BIMA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (2536-6041)

Production and Nutritional Evaluation of High Energy/Protein Meal (‘Danwake’) from Wheat, Cowpea, Bambara Groundnut and Cassava

2025-01-02T19:30:32+00:00

Traditional food system is all food from a particular culture produced from locally available and highly nutritious sources which are culturally accepted by the people. It includes socio-cultural meanings, acquisition, processing techniques, usage, composition and nutritional consequences for people using the food. This work aimed at the quality evaluation of different high energy/protein meal (‘danwake’) formulated from blends of germinated wheat, dehulled cowpea and dehulled Bambara groundnut, and Fermented cassava flour. Germinated wheat, dehulled cowpea and bambara groundnut, fermented cassava, baobab leaves (kuka) and potash (kanwa) were incorporated in the proportion of 70:17:4:4:3.5:1.5 for composite ‘danwake’ flour test 1 Aa. The ratios 60:15:5: 16:3:1 is for composite flour test 2 Bb, 9:18:9:60:3:1 for composite ‘danwake’ flour test 3 Cc respectively. A control ‘danwake’ flour wheat flour 100% (WWF) and cassava flour 100% (CCF) served as control. Proximate, mineral, vitamins, amino acid profile, in vitro protein digestibility and anti-nutritional factors were analyzed. Proximate analysis showed that formulated composite ‘danwake flours’ have 363.24Kcal, 363.62 Kcal, and 350.43 Kcal for Aa, Bb, and Cc respectively for total energy, 17.35 %, 18.92 %, and 12.86 % protein contents for Aa, Bb, and Cc respectively, 68.67 %, 65.28 %, 69.08 % carbohydrate contents for Aa, Bb, and Cc respectively. Moisture contents ranged between (6.42-7.11) percent, with the blend with 60% wheat flour has the least moisture contents of 6.40%. All the formulations including the commercial flours contained the following vitamin range (0.08-0.1 ug/g) thiamine, (0.02-0.05 ug/g) riboflavin, (0.11-0.16 ug/g) cyanocobalamine, (0.08-0.40 ug/g) ascorbic acid and (0.01-0.02 ug/g) vitamin A, while the mineral element range (0.02-0.26 mg/100g) Cr, (0.14-0.76 mg/100g) Zn, (0.64-1.75 mg/100g) Fe, (0,97-1.77mg/100g) Ca, and (0.15-0.51 mg/100g) Mn. Amino acid Lysine, Asphatic acid and Glutamic acid, Alanine, Methionine and Phenylalanine were higher in ‘danwake’ blend Bb. Norleucine was not detected in all the samples. The formulated composite ‘danwake’ flours were superior to control in terms protein content, vitamins and mineral element levels. The composite ‘danwake’ flours, Bb is more nutritious followed by Aa, while Cc is the least in terms of mineral element levels, vitamins and amino acid.

Heavy Metals Contamination and Health Risk Assessment in Underground Water in Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria.

2025-01-02T19:35:07+00:00

Heavy metal contamination in drinking water poses a major risk to global public health, undermining the well-being of communities worldwide. The study aimed to determine concentrations of heavy metals (Fe, Cu and Cr) in 10 samples of underground water across the study area. The concentrations of heavy metals were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometer. The results revealed that the concentrations of heavy metals Fe, Cu and Cr are 0.71 mg/l, 0.47 mg/l and 0.07 mg/l respectively. The heavy metals concentrations are higher than the recommended limits set by WHO and USEPA, with the exception of Cu, which is below the permissible limit of 2.0 mg/l. The health risk assessments were assessed by computing hazard index (HI) and Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR). The total hazard index computed due to heavy metals is 1.52, is above the acceptable limit of (HI ), also the cumulative cancer risk for carcinogenic element is , which is higher than permissible limits ), indicating non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic due to ingestion of water contaminated with heavy metals. The study will assist relevant government agencies in taking strategic action to lessen the heavy metals contamination of drinking water.

Comparison of the Empirical Performance of Greedy, Hill Climb and Simulated Annealing Algorithms in GSAT Solver on DIMAC and Aloul Benchmarks

2025-01-02T19:42:09+00:00

Boolean satisfiability solvers have made a significant impact in different areas of research such as Mathematics, Computer Science (artificial Intelligence, Automatic Test Pattern Generation, and so on). The problem to determine whether a given Boolean formula has a model was proved to be NP complete by Cook in 1971. This area witness a number of research over the past 5 decades. A number of algorithms were developed for solving SAT problem. These algorithms showed varying performance on different categories of SAT instance (random, industrial and handcrafted). This paper proposed to compare three (3) options of the Stochastic Local Search solver GSAT(Greedy SAT Solver). The options are Greedy, Hill Climb and Simulated Annealing. This work was inspired by the need to provide an insight on their performance on different problem Instances to serve as a guide for researchers who are interested in developing hybrid decision heuristic, initialization of variable weights in a decision heuristic and portfolio SAT solver. We empirically compared the performance on the three options on a Dell latitude E7470 laptop. Our result showed that Hill Climb option outperformed the other options in a number of problem instances solved while Simulated Annealing performed large number of downward and sideways moves. This implies that Hill Climb is the best choice for a hybrid solver while Simulated Annealing is preferable for initialization of variable weights.

Anti-Malaria and Anti-Typhoid Effects of Cocus nucifera L Husk Extract

2025-01-02T19:49:18+00:00

The aim of the study is to evaluate the antimalaria and antityphoid effects of ethanolic extracts of Cocus nucifera husk. The ethanolic extracts were obtained by maceration of pulverized plant parts in ethanol for 48hours with continual agitation, extracts obtained were evaluated for acute toxicity test (LD₅₀), phytochemical analysis. Antimalarial suppressive and curative test were carried out using (84) albino mice (weighing 20 – 23g) which were infected intraperitoneally with 0.2ml of 10fold dilution of 1 ml of infected blood from malaria infected mice. Packed cell volume (PCV) was measured for both suppressive and curative analysis, percentage parasitemia were also determined. Antimicrobial sensitivity test of the plant samples against Salmonella typhi were carried out. The acute toxicity test (LD₅₀) caused no toxicity and death to mice after oral administration even at high doses of 5000 mg/kg of the plant extracts, phytochemical studies reveal the presence of flavonoids, terpenoids and more phenols in the plant extracts, also, proteins and tannins were observed in moderate level. The suppressive effect of the plant extract were statistically significant (p < 0.05) with coconut husk extract at 500mg/kg having the highest parasitemia suppression of 58.03%, while chloroquine 25mg/kg (40.05%) suppression. Chloroquine and extract treated groups increased the PCV of Plasmodium berghei infected mice when compared to control group, but were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The curative effect of the Chloroquine treated group had a significant (p < 0.05) effect with increased PCV while the 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg C. nucifera husk extract treated group had a slight increase in their PCVs but it was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Chloroquine statistically reduced the parasitemia load of P. berghei (p < 0.05), with percentage suppression of 81.25%, the coconut husk 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg treated groups had percentage suppression of 40.60% and 40.00% respectively which is statistically significant (p < 0.05). From the study, chloroquine produced the highest curative effect followed by the coconut husk extract. Ethanolic extract of coconut husk had better antibacterial effects on Salmonella typhi at 400mg/ml, 200mg/ml and 100mg/ml concentrations with zones of inhibition better than some control antibiotics like Ampicillin, Ceporex but similar with that of Streptomycin, Ofloxacin, Augmentin, Ciprofloxacin. Ethanolic extract of Cocos nucifera husk possesses antimalarial properties at doses of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg. The C. nucifera ethanolic husk extract at 500 mg/kg had better prophylaxis effects and malaria parasite suppression than chloroquine but with a cure rate less than that of chloroquine but statistically significant at both dosages of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg.

Vulnerability Assessment of Spatial Distribution of Filling Station on the Environment in Gombe Metropolis Gombe State Nigeria

2025-01-02T19:58:23+00:00

The study analyzed the effects of spatial distribution of fuel stations on the environment in Gombe Metropolis, Nigeria. The coordinates of fuel stations were collected and analyzed using ArcGIS 10.1 to determine their spatial distribution and compliance with the Department of Petroleum Resource (DPR) standard. The results of the Nearest Neighbour Analysis showed a strong clustering of filling stations, with a mean distance of 281 meters between filling stations, which is less than the expected mean distance of 593 meters. There is a strong clustering of fuel stations within a distance of 400 meters, with 78 out of 84 fuel stations located within 400 meters of each other. Only 7.14 % of fuel stations are located at a distance greater than 400 meters. The study further indicated that the majority of the fuel stations (71 %) are located within 30 meters of residential areas which poses serious health risks. The clustering of fuel stations and their proximity to residential areas, and road networks can lead to traffic congestion, air pollution, fire hazards, and accessibility issues. The results of the study suggest that policymakers need to ensure that fuel stations conform to safety regulations set by DPR for sustainability.

Quantifying Radiation Dose and Risk in Diagnostic X-ray and Computed Tomography Imaging Procedures

2025-01-02T20:17:08+00:00

This study focused on evaluating the radiation doses received by patients during diagnostic X-ray and CT scan procedures at two healthcare facilities: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) and Specialist Hospital, Bauchi. The objective was to quantify radiation exposure and identify factors influencing dose variations, aiming to enhance patient safety and optimize imaging protocols. The study employed thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) to measure radiation doses from procedures on 50 patients: 25 receiving X-ray imaging and 25 receiving CT scans. The study recorded an average effective dose of 0.018 mSv for X-ray procedures and 1.7 mSv for CT scans, demonstrating a significantly higher radiation exposure for CT imaging. We compared the experimental results with theoretical dose estimates from the Davies, Kepler, and Faulkner models. The models overestimated patient doses, with deviations reaching up to 46.2%, highlighting discrepancies between theoretical predictions and measured values. The study identified key factors contributing to dose variations, including photon energy, exposure duration, and source-to-target distance. These findings underscore the complex interplay of technical and procedural variables in determining patient radiation exposure. The results emphasize the importance of routine dose monitoring and the calibration of imaging equipment to minimize unnecessary radiation risks. The findings also advocate for the refinement of theoretical models to better align with real-world clinical practices. Overall, this research reinforces the critical need for balancing radiation safety with diagnostic image quality in medical imaging protocols.

Population Dynamics of Bagrus bayad macropterus from Dadin – Kowa Reservoir, Nigeria

2025-01-02T20:21:11+00:00

The population dynamic parameters of Bagrus bayad macropterus from Dadin-Kowa reservoir were studied. Population dynamic parameters such as growth, mortality and recruitment patterns were analyzed using length frequency data over 12-month period employing FiSAT II software. Findings revealed that K = 0.94^-yr., L∞ = 75.75 cm and T_max = 3.73 years. Mortality indices revealed that the fish is slightly above exploitation threshold (F > Eopt ≤ 0.5). However; the major source of population decay is associated with fishing factors (F = 2.56^-yr.). Bimodal recruitment pulses were observed with Lm = 50.5 cm, Lc/ L∞ = 0.15. Restocking program is suitable to ensure its continuous existence as it seems to have low population, and experiencing recruitment overfishing.

An Alignment-Free Method for Analyzing COVID-19 Sequence Similarity and Evolutionary Divergence Across Global Epicenters

2025-01-02T20:26:17+00:00

In this paper, we developed an alignment-free method for examining the similarity and evolutionary divergence of COVID-19 virus sequences collected from five different countries that are epicenters of the disease, facilitating faster sequence analysis. The concept of similarity presented here is essentially a generalization of the notion of equivalence. Our method employed MATLAB programming to calculate the frequency of occurrence of all nucleotide bases from each DNA sequence, resulting in a dissimilarity matrix. In this matrix, smaller values indicate greater similarity among the COVID-19 virus sequences. The dissimilarities were then converted into a similarity matrix, and using the mathematical concept of fuzzy transitive relations, we ultimately derived a phylogenetic tree for the COVID-19 viruses. this help to trace back a common ancestor or identify evolutionary bottlenecks and divergence events and could help also to understand how different strains have evolved and spread, which has implications for tracking disease outbreaks and developing vaccines or treatments which is the ultimate aim of the research work.

Harnessing Functional Foods and Medicinal Plants for Managing Sickle Cell Anaemia in Nigeria: A Review

2025-01-02T20:40:40+00:00

Haemoglobinopathies are inherited erythrocytes’ dysfunctions, caused by autosomal genetic changes like a single nucleotide change in a gene or the decreased production of at least one globin chain that result in unbalanced haemoglobin synthesis, anaemia and other complications. The diseases can be managed through blood transfusion or use of approved conventional therapeutics like hydroxyurea, voxelotor, crizanlizumab, L-glutamine, L-arginine and nutritional supplements. However, these are either unaffordable to majority of people with the disease or pose some side effects, which compel patients to resort to use of functional foods and medicinal plants for treatment. These functional foods and medicinal plants in Nigeria are being used to inhibit or reverse sickling of red blood cells by exploiting the allosteric nature of haemoglobin S to inhibit it from assuming a tensed state or reverse it from such state. They are also employed to exert significant pain relief in patients. Therefore, this work exploited peer-reviewed articles form PubMed and Google Scholar to harness the functional foods and medicinal plants locally employed by Nigerians in the treatment of the most prevalent erythrocytes’ dysfunctions (sickle cell anaemia), indicating their interactions with the structure of haemoglobin and some cellular receptors as well as the potentials of exploiting them for the development of drugs or nutraceuticals with antisickling and anti-nociceptive effects. However, despite their promising potentials in sickling management, challenges like bioavailability, inadequate molecular understanding of antisickling pathways and limited clinical evidence remain. Addressing these issues through standardizing phytochemical profiles, deepening the molecular understanding of antisickling pathways and clinical trials is crucial for their effective therapeutic application.

Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Household Air Pollution (HAP) Among Nigerian Households: Insight from 2018 NDHS

2025-01-02T20:53:47+00:00

Household air pollution (HAP) is a significant public health issue in Nigeria, largely driven by the use of unclean cooking fuels. This study utilized a cross-sectional design to analyse data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), encompassing 39,735 households across the country. The findings revealed that the prevalence of HAP was highest in the North-West region (23.93%) and lowest in the South-East (11.94%). Cooking outdoors or in separate buildings was associated with a higher prevalence of HAP, while having a separate kitchen significantly reduced the risk (aOR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.67-0.81). Multivariable analysis using logistic regression identified several significant risk factors for HAP, including urban residence (aOR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.35-1.70), female-headed households (aOR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.24-1.54), and lower socioeconomic status (aOR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.87-2.47 for the lowest wealth quintile). Regional disparities were also noted, with the South-West exhibiting the highest odds of HAP (aOR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.42-1.82). These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions to mitigate HAP exposure, particularly among vulnerable populations in urban and economically disadvantaged areas.

Assessing the Impact of Post-Occupancy Modifications on Energy Efficiency on Low-Income Housing Estates

2025-01-30T14:15:13+00:00

This study examines the impact of post-occupancy modifications on energy efficiency in low-income housing estates in Nigeria. Using data collected from 100 households, the research explores key demographic factors, types of modifications undertaken, motivations for these changes, and their subsequent effects on energy usage and satisfaction levels. The findings reveal that households primarily engage in modifications aimed at improving energy efficiency, such as installing energy-efficient appliances, enhancing insulation, and replacing windows and doors. Motivations for these changes include reducing energy costs, enhancing comfort, and addressing space constraints. The analysis shows a significant reduction in energy consumption after modifications, with most households reporting monthly energy cost savings of 20% to 40%. These savings are most pronounced in households that adopted solar panels or upgraded to energy-efficient appliances. Despite the financial and energy-saving benefits, satisfaction with energy efficiency varied among respondents, influenced by factors such as modification type and income level. This study highlights the critical role of post-occupancy modifications in promoting energy efficiency and reducing energy costs for low-income households. It underscores the need for policy incentives to support energy-efficient upgrades, educational programs to raise awareness, and the integration of energy-efficient designs in future housing projects. By addressing these areas, stakeholders can enhance the quality of life for residents while promoting sustainable energy use. The research contributes to the growing body of literature on sustainable housing and energy efficiency in developing countries.

Impact of Teaching Cybersecurity Professional Courses for Students of Higher Learning Institutions: What Should the Society Expect?

2025-01-30T23:11:07+00:00

The evolution of science, technology, and innovation (STI) characterized by digital transformation has significantly increased cybersecurity threats in socio-economic activities across the globe. The cybersecurity index of the global year 2024 outlines that the economy of developing countries will be affected by cyber criminals who are rapidly increasing worldwide. Globally, cybercriminals are constantly innovating their skills of attacking and hacking information systems. This study examined the problem in Tanzania by assessing the impact of teaching professional cybersecurity courses for students pursuing higher education who later graduate and live without employment. Findings reveal that the nation produces cybersecurity professionals who graduate yearly with sophisticated cybersecurity skills. The study recommends that the government should take precautions to protect itself economically and set a professional cybersecurity policy of identifying and registering students graduating in the field of cybersecurity. Moreover, public training and awareness of cybercrime Acts, and infringements are highly needed for the citizens. This study serves as a knowledge gap for education policymakers, education institutions, and the government to take measures to safeguard the nation's future digital economy by enhancing cybersecurity awareness among the citizens through the provision of education using mass media and training via various education platforms.

Effects of Chlorella vulgaris on Hematological Parameters of Clarias gariepinus

2025-01-30T23:19:48+00:00

A 12-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary Chlorella vulgaris supplementation on the haematological parameters of Clarias gariepinus. The fish were divided into five groups: one fed on a control diet without algae supplementation, and four experimental groups fed diets containing 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% C. vulgaris powder at 3% of their body weight, twice daily. Treated groups exhibited higher RBC, WBC, and Hct levels, with the highest values observed in the 15% and 20% groups, while the control group showed higher RBC indices. No significant differences were noted in RBC and MCV, but significant variations were observed in WBC, Hct, Hb, MCH, and MCHC at p<0.05. Based on the findings, dietary supplementation with more than 5% C. vulgaris can enhance the blood quality of catfish.

The Use of Social Media Tools for Effective Communication in Construction Project Delivery in Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State

2025-01-30T23:25:15+00:00

Social media is a vital tool that aids in communication amongst construction project stakeholders. The main issue that propelled this study was scarcity of information on the extent of deploying the use of social media tools for effective and efficient construction project delivery in Maiduguri metropolis. Against this backdrop, this study aimed to examine the use of social media for effective communication in construction project delivery in the Maiduguri metropolis. Survey design was used for the conduct of the study. Due to restrictions and constraint, a purposive sampling of 105 questionnaires was administered to representatives of clients, contractors, and consultants using multiple snowballed sampling techniques. The questionnaire administration attained a 73.75% response rate. Data were analyzed with a statistical package for social science (SPSS version 24.0) tool for frequencies, percentages, and regression. 14 social media tools were investigated based on the strengths and limitations of each platform within the context of construction project communication. The findings indicate that, the most used social media tools for communication during construction project delivery in the study area are: The most frequently used social media tool was WhatsApp with 39%, followed by rarely used tool; Snap chart (40.7%), Twitter (52.5%), Facebook (35.6%), Telegram (39%), Youtube (25.4%) and Facebook messenger having 18.6% respectively. The findings equally revealed that, the deployment of social media will have a very high impact of 54.2%, 42.4% and 44.1% on timely completion, budgeted cost, and completion of project within the anticipated quality expectations in the study area. Furthermore, the results show significant positive cause-effects of social media communication on construction project delivery time, cost and quality in the study area. This suggested that, social media tools should be adopted by stakeholders to achieve effective and efficient communication in order to enhance successful construction project delivery. More research should be carried out to come up with new communication technologies that are user friendly.

Al-Amal Neighborhood Obsolesced Buildings Necessarily Renovated to Meet the United Nations Habitat Density Standard.

2025-01-30T23:14:12+00:00

The United Nation Habitat adopts the use of a density standard of one fifty people per hectare as a model. From a design viewpoint, the dense urban areas offer a suitable shade for passers-by in the streets. Building renovation and remodeling improve the living space, each with its own set of benefits. Their differences help in choosing either of them for buildings best suits the client. Renovation updates the perception of just one space or the whole building without changing its intended purpose required for urban development in the context of this research. This consideration limited to residential, commercial, and mixed used building being the majority and most significant building types, for people’s well-planned settlement and social and economic growth. To come out with recommendations for the renovation of residential, commercial, and mixed used buildings, Hail City’s Al-Amal neighborhood chosen as a case study in which these three types of buildings necessitating renovation to counterbalance the imbalanced population density recommended by United Nation Habitat. The methodology depends on the theoretical aspect, this approach based on the statistical study and analysis of the residential, commercial, and mixed used building and their urban sprawl, urban zone, and urban density to reach at such impact on the United Nation Habitat recommended standard. To end up the research and conclude by a practical field statistical studies and analyses exemplifying the residential, the commercial and mixed used buildings requiring renovation opting for the recommended population density the United Nation Habitat calls for.