ABUAD International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences

A new reduced contagious zero-inflated model: An application to count data

Mumini Idowu Adarabioyo, Gafar Matanmi Oyeyemi — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 11:02:16 +0000

In this paper, a reduced one-parameter contagious distribution was developed from the joint distribution of three-parameter gamma and Poisson distributions, on which Lakshmi’s three-parameter gamma distribution is based to model a count data. The distribution properties and some common descriptive measures relating to this contagious distribution are derived. The behavior of the probability mass function with changes in parameters was also studied. The parameter estimation by the maximum likelihood and moment-generating function methods is discussed. A simulation study was carried out with the proposed model to check for consistency and bias. The new model show consistency as the sample size increases. The model was applied to a real-life dataset and was seen to be more flexible in capturing excess zero, under, and over-dispersion in count data and proved to be a useful alternative to some existing zero-inflated models.

Hetero-Alkali Catalyst for Production of Biodiesel from Domesticated Waste: (Used Waste oil)

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 12:16:01 +0000

Biodiesel, a fuel derived from renewable sources, has garnered significant attention from energy researchers over the past two decades as a clean alternative to diesel fuel. This increased interest can be attributed to the alarming impact of climate change caused by the use of traditional diesel fuel. This paper focuses on showcasing the qualities of biodiesel produced from used waste oil and the positive impact on the alarming change in climate today. The observable characteristics of used waste oil for the synthesis of biodiesel in the presence of an ethanolic CaO-K2 O-SiO2 base catalyst created from leftover palm kernel empty bunches was rigorously explored in this study. The catalyst obtained from Palm Kernel Bunch Stem (PKBS) was characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Extended Range
Spectroscopy - Flame Photometry (XRS-FP), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analyzer (BET) isothermal adsorption and qualitative analysis. Reusability of catalyst and economic evaluation of the synthesized biodiesel were also evaluated. The quality of the Oil was identified through standard techniques by examining its physicochemical characteristics as well as other elements. According to the findings, the improved Used Waste Oil (UWO) characteristics met the specifications for oil required to produce biodiesel. The Used Waste Oil’s physicochemical properties included the oil’s physical condition as liquid/dark brownish at 28, acid value of 0.96 (mg KOH/g oil), FFA (% oleic acid), 0.48, iodine value of 152.00 (I2g/100g), and peroxide value of 5.1 milli-equivalent of peroxide/kg of oil, among others. The obtained catalyst demonstrated high basic strength with potassium oxide (61.63 wt/%) being the predominant component. At run 5 with 98.52 (%wt /wt), 65 minutes reaction time, 4.0 (%wt) catalyst amount, reaction temperature of 70 , and a 7:1 ethanol to oil ratio produced the highest biodiesel yield. The study concluded that, UWO can possibly be utilized as an economically benign feedstock for the production of biodiesel, and the resultant catalyst could potentially be employed in industries as bio-base.

The Prevalence of Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase Producing Citrrobacter Freundii and Pprovidencia Stuartii from Medical Laboratories in Parts of Lagos State, Nigeria

Tenny Obiageli Gladys Egwuatu, C. S. Osuagwu, A. O. Agbaje — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 12:13:29 +0000

Citrobacter freundii and Providencia stuartii are members of the family Enterobacteriaceae which are emerging as important Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBL) producing pathogens. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of ESBL and carbapenemase production in C. freundii and P. stuartii. from laboratories in the northwest of Lagos. A total of 134 isolates were obtained from laboratories. Isolate identification, antibiotics susceptibility testing, and phenotypic detection of ESBL production were done using standardized procedures. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on ESBL producing isolates to detect blaTEM, blaSHV, blaCTX-M, blaKPC, blaVIM, blaIMP and blaOXA. Out of 134 isolates 15 (11.2%) were Citrobacter freundii and only 2 (1.5%) were of the Providencia genus both of which were Providencia rettgeri and Providencia stuartii. A total of 9 (60%) tested positive for the production of Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBL) enzyme while only Providencia stuartii of the Providencia genus also produced ESBL. Also, 8 (47%) of the initial Citrobacter and Providencia isolates produced carbapenemase Molecular characterization showed that 4 (44.4%) and 1 (100%) of the Citrobacter freundii and Providencia stuartii isolates respectively, displayed the presence of CTX-M gene while 2 (20%) of all ESBL producing isolates also possessed SHV gene including 1 (11.1%) of ESBL producing Citrobacter freundii and 1 (100%) of ESBL producing Providencia stuartii.
Antibiotic susceptibility testing showed that Citrobacter freundii displayed the highest resistance to Ceftazidime and Cefotaxime at 71.4% and the least resistance to Amoxicillin-Clavulanate at 28.6%. Providencia stuartii also displayed absolute resistance (100%), to cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin and absolute susceptibility (100%) to Ceftazidime. Also, Citrobacter freundii showed the same resistance patterns with 57.1% resistance to Gentamicin, Cefuroxime and Ceftriaxone antibiotics while Providencia stuartii showed varied resistance patterns with absolute resistance (100%), absolute susceptibility (100%) and absolute resistance (100%) to Gentamicin, Cefuroxime and Ceftriaxone antibiotics respectively. In conclusion, the Multiple Antibiotic Resistance Index values of both bacterial genera showed that 70.6% were from High-Risk sources indicating that the majority of bacteria analysed were from environments where they have been subjected to a high burden of antibiotic exposure.

Phytochemistry Analysis of Tiger Nut (Cyperus esculentus) Juice Fortified with Organic Additives

R. E. Ekperi — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 22:36:44 +0000

Plants’ juices are widely consumed due to their presumed high nutritional and medicinal qualities. This research evaluated the phytochemical properties of tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus) tuber juice/milk fortified with a mixture of ginger (Zingiber officinale) and Negro pepper (Xylopia aethiopica) extract. The freshly prepared tiger nut juice was fortified with 0%, 2%, 4% and 6% of the plants extracts, and accordingly coded TME 0, TME 1, TME 2 and TME 3; and their Phytochemical parameters measured through standard procedures. The findings indicated that the plants’ extract significantly increased, regardless of the phytochemical parameter investigated. The cardiac glycoside level in the juice fortified with 2%, 4% and 6% plants’ extract was 4.40%, 5.11% and 5.53% respectively; while the saponin content in the TME 0, TME 1, TME 2 and TME 3 juice samples was 6.68%, 6.82%, 7.40% and 7.70% respectively. Furthermore, it was observed that the anthocyanins and alkaloid levels in the juice increased from 3.12% - 3.93% and 5.13% - 7.34%, as the plants’ extract concentration increased from 0 to 6%. It was observed that the anti-nutrien compositions (phytate and tannin) of the tiger nut juice, increased in an uneven pattern as the fortification degree increased from 0% to 6%. This study’s findings will be useful in food industries in optimizing nutrient enhancement of foods and drinks, without accumulating excessive anti-nutrients in the fortified products.

Phytochemical Components, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Fermented Seeds of Foeniculum vulgare

Mansurat Falana, Quadri Nurudeen — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 11:30:48 +0000

Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) has been used in traditional medicine all over the world including Nigeria for a wide range of ailments. In the present study, the phytochemical analysis, antioxidant activities (by ABTS and DPPH methods), in vitro antimicrobial assays (against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, and Escherichia coli) using agar well diffusion method, and pH of the fermented seeds of F. vulgare were investigated. Phytochemical investigation showed the presence of tannins, terpenoids, phenols, phytosterols, alkaloids, and flavonoids. Alkaloid was absent on day 7 of the fermented seeds but was present on day 14. The antioxidant activity of the fermented sample of F. vulgare at day 14 was proportional to the concentration of the sample.
The zones of inhibition (in diameter) obtained were dependent on the tested concentrations (100%, 50% and 25%) and ranged between 5mm-18mm on day 7 and 6mm- 20mm on day 14 against the test pathogens. The trend of acidity increased with the days of fermentation. Hence, with the observed antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the fermented seeds of F. vulgare, it can be considered a relatively safe agent with a long remarkable history in traditional medicine.

Inhibiting Acid Formation and Oxidation of Groundnut Oil Biodiesel Using Green Additives

O. S. Edema — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 23:03:00 +0000

The engine performance of biodiesel had become a major concern. Improving the acid and oxidation stability of groundnut oil biodiesel (GOME), with various plant waste extracts, was carried out on in this study. Freshly prepared GOME was blended with onion extract (OE) and ginger extract (JE), at the rate of 100:1 parts per million, and stored at a temperature of 30±5⁰C for 28 days. At the end of the experimental period, the acid content and oxidation value of the biodiesel treated with both natural additives, were lower when compared to the biodiesel with additives. It was observed that untreated GOME acid value increased from 1.37 - 2.23 mgKOH/g, the acid value of the GOME containing OE increased from 1.35 – 1.81 mgKOH/g, and the acid
content of the GOME treated with JE increased from 1.34 – 1.94 mgKOH/g. Regarding the oxidation stability, it was observed that the un-amended GOME oxidative stability decreased from 3.14 h to 2.44 h, the GOME amended with OE additive declined from 5.37 to 4.57 h, while the GOME treated with JE additive decreased from 4.99 h to 4.21 h. The findings of this study had revealed that incorporating natural additives into GOME, yield biodiesel with better oxidation stability. It was also noted that the blended GOME met the ASTM approved recommendation for biodiesel; unlike the results recorded for the GOME that was untreated with the natural additives.

An Ensemble Approach to Cyberbullying Detection and Prevention on Social Media

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Over the past decade, digital communication has reached a massive scale globally. Unfortunately, cyberbullying has also seen a significant increase which commensurate with the growth of digital technology, and perpetrators hiding behind the cloak of relative internet anonymity. Studies have shown that cyberbullying leaves a lasting psychological scar on its victims and often have devastating outcome. This has necessitated the development of measures to curb cyberbullying. This study presents one of such measure in the form of an ensemble model for cyberbullying detection. The proposed model features a majority voting ensemble approach to cyberbullying detection using three (3) supervised machine learning classifiers: SVM, NB and K-NN,
as base learners. The malignant comment dataset, sourced from Kaggle.com. was used for model building at a split ratio of 70: 30 to achieve maximum model training and evaluation respectively. Evaluation result was based on standard metrics. The proposed ensemble model performed best of all the models implemented, with an accuracy of 95%. It was also observed to be the most consistent classifier across all the metrics considered. This showcased the efficacy of the ensemble model in cyberbullying comments detection.

Effects of Moringa oleifera Tea Supplement on the Biochemical Indices of Diabetes and Hypertension Co-Morbidity Patients

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 11:39:08 +0000

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Hypertension are the most common co-morbidities which has received attention worldwide. This research investigates the effect of Moringa oleifera tea supplements (MOTs) on the biochemical parameters of diabetic and hypertensive co-morbidity patients. Twenty-five participants of both genders were randomly distributed into five groups containing five patients each; group 1 (positive control), group 2 (negative control), group 3 (positive control+MOT), group 4 (standard drug) and group 5 (standard drug+MOT). All treatments were carried out for 14 days after which blood samples were collected for biochemical analyses. The lipid biochemical profile, liver function parameters and renal function parameters of the patients were analysed using standard procedures. The study revealed that the consumption of MOTs significantly (p<0.01) increased
the serum high-density lipoproteins and reduced low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, and cholesterol concentrations of the patients that were given MOT supplements in comparison to the control patients. Conversely, there was significant (p<0.01) reduction in the activities of serum alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and the concentration of albumin, total protein, direct bilirubin and total bilirubin in comparison to the negative control group. Hence, this study outcome revealed that supplementing the diet of diabetes and hypertensive patients’ diet with MOTs is beneficial to the health of the patients and is equally safe for consumption.

Detection of Multidrug resistant cariogenic bacteria among Diabetic Patients attending a Tertiary Hospital in Ado Ekiti, South-Western, Nigeria

Funmilayo Ajoke Adewumi, Pius A. Okiki — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Microorganisms colonizing the oral cavity have a significant probability of spreading on epithelial surfaces to neighboring sites. Many reports have associated oral bacteria to oral infectious diseases as well as systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Oral care is usually neglected in the control of health problems linked with diabetes which may contribute to the increased morbidity and complications from oral health problems. The study aimed to identify the resident microbial flora and assess the possible carriage of cariogenic bacteria among people with diabetes in Ado- Ekiti, Nigeria. Oral swabs were collected from 306 consenting patients. Culture-based isolation was done using standard techniques on Mitis salivarius agar supplemented with 1% Potassium Tellurite, 10% chocolate agar and MacConkey agar at 37 oC for 18-48 hours. The susceptibility patterns of the isolates were detected using standard techniques as recommended by CLSI. Selected bacteria isolates were genomically identified using the bacterial universal primer 16S rRNA and STR-1 and STR 2 primers (partial tuf genes). Amplified genes were sequenced and phylogenetic analysis was carried out using MEGA 7 software. A total of 447 microbial isolates were identified among which were Staphylococcus spp (14.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (3.4%), Escherichia coli (2.5%), Candida spp (8%) while the streptococcal organisms such as Streptococcus pyogenes (35.2%), Streptococcus mitis (14%), Streptococcus mutans (7.3%)
and Streptococcus salivarius (15.1%). Streptococcus mutans was susceptible to meropenem (71.4%) but highly resistant to Penicillin (100%), cefuroxime (71.4%) cefotaxime (68.6%). Streptococcus mitis was highly resistant to Amoxicillin/Clavulanate (100%), Cloxacillin (100%) and Cefuroxime (70.1%) but was found susceptible to Meropenem (77.3%). 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplification and subsequent sequencing of the isolates revealed twenty-six (26) de-novo bacterial strains. In conclusion, the study showed that diabetic individuals carry multidrug-resistant cariogenic bacteria that may predispose them to other oral diseases. There is a need to incorporate routine oral microbiological screening into routine care for diabetic patients in Nigeria.

Machine Learning Techniques for Breast Cancer Prediction

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 12:59:57 +0000

Breast cancer is the most trending type of cancer globally with close to two and half million cases recorded based on research by the World Health Organization in 2021 and it is also the most common cancer among women in all countries, posing a major cause for public health concern. In Nigeria and the world at large, over a hundred thousand new cases of cancer occur every year with high death among women. It has been researched that early and accurate detection of breast cancer can aid in the diagnosis of the disease for women and it may also reduce the risk of death rate among women. Literature shows that several machine learning techniques have been carried out on breast cancer diagnosis to help provide accurate technology solutions to early detection. The machine learning techniques used have different accuracy rate which varies for dissimilarity conditions. In this study, we compared different methods with many existing machine-learning techniques commonly used for breast cancer detection and diagnosis. Also, the aim of this review method will show an improvement in accuracy performances by implementing different methods and analysis in existing machine learning techniques to proficiently assist doctors in decision-making on an accurate detection and diagnosis of breast cancer and classifying tumors as benign or malignant thereby reducing the risk of death rate among women.

Effect of Green Admixtures on the Mechanical Properties of Concrete Composite

O. M. Akwenuke, E. D. Edafiadhe — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:52:39 +0000

The study was carried out to evaluate the suitability of organic admixture in concrete production. Six sets of concrete were made by partially replacing the fine aggregates (sand) and coarse aggregates (gravel) with 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% of sawdust and periwinkle shells respectively, in the presence of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5% cassava starch. The compressive strength and density of the six concrete groups were tested, in accordance with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International approved guidelines. Findings from the laboratory investigations indicated that the sawdust and periwinkle admixtures generally reduced the concrete compressive strength, as their proportion in the concrete increased from 0 to 25%; while the cassava tends to increase the concrete’s compressive strength. The compressive strength of the concrete declined from 25.2 to 10.3 MPa, 27.1 to 11.7 MPa, 30.7 to 13.6 MPa, 31.4 to 14.5 MPa, 30.9 to 14.2 MPa, and 28.4 to 13.8 MPa, after the incorporation of 25% sawdust and 25% periwinkle shells, as partial replacement for sand and gravels respectively, in the presence of 2.5% cassava starch. Furthermore, the results revealed that the compressive strength of the concrete increased non-linearly, as the cassava starch volume increased from 0 to 2.5%. However, the concrete set produced from 20% sawdust and 20% periwinkle shells was light-weight and its compressive strength was within the limit of 17 MPa recommended by Nigeria Industrial Standard (NIS) for light-weight concrete required for residential buildings construction. The findings of this study revealed that agricultural waste materials are suitable admixture materials in the concrete industry.

Epidemiology of Coronavirus, Impact and Sustainability Across Continents:

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 17:38:58 +0000

The Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) was caused by SARS-CoV-2, a highly pathogenic, novel zoonotic βcoronavirus. The infection was reported less than a decade after the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012, which was reported precisely a decade after SARS-CoV-1 infection, discovered in 2002; the three viruses being zoonotic β-CoVs, leading to severe and potentially fatal respiratory tract infections. COVID-19 started locally in Wuhan but has spread globally to 231 countries within the six habitable continents of the world as of September 22, 2023, affecting health, socio-lifestyle, and economy, leading to changes to accommodate sustainability. A total of 695, 684,448 cases have been recorded with 6,919,216 deaths and 667,700,972 recoveries as of September 2023. This is a global review across the continents of the world, highlighting the epidemiology and impact of the virus as well as human sustainability despite the pandemic.