Experimental Analysis of the Effect of Tri-Nano Additives on Wear Rate of Mild Steel during Machining

Wear is an indispensable and recurring problem in engineering materials and it depicts its function on the long run. However, alternative method of retooling the materials at reduce cost was the main focus in this research work. Nano additives of 50 kg each palm kernel, coconut and egg shells were used as carburizer and energizer. Sixty (60) pieces of 100 x 20 mm AISI 5130 mild steel and four (4) boxes of 200 x 150 x 100 mm were charged into furnance of about 2,500oC max capacity. The tri-nano additives of palm kernel, coconut and egg shells were mixed at percentage ratio of 40:40:20. The elemental compositional analyses of the samples were checked before and after the case-hardening using spectrometric analysis machine. Each of the samples was soaked at a temperature of 950, 1000, 1050, and 1100oC for 60, 90, 120, and 180 minutes holding time. The obtained treated samples were subjected to elemental analysis, hardness and wear test using the spectrometer, vicker hardness tester and Rotopol-V wear testing machine. The best core and the surface hardness obtained were 117.9 and 140.9 HR compare to the control with 103.6 and 110.9 HR. The minimum wear rate of the sample was 1.22× while that of the control was 2.03× . The results gave a clear distinction decrease in wear rate and increase in hardness. This showed best economical and environmental friendly way to optimize the property of AISI 5130 steel which can be applied to any other grade of steels

Qualitative Exploration of factors affecting Uptake and Demand for Contraception and other Family Planning Services in North-West Nigeria

In spite of the improvements in knowledge about family planning (FP), the contraceptive prevalence rate and unmet need for FP remain poor in most parts of Northern Nigeria. This study sought to explore specific factors that influence contraceptive uptake and demand in North-West Nigeria. Key Informant and In-depth Interviews were conducted using guides among stakeholders in two selected states in North-West Nigeria, Kebbi and Sokoto States. Interviewees were selected purposively to include Reproductive  Health Focal Persons at the local government level, service providers,  Women of Reproductive Age (WRA) and FP coordinators. Factors inhibiting contraceptive uptake included lack of health education, religion, fear of spousal rejection and side effects. Poor government funding and  inadequate number of health workers were also identified as systemic factors. Suggested methods of overcoming identified challenges include; task-shifting, increased stakeholder participation and political will.Keywords: Contraceptive demand, North-West Nigeria, factors affecting FP demandMalgré l'amélioration des connaissances sur la planification familiale (PF), le taux de la prévalence contraceptive et les besoins non satisfaits en PF restent pauvres dans la plupart des régions du nord du Nigéria. Cette étude a cherché à explorer des facteurs spécifiques qui influencent l'adoption et la demande des contraceptifs dans le nord-ouest du Nigéria. Des entretiens avec des informateurs clés et approfondis ont été menés à l'aide de guides parmi les parties prenantes de deux États sélectionnés du nordouest du Nigéria, les États de Kebbi et de Sokoto. Les personnes interrogées ont été choisies à dessein pour inclure les personnes focales en santé de la reproduction au niveau du gouvernement local, les prestataires de services, les femmes en âge de procréer (FAP) et les  coordinateurs de PF. Les facteurs inhibant l'adoption des contraceptifs comprenaient le manque d'éducation  sanitaire, la religion, la peur du rejet du conjoint et les effets secondaires. Le financement insuffisant du  gouvernement et le nombre insuffisant d'agents de santé ont également été identifiés comme des facteurs  systémiques. Les méthodes suggérées pour surmonter les défis identifiés comprennent: le transfert de tâches, la participation accrue des parties prenantes et la volonté politique.Mots-clés: Demande des contraceptifs, nord-ouest du Nigéria, facteurs affectant la demande de P

The HPAfrica protocol : assessment of health behaviour and population-based socioeconomic, hygiene behavioural factors - a standardised repeated cross-sectional study in multiple cohorts in sub-Saharan Africa

The objective of the Health Population Africa (HPAfrica) study is to determine health behaviour and population-based factors, including socioeconomic, ethnographic, hygiene and sanitation factors, at sites of the Severe Typhoid Fever in Africa (SETA) programme. SETA aims to investigate healthcare facility-based fever surveillance in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar and Nigeria. Meaningful disease burden estimates require adjustment for health behaviour patterns, which are assumed to vary among a study population.; For the minimum sample size of household interviews required, the assumptions of an infinite population, a design effect and age-stratification and sex-stratification are considered. In the absence of a population sampling frame or household list, a spatial approach will be used to generate geographic random points with an Aeronautical Reconnaissance Coverage Geographic Information System tool. Printouts of Google Earth Pro satellite imagery visualise these points. Data of interest will be assessed in different seasons by applying population-weighted stratified sampling. An Android-based application and a web service will be developed for electronic data capturing and synchronisation with the database server in real time. Sampling weights will be computed to adjust for possible differences in selection probabilities. Descriptive data analyses will be performed in order to assess baseline information of each study population and age-stratified and sex-stratified health behaviour. This will allow adjusting disease burden estimates. In addition, multivariate analyses will be applied to look into associations between health behaviour, population-based factors and the disease burden as determined in the SETA study.; Ethic approvals for this protocol were obtained by the Institutional Review Board of the International Vaccine Institute (No. 2016-0003) and by all collaborating institutions of participating countries. It is anticipated to disseminate findings from this study through publication on a peer-reviewed journal

The HPAfrica protocol: Assessment of health behaviour and population-based socioeconomic, hygiene behavioural factors - a standardised repeated cross-sectional study in multiple cohorts in sub-Saharan Africa.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of the Health Population Africa (HPAfrica) study is to determine health behaviour and population-based factors, including socioeconomic, ethnographic, hygiene and sanitation factors, at sites of the Severe Typhoid Fever in Africa (SETA) programme. SETA aims to investigate healthcare facility-based fever surveillance in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar and Nigeria. Meaningful disease burden estimates require adjustment for health behaviour patterns, which are assumed to vary among a study population. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: For the minimum sample size of household interviews required, the assumptions of an infinite population, a design effect and age-stratification and sex-stratification are considered. In the absence of a population sampling frame or household list, a spatial approach will be used to generate geographic random points with an Aeronautical Reconnaissance Coverage Geographic Information System tool. Printouts of Google Earth Pro satellite imagery visualise these points. Data of interest will be assessed in different seasons by applying population-weighted stratified sampling. An Android-based application and a web service will be developed for electronic data capturing and synchronisation with the database server in real time. Sampling weights will be computed to adjust for possible differences in selection probabilities. Descriptive data analyses will be performed in order to assess baseline information of each study population and age-stratified and sex-stratified health behaviour. This will allow adjusting disease burden estimates. In addition, multivariate analyses will be applied to look into associations between health behaviour, population-based factors and the disease burden as determined in the SETA study. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethic approvals for this protocol were obtained by the Institutional Review Board of the International Vaccine Institute (No. 2016-0003) and by all collaborating institutions of participating countries. It is anticipated to disseminate findings from this study through publication on a peer-reviewed journal

The Severe Typhoid Fever in Africa Program: Study Design and Methodology to Assess Disease Severity, Host Immunity, and Carriage Associated With Invasive Salmonellosis

Background. Invasive salmonellosis is a common community-acquired bacteremia in persons residing in sub-Saharan Africa. However, there is a paucity of data on severe typhoid fever and its associated acute and chronic host immune response and carriage. The Severe Typhoid Fever in Africa (SETA) program, a multicountry surveillance study, aimed to address these research gaps and contribute to the control and prevention of invasive salmonellosis. Methods. A prospective healthcare facility-based surveillance with active screening of enteric fever and clinically suspected severe typhoid fever with complications was performed using a standardized protocol across the study sites in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, and Nigeria. Defined inclusion criteria were used for screening of eligible patients for enrollment into the study. Enrolled patients with confirmed invasive salmonellosis by blood culture or patients with clinically suspected severe typhoid fever with perforation were eligible for clinical follow-up. Asymptomatic neighborhood controls and immediate household contacts of each case were enrolled as a comparison group to assess the level of Salmonella-specific antibodies and shedding patterns. Healthcare utilization surveys were performed to permit adjustment of incidence estimations. Postmortem questionnaires were conducted in medically underserved areas to assess death attributed to invasive Salmonella infections in selected sites. Results. Research data generated through SETA aimed to address scientific knowledge gaps concerning the severe typhoid fever and mortality, long-term host immune responses, and bacterial shedding and carriage associated with natural infection by invasive salmonellae. Conclusions. SETA supports public health policy on typhoid immunization strategy in Africa

Behavioural risk factors for non-communicable diseases among undergraduates in south western Nigeria: knowledge, prevalence and correlates: a comparative cross-sectional study: Behavioural risk factors for non-communicable diseases among undergraduates in south western Nigeria

Low- and middle-income countries are experiencing a transition from a preponderance of infectious to Non-Communicable Dis- eases (NCDs). Many of the behaviours that produce these risks often commence in late adolescence. The study assessed the prev- alence and knowledge of the major risk factors for NCDs among undergraduates in Ibadan Metropolis. This was a comparative cross-sectional study using a systematic random sampling tech- nique. Data were collected using the WHO STEPs questionnaire and were entered and analysed using SPSS version 21. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and logistic regression at p < 0.05. Of 1,200 undergraduates, 646 (53.8%) were male and 1062 (88.5%) were aged 15-24 years; mean age was 20.4 (+/-3.5) years; 673 (56.1%) lived on campus. Only 3.1% of the respondents were current tobacco smokers. Also, 51.3% of respondents currently take alcohol with 11.2% classified as hav- ing excess alcohol use (> 6 standard drinks in one sitting in the last 30 days). About three quarters (70.6%) of respondents were classified as having unhealthy diets based on fruit/vegetable serv- ings per day. Only 29.3% had adequate physical activity. Moreo- ver, 48.3% were classified as having poor knowledge of the risk factors for NCDs. Overall, 99.3% of respondents had at least one behavioural risk factor. Public university undergraduates were more likely to have good knowledge of these risk factors OR 1.485 (95% CI: 1.485-2.398, p < 0.001). Behavioural risk factors for NCDs were prevalent among these undergraduates. Knowledge of NCD risk factors was average and those who attended public universities were more likely to have good knowledge of the risk factors for NCDs

Optimization of Azare low-grade barite beneficiation: comparative study of response surface methodology and artificial neural network approach

This study examined the efficacy of response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) optimization approaches on barite composition optimization from low-grade Azare barite beneficiation. The Box-Behnken Design (BBD) and Central Composite Design (CCD) approaches were used as RSM methods. The best predictive optimization tool was determined via a comparative study between these methods and ANN. Barite mass (60–100 g), reaction time (15–45 min) and particle size (150–450 μm) at three levels were considered as the process parameters. The ANN architecture is a 3-16-1 feed-forward type. Sigmoid transfer function was adopted and mean square error (MSE) technique was used for network training. Experimental data were divided into training, validation and testing. Batch experimental result revealed maximum barite composition of 98.07% and 95.43% at barite mass, reaction time and particle size of 100 g, 30 min and 150 μm; and 80 g, 30 min and 300 μm for BBD and CCD respectively. The predicted and experimental barite compositions of 98.71% and 96.98%; and 94.59% and 91.05% were recorded at optimum predicted point for BBD and CCD respectively. The analysis of variance revealed high significance of developed model and process parameters. The correlation of determination recorded by ANN for training, validation and testing were 0.9905, 0.9419 and 0.9997; and 0.9851, 0.9381 and 0.9911 for BBD and CCD. The best validation performance was 48.5437 and 5.1777 at epoch 5 and 1 for BBD and CCD respectively. In conclusion, the overall mean squared error of 14.972, 43.560 and 0.255; R2 value of 0.942, 0.9272 and 0.9711; and absolute average deviation of 3.610, 4.217 and 0.370 recorded for BBD, CCD and ANN respectively proved ANN to be the best

Dental specialist trainees´ competence in instituting tobacco cessation services in Nigeria

Background Oral health problems arising from tobacco use have been reported and some of these conditions can be prevented through Tobacco Cessation (TC). Dentists provide tobacco cessation services to patients. In Nigeria, little is documented on the knowledge of TC and its attending challenges experienced by dentists in carrying out TC services. This study was conducted to assess this among dentists in Southwest Nigeria. Methods A cross sectional study was carried out in eight tertiary healthcare facilities within the six states of the Southwest geopolitical zone. A total population survey involving two hundred and five dentists undergoing postgraduate training and/or providing services in the tertiary hospitals was conducted. A pre-tested, semi structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographics, knowledge of TC methods, the 5As of cessation and challenges in TC. Knowledge questions regarding TC were graded using a 12 point Likert scale. A score of ≥9 was assessed 'good', 5-8 'fair' and ≤4 'poor'. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression at p=0.05. Results The population comprised of 117 (57.1%) males, 145 (69.3%) trainees and 129 (62.9%) junior officers. Age and years of working experience were 33.8±5.2 years and 6.1±4.4 years respectively. Seventy-two (35.5%) respondents reported good knowledge of TC methods. Fifty-six (27.9%) respondents reported knowledge of clinical practice guidelines regarding TC. Lack of perceived efficacy and training as well as a lack of system support were the most important challenges mentioned by 60.2% and 54.1% of respondents respectively. Most (89.7%) never had prior formal training on TC however 165 (81.3%) were willing to be trained. Non-trainees were less likely to undertake formal TC training (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.43-1.96). Conclusions Knowledge of tobacco cessation was poor among dentists and challenges abound. Formal training to improve knowledge of Tobacco Cessation and provision of systems support are needed in Nigeria