Sub-Cellular Correlation of Nitrite in Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) Leaves and Nitrosamine Toxicology in Wistar Rats

The aim of this study was to determine the nitrite levels in the sub-cellular fractions of cassava (Manihot esculenta crantz) leaves containing chloroplast, mitochondria and in the cytosol respectively and to their contribution in the causation of liver toxicity in rats exposed to N-nitrosamine precursors. The design of this experiment consisted of three animal groups. The first group was administered with dimethylamine hydrochloride plus sodium nitrite (DMA.HCL + NaNO2), the second group was administered with sodium nitrite (NaNO2) only and the third group (control) was given distilled water. The methods used included cell fractionation, tissue homogenization and centrifugation, spectrophotometric analysis, enzymatic determination and histopathology. Nitrite levels were estimated at 6.08 ± 0.92, 4.06 ± 1.65 and 1.29 ± 1.66μg/200g of cassava leaf tissue in chloroplasmic, mitochondrial and cytosolic sub-cellular fractions respectively. Both the NaNO2 dose regime and the combined dose of DMA.HCL and NaNO2, at P- value 0.05, caused significant increases in GGT, ALP, AST and ALT levels in serum. The histopathological study of the rat liver for DMA.HCL + NaNO2 administration showed severe portal and central venous congestion while the NaNO2 administration revealed a mild periportal cellular infiltration. This study shows that there is a correlation of nitrite in the chloroplast, mitochondria and cytosol sub-cellular fractions of cassava leaves and administration of nitrite dietary level in cassava leaves and dimethylamine hydrochloride produced acute synergistic toxicity in the liver

Solutions of Schr\"odinger Equation with Generalized Inverted Hyperbolic Potential

We present the bound state solutions of the Schr\"odinger equation with generalized inverted hyperbolic potential using the Nikiforov-Uvarov method. We obtain the energy spectrum and the wave function with this potential for arbitrary - state. We show that the results of this potential reduced to the standard known potentials - Rosen-Morse, Poschl - Teller and Scarf potential as special cases. We also discussed the energy equation and the wave function for these special cases.Comment: 20pages, 5figure

Assessment of Some Nigerian Coals for Metallurgical Application

In the quest for a search of a suitable coal deposit of metallurgical importance, the qualities of three Nigerian coal samples, Lafia-Obi, Doho and Lamja, were assessed for possible utilization in metallurgical coke production. Several parameters that determine coking quality, such as moisture content, ash, volatile matter, free swelling index, sulphur content, Gray-King coke test, dilatation and plasticity (fluidity), were investigated. Lafia-Obi has the lowest moisture and volatile matter and the highest fixed carbon content. Its ash and sulphur contents are greater than that required by a coking but washing prior to use is expected to improve it. The volatile matter places Lafia-Obi in the medium-volatile bituminous rank, while Lamja and Doho are of medium-volatile bituminous rank. The rheological properties show that Lafia-Obi is the only caking coal. This put together single out Lafia-Obi as a potential candidate for coke making. Doho and Lamja coals may be useful for steam raising, liquefaction or chemicals manufacture

EFFECTS OF NUTRITION ON HAEMATOLOGY OF RABBITS: A REVIEW

This review examined the effects of nutrition on haematology of rabbits. The physiology of farm animals is influenced by several factors, one of which is nutrition. The nutritional status of an animal is dependent on dietary intake and effectiveness of metabolic processes. Dietary contents affect blood profile of farm animals. Haematological studies represent a useful process in the investigation of the extent of damage to the blood. Examination of blood provides the opportunity to clinically investigate the physiological, nutritional and pathological status of an animal. And changes in haematological parameters are often used to determine stresses due to nutrition. Reports by different researchers indicated that different diets fed to rabbits had different effects on haematological parameters, some of which were detrimental while others improved their haematological indices as they remained within the normal range of values for rabbits

Effect of flame-retardant treatment on the mechanical properties of some tropical timbers

Potassium aluminum sulphate, hereafter referred to as alum, was used as a flame-retardant for some African timbers. It was observed that this treatment did not drastically reduce the strength of these timbers. Reasons are adduced to explain this result

The Bouguer Gravity Anomaly Map of the Calabar Flank, Southeastern, Nigeria

Raw gravity data acquired using a Lacoste and Romberg (model G446) gravimeter and its accessories have been converted to a digital data set and were contoured to produce the first Bouguer gravity anomaly map of Calabar Flank. The data were corrected for drift and elevation (Bouguer and free air). The average crustal density of 2.67g/cm3 was used to compute the Bouguer correction. The effect of the curvature of the earth was taken into consideration. To account for tidal effect, an observational time window for forty-eight hours was determined prior to the actual field survey. Humidity/temperature correction was made to remove effects caused by humidity/temperature variations on raw data. The data was latitude-corrected based on the 1967 Geodetic Reference System (GRS67). This invariably gave the theoretical gravity. A comprehensive computer program for processing raw gravity data was used to compute the Bouguer and free air anomalies and were converted from their geodetic coordinates to x-y coordinates. The data were then transformed to an equally spaced grid (1km). The Bouguer and free air anomaly maps were produced from this grid using a Surfer Plot program. The results from these analyses showed a close relationship between the Bouguer and free air anomaly data; which is compatible with mid-continental results. Calabar Flank is largely not in isostatic equilibrium judging from the dominance of shortwavelength free-air anomaly patterns. The circular, elliptical contours in the Bouguer and free air anomaly maps are lineaments with distinctive trends. These trends indicate structural features that pre-date exposed geology and that have probably controlled the tectonic expressions of the geological province

CATALYSING A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT USING NOVEL SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY

A nations’ construction sector is an important sector of its economy. The same goes for the Nigerian Construction sector. Huge volumes of investment and capital expenditure from the central economy go into this sector of the economy in a bid to provide infrastructure for sustainable development. The construction industry is a driver for the economic growth of any nation. However, the Nigerian construction industry has consistently underperformed when compared with its potential for output. In an effort to identify the key causes for this massive underperformance and the Non value adding activities crippling the Nigerian Construction Sector (NCS), a comprehensive research was conducted. This research revealed that communication between stakeholders, ease of collaboration between project professionals on and off site, Inadequate scheduling of tasks as well as task monitoring systems and improper management of physical resources on site amongst other things are the major inhibitors to construction project success. The focus of the research was to develop a software that takes full advantage of a technologically based solutions to address this issue. The research conducted, informed the decision to build a modular web-based application that will be divided into five modules; each module addressing one of the five key issues identified as inhibitors to construction project success. In conclusion, the web application built was applied to the construction of a building within Canaan Land Ota. The results of this application showed improvement in construction efficiency, time savings and budget savings and overall project success with the use of the software

N-Nitrosation of dimethylamine hydrochloride and its toxicology in the wistar rats fed different levels of dietary protein

The present study investigated the in vivo and in vitro effects of orally administered sodium nitrite (NaNO2) and dimethylamine hydrochloride (DMA–HCL) on liver of rats fed ad libitum with high protein diet (64%), normal protein diet (27%) and low protein diet (3.5%). Thirty Male Wistar rats were divided into three groups and kept for four weeks. Group one was given high protein diet, group two was given a normal protein diet, group three was given low protein diet, all the groups were administered with 3mg NaNO2 and 20mg DMA-HCL/kg, using the application of spectrophotometric analysis, centrifugation, histolopathology, enzymatic as well as colorimetric methods. Liver function test, showed significant elevations (P < 0.05) in the AST, ALT, ALP and GGT activities in all the groups compared with the control animals. The histopathology examination exhibited periportal necrosis. Following UV exposure after in vitro incubation of rat liver microsomal plus soluble fraction with NaNO2 plus DMA-HCL, nitrite concentration in the rats fed high protein was highest 4.033 and 0.470 μg/ml, compared to the control rats which was 0.052 and 0.00192 μg/ml before and after UV irradiation. Nitrite loss was significant (p<0.05) before and after UV exposure in all the groups, indicating that the UV-light has degraded the nitrosamine precursors, thereby inhibiting possible nitrosation. The study has revealed that in rats, a high protein diet enhances N-Nitrosation of dimethylamine hydrochloride, liver derangement and the metabolisms in vivo and in vitro of the resultant compound