Drying Characteristics and Mathematical Modelling of Cassava Chips

Cassava chips with dimension 5x2x0.4cm were dried at 600C, 700C and 800C in a laboratory tunnel dryer. Kinetics of drying was investigated using Fick’s second law. Drying pattern was observed to be in the falling rate period. Non linear regression analysis was used to fit in the experimental data and the coefficient of determination was found to be greater than 0.97 for all the models. The values of R2, RMSE, MBE and reduced chi square showed that Logarithm model best described the drying behaviour of the samples. The value of activation energy was found to be 30kJ/mol Key word: cassava chips, tunnel dryer, drying, modellin

Effects of fresh shoot biomass of siam weed Chromolaena odorata (L.) King and H. Robinson on the germination and growth of Okra Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench

This study was carried out in the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State. Investigation was carried  out on the effects of Fresh Shoot Biomass of Chromolaena odorata on okra Abelmoschus esculentus. For the laboratory experiment, about 5g, 10g,  15g and 20g each of Chromolaena odorata was weighed into plastic bottles each containing 250ml of distilled water for 24 hours. Two millilitres of  the leachate was used to water the seeds of okra that was placed in Petri dishes. Each treatment had five replicates that contained four seeds of  okra (Abelmoschus esculentus). For the screening experiment, loamy top soil, fresh shoot, stems and leaves of Chromolaena odorata were collected  within Federal University Oye Ekiti environment and crushed into smaller bits using mortar and pestle. Three seeds, each of okra that was planted in  all the pots. The growth variables considered include radicle length, plumule length, number of roots, for the green house experiment the plant  height, leaf area, stem girth, and pod weight were also observed. The leachate of Chromolaena odorata resulted to a reduction in radicle length,  plumule length and number of roots. The radicle length of okra treated with leachates of 15g/250ml were adversely affected, while the plumule  length of 5g/250ml, 15g/250ml and 20g/250ml greatly decreased compared to the control. The highest decrease in number of roots was noticed in  the 15g/250ml concentration. The control plant had the highest plant height increased in a concentration dependent manner with exception of  those treated with 200g, the leaf area of the control plant was observed to be lower than all the treatment plants, but it increased in a concentration  dependent manner. Also, there was a concentration dependent increase in the steam girth of A. esculentus. The pod weight of the  treated plants were lower than the control. The plant treated with 50g highest moisture content, the fat content was higher in the control and plant  treated with 50g than the other treated plant. The protein content of the treatment plants was observed to be significantly higher when compared  to the control plant. Crude fiber content of the treatment plant was significantly higher than the treatment plants. The ash content of the control  was significantly lower than the treated plants, the carbohydrate content of the control plant increased significantly compared to the treatment  plant with the lowest at 150g treated plant. The study concluded that the leachate and FSB affected the seed germination, growth and the food  content of Abelmoschus esculentus.&nbsp

Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level

Importance: Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale. Objectives: To report the retinoblastoma stage at diagnosis in patients across the world during a single year, to investigate associations between clinical variables and national income level, and to investigate risk factors for advanced disease at diagnosis. Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 278 retinoblastoma treatment centers were recruited from June 2017 through December 2018 to participate in a cross-sectional analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed in 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age at presentation, proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, and tumor stage and metastasis. Results: The cohort included 4351 new patients from 153 countries; the median age at diagnosis was 30.5 (interquartile range, 18.3-45.9) months, and 1976 patients (45.4) were female. Most patients (n = 3685 84.7%) were from low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Globally, the most common indication for referral was leukocoria (n = 2638 62.8%), followed by strabismus (n = 429 10.2%) and proptosis (n = 309 7.4%). Patients from high-income countries (HICs) were diagnosed at a median age of 14.1 months, with 656 of 666 (98.5%) patients having intraocular retinoblastoma and 2 (0.3%) having metastasis. Patients from low-income countries were diagnosed at a median age of 30.5 months, with 256 of 521 (49.1%) having extraocular retinoblastoma and 94 of 498 (18.9%) having metastasis. Lower national income level was associated with older presentation age, higher proportion of locally advanced disease and distant metastasis, and smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma. Advanced disease at diagnosis was more common in LMICs even after adjusting for age (odds ratio for low-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 17.92 95% CI, 12.94-24.80, and for lower-middle-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 5.74 95% CI, 4.30-7.68). Conclusions and Relevance: This study is estimated to have included more than half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017. Children from LMICs, where the main global retinoblastoma burden lies, presented at an older age with more advanced disease and demonstrated a smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, likely because many do not reach a childbearing age. Given that retinoblastoma is curable, these data are concerning and mandate intervention at national and international levels. Further studies are needed to investigate factors, other than age at presentation, that may be associated with advanced disease in LMICs. © 2020 American Medical Association. All rights reserved

Proximate and mineral potentials of Panicum maximum (Jacq.) as a substitute to maize and sorghum in livestock feed

There is a continued pressure to source for an alternative feed for livestock in Nigeria. This study was aimed to compare the proximate and mineral compositions of P. maximum seeds with maize and sorghum seeds with a view to finding out if P. maximum seeds could serve as a substitute for maize and sorghum in feeding livestock. The laboratory analyses were conducted at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan. Proximate and mineral contents were determined using AOAC and spectrophotometric methods, respectively. Means were separated using Duncan’s multiple range test at p = 0.05. The results revealed that P. maximum seeds had highest carbohydrate content (86.65 g/100 g ± 1.52) and lowest moisture content (6.78 g/100 g ± 0.75) with appreciable mineral contents compared to maize and sorghum seeds. Although maize and sorghum seeds had higher mineral content than P. maximum seeds, the high carbohydrate content of P. maximum seeds, which provides higher energy to livestock, and low moisture content will be more advantageous to store for a long time. Therefore, this study suggests the use of P. maximum seeds, with the addition of nutrient and protein supplements, as a substitute to maize and sorghum in livestock feed

Property Tax Dynamics Reengineering in Nigeria: The Alternative Infrastructure Financing Option for National Development

The availability of resources to either provide new infrastructural facilities, services or to maintain the few obsolete ones has recently become an issue of national concern. States across the country have witnessed and are still witnessing a critical infrastructure deficit. Scholars globally have suggested property tax as a formidable alternative infrastructure financing option. The study examines the need for property tax dynamics reengineering in Nigeria to provide valuable information as an infrastructure financing option for national development through a theoretical research approach. The study established the link between real property investment and property tax dynamics, the nexus between property tax and infrastructure development and Nigeria's need for property tax reengineering. The study found the deteriorating state of critical infrastructure due to overuse and lack of adequate maintenance. Hence, it concluded that the reawakening of the property tax system in the country could help facilitate the transformational agenda of the Local Government Administration in the country. It recommended replicating the robust Lagos state property taxation strategy across the other states in Nigeria

Oilfield produced water assessment from onshore treatment facilities in Niger Delta: Water quality susceptibility and suitability for soil irrigation

The abundance of natural fossil fuel in the Niger Delta of Nigeria has instituted generation of oilfield produced water (PW) in large volume. This constitutes environmental pollution when discharged outside the permissible limit given by Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). PW can be used for soil irrigation if its constituents are remediated after treatment. This research assessed the physicochemical properties of untreated and treated samples of oilfield PW from Awoba, Imo River and Kolo creek oil fields of Niger Delta using electrometric, argentometric, colorimetric, titration, atomic absorption spectroscopy, APHA and HACH standard methods. Oil-treatment facilities effectiveness was investigated by comparing laboratory results for treated-PW with the permissible regulatory values of NUPRC. The pH, salinity hazard, sodium hazard, boron, chloride, TDS, carbonate and nitrate of treated-PW were measured to check the suitability of treated-PW quality for soil irrigation. Measured values were compared with the permissible standard of US EPA. Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and electric conductivity (EC) were used to determine the level of sodium and salinity hazards respectively. The results indicated that none of the untreated-PW samples complied with NUPRC permissible limit. Physicochemical properties of treated-PW revealed samples to be close to or within approved NUPRC standards except in few cases. All the measured parameters of treated-PW from Awoba and Imo River oil fields conformed to the US EPA standard value except their ECs and SAR of Imo River oil field which measured 2.46 and 2.93 ds m−1, and 2.57 respectively. However, all other parameters measured for treated-PW from Kolo creek oil field did not conform to the standard except pH and nitrate which measured 7.7 and 4.86 mg/L respectively. In conclusion, oil treatment facilities should be more robust to degrade a wide range of recalcitrant compounds in PW pollutants in order to minimize the impacts of toxic compounds in PW on the environment

Leiomyoma of the anterior vaginal wall: a rare case

Background: Leiomyoma is a benign smooth muscle mesenchymal tumor, usually of uterine origin but may rarely develop in the vaginal walls. Case presentation: A case of 40-year-old para 5+0 woman with anterior vaginal wall leiomyoma is reported. The presentation mimics that of uterovaginal prolapse and hence presents a diagnostic challenge. The unusual appearance of the protrusion, failure to reduce at any time even while lying down, and complete absence of urinary symptoms raised the suspicion of a rare case. The diagnosis was made through examination under anesthesia, cystoscopy, and biopsy. Histological examination of the biopsy specimen confirmed vaginal wall leiomyoma. The patient had complete excision of the mass without any complications. Discussion and Conclusion: Vaginal wall leiomyoma is a rare benign vaginal lesion that can easily be misdiagnosed. Diagnosis involves critical clinical evaluation, especially during pelvic examinations. Any vaginal protrusion should be approached with a high index of suspicion, especially in patients of reproductive age

Adsorption of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solution using cationic modified rice husk: Parametric optimization via Taguchi design approach

The current work study the adsorption capacity of modified rice husk for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. The rice husk was prepared and modified cationicaly. The cationic modified risk husk (cRH) was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Also, point-of-zero pH (pHzero), specific surface area (m2/g) and bulk density (g/cm3) of the cRH were determined. The adsorption process was optimized by considering four independent process parameter at three variation levels using Taguchi design approach. The results showed the bulk density (0.392 g/cm3) and surface area (192 m2/g) which revealed the presence of numerous sorption sites on the cRH. Also the SEM micrograph showed the pores of different sizes which favoured the adsorption of Cr(VI). Taguchi experimental design predicted initial Cr (VI) concentration of 25 mg/L, contact time of 90 min, 2 g cRH dosage and pH of 2 as the optimum conditions to achieve 91.48% removal efficiency. The optimized condition was verified and 91.13% removal efficiency was achieved. The experiment data fitted well to Langmuir model indicating anion species monolayer adsorption on the cRH homogeneous surface. Also, the process is in better agreement with pseudo-second-order kinetic model, indicating a chemisorption controlled process. Thus, the study revealed that cationic modified rice-husk is suitable for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution