A Review of English Syllable Structure

The syllable is a phonological entity that is very significant in phonological representations, for it is the unit in terms of which phonological systems are organized with very significant restrictions on the ordering of the elements that make them up. This paper reviews the syllable structure of English and also explores the aesthetic role of the syllable for its onomatopoeic and sound effects which add variety and interest to text. There is no doubt that language manipulators consider sound patterns in their lexical selection. They also know that sound parallelism, when not ornamental, is used to link sound and syntax to create fun, humour and beauty in a text (written or spoken). The paper also shows that the syllable forms an important locus for stylistic experimentation in sound manipulation or sound patterning. It thus plays a pivotal role in everyday conversation, literary discourse in general and poetry in particular

Response of planktonic bacteria of New Calabar River to zinc stress

Toxicity of Zn2+ on four planktonic bacteria isolated from New Calabar River water was assessed via dehydrogenase assay. Pure cultures of the bacterial strains were exposed to various Zn2+  concentrations (0.2 - 2.0 mM) in a nutrient broth amended with glucose and TTC. The responses of the bacterial strains to Zn2+ is concentration-dependent. At 0.2 mM, Zn2+ stimulated dehydrogenase activity in Proteus sp. PLK2 and Micrococcus sp. PLK4. In all strains, dehydrogenase activity was progressively inhibited at concentrations greater than 0.2 mM. The IC50 ranges from 0.236 ± 0.044 to 0.864 ± 0.138 mM. Total inhibition occurred at concentrations ranging from 1.283 ± 0.068 to 2.469 ± 0.045 mM. The order of zinc tolerance is: Micrococcus sp. PLK4 > Proteus sp. PLK2 > Pseudomonas sp. PLK5 > Escherichia sp. PLK1. The result of the in vitro study indicated that the bacterial strains are sensitive to Zn2+ stress. Therefore, Zn2+ contamination would pose serious threat to their metabolism in natural environments.Key words: New Calabar River, zinc toxicity, planktonic bacteria, dehydrogenase

Gender and City Differences in Personality Traits Among Adolescents in Some Selected Cities of Nigeria

There are overwhelming evidences from researches in the regional science that the attitudes, values and behaviours of people are geographically clustered. Psychologists, however, have historically had little to say about regional and city differences (Rentfrow, 2010). The present study investigated on gender and city differences in trait personalities among adolescents in some selected cities within Nigeria. A thousand and one (1001) adolescents (532 females, 469 males) sampled from five cities (Markurdi, Calabar, Nnewi, Victoria Island, Benin) within Nigeria were employed for the study. Big Five Personality Inventory by John, Donahue and Kentle (1991) was used to gather their data on personality traits while Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) and Pearson Product Moment correlation were used in data analysis. The findings of the study showed significant city difference on the personality traits examined and significant gender differences on neuroticism personality. Similarly significant interaction effects of city and gender were also seen. Furthermore there were positive and negative correlations of age and personality among adolescents studied. Discussions of the findings were done as well as the implications of the findings for social behaviours

Geological and Geotechnical Evaluation of Gully Erosion at Nguzu Edda, Afikpo Sub-Basin, Southeastern Nigeria

A detailed geological field mapping of Nguzu Edda has revealed that gully erosion and landslides have remained active over the years, posing serious threats to human life, agricultural land, infrastructure and socio-economic activities within the area. Consequently, twelve true representative soil samples from different locations within gully sites have been analyzed based on ASTM and British Standards, to evaluate geologic conditions and geotechnical parameters that influence the gullies problems. The results of the laboratory tests revealed that the soil at the gully sites are predominantly sands (57~99.5 % with mean of 69.7%) with low amount of fines (silt; 0.3~ 22% with average value of 14.6% and clay: 0.2 ~ 21% with average value of 13.9%). The liquid limit (LL) ranged from 15 ~ 31.50 % with mean of 23.32% and the plasticity index (PI) ranged from 2.92~14.42% with mean of 8.95%. The moisture content, permeability, bulk density, porosity, organic matter and pH have average values of 25.31%, 6.04×10-4 cm/sec, 1.55 kg/m3, 40.40, 1.26% and 5.12, respectively. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) is low, which could be attributed to low organic matter, pH and non active clay minerals. With regard to the aforementioned characteristics, the soils at gully sites are loose sands with low amount of fines fraction, hence cohesionless, and are easily exposed to agents/factors of gully erosion. Thus, provides insights about the vulnerable causes of gully erosion and landslides problems that are prevalent in the area. This research addresses, to a great extent the effects of local geology, geotechnical properties of the underlying soil and associated human activities on the formation of gully erosion, in-turn results to landslides within in the study area. Engineering-geologic aspects of soil erosion control were also recommended. Keywords: Afikpo Sub-basin, Geologic conditions, Geotechnical analysis, Gully erosion and Erosion control measures

Assessment of Alpha Fetoprotein Levels and Gamma Glutamyl Transferase Activity in Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Seropositive Subjects in Nnewi, Nigeria

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C viral infections are the leading cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. These conditions, which mar the hepatic functional integrity, are characterized by alterations in the liver function markers such as alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and gamma glutamyl tranferase (GGT). In the present study, a total of 90 subjects were recruited. Out of this number, 30 were hepatitis B seropositive subjects, 30 hepatitis C seropositive individuals and the remaining 30 were apparently healthy individuals. The last group served as the control. Serum alpha fetoprotein levels were estimated by the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique and the method adopted for the determination of gamma glutamyl transferase activity was the kinetic-spectrophotometric procedure. The mean serum level of alpha fetoprotein was significantly higher in hepatitis B seropositive subjects compared with the control (P<0.05). The same pattern was observed when the mean serum activity of GGT of the hepatitis B seropositive subjects was compared with that of the control (P<0.05). Furthermore, the mean serum level of AFP and the mean serum GGT activity were significantly higher in hepatitis C seropositive individuals compared with the control (P<0.05). In contrast, no significant difference was observed in the mean serum levels of alpha fetoprotein in hepatitis B seropositive individuals compared with that of hepatitis C seropositive subjects (P>0.05). A positive correlation existed between AFP levels and GGT activity in hepatitis B seropositive subjects (r=0.31) and between AFP levels and GGT activity in hepatitis C seropositive subjects (r=0.25). These findings suggest that evaluation of serum alpha fetoprotein levels and gamma glutamyl transferase activity may be a valuable adjunct in the assessment of disease progression in hepatitis B and hepatitis C seropositive individuals. Keywords: Hepatitis, alpha fetoprotein, glatamyl transferase, disease progression

Characterization and critical appraisal of physiotherapy intervention research in Nigeria : a systematic review

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT: Review data is available from the corresponding author on request.ADDITIONAL FILE 1: APPENDIX I. Pubmed Piloted Search Strategy.ADDITIONAL FILE 2. Sociodemographic characteristics of the participants.ADDITIONAL FILE 3: TABLE 1. Risk of bias using Pedro. TABLE 2. Risk of bias using Robin-I.OBJECTIVES: Clinical research is the bedrock of clinical innovation, education and practice. We characterized and critically appraised physiotherapy clinical research to avoid implementing misleading research findings into practice and to task the Nigerian physiotherapy societies on responsible conduct of clinical research. METHODS: This is a systematic review of articles published in English between 2009 and 2023. We started with 2009 because at least few Nigerian Physiotherapy school had commenced postgraduate (research) training by then. We searched Pubmed, Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO and African Journal Online, and reference lists of relevant articles. We Data were selected and extracted according to predesigned eligibility criteria and using a standardized data extraction table. Where appropriate, the Pedro and Cochrane ROBINS1 were used to examine the risk of bias. RESULTS: A total of 76 Nigerian studies were included in this study. The mean age of the study participants was 46.7 ± 8.6 years. Approximately, 45% of the participants were males. Of the clinical experiments, the randomized controlled trial (RCT) was the most common design (87.5%). Musculoskeletal conditions (39.3%) were the most studied disorder. Approximately 86% of the RCT had studies possessed fair to good quality. Interventions constituted exercise therapy (76.3%), manual therapy (8.5%) and electrotherapy (8.5%). More than half (67.8%) of the studies recorded medium to large effect sizes. A fair proportion (48.2%) of the studies had a confounding-by-indication bias. Approximately 43% of the clinical experiments were underpowered, and a few studies conducted normality tests (10.9%) and intention-to-treat analysis (37.5%). CONCLUSIONS: RCT is the most frequent clinical experiment, with majority of them possessing fair to good quality. The most important flaws include improper computation of sample size, statistical analysis, absent intention-to-treat approach, among others. The magnitude of effects of Physiotherapy interventions varies from nil effect to large effect. Musculoskeletal condition is the most prevalent disorder and exercise is the most important intervention in Nigerian physiotherapy practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: We registered the protocol with PROSPERO. The registration number: CRD42021228514.https://bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/PhysiotherapySDG-03:Good heatlh and well-bein

Normative scores for select neuropsychological battery tests for the detection of HIV‑associated neurocognitive disorder amongst Nigerians

BACKGROUND : The study aimed to derive socio‑demographic–corrected norms for selecting neuropsychological (NP) battery tests for people living with HIV (PLWHIV) in Nigeria. This cross‑sectional study was conducted amongst patients who attended the general outpatient clinic and junior staff of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku‑Ozalla. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES : To determine the normative scores for select neuropsychological battery test for the detection of neurocognitive disorder amongst Nigerians PLWHIV. A sample of 92 individuals received voluntary HIV testing. METHODS : Eligibility criteria were being HIV negative, aged 18–64 years and formal education. We undertook a brief neuromedical examination to identify putative exclusion criteria. We sampled four NP tests covering seven cognitive domains and the motor speed component of the International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS‑MS). We presented the normative scores using statistics of mean, median, standard deviation (SD), kurtosis and skewness. RESULTS : All the participants were Nigerians aged 18–64 years. Most (74.1%) of the participants were females. The mean and median ages of the participants were 42.6 ± 11.42 years and 44 years, respectively. The effect of gender on NP performance was limited to the digit span test (DST)‑forwards, while education affected all expect IHDS‑MS and DST‑backwards. The cut‑off scores for defining mild and severe impairment varied (moving from 1SD to 2SD) for all cognitive domains except for IHDS‑MS and DST. CONCLUSIONS : With these preliminary normative scores, it will be easier to identify and classify the severity of neurocognitive impairment amongst PLWHIV in Nigeria, thus facilitating the goal of keeping HIV‑associated dementia to a minimum. The lack of variability in the IHDS‑MS and DST is unfavourable.http://www.npmj.orgam2023Physiotherap

Fluoride and Chloride Ions Concentration and their Health Implications in Groundwater within Bwari Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria

According to the World Health Organization, fluoride in drinking water, either below or above the established permissible range, can adversely affect oral health, including tooth decay and dental fluorosis. The objective of this study was to evaluate fluoride and chloride ion concentration and their health implications in groundwater within Bwari Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria using ion-selective electrode potentiometric titration for fluoride ion and Argentometric titration for chloride ion determinations. The results showed a high fluoride concentration in well water samples ranging from 0.126 mg/L to 0.216 mg/L, compared to borehole water samples ranging from 0.013 mg/mL to 0.052 mg/L. Among the chloride concentrations, the highest levels were observed in the well water sample A (96.09 mg/L), followed by borehole samples, A (63.08 mg/L) and B (49.35 mg/L). The lowest chloride concentration was recorded in the borehole sample H (11.82 mg/L). Notably, both well and borehole water sources in the studied communities had fluoride concentrations below the established minimum WHO standard (0.5 mg/L). The chloride concentrations in the groundwater samples from the study area fell within WHO standards (< 250 mg/L). The results from this study suggest that the continuous consumption of water from these community sources, without additional sources of fluoride, may increase the risk of tooth decay. Therefore, addressing this issue and ensuring appropriate water treatment measures is vital for maintaining optimal oral health in the region

Studies on the Lipid Profiles of Wistar Rat Models Treated with Aqueous and Methanolic Leaf Extracts of Alchornea Cordifolia and Thaumatococcus Daniellii

This study aims at establishing the effect of T. daniellii and A. cordifolia leaf extracts on the lipid profile of experimental rat models. A total of twenty five (25) adult male wistar rats were used for the study. The rats were divided into five groups of five rats each. Group I (normal control) was administered with 2ml/kg distilled water p.o. Group II was administered with 200mg/kg aqueous leaf extract of T. daniellii p.o. Group III was administered with 200mg/kg methanolic leaf extract of T. daniellii p.o. Group IV and V were administered with 200mg/kg aqueous and methanolic leaf extracts of A. cordifolia respectively. Administration of extracts lasted for 14 days after which animals were sacrificed and serum developed from blood samples was collected and used for analysis to evaluate the lipid profiles of experimental models using standard methods. Results obtained from the study show that the highest level of Low Density Lippoprotein (LDL) (31.21±0.04 mg/dL) was recorded on Group II and was not significantly different from the control group (33.20±0.10 mg/dL). However, for High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), the highest level was recorded on Group IV (48.14±0.08mg/dL). Similarly, this was not significantly different from the Control group (51.80±0.10mg/dL). Group II presented the highest level of Triacylglyceride (TG) (48.80±0.02mg/dL), which however, was considered not significantly different from the control group (51.17±0.08mg/dL). For Total Cholesterol (TC), highest level (64.64±0.49mg/dL) was recorded on Group II and value was not significantly different from that recorded on the normal control (63.83±0.10mg/dL). In conclusion, it can be deduced from this study that extracts of T. daniellii and A. cordifolia lacks the potential to alter the lipid profile of patients depending on them for one medicinal use or the other and may thus be considered potential candidates for drug development