Effects Of Guinea Corn Husk Ash And Lime Mixtures On Lateritic Soil For Highway Construction

This study investigates the effects of guinea corn husk ash and lime mixtures on lateritic soil for highway construction. Preliminary tests were carried out on the soil for the purposes of identification and classification. The guinea corn husk ash was added to the soil sample at varying proportions of 2, 3 and 4 percentages by weight of soil and the lime was added to the soil sample at varying proportions of 4, 6 and 8 percentages by weight of soil. Each of these mixes was subjected to engineering tests; compaction, California bearing ratio (CBR) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test. The results of these tests showed that GCHA and lime improved the soil properties. It can be concluded that the guinea corn husk ash and lime modified the poor soil sample into being suitable for subbase to reduce failures in highway pavements

Hepatotoxicity due to antituberculosis therapy among paediatric patients seen at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, North Central Nigeria

Background: The liver is vulnerable to injury from the first line anti-tuberculosis drugs. This may result in mortality, long term morbidity and reduced compliance to therapy. Nigeria recently introduced fixed drug combinations in the treatment of children amid concerns of hepatotoxicity. A 6-year-old boy was treated in our unit had fulminant hepatic failure two weeks after completing his anti-tuberculosis therapy. This prompted the unit to investigate hepatotoxicity due to anti-tuberculosis therapy among children. There is no data on the incidence of hepatotoxicity due to antituberculosis therapy among Nigerian children, and no uniform guide to monitoring of patients exists. The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence of hepatotoxicity among children receiving anti-tuberculosis therapy.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among all 62 cases that completed treatment over a two year period. Liver Function Tests was done at baseline and 2 and 5 months of therapy. Elevation of Alanine aminotransferase and/or Aspartate aminotransferase above 3 times the reference values was considered an indication of hepatotoxicity.Results: A total of 62 patients aged 3 months -17 years were treated at our unit during the study period. Twenty-two (35.5%) had elevated liver enzymes at baseline. Four (6.5%) had elevation of alanine aminotransferase of 3 times the upper limit at 2 months, but at 5 months, tests were within normal limits in all patients. Hepatotoxicity defined as liver enzymes above 3 times upper limit was not documented among the 62 cases treated over the period.Conclusion: Hepatotoxicity due to antituberculosis therapy is uncommon in children, hence repeated routine evaluation of liver function may not be necessary in all patients receiving anti-TB therapy.Keywords: Hepatotoxicity, anti-tuberculosis, childre

RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT: THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE AMIDST AN IDENTITY CRISIS IN UKRAINE

The Ukrainian-Russian relationship is examined in this paper amid Ukraineâs identity crisis, focusing on the historical trajectory, promotion of the Ukrainian language, and implications of continuous use of the Russian language in Ukraine. A thorough but careful look at the linguistic contact history reveals crisis sources influenced by Ukraineâs geography and politics. Russian dominance, especially in the Soviet era, eroded Ukrainian language and identity, sparking debates on linguistic, social, and political implications. The impact of Russian on Ukrainian identity raises concerns about cultural preservation. Recent efforts prioritise Ukrainian language promotion to revive identity, addressing tensions from linguistic differences. Language becomes a geopolitical tool, amplifying the identity crisis. The political and social consequences of language choice are creating divisions in Ukrainian society today. This article concludes by emphasising the need to address the identity crisis in Ukraine through fostering linguistic diversity, inclusivity, and respect for both Russian and Ukrainian languages

Effects Of Guinea Corn Husk Ash And Lime Mixtures On Lateritic Soil For Highway Construction

This study investigates the effects of guinea corn husk ash and lime mixtures on lateritic soil for highway construction. Preliminary tests were carried out on the soil for the purposes of identification and classification. The guinea corn husk ash was added t o the soil sample at varying proportions of 2, 3 and 4 percentages by weight of soil and the lime was added to the soil sample at varying proportions of 4, 6 and 8 percentages by weight of soil. Each of these mixes was subjected to engineering tests; compa ction, California bearing ratio (CBR) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test. The results of these tests showed that GCHA and lime improved the soil properties. It can be concluded that the guinea corn husk ash and lime modified the poor soil sampl e into being suitable for subbase to reduce failures in highway pavement

Feasibility analysis of an off-grid photovoltaic-battery energy system for a farm facility

Renewable energy plays a very important role in the improvement and promotion of environmental sustainability in agricultural-related activities. This paper evaluates the techno-economic and environmental benefits of deploying photovoltaic (PV)- battery systems in a livestock farmhouse. For the energy requirements of the farm to be determined, a walkthrough energy audit is conducted on the farmhouse. The farm selected for this study is located in southern Nigeria. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Hybrid Optimization Modeling for Electric Renewable (HOMER) software was adapted for the purpose of the techno-economic analysis. It is found that a standalone PV/battery-powered system in farmhouse applications has higher economic viability when compared to its diesel-powered counterparts in terms of total net present cost (TNPC). A saving of 48% is achievable over the TNPC and Cost of Energy with zero emissions. The results obtained show the numerous benefits of replacing diesel generators with renewable energy sources such as PV-battery systems in farming applications

The accuracy of a mobile phone application (Wulira app) compared to standard audiometry in assessing hearing loss among patients on treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Uganda

Objectives: Our aim was to validate the “Wulira App” a mHealth application against gold standard audiometry as a pragmatic audiometry solution for under-served and vulnerable groups of patients at risk of hearing loss. The specific objectives were as follows:1) To compare hearing thresholds determined using the Wulira app to standard pure tone audiometry among patients on MDR-TB treatment.2) To determine the correlation between the measured hearing loss with the Wulira app and standard audiometry with patient reported hearing loss.3) To determine the proportion of patients on MDR-TB treatment that experience hearing loss?Materials and Methods: We consecutively recruited patients ≥18 years old and receiving kanamycin in their treatment regimen between February and June 2019 for this study. Clinical and demographic data were obtained from each participant and documented in a secure database. Participants had hearing assessment performed once at enrolment with paired standard audiometry and the Wulira mobile phone app in a soundproof room.Results: A total of 120 MDR-TB patients with a mean age of 34.0 (±9.6) years were recruited for this study and 69 (57.5%) were male. When compared to pure tone audiometry, the Wulira app was able to correctly detect 91.4% hearing loss in right ear and 88.4% in the left ear. The specificity of the Wulira app was equally high, reaching 93.2% in the right ear and 91.5% in the left ear.Conclusion: The Wulira app may be a useful alternative home-based tool for hearing assessment in MDR-TB patients, essentially for early detection of hearing loss following commencement of second-line injectable drugs

A Microscopic Examination of the Educational system between China and Nigeria: A Comparative Study

The article uses a comparative approach to analyse the educational systems of China and Nigeria. It examines the present approaches involved in Chinese and Nigerian educational systems. And in the final analysis, it also compares the education of Chinese students and Nigerian students. Secondary qualitative data were used in both explanatory and descriptive approach. Empirical studies that are related to education system in both China and Nigeria were also assessed. These types of data are mostly used in both survey type and case study analyses. Thus, case study research method is used in the article. Data gathered were presented to compare the education system in both China and Nigeria. The gathered data were used to juxtapose and compare the education systems in both China and Nigeria. The article is expected to: provide better understanding of China and Nigeria education systems; provide a vivid comparison of educational systems of China and Nigeria; show comparisons of Chinese and Nigerian students and give suggestions as to the ways by which the education systems of both countries could be enhanced. Key Words: Chinese Education system, Nigerian Education System, Comparisons between Chinese and Nigerian Education Systems. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-32-02 Publication date: November 30th 201

EXPLORING THE PSYCHOSOCIAL CAUSES OF SUICIDE IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

The global rate of suicide is alarming, and the prevalence in Africa, especially  Nigeria, is more worrisome. The causes of suicide have been evaluated from a different perspective; however, studies on the psychosocial dimension in Africa are limited. With the increasing rate of Suicide in Nigeria and the literature gap in the psychosocial dimensions, this study explored the psychosocial causes of Suicide in Nigeria through a qualitative approach. The southwestern states in Nigeria were considered in this study because of the accounted high rate of suicide. States such as Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti were considered in this study. A purposive sampling technique was used to select key informants consisting of police officials, and religious and opinion leaders. Four themes emanate from the thematic analysis – economic challenges, frustration, mental issues and family issues were found to be psychosocial antecedents of suicide in Nigeria. Promotion of psychic support and social cohesion has been suggested to reduce suicide

The effect of weld geometry and post-weld heat treatment on the corrosion behaviour of austenitic stainless steel immersed in 1.0 M NaCl solution

The variation of welding parameters such as weld geometry and post-weld heat treatment on the corrosion behaviour of austenitic stainless steel in a saline environment of 1.0 M NaCl was investigated in this work. Rods of austenitic stainless steel of known chemical composition were prepared and welded using electric arc welding technique varying the aforementioned parameters. Thereafter, samples for the corrosion behaviour investigation were then cut out of the welded rods. The analysis of the experimental data revealed that the best weld geometry was chamfered and a post-weld heat treatment carried out at temperatures in excess of 700 °C followed by air cooling improves the quality of a weld

Depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic, just like other infectious disease outbreaks, is associated with adverse psychological and mental outcomes including depression and anxiety. Prior investigations observed that the prevalence of depressive symptoms in the United States was almost 4 times more during the COVID-19 pandemic (27.8%) than before the pandemic (8.5%) while the prevalence of anxiety among US adults was three times higher during the pandemic (30.8%) than in 2019 (8.2%). Many countries have also experienced a similar prevalence of depressive symptoms and anxiety during the pandemic. Therefore, this study explored the level and impact of depression and anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and investigated the risk factors while highlighting adequate management and coping strategies needed to curb the global increase of depression and anxiety associated with the pandemic especially on a certain group of people with underlying health conditions, older adults and caregivers