only source of succor. hence the relevance of this study which investigated the forest plants used in the traditional treatment of guinea worm infections (GWI) in some endemic areas of Nigeria and a cross check with the situation in Ethiopia. A total of 92 plant species were recorded representing 68 families. They were, trees (43species), shrubs (18species), herbs (24species) and climbers (7species).Majority of the species were sourced from the wild forests and fallow lands. Different parts of the plants such as roots, leaves, barks, fruits and sometimes whole are prepared and administered in various ways such as oral applications, rubbing, ingestion and therapeutic washing. Twenty nine of these species were found to be available and have similar uses in traditional Medicare in some parts of Ethiopia where water borne diseases are endemic. These findings has posed some challenges to African scientists especially in the area of knowledge and products developments .The conclusion was reached that with current rates of deforestation in Nigeria and Ethiopia, these plants could become ‘lost crops' before their potentials are realized. African Research Review Vol. 1 (3) 2007: pp. 108-12

Comparative study of the growth and nutritional status of Brazilian and Nigerian school-aged children with sickle cell disease

Background: Comparative studies of patients in different sociogeographic/ecological zones may unravel potential environmental and nutritional factors influencing disease phenotype. In sickle cell disease (SCD), differential access to comprehensive care may influence their growth and nutritional status. Methods: From June 2015 to February 2016, steady-state nutritional parameters of 109 Brazilian and 95 Nigerian children with SCD attending routine clinic visits at Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Brazil and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife (Ilesa unit), respectively, were compared. Results: A relatively high proportion of the children in both centres (23.5%) were wasted [body-mass index (BMI)-for-age z-score<-2). BMI-for-age z-score, height-for-age z-score, upper arm fat area and fat percentage were lower in the Nigerian cohorts. More Nigerians, 29.5% (28/95) against 18.3% (20/109) were wasted, and had short stature, [12.6% (12/95) vs. 3.7% (4/109)] than Brazilians. A higher proportion of Brazilian patients were overweight or obese (9.2 vs. 4.3%), and taller for age (15.6 vs. 8.4%). None of the Nigerian patients had severe vitamin D deficiency, only 12.6% (12/95) had suboptimal vitamin D and 1.1% (1/95) had low serum zinc levels, unlike 79.8% (87/109) of the Brazilian patients with suboptimal vitamin D and 10.1% (11/109) with low zinc. Conclusion: Undernutrition is still prevalent among the two cohorts. Nigerian patients were thinner and had reduced linear growth for age. This observation justifies the continued need for specialized nutritional care for children with SCD. In addition to hydroxyurea therapy, research is needed to determine appropriate nutritional intervention and exercise regimens for these children.CNPqUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Haematol & Blood Transfus Div, Sao Paulo, BrazilObafemi Awolowo Univ, Dept Pediat & Child Hlth, Ife, NigeriaKuwait Univ, Fac Med, Dept Paediat, Kuwait, KuwaitUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Pediat, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Haematol & Blood Transfus Div, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Pediat, Sao Paulo, BrazilCNPq: 159581/2014-1Web of Scienc

Nutrient composition of watermelon (Citrullis lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum.&Nakai) and egusi melon (Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.) seeds

This study investigated the nutrient composition of the seeds of two cultivars of Citrullis lanatus (\u27Rhotmas\u27 and \u27Sugar Baby\u27) and compared it with Citrullus colocynthis. The moisture content, ash, crude fiber, ether extract, crude protein and true protein ranged from 5.43 to 6.82, 2.78 to 3.72, 1.66 to 3.94, 55.7 to 58.7, 19.16 to 25.18 and 10.8 to 13%, respectively. The starch content, total sugar and reducing sugar varied between 143.7 and 172.7, 53.7 and 96.5, 5.6 and 9.5 mg/g, respectively. Iron, copper, zinc, calcium and magnesium ranged from 191 to 211, 20.12 to 35.03, 68.97 to 92.57, 98.79 to 233, and 79.75 to 123.9 mg/kg, respectively. Heavy metals (lead and cadmium) and antinutrients (phytate, oxalate and cyanide) were below deleterious levels. Arginine, glutamic acid and aspartic acids were the most abundant amino acids, whereas lysine was the limiting amino acid. It is concluded that watermelon seeds were better in nutritional value compared to egusi melon seeds and therefore could be regarded as a potential sources of food if exploited

Design, fabrication and evaluation of fish meal pelletizing machine

A 113.1kg/h fish meal pellet processing machine which produced 4mm diameter pellet, with an average length of 6mm was designed and fabricated. Design values of 210 was used for the maximum angle that the hopper wall formed with the vertical in the discharge zone, a critical stress of 1.3kPa of the ground particulate materials, and a density of 2.4521kg/m3 of the particulate materials, were used to obtain a hopper smallest outlet diameter of 12.7cm with a capacity of 24,118cm3 which proved efficient for the pelletizing machine. Two 3-cm diameter shafts carried the speed reduction gears with the perforated disc attached to the roller cutters on one end, while at the other end a 5hp motor was connected to the speed reduction gear by pulleys with diameters of 6cm and 12cm respectively. The speed reduction was 1:5 over a motor speed of 2000rpm. The fish meal pelletizing machine utilized 4kg of ingredients to produce 3.77kg pellets at an efficiency of 94.2%. The percentage loss due to unprocessed ground particulate materials was 5.8%.The moisture content of the fish meal pellets after 7days of drying in open air was 26.5% (wet basis). When tested for floatation, the pellets stayed afloat for 9 days, while the un-dried pellets only remained afloat for 2days. A combination of the weight of the twin roller cutters and the addition of some starch to the ground particulate materials assisted the compacting and gelatinization of pellet formed. This machine will be useful to medium and small scale aquaculture farmers and also reduce the need for foreign sources of fish meal in the aquaculture industry, thus conserving foreign exchange.Keywords: Ground particulate materials; mixing; compacting; gelatinizing; pelletizin

EVALUATION OF TWO-STAGE SUBSURFACE FLOW CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS FOR ABATTOIR WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT

Abattoir wastewater is high in organic content, the waste recovery and treatment facility is expensive and this results in indiscriminate dumping into streams without adequate treatment. The effectiveness of using a two-stage subsurface flow constructed wetland to treat abattoir effluent was examined in this study. Diluted abattoir wastewater from Lafenwa Abattoir, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria was fed into a two-stage Vegetated Subsurface Bed Constructed Wetlands (VSBCW). The VSBCW consisted of 500 mm deep 10-15 mm diameter granite with 150 mm thick overlay of well graded sand planted with locally available Vetiveria nigritana. Grab samples were collected at selected points along Ogun river and measurement of physico-chemical parameters such as: Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Total Suspended Solid (TSS) of the influent and effluent from the VSBCW were carried out. Irrigation with water and diluted abattoir wastewater to examine the variation in plant growth rate was also investigated. The results revealed a pollution load reduction as the wastewater moves away from the discharge point but inadequate to meet the FEPA (1991) standard for wastewater discharge into rivers. The VSBCW was observed to reduce the concentration of BOD5, COD, EC, TDS and TSS in the abattoir wastewater by 88.71, 87.28, 45.72, 56.89 and 72.27 % respectively. The growth rate of the V. nigritana reduced by 1.9% when irrigated with abattoir wastewater. The study revealed that locally available V. nigritana in VSBCW is effective in abattoir wastewater treatment and could be use to curtail the pollution caused by discharge of untreated wastewater into rivers. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp