Comparative Evaluation of Physicochemical, Antioxidant, and Sensory Properties of Red Wine as Markers of Its Quality and Authenticity.

The consumption of red wine by most wine drinkers has increased significantly because of the perceived health benefits which are linked to its inherent quality characteristics. In the quest to determine the conformity of Nigeria's domestic red wine quality with their international counterparts, the quality characteristics of domestic red wines produced in Nigeria were evaluated using foreign red wines as markers of wine quality and authenticity. Foreign and domestic red wines obtained in Nigeria were analyzed for physicochemical, antioxidant, and sensory properties using standard methods.

An optimal control model for COVID-19, zika, dengue, and chikungunya co-dynamics with reinfection.

The co-circulation of different emerging viral diseases is a big challenge from an epidemiological point of view. The similarity of symptoms, cases of virus co-infection, and cross-reaction can mislead in the diagnosis of the disease. In this article, a new mathematical model for COVID-19, zika, chikungunya, and dengue co-dynamics is developed and studied to assess the impact of COVID-19 on zika, dengue, and chikungunya dynamics and vice-versa.

Linear and nonlinear optical properties in spherical quantum dots: Modified Möbius squared potential.

The optical properties of quantum dots (QDs) in modified Möbius squared (MMS) potential are studied. To obtain the energy expressions and the wave functions, we solved the Schrödinger equation by using Nikiforov-Uvarov (NU) method. We investigated the linear, third-order nonlinear and total absorption coefficients (AC) and refractive index changes (RIC) using the density matrix.

Evaluation of aquifer hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity of Ezza/Ikwo area, Southeastern Nigeria, using pumping test and surficial resistivity techniques.

Aquifer hydraulic parameters including hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity play a very important role in the assessment and management of groundwater. Conventionally, these parameters are best estimated employing pump test, which is usually expensive and time-consuming. The use of surficial electrical resistivity data integrated with few available pumping test data provides a cost-effective and efficient alternative.

Serum protein concentration and amino acid profile of HIV/HBV co-infected subjects on HAART in Plateau State, Nigeria.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) are currently two important blood-borne human pathogens of major public health concern with high prevalence rates in Africa.

Objectives: The study assessed the impact of HIV and HBV mono- and co-infections on serum total protein, albumin, globulin fractions and plasma free amino acids concentrations.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on adult (25 - 64 years old) patients on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy attending AIDS Preventive Initiative in Nigeria Centre, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Plateau State, Nigeria.

Road safety in Nigeria: unravelling the challenges, measures, and strategies for improvement.

Stakeholders play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth design and implementation of policies worldwide. This research presents the results of three focus groups carried out with stakeholders from different transport ministries and agencies involved in road safety in Nigeria. It aimed to understand their perception of road safety in Nigeria through discussing the road safety situation, measures, and strategies for improvement.

Smart deployment of IoT-TelosB service care StreamRobot using software-defined reliability optimisation design.

Intelligent service care robots have increasingly been developed in mission-critical sectors such as healthcare systems, transportation, manufacturing, and environmental applications. The major drawbacks include the open-source Internet of Things (IoT) platform vulnerabilities, node failures, computational latency, and small memory capacity in IoT sensing nodes. This article provides reliable predictive analytics with the optimisation of data transmission characteristics in StreamRobot.

Mineralization of pyrene (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) in clay soil supplemented with animal organic carbon source.

Biostimulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is a major concern in the environment due to their toxic nature and ubiquitous occurrence. The study aimed to determine the best animal supplement of organic carbon source (cow dung, goat dung, pig dung and poultry (fowl droppings) and indigenous microbes capable of mineralizing pyrene in clay soil. Clay soil sample was collected from the top surface soil (0 - 15 cm) in Ikpoba River and upper Lawani river bank, both in Benin City with the aid of stainless steel trowel and gloved hands and stored in a polyethylene bag.

Effects of burnt tire-ash on Na/K, Ca-ATPase, serum immunoglobulin and brain acetylcholinesterase activities in (Burchell, 1822).

Aquatic pollution may continue to deepen following the emergence of new class of toxicants. The present study investigated the effect of water-soluble fraction of burnt tire-ash on . The fish were exposed to sublethal doses; 0.

Nutritional evaluation of complementary porridge formulated from orange-fleshed sweet potato, amaranth grain, pumpkin seed, and soybean flours.

Supplementing breastmilk with poor energy and nutrient-dense complementary foodstuffs for young children and infants has resulted in malnutrition, poor growth, and retardation of infant development in many sub-Saharan African countries. Ensuring nutrient adequacy for infants because of their lower consumption requires energy and nutrient-dense food. In this context, the nutritional composition of porridge from complementary flour blends of locally available foodstuffs (orange-fleshed sweet potato, pumpkin seeds, amaranth grains, and soybeans) was carried out.

Enhanced corrosion resistance by engineering crystallography on metals.

Nanometer-thick passive films, which impart superior corrosion resistance to metals, are degraded in long-term service; they are also susceptible to chloride-induced localized attack. Here we show, by engineering crystallographic configurations upon metal matrices adjacent to their passive films, we obtain great enhancement of corrosion resistance of FeCr15Ni15 single crystal in sulphuric acid, with activation time up to two orders of magnitude longer than that of the non-engineered counterparts. Meanwhile, engineering crystallography decreases the passive current density and shifts the pitting potential to noble values.

Nonrelativistic treatment of inversely quadratic Hellmann-Kratzer potential and thermodynamic properties.

The study presents approximate analytical solutions of the Schrödinger equation with a newly proposed potential model called Inversely Quadratic Hellmann-Kratzer potential (IQHKP). This potential is a superposition of Inversely Quadratic Hellman potential and Kratzer potential. The energy eigenvalues and corresponding wavefunction are calculated via the formula method.

Rural-urban dimensions of the perception of malaria severity and practice of malaria preventive measures: insight from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey.

Morbidities and mortalities caused by malaria are still a serious issue in Nigeria, with the country accounting for 25% of malaria morbidities and 24% of malaria mortalities globally in 2018. Treated bed nets reduce the incidence of malaria, but not all Nigerians use them. This study aimed to examine the factors associated with treated bed net usage, including perceived severity of malaria, and the rural-urban differences in the relationship between socio-demographic factors and use of treated bed nets in Nigeria.

Genotoxicity, oxidative stress and lysozyme induction in Clarias gariepinus chronically exposed to water-soluble fraction of burnt tire ash.

The safety of aquatic ecosystems has been compromised by numerous anthropogenic activities, especially leachates from non-point source toxicants, leaching into aquatic systems. This study evaluated the toxicity of the water-soluble fractions (WSFs) of burnt tire ash (BTA) on Clarias gariepinus via a battery of integrated biomarkers. Juvenile C.

Effect and Optimization of Process Conditions during Solvolysis and Torrefaction of Pine Sawdust Using the Desirability Function and Genetic Algorithm.

Understanding optimal process conditions is an essential step in providing high-quality fuel for energy production, efficient energy generation, and plant development. Thus, the effect of process conditions such as the temperature, time, nitrogen-to-solid ratio (NSR), and liquid-to-solid ratio (LSR) on pretreated waste pine sawdust (PSD) via torrefaction and solvolysis is presented. The desirability function approach and genetic algorithm (GA) were used to optimize the processes.

Determinants of cervical cancer screening uptake among female undergraduates in a tertiary institution in south eastern Nigeria: a cross sectional study.

Introduction: Cancer of the cervix is the second most common cancer among women worldwide and is the major cause of cancer deaths in developing countries. Screening is among the common cost-effective control methods for the disease. This study ascertained the determinants of cervical cancer screening uptake among female undergraduates in a tertiary institution in south eastern Nigeria.

Repurposing FDA-approved drugs against multiple proteins of SARS-CoV-2: An study.

The current crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world has been devastating as many lives have been lost to the novel SARS CoV-2 virus. Thus, there is an urgent need for the right therapeutic drug to curb the disease. However, there is time constraint in drug development, hence the need for drug repurposing approach, a relatively fast and less expensive alternative.

Analysis of COVID-19 and comorbidity co-infection model with optimal control.

In this work, we develop and analyze a mathematical model for the dynamics of COVID-19 with re-infection in order to assess the impact of prior comorbidity (specifically, ) on COVID-19 complications. The model is simulated using data relevant to the dynamics of the diseases in Lagos, Nigeria, making predictions for the attainment of peak periods in the presence or absence of comorbidity. The model is shown to undergo the phenomenon of backward bifurcation caused by the parameter accounting for increased susceptibility to COVID-19 infection by comorbid susceptibles as well as the rate of reinfection by those who have recovered from a previous COVID-19 infection.

Blocking the interactions between human ACE2 and coronavirus spike glycoprotein by selected drugs: a computational perspective.

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic with rapid rate of transmission and fatalities worldwide. Scientists have been investigating a host of drugs that may be rechanneled to fight this malaise. Thus, in this current computational study we carried out molecular docking experiments to assess the bridging potentials of some commercial drugs such as chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir, ritonavir, nafamostat, camostat, famotidine, umifenovir, nitazoxanide, ivermectin, and fluvoxamine at the interface between human ACE2 and the coronavirus spike glycoprotein complex.

Monitoring the presence and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in water-food-environmental compartments: State of the knowledge and research needs.

The recent spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SAR-CoV-2) and the accompanied coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has continued ceaselessly despite the implementations of popular measures, which include social distancing and outdoor face masking as recommended by the World Health Organization. Due to the unstable nature of the virus, leading to the emergence of new variants that are claimed to be more and rapidly transmissible, there is a need for further consideration of the alternative potential pathways of the virus transmissions to provide the needed and effective control measures. This review aims to address this important issue by examining the transmission pathways of SARS-CoV-2 via indirect contacts such as fomites and aerosols, extending to water, food, and other environmental compartments.

Knowledge, attitude and perception on cervical cancer screening among women attending ante-natal clinic in Owerri west L.G.A, South-Eastern Nigeria: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Cancer of the cervix is the second most common cancer in women globally, and it is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among women in developing countries such as Nigeria. The study assessed the knowledge, attitude and perception on cervical cancer screening among women attending ante-natal clinic in Owerri West, south eastern Nigeria.

Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a random sampling technique among 231 respondents attending ante-natal clinic in a cluster of 4 selected public primary healthcare centres.

Acute toxicity of piggery effluent and veterinary pharmaceutical cocktail on freshwater organisms.

Intensive livestock farming has increased the use of veterinary pharmaceuticals in many developing countries, and this is considered a significant concern to the freshwater ecosystem. However, the information on the potential acute toxicity of piggery effluent waste and the veterinary pharmaceutical effluent discharged into the aquatic environment is limited. This study assessed the adverse effect of a piggery effluent and the cocktail mixtures of high- and low-level doses of three frequently occurring veterinary pharmaceuticals (tetracycline (TETR), ivermectin (IVER), and salicylic acid (SALA)) on freshwater organisms using three representative freshwater biotests organisms: Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (P.

Modeling Ivory Coast COVID-19 cases: Identification of a high-performance model for utilization.

This study modelled the reported daily cumulative confirmed, discharged and death Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases using six econometric models in simple, quadratic, cubic and quartic forms and an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model. The models were compared employing R-squared and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The best model was used to forecast confirmed, discharged and death COVID-19 cases for October 2020 to February 2021.

Ecotoxicity Assays Using Freshwater Planarians.

Freshwater planarians are free-living flatworms known for their regenerative ability. Being easily cultured under laboratory conditions, they are recognized test model organisms in regeneration, developmental biology, and neuropharmacological research. Also, they have been recently employed in toxicity testing where they displayed an array of sensitive and reliable responses to environmental stressors.

Optimization of soy protein isolate, microbial transglutaminase and glucono-δ-lactone in gluten-free rice noodles.

Background: Rice flour does not contain gluten and lacks cohesion and extensibility, which is responsible for the poor texture of rice noodles. Different technologies have been used to mitigate this challenge, including hydrothermal treatments of rice flour, direct addition of protein in noodles, use of additives such as hydrocolloids and alginates, and microbial transglutaminase (MTG). Recently, the inclusion of soy protein isolate (SPI), MTG, and glucono-δ-lactone (GDL) in the rice noodles system yielded rice noodles with improved texture and more compact microstructure, hence the need to optimize the addition of SPI, MTG, and GDL to make quality rice noodles.