Covenant University Ota Ogun State, Nigeria

The research on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) financing, especially from the developing economy context, remains scantily discussed in the literature. Our study is based on the institutional theory to investigate the moderating influence of entrepreneurial competencies on SMEs’ financing and the business performance of SMEs in Nigeria. The study gathered data from 233 owner-managers of SMEs in Nigeria’s informal economy. We adopted the SEM-PLS to test the direct and indirect relationships between financing strategies, entrepreneurial competencies, and SME performance. The results showed that bank loans and government grants directly link SMEs’ performance. We also found the mediating role of entrepreneurial competencies on the relationship between personal savings and SME performance. We provided theoretical and practical insights that enhance the roles of formal and informal institutions to support SME financing.

Improved hygiene depends on the accessibility and availability of effective disinfectant solutions. These disinfectant solutions are unavailable to many communities worldwide due to resource limitations, among other constraints. Safe and effective chlorine-based disinfectants can be produced via simple electrolysis of salt water, providing a low-cost and reliable option for on-site, local production of disinfectant solutions to improve sanitation and hygiene. This study reports on a system (herein called “Electro-Clean”) that can produce concentrated solutions of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) using readily available, low-cost materials. With just table salt, water, graphite welding rods, and a DC power supply, the Electro-Clean system can safely produce HOCl solutions (~1.5 liters) of up to 0.1% free chlorine (i.e.,1000 ppm) in less than two hours at low potential (5 V DC) and modest current (~5 A). Rigorous testing of free chlorine production and durability of the Electro-Clean system components, described here, has been verified to work in multiple locations around the world, including microbiological tests conducted in India and Mexico to confirm the biocidal efficacy of the Electro-Clean solution as a surface disinfectant. Cost estimates are provided for making HOCl locally with this method in the USA, India, and Mexico. Findings indicate that Electro-Clean is an affordable alternative to off-the-shelf commercial chlorinator systems in terms of first costs (or capital costs), and cost-competitive relative to the unit cost of the disinfectant produced. By minimizing dependence on supply chains and allowing for local production, the Electro-Clean system has the potential to improve public health by addressing the need for disinfectant solutions in resource-constrained communities.

Background The birthweight of a newborn is critical to their health, development, and well-being. Previous studies that used maternal characteristics to predict birthweight did not employ a harmonised scale to assess the risk of low birthweight (LBW). Objective The goal of this study was to develop a new instrument that uses items on a uniform scale to assess the risk of an LBW in a pregnant woman. Methods Item response theory was employed to evaluate a similar existing scale, and some weaknesses were identified. Results Based on the observed weaknesses of the existing scale, a new uniform scale was developed, which is a 3-point Likert scale consisting of seven items. Conclusion The scale, termed birthweight questionnaire, is a valuable tool for collecting data that could assist in assessing the risk of an LBW at every stage of pregnancy.

Researchers are constantly looking at the development of functional foods from local materials that offer both nutritional and therapeutic potentials. The study investigated the proximate composition, antioxidant capacity, and phytochemical profile of different compositions of formulations produced from tomato and carrot. The plant materials were sourced locally, dried to a uniform weight, and milled using a mechanical blender. Nutritional indices, viz., proximate analysis, were analyzed using a standard protocol. The phytocompounds present in the formulations and their in vitro antioxidant activities were analyzed using spectrophotometric methods. The results for proximate composition showed low moisture content in formulations (0.44 ± 0.015–0.54 ± 0.021%). The protein content of the formulations (16.51 ± 0.217–17.94 ± 0.134%) was significantly higher than that of carrot alone (8.41 ± 0.154%). Similarly, the crude fat was elevated in the formulations (0.31 ± 0.008–1.63 ± 0.017%) compared to tomato alone (0.10 ± 0.399). However, these values were lower than the values obtained for carrot alone (8.72 ± 0.009%). The energy value for the formulations ranged from 87.01 to 93.30 kcal, which was low compared to carrot alone (136.89 kcal). Phytochemical screening showed the presence of terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, saponins, phenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids in the studied formulations. Furthermore, the incorporation of carrot led to an increase in TPC, TFC, and alkaloid concentration. The pH values observed were around the neutral range, while lactic acid concentrations reduced following the incorporation of carrot. Trace element analysis showed improved iron and manganese concentrations in the formulation. Similarly, increased antioxidant ability was observed in the formulation. For sensory evaluation, reporters indicated good sensory parameters. Concluding, this study has shown that formulating concentrate from tomato and carrot showed improved nutritional potential and enormous antioxidant capacity that can be attributed to the presence of elevated total phenolics and flavonoid concentrations. Therefore, this formulation is warranted for improving the health of mankind.

Solar Photovoltaic systems for a given load work dependably and remain the finest alternative regarding numerous utilizations only when preceded with accurate pre-installation design. The output power generated and ability of such Photovoltaic system to meet load demand by a solar photovoltaic (PV) system greatly depends on accurate sizing of the PV system’s parts. The Solar planner software developed in this study provides an effective solution to problems associated with most pre-installation design of Photovoltaic systems in Nigeria. The software accurately carries out the sizing of the various system components, thereby providing the technical personnel with sufficient information about the PV project design prior to installation stage. It also uses the average daily sunshine method and design equations modeled for PV systems to achieve the correct sizing of the components. It follows a procedural sequence in executing the sizing equations developed in JAVA programming language on a JAVA developmental Kit (JDK 1.6). The software produced useful parameters for the technical personnel. The parameters include the total power, design energy, capacity of the solar panel required, number of solar panel required, capacity and number of batteries required, size of charge controller and inverter rating, optimum tilt angle and cable size. The use of this solar planner software for design of PV system gives an effective, faster, cost effective and a reliable accurate sizing and PV system’s improved performance in the Nigerian solar business market.

The COVID-19 lockdown negatively affected societies, particularly developing countries’ economies and educational systems. The fast spread of the virus resulted in the closure of academic activities in Nigerian K-12 (kindergarten through 12th grade) and tertiary institutions. While school closures were meant to prevent the spread of the virus within the school environment, protect vulnerable people from exposure, and protect public health, these closures have severely affected students’ ability to learn. Nevertheless, the pandemic served as an eye-opener for most Nigerian schools. It demonstrated the Nigerian educational system’s dependence on the traditional classroom setting. The outbreak highlighted technology’s limited availability and use in many Nigerian institutions, particularly government-owned schools. Most tertiary institutions also experienced severe financial challenges due to the COVID-19 lockdown. They needed to pay staff salaries, construct infrastructures, and engage in research and other necessary activities to raise educational standards. Furthermore, students’ disconnection from their schools did not give them a sense of belonging. As a result, the students’ well-being was jeopardised since they were no longer in sync with academic activity. However, despite the devastating effect of the pandemic, some students still engaged in leadership activities by engaging in humanitarian programmes to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on societies. Therefore, it is essential that the government adequately fund higher education to build facilities and enable the utilisation of ICT to raise the standard of education in the country.

Breast cancer is the most common and second most deadly disease in women worldwide, with breast cancer screening resulting in a steady decline in mortality rate. However, early diagnosis of breast cancer for young black women has not improved the mortality rate due to aggressiveness, and the ability to grow faster resulting in potential metastasis and recurrence, especially in the triple-negative molecular subtype. This prompted the decision to first investigate the efficacy of immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, ICIs are only successful in a small group of patients expressing programmed cell death ligand (PD-L1) and most patients develop toxicity and drug resistance. High levels of tumor-infiltrating T cells have been shown to be a favorable indicator of therapeutic response indicating that immunotherapy can be utilized to harness the power of the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. This chapter will focus on the utilization of immunotherapy as a potential solution to overcome drug resistance in breast cancer. The chapter will explore various immunotherapeutic approaches, including ICIs, adoptive cell transfer, and bispecific antibody therapies. These therapies aim to enhance the immune response against cancer cells and overcome mechanisms of drug resistance. By leveraging the body’s natural defenses, immunotherapy holds promise in revolutionizing breast cancer treatment and improving patient outcomes.

Steel is one of the prevalent metals used in many applications; however, steel corrosion and its severe deterioration are associated with temperature, pressure, and atmospheric climate change. The steel failure from pitting evolution results in high cost and manufacturing flaws due to design error and extreme environmental conditions. Several preventive measures have often been adopted to resist this failure. This paper reviews the challenges of materials in application as relates to structural deformation, corrosion, and mechanical failure. The impact of new inhibitive activities for engineering component advances was ascertained. The review concluded that failure of engineering materials regardless of the manufacturing flaws can be addressed through component proper design and physiochemical activities of extracts with responsive ions. It also elucidates that metallic steel protection against sudden failure depends on the nature of surface preparation and stress initiation at the surfaces. The different progression through which corrosion occurs and the methods for mitigation were established in this work.

The construction of a biogas digester is the main emphasis of this project. Biogas is a mixture of gases created during the anaerobic decomposition of organic material, including food waste, animal waste, sewage, and waste from farms and plants. One of the major causes is environmental degradation, which has emerged to be the greatest threat to the health of the environment and the economy of the underdeveloped areas. But with the discovery and application of biogas which is a gaseous fuel obtained from biomass by the process of anaerobic digestion, most problems are resolved. The project’s aim is to create a biogas digester that leverages animal manure to generate biogas for usage at Covenant University. The digester selected for construction is a barrel drum digester for the production of biogas using cow dung. The cow dung was tested for a total of 14 days, during which the days of gas production and digestion were observed, and the biogas was then tested with the gas and temperature sensor and was confirmed to detect gas and temperature.

The surge in Nigeria's population has led to heightened demands for food, clean water, and agricultural products, resulting in a significant increase in waste generation. Nigeria ranks among the top countries globally in terms of waste production, particularly from food, water, and agriculture. Unfortunately, the management of these vast quantities of waste is often inadequate, leading to environmental pollution, disease, and heightened CO 2 emissions. While reducing such waste is important, completely stopping waste generation from food, water, and agriculture is impossible. Therefore, it becomes imperative to adopt eco-friendly and cost-effective approaches to handling this waste, including collection, conversion, treatment, recycling, and reuse. Effectively managing waste can mitigate pollution and its adverse impacts on public health. This review delves into the environmental, economic, and health challenges associated with the generation of waste from food, water, and agriculture in Nigeria. It highlights the importance of implementing sustainable practices for waste treatment, conversion, reuse, and application. By harnessing these waste materials effectively, Nigeria stands to reap significant economic benefits while simultaneously safeguarding the environment from pollution.

In this study, a generalized, comprehensive and feasible mathematical model was developed for the description of the adsorption of multicomponent system in a fixed bed containing solid adsorbent. It took into cognizance of all the factors considered negligible in the literature, which included intraparticle, interparticle and interphase diffusional resistances, conditions of non-equilibrium and non-linear binary adsorption of butan-2-ol and 2-methylbutan-2-ol onto the adsorbent Filtrasorb 400 (granular activated carbon). The resulting 4N hyperbolic and parabolic differential equations were numerically solved using orthogonal collocation on finite element method. Excellent agreements were achieved between the experimental data and the simulated results of breakthrough times and concentrations of the solutes in fixed beds of 0.41, 0.82 and 1.23 m. Equally, the observed chromatographic tops of the less strongly adsorbed component (butan-2-ol) and the effects of adsorber length on times of breakthrough of the components and height of peaks were precisely simulated. The results of this study are of beneficial use in the design and analysis of fixed beds employed for the treatment of multicomponent aqueous wastewater effluents from industry.

The discovery of a relict plastid, also known as an apicoplast (apicomplexan plastid), that houses housekeeping processes and metabolic pathways critical to Plasmodium parasites’ survival has prompted increased research on identifying potent inhibitors that can impinge on apicoplast-localised processes. The apicoplast is absent in humans, yet it is proposed to originate from the eukaryote’s secondary endosymbiosis of a primary symbiont. This symbiotic relationship provides a favourable microenvironment for metabolic processes such as haem biosynthesis, Fe-S cluster synthesis, isoprenoid biosynthesis, fatty acid synthesis, and housekeeping processes such as DNA replication, transcription, and translation, distinct from analogous mammalian processes. Recent advancements in comprehending the biology of the apicoplast reveal it as a vulnerable organelle for malaria parasites, offering numerous potential targets for effective antimalarial therapies. We provide an overview of the metabolic processes occurring in the apicoplast and discuss the organelle as a viable antimalarial target in light of current advances in drug discovery. We further highlighted the relevance of these metabolic processes to Plasmodium falciparum during the different stages of the lifecycle.

Background Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) and schistosomiasis (SCH) are among the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), affecting 1.5 billion globally, with a significant burden in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Nigeria. These diseases impair health and contribute to socio-economic challenges, especially in children, undermining educational and future economic prospects. The 2030 NTD Roadmap highlights Mass Drug Administration (MDA) as a critical strategy for controlling these NTDs, targeting vulnerable populations like school-age children. Despite some successes, challenges persist, indicating the need for deeper insights into program implementation. This study focuses on the perspectives of health workers implementing MDA in selected local government areas (LGAs) of Ogun State, Nigeria, aiming to identify challenges and enablers that align with the broader NTD 2030 goals. Methodology/Principal findings The study used a qualitative research approach involving focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with health workers engaged in neglected tropical disease control programs in Ogun State, Nigeria, between July and September 2022. A semi-structured questionnaire guided the exploration of ideas, and the data were analyzed using the QRS Nvivo 12 software package. The study found that the school-based MDA control program’s efficacy largely relies on strong collaborations and partnerships, particularly with educators, community heads, and other stakeholders. These alliances and strategic communication methods, like town announcements and media campaigns, have been pivotal in reaching communities. However, the program does grapple with hurdles such as parental misconceptions, limited funds, insufficient staffing, and misalignment with the Ministry of Education. It is recommended to boost funding, foster early stakeholder involvement, enhance mobilization techniques, and consider introducing a monitoring card system similar to immunization. Conclusions/Significance The MDA Integrated Control Programs for STH and SCH in Ogun State schools demonstrate a holistic approach, integrating knowledge, collaboration, communication, and feedback. Health workers have shown commitment and adeptness in their roles. However, achieving maximum efficacy requires addressing critical barriers, such as parental misconceptions and funding challenges. Adopting the recommended strategies, including proactive communication, increased remuneration, and introducing a tracking system, can significantly enhance the program’s reach and impact. The involvement of all stakeholders, from health workers to community leaders and parents, is essential for the program’s sustainability and success.

One challenge in developing new materials is solid metal-induced embrittlement, where the fracture stress or ductility of the metal decreases upon contact with another metal surface. Materials such as aluminium demand precise temperature control for optimal results, often requiring specialized equipment. Strengthening aluminium alloys often involves cold working techniques like wire drawing or cold rolling. By combining methods such as cold working, heat treatment, and most especially alloying, the mechanical properties of aluminium alloys can be optimized. To address these concerns, an experimental study investigated the nanomechanical response of an alloy developed for anti-corrosion and structural applications. Corrosion behaviour was evaluated in a 3.65 wt% NaCl solution using a potentiostat/galvanostat, while tribological performance was assessed using a reciprocating sliding tribometer. Microhardness properties were studied using a Vickers microindenter, and thermal stability was examined using a thermo-gravimetric analyzer. Structural modifications were analysed using SEM/EDX and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). Results showed that the HEA (high entropy alloy) 17 sample exhibited outstanding corrosion resistance, with a corrosion rate (CR) of 0.0639 mm/year and corrosion current density (jcorr) of 5.500E−06 A/cm². All HEA samples displayed high wear rates and worn track sections compared to CONTROL 2. The HEA 16 and HEA 18 samples demonstrated notably high Vickers hardness of 534.50 µN/mm² and 533.48 µN/mm², respectively. Despite its high copper content, the CONTROL 1 sample did not exhibit comparable hardness. SEM images revealed refined microstructures and distinct outer morphologies in the examined samples.

Environmental problems related to flooding, water management, and landslide often emanate from disruption of river basin within a geographical locality. In this study, the Anambra-Imo river basin which drains the five southeastern states of Nigeria and a part of Kogi State in the northcentral was studied by combining the remote sensing technique and geographic information system (GIS). With the aid of digital elevation model (DEM) of the geographical region, the linear and spatial morphometric attributes of the basins such as drainage density (Dd), drainage texture (Dt), circularity ratio (Rc), elongation ratio (Re), constant of channel maintenance (Cm), form factor (Rf), infiltration number (If), stream frequency (Sf), length of overland flow (Lo), and compactness index (Ci) were obtained. The results of the analysis showed that the basins have a well-developed dendritic and parallel-type drainage pattern with a NE-SW orientation suggesting a relationship between fracture orientation and physiographic features. Anambra Basin is a sixth-order basin having a total of 1462 streams with a length of 13,682.9 km, while the Imo river basin is a fifth-order basin having a total of 208 streams with a total length of 1320.57 km. Morphometric analyses yielded infiltration numbers of 0.3 and 0.11, elongation ratios of 0.35 and 0.29, and form factors of 0.26 and 0.54; compactness indexes of 1.4 and 1.06; lengths of overland flow of 0.46 and 2.18; circularity ratios of 0.49 and 0.84; constants of channel maintenance given of 0.93 and 4.34; relief ratios of 0.61 and 0.35; and ruggedness numbers of 0.19 and 1.5 for Anambra and Imo river basins respectively. These results have thrown light on the underlying factors responsible for flooding and gullying in the study area as a combination of climatic and geological characteristics of the study area.

Integrating climate change, food safety, nutrition, and health outcomes in food systems policies and programs is crucial for addressing the multifaceted challenges African countries encounter. Climate change significantly impacts food production, food safety, and the provision of nutritious and healthy diets. Existing interventionist policies in Africa have not taken a comprehensive approach to addressing the bidirectional relationships among climate change, food safety, nutrition, and health outcomes. This hinders the formulation of comprehensive policies and programs that effectively address these interconnected issues. Also,