Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis of Heavy metals in water at Daura Gypsum Mining Site, Yobe State, Nigeria

This study was designed to detect heavy metals level in water collected from Daura gypsum mining site, Yobe State, Nigeria. Samples were collected and analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The level of Pb, Ni, Cd, As, Cu and Zn, were assessed. Also the conductivity of the water samples detected using Conductivity meter. The result shows significant level of As at 0.0382 mg/l, Cd at 0.06-0.18 mg/l and 0.9852 mg/l for Ni which exceeded the WHO limit (0.01 mg/l). Cu, Zn, and Pb were detected at 0.95mg/l, 1.77 mg/l and 0.244 mg/l respectively. Cu, Pb, and Zn were found below the WHO, USEPA limits. This may bring kidney related risk to the people over a long period of time, Therefore , incorporation of ion exchange, reverse osmosis or adsorption in water sources will help reduce the heavy metals burden of the public in the area

Specific Wear Rate Modeling of Polytetraflouroethylene Composites via Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) Tools

Lately, artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) models have been recognized as potential and good tools for mathematical modeling of complex and nonlinear behavior of specific wear rate (SWR) of composite materials. In this study, modeling and prediction of specific wear rate of polytetraflouroethylene (PTFE) composites using FFNN and ANFIS models were examined. The performances of the models were compared with conventional multilinear regression (MLR) model. To establish the proper choice of input variables, a sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the most influential parameter on the SWR. The modeling and prediction performance results showed that FFNN and ANFIS models outperformed that of the MLR model by 45.36% and 45.80%, respectively. The sensitivity analysis findings revealed that the volume fraction of reinforcement and density of the composites and sliding distance were the most and more influential parameters, respectively. The goodness of fit of the ANN and ANFIS models was further checked using t-test at 5% level of significance and the results proved that ANN and ANFIS models are powerful and efficient tools in dealing with complex and nonlinear behavior of SWR of the PTFE composites

Recent advances in mobile touch screen security authentication methods: a systematic literature review

The security of the smartphone touch screen has attracted considerable attention from academics as well as industry and security experts. The maximum security of the mobile phone touch screen is necessary to protect the user’s stored information in the event of loss. Previous reviews in this research domain have focused primarily on biometrics and graphical passwords while leaving out PIN, gesture/pattern and others. In this paper, we present a comprehensive literature review of the recent advances made in mobile touch screen authentication techniques covering PIN, pattern/gesture, biometrics, graphical password and others. A new comprehensive taxonomy of the various multiple class authentication techniques is presented in order to expand the existing taxonomies on single class authentication techniques. The review reveals that the most recent studies that propose new techniques for providing maximum security to smartphone touch screen reveal multi-objective optimization problems. In addition, open research problems and promising future research directions are presented in the paper. Expert researchers can benefit from the review by gaining new insights into touch screen cyber security, and novice researchers may use this paper as a starting point of their inquir

Twelve-month observational study of children with cancer in 41 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction Childhood cancer is a leading cause of death. It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted childhood cancer mortality. In this study, we aimed to establish all-cause mortality rates for childhood cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the factors associated with mortality. Methods Prospective cohort study in 109 institutions in 41 countries. Inclusion criteria: children <18 years who were newly diagnosed with or undergoing active treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumour, glioma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma. Of 2327 cases, 2118 patients were included in the study. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality at 30 days, 90 days and 12 months. Results All-cause mortality was 3.4% (n=71/2084) at 30-day follow-up, 5.7% (n=113/1969) at 90-day follow-up and 13.0% (n=206/1581) at 12-month follow-up. The median time from diagnosis to multidisciplinary team (MDT) plan was longest in low-income countries (7 days, IQR 3-11). Multivariable analysis revealed several factors associated with 12-month mortality, including low-income (OR 6.99 (95% CI 2.49 to 19.68); p<0.001), lower middle income (OR 3.32 (95% CI 1.96 to 5.61); p<0.001) and upper middle income (OR 3.49 (95% CI 2.02 to 6.03); p<0.001) country status and chemotherapy (OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.86); p=0.008) and immunotherapy (OR 0.27 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.91); p=0.035) within 30 days from MDT plan. Multivariable analysis revealed laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 5.33 (95% CI 1.19 to 23.84); p=0.029) was associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusions Children with cancer are more likely to die within 30 days if infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, timely treatment reduced odds of death. This report provides crucial information to balance the benefits of providing anticancer therapy against the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with cancer

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial studies on Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II) complexes of schiff base derived from 3-Formylchromone and Benzohydrazide

Schiff base formed by condensation of 3-formylchromone and benzohyrazide and its metal(II) complexes of Mn(II), Fe(II), and Co(II), have been prepared and characterized by conductivity measurement, magnetic susceptibility, IR Spectra, atomic absorption spectroscopy, elemental analysis, as well as melting point/decomposition temperature and solubility test. The melting point of the Schiff base (165 0C) and decomposition temperatures of the complexes (185-198)0C indicating their thermal stability. The molar conductivity measurement determined are in the range (10.54-23.10) Ω-1cm2mol-1 revealing that all the complexes are non-electrolytic in nature. IR spectra of the Schiff base showed a band at 1633cm-1 which assigned to ʋ(-C=N-) stretching vibration. This band was observed downfield in the range (1603 -1655) cm-1 in the spectra of the metal(II) complexes revealing that the Schiff base formed metal complexes with the metal ions. The gram magnetic susceptibility measurements of the complexes showed that all the complexes except that of Zinc are paramagnetic and have tetrahedral geometry. The elemental analysis suggested a metal to ligand ratio of 1:1. The Schiff base and its metal complexes have been screened for their antimicrobial activity against four pathogens. Some compounds were active, while others are not active against the isolates. Cite as: Aminu Ibrahim H , Nuhu Aliyu H, Husaini M and Salees Dayyib A. Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial studies on Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II) complexes of schiff base derived from 3-Formylchromone and Benzohydrazide. Alg. J. Eng. Tech. 2021;4:81-89.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4636930 References Ashraf MA, Mahmood K, Wajid A, Maah MJ, Yusoff I. Synthesis, characterization and biological activity of Schiff bases. IPCBEE. 2011;10(1):185. Prakash A, Adhikari D. Application of Schiff bases and their metal complexes-A Review. J. ChemTech Res. 2011;3(4):1891-6. Vivek G, Pandurangan A. Synthesis of some new paracetamol incorporated shiff bases and their antimicrobial activity. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. 2014; 3(10): 557-562. Arulmurugan S, Kavitha HP, Venkatraman BR. Biological activities of Schiff base and its complexes: a review. Rasayan J Chem. 2010;3(3):385-410. Usharani M, Akila E, Ramachanran S, Velraj G, Rajavel R. Synthesis, Composition, Geometry And Antibacterial Assay OF Binuclear Schiff Base Metal Complexes Derived From Benzene-1, 4-Dicarbaldehyde Arbedehyde, 2-Hydroxy-Benzaldehyde And Pyridine-2, 6-Diamine. Int. J. of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sci. 2013;5(2):640-7. Alim A, Zahan KE, Haque M, Tarafder M. Synthesis and characterization of some metal complexes of Cu (II), Ni (II), Zn (II), Cd (II), Sn (II), Co (II), Sb (III) and Fe (III) containing bidentate Schiff base of Smdtc. Science Journal of Chemistry. 2015;3(3):35-9. Hossain MS, Roy PK, Ali R, Zakaria CM, Kudrat-E-Zahan M. 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Cozzi PG. Metal–Salen Schiff base complexes in catalysis: practical aspects. Chemical Society Reviews. 2004;33(7):410-421. Tadele KT. Antioxidant activity of Schiff bases and their metal complexes: a recent review. J Pharm Med Res. 2017;3(1):73-7. Ajibade Peter A. and Ikhechukwu P. Ejidike., Synthesis, characterization and biologic studies of metal(II) complexes of (3E)-3-[(2-{(E)-[2,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)ethylidene]amino}-1-phenylbtan-1-one Schiff base. Journal of chemical and pharmaceutical research. 2015; 20(6), 9788-9802 Philip JE, Antony SA, Eeettinilkunnathil SJ, Kurup MP, Velayudhan MP. Design, synthesis, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of 3-formyl chromone hydrazone and their metal (II) complexes. Inorganica Chimica Acta. 2018;469:87-97. Yusha’u M, Salisu FU. Inhibition activity of detarium microcarpum extracts on some clinical bacterial isolates. Biological and Environmental Science Journal for the tropics. 2011;8(4):113-117. Eman TS. Synthesis, Characterization and Spectroscopic Studies of 2–{{E}–hydroxyphenyl) imino) methyl} phenol Schiff base with Some Metal Complexes. Journal of Al-Nahrain University. 2015;18(1):39-45. Johnson M. Magnetic Susceptibility Balance Instruction Manual. 2004; ECN;306 Mahmoud WH, Deghadi RG, Mohamed GG. Novel Schiff base ligand and its metal complexes with some transition elements. Synthesis, spectroscopic, thermal analysis, antimicrobial and in vitro anticancer activity. Applied Organometallic Chemistry. 2016;30(4):221-230. Aliyu HN. and Ado I. Studies of Mn (II) and Ni (II) complexes with Schiff base derived from 2-amino benzoic acid and salicylaldehyde, Biokemistri. 2011;23(1): 9-16. Al-Shemary RK, Zaidan BA. Preparation and Characterization of some transition metal complexes of new tetradentate Schiff ligand type N2O2. Scholars Academic Journal of Biosciences. 2016;4(1):18-26. Aliyu HN and Toudou NA. Spectrophotometric analysis of Cobalt(II), Nickel(II) aand Zinc(II) Complexes with Methyledenedisalicylic acid. ARPN Journal of science and technology. 2012; 2 (3) 143 AL-Noor TH, Hameed RF, El-ajaily MM, Maihub AA. Preparation and Spectroscopic Characterization of Chromium (III) and Iron (III) Mixed Ligand Complexes. InJournal of Physics: Conference Series 2019 Sep 1 (Vol. 1294, No. 5, p. 052046). IOP Publishing.http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1294/5/052046 Abubakar MJ, Husaini M, Nuhu AH. Synthesis and characterization of schiff base of 3-[(2-Hydroxy-phenylimino)-methyl]-6-methoxy-quinolin-2-ol and its metal complexes and their evaluation for antibacterial and antifungal activity. J. Eng. Tech. 2020;2:29-36

Science Education: A Vital Tool for Promoting National Security for Sustainable Development

Science education enables learner to acquire certain skills and own the proper kind of values and attitudes vital for nonviolent coexistence and resolution of some security problems in the society. This paper discuss how science education can serve as a tool for promoting National security, it also highlight some of the factors that causes insecurity and how science education can help resolve some of the challenges of national security in Nigeria. The paper concludes that for sustainable and long lasting security, it is imperative to employ scientific approach such as developing new security paradigm and protocols in fighting violent conflicts and tackle insecurity in the country. The paper also point out the need to provide moral leadership that shun evil, corruption, vices, inequity, injustice and wickedness as this will compel the people to model the character of their leaders and vice versa. Democratic system in place must also begin to deliver the needed social goods so as to improve the standard of living of Nigerians and deliver many citizens from the state of abject poverty to which they have been subjected for a long whil

Nigeria’s Volatile Oil Revenue: Is There a Cause for Concern?

This study, unlike previous studies, investigates the impact of volatile oil revenue on economic growth in Nigeria from 1986-2020. The study adopted the Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag technique (ARDL) to analyze the data. The results show that in the short-run, oil revenue volatility significantly depressed economic growth. In the long-run, however, oil revenue volatility improves economic growth in the country. The study therefore recommends that governments and policymakers in Nigeria should vigorously pursue policies that will reduce the reliance on oil revenue through greater economic diversification; otherwise economic growth may worsen in the short-run

Quality of sleep among clinical medical students of Bayero university, Kano, Nigeria

Background: Sleep deprivation and disruptions are associated with both psychological and physiological disorders. Medical students have an increased risk for sleep deprivation. This study aimed to determine the quality of sleep among clinical medical students of Bayero University Kano (BUK). Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted between February and March 2019 among clinical students of BUK. The data were obtained using sociodemographic questionnaire as well as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) self-administered questionnaires. Two hundred questionnaires were administered to the students in their 4th, 5th, and 6th academic year. SPSS version 20 was used for the statistical analysis of the data collected. Results: A total of 181 questionnaires were completed out of the 200 that were administered, making a response rate of 90.5%. There were 114 males (63%) and 67 females (37%), giving a male-to-female ratio of 1.7:1, which is in keeping with the gender distribution of the students. The mean age (± standard deviation) of the students was 23.8 ± 2.9 years. The overall poor sleep quality was found to be 53.0% based on the PSQI, whereas the overall excessive daytime sleepiness was found to be 38.3% using the ESS. Poor sleep quality was found to be 61.1%, 51.7%, and 42.9% among the students in the 4th, 5th, and 6th academic years, respectively (P = 0.14). Excessive daytime sleepiness was found to be 45.8%, 41.7%, and 22.9% among the students in the 4th, 5th, and 6th academic years, respectively (P = 0.03). Conclusion: The prevalence of poor sleep quality is high among the clinical students of BUK