Desirability Function Optimization of Garification Process Machine

Optimal operational parameters of an automated batch process garification machine were determined in this study to make its use economical in terms of labour, time and energy requirement, thereby reducing cost of quality gari in our markets. A two level response surface experimental design/modeling was used in the investigation and quantification of the relationship between the operational and performance parameters of the machine, while desirability function optimization technique was applied to determine the optimal settings of the operating parameters investigated. The results of this performance analysis revealed 9, 20kg, 25 and 15 minutes, 57oC, 90oC and 90.91oC as the respective optimal number of pressing paddles, quantity of sifted cassava mash processed per batch, cooking and drying durations per batch, initial, cooking and drying temperatures of garification trough. The machine produced gari with moisture content, grain size and acidity level of 12.04 % (wb), 2.00 mm and 0.62% respectively at these optimal operational factor settings and these quality attributes conform to CODEX standards. In addition, its throughput increased by 13.55%, while its charcoal and specific energy consumption reduced to 12.57% and 24.20% respectively at its optimal factor settings

A Comparative Analysis of Malaria Incidence In Rural And Urban Areas Of Anambra State: A Manova Approach

Malaria being a life threatening disease in African and the entire globe as a large demands a thorough investigation for effective prevention. In this study, we carried out a comparative analysis of malaria incidence in rural and urban areas of Anambra State using Beacon and Madonna Hospitals Awka, Awka South L.G.A and Nnamdi Azikiwe and St. Joseph’s Hospitals Neni Anaocha L.G.A. in Anambra State as a case study. Multivariate Discriminant Analysis was used to determine the difference in the incidence of malaria between the rural and urban health centers of Anambra State and also access the difference between classified gender groups.  From the analysis of the data collected, we discovered that there is a significant difference in the incidence of malaria between rural and urban areas of Anambra State which is as a result of the availability of efficient health facilities in the urban area than rural areas. Also, there exists a clear difference in the rate of malaria incidence among the gender group living in Anambra State

Nanostructured Clay (NC) and the Stabilization of Lateritic Soil for Construction Purposes

The use of Nanostructured Clay additive in lateritic soil stabilization and their effect at different percentages on the natural soil was investigated. The preliminary tests on the soil showed it was an A-2-7 soil, according to AASHTO classification. The soil sample was also observed to be silty clayey sand and the general rating as a sub-grade material was ‘GOOD’. The consistency limits result shows that the value of the LL for the natural soil is 47% and 25.15% was recorded for the plastic limit (PL) and finally the PI was 21.85% i.e. highly plastic soil. Further, the effect of the addition of NC in the proportions of 3%, 6%, 9%, 12% and 15% by weight of the stabilized Umuntu Olokoro lateritic soil was investigated. The consistency limits results showed that the addition of variable proportions of NC considerably improved the plasticity of the stabilized soil which gave 13.8%; a medium plastic material at 15% NC addition, compared to the preliminary result of 0% by weight additive which gave 21.85%; a highly plastic material. The strength properties’ test showed significant improvements with the addition of NC; CBR test result recorded 29% at 15% by weight proportion of NC which satisfies the material condition for use as sub-base material and the UCS test results similarly improved consistently and recorded a maximum UCS of 340.18kN/m2 at 15% by weight proportion of NC addition which satisfies “very stiff” material consistency for use as sub-base material. With the foregoing, the addition of various proportions of NC to the stabilized lateritic soil has presented to be a Geotechnical solution to the varied environmental failures on the road pavements. Hence NC satisfies all the material conditions for use as a sub-base material for the stabilization and improvement of the strength characteristics of lateritic soils. Finally, we call on the relevant agencies to use NC as an additive in stabilizing weak lateritic soils for use as either sub-grade or sub-base materials to save both cost and the structural failures on the roads in south eastern Nigeria. Keywords: Environmental Geotechnics; Pavement Geotechnics; Soil Stabilization; Weak Lateritic Soil; South Eastern Nigeria

Učinak invazije vrstom Trypanosoma brucei na involuciju maternice nakon partusa.

This study investigated the effects of Trypanosoma brucei infection on post-partum (PP) uterine involution in the albino rat (Rattus norvegicus). Ninety-six rats (80 females and 16 males) were used for the study. The females were divided into 2 equal groups of 40 infected and 40 uninfected. The males which were uninfected were used for mating with the females. From each of the 2 female groups, 5 were humanely sacrifi ced daily from day 0 to day 7 PP. Body mass (BM), uterine mass (UM), uterine mass as a percentage of body mass (UMPBM), uterine histomorphology, packed cell volume (PCV), level of parasitaemia (LOP) and rectal temperature (RT) were evaluated in the females. Results showed that both the UM and the UMPBM of the infected rats were significantly higher (P<0.01) than those of the uninfected between days 1 and 7 PP. Uterine histomorphology showed that between days 3 and 7 PP, involution was more advanced in the uninfected group. Uterine sections of the infected rats had more glands, which were also larger in size. Endometrial stroma was less cellular in the uninfected rats and the myometrium showed higher nuclei density for myofi brils, which suggests some loss of cytoplasm. The PCV of the infected rats was significantly lower than that of the uninfected (P<0.01) between days 9 and 14 post-infection (PI), while the RT of the infected rats was significantly higher (P<0.01) than that of the uninfected between days 5 and 14 PI. It was therefore concluded that T. brucei infection led to a significant delay in PP uterine involution, as evidenced by the higher UM and UMPBM, and the uterine histomorphological findings in the infected rats.Istraživanje je provedeno s ciljem određivanja učinka protozoona Trypanosoma brucei na postpartalnu involuciju maternice u albino štakora (Rattus norvegicus). Za istraživanje je rabljeno 96 štakora (80 ženki i 16 mužjaka). Ženke su bile podijeljene u dvije jednake skupine tako da je 40 ženki pripadalo kontrolnoj, a 40 invadiranoj skupini. Neinvadirani mužjaci su poslužili za parenje. Iz svake skupine bilo je eutanazirano pet ženki i to svaki dan (od nultog do sedmog dana). Za svaku ženku bila je određena tjelesna masa, masa maternice, odnos mase maternice i tjelesne mase, histološki nalaz maternice, ukupan broj krvnih stanica, razina parazitemije i rektalna temperatura. Rezultati su pokazali da je u invadiranih štakorica maternica bila značajno teža kao što je bila i značajno veća masa maternice u odnosu na tjelesnu masu ženke (P<0,01) u razdoblju od prvog do sedmog dana nakon partusa. Histološkom pretragom dokazano je da je involucija maternice u razdoblju od trećeg do sedmog dana bila izraženija u neinvadiranih ženki što je dokazano i većim brojem povećanih žlijezdi. Stroma endometrija neinvadiranih životinja sadržavala je manje stanica. U miometriju je dokazana veća gustoća jezgara u miofibrilima što govori u prilog gubitku citoplazme. Ukupan broj krvnih stanica u invadiranih štakorica bio je značajno manji u odnosu na neinvadirane (P<0,01) u razdoblju od devetog do četrnaestog dana nakon invazije. Invadirane štakorice imali su višu tjelesnu temperaturu (P<0,01) u razdoblju od petoga do četrnaestoga dana. Na temelju postignutih rezultata zaključuje se da invazija vrstom Trypanosoma brucei dovodi do značajnog kašnjenja involucije što je potvrđeno većom masom maternice, većom masom u odnosu na tjelesnu masu te histomorfološkim nalazom u invadiranih ženki

Molecular Detection of Mycobacterium bovis in Cattle Milk in Enugu State, Nigeria

The study was carried out to detect Mycobacterium bovis in cattle milk in Enugu. Fifty Milk samples were collected from cattle at Fulani settlements which comprised of 13 from Gariki, 16 from 9th Mile and 21 from Monarch in Enugu. DNA was extracted from milk samples using Relia prep DNA spin column method and screened for Tuberculosis using Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with specific Tuberculosis primer; Insertion sequence 6110 (IS6110) while Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (IS6110- RFLP) method was used to differentiate between Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis using Nar 1 digestion enzyme. Statistical tools used to analyze the data were: Chi-square, fishers’ exact test and non parametric t test. 9 (18%) samples out of the 50milk samples were positive for tuberculosis with the PCR method. 1 (2%) out of the 9 positive milk samples was found to be Mycobacterium tuberculosis while the remaining 8 (16%) were detected to be Mycobacterium bovis after using the digestion enzyme. 1 (6.3%) of the 16 milk samples collected from the Fulani settlement in 9th Mile was positive for M.bovis while a total of 2 (15.4%) out of the 13 milk samples from Gariki were positive for M.bovis and a total positive of 6 (28.6%) were detected out of the 21 milk samples analyzed from Monarch, 5 (23.8%) of which were found to be M.bovis while M. tuberculosis was detected in 1 (4.8%). The differences however, were not statistically significant (P&gt;0.05). Keywords: Tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, DN

Haematological Changes in Patients with Lymphoid Malignancies on Chemotherapy in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

Chemotherapy continues to serve as the best option therapy in treating human malignancies that have undergone metastasis and cannot be managed solely by surgical removal or radiation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical important of haematological parameters in the management of lymphoid malignancy patients on chemotherapy to ascertain the impact of such chemotherapy on them.. This study was carried out in one secondary and one tertiary health institution in Edo State. It was divided into three groups: lymphoid malignancy on chemotherapy, novel lymphoid malignancy and apparently healthy individuals as controls. Using aseptic precaution, 5ml of blood is collected into K2EDTA container for full blood count analysis using KX-21NSysmex automated Haematology analyser 2004 model and data were analysed using student t test. The comparison between novel lymphoid malignant patient and controls indicate WBC, lymphocytes and platelet count increase significantly (P &lt;0.05) while RBC, HGB, HCT decrease significantly (P &lt;0.05) when compared with control. However, MCV, MCH, MCHC, monocytes and granulocytes were not significant (P&gt;0.05). The comparison  between lymphoid malignant patient on chemotherapy and controls shows RBC, HGB, HCT decrease significantly when compared with control (P &lt;0.05) while WBC, lymphocytes, platelet, MCV, MCH, MCHC, monocytes and granulocytes were not significant (P&gt;0.05).When lymphoid malignant patient on chemotherapy and novel lymphoid malignant patient are compared, it shows RBC, HGB, HCT increase significantly when compared with novel lymphoid malignant patients (P &lt;0.05) while WBC and MCHC decrease significantly (P &lt;0.05). However, lymphocytes, platelet, MCV, MCH, monocytes and granulocytes were not significant (P&gt;0.05). we can deduce that full blood count is highly clinically important for an effective management of lymphoid malignant patients on chemotherapy. DOI: 10.7176/JMPB/61-04 Publication date: November 30th 201

Učinak invazije vrstom Trypanosoma brucei na involuciju maternice nakon partusa.

This study investigated the effects of Trypanosoma brucei infection on post-partum (PP) uterine involution in the albino rat (Rattus norvegicus). Ninety-six rats (80 females and 16 males) were used for the study. The females were divided into 2 equal groups of 40 infected and 40 uninfected. The males which were uninfected were used for mating with the females. From each of the 2 female groups, 5 were humanely sacrifi ced daily from day 0 to day 7 PP. Body mass (BM), uterine mass (UM), uterine mass as a percentage of body mass (UMPBM), uterine histomorphology, packed cell volume (PCV), level of parasitaemia (LOP) and rectal temperature (RT) were evaluated in the females. Results showed that both the UM and the UMPBM of the infected rats were significantly higher (P<0.01) than those of the uninfected between days 1 and 7 PP. Uterine histomorphology showed that between days 3 and 7 PP, involution was more advanced in the uninfected group. Uterine sections of the infected rats had more glands, which were also larger in size. Endometrial stroma was less cellular in the uninfected rats and the myometrium showed higher nuclei density for myofi brils, which suggests some loss of cytoplasm. The PCV of the infected rats was significantly lower than that of the uninfected (P<0.01) between days 9 and 14 post-infection (PI), while the RT of the infected rats was significantly higher (P<0.01) than that of the uninfected between days 5 and 14 PI. It was therefore concluded that T. brucei infection led to a significant delay in PP uterine involution, as evidenced by the higher UM and UMPBM, and the uterine histomorphological findings in the infected rats.Istraživanje je provedeno s ciljem određivanja učinka protozoona Trypanosoma brucei na postpartalnu involuciju maternice u albino štakora (Rattus norvegicus). Za istraživanje je rabljeno 96 štakora (80 ženki i 16 mužjaka). Ženke su bile podijeljene u dvije jednake skupine tako da je 40 ženki pripadalo kontrolnoj, a 40 invadiranoj skupini. Neinvadirani mužjaci su poslužili za parenje. Iz svake skupine bilo je eutanazirano pet ženki i to svaki dan (od nultog do sedmog dana). Za svaku ženku bila je određena tjelesna masa, masa maternice, odnos mase maternice i tjelesne mase, histološki nalaz maternice, ukupan broj krvnih stanica, razina parazitemije i rektalna temperatura. Rezultati su pokazali da je u invadiranih štakorica maternica bila značajno teža kao što je bila i značajno veća masa maternice u odnosu na tjelesnu masu ženke (P<0,01) u razdoblju od prvog do sedmog dana nakon partusa. Histološkom pretragom dokazano je da je involucija maternice u razdoblju od trećeg do sedmog dana bila izraženija u neinvadiranih ženki što je dokazano i većim brojem povećanih žlijezdi. Stroma endometrija neinvadiranih životinja sadržavala je manje stanica. U miometriju je dokazana veća gustoća jezgara u miofibrilima što govori u prilog gubitku citoplazme. Ukupan broj krvnih stanica u invadiranih štakorica bio je značajno manji u odnosu na neinvadirane (P<0,01) u razdoblju od devetog do četrnaestog dana nakon invazije. Invadirane štakorice imali su višu tjelesnu temperaturu (P<0,01) u razdoblju od petoga do četrnaestoga dana. Na temelju postignutih rezultata zaključuje se da invazija vrstom Trypanosoma brucei dovodi do značajnog kašnjenja involucije što je potvrđeno većom masom maternice, većom masom u odnosu na tjelesnu masu te histomorfološkim nalazom u invadiranih ženki

Socioeconomic dynamism and the growth of baby factories in Nigeria

Abstract: Illegally breeding babies for marketing purposes otherwise known as “infant commodification” is increasing in Nigeria. This menace is a vice that threatens the lives and wellbeing of babies, young girls, and women. This article investigates through an in-depth review of scholarly publication and media coverages the factors that have contributed to the emergence and growth of the illicit industry in Nigeria. It examines the role of cultural beliefs, social attitudes, and norms as well as the harsh economic conditions of the nation as factors playing pivotal roles in the continual growth of baby farming in Nigeria. Some of these sociocultural factors are social stigmatization of pregnancy outside wedlock, stigmatization of adopted children, and the importance attached to fertility and the demonization of childlessness. The article draws on Emile Durkheim anomie theory and Chambers dimensions of poverty to explain how breakdown within the nation’s socioeconomic structure has a concomitant impact in breading social vices. It concludes by recommending that there is a need to jettison stigmatizing sociocultural beliefs within the nation’s social fabrics. Responsive attitude toward family reproductive issues should be encouraged and finally the activities of health care providers, operators of nongovernmental organizations taking custody of babies and young girls be properly monitored. As well, stringent punishment be meted out to apprehended operators of these baby farms to serve as deterrent to others

Conflicts about water in Lake Chad: are environmental, vulnerability and security issues linked?

This paper builds on the growing literature that explores the relations between environmental change and non-traditional security, defined as non-military threats that challenge the survival and well-being of peoples and states. The Lake Chad basin in Africa is used as a case study for analysis. Focusing on a set of questions that has dominated recent theoretical debates, the paper investigates if conflicts resulting from water scarcity are as much about the broader vulnerability of the Lake Chad region as they are about changes in the Lake system and its environment. It argues that conflict is a probable outcome only in locations that are already challenged by a multitude of other context-specific factors beside resource scarcity. In the Lake Chad context, the likelihood of scarcity-driven conflict depends on whether vulnerability increases or decreases in the face of a declining water supply. The paper provides perspectives for a nuanced understanding of how the receding Lake Chad has led to conflict and outlines an integrated, forward-looking research agenda for linking environmental change, vulnerability and security issues in integrated human-environment systems

Multitasking, but for what benefit? The dilemma facing Nigerian university students regarding part-time working.

Students working part-time while studying for a full-time university degree are commonplace in many Western countries. This paper however, examines the historically uncommon part-time working activities and career aspirations among Nigerian university students. In particular, how working is perceived to contribute to developing employability skills, and whether it is influenced by their self-efficacy. Survey data from 324 questionnaires was collected from a federal university, although the data analysis used a mixed-method. The findings indicate that despite low levels of part-time working generally among students, older, more experienced, higher level and female students, place a premium on the skills that part-time work can develop. Moreover, self-efficacy and being female, is a significant predictor in understanding part-time work and career aspirations. This study offers originality by focusing on students’ part-time work, the value working provides, and its link with career aspirations, within a relatively unexplored context of Nigeria