Assessment of naturally occurring radiation in lithofacies of oil field in Niger Delta region and its possible health implications

The accumulation and increase in radionuclide activities of NORMs beyond permissible levels, will lead to health hazards and environmental damages if proper measures are not taken to control their occurrence as well as protect the lives of drillers and the environment. Therefore, evaluations and risk assessments of subsurface lithofacies is inevitable in order to protect people and the environment. Lack of existing Federal environmental regulations to address the presence of NORMs in oil and gas exploration activities in Nigeria, gives credence to this study. However, before these regulations can be developed, adequate research knowledge is needed to better understand the occurrence and distribution of Norms in subsurface lithofacies, as well as quantify the hazards posed by these NORMs to the people in the environment. This study then investigates the occurrence of naturalradiation in lithofacies of an oil field region in Niger-Delta area using Hyper Germanium (HPGe) detector. Six (6) samples of different subsurface layers of lithofacies were collected during drilling, and analyzed. The results showed that the measured activity concentration of 238U decreased as the depth increased; the activity concentration of 232Th ranged between 11.8 9.29 Bq/kg and 23.1 8.43 Bq/kg, while the activity concentration of 4 K ranged from 161.8 Bq/kg to 245.4 Bq/kg. The estimated radiological risks such as absorbed dose rates, annual effective dose rates, radium equivalent index, external hazard index and internal hazard index were determined. The mean values for the estimated radiological parameters were 12.32 nGyh 1, 15.1049 Svy 1,44.7720 Bqkg 1 , 0.1209 and 0.1318 respectively. The gamma index estimated for the samples used were within the standard values recommended by Unscear, 2000. Significantly, this study reveals a distinctive decrease in 232Th activity with depth within the area under consideration. Based on the compared results, the measured radioactive concentrations and estimated radiological risks were below international reference valu

Geochemical investigations of a Portion Obu Hill Marble Deposit Okpella, Edo-State, Nigeria

The Obhu marble deposit is located at latitude 7o 21´ 31.2´´ to 7o 21´ 34.9´´ and longitude 6o 25´ 11.6´´ to 6o 25´ 18.0´´. The geochemical investigations of a portion of the Obhu hill marble deposit was aimed at investigating the reserve estimate in tonnage, rock mass/overburden volume and the geochemical composition of the deposit. This study was conducted by using vertical electrical sounding (VES) geophysical method to obtain the geo-electric parameters of the deposit, and to determine the reserve estimate of the Marble deposit of study area. The result shows that the reserve tonnage is 4.6 x 106 Tons and rock mass reserve/overburden volume ratio is 9:1.The chemical analysis were compared with the RMRDC of Nigeria for each element suitable for production of cement, fertilizer, iron, steel and other industrial uses. The MgO values of the samples 1 and 2 does not falls within the acceptable value of 6 % of RMRDC, with the exception of sample 3 which falls within the acceptable limit. CaO, Al2O3 and P2O5 values of the samples falls within the acceptable limits of RMRDC and so suggest that the marble can be put to industrial use, while the Fe2O3 content of sample 2 and 3 makes them probably not best suited for industrial use, except for sample 1 having a lower value of 1.85 %. The silica SiO2 content values for the three samples exceeded the recommended standard of RMRDC of 5 %. This result reveals that the marble deposit is suitable for most industrial use

Environmental Susceptibility and Resistance to Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19): A Review

It is believed that certain environmental factors modulate coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). This review outlines the role of environmental factors in COVID-19 infectivity, spread, and severity. Relevant articles were retrieved from Google Scholar, SpringerLink, and Scopus, then pooled and duplicates removed with EndNote software. Available information reveals that temperature, relative humidity (RH), sunlight, pollutants, and population density modulate COVID-19 infectivity and pathogenicity. COVID-19 spread is promoted by low temperature (< 25 °C) and RH (< 40%), whereas it is inhibited by high temperature (> 25 °C) and RH (> 40%). Sunlight exposure alters the virus’s genetic material and boosts the host’s immune function by raising serum vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitanim D), reducing the virus’s viability and replication. Prolonged indoor stays with poor ventilation cause re-breathing of the air and increase carbon dioxide concentration, particularly in crowded rooms, predisposing to COVID-19. Pollutants, including particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and sulphur dioxide, may overexpress the virus’s receptor called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), thereby increasing the virus’s infectivity. Pollutants may also induce inflammation of the respiratory tract, weakening the immune function and thereby increasing susceptibility to COVID-19. High population density increases body contact and thus susceptibility to the virus. To stem the incidence and mortality of COVID-19, the mentioned environmental factors must be kept at healthy levels

Chromosome Xq23 is associated with lower atherogenic lipid concentrations and favorable cardiometabolic indices

Autosomal genetic analyses of blood lipids have yielded key insights for coronary heart disease (CHD). However, X chromosome genetic variation is understudied for blood lipids in large sample sizes. We now analyze genetic and blood lipid data in a high-coverage whole X chromosome sequencing study of 65,322 multi-ancestry participants and perform replication among 456,893 European participants. Common alleles on chromosome Xq23 are strongly associated with reduced total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides (min P = 8.5 × 10-72), with similar effects for males and females. Chromosome Xq23 lipid-lowering alleles are associated with reduced odds for CHD among 42,545 cases and 591,247 controls (P = 1.7 × 10-4), and reduced odds for diabetes mellitus type 2 among 54,095 cases and 573,885 controls (P = 1.4 × 10-5). Although we observe an association with increased BMI, waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI is reduced, bioimpedance analyses indicate increased gluteofemoral fat, and abdominal MRI analyses indicate reduced visceral adiposity. Co-localization analyses strongly correlate increased CHRDL1 gene expression, particularly in adipose tissue, with reduced concentrations of blood lipids

Determination of Optimum Conditions for the Production of Activated Carbon Derived from Separate Varieties of Coconut Shells

Activated carbons were produced from coconut shells of tall and dwarf tree varieties. The activated carbon from the tall tree variety was initially synthesized using 1 M concentration of each of ZnCl2, H3PO4, and KOH solutions. From the adsorptive tests conducted using methylene blue solution, the activated carbon produced with H3PO4 gave the best absorbance and adsorptive performance. Coconut shells of dwarf tree variety were then obtained and treated with same mass of coconut shells of the tall tree variety using varied concentrations of the acid in order to determine whether the optimum concentration and temperature for producing carbon black from the coconut shells are distinct or similar for both varieties. The process was also modelled using the Differential Response Method (DRM) in order to determine the yields and adsorptive performances of the activated carbons by varying the carbonization temperature and concentration. The results from experiment and the developed mathematical model were both found to be in agreement giving the optimum concentration of phosphoric acid and pH for producing activated carbon to be 0.67 M and 2.07 for the tall tree variety and 1 M and 1.98 for the dwarf variety at optimum temperatures in the range of 450–575°C and 575°C, respectively

Psykoosilääkkeiden käyttö iäkkäillä : järjestelmällinen katsaus

VertaisarvioituLÄHTÖKOHDAT Psykoosilääkkeitä määrätään psykoosien lisäksi muistisairaiden käytöshäiriöihin. Tarkastelemme tässä järjestelmällisessä katsauksessa, mitä suomalaisten ikäihmisten psykoosilääkkeiden käytöstä tiedetään. MENETELMÄT Medline-tietokannasta valikoitui 27 artikkelia vuosilta 2000–2015. Selvitimme lääkkeiden käytön laajuutta ja riskejä sekä interventioita käytön järkeistämiseksi. TULOKSET Kotona asuvista iäkkäistä 3–14 % käytti psykoosilääkkeitä, muistisairaista 22–32 %. Laitoshoidossa käyttäjien osuus oli noin 40 % eikä muistisairaudella ollut vaikutusta. Lääkkeen aloittaneista noin 40 %:sta tuli pitkäaikaiskäyttäjiä. Perinteisistä psykoosilääkkeistä on siirrytty atyyppisiin. Käytöllä oli yhteys lisääntyneeseen kuolemanriskiin, mutta tulokset olivat ristiriitaisia. Lääkityksen arviointi kerran vuodessa ei kotona asuvilla vaikuttanut käyttöön. Laitoshoidossa hoitajien koulutus vähensi käyttöä. PÄÄTELMÄT Psykoosilääkkeitä määrätään iäkkäille yleisesti ja pitkinä jaksoina muuhun kuin varsinaisiin indikaatioihin.Peer reviewe

Mineral and antinutrient content of high quality cassava-tigernut composite flour extruded snack

This study investigated the mineral and antinutrient composition of extruded snack produced from different blends of high quality cassava and tigernut flour. The extruded snacks were produced using a single-screw laboratory extruder at constant feed moisture (27%), screw speed (60 rpm) and barrel temperature (80C). It was observed that the extrudates had higher values for mineral composition (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron) than the composite flour which showed that extrusion cooking improves the absorption of the minerals. The antinutrient (tannin, phytate, saponin, oxalate, alkaloids and total phenolic) contents of all the flour blends significantly (P < 0.05) increased with tigernut flour inclusion. Extrusion cooking resulted in significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the antinutrients of the extrudates. The study showed that extrusion cooking reduced the antinutritional factors thereby increasing the bioavailabilty of minerals. Also, the minerals were not affected by the extrusion cooking process probably because minerals are heat stable

Geographic Variation and Bias in the Polygenic Scores of Complex Diseases and Traits in Finland

Polygenic scores (PSs) are becoming a useful tool to identify individuals with high genetic risk for complex diseases, and several projects are currently testing their utility for translational applications. It is also tempting to use PSs to assess whether genetic variation can explain a part of the geographic distribution of a phenotype. However, it is not well known how the population genetic properties of the training and target samples affect the geographic distribution of PSs. Here, we evaluate geographic differences, and related biases, of PSs in Finland in a geographically well-defined sample of 2,376 individuals from the National FINRISK study. First, we detect geographic differences in PSs for coronary artery disease (CAD), rheumatoid arthritis, schizophrenia, waist-hip ratio (WHR), body-mass index (BMI), and height, but not for Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis. Second, we use height as a model trait to thoroughly assess the possible population genetic biases in PSs and apply similar approaches to the other phenotypes. Most importantly, we detect suspiciously large accumulations of geographic differences for CAD, WHR, BMI, and height, suggesting bias arising from the population's genetic structure rather than from a direct genotype-phenotype association. This work demonstrates how sensitive the geographic patterns of current PSs are for small biases even within relatively homogeneous populations and provides simple tools to identify such biases. A thorough understanding of the effects of population genetic structure on PSs is essential for translational applications of PSs.Peer reviewe

Assessment of naturally occurring radiation in lithofacies of oil field in Niger Delta region and its possible health implications

The accumulation and increase in radionuclide activities of NORMs beyond permissible levels, will lead to health hazards and environmental damages if proper measures are not taken to control their occurrence as well as protect the lives of drillers and the environment. Therefore, evaluations and risk assessments of subsurface lithofacies is inevitable in order to protect people and the environment. Lack of existing Federal environmental regulations to address the presence of NORMs in oil and gas exploration activities in Nigeria, gives credence to this study. However, before these regulations can be developed, adequate research knowledge is needed to better understand the occurrence and distribution of Norms in subsurface lithofacies, as well as quantify the hazards posed by these NORMs to the people in the environment. This study then investigates the occurrence of natural radiation in lithofacies of an oil field region in Niger-Delta area using Hyper Germanium (HPGe) detector. Six (6) samples of different subsurface layers of lithofacies were collected during drilling, and analyzed. The results showed that the measured activity concentration of 238U decreased as the depth increased; the activity concentration of 232Th ranged between 11.8 ± 9.29 Bq/kg and 23.1 ± 8.43 Bq/kg, while the activity concentration of 4 K ranged from 161.8 Bq/kg to 245.4 Bq/kg. The estimated radiological risks such as absorbed dose rates, annual effective dose rates, radium equivalent index, external hazard index and internal hazard index were determined. The mean values for the estimated radiological parameters were 12.32 nGyh−1, 15.1049 Svy−1, 44.7720 Bqkg−1, 0.1209 and 0.1318 respectively. The gamma index estimated for the samples used were within the standard values recommended by Unscear, 2000. Significantly, this study reveals a distinctive decrease in 232Th activity with depth within the area under consideration. Based on the compared results, the measured radioactive concentrations and estimated radiological risks were below international reference values

Deep-coverage whole genome sequences and blood lipids among 16,324 individuals.

Large-scale deep-coverage whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is now feasible and offers potential advantages for locus discovery. We perform WGS in 16,324 participants from four ancestries at mean depth &gt;29X and analyze genotypes with four quantitative traits-plasma total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. Common variant association yields known loci except for few variants previously poorly imputed. Rare coding variant association yields known Mendelian dyslipidemia genes but rare non-coding variant association detects no signals. A high 2M-SNP LDL-C polygenic score (top 5th percentile) confers similar effect size to a monogenic mutation (~30 mg/dl higher for each); however, among those with severe hypercholesterolemia, 23% have a high polygenic score and only 2% carry a monogenic mutation. At these sample sizes and for these phenotypes, the incremental value of WGS for discovery is limited but WGS permits simultaneous assessment of monogenic and polygenic models to severe hypercholesterolemia