Characterizing the weather band variability of the Texas shelf current

Considering the benefits of understanding the circulation patterns of the shelf, it is not surprising that there are numerous studies of the Texas Shelf circulation patterns. Given that previous studies were focused on the low-frequency variability of the circulation which is upcoast (northeast flow) in the summer and downcoast (southwest flow) especially on the inner shelf in the non-summer seasons, this study investigates the weather band (2–15 days) variability of the Texas Shelf near-surface circulation pattern. Current meter data at 1.5 m below the sea surface from the inner, mid, and outer shelves were analyzed. This study demonstrated that there are high-frequency current reversals within the weather band in each season. From the estimated persistence of the currents during reversals, the inner and mid shelf currents are predominantly downcoast in the non-summer seasons and upcoast in the summer season whereas the outer shelf currents are mostly upcoast all year round. The Wavelets analysis of the currents revealed that most of the variabilities on the inner and mid shelf regions were within the 4-12-day band whereas on the outer shelf the dominant variability was within the 3–8-day band. From the cross-spectra analysis of both the currents and wind data, it was determined that the influence of the wind was more dominant on the inner and mid shelf regions at the 8–15-day band than on the outer shelf where the contribution of the wind is prevalent at the 2–4-day band

Validation of VDatum In Southeastern Louisiana and Western Coastal Mississippi

© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. We present a novel study to utilize US Geological Survey water level gauges that were not meant for tidal studies to diagnose errors in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Vdatum tool in southeastern Louisiana and western coastal Mississippi. The US NOAA developed a Vertical Datum Transformation tool (VDatum) that allows for conversions between geodetic, orthometric, and tidal vertical datums. However, in southeastern Louisiana and western Mississippi, VDatum uncertainties have been reported by NOAA to be perhaps as high as 0.20–0.50 m (https://vdatum.noaa.gov/). These uncertainties exceed IHO S44 special order and order 1. We performed validation measurements for VDatum in the region of concern at three USGS water level gages (CSX Railroad, Delacroix, and Rigolets) and one offshore location (Chandeleur East) utilizing a HydroLevel buoy. Tidal datums estimated using Modified Range Ratio method at these stations were compared with the corresponding tidal datums determined using VDatum. We hypothesize that the errors in VDatum are due to errors in: the tuning of the model or in the model bathymetry and coastline resulting in an incorrect tidal range, and in the topography of the sea surface in that region

Wpływ zrzucanych ścieków przemysłowych na parametry wód powierzchniowych na obszarze miejskim Onitsha w południowowschodniej Nigerii

Chemical industries in Onitsha urban area of southeastern Nigeria have been discharging large quantities of effluents into surface streams. These streams are the primary sources of water used by poor households for domestic purposes. This study examines the effects of effluents on the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of the recipient streams. This objective was achieved by collecting eight effluents and twenty-two water samples from control points, discharge locations and exit chutes of the effluents for analysis. The results of the study characterised the effluents and their effects on the recipient streams. The effluents cause gross pollution of the streams as most of the parameters including pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), Mg, NO3, Fe, Cu, Pb, Cr, total heterotrophic count (THC) and total coliform group (TCG) returned high values that exceeded the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) benchmark from 2011 for drinking water quality. Only dissolved oxygen (DO), Na, Zn, Ca, and Na returned values lower than the WHO guideline. E. coli was found in all the samples; TCG was also high. This paper, therefore, recommends that the effluent generating industries should treat their effluents before disposal.Przemysł chemiczny na obszarze miejskim Onitsha w południowowschodniej Nigerii odprowadza duże ilości ścieków do strumieni. Strumienie te są podstawowym źródłem wody dla ubogich gospodarstw domowych. W pracy analizowano wpływ ścieków przemysłowych na fizyczne, chemiczne i mikrobiologiczne właściwości wody w strumieniach. Cel ten osiągnięto, pobierając próby wody do analiz z 8 odpływów, z 22 punktów kontrolnych i miejsc zrzutu. Wyniki charakteryzują odpływy i ich wpływ na wody odbiornika ścieków. Zrzuty ścieków powodowały znaczne zanieczyszczenie strumieni, ponieważ większość parametrów (pH, zawiesiny, mętność, BZT, ChZT, Mg, NO3, Fe, Cu, Pb, Cr, suma bakterii heterotroficznych, bakterie grupy coli) przekraczała normy jakości wody pitnej ustalone przez WHO w 2011 r. Jedynie stężenie rozpuszczonego tlenu, Na, Zn, Ca i Na spełniały te normy. Obecność E. coli stwierdzano we wszystkich próbkach, duże były także wartości stężenia bakterii grupy coli. Zaleca się, aby zakłady przemysłowe poddawały ścieki oczyszczaniu przed ich zrzutem do strumieni

Emergency myomectomy during pregnancy: a case report

A 25 year old primigravida at 17 weeks gestation, whose pregnancy was complicated by uterine fibroid, is presented. Physical signs and ultrasonography suggested ovarian malignancy complicating pregnancy. Exploratory laparotomy done with the surgeons revealed a degenerated, ruptured, giant mass that weighed 11.6kg. The mass was attached to the right lateral side of the uterine fundus, by a thick and short pedicle. It was also adherent to the infracolic omentum, the pelvic and abdominal parietal peritoneum. Histopathological diagnosis was degenerated uterine fibroid. Pregnancy, labour and puerperium were uneventful, with a spontaneous vertex delivery of a life male baby. Keywords: pregnancy, uterine fibroids, myomectomy Tropical Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Vol. 22(1) 2005: 79-8

Biodiesel production from waste cat fish oil using heterogeneous catalyst from cat fish born: A viable waste management approach, and ANN modeling of biodiesel yield

Biodiesel from vegetable or animal feedstock can serve as a suitable source for renewable energy. This study utilized heterogeneous catalyst obtained from fish bone for biodiesel production from raw cat fish waste (CFW) oil. The CFW oil yield obtained using wet reduction extraction method was 96.85 %. The heterogeneous catalyst was prepared by calcination at 600 °C, for 4 h and characterized using SEM-EDX. Catalyst characterization showed suitable elements that can improve the catalytic activity. Physiochemical characterization results showed that viscosity of CFW oil (48.782 mm2/s), reduced to 9.391 mm2/s in the produced biodiesel. Similarly, after transesterification free fatty acid (3.593 mg/KOH/Kg) and acid value (7.186 mg/KOH/Kg) of CFW oil reduced to 1.48 mg/KOH/Kg and 2.96 mg/KOH/Kg, respectively, in the biodiesel. Finding from the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrum of the raw CFW oil showed the presence of –OH and was assigned to the axial deformation of water molecule. However, the –OH group disappeared in the FTIR spectrum of biodiesel due to the transesterification process. This observation is consistent with the findings for moisture contents of raw CFW oil (0.073 %) and biodiesel (0.00 %), which showed disappearance of water after transesterification. The biodiesel yield was further modeled using three algorithms (Scaled conjugate gradient, Bayesian regularization and Levenberg maraquardt) of the artificial neural network (ANN). It was evident that the predictions from the Scaled conjugate gradient algorithm were comparable to the experimental responses. Finally, transesterification of raw CFW oil using heterogeneous catalyst from fish bone, was a cost-effective approach for biodiesel production

Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS coinfection in patients attending Directly Observed Treatment Short‐course (DOTS) centers in Anambra State, Nigeria: A retrospective study

Background and Aim(S)This study retrospectively assessed the prevalence of TB and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS coinfection among patients that attended the Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) centers in Anambra State, Southeast, Nigeria, between 2013 and 2017.MethodsThe study adopted a descriptive and retrospective epidemiological survey design. A total of 1443 case files of patients aged 15−60 who were treated in DOTS centers selected from Anambra State's 21 Local Government Areas between 2013 and 2017 were investigated. The uniform data form, a standardized instrument used in Anambra State's health facilities for data collection, was used to collect data from case files of all those identified as coinfected with TB and HIV/AIDS.ResultsThe mean prevalence rate of TB and HIV/AIDS coinfection in the state during the 5-year period (2013–2017) was 20.00%. The highest annual prevalence of TB and HIV/AIDS coinfection was recorded in 2014 (23.84%). The state's prevalence of TB and HIV/AIDS coinfection increased dramatically from 13.17% in 2013 to 23.84% in 2014, followed by a slight downward trend to 22.80% in 2015, 20.17% in 2016, and 20.03% in 2017. In terms of gender, age, marital status, and occupation, females (59.5%), those aged 15 to 25 years (30.7%), married people (43.90%), and traders/business owners (50.7%), respectively, had the highest rates of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS coinfection during the study period.ConclusionThe findings of this study show that young people, females, married people, and traders/business owners appear to be the most vulnerable groups affected by TB and HIV/AIDS coinfection, accounting for the majority of the disease burden in the state. To address the high prevalence of TB and HIV/AIDS coinfection in the Anambra State, novel intervention and control programs should be developed and implemented, and existing intervention frameworks should be strengthened