Background and purpose: Migraine is a common debilitating condition with variable prevalence in young Nigerians with significant deterioration in normal daily functioning and in the quality of life. Few data exist on ...Background and purpose: Migraine is a common debilitating condition with variable prevalence in young Nigerians with significant deterioration in normal daily functioning and in the quality of life. Few data exist on the disability of migraine in Nigeria. The aim of this study was to measure the headache related disability of patients with migraine using the MIDAS among young Nigerians. Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted in Enugu South East Nigeria. The questionnaire was designed to assess headache profiles according to ICHD-III beta and disability using the Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire. Results: About 40.6% of migraineurs were concerned about headache attacks and 39.1% consulted a doctor because of migraine. Most students were affected due to reduced effectiveness at school and number of days missed from housework—18.8% and 20.3% respectively. Overall, 47.8% had at least one day affected by headache in the last three months. The mean number of days disabled by headache was 14.3 days. The mean headache frequency was 5.7 days and the mean pain intensity was 4.2. About 27.5% of the migraineurs had moderate to severe disability due to migraine. There were no significant differences between males and females. Conclusion: Most with migraine experienced reduction in effectiveness at school and number of days missed from housework. Overall, 47.8% had at least one day affected by headache with an average of 14.3 days disabled by headache and 27.5% of the migraineurs had moderate to severe disability due to migraine.展开更多
BACKGROUND Vaccine hesitancy is a major challenge in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.Identifying the sociodemographic factors associated with vaccine acceptance among Nigerians is cruc...BACKGROUND Vaccine hesitancy is a major challenge in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.Identifying the sociodemographic factors associated with vaccine acceptance among Nigerians is crucial for improving vaccine uptake.AIM To assess the acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccine and its related determinants among Nigerians.METHODS An online cross-sectional survey(observational study)was conducted between February 2021 and May 2021,using a questionnaire hosted on SurveyMonkey.The invitation to take part in the poll was sent out to participants through social networking platforms.A logistic regression was used to determine which sociodemographic factors were associated with vaccine acceptance constructs.RESULTS A total of 1800 persons responded to the survey,a larger proportion of whom were males(53.9%)and within the age group of 21-30 years(29.4%)and earned an average income of less than$500 per month(43.3%).Only 0.56%of participants had a high perceived risk of COVID-19 infection,while only 1.11%had a perceived risk of dying from COVID-19.The perception rate of the COVID-19 vaccine among participants was 51.1%,while the acceptance rate was 63.9%.There was no significant association between the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate and related determinants assessed,particularly age(χ²=3.049,P=0.550),sex(χ²=0.102,P=0.749),average income(χ²=3.802,P=0.875),and religion(χ²=2.819,P=0.420).Participants with chronic conditions demonstrated a higher acceptance rate compared to the general population.CONCLUSION Despite the positive perception observed and substantial vaccine acceptance rate among the study participants,more public health interventions are still needed to enhance vaccine acceptability in Nigeria.展开更多
<strong>Introduction:</strong> The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected critical sectors of human development. To curtail these effects, vaccines are being approved for human trials. It is, therefore, important ...<strong>Introduction:</strong> The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected critical sectors of human development. To curtail these effects, vaccines are being approved for human trials. It is, therefore, important to know the possible vaccine coverage expected in each country. This study determined the willingness of Nigerians to accept and pay for COVID-19 vaccine. <strong>Methods:</strong> A cross-sectional web-based survey across all states of Nigeria was conducted via a structured e-questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and multinomial logistic regression were conducted. <strong>Result:</strong> A total of 502 responses were obtained from all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, comprising 67.3% males (n = 338) and 32.7% females (n = 164). The results indicated that 34.7% (n = 167) are willing to accept the vaccine when given for free, 33.9% (n = 163) are not willing, and up to 31.4% (n = 151) are indifferent in their decision. Univariate analysis indicated the likelihood that education level could influence willingness to accept the vaccine (F = 2.408, p = 0.049). Rollout strategies may have an impact (p < 0.0001) on the willingness to accept the vaccine. These strategies include providing incentives, making it compulsory and paying for the vaccine with F = 186.983 and eta = 0.657, F =71.620 and Eta = 0.476, F = 108.696 and Eta = 0.552, respectively. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The study revealed a possibility of the low willingness of Nigerians to accept COVID-19 vaccine. Providing incentives is likely to improve coverage, while making the vaccine compulsory may increase rejection. This study, therefore, serves as a gateway for government and policymakers on how best to prime and penetrate the society to achieve massive COVID-19 vaccine coverage in Nigeria.展开更多
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is emerging as a new clinical disorder among children and adolescents. Although there is increasing prevalence of this clinical entity among adolescents worldwide, its diagnosis among N...Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is emerging as a new clinical disorder among children and adolescents. Although there is increasing prevalence of this clinical entity among adolescents worldwide, its diagnosis among Nigerian children and adolescents is still uncommon, hence, the reason many physicians still misdiagnose T2DM in adolescents as type 1 diabetes mellitus for reason of age of onset. Here, we present a 15-year old, overweight, girl who presented with history of polyuria, polydipsia and weight loss;her blood glucose level was 14.3 mmol/l, glycated haemoglobin 12.4% and glycosuria (3+), with no ketonuria or proteinuria. She was initially diagnosed as type 1 diabetes and managed with multiple doses of insulin by the pediatric team until she was later reviewed by the endocrinology unit. The diagnosis was later changed to early-onset T2DM (Youth-onset T2DM) based on a BMI of 29.75 kg/m2, presence of acanthosis nigricans, absence of ketosis, preserved beta-cell function as shown by normal serum C-peptide levels, absence of anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies and islet cell antibody, and also response to oral anti-diabetic agents while her insulin therapy was discontinued. Therefore, a possibility of T2DM should be suspected in childhood and adolescent with diabetes associated with overweight or obesity, relatives with T2DM and features of insulin resistance (IR) like acanthosis nigricans, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), hyperandrogenism, or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).展开更多
Background: There is paucity of data on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among stroke patients in our population. This study aimed at assessing CVD risk factors amongst stroke patients compared with apparentl...Background: There is paucity of data on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among stroke patients in our population. This study aimed at assessing CVD risk factors amongst stroke patients compared with apparently healthy controls. Methods: This was a case-control study conducted at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano. One hundred stroke subjects were consecutively recruited and compared with 100 age and sex matched controls. The CVD risk factors assessed were hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, obesity, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, socioeconomic status (SES), increased age, male gender and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status. Results: Mean age was 56.4 ± 15.8 years for cases and 54.5 ± 15.4 years for controls (p = 0.39), and 53% of the former and 52% of the latter were males (p = 0.887). The most prevalent CVD risk factor was hypertension, found in 71% of cases and 42% of the controls, (p = 0.01). All heart diseases were found in 70% of cases and 21% of controls (p < 0.001), and hypertensive heart disease (HHD) was the commonest, found in 55% of cases and 18% of controls (p < 0.001). Dyslipidemia was found in 53% of cases and 37% of the controls (p = 0.023), diabetes mellitus/hyperglycemia in 23% of the cases and 6% of the controls (p = 0.01), history of transient ischemic attack (TIA) in 19% of cases and 1% of the controls (p = 0.01), while atrial fibrillation was found in 9% of cases only. Other risk factors were uncommon. Conclusion: The most frequent CVD risk factors among Nigerians with stroke were systemic hypertension, heart diseases, male sex and dyslipidemia, while HIV and other risk factors were uncommon. Thus medical attention and public enlightenment should focus on the common ones as detected in this study.展开更多
Sorption characteristics of multiple adsorption of six heavy metal ions often found in refinery waste waters using activated carbon from Nigerian bamboo was investigated. The bamboo was cut, washed and dried. It was c...Sorption characteristics of multiple adsorption of six heavy metal ions often found in refinery waste waters using activated carbon from Nigerian bamboo was investigated. The bamboo was cut, washed and dried. It was carbonized between 350℃ - 500℃, and activated at 800℃ using nitric acid. Simultaneous batch adsorption of different heavy metal ions (Cd<sup>2+</sup>, Ni<sup>2+</sup>, Pb<sup>2+</sup>, Cr<sup>3+</sup>, Cu<sup>2+</sup> and Zn<sup>2+</sup>) in same aqueous solution using activated carbon from Nigerian bamboo was carried out. The adsorption process had a better fit for the Freundlich, Temkin isotherm and Dubinin-Radushke-vich (DRK) isotherm models but could not fit well into Langmuir isotherm. Adsorption isotherms showed that there is competition among various metals for adsorption sites on Nigerian bamboo. The DRK model was used to determine the nature of the sorption process and was found to be physical and chemical, with sorption energy of metal ions ranging from (7 - 10 kJ/mol). The adsorption of Cd<sup>2+</sup>, Zn<sup>2+</sup>, Pb<sup>2+</sup> and Ni<sup>2+</sup> ions was chemisorptions and that of Cu<sup>2+</sup> and Cr<sup>3+</sup> ions was cooperative adsorption. Therefore, this study revealed that Nigerian bamboo can serve as a good source of activated carbon with multiple and simultaneous metalions—removing potentials and may serve as a better replacement for commercial activated carbons in applications that warrant their use.展开更多
To determine passive haemagglutination (PHA) antibody titer that would protect chicks against Nigerian isolates of the Infectious Bursa Disease Virus (IBDV), five groups of chicks aged 30 days which had different anti...To determine passive haemagglutination (PHA) antibody titer that would protect chicks against Nigerian isolates of the Infectious Bursa Disease Virus (IBDV), five groups of chicks aged 30 days which had different antibody titers were challenged with a Nigerian isolate of virulent IBDV. Mortality rates of the different groups were plotted against their respective mean PHA antibody titers. A group with zero antibody titer had a mortality rate of 75% while those with PHA antibody titers of 185.6, 243.2, 256 and 307.2 had mortality rates of 40%, zero, zero and zero respectively. Linear equation generated for a line of best fit of the graph of mortality rates of the chicks on their IBD antibody titers gave antibody titer (X) at which mortality (Y) would be zero as 300. A mortality of 75% and the high antibody level needed to protect chicks suggest that the isolate may be a hypervirulent strain.展开更多
In 2010, an estimated 400 to 500 children died of acute lead poisoning associated with artisanal gold mining in Zamfara, Nigeria. Processing of gold ores containing up to 10% lead within residential compounds put resi...In 2010, an estimated 400 to 500 children died of acute lead poisoning associated with artisanal gold mining in Zamfara, Nigeria. Processing of gold ores containing up to 10% lead within residential compounds put residents, especially children, at the highest risk. Principal routes of exposure were incidental ingestion and inhalation of contaminated soil and dusts. Several Nigerian and international health organizations collaborated to reduce lead exposures through environmental remediation and medical treatment. The contribution of contaminated food to total lead exposure was assessed during the environmental health response. Objectives of this investigation were to assess the influence of cultural/dietary habits on lead exposure pathways and estimate the contribution of contaminated food to children＇s blood lead levels（BLLs）. A survey of village dietary practices and staple food lead content was conducted to determine dietary composition, caloric intakes, and lead intake. Potential blood lead increments were estimated using bio-kinetic modeling techniques. Most dietary lead exposure was associated with contamination of staple cereal grains and legumes during post-harvest processing and preparation in contaminated homes. Average post-harvest and processed cereal grain lead levels were 0.32 mg/kg and 0.85 mg/kg dry weight, respectively. Age-specific food lead intake ranged from 7 to 78 μg/day. Lead ingestion and absorption were likely aggravated by the dusty environment, fasting between meals, and nutritional deficiencies. Contamination of staple cereal grains by highly bioavailable pulverized ores could account for as much as 11%–34% of children＇s BLLs during the epidemic, and were a continuing source after residential soil remediation until stored grain inventories were exhausted.展开更多
Newspaper political cartoons,known for their satirical nature,employ semiotic and linguistic techniques to comment on or criticise political leaders and events humorously.While previous studies on Nigerian newspaper p...Newspaper political cartoons,known for their satirical nature,employ semiotic and linguistic techniques to comment on or criticise political leaders and events humorously.While previous studies on Nigerian newspaper political cartoons have focused on ideological issues and discourse frames,little attention has been given to the linguistic investigation of semiotic humour techniques in these cartoons.This study,therefore,investigates these humour techniques,utilising Salvatore Attardo and Victor Raskin’s General Theory of Verbal Humour(GTVH)as the framework within a descriptive design.Three newspapers-Punch,The Guardian,and Daily Trust-were purposively selected for their regular publication of cartoons,criticising Nigeria’s politics.Eleven political cartoons were purposively selected for their semiotic and humorous depictions of Nigeria’s politics,and subjected to linguistic analysis.Six semiotic humour techniques were identified in the cartoons:exaggeration,humorous metaphor,distortion of formulaic expressions,neologism,innovative collocation,and sarcasm.These techniques were employed to satirise three governance issues in Nigeria-misgovernance,corruption and insecurity.展开更多
The wide acceptability of Nigerian hip hop music,home and abroad,indicates increasing value of the inclusion of local popular languages in the composition and performance of the music.In the text of many of the award ...The wide acceptability of Nigerian hip hop music,home and abroad,indicates increasing value of the inclusion of local popular languages in the composition and performance of the music.In the text of many of the award winning singles and albums are mixtures of different languages ranging from English,Pidgin English,Yoruba,Igbo and other local dialects.Drawing on Ferdinand de Saussure’s theory of structuralism,this study examines meaning construction in hip hop music in Nigeria.By focusing on the Nigerian hip hop artists,who adopt different slangs embedded with codes considered absurd within the mainstream cultural milieu,the study closely investigates constructed meanings in the lyrics of four Nigerian award winning hip hop artists.All the artists adopted multilingual codes-switching from one language to another in presentation of their messages.The codes in the songs generally symbolise and present messages or meaning that appears out of the mainstream cultural meanings.Listeners and artistes meet at the level of interpretations.The article argues that Nigerian artists creatively present a sub-culture where they and their fans can relate through codes and words embedded with symbolic meanings shared by both artists and fans.展开更多
Objective:The methanol extracts of the leaves of Kolancheo(K.) pinnata,Aspilia(A.) africana,Mucuna (M.) pruriens,Emilia(E.) coccinea,Triumfetta(T.) rhomboidea,Laportea(L.) ovalifolis,Celosia(C.) trigynea,Cucurbita(C.)...Objective:The methanol extracts of the leaves of Kolancheo(K.) pinnata,Aspilia(A.) africana,Mucuna (M.) pruriens,Emilia(E.) coccinea,Triumfetta(T.) rhomboidea,Laportea(L.) ovalifolis,Celosia(C.) trigynea,Cucurbita(C.)moschata and Asystesia(A.)gangestica were evaluated for antioxidant activities,the reducing potentials of these plants were also determined and phytochemical screening of some of these plants were carried out.Methods:The antioxidant activities of these plants were evaluated by the use of 2,2-diphenyl -1 -picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) free radical assay and spectrophotomer.The reducing potentials of these plants were determined using Ferric chloride,Potassium Ferricyanide and Trichloroacetic acid proceedures. The phytochemical screenings of the medicinal plants were equally done using standard procedures.Results: The percentage of antioxidant activities values for the plants were:(31.00±1.80)%,(58.40±1.26) %,(59.10±1.60)%,(60.00±1.05)%,(60.80±1.28)%,(62.40±1.26)%,(64.80±2. 10)%,(75.70±2.60)%and(82.70±2.80)%for A.gangestica,C.moschata,C.trigynea,L. ovalifolia,E.coccinea,M.pruriens,A.africana,K.pinnata and T.rhomboidea.respectively.These values were dose-dependent and statistically significant at P < 0.05(ANOVA).The results showed that T.rhomboidea had the highest antioxidant activity value(82.70±2.80%) while A.gangestica had the least value (31.00±1.80%).The percentage of antioxidant activities of these plants were comparable to the standard used,Tocopherol which was found to be(97.20±1.06)%.The reducing potentials of the plants were found to be positively correlated to the antioxidant activities of the plants.Phytochemical screenings revealed the presence of alkaloids,flavonoids,terpenoids,saponins and tannins in the medicinal plants.Conclusion:The findings from this study have revealed the potentials of these plants as antioxidants.This could be exploited in drug development in search of powerful antioxidants which are urgently needed to challenge free radicals in biological systems.It will conseq展开更多
Overtime, reduction in the amount of heat generated in engineering systems in operations have been of great concern and have continuously been under study. It is in line with the above that this research work develope...Overtime, reduction in the amount of heat generated in engineering systems in operations have been of great concern and have continuously been under study. It is in line with the above that this research work developed a mathematical model of an evaporative cooling pad using sintered Nigerian clay. A physical model of the evaporative cooling phenomenon was developed followed by the derivation of the governing equations describing the energy and mass transfer for the clay model from the laws of conservation of continuum mechanics. A set of reasonable and appropriate as-sumptions were imposed upon the physical model. Constitutive relationships were also developed for further analysis of the developed equations. The finite element model of numerical methods was used to analyse the energy transfer governing equations which resulted in the determination of the temperature of the exposed boundary surface at any given time, t2 after the commencement of the evaporative cooling processes. In this paper, it was found out that surface temperature differences could be as much as 6?C in the first cycle of evaporative cooling with the potential of further reduction. Further, an equation for the prediction of the effectiveness of an evaporative cooling system using clay modeled cooling pads was developed. The findings in this research work can be applied in the design, construction and maintenance of evaporative coolers used to dissipate waste heat when a large amount of natural water is not readily available or if for environmental and safety reasons the large water body can no longer absorb waste heat.展开更多
BACKGROUND Most occurrences of type 1 diabetes cases in any population are sporadic rather than familial.Hence,type 1 diabetes among siblings is a rare occurrence.Even more rare is for three or more siblings to develo...BACKGROUND Most occurrences of type 1 diabetes cases in any population are sporadic rather than familial.Hence,type 1 diabetes among siblings is a rare occurrence.Even more rare is for three or more siblings to develop type 1 diabetes.In this report,we describe a case of a Nigerian family in which type 1 diabetes occurred in three siblings among four children with neither parent having diabetes.All three siblings are positive for glutamic acid decarboxylase and anti-islet cell antibodies.CASE SUMMARY There were four siblings(three males and one female)born to a couple without a diagnosis of diabetes.The eldest child(male)was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 15,the second child(female)was diagnosed at the age of 11 and the fourth child(male)was diagnosed at the age of 9.All the siblings presented with similar osmotic symptoms and were diagnosed of diabetic ketoacidosis.All of them had markedly reduced serum C-peptide levels with high levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase and insulinoma-associated protein-2 antibodies.We could not perform genetic analysis of HLA-DR,DQ and CTLA4 in the siblings as well as the parents;hence haplotypes could not be characterized.Both parents of the probands have no prior history of diabetes,and their blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels were within normal ranges.The third child(male)has no history suggestive of diabetes,and his blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin have remained within normal ranges.CONCLUSION Although the occurrence of type 1 diabetes in proband siblings is uncommon,screening for diabetes among siblings especially with islet autoantibodies should be encouraged.展开更多
Multi-beam,sub-bottom and multichannel seismic data acquired from the western Nigerian continental margin are analysed and interpreted to examine the architectural characteristics of the lower parts of the submarine c...Multi-beam,sub-bottom and multichannel seismic data acquired from the western Nigerian continental margin are analysed and interpreted to examine the architectural characteristics of the lower parts of the submarine canyons on the margin.The presence of four canyons： Avon,Mahin,Benin,and Escravos,are confirmed from the multi-beam data map and identified as cutting across the shelf and slope areas,with morphological features ranging from axial channels,moderate to high sinuosity indices,scarps,terraces and nickpoints which are interpreted as resulting from erosional and depositional activities within and around the canyons.The Avon Canyon,in particular,is characterised by various branches and sub-branches with complex morphologies.The canyons are mostly U-shaped in these lower parts with occasional V-shapes down their courses.Their typical orientation is NE–SW.Sedimentary processes are proposed as being a major controlling factor in these canyons.Sediments appear to have been discharged directly into the canyons by rivers during the late Quaternary low sea level which allows river mouths to extend as far as the shelf edge.The current sediment supply is still primarily sourced from these rivers in the case of the Benin and Escravos Canyons,but indirectly in the case of the Avon and Mahin Canyons where the rivers discharge sediments into the lagoons and the lagoons bring the sediments on to the continental shelf before they are dispersed into the canyon heads.Ancient canyons that have long been buried underneath the Avon Canyon are identified in the multichannel seismic profile across the head of the Avon Canyon,while a number of normal faults around the walls of the Avon and Mahin Canyons are observed in the selected sub-bottom profiles.The occurrence of these faults,especially in the irregular portions of the canyon walls,suggests that they also have some effect on the canyon architecture.The formation of the canyons is attributed to the exposure of the upper marginal area to incisions from erosion during the 展开更多
The aim of this paper is to review previous works on the performance appraisal of Nigerian government-owned refineries. The review has been done in a general sense, covering appraisal works by engineers, scientists, m...The aim of this paper is to review previous works on the performance appraisal of Nigerian government-owned refineries. The review has been done in a general sense, covering appraisal works by engineers, scientists, management experts, economists, sociologists and even historians. The outcome indicates that while there seems to be several works directly and/or indirectly assessing the performance of the refineries in a general sense, there is a dearth of such in the specific area of energy consumption. There also appears to be no single one appraising energy utilisation of all the refineries at the same time in the open literature. This is in spite of the fact that refining processes are energy intensive. Despite popularisation of exergy analysis as a veritable tool, the only energy utilisation appraisal within our reach which was carried out on just one of the refineries has not been done exergetically. However, the work still reveals, within the limitations of 1st Law energy analysis that the energy consumption patterns are below international benchmarks in the oil and gas industry. Some suggestions have also been offered to take care of the energy efficiency challenges in these refineries. These include plant to plant analyses of energy utilisation patterns in the four refineries, periodical determination of GHG emission levels in the refineries using current international best practices as benchmarks, use of exergy analysis to check avoidable energy wastage in the refining processes, shifting refinery fuelling pattern in favour of low carbon content fuels like natural gas and ensuring regular turnaround maintenance of the system.展开更多
An economically-important trait in poultry for which gene identification <span style="font-family:Verdana;">continues to be a challenge is immune response. The objective of the study </span><s...An economically-important trait in poultry for which gene identification <span style="font-family:Verdana;">continues to be a challenge is immune response. The objective of the study </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">was</span><span style="font-family:;" "=""> </span><span style="font-family:;" "=""><span style="font-family:Verdana;">to quantitate the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II <i></i></span><i><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">BLB2</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></i> gene at cytolytic and latent immune response stages in Nigerian indigenous chickens. </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A total of 108 Nigerian indigenous chickens (NIC) were sourced across the South-western states in Nigeria. The birds were inoculated with sheep red blood cells (SRBC), after which blood samples were obtained (5 days post-inoculation) and antibody haemagglutination test was carried out to place the birds into groups of high and low antibody titre levels.</span><span style="font-family:;" "=""> </span><span style="font-family:;" "=""><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The categorisation of the birds resulted in six groups of normal feather high, normal feather low, naked neck high, naked neck low, frizzle feather high and frizzle feather low antibody groups. </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A total of 48 chicks w</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">ere</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> selected from the progeny for gene expression studies. </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Surgical excision of thymus and spleen was carried out for the detection of cytolytic and latent responses of the birds. β-actin was used as the endogenous control and the critical threshold method</span><span> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">(2<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><sup></sup></span><sup></sup></span><span style="font-family:;" "=""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><sup>–ΔΔCт</sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"></span>) w展开更多
Background： Sheep is important in the socio-economic lives of people around the world. It is estimated that more than half of our once common livestock breeds are now endangered. Since genetic characterization of Nig...Background： Sheep is important in the socio-economic lives of people around the world. It is estimated that more than half of our once common livestock breeds are now endangered. Since genetic characterization of Nigerian sheep is still lacking, we analyzed ten morphological traits on 402 animals and 15 microsatellite DNA markers in 384 animals of the 4 Nigerian sheep breeds to better understand genetic diversity for breeding management and germplasm conservation. Results： Morphological traits of Uda and Balami were significantly （P 〈 0.05） higher than Yankasa, which were both higher than West African Dwarf （WAD） sheep. Stepwise discriminant analysis showed tail length, rump height, chest girth, ear length and chest depth as the most discriminating variables for classification. Mahalanobis distances show the least differentiation between Uda and Balami and the largest between WAD and Balami sheep. While 93.3% of WAD sheep were correctly assigned to their source genetic group, 63.9% of Yankasa, 61.2% of Balami and 45.2% of Uda were classified correctly by nearest neighbour discriminant analysis. The overall high Polymorphism Information Content （PIC） of all microsatellite markers ranged from 0.751 to 0.927 supporting their use in genetic characterization. Expected heterozygosity was high for all loci （0.783 to 0.93）. Mean heterozygote deficiency across all populations （0.17] to 0.534） possibly indicate significant inbreeding （P 〈 0.05）. Mean values for FST, FIT and F^s statistics across all loci were 0.088, 0.394 and 0.336 respectively. Yankasa and Balami are the most closely related breeds （DA = 0.184） while WAD and Balami are the farthest apart breeds （DA-- 0.665）, which is coincident with distance based on morphological analysis and population structure assessed by STRUCTURE. Conclusions： These results suggest that within-breed genetic variation in Nigerian sheep is higher than between-breeds and may be a valuable tool for genetic improvement and conservation. The highe展开更多
The relationship between Nigerian Bonny Light crude oil (NBLCO) induced hypoglycaemia and endogenous serum insulin concentration;the role of antioxidant vitamin C or E supplementation was the focus of this study. Fort...The relationship between Nigerian Bonny Light crude oil (NBLCO) induced hypoglycaemia and endogenous serum insulin concentration;the role of antioxidant vitamin C or E supplementation was the focus of this study. Forty adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into group I, which served as the control, group II, which was oral gavaged 6 ml/kg of NBLCO, groups III and IV, which were in addition to 6 ml/kg of NBLCO supplemented with 9 ml/kg and 1 mg/kg of vitamin E or C, respectively for 28 days. Results showed that NBLCO significantly (p < 0.05) lower body weight and food intake compared with control. These effects exerted by NBLCO were however significantly (p < 0.05) reversed by vitamin E or C supplementation. The NBLCO significantly (p < 0.05) reduced fasting blood glucose (FBG) when compared with control, the antioxidant vitamins supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) reversed the crude oil effect. The mean serum insulin level in NBLCO, vitamin E or C supplemented groups is not significantly different from the control. There was no significant correlation between FBG and fasting serum insulin concentrations in all the groups on day 28. It has been demonstrated in this study that direct oral ingestion of crude oil (NBLCO) could reduce food intake, body weight and cause hypoglycemia;the hypoglycemia may not be a function of serum insulin concentration. Interestingly, the hazardous effects of NBLCO could be ameliorated with antioxidant vitamin C or E supplementation.展开更多
Objective: Differences in jobs descriptions and responsibilities may contribute to varying degree of exposure to diseases including high blood pressure. There is dearth of studies comparing blood pressure patterns and...Objective: Differences in jobs descriptions and responsibilities may contribute to varying degree of exposure to diseases including high blood pressure. There is dearth of studies comparing blood pressure patterns and anthropometric parameters between teaching and non-teaching staff of university. Therefore, this study was designed to assess and compare the blood pressure and the anthropometric parameters of both teaching and non-teaching staff of a Nigerian university. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess blood pressure pattern and anthropometric parameters among 324 apparently healthy teaching (n = 120) and non-teaching (n = 202) staff of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Anthropometric parameters including height, weight and hip and waist circumferences were measured. Blood pressure was measured thrice during office hours (9.00 - 11.00 hours) using standard procedures and hypertension was defined as ≥140 ≥90 mmHg. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data at p < 0.05 alpha level. Results: The mean of ages of teaching and non-teaching staff were 46.8 ± 9.8 and 45.6 ± 10.9 years. The prevalence of high blood pressure was 34.9% with a distribution of teaching to non-teaching rate of 20.1% and 14.8% respectively. There were significant correlations between blood pressure and each of weight, body mass index and waist circumference in both groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Prevalence of high blood pressure was higher among teaching than non-teaching staff and significant correlations were found between blood pressure and some anthropometric parameters. Public health including regular physical activity enlightenment programmes to reduce blood pressure is recommended.展开更多
A stock exchange is an exchange where stock brokers and traders can buy and sell shares of stock, bonds, and other securities. All listings are included in the Nigerian Stock Exchange All Shares index. In terms of mar...A stock exchange is an exchange where stock brokers and traders can buy and sell shares of stock, bonds, and other securities. All listings are included in the Nigerian Stock Exchange All Shares index. In terms of market capitalization, the Nigerian Stock Exchange is the third largest stock exchange in Africa. Objectives: The paper assesses the impact of Nigerian Stock Market (all share index, market capitalization, and number of equities) on Gross domestic product (Economic Growth). Materials and Methods: Regression analysis and ordinary least square technique were employed. Result and Discussion: The series was stationary at 1%, 5%, and 10% α level;the residuals were normally distributed but not serially correlated at 5% α level. All Share Index, Market Capitalization and Total Number of listed Equities have a joint and individual significant effect on Economic Growth (Gross Domestic Product) with Total Number of listed Equities having a negative (opposite) linear relationship with the Gross Domestic Product. The Durbin-Watson statistics (R2 = 0.9910 = 1.3686) suggest that the model is not spurious and it is devoid of positive and negative autocorrelation (DW = 1.3686 > dl = 1.07 and DW = 1.5033 ?-?du = 2.17). Therefore, it can produce meaningful result when used for forecasting a positive relationship between gross domestic product, all share index and market capitalization with a 99.1% R-square value. Significant Positive connection between all share index, market capitalization, the number of equities and gross domestic product suggests that government policies and bills aimed towards rapid development of the capital market should be initiated.展开更多
文摘Background and purpose: Migraine is a common debilitating condition with variable prevalence in young Nigerians with significant deterioration in normal daily functioning and in the quality of life. Few data exist on the disability of migraine in Nigeria. The aim of this study was to measure the headache related disability of patients with migraine using the MIDAS among young Nigerians. Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted in Enugu South East Nigeria. The questionnaire was designed to assess headache profiles according to ICHD-III beta and disability using the Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire. Results: About 40.6% of migraineurs were concerned about headache attacks and 39.1% consulted a doctor because of migraine. Most students were affected due to reduced effectiveness at school and number of days missed from housework—18.8% and 20.3% respectively. Overall, 47.8% had at least one day affected by headache in the last three months. The mean number of days disabled by headache was 14.3 days. The mean headache frequency was 5.7 days and the mean pain intensity was 4.2. About 27.5% of the migraineurs had moderate to severe disability due to migraine. There were no significant differences between males and females. Conclusion: Most with migraine experienced reduction in effectiveness at school and number of days missed from housework. Overall, 47.8% had at least one day affected by headache with an average of 14.3 days disabled by headache and 27.5% of the migraineurs had moderate to severe disability due to migraine.
文摘BACKGROUND Vaccine hesitancy is a major challenge in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.Identifying the sociodemographic factors associated with vaccine acceptance among Nigerians is crucial for improving vaccine uptake.AIM To assess the acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccine and its related determinants among Nigerians.METHODS An online cross-sectional survey(observational study)was conducted between February 2021 and May 2021,using a questionnaire hosted on SurveyMonkey.The invitation to take part in the poll was sent out to participants through social networking platforms.A logistic regression was used to determine which sociodemographic factors were associated with vaccine acceptance constructs.RESULTS A total of 1800 persons responded to the survey,a larger proportion of whom were males(53.9%)and within the age group of 21-30 years(29.4%)and earned an average income of less than$500 per month(43.3%).Only 0.56%of participants had a high perceived risk of COVID-19 infection,while only 1.11%had a perceived risk of dying from COVID-19.The perception rate of the COVID-19 vaccine among participants was 51.1%,while the acceptance rate was 63.9%.There was no significant association between the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate and related determinants assessed,particularly age(χ²=3.049,P=0.550),sex(χ²=0.102,P=0.749),average income(χ²=3.802,P=0.875),and religion(χ²=2.819,P=0.420).Participants with chronic conditions demonstrated a higher acceptance rate compared to the general population.CONCLUSION Despite the positive perception observed and substantial vaccine acceptance rate among the study participants,more public health interventions are still needed to enhance vaccine acceptability in Nigeria.
文摘<strong>Introduction:</strong> The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected critical sectors of human development. To curtail these effects, vaccines are being approved for human trials. It is, therefore, important to know the possible vaccine coverage expected in each country. This study determined the willingness of Nigerians to accept and pay for COVID-19 vaccine. <strong>Methods:</strong> A cross-sectional web-based survey across all states of Nigeria was conducted via a structured e-questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and multinomial logistic regression were conducted. <strong>Result:</strong> A total of 502 responses were obtained from all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, comprising 67.3% males (n = 338) and 32.7% females (n = 164). The results indicated that 34.7% (n = 167) are willing to accept the vaccine when given for free, 33.9% (n = 163) are not willing, and up to 31.4% (n = 151) are indifferent in their decision. Univariate analysis indicated the likelihood that education level could influence willingness to accept the vaccine (F = 2.408, p = 0.049). Rollout strategies may have an impact (p < 0.0001) on the willingness to accept the vaccine. These strategies include providing incentives, making it compulsory and paying for the vaccine with F = 186.983 and eta = 0.657, F =71.620 and Eta = 0.476, F = 108.696 and Eta = 0.552, respectively. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The study revealed a possibility of the low willingness of Nigerians to accept COVID-19 vaccine. Providing incentives is likely to improve coverage, while making the vaccine compulsory may increase rejection. This study, therefore, serves as a gateway for government and policymakers on how best to prime and penetrate the society to achieve massive COVID-19 vaccine coverage in Nigeria.
文摘Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is emerging as a new clinical disorder among children and adolescents. Although there is increasing prevalence of this clinical entity among adolescents worldwide, its diagnosis among Nigerian children and adolescents is still uncommon, hence, the reason many physicians still misdiagnose T2DM in adolescents as type 1 diabetes mellitus for reason of age of onset. Here, we present a 15-year old, overweight, girl who presented with history of polyuria, polydipsia and weight loss;her blood glucose level was 14.3 mmol/l, glycated haemoglobin 12.4% and glycosuria (3+), with no ketonuria or proteinuria. She was initially diagnosed as type 1 diabetes and managed with multiple doses of insulin by the pediatric team until she was later reviewed by the endocrinology unit. The diagnosis was later changed to early-onset T2DM (Youth-onset T2DM) based on a BMI of 29.75 kg/m2, presence of acanthosis nigricans, absence of ketosis, preserved beta-cell function as shown by normal serum C-peptide levels, absence of anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies and islet cell antibody, and also response to oral anti-diabetic agents while her insulin therapy was discontinued. Therefore, a possibility of T2DM should be suspected in childhood and adolescent with diabetes associated with overweight or obesity, relatives with T2DM and features of insulin resistance (IR) like acanthosis nigricans, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), hyperandrogenism, or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
文摘Background: There is paucity of data on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among stroke patients in our population. This study aimed at assessing CVD risk factors amongst stroke patients compared with apparently healthy controls. Methods: This was a case-control study conducted at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano. One hundred stroke subjects were consecutively recruited and compared with 100 age and sex matched controls. The CVD risk factors assessed were hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, obesity, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, socioeconomic status (SES), increased age, male gender and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status. Results: Mean age was 56.4 ± 15.8 years for cases and 54.5 ± 15.4 years for controls (p = 0.39), and 53% of the former and 52% of the latter were males (p = 0.887). The most prevalent CVD risk factor was hypertension, found in 71% of cases and 42% of the controls, (p = 0.01). All heart diseases were found in 70% of cases and 21% of controls (p < 0.001), and hypertensive heart disease (HHD) was the commonest, found in 55% of cases and 18% of controls (p < 0.001). Dyslipidemia was found in 53% of cases and 37% of the controls (p = 0.023), diabetes mellitus/hyperglycemia in 23% of the cases and 6% of the controls (p = 0.01), history of transient ischemic attack (TIA) in 19% of cases and 1% of the controls (p = 0.01), while atrial fibrillation was found in 9% of cases only. Other risk factors were uncommon. Conclusion: The most frequent CVD risk factors among Nigerians with stroke were systemic hypertension, heart diseases, male sex and dyslipidemia, while HIV and other risk factors were uncommon. Thus medical attention and public enlightenment should focus on the common ones as detected in this study.
文摘Sorption characteristics of multiple adsorption of six heavy metal ions often found in refinery waste waters using activated carbon from Nigerian bamboo was investigated. The bamboo was cut, washed and dried. It was carbonized between 350℃ - 500℃, and activated at 800℃ using nitric acid. Simultaneous batch adsorption of different heavy metal ions (Cd<sup>2+</sup>, Ni<sup>2+</sup>, Pb<sup>2+</sup>, Cr<sup>3+</sup>, Cu<sup>2+</sup> and Zn<sup>2+</sup>) in same aqueous solution using activated carbon from Nigerian bamboo was carried out. The adsorption process had a better fit for the Freundlich, Temkin isotherm and Dubinin-Radushke-vich (DRK) isotherm models but could not fit well into Langmuir isotherm. Adsorption isotherms showed that there is competition among various metals for adsorption sites on Nigerian bamboo. The DRK model was used to determine the nature of the sorption process and was found to be physical and chemical, with sorption energy of metal ions ranging from (7 - 10 kJ/mol). The adsorption of Cd<sup>2+</sup>, Zn<sup>2+</sup>, Pb<sup>2+</sup> and Ni<sup>2+</sup> ions was chemisorptions and that of Cu<sup>2+</sup> and Cr<sup>3+</sup> ions was cooperative adsorption. Therefore, this study revealed that Nigerian bamboo can serve as a good source of activated carbon with multiple and simultaneous metalions—removing potentials and may serve as a better replacement for commercial activated carbons in applications that warrant their use.
文摘To determine passive haemagglutination (PHA) antibody titer that would protect chicks against Nigerian isolates of the Infectious Bursa Disease Virus (IBDV), five groups of chicks aged 30 days which had different antibody titers were challenged with a Nigerian isolate of virulent IBDV. Mortality rates of the different groups were plotted against their respective mean PHA antibody titers. A group with zero antibody titer had a mortality rate of 75% while those with PHA antibody titers of 185.6, 243.2, 256 and 307.2 had mortality rates of 40%, zero, zero and zero respectively. Linear equation generated for a line of best fit of the graph of mortality rates of the chicks on their IBD antibody titers gave antibody titer (X) at which mortality (Y) would be zero as 300. A mortality of 75% and the high antibody level needed to protect chicks suggest that the isolate may be a hypervirulent strain.
文摘In 2010, an estimated 400 to 500 children died of acute lead poisoning associated with artisanal gold mining in Zamfara, Nigeria. Processing of gold ores containing up to 10% lead within residential compounds put residents, especially children, at the highest risk. Principal routes of exposure were incidental ingestion and inhalation of contaminated soil and dusts. Several Nigerian and international health organizations collaborated to reduce lead exposures through environmental remediation and medical treatment. The contribution of contaminated food to total lead exposure was assessed during the environmental health response. Objectives of this investigation were to assess the influence of cultural/dietary habits on lead exposure pathways and estimate the contribution of contaminated food to children＇s blood lead levels（BLLs）. A survey of village dietary practices and staple food lead content was conducted to determine dietary composition, caloric intakes, and lead intake. Potential blood lead increments were estimated using bio-kinetic modeling techniques. Most dietary lead exposure was associated with contamination of staple cereal grains and legumes during post-harvest processing and preparation in contaminated homes. Average post-harvest and processed cereal grain lead levels were 0.32 mg/kg and 0.85 mg/kg dry weight, respectively. Age-specific food lead intake ranged from 7 to 78 μg/day. Lead ingestion and absorption were likely aggravated by the dusty environment, fasting between meals, and nutritional deficiencies. Contamination of staple cereal grains by highly bioavailable pulverized ores could account for as much as 11%–34% of children＇s BLLs during the epidemic, and were a continuing source after residential soil remediation until stored grain inventories were exhausted.
文摘Newspaper political cartoons,known for their satirical nature,employ semiotic and linguistic techniques to comment on or criticise political leaders and events humorously.While previous studies on Nigerian newspaper political cartoons have focused on ideological issues and discourse frames,little attention has been given to the linguistic investigation of semiotic humour techniques in these cartoons.This study,therefore,investigates these humour techniques,utilising Salvatore Attardo and Victor Raskin’s General Theory of Verbal Humour(GTVH)as the framework within a descriptive design.Three newspapers-Punch,The Guardian,and Daily Trust-were purposively selected for their regular publication of cartoons,criticising Nigeria’s politics.Eleven political cartoons were purposively selected for their semiotic and humorous depictions of Nigeria’s politics,and subjected to linguistic analysis.Six semiotic humour techniques were identified in the cartoons:exaggeration,humorous metaphor,distortion of formulaic expressions,neologism,innovative collocation,and sarcasm.These techniques were employed to satirise three governance issues in Nigeria-misgovernance,corruption and insecurity.
文摘The wide acceptability of Nigerian hip hop music,home and abroad,indicates increasing value of the inclusion of local popular languages in the composition and performance of the music.In the text of many of the award winning singles and albums are mixtures of different languages ranging from English,Pidgin English,Yoruba,Igbo and other local dialects.Drawing on Ferdinand de Saussure’s theory of structuralism,this study examines meaning construction in hip hop music in Nigeria.By focusing on the Nigerian hip hop artists,who adopt different slangs embedded with codes considered absurd within the mainstream cultural milieu,the study closely investigates constructed meanings in the lyrics of four Nigerian award winning hip hop artists.All the artists adopted multilingual codes-switching from one language to another in presentation of their messages.The codes in the songs generally symbolise and present messages or meaning that appears out of the mainstream cultural meanings.Listeners and artistes meet at the level of interpretations.The article argues that Nigerian artists creatively present a sub-culture where they and their fans can relate through codes and words embedded with symbolic meanings shared by both artists and fans.
基金Mac Arthur Foundation,through the University of Port Harcourt(UNIPORT)Dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical sciences(UNIPORT) Nigeria
文摘Objective:The methanol extracts of the leaves of Kolancheo(K.) pinnata,Aspilia(A.) africana,Mucuna (M.) pruriens,Emilia(E.) coccinea,Triumfetta(T.) rhomboidea,Laportea(L.) ovalifolis,Celosia(C.) trigynea,Cucurbita(C.)moschata and Asystesia(A.)gangestica were evaluated for antioxidant activities,the reducing potentials of these plants were also determined and phytochemical screening of some of these plants were carried out.Methods:The antioxidant activities of these plants were evaluated by the use of 2,2-diphenyl -1 -picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) free radical assay and spectrophotomer.The reducing potentials of these plants were determined using Ferric chloride,Potassium Ferricyanide and Trichloroacetic acid proceedures. The phytochemical screenings of the medicinal plants were equally done using standard procedures.Results: The percentage of antioxidant activities values for the plants were:(31.00±1.80)%,(58.40±1.26) %,(59.10±1.60)%,(60.00±1.05)%,(60.80±1.28)%,(62.40±1.26)%,(64.80±2. 10)%,(75.70±2.60)%and(82.70±2.80)%for A.gangestica,C.moschata,C.trigynea,L. ovalifolia,E.coccinea,M.pruriens,A.africana,K.pinnata and T.rhomboidea.respectively.These values were dose-dependent and statistically significant at P < 0.05(ANOVA).The results showed that T.rhomboidea had the highest antioxidant activity value(82.70±2.80%) while A.gangestica had the least value (31.00±1.80%).The percentage of antioxidant activities of these plants were comparable to the standard used,Tocopherol which was found to be(97.20±1.06)%.The reducing potentials of the plants were found to be positively correlated to the antioxidant activities of the plants.Phytochemical screenings revealed the presence of alkaloids,flavonoids,terpenoids,saponins and tannins in the medicinal plants.Conclusion:The findings from this study have revealed the potentials of these plants as antioxidants.This could be exploited in drug development in search of powerful antioxidants which are urgently needed to challenge free radicals in biological systems.It will conseq
文摘Overtime, reduction in the amount of heat generated in engineering systems in operations have been of great concern and have continuously been under study. It is in line with the above that this research work developed a mathematical model of an evaporative cooling pad using sintered Nigerian clay. A physical model of the evaporative cooling phenomenon was developed followed by the derivation of the governing equations describing the energy and mass transfer for the clay model from the laws of conservation of continuum mechanics. A set of reasonable and appropriate as-sumptions were imposed upon the physical model. Constitutive relationships were also developed for further analysis of the developed equations. The finite element model of numerical methods was used to analyse the energy transfer governing equations which resulted in the determination of the temperature of the exposed boundary surface at any given time, t2 after the commencement of the evaporative cooling processes. In this paper, it was found out that surface temperature differences could be as much as 6?C in the first cycle of evaporative cooling with the potential of further reduction. Further, an equation for the prediction of the effectiveness of an evaporative cooling system using clay modeled cooling pads was developed. The findings in this research work can be applied in the design, construction and maintenance of evaporative coolers used to dissipate waste heat when a large amount of natural water is not readily available or if for environmental and safety reasons the large water body can no longer absorb waste heat.
文摘BACKGROUND Most occurrences of type 1 diabetes cases in any population are sporadic rather than familial.Hence,type 1 diabetes among siblings is a rare occurrence.Even more rare is for three or more siblings to develop type 1 diabetes.In this report,we describe a case of a Nigerian family in which type 1 diabetes occurred in three siblings among four children with neither parent having diabetes.All three siblings are positive for glutamic acid decarboxylase and anti-islet cell antibodies.CASE SUMMARY There were four siblings(three males and one female)born to a couple without a diagnosis of diabetes.The eldest child(male)was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 15,the second child(female)was diagnosed at the age of 11 and the fourth child(male)was diagnosed at the age of 9.All the siblings presented with similar osmotic symptoms and were diagnosed of diabetic ketoacidosis.All of them had markedly reduced serum C-peptide levels with high levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase and insulinoma-associated protein-2 antibodies.We could not perform genetic analysis of HLA-DR,DQ and CTLA4 in the siblings as well as the parents;hence haplotypes could not be characterized.Both parents of the probands have no prior history of diabetes,and their blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels were within normal ranges.The third child(male)has no history suggestive of diabetes,and his blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin have remained within normal ranges.CONCLUSION Although the occurrence of type 1 diabetes in proband siblings is uncommon,screening for diabetes among siblings especially with islet autoantibodies should be encouraged.
基金The National Key R&D Program of China under contract NO.2017YFC1405504the National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No.41470648+1 种基金the Public Science and Technology Research Funds Projects of Ocean under contract No.201205003the National Program on Global Change and Air-Sea Interaction,SOA under contract No.631 GASI-GEOGE-01
文摘Multi-beam,sub-bottom and multichannel seismic data acquired from the western Nigerian continental margin are analysed and interpreted to examine the architectural characteristics of the lower parts of the submarine canyons on the margin.The presence of four canyons： Avon,Mahin,Benin,and Escravos,are confirmed from the multi-beam data map and identified as cutting across the shelf and slope areas,with morphological features ranging from axial channels,moderate to high sinuosity indices,scarps,terraces and nickpoints which are interpreted as resulting from erosional and depositional activities within and around the canyons.The Avon Canyon,in particular,is characterised by various branches and sub-branches with complex morphologies.The canyons are mostly U-shaped in these lower parts with occasional V-shapes down their courses.Their typical orientation is NE–SW.Sedimentary processes are proposed as being a major controlling factor in these canyons.Sediments appear to have been discharged directly into the canyons by rivers during the late Quaternary low sea level which allows river mouths to extend as far as the shelf edge.The current sediment supply is still primarily sourced from these rivers in the case of the Benin and Escravos Canyons,but indirectly in the case of the Avon and Mahin Canyons where the rivers discharge sediments into the lagoons and the lagoons bring the sediments on to the continental shelf before they are dispersed into the canyon heads.Ancient canyons that have long been buried underneath the Avon Canyon are identified in the multichannel seismic profile across the head of the Avon Canyon,while a number of normal faults around the walls of the Avon and Mahin Canyons are observed in the selected sub-bottom profiles.The occurrence of these faults,especially in the irregular portions of the canyon walls,suggests that they also have some effect on the canyon architecture.The formation of the canyons is attributed to the exposure of the upper marginal area to incisions from erosion during the
文摘The aim of this paper is to review previous works on the performance appraisal of Nigerian government-owned refineries. The review has been done in a general sense, covering appraisal works by engineers, scientists, management experts, economists, sociologists and even historians. The outcome indicates that while there seems to be several works directly and/or indirectly assessing the performance of the refineries in a general sense, there is a dearth of such in the specific area of energy consumption. There also appears to be no single one appraising energy utilisation of all the refineries at the same time in the open literature. This is in spite of the fact that refining processes are energy intensive. Despite popularisation of exergy analysis as a veritable tool, the only energy utilisation appraisal within our reach which was carried out on just one of the refineries has not been done exergetically. However, the work still reveals, within the limitations of 1st Law energy analysis that the energy consumption patterns are below international benchmarks in the oil and gas industry. Some suggestions have also been offered to take care of the energy efficiency challenges in these refineries. These include plant to plant analyses of energy utilisation patterns in the four refineries, periodical determination of GHG emission levels in the refineries using current international best practices as benchmarks, use of exergy analysis to check avoidable energy wastage in the refining processes, shifting refinery fuelling pattern in favour of low carbon content fuels like natural gas and ensuring regular turnaround maintenance of the system.
文摘An economically-important trait in poultry for which gene identification <span style="font-family:Verdana;">continues to be a challenge is immune response. The objective of the study </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">was</span><span style="font-family:;" "=""> </span><span style="font-family:;" "=""><span style="font-family:Verdana;">to quantitate the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II <i></i></span><i><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">BLB2</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></i> gene at cytolytic and latent immune response stages in Nigerian indigenous chickens. </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A total of 108 Nigerian indigenous chickens (NIC) were sourced across the South-western states in Nigeria. The birds were inoculated with sheep red blood cells (SRBC), after which blood samples were obtained (5 days post-inoculation) and antibody haemagglutination test was carried out to place the birds into groups of high and low antibody titre levels.</span><span style="font-family:;" "=""> </span><span style="font-family:;" "=""><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The categorisation of the birds resulted in six groups of normal feather high, normal feather low, naked neck high, naked neck low, frizzle feather high and frizzle feather low antibody groups. </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A total of 48 chicks w</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">ere</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> selected from the progeny for gene expression studies. </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Surgical excision of thymus and spleen was carried out for the detection of cytolytic and latent responses of the birds. β-actin was used as the endogenous control and the critical threshold method</span><span> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">(2<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><sup></sup></span><sup></sup></span><span style="font-family:;" "=""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><sup>–ΔΔCт</sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"></span>) w
基金supported by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. USAsupport from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the award of the Norman Borlaug Leadership Enhancement in Agriculture Program (LEAP)Fellowship to Moses Okpekuresearch grant from International Foundation for Science, Stockholm to Moses Okpeku
文摘Background： Sheep is important in the socio-economic lives of people around the world. It is estimated that more than half of our once common livestock breeds are now endangered. Since genetic characterization of Nigerian sheep is still lacking, we analyzed ten morphological traits on 402 animals and 15 microsatellite DNA markers in 384 animals of the 4 Nigerian sheep breeds to better understand genetic diversity for breeding management and germplasm conservation. Results： Morphological traits of Uda and Balami were significantly （P 〈 0.05） higher than Yankasa, which were both higher than West African Dwarf （WAD） sheep. Stepwise discriminant analysis showed tail length, rump height, chest girth, ear length and chest depth as the most discriminating variables for classification. Mahalanobis distances show the least differentiation between Uda and Balami and the largest between WAD and Balami sheep. While 93.3% of WAD sheep were correctly assigned to their source genetic group, 63.9% of Yankasa, 61.2% of Balami and 45.2% of Uda were classified correctly by nearest neighbour discriminant analysis. The overall high Polymorphism Information Content （PIC） of all microsatellite markers ranged from 0.751 to 0.927 supporting their use in genetic characterization. Expected heterozygosity was high for all loci （0.783 to 0.93）. Mean heterozygote deficiency across all populations （0.17] to 0.534） possibly indicate significant inbreeding （P 〈 0.05）. Mean values for FST, FIT and F^s statistics across all loci were 0.088, 0.394 and 0.336 respectively. Yankasa and Balami are the most closely related breeds （DA = 0.184） while WAD and Balami are the farthest apart breeds （DA-- 0.665）, which is coincident with distance based on morphological analysis and population structure assessed by STRUCTURE. Conclusions： These results suggest that within-breed genetic variation in Nigerian sheep is higher than between-breeds and may be a valuable tool for genetic improvement and conservation. The highe
文摘The relationship between Nigerian Bonny Light crude oil (NBLCO) induced hypoglycaemia and endogenous serum insulin concentration;the role of antioxidant vitamin C or E supplementation was the focus of this study. Forty adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into group I, which served as the control, group II, which was oral gavaged 6 ml/kg of NBLCO, groups III and IV, which were in addition to 6 ml/kg of NBLCO supplemented with 9 ml/kg and 1 mg/kg of vitamin E or C, respectively for 28 days. Results showed that NBLCO significantly (p < 0.05) lower body weight and food intake compared with control. These effects exerted by NBLCO were however significantly (p < 0.05) reversed by vitamin E or C supplementation. The NBLCO significantly (p < 0.05) reduced fasting blood glucose (FBG) when compared with control, the antioxidant vitamins supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) reversed the crude oil effect. The mean serum insulin level in NBLCO, vitamin E or C supplemented groups is not significantly different from the control. There was no significant correlation between FBG and fasting serum insulin concentrations in all the groups on day 28. It has been demonstrated in this study that direct oral ingestion of crude oil (NBLCO) could reduce food intake, body weight and cause hypoglycemia;the hypoglycemia may not be a function of serum insulin concentration. Interestingly, the hazardous effects of NBLCO could be ameliorated with antioxidant vitamin C or E supplementation.
文摘Objective: Differences in jobs descriptions and responsibilities may contribute to varying degree of exposure to diseases including high blood pressure. There is dearth of studies comparing blood pressure patterns and anthropometric parameters between teaching and non-teaching staff of university. Therefore, this study was designed to assess and compare the blood pressure and the anthropometric parameters of both teaching and non-teaching staff of a Nigerian university. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess blood pressure pattern and anthropometric parameters among 324 apparently healthy teaching (n = 120) and non-teaching (n = 202) staff of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Anthropometric parameters including height, weight and hip and waist circumferences were measured. Blood pressure was measured thrice during office hours (9.00 - 11.00 hours) using standard procedures and hypertension was defined as ≥140 ≥90 mmHg. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data at p < 0.05 alpha level. Results: The mean of ages of teaching and non-teaching staff were 46.8 ± 9.8 and 45.6 ± 10.9 years. The prevalence of high blood pressure was 34.9% with a distribution of teaching to non-teaching rate of 20.1% and 14.8% respectively. There were significant correlations between blood pressure and each of weight, body mass index and waist circumference in both groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Prevalence of high blood pressure was higher among teaching than non-teaching staff and significant correlations were found between blood pressure and some anthropometric parameters. Public health including regular physical activity enlightenment programmes to reduce blood pressure is recommended.
文摘A stock exchange is an exchange where stock brokers and traders can buy and sell shares of stock, bonds, and other securities. All listings are included in the Nigerian Stock Exchange All Shares index. In terms of market capitalization, the Nigerian Stock Exchange is the third largest stock exchange in Africa. Objectives: The paper assesses the impact of Nigerian Stock Market (all share index, market capitalization, and number of equities) on Gross domestic product (Economic Growth). Materials and Methods: Regression analysis and ordinary least square technique were employed. Result and Discussion: The series was stationary at 1%, 5%, and 10% α level;the residuals were normally distributed but not serially correlated at 5% α level. All Share Index, Market Capitalization and Total Number of listed Equities have a joint and individual significant effect on Economic Growth (Gross Domestic Product) with Total Number of listed Equities having a negative (opposite) linear relationship with the Gross Domestic Product. The Durbin-Watson statistics (R2 = 0.9910 = 1.3686) suggest that the model is not spurious and it is devoid of positive and negative autocorrelation (DW = 1.3686 > dl = 1.07 and DW = 1.5033 ?-?du = 2.17). Therefore, it can produce meaningful result when used for forecasting a positive relationship between gross domestic product, all share index and market capitalization with a 99.1% R-square value. Significant Positive connection between all share index, market capitalization, the number of equities and gross domestic product suggests that government policies and bills aimed towards rapid development of the capital market should be initiated.
