Predicting Weight Change in Gari in Two Packaging Materials

An equation for predicting moisture loss or gain by gari grain packed in two types of materials was developed. From this, it may be possible to establish the storability of gari in these two packaging material. The equation took into account the permeabilities of the materials, which were determined experimentally. The validity of the equation was tested experimentally. High correlation coefficients were received for small packages, while observed values were found to be consistently lower than the predicted values with packages 25cm x 20cm x 1Ocm in size and above

The use of herbs in malaria treatment in parts of Imo State, Nigeria

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Technical efficiency in banks: a review of methods, recent innovations and future research agenda

JEL Classification: G21 · D20Copyright © The Author(s) 2023. Technical efficiency in banking is a critical aspect of the financial industry and has been widely studied using various measurement techniques. This systematic literature review offers a comprehensive examination of 305 studies on the application of technical efficiency measurement techniques in both Islamic and conventional banking sectors from 1989 to 2019. Our comprehensive analysis not only provides a broad view of the efficiency measurement literature but also outlines a future research agenda. Despite the extensive research in this field, several issues remain unresolved, including input–output selection, a comparison of efficiency between Islamic and conventional banks, limited cross-country studies, and a lack of exploration into the impact of regulation and Shariah principles. To address these gaps, this review highlights the most commonly used methods, variables, and findings and provides three key recommendations for future research. Three key themes emerge from our examination. First, there is a need to better understand and the application of new frontier techniques other than the traditional methods, which currently dominate the existing literature. Second, the intermediation approach is the most frequently used in variable selection, thus more studies with comparative findings with applications of production and value-added approaches are suggested. Third, the most frequently used input variables are ‘labor’, ‘deposits’ and ‘capital’, whilst ‘loans’ and ‘other earning assets’ are the most popular output variables. We recommend three vital directions for future research: (i) non-interest expenses to be included amongst the inputs, while non-interest income should be added to the list of outputs, especially when estimating efficiency scores of Islamic banks. (ii) The impact of environmental variables such as, inter alia, Shariah principles, country-specific factors, and management quality is suggested to be considered simultaneously in models measuring and comparing the efficiency of Islamic and conventional banks. (iii) The selection of performance metrics employed should be expanded to include both the standard efficiency scores and the Malmquist Total Factor Productivity Index (TFP). The paper concludes with research needs and suggests directions for future research

Mobile phones in the diffusion of knowledge and persistence in inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa

The success of inclusive development strategies in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda depends substantially on the adoption of common inclusive development policies among nations. Building on the relevance of a knowledge economy in the post-2015 development agenda, this study models the feasibility of common policies for inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). More specifically, we investigate the complementary role of knowledge diffusion in the inclusive benefits of mobile phone penetration in SSA from 2000 to 2012 by employing the Generalised Method of Moments. Knowledge diffusion variables include educational quality, innovation and Internet penetration. The main finding is that inclusive human development is persistently conditional on mobile phones in knowledge diffusion. Moreover, countries with low levels of inclusive human development are catching-up their counterparts with higher development. Policy implications are discussed with particular emphasis on how to leverage common knowledge economy initiatives for inclusive developmen

A five-year review of burn injuries in Irrua

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The management of burns remains a challenge in developing countries. Few data exist to document the extent of the problem. This study provides data from a suburban setting by documenting the epidemiology of burn injury and ascertaining outcome of management. This will help in planning strategies for prevention of burns and reducing severity of complications.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 72 patients admitted for burns between January 1st, 2002 and December 31st, 2006 at the Irrua specialist teaching hospital were studied retrospectively. Sources of information were the case notes and operation registers. Data extracted included demographics as well as treatment methods and outcome</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results revealed male to female ratio of 2.1:1. Over 50% of the injuries occurred at home. There was a seasonal variation with over 40% of injuries occurring between November and January. The commonest etiologic agent was flame burn from kerosene explosion. There were 7 deaths in the series.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Burns are preventable. We recommend adequate supply of unadulterated petroleum products and establishment of burn centers.</p

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon-degrading Bacteria from Aviation Fuel Spill Site at Ibeno, Nigeria

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)–degrading bacteria were isolated from aviation fuel contaminated soil at Inua Eyet Ikot in Ibeno, Nigeria. PAH-degrading bacteria in the contaminated soil were isolated by enrichment culture technique. Isolates with high PAH degrading potential characterized by their extensive growth on PAH-supplemented minimal salt medium were screened for their naphthalene, phenanthrene and chrysene degradability. The screening medium which contained selected PAHs as the sole source of carbon and energy showed that Micrococcus varians AFS-2, Pseudomonas putida AFS-3 and Alcaligenes faecalis AFS-5 exhibited a concentration–dependent growth in all the PAH–compounds tested. There were visible changes in the color of growth medium suggesting the production of different metabolites. Their acclimation to different PAH substrates was also evident as A. faecalis AFS-5 isolated from chrysene grew well on other less complex aromatic compounds. The isolate exhibited best growth (0.44 OD600) when exposed to 10 ppm of chrysene for 5 days and could utilize up to 90 ppm of chrysene. This isolate and others with strong PAH-degrading potentials are recommended for bioremediation of PAHs in aviation fuel-contaminated sites in the tropics

Manufacture of Power Hacksaw Blades From Locally Available Medium Carbon Steel

The manufacture of power hacksaw blades using worn out sawmill blades made of medium carbon steel has bean achieved. They were produced through carburization, hardening and tempering processes. The produced power hacksaw blade when compared with the imported one showed the former having a slightly higher wear rate than the latter. The result also showed that the tool life of the produced power hacksaw having a hardness value of 459BHN and the imported one of hardness value 575 BHN was 922.3mins and 1140mins respectively. Although, the imported hacksaw blade has a slightly higher tool life than the produced one, which may due to a higher hardness value, the produced power hacksaw blade compares favourably well with the imported hacksaw blade.Keywords: Power hacksaw blade, bone charcoal, tooth wear, tooth life, hardness value

Parasitic infections associated with febrile conditions in Imo State, Nigeria

The parasitic infections associated with febrile conditions were studied in 4800 patients attending routine medical examination in different health institutions in Owerri, Nigeria between 2001 and 2004 (3 years). Stool smears, urine deposits and blood smears were used to detect gastrointestinal, urinary tract and blood parasites respectively. Gastrointestinal parasites such as Ascaris lumbricoides, Hookworm, Trichuris trichuria, Entamoeba histolytica, Taenia spp, Giardia intestinalis, Enterobius vermicularis and Balantidium coli were found in 1065(22.18%) of the study population. Urinary tract parasites, which included Trichomonas. vaginalis and Schistosoma haematobium, were found in 330(6.87%) of the study population and hemoparasites (P. falciparum and Onchocerca spp.) in 1260(26.25%). Mixed infections of gastrointestinal and hemoparasites, gastrointestinal and urinary tract parasites, hemoparasites and urinary tract parasites were recorded in 390(8.12%), 15(0.31%) and 165(3.43%) of the study population respectively. More male patients had their febrile conditions associated with gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) parasites than female for hookworm 255(5.31%), T. trichuria 240(5.00%), Giardia intestinalis 60(1.25%) and B. coli 105(2.18%), while female patients had more febrile condition associated with urinary tract parasites than males for T. virginals 345(7.18%). 21 years and above had the highest infection rate of 238(75.56%) for hemoparasites and lowest for GIT parasites 75(24.00%). 360(28.23%) and 240(18.82%) were infected with GIT and hemoparasites respectively in 6 – 12 years febrile patients tested. Infant (0 - 5yrs) had the lowest infection rates. There is need for proper diagnoses of the causes febrile conditions for early and proper treatment in the study area. International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences Vol. 2(1) 2006: 34-3

Hepatprotective Activity of Stem Bark Extracts of Garcinia kola in Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatic Injury in rats

This study evaluated the hepatoprotective effect of the aqueous and methanolic extracts of stem bark of Garcinia kola on acetaminophen-induced liver injury in rats. Twenty four (24) male Wister rats weighting between 116-247g were used for the study and the experimental animals were treated with graded doses of the aqueous (AE) and methanolic (ME) extracts of stem bark Garcinia kola for 7 days before induction of liver damage with 750mg/kg body weight of acetaminophen on the 8th day. At the end of the experimental period, serum samples were collected for biochemical studies and results showed markedly lowered mean values of liver maker enzymes (P&lt;0.001) with mean values of 52.90 + 4.21 IU/I, 12.8+ 3.93 IU/I and 14.00 + 2.21 IU/L for APL, ALT and AST respectively in group A (treated with 25mg/kg AE) when compared to respective mean values of 128.32 + 5.04 IU/L recorded in group E.This trend was also observed in groups B, C and D treated with 50mg/kg AE, 25mg.kg (ME) and 50mg/kg ME respectively. Also other biochemical parameters including total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) showed mean values that demonstrated evidence of hepatroprotection in groups A-D when compared to group E. In conclusion, the aqueous and methanolic extracts of G. kola have been shown to have hepatoprotective activity and it is recommended that the phytochemical principles responsible for this effect be further elucidated through high resolution techniques.Key Words: Acetaminophen, ethnomedicine, hepatoprotective, Garcinia kol