Experts’ Opinion on the Validation of Socio-Environmental Design Factors (SEDeF) Model as a Residential Neighbourhood Crime Prevention Technique in Nigeria

This article centres on validating a proposed model, socio-environmental design factors (SEDeF) meant to complement the penal system in the area of combating residential neighbourhood crime within the Nigerian residential estates. The research sought experts’ opinion on the desirability and sustainability of the model. Purposive and snow-ball sampling methods were adopted to administer 100 sets of questionnaire out of which 62 were considered usable for the analysis after data screening. SPSS and SEM-AMOS were the key analytical tools adopted to conduct the reliability test, normality test, cumulative mean, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the measurement model. The results of the analysis showed that, from the perspectives of the experts, the model is desirable and sustainable for the purpose for which it is proposed (Neighbourhood crime control). The model, if tenaciously implemented is capable of boosting housing values/investment, improve national economy and ensure civic and serene residential neighbourhood

Smoking related disease risk, area deprivation and health behaviours

Acknowledgements We thank Professor Luke Vale, Dr Diane Stockton and participants at the Faculty of Public Health conference, Aviemore, Scotland, November 2011 and UK Society for Behavioural Medicine conference, Stirling, Scotland, December 2011 for helpful comments. Funding This work was supported by the Medical Research Council National Preventive Research Initiative Phase 2 [G0701874]; see http://www.npri.org.uk. The Funding Partners relevant to this award are: British Heart Foundation; Cancer Research UK; Department of Health; Diabetes UK; Economic and Social Research Council; Medical Research Council; Research and Development Office for the Northern Ireland Health and Social Services; Chief Scientist Office; Scottish Government Health Directorates; The Stroke Association; Welsh Assembly Government and World Cancer Research Fund. The Health Economics Research Unit is funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care DirectoratePeer reviewedPostprin

Predicting the depositional environments and transportation mechanisms of sediments using granulometric parameters, bivariate and multivariate analyses

Grain size distribution and classes present in sedimentary rocks are responsive to the physical changes of the transporting media and the basin of deposition. Analyzing grain size data is germane in reconstructing the sedimentary processes including identifying the palaeoenvironment of deposition. Twenty-three (23) samples, mainly sandstones, collected within latitude 6055’-6059’N and Longitude 005044’-005053’E in the Anambra Basin, were subjected to granulometric analysis, where grain size parameters (mean grain size, sorting, skewness and kurtosis) sensitive to environmental conditions were calculated. These parameters were integrated with bivariate and multivariate analyses. Graphic mean (Mz) in the study area range from 1.1 to 2.27 ɸ with an average value of 1.7 ɸ, suggesting that grains are predominantly fine to medium; sorting range from 0.71 to 1.36 ɸ with an average value of 1.02 ɸ, suggesting sediments are moderately sorted; skewness range from -0.57 to 0.51 ɸ with an average value of 1.28 ɸ suggesting coarsely skewed to fine skewed with a predominating near symmetrical skewness and kurtosis range from 0.57 to 1.51ɸ, with an average of 1.28 ɸ suggesting a very platykurtic to leptokurtic character. Bivariate scatter plots of the grains size parameters predicted the environment of deposition as shallow marine. Multivariate analysis calculated from established functions suggested environments that range from beach (backshore) to shallow marine (subtidal). The integration of the granulometric parameters, bivariate and multivariate plots predict an environment that is dominated by high energy indicating that the sediments of the study area were deposited in shallow marine environment. In addition, the Visher and Passega’s C-M diagrams characterized the transport mechanism of the sediments as predominantly by saltation although traction and suspension modes also play some roles

Rural-urban disparities in health and health care in Africa: Cultural competence, lay-beliefs in narratives of diabetes among the rural poor in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Rural-urban disparities in health and health care in Africa have been well described; yet, they remain relatively of less concern among many issues in health and health care in Africa. The disparities have been documented to exist in the utilization of cardiac diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, prescription of analgesia for pains, treatment of diabetes (e.g. gym exercise). Among the fundamental root causes of these disparities, which, can be gathered through studies of the health care systems (biomedical and African health systems) are variations in patients’ health beliefs, values, preferences and behaviour. Informed by the need to address the seemingly wide rural-urban disparities in health and health care in Africa, this paper brings to the fore rural patients’ recognition of symptoms, threshold for seeking care and the ability to understand disease management strategy, all of which are part of the variations in patients’ health beliefs and values. The strategy adopted for foregrounding these disparities is through narratives of diabetes by patients in a rural context in South Africa. The chief aim is to contribute towards improving the quality of health care through incorporating patients’ understanding of health. The narrative is subsumed under cultural competence and lay beliefs

Well Test Analysis in Volatile Oil Reservoirs

This thesis discusses characterization of volatile oil reservoirs using well test analysis. For this purpose, typical well test behaviours were simulated with a one-dimensional single well compositional reservoir model, for different production rates; fluid composition and relative permeability curves, with bottomhole pressures above and below the bubble point pressure. It was found that, when the bottomhole pressure falls below the bubble point pressure during a drawdown, a high gas saturation zone is created around the wellbore with two-phase (oil and gas) flow, whereas single phase (oil) with the initial gas saturation remains away from the wellbore. During the subsequent build up, the gas created around the wellbore during the preceding drawdown condenses into the oil and the saturation in the near-wellbore region returns to the initial gas saturation. The log-log pressure-derivative behaviours below the bubble point correspond to a twozone radial composite model, with decreasing mobility during drawdowns and increasing mobilities during build ups. The log-log pressure derivative plot of the build up reflects oil mobility distribution of the reservoir at the end of the preceding drawdown. Knowledge obtained from the study was applied to the analysis of a well test in an actual volatile oil reservoir. Analysis results were validated with compositional reservoir simulation that included the effect of capillary number and non-Darcy flow. Finally, factors affecting well deliverability in volatile oil reservoirs producing at flowing bottomhole pressure below bubble point pressure were studied. The result shows that end point relative permeability of oil phase and oil fluid composition are the most important factors affecting productivity of volatile oil reservoirs producing below bubble point pressure. This study suggests in volatile oil reservoirs, both vertical hydraulic fractures and horizontal wells are best implemented early in the wells life to delay the time when the flowing bottomhole pressure drops below the bubble point pressure, hence improving ultimate recovery.Imperial Users onl

Keratocystic odontogenic tumor : a biopsy service?s experience with 104 solitary, multiple and recurrent lesions

Keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT) is a clinically significant cystic lesion of odontogenic origin. This study aimed to retrospectively review and describe the clinicopathologic features of KCOT and to objectively compare the clinical and histological features of solitary, multiple and recurrent KCOT in a Saudi Arabian population. Biopsy request forms, pathology records and archival materials (all histological slides) of 104 cases of KCOT from 75 patients were retrieved. Demographic and clinical details as well as histological evaluation were analyzed and compared between the 3 groups using chi-squared or Mann-Whitney tests of association as appropriate. Significant differences were noted in the age of presentation, location and association with impaction between multiple and solitary cases. Histologically, there was a difference in the mitotic count, presence of satellite cysts and proliferating odontogenic epithelium between solitary and multiple lesions. There was no difference between the KCOT that later recurred and solitary lesion which did not recur even when matched clinically for age, sex and location. There were differences when solitary KCOT that later recurred or recurrent KCOT were compared with multiple lesions. Multiple lesions still had more significant proliferative activity parameters than solitary recurrence-related KCOT. KCOTs in Saudi Arabians are not different from those reported from other parts of the world. Clinical and histological analyses showed multiple KCOT is different from its solitary recurrent or non-recurrent counterparts and has a higher proliferative activity than both. Clinicohistologic features alone cannot wholly explain the behavior of KCOT

Bridelia ferruginea Produces Anti-neuroinflammatory Activity through Inhibition of Nuclear Factor-kappa B and p38 MAPK Signalling

Bridelia ferruginea is commonly used in traditional African medicine (TAM) for treating various inflammatory conditions. Extracts from the plant have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory property in a number of in vivo models. In this study the influence of B. ferruginea (BFE) on the production of PGE2, nitrite, and proinflammatory cytokines from LPS-stimulated BV-2 microglia was investigated. The effects of BFE on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expressions were evaluated in LPS-activated rat primary microglia. The roles of NF-κB and MAPK signalling in the actions of BFE were also investigated. BFE (25–200 μg) inhibited the production of PGE2, nitrite, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) as well as COX-2 and iNOS protein expressions in LPS-activated microglial cells. Further studies to elucidate the mechanism of anti-inflammatory action of BFE revealed interference with nuclear translocation of NF-κBp65 through mechanisms involving inhibition of IκB degradation. BFE prevented phosphorylation of p38, but not p42/44 or JNK MAPK. It is suggested that Bridelia ferruginea produces anti-inflammatory action through mechanisms involving p38 MAPK and NF-κB signalling

Development of e-SIWES Portal: A Web based Platform for Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Management

We developed the e-SIWES portal in order to enhance the manual task of carrying out SIWES activities such as registration, dissemination of information, filling of log book for students’ day-to-day activities and supervision/assessment by lecturers and industry based supervisors. The portal is web-based and allows all tasks to be carried out using the personal computer and the Internet. We digitized the SIWES logbook and assessment forms for filling by students and grading by the supervisors electronically. This will allow supervisors to be assigned immediately the students commence their industrial training and facilitate their monitoring in real-time. With the e-SIWES portal, important messages can be broadcast to all students at once and on a prompt and regular basis

Evaluation of CD4+ T Cells in HIV Patients Presenting with Malaria at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital Nigeria

CD4 count is an important immunological marker of disease progression in HIV seropositive patients. This study was carried out to determine the effect of malaria or fever of unknown origin on the population of CD4+ T lymphocytes of HIV seropositive patients attending the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) clinic of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria. 36 subjects were selected for this study. Ongoing history of fever was used as a case definition for malaria and malaria was confirmed from microscopic examination of thick and thin film of blood sample obtained from the patients during presentation with fever. The CD4 count was evaluated during presentation of fever and post-fever using flow cytometry. There was significant decrease in CD4 count of the patients. However, upon classifying the patients into 2 groups - those that returned to the clinic after a week and those that returned after a month - a significant increase in CD4 count was noticed in the group that returned after a week, while a significant decrease was noticed in the group that returned after a month (at p value of 95%). Further classification of the patients based on presence of malaria parasite, and body temperature resulted in varying effects on CD4 count post-fever (in the general group, 27 were positive for malaria parasites. Of these 27, there was an increase in CD4 count in 9 (33.3%). However in the group that returned after a week, all 6 (100%) that were positive for malaria parasites showed increase in CD4 count. Five (26.3%) of the 19 patients that had body temperature within the range of 35.5-37.4^o^C showed an increase in CD4 count, while 7 (41.2%) the 17 patients that had body temperature of 37.5^o^C and above showed an increase in CD4 count. The results led to the conclusion that while some components of the immune response to malaria could strengthen the immune system of HIV seropositive patients by increasing their CD4 count, other components will suppress their immunity by decreasing their CD4 count, accelerating the progression to AIDS