Oscillatory Flow and Particle Suspension in a Fluid Through an Elastic Tube

Womersley gave a solution for the case of a thin-walled elastic tube, it being assumed that the effect of the inertia term in the equations of viscous fluid motion can be neglected. He did not consider the presence of particles, to account for the blood cells in the blood, within the viscous flow through the tube (artery). In this paper, the corresponding solution for an oscillatory flow and particle suspension in a fluid (blood), to account for blood cells, through an elastic tube is obtained. This solution is the frequency equation as it was obtained by Womersley but it has a different structure. If the volume fraction particle density , is removed from this solution it collapses to give the same equation as Womersley’s case, without particles. Keywords: Oscillatory flow, Particle suspension, Elastic tube, Periodic functio

Growth and yield response of sweetpotato varieties to date of vine cutting in the humid tropics of Umudike, Southeast Nigeria

Two field trials were conducted in 2014 and 2015 at National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Nigeria to assess growth performance and yield responses of two orange-fleshed sweetpotato varieties (Umuspo 1, Umuspo 3) and one white-fleshed land-race (Ex-Igbariam), variety to date of initial cutting of vine (0, 6, 8 and 10 weeks after planting). The trial treatment combinations were laid out as a 3 x 4 factorial fitted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that vine cuttings, irrespective of date of initial cutting of vine, produced significantly higher number of branches/plant, leaf area index and vine multiplication ratio. Highest significant (P<0.05) reduction in weed growth and highest storage root weight per plant and root yield were obtained under no cutting of vine treatment in both years compared to the other varieties. Umuspo 1 had more branches, higher leaf area index, shoot biomass, multiplication ratio, number of storage roots and root yield as well as suppressed weeds more relative to the other varieties. However, Umuspo 3 produced the highest amount of carotene content in its storage root flesh while ExIgbariam had the lowest carotene content.Keywords: Orange-fleshed, root yield, shoot multiplication ratio, and variet

Spatial heterogeneity in projected leprosy trends in India

Background: Leprosy is caused by infection with Mycobacterium leprae and is characterized by peripheral nerve damage and skin lesions. The disease is classified into paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB) leprosy. The 2012 London Declaration formulated the following targets for leprosy control: (1) global interruption of transmission or elimination by 2020, and (2) reduction of grade-2 disabilities in newly detected cases to below 1 per million population at a global level by 2020. Leprosy is treatable, but diagnosis, access to treatment and treatment adherence (all necessary to curtail transmission) represent major challenges. Globally, new case detection rates for leprosy have remained fairly stable in the past decade, with India responsible for more than half of cases reported annually. Methods: We analyzed publicly available data from the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and fit linear mixed-effects regression models to leprosy case detection trends reported at the district level. We assessed correlation of the new district-level case detection rate for leprosy with several state-level regressors: TB incidence, BCG coverage, fraction of cases exhibiting grade 2 disability at diagnosis, fraction of cases in children, and fraction multibacillary. Results: Our analyses suggest an endemic disease in very slow decline, with substantial spatial heterogeneity at both district and state levels. Enhanced active case finding was associated with a higher case detection rate. Conclusions: Trend analysis of reported new detection rates from India does not support a thesis of rapid progress in leprosy control

IMPACT OF AFRICAN FREE TRADE POLICY (AGREEMENT) ON THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA

The signing of the agreement that established the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in the year 2019 is believed to be an African-based growth strategy that is self-reliant and is expected to be the world’s largest free trade area after the World Trade Organization (WTO). The agreement is an attestation to the fact that African countries cannot continue to rely solely on the global trading system and global economy of the world economic powers, probably because they are increasingly becoming unpredictable. However, there is an assumption that the aggregate consumer and business spending on the continent could rise if AfCFTA is implemented successfully. This assumption therefore calls for a research like this to evaluate the likely economic impacts of the free trade agreement on different African countries particularly Nigeria which is the giant of Africa and the focus of this study. To achieve the objectives of the study, descriptive statistical approach was utilized to examine how the AfCFTA could contribute particularly on poverty reduction and Nigeria has been struggling for many decades to reduce poverty. These variables were considered: household income, illiteracy level, unemployment level and access to health care. The results of the analyses revealed that the AfCFTA could be slightly beneficial to Nigeria as it would improve the efficiency of the factors of production and product markets thereby enhancing household income generation, reducing the level of illiteracy, unemployment and increasing access to good health, efficient resource allocation and improved industry competitiveness which was expected to help Nigeria record significant reduction in poverty level and increase in economic development. In the light of these findings, the study recommends that government should then design proactive strategies that would reap the full benefits of AfCFTA such as engaging the private sector in identifying receptive and risk surrounding their sectors and paying more attention to the development of the service sector etc. The study has potential limitations such as unavailability of recent data. To tackle this limitation, the study adopted the 2019 survey data on pillars of measuring human development index by World Bank to address the quality of the findings, and research question. JEL: F10, H13, O10 Article visualizations

Physicochemical Characterization of Farmland Affected by Automobile Wastes in Relation to Heavy Metal

Abstract: Selected properties of automobile waste and non-automobile waste (control) affected soils and its relation with some heavy metals were investigated in this study. Sampling site was delimited at each area by free survey technique and soil samples collected at the surface (0-20cm) and subsurface (20-40, 40-60cm) depth. Results of the study showed decreased Ca, k, Mg and CEC levels as well as increased Na content of the automobile waste affected soil compared to the control. Both soils were acidic in nature and their heavy metal contents decreased with depth. Higher levels of heavy metals above critical limits in automobile soils using standard were observed .Soil contents of P0 4 -, N0 3 -and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) were within tolerable limits in both soils. The results indicate that automobile wastes had adverse effect on the nutrient level and fertility status of the studied soil

A systematic review of the deployment of indigenous knowledge systems towards climate change adaptation in developing world contexts: implications for climate change education

Countries in the developing world are increasingly vulnerable to climate change effects and have a lesser capacity to adapt. Consideration can be given to their indigenous knowledge systems for an integrated approach to education, one which is more holistic and applicable to their context. This paper presents a systematic review of the indigenous knowledge systems (IKSs) deployed for climate change adaptation in the developing world and advances implications for climate change education. A set of inclusion criteria was used to screen publications derived from two databases and grey literature searches, and a total of 39 articles constituted the final selection. Postcolonial theory’s lens was applied to the review of the selected publications to highlight indigenous people’s agency, despite IKSs’ marginalization through colonial encounters and the ensuing epistemic violence. The categories of social adaptation, structural adaptation, and institutional adaptation emerged from the IKS-based climate change adaptation strategies described in the articles, with social adaptation being the most recurrent. We discussed how these strategies can be employed to decolonise climate change education through critical, place-based, participatory, and holistic methodologies. The potential outcome of this is a more relatable and effective climate change education in a developing world context

Using community-level prevalence of Loa loa infection to predict the proportion of highly-infected individuals:statistical modelling to support Lymphatic Filariasis and Onchocerciasis elimination programs

Lymphatic Filariasis and Onchocerciasis (river blindness) constitute pressing public health issues in tropical regions. Global elimination programs, involving mass drug administration (MDA), have been launched by the World Health Organisation. Although the drugs used are generally well tolerated, individuals who are highly co-infected with Loa loa are at risk of experiencing serious adverse events. Highly infected individuals are more likely to be found in communities with high prevalence. An understanding of the relationship between individual infection and population-level prevalence can therefore inform decisions on whether MDA can be safely administered in an endemic community. Based on Loa loa infection intensity data from individuals in Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo we develop a statistical model for the distribution of infection levels in communities. We then use this model to make predictive inferences regarding the proportion of individuals whose parasite count exceeds policy-relevant levels. In particular we show how to exploit the positive correlation between community-level prevalence and intensity of infection in order to predict the proportion of highly infected individuals in a community given only prevalence data from the community in question. The resulting prediction intervals are not substantially wider, and in some cases narrower, than the corresponding binomial confidence intervals obtained from data that include measurements of individual infection levels. Therefore the model developed here facilitates the estimation of the proportion of individuals highly infected with Loa loa using only estimated community level prevalence. It can be used to assess the risk of rolling out MDA in a specific community, or to guide policy decisions

Burkitt's lymphoma: The prevalence of HIV/AIDS and the outcome of treatment

The prevalence of HIV in Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL) patients and the outcome of treatment in Cameroon were unknown. Records of all patients diagnosed with BL at three Cameroon Baptist Convention hospitals were reviewed to ascertain the recorded HIV status and outcome of treatment. Of 979 patients diagnosed with BL, 717 were tested for HIV and 11 (1.5%) were HIV-positive. Three of eight patients treated with both cyclophosphamide (CPM)-based chemotherapy and antiretrovirals were alive at 62, 96 and 111 months, respectively. The HIV rate was comparable to that of 1% for the general population of children aged <15 years. Low-cost high-frequency CPM was the only available treatment option for BL and was associated with 37.5% long-term survival in a resource-limited setting

Forecasting the new case detection rate of leprosy in four states of Brazil : a comparison of modelling approaches

Background Brazil has the second highest annual number of new leprosy cases. The aim of this study is to formally compare predictions of future new case detection rate (NCDR) trends and the annual probability of NCDR falling below 10/100,000 of four different modelling approaches in four states of Brazil: Rio Grande do Norte, Amazonas, Ceará, Tocantins. Methods A linear mixed model, a back-calculation approach, a deterministic compartmental model and an individual-based model were used. All models were fitted to leprosy data obtained from the Brazilian national database (SINAN). First, models were fitted to the data up to 2011, and predictions were made for NCDR for 2012–2014. Second, data up to 2014 were considered and forecasts of NCDR were generated for each year from 2015 to 2040. The resulting distributions of NCDR and the probability of NCDR being below 10/100,000 of the population for each year were then compared between approaches. Results Each model performed well in model fitting and the short-term forecasting of future NCDR. Long-term forecasting of NCDR and the probability of NCDR falling below 10/100,000 differed between models. All agree that the trend of NCDR will continue to decrease in all states until 2040. Reaching a NCDR of less than 10/100,000 by 2020 was only likely in Rio Grande do Norte. Prediction until 2040 showed that the target was also achieved in Amazonas, while in Ceará and Tocantins the NCDR most likely remain (far) above 10/100,000. Conclusions All models agree that, while incidence is likely to decline, achieving a NCDR below 10/100,000 by 2020 is unlikely in some states. Long-term prediction showed a downward trend with more variation between models, but highlights the need for further control measures to reduce the incidence of new infections if leprosy is to be eliminated