Assessment of Flood Risk and Mapping of Flood Risk Zones in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

In recent years, most Nigerian cities have experienced several major flood episodes with serious catastrophes. Hence, this study was carried out to assess and map flood risk zones in Yenagoa. The Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing technologies were used in generating and analyzing data to identify the different flood risk zones in Yenagoa. Environmental indices such as flood heights, land elevation and land cover images were analyzed using geo-statistical tools such as map overlay operations to produce a flood risk map. The flood risk map produced and the ground truthing carried out confirmed that the highest flood risk are located within residential areas where about 32% of the built-up area was vulnerable to moderate or high risk of flooding. The study revealed that both natural and anthropogenic factors are responsible for the severe flooding experienced in Yenagoa, especially due to heavy precipitation, elevation of the area, poor waste disposal, and inadequate urban development control amongst other factors. The city was classified into three flood risk zones-high, moderate and low, with about 48% of the area being either at moderate or high risk of flooding. It is therefore recommended that the Ministry of Physical and Urban Development should carryout proper urban development control, which will prevent building on flood plains, wetlands and natural drainage channels

Water-in-Oil-in-Water multiple emulsions of ibuprofen for paediatrics using african walnut seed oil

Many prolonged-release dosage forms have employed multiple emulsions (MEs) systems. Hence, this study formulated water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) MEs of ibuprofen using African walnut seed oil (AWSO) for paediatrics use. The MEs were prepared by a two-step emulsification method, using Span 80® and Tween 80® as primary and secondary emulsifiers, respectively. The MEs were evaluated by their physical properties, drug entrapment efficiency, stability and drug release profile. From the study, stable MEs of ibuprofen (100 mg / 5 ml) can be prepared with 25 % w/v Span 80® as the primary emulsifier, and 8, 10 or 12 % w/v Tween 80® as the secondary emulsifier. The optimum ratios of oil to water in the primary emulsion were 1:1 and 3:2, while that of primary emulsion to external aqueous phase were 1:1 and 1:2. The amount of the ibuprofen released from the MEs was ≤ 35.6 % at 5 hours. The study offers ibuprofen emulsions which may require once daily dosing compared to other available paediatric dosage forms of the drug which require three to four times dosing daily. It also provides information on AWSO as a possible drug carrier in the formulation of w/o/w MEs of ibuprofen for paediatrics

Using Marketing Performance Appraisal to Develop Bank Marketing Strategy

The 'strategic posture' of banks depends partly on the competitive environment, partly on its allocation of marketing resources. Strategic posture is determined in the context of the strengths, limitations, and corporate objectives of the bank. This paper presents different marketing strategies for bankers, suggesting that the selection of appropriate strategy should be based on the internal conditions and external forces facing the firm. The selected strategy should then be implemented by a prudent marketing plan. If a bank's marketing strategy is to be effective, due attention should be given to the marketing organizational structure and its department responsibilities. Finally, the study suggests several alternative criteria for evaluating the performance of the selected marketing strategy. Dynamic conditions and strategic objectives should be continually appraised in order that bankers might retain the market advantag

The Effect of Age, Weight on Hypertensive Patients in State Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria

This project work examines the contribution of age, weight and height to the blood pressure of 50 randomly selected individuals from medical record unit of the State Hospital, Osogbo, Osun state. The fitted mathematical model that represents the relationship among the variables is  16Y">  = 73.222 + 0 .075X1 - 0.044X2 + 12.178X3 . This implies that the rate of change in Y (Blood Pressure) due to X1 (age) is 0.075units, X2 (weight) is -0.044units , X3 (height) is 12.178 units. The estimation regression equation indicates that the mean of Y’s are expected to increase by 0.075 when X1 increased by one unit holding X2 and X3 constant, the mean of Y’s are expected to decrease by 0.044 when X2 increased by one unit holding X1,X3 constant , the mean of Y’s are expected to increase by 12.178 when X3 increased by one holding X1 and X2 constant. The negative coefficient of X2 indicates that blood pressure decreases as weight increases and vice versa. The F- test was used to examine the adequacy of the fitted model. The F- calculated (0.394) is not large enough for the rejection of the null hypothesis and that implies that the model is significant and adequate for prediction. The Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) and tolerance values computed from the data were examined to determine the presence and severity of multicollinearity. The tolerance values are greater than 0.1 and simultaneously, the Variance Inflation factors are all below 15 which is an indication of no multicollinearity in the data. Based on the findings, people who are becoming taller with respect to age should watch their blood pressure as the blood pressure is found to increase with increase in height and age. DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/95-09 Publication date: November 30th 202

Source Area Weathering and Tectonic History Inferred from the Geochemistry of the Maastrichtian Sandstone from Patti Formation, Southern Bida Basin, North Central Nigeria

Sandstones sampled from Patti Formation, Southern Bida Basin, were studied geochemically using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrophotometer (ICP-AES) and an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique to evaluate their weathering and tectonic setting as well as to deduce the paleo-climatic conditions that existed during their deposition. Geochemically, SiO2 range from 73.9% to 86.2%, Al2O3 (6.7%~17.1%), Fe2O3 (1.1%~1.9%), K2O (0.1%~0.7%) while MgO, CaO, Na2O, P2O5, MnO and TiO2 were 80%) for indices like chemical index of alteration, chemical index of weathering, plagioclase index of alteration, mineralogical index of alteration and relatively lower values for weathering index of parker, recently used alpha indices (αAl E) of sodium (326.17αΑl Na80) indicates a steady-state of weathering under a warm/humid climate as confirmed by the SiO2 vs. Al2O3+ K2O + Na2O plot. High average SiO2 (75.41wt%) with K2O/Na2O ratio >1 (15.63), low Fe2O3 (1.27wt %), Al2O3 (15.82wt%) and TiO2 (0.46) suggest passive margin tectonic setting. This is supported by enriched ΣREE (209.64 ppm), ΣLREE (195.78), LREE/HREE (27.78) and negative Eu/Eu* (0.68), plots of log (K2O/Na2O) vs. SiO2 and SiO2/Al2O3 vs. K2O/Na2O. Major elements discriminant-function multi-dimensional diagram, DF1 (arcrift-col) vs. DF2 (arc-rift-col), for high-silica sediments revealed a continental rift tectonic setting. Thus, the Patti Formation sandstone underwent a high degree of weathering under a humid climatic condition within a continental rift tectonic setting

Use of Diverse Extraction Protocols to Decide the Integrity of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Samples Extracted from Bovine Bone Samples of Different Ages obtained from an Abattoir in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria

Techniques for the identification human and non-human biological samples are developing at very high rates with the advent of different DNA extraction methods and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based assays. This study aimed at using different extraction protocols to determine the integrity of DNA samples extracted from bovine bone samples of different ages collected from abattoir in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria. The DNA was extracted using CTAB, PCI protocols and a DNA kit (Quick DNA MiniPrep Plus Kit). Bovine mtDNA fragment containing the gene encoding ATPase 8 was amplified via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The PCR products were analysed on 1.8% agarose gel. It was observed that the DNA samples extracted using the PCI method at 48 h incubation time had the highest purity (1.68) and concentration (336 ng/µl) compared to other extraction methods employed in the study. However, DNA kit extracted samples had mean ± SE purity (1.52 ± 0-05) and concentration (192.25 ± 31.41 ng/µl) values that were higher than CTAB protocol values but lower than PCI protocol values.  All isolated DNA samples were PCR-worthy and thus yielded PCR products which were within the expected amplicon size of 126-bp. All DNA extraction protocols employed in this study are stable and efficient for use in the identification of aged non- human bones. This study also revealed that these protocols can be used to isolate PCR amplifiable DNA from old bones

Distillery Wastewater Decontamination by the Fenton Advanced Oxidation Method

This study evaluated the effect of Fenton advanced oxidation process on the treatment of an industrial wastewater (distillery). The comparison of the effects of Fe2+ loadings, H2O2 dosages (2%(v/v)and 4%(v/v)), reaction temperature and reaction time, established optimum efficiency in terms of BOD and COD reductions. The best operating conditions for the treatment of the distillery wastewater containing 43.85 mg/L BOD concentration and 274.28 mg/L COD concentration in the raw effluent was 2% H2O2 dosage at constant loadings of Fe2+ (1.5 g), 80 oC pretreatment temperature, and 1 h reaction time. At this optimized condition, the BOD content reduced to about 35 mg/L (about 21% removal) and COD content reduced to about 53 mg/L (about 81% removal). There was a complete removal of the initial colour present in the wastewater after the treatment process. The process proved the ability to effectively reduce the COD content which when high in industrial wastewaters can lead to serious impacts to the environmen