Application of response surface methodology (RSM) to osmotic dehydration and drying of green bell peppers

A study to investigate the effect of osmotic solution concentrations of common salt (5%(w/w), 10%(w/w), 15%(w/w), 20%(w/w) and 25%(w/w)) and osmotic process durations (60 min, 90 min, 120 min, 150 min and 180 min) at average room temperature of 31 °C on the drying rate and nutritional qualities (vitamin C, crude protein, crude fibre, fat and ash content) of green bell peppers was conducted. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) under central composite design in Design Expert 8.0.3 computer software package was used to design the experiment, analyze data, and present all results with 3-dimensional plots. The temperature of 50 °C was used to dry all the pre-treated samples to the moisture content of about 7% (wb) in a fabricated cabinet dryer. The results showed that an increase in osmotic solution concentration and osmotic process duration caused the drying rate to drop to about 18g/h, then later increase to more than 21g/h; vitamin C did not reduce below 50mg/100g; crude protein increased but later reduced, however the range of about 18-20.5% was obtained; crude fibre increased to about 4.8% but later reduced to about 4.6%; also, fat decreased but later increased to a maximum value of about 16.5%. The increase in osmotic solution concentration kept the ash content at a steady value of about 4.01%, but the increase in osmotic process duration led to a very sharp increase in ash content from 4.01% to 4.25%. All drying rate (15.53g/h) and nutrients values obtained were better than the control value, that is, an untreated dried sample (vitamin C (46.02 mg/100g), crude protein (17.40%), crude fibre (4.16%), fat (11.42%), ash content (4.01%). This further confirmed that osmotic dehydration is a quality improving pre-treatment method

Atmospheric ventilation corridors and coefficients for pollution plume released from an Industrial Facility in Ile-Ife Suburb, Nigeria

This study presents a comparative investigation of atmospheric ventilation corridors and coefficients for gaseous pollution plume released from an isolated industrial facility into the ambient air of the host community in Ile-Ife suburb, southwest Nigeria. For the months of September to December in the year 2012 and 2013, measurement of surface layer atmospheric parameters made from an instrumented mast located near the industrial facility were used to parameterize for mixing layer height (MLH). Estimates of ventilation coefficients were obtained as well as in-depth analysis of the ventilation corridors performed. With an estimated carbon monoxide (CO) emission rate of 3.37 gs-1 from the industrial facility, AERMOD regulatory dispersion model was executed within a domain covering 8 km × 6 km around the host community. Effect of monthly changes in local ventilation corridors on pollutants dispersal at the study location was analyzed. Observed speed wind at the study location was weak (monthly mean value is ~ 1.5 m-s-1). The wind direction was predominantly southwesterly, indicating ventilation corridors were towards the north-east of the region. Characteristic values of the atmospheric ventilation coefficients varied from month to month and from daytime (08:00 to 19:00, GMT+1) to nighttime (20:00 to 07:00, GMT+1) with daily maximum values occurring in the late afternoon between (13:00 to 17: 00, GMT+1). The maximum values obtained were 1216 m2s-1and 1156 m2s-1, 1760 m2s-1 and 1038 m2s-1, 1225 m2s-1 and 691m2s-1, and 1334 and 436 m2s-1 for September to December, 2012 and 2013 respectively. Nighttime values were generally low, mostly less than 200 m2s-1. The study reveals that locations SE and NE of the scrap-iron recycling factory are prevalently exposed to high concentration of gaseous pollutants and the populace in those corridors is potentially susceptible to long-term adverse effects.Key words: Air pollution, ventilation coefficient, ventilation corridors, dispersion, AERMOD

Women's perspectives on epilepsy and its sociocultural impact in south western Nigeria

Background There has been little study of the specific implications of living with epilepsy for women in societies where they already face gender based marginalization. Purpose Understanding the sociocultural aspects of epilepsy in women will help to improve the management of epilepsy in the community. Methods A series of six focus groups were held in urban and rural Southwest Nigeria.Results Epilepsy was commonly attributed to a spiritual attack, witchcraft and other supernatural causes. Denial of the diagnosis of epilepsy was common among women with nocturnal or focal seizures. Majority of women with epilepsy preferred multiple modalities of care in the following order: traditional, spiritual and western. The cost of traditional care was astronomical and most were already impoverished by the time they sought western care. WWE experienced stigma, social exclusion, isolation particularly from paternal relations, in -laws, and community members. Epilepsy related stigma contributed to schooling problems, difficulty in getting married, separation, divorce and problems with childcare and role fulfilment. One unanticipated result of this study was that public announcements made to identify rural study participants created a demand for western health services in rural populations previously unaware that epilepsy could be controlled through western medication.Conclusion Women with epilepsy face significant and persistent social, economic and cultural barriers. There is the need to educate women, their family and community members to reduce misconceptions and stigma. Community based medical treatment can be improved by taking into consideration the surrounding social, economic and cultural challenges faced by women with epilepsy. The care of epilepsy need to be incorporated into the primary health care system; regular awareness campaigns to be carried out in order to improve knowledge and attitudes and reduce stigma and social exclusion of women with epilepsy. Specific social welfare programmes and educational programme should be established to encourage the full integration of women with epilepsy in the society

The prescribing of generic medicines in Nigeria : knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of physicians

Generic medicines have the same efficacy and safety as originators at lower prices. However, there are concerns with their utilization in Nigeria. Evaluate physicians’ understanding and perception of generics. Questionnaire among physicians working in tertiary healthcare facilities in four geo-political regions of Nigeria. Response was 74.3% (191/257) among mainly males (85.9%). The mean knowledge score regarding generics was 5.3 (maximum of 9) with 36.6%, 36.1% and 27.2% having poor, average and good knowledge respectively. Cross-tabulation showed statistical significance (P = 0.047) with the duration of practice but not with position, subspecialty or sex. The majority did not agree that generic medicines are of lower quality than branded medicines. Therapeutic failure was a major concern in 82.7%, potentially discouraging prescribing of generics. Majority (63.9%) did not support generic substitution by pharmacists. Knowledge gaps were identified especially with the perception of generics. These need to be addressed

Assessment of radiogenic heat generation in a flood plain of crystalline Basement rocks

Concentrations of radioelements in a flood plain of Crystalline Basement Complex are determined, with the aim of assessing the radiogenic heat produced in the study area. Ten soil samples are collected for analysis using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry technique from ACME Laboratories. The radiogenic heat contributions by each radioelement in the flood plain varied from 95.70 to 393.37 ρw/kg; 71.68 to 642.56 ρw/kg; and 0.0088 to 0.0188 ρw/kg for uranium, thorium and potassium respectively. However, the total radiogenic heat production varied from 167.39 to 1034.9 ρw/kg, with thorium being the major contributor to the total heat generated in the study area. Nine locations in the study area are characterized by Low Heat Potential (LHP), while the remaining one is characterized by Moderate Heat Potential. On average, the study area could be classified as LHP, which is in agreement with some of the studies in crystalline terrain of Nigeria.Conference or Workshop Item (Paper) Journal of Physics: Conference Serie

Effect of fermentation time and mix ratio on some nutritional qualities of the dry mixture of maize and sorghum powder (Ogi)

The effect of two process conditions (fermentation time (B) and mix ratio (A)) on the dry mixture of maize (M) and sorghum (S) powder (ogi) was investigated. Five mix ratios (1 (M50:S50), 2 (M60:S40), 3 (M70:S30), 4 (M80:S20), 5 (M90:S10)), and five fermentation times (6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 h) were considered. The drying was done at 50 °C in a convective fabricated cabinet dryer. It took about 2 hours for the drying to be completed. After drying, all samples were analysed for the output parameters (carbohydrate, crude fibre crude protein, fat content, vitamin C and magnesium content). The results showed that the interaction of all the levels of the two process conditions did not change the mean values of the carbohydrate, crude protein and magnesium contents of the dried fermented product (ogi powder). Various combinations of all the levels of the two process conditions did not cause the value of the carbohydrate, crude fibre, crude protein, fat, vitamin C and magnesium content to be higher than 83.5%, 0.6%, 3.2%, 1.2%, 3.0%, and 3.85 mg/100g respectively

New onset neuromyelitis optica in a young Nigerian woman with possible antiphospholipid syndrome: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Devic's neuromyelitis optica is an inflammatory demyelinating disease that targets the optic nerves and spinal cord. It has a worldwide distribution and distinctive features that distinguish it from multiple sclerosis. There has been no previous report of neuromyelitis optica from our practice environment, and we are not aware of any case associated with antiphospholipid syndrome in an African person.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the case of a 28-year-old Nigerian woman who presented with neck pain, paroxysmal tonic spasms, a positive Lhermitte's sign and spastic quadriplegia. She later developed bilateral optic neuritis and had clinical and biochemical features of antiphospholipid syndrome. Her initial magnetic resonance imaging showed a central linear hyperintense focus in the intramedullary portion of C2 to C4. Repeat magnetic resonance imaging after treatment revealed resolution of the signal intensity noticed earlier.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Neuromyelitis optica should be considered in the differential diagnoses of acute myelopathy in Africans. We also highlight the unusual association with antiphospholipid syndrome. Physicians should screen such patients for autoimmune disorders.</p

Novel functional insights into ischemic stroke biology provided by the first genome-wide association study of stroke in indigenous Africans

\ua9 The Author(s) 2024. Background: African ancestry populations have the highest burden of stroke worldwide, yet the genetic basis of stroke in these populations is obscure. The Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network (SIREN) is a multicenter study involving 16 sites in West Africa. We conducted the first-ever genome-wide association study (GWAS) of stroke in indigenous Africans. Methods: Cases were consecutively recruited consenting adults (aged &gt; 18 years) with neuroimaging-confirmed ischemic stroke. Stroke-free controls were ascertained using a locally validated Questionnaire for Verifying Stroke-Free Status. DNA genotyping with the H3Africa array was performed, and following initial quality control, GWAS datasets were imputed into the NIH Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) release2 from BioData Catalyst. Furthermore, we performed fine-mapping, trans-ethnic meta-analysis, and in silico functional characterization to identify likely causal variants with a functional interpretation. Results: We observed genome-wide significant (P-value &lt; 5.0E−8) SNPs associations near AADACL2 and miRNA (MIR5186) genes in chromosome 3 after adjusting for hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and cardiac status in the base model as covariates. SNPs near the miRNA (MIR4458) gene in chromosome 5 were also associated with stroke (P-value &lt; 1.0E−6). The putative genes near AADACL2, MIR5186, and MIR4458 genes were protective and novel. SNPs associations with stroke in chromosome 2 were more than 77 kb from the closest gene LINC01854 and SNPs in chromosome 7 were more than 116 kb to the closest gene LINC01446 (P-value &lt; 1.0E−6). In addition, we observed SNPs in genes STXBP5-AS1 (chromosome 6), GALTN9 (chromosome 12), FANCA (chromosome 16), and DLGAP1 (chromosome 18) (P-value &lt; 1.0E−6). Both genomic regions near genes AADACL2 and MIR4458 remained significant following fine mapping. Conclusions: Our findings identify potential roles of regulatory miRNA, intergenic non-coding DNA, and intronic non-coding RNA in the biology of ischemic stroke. These findings reveal new molecular targets that promise to help close the current gaps in accurate African ancestry-based genetic stroke’s risk prediction and development of new targeted interventions to prevent or treat stroke

The effect of Aloe ferox Mill. in the treatment of loperamide-induced constipation in Wistar rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal complaint all over the world and it is a risk factor of colorectal cancer. In this study, the efficacy of aqueous leaf extract of <it>Aloe </it><it>ferox </it>Mill. was studied against loperamide-induced constipation in Wistar rats.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Constipation was induced by oral administration of loperamide (3 mg/kg body weight) while the control rats received normal saline. The constipated rats were treated with 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight/day of the extract for 7 days during which the feeding characteristics, body weight, fecal properties and gastrointestinal transit ratio were monitored.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The extract improved intestinal motility, increased fecal volume and normalized body weight in the constipated rats, which are indications of laxative property of the herb with the 200 mg/kg body weight of the extract showing the best efficacy.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The effect of the extract compares favourably well with senokot, a standard laxative drug. These findings have therefore, lent scientific credence to the folkloric use of the herb as a laxative agent by the people of the Eastern Cape of South Africa.</p

Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cerebral Venous Thrombosis and Mortality

Background and purpose: Recent studies suggested an increased incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We evaluated the volume of CVT hospitalization and in-hospital mortality during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the preceding year. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study of 171 stroke centers from 49 countries. We recorded COVID-19 admission volumes, CVT hospitalization, and CVT in-hospital mortality from January 1, 2019, to May 31, 2021. CVT diagnoses were identified by International Classification of Disease-10 (ICD-10) codes or stroke databases. We additionally sought to compare the same metrics in the first 5 months of 2021 compared to the corresponding months in 2019 and 2020 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04934020). Results: There were 2,313 CVT admissions across the 1-year pre-pandemic (2019) and pandemic year (2020); no differences in CVT volume or CVT mortality were observed. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT volumes compared to 2019 (27.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 24.2 to 32.0; P&lt;0.0001) and 2020 (41.4%; 95% CI, 37.0 to 46.0; P&lt;0.0001). A COVID-19 diagnosis was present in 7.6% (132/1,738) of CVT hospitalizations. CVT was present in 0.04% (103/292,080) of COVID-19 hospitalizations. During the first pandemic year, CVT mortality was higher in patients who were COVID positive compared to COVID negative patients (8/53 [15.0%] vs. 41/910 [4.5%], P=0.004). There was an increase in CVT mortality during the first 5 months of pandemic years 2020 and 2021 compared to the first 5 months of the pre-pandemic year 2019 (2019 vs. 2020: 2.26% vs. 4.74%, P=0.05; 2019 vs. 2021: 2.26% vs. 4.99%, P=0.03). In the first 5 months of 2021, there were 26 cases of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), resulting in six deaths. Conclusions: During the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic, CVT hospitalization volume and CVT in-hospital mortality did not change compared to the prior year. COVID-19 diagnosis was associated with higher CVT in-hospital mortality. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT hospitalization volume and increase in CVT-related mortality, partially attributable to VITT