7,351 research outputs found

    Hypoglycemic, antidyslipidemic, hepatoprotective and antilipid peroxidation activities of hydromethanol leaf extract of Helianthus annuus in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

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    Purpose: To investigate the hypoglycemic, antidyslipidemic, hepatoprotective and anti-lipid peroxidation effects of hydromethanol leaf extract of Helianthus annuus (HLEHA) in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.Methods: The extract was administered once daily at 150, 300 and 600 mg/kg for 21 consecutive days. Glibenclamide (GLB) 2 mg/kg was used as a reference drug (positive control) and 5 % Tween-20 solution in water was used as negative control. The fasting blood glucose (FBG) and body weights were measured on days 7, 14 and 21 while glycosylated haemoglobin concentration (HbA1c), serum markers of liver function, lipid profile, antioxidant status, histopathological changes in pancreas and liver were determined 24 h after the last dosing on day 21.Results: The GLB and HLEHA caused significant (p < 0.05) time-dependent weight gains in the treated rats when compared with 5 % Tween-20 treated rats. The HLEHA and GLB caused significant (p < 0.05) decreases in FBG, HbA1c, malondialdehyde, and lipid profile levels in the treated rats when compared with rats in 5% tween-20 treated group. Alloxan-induced pancreatic and hepatic degeneration were reversed in GLB- and HLEHA-treated rats.Conclusion:  Helianthus annuus demonstrates potent antidiabetic, antioxidant and antidyslipidemic activities in rats.Keywords: Antidiabetic, Antidyslipidemic, Helianthus annuus, Medicinal plant, Traditional medicin

    Potential antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of a heliangolide sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Helianthus annuus L. Leaves

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    Heliangolide is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactone and its derivatives are biologically active compounds present in most medicinal plants. This study evaluated the antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of a heliangolide sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Helianthus annuus L. leaves. The heliangolide sesquiterpene lactone was isolated through combination of solvent-solvent partitioning, column chromatography, thin layer chromatography and high performance-liquid chromatography techniques. The antioxidant activity of the compound was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and nitric oxide radical scavenging assays while the antidiabetic effects were investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The heliangolide derivative at 954.2 µmol L–1 showed 23.7 % DPPH and 26 % nitric oxide radical inhibitions compared with 96.6 and 50.9 %, resp., displayed by the controls (2,271.2 µmol L–1). It also reduced the fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels in a time-dependent manner. The highest activity was recorded within 6 h post-treatment at 0.2 mmol kg–1 bm. The heliangolide derivative exhibited significant (p < 0.05) antioxidant and antidiabetic properties and provides basis for further development of constituents of Helianthus annuus leaves for the management of such diseases

    Biologically Active Solid Deposits in Biocide treated Oil and Gas pipelines from a Nigerian Onshore Oil Production Facility

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    Pipelines transporting crude oil, produced water and gas from an onshore oil producing facility in Nigeria are subject to frequent corrosion failures despite treatment programs with chlorine (0.5mg L-1) and sodium azide (0.2 mg L-1). Solid deposit samples from 6 corroded pipelines were analyzed chemically and biologically to determine whether the corrosion episodes were as a result of microbial activity. Microbiological analysis showed relatively high concentrations of microorganisms associated with corrosion such as SRBs (103-105 cell g-1) and APBs (103-107 cells g-1) while chemical analysis showed evidence of corrosion products such as iron II, calcium, sulfide, carbonate and bicarbonate. Chemical analysis also revealed that environmental conditions such as availability of nutrients, pH, moisture and redox potential were favorable for the growth and proliferation of these microorganisms. All the pipeline samples that were investigated recorded remarkable corrosion rates that ranged from 0.065-0.30 mm yr-1 but the rates were higher in chloride treated pipelines. Our investigation revealed that the solid deposit samples were biologically active and pipeline corrosion was as a result of microbial activity. Thus the prevalence of bio-corrosion is likely to be higher in cases where routine pipeline cleaning and checks are not strictly adhered to despite regular biocide treatment program

    Government Policy Approach to Environmental Conflicts among the Niger Delta Communities: Implication to 2015 and Post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals

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    The present study is focused on the public perception of government approach to the environmental challenges in the region of Niger Delta and its implication to environmentally-related conflict resolution and inclusive society. Four states were randomly selected while eight local government areas, 24 communities and 500 respondents (18+) were randomly selected for data collection. Our evaluation and analysis were focused on the public perception of the government policy approach in resolving the environmentally-related conflict in the region, support to this approach and the likelihood of youth involvement in violent agitation in the region. From our data, we pinpointed and demonstrated the weaknesses and unpopular nature of the dominant policy approach in the region as well as the latent energy of environmental conflict in the region. For policy relevance of the study, we ran a statistical cross examination on prevailing sociological issues in the region relevant to sustainable environmental and conflict resolution policy in the region. Our study established some factors relevant to inclusive society policy in achieving sustainable peace in the region such as public perception of government approach to their environmental challenges, socially-inclusive mode of consultation, age etc. in view of the strength of our data, the findings and suggestion of the study will help the Nigerian government to the threshold of people oriented and sustainable policies in dealing with the ceaseless conflict agitations in the region. The study aims to contribute in the current social scientific literature, the point of individual involvement in environmental conflict in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria

    Extrasolar Planets in the Classroom

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    The field of extrasolar planets is still, in comparison with other astrophysical topics, in its infancy. There have been about 300 or so extrasolar planets detected and their detection has been accomplished by various different techniques. Here we present a simple laboratory experiment to show how planets are detected using the transit technique. Following the simple analysis procedure describe we are able to determine the planetary radius to be 1.27 +/- 0.20 R_{J} which, within errors agrees with the establish value of 1.32 +/- 0.25 R_{J}.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, published in Physics Educatio

    Challenges of Hirschsprung’s disease presenting in an adult: a case report

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    Hirschprung’s disease is rare in adults; it is often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. We present a 34 year old man illustrating the clinical characteristic of the pathology, the diagnostic clues and assessing the therapeutic approach. Definitive diagnosis is established on histology specimen from the rectum and the disease was confined to the rectosigmoid .Treatment involved sigmoid colostomy, anterior resection with colorectal anastomosis with a posterior myotomy

    The bio-corrosive nature of injection water sources used in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

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    The bio-corrosive nature of injection water used in the Nigerian oil and gas industry from different sources such as seawater, produced water, brackish water, fresh and underground water were investigated with special emphasis on some of their components which enhance corrosion such as microbial activity, dissolved oxygen and presence of dissolved substances such as chlorides, sulfates and ammonia. Our investigation reveals that seawater, produced water and brackish water had higher salinity, conductivity, concentrations of dissolved oxygen, TDS, sulfate, organic nutrients, sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB), acid producing bacteria (APB) and higher corrosion rates (0.24-0.56 mm yr-1) than fresh and underground water whose corrosion rates ranged between 0.06-0.08 mm yr-1. Our study also established high correlation between corrosion rates and the concentrations of Fe2+, SRB, APB, TDS, DO and conductivity in all injection water samples examined in the study. The role of microorganisms in enhancing corrosion was also clearly established in some samples

    AVAILABILITY AND ADEQUACY OF INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT FOR TEACHING OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION COMPONENT OF THE BASIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN EDO STATE, NIGERIA

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    This study assessed the extent of availability and adequacy of infrastructural facilities and equipment for the teaching of physical education (PE) component of the Basic Science and Technology in junior secondary schools in Edo State. Two research questions were raised to guide the study. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consists of three hundred and ninety-five teachers (78 PE teachers and all 317 head teachers) of public junior secondary schools in Edo State. The sample size of this study was one hundred and sixty teachers (70 PE teachers and 90 head teachers) in public junior secondary schools in Edo State. A multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted to select the sample for the study. A checklist was employed as a research instrument and validated using Cronbach’s Alpha statistics with a coefficient value of 0.72. The data collected were analysed using the descriptive statistics of frequency count, percentage, mean and standard deviation. The findings of the study showed that most infrastructural facilities and equipment for the teaching of physical education component of the Basic Science and Technology are not available, adequate or functional. It was concluded that the implementation of the PE component of the Basic Science and Technology curriculum seems to be facing some problems in the areas of having adequate facilities and equipment, professionally qualified teachers, better in-service training for teachers, students' attitudes among others. It was therefore recommended that adequate facilities and equipment used in the physical education component of Basic Science and Technology should be made available and seen to be functional in schools.  Article visualizations

    Feasible Environmental Kuznets and Institutional Quality in North and Southern African Sub-regions

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    One of the goals of Africa as a developing continent is to grow and also reduce environmental pollution. Most studies investigate the presence of inverted U-shaped environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) using pollutants such as carbon dioxide (CO2), the use of point pollutants such as suspended particulate matter (SPM) is not so popular in literature. Similarly, most studies that assess the role of institutions in the income-pollution nexus do not investigate their capability in achieving feasible turning on the EKC. Focusing on three pollutants, namely: CO2, nitrogen oxide (N2O) and SPM, this study employs system generalised method of moments to assess the role of institutions in two sub-regions (North and Southern Africa) in attaining EKC turning points. Results, among others, indicate that the both sub-regions did not attain a level of average income capable of turning EKC round for CO2 and N2O but do for SPM. It is also revealed that Southern Africa attained EKC faster than North Africa. It is therefore recommended that for the purpose of achieving the goal of green growth, the institutional quality should be strengthened in the two Africa sub-regions, particularly in Southern Africa
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