Schatzki’s Ring in a Nigerian at Gastroscopy

Schatzki’s Rings are the most common of the types of esophageal rings. Their prevalence varies with the population being studied and the diagnostic technique deployed. They are rarely documented and described from reports emanating from this environment. This article seeks to document one such case and briefly discuss aspects of its clinical significance and management.Keywords: Schatzki’s Ring, Nigeria, Gastroscop

The credible brand model : the effects of ideological congruency and customer-based brand equity on media and message credibility

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on June 11, 2009)Vita.Thesis (Ph. D.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2008.This study proposes and tests the credible brand model (CBM), a model that explicates the processes by which media audiences make credibility judgments about media outlets and their products. The primary postulate of the CBM is that media audiences' perceptions of the media credibility of a media outlet, and by extension the message credibility of its news stories, are dependent on their perception of the customer-based brand equity (CBBE) of the media outlet and the ideological congruency between their personal worldview and the worldview of that media outlet. A survey was conducted to test the hypotheses and answer the research questions associated with this model. The survey probed respondents' ideological congruency with two media brands (Fox News Channel and CNN) and their perceptions of the media credibility and brand equity of the media outlets. The data showed strong support for the CBM. The confirmatory model evaluation conducted with Structural Equation Modeling revealed a strong fit between the data and the hypothesized model, with normed fit index (NFI = 0.93), comparative fit index (CFI = 0.96), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA = 0.06). In addition, the CBM was a better fit with the data than an alternative model (NFI = 0.88, CFI = 0.92, and RMSEA = 0.08).Includes bibliographical reference

Removal of chromium and nickel ions from aqueous solution by adsorption on modified coconut husk

The study investigated the adsorption of Cr(VI) and Ni(II) on modified coconut husk (low cost adsorbent) for the remediation of Cr(VI) and Ni(II) from some synthetic industrial waste effluents. The coconut husk was modified by mixing with 0.1 M NaOH and HCl respectively. The effects of varying adsorbent loading, hydrogen ion concentration, contact time and temperature of adsorption were studied. Similar experiments were carried out using unmodified coconut husk, in order to compare the results obtained from the modification experiments. The result showed that the HCl modified adsorbent gave 96% ± 3.6 removal for Cr(VI) at a pH of 4.0 while about 99% ± 0.7 of Ni(II) was removed at a higher pH of 7.0. The unmodified adsorbent gave a 90% ± 8.8 adsorption for Cr(VI) and 97% ± 1.5 for Ni(II) respectively. However, the NaOH modified adsorbent gave the least adsorption of 40% ± 9.9 for Cr(VI) and 80% ± 6.1 for Ni(II). The equilibrium data for the adsorption of Cr(VI) and Ni(II) on coconut husk was tested using both the Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherms. The Freundlich isotherm was found to be more suitable for Cr(VI) adsorption, while the Langmuir isotherm was observed to better for Ni adsorption on coconut husk. To evaluate the mechanism of adsorption, pseudo-first order and second order kinetic models were used. The adsorption mechanism was found fit the second order. The HCl modified adsorbent gave the best result for removal of Cr(VI) from synthetic industrial effluents

Ethnozoological Study of Wild Bird Species Body Parts Supply in Traditional Medicine Markets, Abeokuta, Nigeria

The paper examined the ethnozoological study of wild bird species' body parts supply of eighty-three traditional medicine marketers in six traditional medicine markets in Abeokuta North and South Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria using snowball and convenience sampling techniques through the administration of a set of structured questionnaire to 83respondents. The result showed that four-fifths of the total respondents were females (85.54%), two-thirds of the total respondents (68.68%) were less than 50 years and 91.56% of the total respondents had formal education. A total of 21 bird species had their body parts and products on sale in the different markets studied in the study area. Due to the belief and faith of the people, the respondents agreed that there were some bird species that are regarded as being sacred or forbidden and thus, the birds and their bird body parts are used and sold in traditional medicine to treat different ailments and for sacrificial activities of their clients. It was concluded that the existence of bird species cannot be over-emphasized because they are important in believed resources for curing specified types of ailments and sacrificial offerings in traditional medicine. It was recommended that since birds significantly contribute to the natural ecosystem, human health and nutrition, forest and wildlife conservation campaign should be strengthened

Impacts of selected leguminous tree species and kaolinite pre-amendment on oil-contaminated soil for bioremediation in the oil-bearing region of Nigeria

A Thesis Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.iii ABSTRACT This study investigates the impacts of selected Leguminous Tree Species (LTS) and kaolinite pre-amendment on oil-contaminated soil. It covered assessment of different levels of contamination (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 ml in 4000 g soil; which represents the degree of light crude oil spillage concentration as 0.0, 0.63, 1.25, 1.88 and 2.5 %v/w) on the growth performance of Albizia adianthifolia, Albizia odoratissima, Bauhinia monandra, Delonix regia, Peltophorum pterocarpum and Tetrapleura tetraptera LTS investigated. Percentage germination, seedling height, seedling girth, number of leaves and number of nodules decreased as the concentrations of crude oil in soil samples increased. LTS affected soil physicochemical properties. Soil acidity decreased; soil organic matter, carbon content and exchangeable ions increased. N, P and K were altered in the LTS planted soil as compared to controls, but there were no significant (P >0.05) differences. There were increased microbial counts in the crude oil-contaminated soil planted with LTS as compared with non-LTS planted soils. Hydrocarbon removal was significantly higher (P <0.05, n = 3) in LTS planted soil than in non-planted soil. D. regia planted soils had most hydrocarbon removal and had significantly more growth in terms of plant height, girth and leaf production in the field. Kaolinite (10 and 20 g samples) applications were suitable and effective sorbent agents for oil-contamination at the different oil concentrations. The sorption potential of kaolinite increased with the increase in kaolinite to 20 g. The potential re-usability of kaolinite after the initial use for oil sorption was analysed and 10 g of burnt kaolinite sorbed 43.62%, while 20 g sorbed 58.90%. The rate of oil sorption by fresh kaolinite was significantly higher than burnt kaolinite. Results show the considerable potential of phytoremediation protocols with LTS and kaolinite as combined remediating agents for oil spill remediation in the humid tropics.Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Abuja, Nigeri

Tapping into the World of Terpenoids

Terpenes are a class of secondary metabolites found in plants and insects (such as termites or swallowtail butterflies). Terpenes are strong-smelling aromatic hydrocarbon which are used by plants/ insects to protect themselves by deterring parasites. They are secondary metabolites synthesized in plants. When a hydrogen or atoms of hydrogen, are replaced by other atoms such as oxygen, in a terpene compound, the terpene becomes a terpenoid (also known as isoprenoids). Terpenoids are a large and diverse class of naturally occurring organic chemicals, derived from five-carbon isoprene units assembled and modified in thousands of ways. They are multicyclic structures that differ from one another not only in functional group but also in their basic carbon skeletons. Terpenoids are found in all classes of living things, and are the largest group of natural products

Alkylating efficiency of sodium azide on pod yield, nut size and nutrition composition of Samnut 10 and Samnut 20 varieties of groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.)

Mutation has been utilised to improve growth and yield of many food crops, but only little effort has been made to ascertain the nutritional advantages in such improved crops. The present study evaluates the alkylating efficiency of sodium azide of different concentrations on pod yield, nut size and nutritional composition of two groundnut varieties. Dry seeds of groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.); Samnut 10 and Samnut 20 varieties obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ilorin, Kwara State of Nigeria were treated with different sodium azide concentrations (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50mM) for 12 hours. Seeds soaked in distilled water for 12 hours were used as control for each variety. The treated seeds and control were sown in planting bags in randomized complete block design with three replicates. Alkylating effects of the treatments were studied on pod parameters and nut size while proximate analysis was carried out on the nuts to determine their nutritional composition. The results showed that sodium azide treatment of 50 mM produced significantly taller plants with more branches and leaves. Analysis of collected data revealed that sodium azide is effective in achieving significantly earlier- maturing plants with higher pod yield, bigger nut size and heavier nuts. All concentrations of Sodium azide applied induced significant higher crude protein and fat with respect to control in samnut 10 while 50 mM yielded highest protein and fat in samnut 20 variety. Generally, nutritional values of the studied groundnut were improved by sodium azide treatments with respect to protein and fat content which are the most important constituents in groundnut utilization as food or raw material for edible oil. The study concluded that the alkylating effect of sodium azide was effective on pod yield, nut size and other nut characteristics of groundnut and could be employed to improve protein, crude fat and other nutrition contents of the nuts for human and animal consumption as well as industrial applications.Key words: Alkylating effect, nutrition composition, sodium-azid

Quality Educational Planning and Senior Secondary Education Goal Attainment in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State

This study determined the relationship between quality educational planning and senior secondary education goal attainment in Ilorin metropolis, Kwara State. The study adopted a descriptive design of correlation type while its population comprised all the 3594 teachers across the public secondary schools in Ilorin metropolis. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 346 teachers in the metropolis. An adapted questionnaire titled “Quality Educational Planning Questionnaire” (QEPQ) and “Secondary Education Goal Attainment Proforma” (SEGAP) were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics of frequency count and percentage was used to answer the research questions while inferential statistics of Pearson product-moment correlation statistics was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significant. The findings of the study revealed that quality educational planning has a significant relationship with secondary education goal attainment in Ilorin metropolis, Kwara State. It was recommended that adequate classrooms and instructional facilities should continue to be adequately planned in order to keep the tempo of academic performance and enhance the level of senior secondary education goal attainment in Kwara State