Effect of Vegetable Based Lubricants on Equal Channel Angular Extrusion Pressure

This research aimed at investigating vegetable based lubricant as a replacement for chemical based lubricants on extrusion pressure of equal channel angular extrusion of Aluminum. In the process, aluminum alloy (Al 6063) was heated at 350°C for one hour, machined and cut to billets size of 11.95 m x 11.95 m x 40 m (l × b × h). The billets were extruded through die of 12 mm x 12 mm channel cross-section area, the channel angle was 60°. Four vegetable based lubricants namely jatropha, neem, castor and cotton seed oils were used. The die was centrally located on the bed of vertical hydraulic testing machine and the billet was inserted into the entrance channel. Lubrication was applied to the billet to decrease its friction and with the channel inner wall. The ram displacement per plunger speed was 1 mm per 1 second respectively. For each lubricant, four samples were extruded through ECAE die to confirm the repeatability of the results and the average values of the extrusion pressure were computed. The results were compared to the sample extruded via conventional lubricants. It was discovered of all the extruded samples, jatropha oil gave the least extrusion pressure of 83 kN, cottonseed oil extruded at 104 kN and castor oil at 151.4 kN while neem oil require the highest pressure at 220.9 kN. The chemical based lubricants that serve as the control from the literature gave the extrusion pressure of 81 kN. It can be concluded that the oil from jatropha seed is the best in terms of extrusion pressure and can effectively replace the chemical based lubricants

PRODUCTION OF BIODIESEL FROM SOME VEGETABLE OILS

Biodiesel is becoming prominent among the alternatives to conventional petro-diesel due to economic,environmental and social factors. The quality of biodiesel is influenced by the nature of feedstock and theproduction processes employed. High amounts of free fatty acids (FFA) in the feedstock are known to bedetrimental to the quality of biodiesel. In addition, oils with compounds containing hydroxyl groups possesshigh viscosity due to hydrogen bonding. American Standards and Testing Materials, (ASTM D 6751)recommends FFA content of not more than 0.5% in biodiesel and a viscosity of less than 6 mm2/s. Thephysico-chemical properties of palm kernel oil and coconut oil were assessed for their potentials in biodiesel.The properties of palm kernel oil and coconut oil were compared with those of palm from literature whilethat of biodiesel were compared with petro-diesel, ASTM and European Standards (EN14214). Resultsshowed that high amounts of FFA in oils produced low quality biodiesel while neutralized oils with lowamounts of FFA produced high quality biodiesel. The quality of biodiesel from palm kernel oil and coconutoils was improved greatly by neutralising the crude oil

Comparative Effects of Silver Nanoparticles, Sucrose and Sodium Chloride as Osmotic Solutions for Tomato Slices: Antioxidant Activity, Microbial Quality and Modelling with Polynomial Regression Model

This study has reported comparative effects of silver nanoparticles  (AgNPs),  sucrose and sodium chloride as osmotic solutions on antioxidant activity and microbial quality of 10 mm tomato slices. 40 g of tomato slices were dehydrated osmotically (OD) at different temperatures (60, 70 and 80 °C) and time (30, 60, 90, 120 150 and 180 min).Water loss, solid  impregnation, water and solid diffusivities of tomato slices were found to increase with increase in solution temperatures and concentrations with AgNPs having the greatest influence. Antioxidant activities using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl increased with increase in solution concentrations but decreased with increase in temperature. Three-wayANOVA(R2=0.998) revealed additive statistically significant effects of osmotic agents,  concentrations and temperatures on antioxidant activity;   F(8,54)=67.854,P=0.00. Polynomial regression analysis with response surface methodology validated experiments such that for each unit increase in concentration and temperature, antioxidant activity increased with good coefficients of determination; sucrose (R2 = 0.87), NaCl, (R2 = 0.89) andAgNPs (R2 = 0.91). Potato dextrose and nutrient agars were used for isolating and identifying microorganisms in OD tomato slices. Tomato slices dehydrated with AgNPs had the highest microbial inhibition of fungi with growth occurring after 7 days, unlike in treatments with sucrose and NaCl where fungal growth appeared after 2 and 5 days, respectively. Aspergillus niger was the most prevalent fungus. It can be concluded that AgNPs may serve as a viable means to dehydrate and preserve tomatoes without loss of antioxidant activity.Keywords: Osmotic dehydration, polynomial regression, response surface, antioxidant activity, three-way ANOVA, silver nanoparticles

Cadmium Increases the Sensitivity of Adolescent FemaleMice to Nicotine-Related Behavioral Deficits

This study investigates spatial and nonspatial working memory, anxiety related behavior, and motor activities in cadmium and/ornicotine exposed female adolescent mice. P28 female adolescent mice (albino strain) were divided into four groups of five

Bacteriological pollution indicators in Ogun River flowing through Abeokuta Metropolis

Water resources are significant part of integrated community development policy and good health. Hence, the need to reduce the impact of natural and anthropogenic pollution causes so as to enhance water quality. The bacteriological quality of the Ogun River was investigated to determine the sanitary conditions of the water body between March and August, 2014. Total heterotrophic bacteria counts (THBC), total coliform counts (TCC) and total Escherichia coli counts (TEC) using standard plate count and Most Probable Number (MPN) techniques were determined. The isolates were identified using 16SrRNA gene. Total heterotrophic bacteria counts varied between 1.13 × 106 and 4.1 × 107 CFU/ml, TCC ranged between 2.5 × 105 and 2.33× 107 CFU/ml and TEC was between 5 × 104 and 1.3 × 106 CFU/ml. Most Probable Number of coliforms in all samples varied between 120 and 1600 MPN/100 ml. Isolated microorganisms include Escherichia coli strain SUS9EC, Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain SSI7, Escherichia coli strain BW25113, Escherichia coli strain C-X1B, and Klebsiella oxytoca strain KU-5. One-wayanalysis of variance showed significant difference within the samples at (P<0.05).The results revealed high bacteria counts which is higher than the recommended value of 1.2 × 102 for THBC, a zero E. coli count and not more than 10 coliforms per 100 ml by World Health Organization standards for drinking water.Keywords: Water, bacteria, Escherichia coli, pollutio

Perceptions and beliefs of community gatekeepers about genomic risk information in African cleft research

BACKGROUND: A fundamental ethical issue in African genomics research is how socio-cultural factors impact perspectives, acceptance, and utility of genomic information, especially in stigmatizing conditions like orofacial clefts (OFCs). Previous research has shown that gatekeepers (e.g., religious, political, family or community leaders) wield considerable influence on the decision-making capabilities of their members, including health issues. Thus, their perspectives can inform the design of engagement strategies and increase exposure to the benefits of genomics testing/research. This is especially important for Africans underrepresented in genomic research. Our study aims to investigate the perspectives of gatekeepers concerning genomic risk information (GRI) in the presence of OFCs in a sub-Saharan African cohort.METHODS: Twenty-five focus group discussions (FGDs) consisting of 214 gatekeepers (religious, community, ethnic leaders, and traditional birth attendants) in Lagos, Nigeria, explored the opinions of participants on genomic risk information (GRI), OFC experience, and the possibility of involvement in collaborative decision-making in Lagos, Nigeria. Transcripts generated from audio recordings were coded and analyzed in NVivo using thematic analysis.RESULTS: Three main themes-knowledge, beliefs, and willingness to act-emerged from exploring the perspective of gatekeepers about GRI in this group. We observed mixed opinions regarding the acceptance of GRI. Many participants believed their role is to guide and support members when they receive results; this is based on the level of trust their members have in them. However, participants felt they would need to be trained by medical experts to do this. Also, religious and cultural beliefs were crucial to determining participants' understanding of OFCs and the acceptance and utilization of GRI.CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating cultural sensitivity into public engagement could help develop appropriate strategies to manage conflicting ideologies surrounding genomic information in African communities. This will allow for more widespread access to the advances in genomics research in underrepresented populations. We also recommend a synergistic relationship between community health specialists/scientists, and community leaders, including spiritual providers to better understand and utilize GRI.</p

Perceptions and beliefs of community gatekeepers about genomic risk information in African cleft research

BACKGROUND: A fundamental ethical issue in African genomics research is how socio-cultural factors impact perspectives, acceptance, and utility of genomic information, especially in stigmatizing conditions like orofacial clefts (OFCs). Previous research has shown that gatekeepers (e.g., religious, political, family or community leaders) wield considerable influence on the decision-making capabilities of their members, including health issues. Thus, their perspectives can inform the design of engagement strategies and increase exposure to the benefits of genomics testing/research. This is especially important for Africans underrepresented in genomic research. Our study aims to investigate the perspectives of gatekeepers concerning genomic risk information (GRI) in the presence of OFCs in a sub-Saharan African cohort.METHODS: Twenty-five focus group discussions (FGDs) consisting of 214 gatekeepers (religious, community, ethnic leaders, and traditional birth attendants) in Lagos, Nigeria, explored the opinions of participants on genomic risk information (GRI), OFC experience, and the possibility of involvement in collaborative decision-making in Lagos, Nigeria. Transcripts generated from audio recordings were coded and analyzed in NVivo using thematic analysis.RESULTS: Three main themes-knowledge, beliefs, and willingness to act-emerged from exploring the perspective of gatekeepers about GRI in this group. We observed mixed opinions regarding the acceptance of GRI. Many participants believed their role is to guide and support members when they receive results; this is based on the level of trust their members have in them. However, participants felt they would need to be trained by medical experts to do this. Also, religious and cultural beliefs were crucial to determining participants' understanding of OFCs and the acceptance and utilization of GRI.CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating cultural sensitivity into public engagement could help develop appropriate strategies to manage conflicting ideologies surrounding genomic information in African communities. This will allow for more widespread access to the advances in genomics research in underrepresented populations. We also recommend a synergistic relationship between community health specialists/scientists, and community leaders, including spiritual providers to better understand and utilize GRI.</p