Strength development and crack pattern of coconut fibre reinforced concrete (CFRC)

Concrete fails suddenly under tension and cracks excessively when unreinforced. Steel rebar is conventionally used to reinforce concrete. However, it is expensive to many people in most developing countries. In tropical regions, natural fibres are abundantly available which when utilized will reduce cost of construction and improve performance.This paper focuses on the use of coconut fibres as reinforcement in concrete. Coconut fibres were extracted from coconut seeds and chopped into 40 mm in length. Concrete of mix ratio 1:2:4 was produced which contains coconut fibre of 1, 2, 3 and 4% by weight of cement.  Compressive strength and modulus of rupture of CFRC specimens were determined following standard procedures at curing ages of 7, 21, 28 and 56 days. Also, crack pattern was monitored. The results showed that the water-cement ratio increased from 0.62 to 0.70 as coconut fibres (CF) increased from 0 to 4%, while the compressive strength only increased up to 2% CF but dropped afterwards when compared with normal concrete (NC). At 28-day, flexural strength of CFRC were 2.73, 2.79, 2.88 and 3.01  at 1, 2, 3, and 4% CF content representing 107.5, 109.8, 113.4 and 118.5% of NC. There was gradual tensile failure in CFRC with minor to hair-like crack as compared to sudden failure with wide crack from tension zone to compression zone in NC. The study concluded that up to 2% content of CF is recommended for concrete reinforcement.   

ATTITUDE OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TOWARDS VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OTA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Vocational education is a vital tool for economic development. The Federal Government, in 2011,launched the Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC) which requires that all senior secondary school students be trained in one vocational subject. This study examines the attitudes of students and teachers towards vocational education in secondary schools in Ado-Odo Local Government,Ogun State, Nigeria. It aims to highlight the factors that affect and influence the attitudes of students and teachers towards vocational training as well as identify ways through which these attitudes can be improved. The study employs the use of questionnaires distributed to 200 students and 60 teachers in four secondary schools in Adodo-Ota LGA. The results show that students and teachers recognize the importance of vocational education. The study recommends that students be provided with modern day equipment to encourage students’ engagement in vocational subjects. The curriculum for the teaching of vocational subjects should be comprehensive, standardized and enforced in all secondary schools to ensure that students acquire all the skills they need to practice the vocation(s). These will improve vocational education and the attainment of its goals in secondary schools

A middle aged woman presenting with massive empyema of the gallbladder: a case report

Empyema of gallbladder is generally a rare disease and it is even rarer in the traditional African population where incidence of cholelithiasis is much lower compared with the Caucasian population. This is a presentation to highlight massive empyema of the gallbladder in a 58 year old woman who had no prior history of gallstone disease and who was treated with open cholecystectomy. The outcome was successful and she was followed up for a year

Evaluation of patients' adherence to chemotherapy for breast cancer

The study aimed to establish the common reasons for non-adherence to drug treatment among breast cancer patients at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria over a ten-year period (Jan 1993 - Dec 2002). Patients' adherence and reasons for non-adherence to chemotherapy were evaluated using descriptive statistics. Two hundred and twenty-five breast cancer patients including 199 females and 6 males with breast cancer were recruited. 12(5.3%) patients had Stage I disease while 126 (56%) were in stage IV. The non-adherence rate was 80.9% and 111(73%) of the non-adherent patients were eventually not seen again. Of the one hundred and one patients who gave reasons for non-adherence, 45% complained of financial difficulties; 18% thought they were well enough; 15% were fearful of subsequent operation and 11% were unable to further bear the drug side effects. In conclusion, the study demonstrated poor economic status of the patients as one of the major reasons for non-adherence to cancer chemotherapy in Nigeria. Government subsidy of breast cancer treatment, improved health education and advocacy complemented by home visiting to encourage hospital attendance would be required for better adherence to chemotherapy

Severity, challenges, and outcome of retroperitoneal hematoma in a Nigeria Tertiary Hospital

Background: Retroperitoneal hematoma (RH) can present as an acute life‑threatening condition, report on RH in low‑income countries are lacking. Objective: We present the severity, pattern, challenges, and outcome of RH in a low‑resource country such as Nigeria. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of all patients with blunt or penetrating abdominal injury needing surgery, patients with RH among them were analyzed.Results: In the last one decade spanning 2005–2015, our operation database record showed that 247 patients had exploratory laparotomy for blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma. Out of the 115 patients with complete record available, only 43 had RH. The median age of the patients was 30 years, and the most affected age group was 20–29 years. Female to male ratio was 1:13. Only eight patients (18.6%) reached the hospital from the accident site within the first “Golden Hour” of accident, which is the first 1 h postrauma during which treatment intervention believed to have the best outcome. Only two patients (4.7%) got to operating theater within 1 h of reaching hospital. None of our patients had preoperative diagnosis of RH; overall, mortality was two patients (4.7%). Conclusion: Logistical infrastructural inadequacies such as lack of sterile theater bundle and drapes/nonavailability or busy theater space caused delay for patients between presentation in the Accident and Emergency Center and operating theater. None of our patients had a preoperative diagnosis of RH because of lack of access to computerized tomography scan dedicated to trauma in Accident and Emergency Center. The overall mortality of 4.7% in this study, which is on the low side, tends to suggest that mostly mild and stable cases which can make it to the operating table were eventually operated upon. Keywords:  Nigeria, outcome, prehospital care, retroperitoneal hematoma, tertiary institution, trauma

High-Performance Concrete Incorporating Almond Leave Ash as Supplementary Cementing Material

High-Performance Concrete (HPC) offers greater strength and resilience compared to conventional concrete. Almond leaves frequently clog areas where they are planted and have no recognized commercial value. In this research, Almond Leaf Ash (ALA) was included in HPC in percentages ranging from 0, 5, 10, 15, 20% as a cement additive. Concrete specimens, engineered to possess a minimum strength of 50 N/mm², were poured and underwent water curing for up to 56 days. The workability of the newly mixed concrete was evaluated by analyzing its compacting factor and slump. Furthermore, evaluations were conducted on the density, compressive and split tensile strengths, as well as the internal microstructure of the cured concrete. The workability tests revealed that the concrete stiffened as the proportion of ALA increased. Adding 5% ALA to HPC led to achieving a strength of 56.56 N/mm2 after 56 days of curing, surpassing the expected strength. Meanwhile, incorporating 10% ALA attained the targeted minimum strength of 50 N/mm2. 15% and 20% of the ALA, however, fell short of the minimum strength. The HPC's split tensile strength followed the same pattern. The results were corroborated by examining the microstructure of the HPC, revealing that substituting 5% ALA for cement yielded the highest strength

Collaborative Molecular Epidemiology Study of Metabolic Dysregulation, DNA Methylation, and Breast Cancer Risk Among Nigerian Women: MEND Study Objectives and Design

PURPOSE To elucidate the role of metabolic dysregulation and associated DNA methylation changes on breast cancer risk and aggressive subtypes among Nigerian women. We describe the design and methods of a collaborative molecular epidemiology study of breast cancer in Nigerian hospitals. METHODS The Mechanisms for Novel and Established Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Women of Nigerian Descent (MEND) study was designed as a matched case-control study of 350 patients, age 18 to 75 years, with newly diagnosed, treatment-naive breast cancer and 350 age-matched healthy controls from surrounding geographic areas. Patients with breast cancer seen for initial diagnosis at four large tertiary hospitals in southwest Nigeria and one affiliated private hospital were recruited. Healthy female controls were selected from a cohort of 4,000 healthy women recruited as part of the Human Heredity and Health (H3) in Africa Chronic Kidney Disease Case-Control Study in Nigeria. Tumor and adjacent normal tissue, and blood and saliva samples were collected for molecular and epigenetic assays. RESULTS Although recruitment is ongoing, a total of 416 patients have been recruited to date, with tumor and blood samples obtained from at least 310 patients. Data on age-matched (6 months) controls have also been obtained and harmonized. Lipid assays for 350 pathologically verified cases and 350 age-matched controls is underway, and pathologic characterization of tumors (including immunohistochemistry for subtyping) is ongoing. Data on DNA methylation for tumors and adjacent normal tissue are expected by the end of the study period. CONCLUSION The MEND study will provide a unique, high-quality source of data to evaluate the contribution of metabolic dysregulation such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome to the biology of breast cancer among Nigerian women and foster collaborative studies relevant for women of African descent globally. J Global Oncol. (C) 2019 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Fogarty International Center [K01TW010271]Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Collaborative Molecular Epidemiology Study of Metabolic Dysregulation, DNA Methylation, and Breast Cancer Risk Among Nigerian Women: MEND Study Objectives and Design

PURPOSE To elucidate the role of metabolic dysregulation and associated DNA methylation changes on breast cancer risk and aggressive subtypes among Nigerian women. We describe the design and methods of a collaborative molecular epidemiology study of breast cancer in Nigerian hospitals. METHODS The Mechanisms for Novel and Established Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Women of Nigerian Descent (MEND) study was designed as a matched case-control study of 350 patients, age 18 to 75 years, with newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve breast cancer and 350 age-matched healthy controls from surrounding geographic areas. Patients with breast cancer seen for initial diagnosis at four large tertiary hospitals in southwest Nigeria and one affiliated private hospital were recruited. Healthy female controls were selected from a cohort of 4,000 healthy women recruited as part of the Human Heredity and Health (H3) in Africa Chronic Kidney Disease Case-Control Study in Nigeria. Tumor and adjacent normal tissue, and blood and saliva samples were collected for molecular and epigenetic assays. RESULTS Although recruitment is ongoing, a total of 416 patients have been recruited to date, with tumor and blood samples obtained from at least 310 patients. Data on age-matched (± 6 months) controls have also been obtained and harmonized. Lipid assays for 350 pathologically verified cases and 350 age-matched controls is underway, and pathologic characterization of tumors (including immunohistochemistry for subtyping) is ongoing. Data on DNA methylation for tumors and adjacent normal tissue are expected by the end of the study period. CONCLUSION The MEND study will provide a unique, high-quality source of data to evaluate the contribution of metabolic dysregulation such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome to the biology of breast cancer among Nigerian women and foster collaborative studies relevant for women of African descent globally