Sedimentological and scanning electron microscopic descriptions of Afowo oil sand deposits, Southwestern Nigeria.

Sedimentological and scanning electron microscopic analyses of some shallow reservoir tar sand samples in parts of Southwestern Nigeria were carried out with the aim of characterizing the reservoir properties in relation to bitumen saturation and recovery efficiency. The production of impregnated tar from the sands requires the reservoir to be of good quality. A total of thirty samples were collected at different localities within the tar sand belt (ten out of these samples were selected for various reservoir quality analyses based on their textural homogeneity). The result of particle size distribution study showed that bulk of the sands is medium – coarse grained and moderately sorted. The grain morphologies are of low to high sphericity with shapes generally sub-angular to sub-rounded, implying that the sands have undergone a fairly long transportation history with depositional energy having a moderate to high velocity. The quartz content was made up of about 96% of the total mineralogical components; the sediments of the Afowo Formation can be described to be mineralogically and texturally stable. The result of the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that the oil sands contained minerals which had been precipitated and occurred as pore filling cement; these minerals include sheet kaolinite, block kaolinite, vermiform kaolinite, pyrite crystals and quartz. The SEM images also showed micro-pores ranging from 0.057μm to 0.446μm and fractures. The study showed that the clay minerals contained in the Afowo reservoir rocks were mainly kaolinite. Kaoline unlike some other clays (e.g Montimorillonite) does not swell with water, hence it is not expected to have any negative effects on the reservoir quality, especially during enhanced oil recovery operations. From overall results of the reservoir quality assessment, Oso J4 and Gbegude sands should be expected to make better reservoirs with good oil recovery efficiency due to their low content of fines and better sorting characteristics when compared to sediments of other areas

Security of Investors’ Interest under Winding up Proceedings The Nigerian Experience

So many factors contribute to death of businesses globally. The economic meltdown experienced in various Countries across the world especially in 2008 brought with it; inevitable stifling and eventual folding up of businesses. The current downslide of oil prices has in no small measure added to the woe suffered by businesses. The Nigerian case is particularly pathetic owing largely to her over dependence on oil revenue for economic survival.The health of companies’ operations is directly proportional to the health of its host Country’s economy. When every other option for survival fails, Companies are left with no other option than to wind up its businesses. This winding up some of which are voluntarily done and some foisted often leave investors who have committed their wealth into the company’s businesses in a quandary.Their (Investors) recovery or at least survival strategies are dependent on what the Laws and Government Policies have in stock for them. This seems to be the fulcrum around which this article oscillates. Keywords: Security of Investors’; Nigeria; Company; Winding u

A Case Report on Autoimmune Encephalitis after Head Trauma

Background: Autoimmune inflammatory encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain characterized by prominent neuropsychiatric symptoms and are associated with antibodies against neuronal cell-surface proteins, ion channels, or receptors. Most common causes of autoimmune encephalitis include Anti-NMDA antibodies, paraneoplastic syndromes, and in rare cases, seroconversion from an HSV infection. This report discusses a rare case of autoimmune encephalitis after a head trauma obtained from a ground level fall. Case Presentation: Patient was a 55-year-old Hispanic man who presented to the emergency department with worsening confusion. Two months prior, the patient presented to an urgent care with a head laceration after a ground level fall at work. After admission, radiologic findings revealed encephalitis evident by temporal lobe enhancement on MRI. Laboratory and cerebrospinal fluid findings were negative for reasonable causes of encephalitis like Infection, tumor, and metabolic syndromes. Pharmacologic intervention began with the use of methylprednisolone and IVIG for 5 days. Patient saw significant improvement in functional, neurologic, and cognitive status with complete resolution of previously noted enhancement within the left temporal and left occipital lobe. Conclusion: Autoimmune encephalitis is largely a diagnosis of exclusion. Diagnostic criteria include neuropsychiatric symptoms, nervous system deficits, seizures, and exclusion of reasonable cause. In the absence of an obvious cause and clinical improvement upon treatment with methylprednisolone, it was safe to assume Autoimmune Encephalitis with an unknown etiology or likely triggered by previous head trauma. This case report implies the need for focus on research exploring autoimmune encephalitis secondary to previous head trauma

The Jurisprudential Issues Arising from Legal Transplant: An Appraisal

The paper appraises the jurisprudential issues arising from legal transplant generally. Based on the appraisal it was established that the Jews who moved to Egypt was known to have been the first group of people to have transplanted their laws, values and culture voluntarily without the prompting of the host Country Egypt and while leaving after 43o years of sojourn they left with their laws, values and culture to the promised land. The paper also discovers that Roman laws were one of the initial laws that preceded and was eventually transplanted to the most the European Countries such as Germany, England, Jewish State of Israel, Portugal, French, Dutch and their colonized territories and American colonies and uninhabited areas where it was established through the activities these countries and members of the academic community who have embraced these laws in Europe. The paper further appraises of some foreign religions and laws such as Islamic religion and laws, Hindus laws, common law on the countries they have been transplanted. In conclusion the paper was to note that the following factors, Objective, Political, Cultural, Economy, Chance, Literary factors and Centres of law propagation namely the courts, the bar and the law schools are responsible for transplantation. Keywords: Jurisprudential issues, legal transplant, Roman laws, foreign religion

A Survey of the Public Awareness on Environmental and Public Health Laws in Ebonyi State Nigeria

The level of environmental degradation caused by human activities can no longer be absorbed by the environment. This has weighed negatively on the environment of which man is part of. For over decades[1], there has been some unfolding scenario of national efforts at industrialization, increase in the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil industry and problems associated with consumption pattern of the populace in their overall interactions with matters of public health and environmental laws[2]. In an effort to checkmate the excesses of man that degrades the environment and encourage those aspects of man’s life that promotes a healthy environment and prevents diseases, environmental and public health laws were enacted. Regrettably, none of these laws have properly addressed environmental abuse and its related problems. This research therefore aimed at identifying the level of awareness on the existing environmental and public health laws in Nigeria particularly in Ebonyi State. To achieve this, a survey research method was adopted for this study. A total of 800 respondents comprising 500 stakeholders in the environmental and public health sectors, 200 employees of environmental and public health workers and 100 law enforcement agents were randomly selected from different geo-political zones that make up the state. Data collection was done using a self structured questionnaire titled Environmental and Public Health Laws Awareness Questionnaire (EPHLAQ) comprised of 15 question items. Data collected was analyzed using a four-scaled likert with criterion acceptance mean of 2.0. Findings revealed that the level of awareness on the existing environmental and public health laws in Nigeria particularly in Ebonyi state is very low and sanctions imposed on the defaulters of the environmental and public health laws were inadequate. Moreover, there is lack of resource to adequately address awareness need by the environmental and public health workers, health information technicians and the law enforcement agencies. It is therefore recommended among others, a heightened awareness on the existing environmental and public health laws in every sector of the economy, particularly in Ebonyi State, increase in human and material resources to adequately address awareness need in Nigeria and in particular, Ebonyi State and stiffer penalties imposed on offenders to deter intending defaulters. Keywords: Survey, Public Awareness, Environmental and Public Health Laws. DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/110-06 Publication date:June 30th 2021 [1] Since the Nigerian Civil War which ended in 1970, Oil activities have increased in Nigeria and these activities has    led to Pollution, depleted the Ozone layer, and ultimately global warming. [2] Bola Ajibola, “The Protection of the Nigerian Environment through Law” in F. Shyllon (ed).the Law and Environment in Nigeria (Ibadan Vantage) Publisher 1989 P.

Nutritional Composition and Sensory Evaluation of Tapioca Fortified with Soy-Coconut Flour

Tapioca is a cassava-based food product made in the form of irregular lumps of partly gelatinized starch grits. Tapioca was enriched with varying proportions of soy-coconut flour (100, 80:10:10, 70:15:15, 60:20:20, 50:25:25) to produce tapioca soy-coconut. Proximate, mineral composition and sensory evaluation were determined by standard methods. The proximate composition of tapioca meals ranged in values of 7.67 to 10.67%; 1.03 to 30.09%,  0.24 to 9.80%, 1.26 to 4.71%, 1.08 to 9.14 % and 35.59 to 88.72%    for moisture, crude protein,  fat ,ash, crude fiber  and  carbohydrate respectively. There were increase in the values of tapioca as the level of soy-coconut flour substitution increased and significant differences (p < 0.05) in values obtained for moisture, protein, fat, ash and crude fibre contents. The mineral content of all the samples shows an increase in the value. Fortification of tapioca with soybean and coconut flour significantly increased the nutritional and sensory quality. The sensory evaluation result in terms of overall acceptability shows that 80:10:10 was most preferred than the other fortified samples. Hence fortified tapioca is recommended as safe, nutritious and acceptable food product that can enhance food and nutrition, security among cassava consuming population. Keywords: soybean, cassava, tapioca, fortification, coconut DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/92-05 Publication date: December 31st 201

Sales Promotion as a Leverage Strategy for Improving Sales and Profitability in Alcohol Beverage Industry

This paper considered the huge amount of money being expended on sales promotion in recent times and sought to know whether organizations that use such strategy have justification for such investment. It sought to know whether the increase in sales promotion expenses resulted to increase in the organizations' sales volume as well as profitability. Nigerian Breweries Plc was used for the study because of its high-level involvement in sales promotion. Personal interview was used to collect relevant information from the key staff of the organization while the published annual report was to collect relevant information from the key staff of the organization while the published annual report was used to source information on the organization's performance in terms of sales of sales turnover, marketing expenditure, and profitability. Findings showed that sales promotion was used because the strategy was very effective in developing and sustaining patronage and loyalty among channel members. It was further found that there was a strong positive correlation between sales promotion expenses and sales volume and between sales promotion expenses and profit. It was therefore recommended that organizations should use sales promotion as a strategy for leveraging sales and profit, provided that such organizations manage the sales promotion programmed effectively to generate desired results

Lumbar V3 interneurons provide direct excitatory synaptic input onto thoracic sympathetic preganglionic neurons, linking locomotor, and autonomic spinal systems

Although sympathetic autonomic systems are activated in parallel with locomotion, the neural mechanisms mediating this coordination are incompletely understood. Sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPNs), primarily located in the intermediate laminae of thoracic and upper lumbar segments (T1-L2), increase activation of tissues and organs that provide homeostatic and metabolic support during movement and exercise. Recent evidence suggests integration between locomotor and autonomic nuclei occurs within the brainstem, initiating both descending locomotor and sympathetic activation commands. However, both locomotor and sympathetic autonomic spinal systems can be activated independent of supraspinal input, in part due to a distributed network involving propriospinal neurons. Whether an intraspinal mechanism exists to coordinate activation of these systems is unknown. We hypothesized that ascending spinal neurons located in the lumbar region provide synaptic input to thoracic SPNs. Here, we demonstrate that synaptic contacts from locomotor-related V3 interneurons (INs) are present in all thoracic laminae. Injection of an anterograde tracer into lumbar segments demonstrated that 8–20% of glutamatergic input onto SPNs originated from lumbar V3 INs and displayed a somatotopographical organization of synaptic input. Whole cell patch clamp recording in SPNs demonstrated prolonged depolarizations or action potentials in response to optical activation of either lumbar V3 INs in spinal cord preparations or in response to optical activation of V3 terminals in thoracic slice preparations. This work demonstrates a direct intraspinal connection between lumbar locomotor and thoracic sympathetic networks and suggests communication between motor and autonomic systems may be a general function of the spinal cord