Investigation of the Bonding Characteristics of Termite Hill Clay in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria for Use in Foundries

On annual basis, the activities of termites to man’s habitat have been found to be destructive. Interestingly, man still goes in search of these insects day-in-day-out because of their usefulness in making life more convenient. In this work, the bonding characteristics of an active termite hill clay in the as – received state have been investigated. Three (3) different layers of clay: (Outermost layer -TCH 1; middle layer -TCHM 1 and innermost layer -TQH 1) from a termite colony were separately collected from a forest settlement in Akure, Nigeria, prepared and analyzed by means of compressive strength testing using an Instron Universal tester and mineralogical composition characterization using X-ray mini diffractometer.While results of the compressive strength testing showed that TQH 1, the innermost layer withstood the maximum compressive load of 3,370.27612N and absorbed 51.56948J in the process, results from the mineralogical composition characterization revealed that TQH 1 contained Sillimanite which melts around 1,850OC.This work is of paramount importance to the use of locally available materials, and in large quantities in Nigeria at little or no cost. This has implication for the development of foundries and foundry activities in order to meet up with the increasing demands of the foundry. Keywords: Mineralogical composition, compressive strength, as – received, colony, foundry, termite- hill clay

A Socio-Cultural Analysis of Users’ Intentions to Use Facemasks in the Post Covid-19 Era in Nigeria

This paper investigates individuals’ intention to use facemasks in the post-COVID-19 era using the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. The intention to use the facemask during the COVID-19 pandemic was more compelling through enforcement rather than the individual’s will. In the post-COVID-19 era, the effects of facilitating condition, social influence, price value, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, experience and habit on the intention to use the facemask were investigated using the regressions analyses. A total of 417 respondents took part in the selection from government organisations, including higher institutions and public offices in South-West Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja). The result shows that facilitating conditions and hedonic motivation positively influenced the intention to use the facemask, while price value, experience and habit have negative impacts. Findings from this study suggest that facemask manufacturers and distributors must suitably define their products and strategies to suit the value perception of the user and beliefs that trigger social status and hedonic motivations in conjunction with the primary health benefits of the facemasks

A Socio-Cultural Analysis of Users’ Intentions to Use Facemask in the Post Covid-19 Era in Nigeria

This paper investigates individuals’ intention to use facemasks in the post-COVID-19 era using the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, enforcement, rather than individual choice, drove facemask usage. In the post-COVID-19 era, the effects of facilitating condition, social influence, price value, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, experience and habit on the intention to use the facemask were investigated using the regressions analyses. A total of 417 respondents took part in the selection from government organisations, including higher institutions and public offices in South-West Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja). The result shows that facilitating conditions and hedonic motivation positively influenced the intention to use the facemask, while price value, experience and habit have negative impacts. Findings from this study suggest that facemask manufacturers and distributors must suitably design their products to suit the value perception of the user and beliefs that trigger social status and hedonic motivations in conjunction with the primary health benefits of the facemasks. It is recommended that further improvement of the facemask technology, such that it can convert traditional facemasks into smart technology with increasing emphasis on fashion and style, while adhering to safety measures be promoted by policymakers and manufacturers. While facemask manufacturers must see that the quality of their products meets up to ASTM (or relevant) standards, for which user-friendly, durable, microbe-resistant, yet biodegradable materials have been used, policymakers must organise regular sensitization programs on the importance of mask usage, and as well promote continuous development of improved technologies for nosemask designs

The global burden of adolescent and young adult cancer in 2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the global cancer burden in adolescents and young adults (aged 15-39 years) are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, with a focus on the outcome of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), to inform global cancer control measures in adolescents and young adults. Methods Using the GBD 2019 methodology, international mortality data were collected from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and population-based cancer registry inputs modelled with mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Incidence was computed with mortality estimates and corresponding MIRs. Prevalence estimates were calculated using modelled survival and multiplied by disability weights to obtain years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated as age-specific cancer deaths multiplied by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. The main outcome was DALYs (the sum of YLLs and YLDs). Estimates were presented globally and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintiles (countries ranked and divided into five equal SDI groups), and all estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). For this analysis, we used the age range of 15-39 years to define adolescents and young adults. Findings There were 1.19 million (95% UI 1.11-1.28) incident cancer cases and 396 000 (370 000-425 000) deaths due to cancer among people aged 15-39 years worldwide in 2019. The highest age-standardised incidence rates occurred in high SDI (59.6 [54.5-65.7] per 100 000 person-years) and high-middle SDI countries (53.2 [48.8-57.9] per 100 000 person-years), while the highest age-standardised mortality rates were in low-middle SDI (14.2 [12.9-15.6] per 100 000 person-years) and middle SDI (13.6 [12.6-14.8] per 100 000 person-years) countries. In 2019, adolescent and young adult cancers contributed 23.5 million (21.9-25.2) DALYs to the global burden of disease, of which 2.7% (1.9-3.6) came from YLDs and 97.3% (96.4-98.1) from YLLs. Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death and tenth leading cause of DALYs in adolescents and young adults globally. Interpretation Adolescent and young adult cancers contributed substantially to the overall adolescent and young adult disease burden globally in 2019. These results provide new insights into the distribution and magnitude of the adolescent and young adult cancer burden around the world. With notable differences observed across SDI settings, these estimates can inform global and country-level cancer control efforts. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe