Stroke in Young Adults: A Prospective Study from Northwestern Nigeria

Background. Stroke is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in young adults especially in developing countries. This two-centre prospective study aimed at reviewing the pattern, types, and case fatality of stroke in the young adults in Northwestern part of Nigeria. Methods. Consecutive patients aged 18–40 years admitted to the medical wards of two tertiary hospitals from June 2008 to August 2010 were recruited. Relevant clinical data were obtained from the patients.The survivors were followed up in neurology clinics for 6 months. Results. A total of 71 patients aged 18–40 yrs, (mean age was 31.9 ± 6) comprising 52(73%) males and 19(23%) females were enrolled. Forty two (59.1%) patients had infarctive stroke. The risk factors included hypertension (74.7%) patients, smoking (50.7%), hypercholesterolemia (9.9%), non-hypertensive cardiac diseases (8.5%), HIV (8.5%), diabetes mellitus (4.2%) cocaine and amphetamine (2.8%), and sickle cell disease (2.8%). Only twelve (17%) patients presented within the first 6 hours of onset of stroke. Seventeen (23.9 %) patients died, case fatality in the first 24 and 72 hrs was 4.2% and 19.7%, respectively. Conclusion. Our data suggests that stroke in young adults is not as uncommon as previously suggested. Hypertension, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, cardiac diseases and HIV are the most common risk factors

Expert System-Based Exploratory Approach to Cost Modeling of Reinforced Concrete Office Building

Expert system is a conventional method that is in use in cost modeling, considering its advantage over traditional regression method. It is based on this fact, that this study aimed at deploying neural network in cost modeling of reinforced concrete office building. One hundred (100) samples were selected at random and divided into two; one part was used to develop network algorithm while the second part was used for model validation. Neural network was used to generate the model algorithm; the model is divided into 3 modules: the data optimization module, criteria selection with initializing and terminating modules. Regression analysis was carried out and model validated with Jackknife re-sampling technique. The colinearity analysis indicates high level of tolerance and -0.07403 lowest variation prediction quotients to 0.66639 highest variation quotients. Also the Regression coefficient (R-square) value for determining the model fitness is 0.034 with standard error of 0.048 this attest to the fitness of the model generated. The model is flexible in accommodating new data and variables, thus, it allows for regular updating

Cost Entropy and Expert System Approach to Modeling Cost Smoothing System in Reinforced Concrete Office Building Projects Procurement

The main aim of this research work is to develop an expert system approach to cost smoothing model in reinforced concrete office building project procurement. An econometric model which incorporates exigency escalator and inflation buffer, with entropy threshold for a typical reinforced concrete office building, useful at tendering and construction stages of building projects was developed in this study. As built and bill of quantity value of twenty (20) building projects initiated and completed within 2008 and 2009 were used at random. Elemental dichotomies within the context of early and late constructible elements with speculated prediction period was used, taken into consideration the present value of cost. This attributes would enable a builder or contactor load cost implication of an unseen circumstance even on occasion of deferred cost reimbursement with the aid of average entropy index developed for each project elements. The model was further validated with new samples and discovered to be of high Eigen and contingency coefficient values. The model could help in cost smoothing at different stages of reinforced concrete office building which could further aid cost overrun prevention

Speciation of Chromium and Vanadium in Medicinal Plants

In this study, Cr(VI) and V(V) were determined in medicinal plants collected from the farm located between two smelters. Chromium(VI) and vanadium(V) were leached from medicinal plants with 0.1 M Na2CO3 prior their determination by ETAAS. The concentration of Cr(VI) in medicinal plants varied between 3.1 ± 0.5 μg g–1 and 9.4 ± 0.2 μg g–1 and that of V(V) ranged from 1.1±0.08 μg g–1 to 17±1.7 μg g–1. It was established that element species taken up by plants do not depend on metal content in soil but is a function of plant properties. Results of the determination of water-soluble (hot water) Cr(VI) and V(V) concentrations showed that consumption of three cups of tea prepared from medicinal plants from Zizameleni farm is safe since recommended maximum limits is not exceeded through normal consumption of tea infusion.KEYWORDSSpeciation, leaching, medicinal plants, sodium carbonate, electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Preliminary cytotoxicity studies on some Nigerian medicinal plants used as traditional anticancer remedies

Crinum jagus, Icacina trichantha and Solanum erianthum are used in ethno-medicine for the treatment of cancer. This study screened different parts of these plants (leaves and bulb of C. jagus; leaves and tuber of I. trichantha; and leaves and stem of S. erianthum) for cytotoxicity. Dried samples of these plant parts were extracted  successively with hexane, ethylacetate and methanol using the maceration method and concentrated to dryness using a rotary evaporator. Cytotoxicity studies on the extracts were carried out using the brine shrimp assay at concentrations of 10 μg/mL, 100 μg/mL and 1000 μg/mL (in triplicates). The response of the nauplii to different concentrations of the extracts was observed after 24 h. The LC50 value was used as a measure of the toxicity of the extracts. The LCc50 values for the different extracts of the leaves and bulb of Crinum jagus ranged between 0.251 μg/ml and 10.280 μg/ml. Values ranging between 9.992 μg/mL and 192.602 μg/mL were obtained for the leaves and tuber of Icacina trichantha. The leaves and stem of Solanum erianthum gave LC50 values between 2.395 μg/mL and 84.924 μg/mL. The plant parts under study had very low LC50 values and therefore show promise as potential sources of novel anticancer agents

Investigation of Bulb Extracts of Crinum jagus for Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities

This study investigates the bulb extracts of Crinum jagus for antimicrobial activities. The bulb samples were dried, ground and subjected to successive extraction using hexane, ethylacetate and methanol. The extracts were screened for activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Klebisidlae pneumonae, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium notatum and Rhizopus stolonifer at concentrations between 6.25 and 200 mg/ml. Antimicrobial assays werecarried out using agar diffusion method. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the extracts was determined. The percentage yields obtained for the hexane, ethylacetate and methanol extracts of the bulbs are 0.28 %, 0.44% and 24.68 % respectively. Results showed that the methanolic extract had better antibacterial and antifungal activities than the other extracts. The methanol extract showed the highest antibacterial activity against S. aureus with a zone of inhibition of 28 mm at 200 mg/ml. Also, the methanol extract showed the highest antifungal activities against C. albicans, A. niger and P. notatum with a zone of inhibition of 20 mm at 200 mg/ml. The hexane and ethylacetate extracts had no activity against the microorganisms at 6.25 mg/ml.The methanol extract had the lowest Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 2.50 mg/ml against S. aureus, E. coli, B. subtilis, P. aeruginosa and S. typhi. The methanol extract could be a source of potent antimicrobial compounds. Keywords: Antibacterial, Antifungal, Crinum jagus, Agar diffusion, MI

Comparative Analysis Of Incentives Provision In Foreign And Indigenous Firm And Its Impact On Productivity

This paper presents the comparative analysis of means of enhancing productivity among construction workers with emphasis on financial and non financial incentives. The data were collected from respondent on 15 construction sites, which form nucleus of a stratified population chosen for the research. The questionnaire was designed using Likert rating scale on scale 1 to 4 and seventy questionnaire distributed, while the data were analyzed with the aid of mean item score, spearman correlation coefficient method, cross tabulation analysis was conducted on the incentives and work variables to determine relationship pattern. Also, Chi square analysis and product moment correlation was carried out to validate the existing relationship between incentives and productivity index. This study presents systematic approach through which available means of enhancing workers motivation in construction firms could be identified from the perspective of incentives with particular bias for financial and non-financial incentives. The study concluded with financial incentives like transport allowance, hospital allowance, cash awards, overtime-with-pay and accident insurance being found prevalent in the foreign firms while less of these are engaged at indigenous firms. Availability of Luncheon voucher, transport allowance and vehicle loan that are of financial incentive cadre was recorded at foreign firms relative to transport allowance, overtime-withpay and piece-rate among indigenous firms. Certain of the non-financial incentives could however be combined to reinforce the effect of financial based incentives, this tends to nullify the dis-satisfier factors that impedes productivity. To this end however, non-financial incentives the likes of: social security, conducive, accident free work environment, involvement in decision making and prompt payment of wages could be a potential high productivity inducer, if well administered and managed. This was based on the respondent’s preference for the administration of non-financial incentives. The presence of these as garnered from the respondent’s response accounts for the wide margin between foreign firms and indigenous firm’s productivit

Synthesis of anisotropic 3D nanomagnets for magnetic actuation and sensing in piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride towards magnetic nanogenerator device fabrication

The 3D geometry and anisotropic properties of magnetic nanostructures has been found to have a direct impact on their magnetization properties due to spatial coordinates and larger surface areas, which sheds new light on next-generation materials for advanced applications in magnetic energy harvesting. Our work presents novel pathways for the synthesis and assembly of multifunctional anisotropic 3D nanomagnets with various shapes and sizes with key attention to their anisotropic morphologies. We investigated the excellent properties of these new anisotropic 3D nanomagnets for the design of magnetic actuator systems and nanogenerators by embedding the 3D nanomagnets in a piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer matrix. The 3D nanomagnets-PDVF composites were found to exhibit the highly electroactive β-phase with enhanced piezoelectric sensitivity. Further, the 3D nanomagnets-PDVF thin films have outstanding magnetic responsiveness and actuation capacity ideal for the fabrication of magnetic nanogenerators. These types of materials have a great deal of potential to generate sustainable alternative energy sources through harvesting and conversion of ubiquitous and residual low-frequency environmental magnetic noise into usable electricity

Synthesis of anisotropic 3D nanomagnets for magnetic actuation and sensing in piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride towards magnetic nanogenerator device fabrication

The 3D geometry and anisotropic properties of magnetic nanostructures has been found to have a direct impact on their magnetization properties due to spatial coordinates and larger surface areas, which sheds new light on next-generation materials for advanced applications in magnetic energy harvesting. Our work presents novel pathways for the synthesis and assembly of multifunctional anisotropic 3D nanomagnets with various shapes and sizes with key attention to their anisotropic morphologies. We investigated the excellent properties of these new anisotropic 3D nanomagnets for the design of magnetic actuator systems and nanogenerators by embedding the 3D nanomagnets in a piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer matrix. The 3D nanomagnets-PDVF composites were found to exhibit the highly electroactive β-phase with enhanced piezoelectric sensitivity. Further, the 3D nanomagnets-PDVF thin films have outstanding magnetic responsiveness and actuation capacity ideal for the fabrication of magnetic nanogenerators. These types of materials have a great deal of potential to generate sustainable alternative energy sources through harvesting and conversion of ubiquitous and residual low-frequency environmental magnetic noise into usable electricity

Succession Management: A Proficient Resource in Organisational Sustainability?

The competitive business environment has made it imperative for organisations who desire to remain relevant put forward survival strategies. This study explores the effect of succession management on three dimensions of organizational sustainability among insurance industry employees in Nigeria. Data was collected from a sample of employees from selected companies. The study utilised structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the hypothesized model of succession management and organisational sustainability as separate but related processes. Looking at the three dimensions of sustainability (environmental integrity, economic prosperity and social sustainability) and how they impact succession management, the findings indicate that succession management has a significant relationship with organisational sustainability across all three dimensions. The study concludes that insurance companies comprehend the inherent potential of a robust and active succession management programme in the drive for organisational sustainability. The study further discusses the theoretical implications of the relationship