Circular Consciousness in the Lived Experience of Intersectionality: Queer/LGBT Nigerian Diasporic Women in the USA

This essay will introduce and analyze the idea of circular consciousness as the product of the constant negotiations involved in the lived experience of intersectionality. Circular consciousness is the understanding that subject positionings are in constant motion, sliding over, under, and around each other, consequently informing and redefining identities. The essay pulls from intersectional theory and feminist postcolonial theory, speaks to queer theory, and calls for increased and continued elasticity in our understandings and theorizing around power, subjectivity, agency, and identity. Advocating for a renewed dedication to the political origins of intersectional theory, this article will focus on LGBQ Nigerian-born women currently living in the USA. Blackness and nationality, as well as Nigerian-ness and the ‘coming out’ are the themes used to emphasise the tensions, contradictions, and spaces for agency in the daily experience of multiple identities

Asymptotic Solutions of the Non-Linear Wave Equation of Van-Der-Pol Type on the Infinite Line

Using multiple time and spatial scales it is shown that for the wave equation with a small Van-der-Pol nonlinearity on the infinite line, initially oscillatory waves (with or without slowly-varying amplitudes) leading to saw-tooth waves. If the initial conditions are localised, nonoscillatory, and decay fast enough to zero at infinity then the leading asymptotically valid solution becomes unbounded at large times. But if the initial disturbance vanishes outside a finite interval the leading approximation approaches finite saw-tooth waves at large times

Weakly Nonlinear Waves with Slowly-Varying Speed

A previously developed method of generating uniformly valid, multiple- scale asymptotic expansions for the solution of weakly nonlinear one-dimensional wave equations is applied to problems with slowly-varying speed. The method is also shown to be applicable specifically to periodic initial data

Surgical portosystemic shunts versus devascularisation procedures for prevention of variceal rebleeding due to hepatosplenic schistosomiasis

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine in Surgery Johannesburg, 2017Background: Surgical interventions such as shunts and devascularisation procedures are effective therapies to prevent variceal rebleeding in people with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. As this disease is prevalent in low income countries, the impact of eco-social factors result in poor compliance with nonsurgical therapies that require repeated sessions and long-term follow-up. Objectives: To determine whether surgical portosystemic shunts have better outcomes compared with oesophagogastric devascularisation procedures in the prevention of variceal rebleeding due to schistosomal portal hypertension (SPH). Methodology: This meta-analysis was conducted using standards expected by The Cochrane Collaboration. All randomised clinical trials comparing surgical portosystemic shunts with oesophagogastric devascularisation with or without splenectomy in the prevention of variceal rebleeding due to hepatosplenic schistosomiasis were selected. The risks of bias were assessed according to domains and risk of random errors with Trial Sequential Analysis. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group approach. Results: Two trials met the inclusion criteria of this review and were selected. An analysis of 115 participants, 57 who received distal splenorenal shunt (DSRS) and 58 who received devascularisation procedure is presented. The trials were assessed at high risk of bias. There is no difference in overall mortality between DSRS versus devascularisation, risk ratio (RR) is 1.40, (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32 to 6.15), downgraded to very low quality due to overall risk of bias, imprecision and publication bias. Variceal rebleeding following devascularisation is statistically significant higher than after DSRS (RR is 0.23, 95% CI 0.05 to 1.01), very low quality evidence due to bias, imprecision, and publication bias. The number of participants needed to treat with DSRS to achieve benefit (NNTB) is 8. Serious adverse events reported as procedure specific include: portal vein thrombosis, haemolysis, ascites and shunt dysfunction. There was no report on quality of life. DSRS is associated with a statistically significant higher post procedure encephalopathy (RR 8.10, 95% CI 1.04 to 62.83), downgraded to very low quality due to overall risk of bias, imprecision, and publication bias. Trial sequential analysis shows no strong evidence to accept or reject the difference in variceal rebleeding and encephalopathy rate for both interventions because of bias and inadequate sample size. Outcomes of proximal splenorenal shunt (PSRS) compared to devascularisation were reported by a single trial, therefore no meta-analysis was computed for this comparison, nor subgroup of PSRS compared to DSRS. Conclusion: Available evidence seems to suggest that DSRS is better than devascularisation for the prevention of variceal rebleeding due to hepatosplenic schistosomiasis, but this is at the cost of significant encephalopathy. The review authors are cautious to make this conclusion because overall evidence is very low quality and only few trials with small sample size are available. Further randomised clinical trials with adequate sample size and good methodological quality are needed.MT201

Evaluation of gully erosion sites inselected rainforest and derived savannah ecosystem in Abia State, south east Nigeria

A study of gully erosion sites in selected Rainforest and derived savannah ecosystem was undertaking. Two single factor experiments in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications were utilized separately to determine the dimensions of gullies in erosion sites. Result revealed that gully dimension in rainforest area of Abia State were highest in length in Ahiaeke Ntigbu at 1436.67m and lowest in Ossah Ibeku at 400m, width were highest in Amigbo Ubakala at 52m and lowest at 30m, depth were highest inAmigbo Ubakala at 31.67m and lowest in Ossah Ibeku at 16m. In derived savannah were seen highest in lentgh in Oruruala Amayi at 1450m and lowest in Amaekpu at 440m,width were highest in Oruruala Amayi at 92m and lowest in Akanu at 31.67m and depth were highest Oruruala Amayiin 33.33m and lowest in Akanu at 18.33m. Result of the study revealed gully erosion are more active in derived savannah area than the rainforest area of Abia State due to the type of soil in the region. Observation revealed that soil erosion in some communities was aggravated by human activities, such as deforestation and bush burning/removal of vegetation cover, mining activities, urban development and sand excavation. This problem is affecting the development because infrastructures such as houses, roads and many others are being destroyed yearly and this in turn constitutes an environmental menace. The services of competent professionals for design, construction and supervision of erosion control and soil conservation measures should be ensured and utilized.Keywords: Soil degradation, Soil erosion, rainforest, derived savanna

Leadership and African Agency for Development in Post-Fifty Africa

The year 2010 was a model year for the celebration of fifty years of political independence among African countries. Assessments of the human condition in Africa show that the continent, especially sub-Saharan Africa, has lagged behind other regions of the world in terms of development. Based on the analysis of the constants of development, this paper argues that effective development is fundamentally driven by the maximum deployment of organized endogenous human agency defined as the capacity of individuals or groups to think, act, and impact their social environments. Because African agency was not properly shepherded in the first fifty years of independence, transformational leadership through the instrumentality of the developmental state is the path to effective development in post- fifty Africa. This requires three key development strategies namely, inserting local human resources or domestic agency to the center of development activity; exit from fixation on extractive economies to a deliberate policy of value-added production embodied in industrialization; and a paradigm of development knowledge that sees development as the primary responsibility of endogenous agency

Evaluation of false positivity and cross reactivity in the investigation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) antibodies

This study evaluated the causes of false positive Human Immunodeficiency Virus test results (F+HIV), cross reactivity of HIV antibodies with other non HIV antibodies, and efficiency of the serial and parallel testing algorithms. 100 blood samples randomly collected from clients attending the Heart to Heart HIV counseling and testing unit of FMC Umuahia, were screened using the rapid ELISA and Enzyme Immuno Assay (EIA) tests. Discordant HIV results were screened for Anti Streptolycin O (ASO), Rheumatoid factor (RF) and Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Of the 100 samples, 73 were negative to HIV antibodies, 11 positive, and 16 discordant results. EIA confirmed 8 of 16 discordant results negative, 5 indeterminate and 3 positive. F+ results were 33%, and false negatives were 4%. A marked percentage of samples exhibited cross reactivity with ASO (8;62%), HBsAg(3;23%), and RF (2;15%). An Odds Ratio (OR) of 33:0 (95% CI  13.8-26.2), showed that Determine rapid test kit is 33 times more likely to give a false positive HIV result than Unigold rapid test kit. The parallel algorithm showed better efficiency than the serial. This study showed that F+HIV test result is prevalent, and cross reactivity is the plausible cause of F+HIV test results.Keywords: Cross- reactivity, false positive, HIV, Umuahia

Determining the physicochemical properties of soil in the selected erosion sites in the rainforest ecosystem in Abia State, Nigeria

This study determined the physico-chemical properties of soil in selected erosion sites in rainforest ecosystem in Abia State Nigeria. Conventional analytical methods were employed for the determination of these physicochemical parameters. Sand content was highest at Ikwuano LGA (82.2%), Ossah-Ibeku (77.2%).0 Ahiaeke (75.20%) and Amigbo (70.20%) were statistically similar. Results of clay contents (%) were significantly different in the following order; Amigbo Ubakala (16.40%) > Ossah Ibeku (13.40%), =Ahiaeke Ntugbu (11.40%) = Oloko (10.40%).For Nitrogen content, the two depths 0-15cm and 15-30cm were statistically similar, while the location (L) x Soil depth (D)treatment interactions were significantly different. For phosphorus content, Ossah Ibeku (20.60%) > Amigbo (14.25%) > Oloko (13.60%) > Ahiaeke (11.74).The difference in the mean potassium (%) content in the locations sampled was significant at P≥ 0.05 except Amigbo-Ubakala in Umuahia south LG.A. and Oloko in Ikwuano LG.A. which had statistically similar values. Potassium (k) content at (15-30cm) soil depth (0.136%) was significantly different from the (0-15cm) soil depth (0.0950%).Sodium (%) contents in Ossah Ibeku and Oloko were statistically similar. Sodium (%) contents decreased with increasing soil depth; the 0-15cm soil depth had higher sodium content (0.13%) than the 15-30cm soil depth (0.12%).Calcium content also decreased with increasing soil depth from 0-15cm depth (5.20%) to 15 - 30cm (4.30%).No significant difference existed between the mean magnesium (%) content of the soil depths (0.15cm and 15.30cm). The EA (%) capacity increased with soil depth. Location x Soil Depth (LxD) treatment interactions, the 0-15cm soil depth generally gave lower EA capacity than the 15-30cm soil depth at P≤ 0.05.Keywords: Soil erosion, Rainforest ecosystem, Erodibilit

Spatiotemporal Variation of Abattoir Operation on Soil Quality Dynamics in Umuahia South, Abia State, Nigeria

Heaps of abattoir wastes are commonly sighted in most abattoirs in Nigeria which constitute serious environmental and public health hazards. The study aimed at assessing the spatiotemporal variation of abattoir operation on soil quality in Umuahia South, Abia State, Nigeria. A total of nine composite samples were collected from three different locations at graded distance. Conventional analytical methods were employed for the determination of physicochemical parameters. The results indicate that the mean pH value was 5.90, organic carbon 1.31% and 2.27% organic matter respectively. Mean values of 2.10 g/kg and 3.66 mg/kg were observed for total nitrogen and available phosphorus respectively. The exchangeable cations were observed to be 0.53Cmol/kg, 2.31Cmol/kg, 0.49Cmol/kg and 0.67Cmol/kg for Potassium, Sodium, Calcium and Magnesium respectively. The mean cation exchange capacity was 8.70Cmol/kg, mean percentage base saturation was 46.04% and mean of electrical conductivity was 5.96, Mean values of 5.06, 1.70%, 2.94%, 2.81g/kg, 5.28mg/kg, 0.63Cmol/kg, 3.17Cmol/kg, 0.50Cmol/kg, 0.51Cmol/kg, 8.64Cmol/kg and 55.29%, percentage organic carbon and organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium, cation exchange capacity and percentage base saturation, electrical conductivity respectively. This study reveals that the possible source of contaminants is due to the unhygienic manner of handling meat in abattoirs and concludes that the results obtained indicated that the quality of the soil is negatively affected by the activities of the abattoir. Regular inspection of abattoirs and strict enforcement of law is hereby recommended.Keyword: Abattoir, Effluent, Pollution, Public health hazar

Impact of palm oil mill effluent on the soil in Upkom- Bende forest reserve, Abia state, Nigeria

The palm oil industries in southeastern Nigeria is a major agro-enterprise. This study examined the impact of the palm oil mill effluent on the soil in Ukpom Bende Forest Reserve Abia State, Nigeria with the objective of assessing the impact of palm oil mill effluent (POME) on soil physiochemical properties in Ukpom Forest Reserve. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was employed. Three topsoil samples were collected at a downslope distance of 10m, 20m, and 30m respectively with 3 replicates each and control (Non-polluted site) of 100m away from study site. Total of 9 samples and control were collected and taken to soil laboratory in National Root Crop Research Institute Umudike, Abia State to analyzed the soil particle matter size, Organic carbon, Organic matter, Total nitrogen, Available phosphorous, Exchange cations (Na, K, Ca, Mg), Electrical conductivity and EA that affect the percentage (%) of sand and silt of the soil. Result revealed pH, Ca2+, Mg2+ and % silt significantly increases (p<0.05) along the slope 10-30m, while % BS, EC, P, K, Na, EA, ECEC, % OC, % OM, and % sand significantly decreases along the slope 10-30m, and the % clay is seen constant along the slope of 10-30m. However, EC, P, % OC, % OM, % N, % silt, % clay, K+ and EA increases significantly (p<0.05) compared to control site, while pH, Ca, Mg, % BS, ECEC, Na and %sand decreases significantly(p<0.05) compared to the control sites. Result revealed that POME causes deterioration of soil physicochemical properties and increase soil acidity. Therefore, we recommend that adequate treatment and proper disposal of POME should be promoted and awareness carried to the rural oil palm processors.Keywords: Effluents, palm processing, soil quality and soil concentratio