We present in this study a theoretical review of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), highlighting the history of the disease and its pathophysiology. In addition, we also spotlight the reactions involved in SCD, the kinetics and mechanism of hemoglobin oxygenation and deoxygenation in red blood cell (which is the bane for the change in cell geometry and membrane elasticity in sickle cell patients). Since SCD is a blood disease manifested in the polymerization and deformation of red blood cells, very small capillaries (≤ 10µm) are more prone to occlusion since irreversibly sickled cells (ISC) cannot pass through such vessels because of the loss in deformability. The mathematical models reviewed predicted occurrences (pertaining to red blood cell deformation and geometry) in the vessels to an appreciable accuracy but lacked the ability to predict vasoocclusion in the vessels.
Parkia biglobosa (African locust bean) seed was fermented aerobically to produce a vegetable protein based condiment using various temperature differences and ambient temperature. The rate of fermentation was monitored using three (3) different methods namely: weight loss, pH and Carbon dioxide release. Samples were inoculated using Bacillus subtilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as starter culture. During fermentation, several changes occur in the seeds of the African Locust bean. The difference in the weight loss (initial and final weight of the fermenting samples) were used to monitor the rate of fermentation of the African Locust bean (parkia biglobosa) seeds to vegetable protein called ‘Iru’. Fermentation of this seed to ‘Iru’ is an alkaline fermentation, which was confirmed by this work. As means of monitoring the rate of fermentation, the evolution of CO2 was also monitored.
In this study, the chemical compositions of waste okra stalks and rice husks were investigated and their use, evaluated as raw materials for the Kraft pulping process. Pulp yield, Consistency and 1% NaOH solubility were determined. Both raw materials were dried, and the chemical compositions obtained prior to cooking/digestion in a 15 L autoclave. While properties such as moisture content, 1% NaOH solubility, extractives and hot water solubility seem to favour raw rice husk, the pulp yield was very low (25.7%) as against the pulp yield from okra (41.2%). The high ash content and Silicates/Silica in rice husk (6.1–45.82% and 20480ppm respectively) will pose problems in the liquor recovery stage in the process. Therefore, the okra stalk is a better raw material for pulp and paper making than the rice husk. From this study, waste okra stalk is found to possess some economic value and can no longer be left to become a nuisance to the environment.
The rise in global energy demand has encouraged exploring into other innovative methods of generating renewable fuels from different forms of waste. Due to its accessibility, culinary used vegetable oil is regarded as a potential source for profitable production of biodiesel. In the present study, the viability of producing biodiesel from used vegetable oil (UVO) by utilizing CaO catalyst (derived from the calcination of chicken eggshell and impregnated with KNO3 and NaNO3) was studied. Higher yield of biodiesel was obtained at methanol/oil mole ratio of (9–10) and CaO catalyst concentration of (2.0–3.0) wt/wt% Oil, for the three forms of catalyst used. Also, higher yield of biodiesel was obtained when CaO with impregnated KNO3 was used, followed by the operation involving CaO with impregnated NaNO3. At optimum conditions of methanol/oil mole ratio of 9 and catalyst concentration of 2.4 wt/wt% Oil, the yields of biodiesel obtained were 90% (for unimpregnated catalyst), 92% (using CaO impregnated with NaNO3) and 95% (using CaO impregnated with KNO3). The higher biodiesel yield obtained for CaO impregnated with KNO3 (compared to the yield from CaO impregnated with NaNO3) could be traced to a more reactive nature of potassium and arrangement of electrons of both potassium and sodium. The results of the tests and analysis on biodiesel properties reveal that quality biodiesel were produced from the three forms of catalyst used. This is because, each of the values of the properties considered falls within the ASTM standard.
With the fast depletion of fossil fuel sources for energy production and coupled with their negative impacts on the environment, the continued search for alternative sources that are renewable, sustainable and environmentally friendly has become imperative. This research examined the performance of sodium borohydride for the production of hydrogen gas using 5 ml each of organic acid (acetic acid), spoilt extracts of citrus fruits (lime, lemon and orange) without the use of neither catalyst nor heat source. A three neck flat bottom flask was used in which sodium borohydride was reacted with extracts from the three spoilt fruits and acetic acid with concentrations of 1, 5, 7, 12 and 17.5 M. Volume of hydrogen gas produced were recorded and the results revealed that using 7 M solution of acetic acid and 1.0 gram sodium borohydride generated the highest volume of 2460 ml of hydrogen gas in 63.72 min while the undiluted extracts of spoilt orange, lemon and lime gave 100 ml in 0.68 min, 90 ml in 1.67 min and 60 ml in 0.5 min respectively. For the diluted fruit extracts, lime, orange and lemon at a dilution factor of 2 each, generated hydrogen gas of 80ml in 0.5 min, 70ml in 1.3 min and 70ml in 0.62 min respectively. All the reactions took place at an ambient temperature of 27°C. Being able to conveniently retrieve hydrogen from its combined state when needed would advance the use of hydrogen as a source of energy.
Abstract The effectiveness of remediating soils polluted with crude and treated hydrocarbon oil using a fungi - Aspergillus niger , bacteria - Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the combination of the two were investigated and the first order kinetics were studied. Eight systems of 500g soil sample were polluted with both raw and treated crude oil. Four systems were polluted with 100 ml treated crude oil while other remaining systems with same quantity of raw crude oil. Two systems with raw and treated crude oil were left as control (RCC and TCC). Samples of soil polluted with raw crude oil were amended with A. niger (RCA) and P. aeruginosa (RCP) respectively, while treated crude samples were also treated with same (TCA) and (TCP) only. The last two systems were treated with both P. aeruginosa and A. niger (RCAP and TCAP). First order bioremediation kinetics and biostimulant efficiency for these systems were studied by monitoring Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH). The result obtained at the end of the bioremediation period, revealed that treated crude oil polluted soil remediate faster and better than raw crude oil polluted soil. The highest level of bioremediation occurred in systems amended with both A. niger and P. aeruginosa which had about 98 % TPH decrease.
Abstract Land form, management policy and socio-economic characteristics have been identified as factors responsible for poor solid waste management. This study examined the influence of livelihood assets on waste sanitation/disposal behaviour in Lagos Metropolis: a case study of Okobaba. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to obtain data for analysis. From the data collected and analyzed descriptively, efforts were made to identify and examine the respondents’ socio-economic characteristics, waste sanitation characteristic, livelihood assets and the connection between livelihood assets and waste sanitation behaviour of people in the area under study. The research result established the existence of variations in the waste disposal characteristics of respondents in the area under study. Therefore, it is recommended that a deliberate policy to provide livelihood assets or conditions that will improve access to better livelihood capacity, adequate for low-income households to meet their basic psychological livelihood needs. This is imperative in ensuring attitudinal change towards waste management and advancement to a second-order need like environmental sanitation.
Abstract Most papers are made from virgin wood-based pulp of hardwood sources but recently, softwood have received enormous attention as alternative to hard wood because the hardwood takes a significant number of years to mature enough for use in the pulp and paper industry unlike softwood which are majorly annual plants. The annual crop in focus in this work is the yellow open-pollinated variety of corn which generates tons of waste at harvest. A novel attempt is made to ascertain the viability of corn sheaths as raw material for the pulp and paper industry by carrying out a comprehensive analysis on the pulp and paper made from the pulp. The sheaths were dried, shred and cut into pieces suitable for the digester and the pulps obtained were analysed for physico-chemical properties. Hand sheets were also made using the generated pulp and its physico-mechanical properties were analysed. Results obtained were compared with pulp from corn husks from other parts of the country, three Nigerian fibre sources – silk cotton, bagasse and rice straw and other foreign non-wood sources and found to be of competitive properties. Pulp properties of Lignin content, ash content, cellulose, hot and cold water solubility of the fibres were 13.72 ± 1.21%, 1.27 ± 0.23%, 53.26 ± 1.11%, 15.20 ± 2.11 and 6.14 ± 2.43 respectively while the mechanical properties of paper from the pulp were Bursting strength (282.163 KPa m 2 /g), Tear strength (146.119), Tensile strength (257.6N/m) and Tensile Index (3.9Nm/g). It was found that in all properties, the corn sheath was better than the rice straw fibers but not as good as the silk cotton and bagasse fibers. However, the corn sheath has been identified, as a viable raw material for the pulp and paper industry in Nigeria.
Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are a known health threat with no respect for age. The need to understand the initiation and progress of the disease is expedient in proper diagnosis and management of the disease. Objective: The work is targeted at simulating the effect of elevated blood pressure on the initiation and development of plaque over time concerning wall shear stress, WSS and plaque wall stress, and PWS. Methods: Conditions such as blood velocity, pressure, and arterial wall conditions associated with blood flow in arteries, as well as patient-specific characterization related to these variables and conditions, were plugged into modified models in the COMSOL multiphysics software. The artery was modeled as an idealized 2-D carotid artery model. Results: Results showed that the WSS distribution with respect to changes with a blood pressure of 500 Pa gave the highest WSS value at the plaque neck and 1500 Pa gave the highest WSS value in the regions close to the plaque root. It was also observed that as the plaque size increased, the region experiencing severely high values for WSS also expanded. Conclusion: It can be recommended that blood pressure monitoring is necessary to curb the attendant cardiovascular diseases associated with high blood pressure.
Laser cladding is a growing technological method that utilizes a navigating high power laser for melting a small region of the substrate; it has a function of trapping and melting entering powder particles. Hence, the process leads to the development of a new stratum. Aluminum alloy Matrix composites afford properties suchlike high wear resistance, high tensile strength, lightweight; this composites is finding wide applications in automotive industry. This review presents a brief discussion on laser cladding for aluminum base alloys for automotive industry with emphasis on aluminum alloys matrix composite for automotive industry.
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