Modification and Performance Evaluation of Active Solar Dryer for High Moisture Tomato Crop

In this study, two active solar cabinet dryers with capacity each to dry 10 kg of fresh vegetable were fabricated. The drying cabinet of the first dryer was fabricated using plywood and is refer to as unmodified dryer (UM) while the second dryer with white transparent glass and is refer to as modified dryer (MD). The performances of the two dryers in terms of total drying time, final moisture content obtained and preservation of nutritive values of the dried vegetable were investigated using tomato as sample. Ten kilogram of the sample were sliced to about 1cm and neatly arranged in the drying chamber for the drying process in a period of two days (8am-6pm). The results revealed that there was a reduction in total drying time of 2.5 hours, from 18 hours in UM to 15.5hours in MD which corresponds to reduction in moisture content (wet basis) from initial value of 92% to final moisture content of 12- 13.3%. The results further revealed that maximum drying rate of 6.9 kg/h was observed for UM dryer and 9.4 kg/h for MD both obtained within 8 hours of drying time.  The average temperature recorded in the MD was found more than the UM by about 13°C at 3.00pm. The efficiency of the MD in terms of reduction in total drying time was 13.89% higher than the UM. Proximate analysis result shows the composition of the dried tomato in the UM to be protein, 0.76%; lipids, 1.00%; vitamin E, 0.0083%; moisture content, 13.3%; ash, 0.60% and crude fiber, 1.80%. However, the composition of dried tomato in MD were protein, 0.69%; lipids, 0.90%; vitamin E, 0.0080%; moisture content, 12%; ash, 0.58% and crude fiber, 1.78%

Facilitating Community Development through Institutional Engagements: Reflections from 2016 Nigeria IACD Conference

This article reports on recent experiences of the conference/workshop management team and the host (Kwara State University - KWASU) of the fourth meeting of the Nigerian members and potential members of the International Association for Community Development (IACD) and the third National Community Development Consultative Conference/Workshop, held in Malete, Kwara State Nigeria from 11 to 14 October 2016. In reviewing the meeting and conference/workshop, the following sub-topics were used for organizing the contents of the article: community development and institutional engagements in Nigeria; IACD National Association in Nigeria; conference/workshop theme and overview; participations/state representatives and conference streams; keynote addresses; conference mobile learning workshop; conference/workshop assessment; and conclusion. The article also draws out implications of the conference/workshop for community development practice and professionalism in workplace settings within national contexts with mandatory institution supports. Finally, brief perspectives of the next Nigeria IACD conference to be held in Kano State are also provided. Keywords: Community Development, Institutional Engagements, Nigeria, IACD-Nigeria Conference 201

Switching from exact scheme to nonstandard finite difference scheme for linear delay differential equation

One-dimensional models are important for developing, demonstrating and testing new methods and approaches, which can be extended to more complex systems. We design for a linear delay differential equation a reliable numerical method, which consists of two time splits as follows: (a) It is an exact scheme at the early time evolution −τ ≤ t ≤ τ, where τ is the discrete value of the delay; (b) Thereafter, it is a nonstandard finite difference (NSFD) scheme obtained by suitable discretizations at the backtrack points. It is shown theoretically and computationally that the NSFD scheme is dynamically consistent with respect to the asymptotic stability of the trivial equilibrium solution of the continuous model. Extension of the NSFD to nonlinear epidemiological models and its good performance are tested on a numerical example.Three of the authors (SMG, ASH and JM-SL) acknowledge the support of the South African DST/NRF SARChI chair in Mathematical Models and Methods in Bioengineering and Biosciences (M3B2). ASH acknowledges the support of MacArthur Foundation, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria. ABG acknowledges, with thanks, the support, in part, of the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada.http://www.elsevier.com/ locate/amchb201

The global burden of adolescent and young adult cancer in 2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the global cancer burden in adolescents and young adults (aged 15-39 years) are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, with a focus on the outcome of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), to inform global cancer control measures in adolescents and young adults. Methods Using the GBD 2019 methodology, international mortality data were collected from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and population-based cancer registry inputs modelled with mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Incidence was computed with mortality estimates and corresponding MIRs. Prevalence estimates were calculated using modelled survival and multiplied by disability weights to obtain years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated as age-specific cancer deaths multiplied by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. The main outcome was DALYs (the sum of YLLs and YLDs). Estimates were presented globally and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintiles (countries ranked and divided into five equal SDI groups), and all estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). For this analysis, we used the age range of 15-39 years to define adolescents and young adults. Findings There were 1.19 million (95% UI 1.11-1.28) incident cancer cases and 396 000 (370 000-425 000) deaths due to cancer among people aged 15-39 years worldwide in 2019. The highest age-standardised incidence rates occurred in high SDI (59.6 [54.5-65.7] per 100 000 person-years) and high-middle SDI countries (53.2 [48.8-57.9] per 100 000 person-years), while the highest age-standardised mortality rates were in low-middle SDI (14.2 [12.9-15.6] per 100 000 person-years) and middle SDI (13.6 [12.6-14.8] per 100 000 person-years) countries. In 2019, adolescent and young adult cancers contributed 23.5 million (21.9-25.2) DALYs to the global burden of disease, of which 2.7% (1.9-3.6) came from YLDs and 97.3% (96.4-98.1) from YLLs. Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death and tenth leading cause of DALYs in adolescents and young adults globally. Interpretation Adolescent and young adult cancers contributed substantially to the overall adolescent and young adult disease burden globally in 2019. These results provide new insights into the distribution and magnitude of the adolescent and young adult cancer burden around the world. With notable differences observed across SDI settings, these estimates can inform global and country-level cancer control efforts. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

An experimental analysis on the effect of n-pentanol- Calophyllum Inophyllum Biodiesel binary blends in CI engine characteristcis

The objective of this work is to study the addition of n-pentanol with the Calophyllum Inophyllum biodiesel to evaluate the performance, emission and combustion characteristics. Five different fuel blends are prepared by varying the n-pentanol fraction (10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%) on volume basis with biodiesel. The prepared samples are tested in single cylinder constant speed CI engine. The addition of n-pentanol with biodiesel improves the thermal efficiency of the fuel blend up to 30% as compared to pure biodiesel. Among all fuel samples, B90P10 blend has shown higher brake thermal efficiency as 27% which is slightly lower than BTE of diesel fuel. The brake specific fuel consumption of biodiesel-pentanol blends are increased from 4.2% to 27.3% when compared to diesel fuel (D100). However, addition of n-pentanol more than 40% shows a negative effect in terms of performance and combustion. It is noted that biodiesel and n-pentanol blends have shown 15–43% and 33–50% reduction in hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions compared to diesel. Further, the oxides of nitrogen and smoke emissions are found to be lesser for n-pentanol blends while comparing to the pure biodiesel. Among all blends, B90P10 is found to have better performance and emission characteristics