Ebonyi State University

Water pollution has become a serious environmental challenge, threatening aquatic environment and human health as a result of continuous pollutants discharged from untreated wastewater, particularly from textile industries which often contains cationic and anionic dyes. To solve the problem, there is a need to develop a sustainable and effective adsorbent material which has the capability to remove these dyes from wastewater before being discharge into water bodies. In this study, we employed a waste biomass material, Albizia lebbeck pod (ALP) to construct X-ZnO@ALP composites (where x = 0.05 and 0.1 M, loading concentration of ZnO) via in-situ co-precipitation method for effective methylene blue (MB) and congo red (CR) adsorption from aqueous environments in a single batch adsorption system. The composite’s structure was examined using FTIR, SEM/EDS, BET, and XRD techniques. The successful incorporation of ZnO enhanced the surface potential of ALP, providing additional adsorption sites for MB and CR and increasing the BET surface areas to 40.56 and 32.71 m²/g. The maximum adsorption capacities were 82.2 mg/g (MB) and 75.6 mg/g (CR) for 0.05 M-ZnO@ALP, and 61.8 mg/g (MB) and 56.2 mg/g (CR) for 0.1 M-ZnO@ALP, respectively. The performance of 0.05 M-ZnO@ALP surpass that of 0.1 M-ZnO@ALP because increasing the ZnO content led to larger particle sizes, which could limit the available adsorption active sites responsible for MB and CR adsorption due surface blockage or aggregation. The MB and CR adsorption process of UMALP, 0.05 M-ZnO@ALP, and for 0.1 M-ZnO@ALP conform to the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second order kinetic models. Thermodynamic measurement confirmed that the MB and CR adsorption reaction is spontaneous, feasible and exothermic in character. The recycling experiments revealed that the MB and CR adsorption by 0.05 M-ZnO@ALP, and for 0.1 M-ZnO@ALP still maintained > 90% efficiency after three cycles, making them a suitable adsorbent materials for practical applications. Overall, ZnO-loaded Albizia lebbeck pod biomass showed a good potential for dye treatment from wastewater, • A novel nanocomposite material of x-ZnO@ALP was synthesized via an in-situ co-precipitation method. • XRD, SEM/EDX, and FTIR confirmed the successful synthesis of x-ZnO@ALP. • The constructed composite materials exhibit good adsorption performance toward MB and CR. • The MB and CR adsorption follows the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models. • x-ZnO@ALP, effective, sustainable, and still maintain more than > 90 efficiency for MB and CR removal after 3 cycles.

A bstract Background: Glaucoma is a leading cause of global blindness, particularly prevalent in Africa where healthcare accessibility is challenging. Adherence to glaucoma medications is crucial for disease management and vision preservation. Objective: The objective of the study was to identify barriers to medication adherence among adult glaucoma patients in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 160 adult glaucoma patients receiving care at the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital Enugu, Nigeria. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used collect the relevant sociodemographic data and barriers to medication adherence. Data analysis was both descriptive statistics and inferential using the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL, USA) version 26 for windows at 95% confidence level. Results: The mean age of the participants was 53.1 ± 14.0 years. The majority (89.5%) used two (35%) or three (44.5%) medications. The three major barriers identified included medication cost (95%), drug unavailability (96.2%), and side effects (96.9%). Other observed barriers included forgetfulness (42.5%), multiple medications (21.9%), busy schedules (16.3%), administration challenges (4.5%), and religious beliefs (1.9%). The educational level of the participants correlated significantly with side effects barrier to medications ( P = 0.016). Conclusion: Cost of medication, unavailability, and side effects were the main barriers to glaucoma medication adherence in the study population. Efforts to enhance glaucoma medication adherence should prioritize reducing drug costs, improving availability, and addressing side effects. Interventions targeting forgetfulness, complex regimens, and patient education may further support adherence.

Hypertension remains a leading contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and premature mortality worldwide, with increasing prevalence observed among younger populations. Although avoidable lifestyle factors account for a substantial proportion of hypertension risk, prevention efforts depend heavily on adequate awareness and understanding of these factors. This study examines the level of knowledge of avoidable risk factors of hypertension among university students in England and evaluates the relationship between these factors and hypertension status. A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed using a structured questionnaire administered to students at a large English university. Descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, and multinomial logistic regression were used to analyse the data. Findings indicate a high level of knowledge of avoidable risk factors, including alcohol consumption, obesity, high salt intake, and junk food consumption. Despite this, significant associations were observed between several avoidable risk factors and hypertension status, particularly alcohol use, body mass index, salt intake, and frequent consumption of junk food. The results highlight a clear disjunction between knowledge and health behaviour, suggesting that awareness alone is insufficient to reduce hypertension risk among university students. The study underscores the need for prevention strategies that extend beyond information provision to address behavioural, social, and environmental drivers of risk.

Background: Gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction cancers encompass a heterogeneous group of malignancies with distinct histological and biological characteristics. Histological classification remains central to diagnosis, prognostication, and therapeutic decision-making, particularly in settings where molecular profiling is not routinely available. Objective: This study examined the histological spectrum and classification patterns of gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction cancers diagnosed over a ten-year period in Anambra State, South-East Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction cancer cases diagnosed between January 2011 and December 2020 across four major histopathology laboratories in Anambra State. Archived haematoxylin and eosin–stained slides and paraffin blocks were reviewed. Tumours were classified according to the 2019 World Health Organization classification of gastric tumours, with carcinomas further categorised using the Lauren classification system. Descriptive statistics and chi-square testing were applied, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Ninety-three cases met inclusion criteria. Carcinomas constituted the majority of tumours, followed by mesenchymal tumours, lymphomas, and neuroendocrine tumours. Tubular adenocarcinoma was the most frequent carcinoma subtype, while intestinal-type carcinoma predominated under the Lauren classification. Most graded carcinomas were well differentiated. No statistically significant associations were identified between histological subtype and patient age or sex. Conclusion: Gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction cancers in this setting are dominated by epithelial malignancies, particularly tubular and intestinal-type adenocarcinomas. The observed histological profile aligns with patterns reported across Nigeria and other low- and middle-income settings, underscoring the continuing relevance of morphology-based classification in regional cancer practice.

Hodgkin lymphoma is a rare neoplasm of the lymphatic system, representing one of the most common cancers in young adults. It is characterised by a low number of malignant cells derived from B-lymphocytes and an extensive microenvironment. We used Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed databases with search descriptors; “Hodgkin* lymphoma“ and “Hodgkin* disease”. The common bibliometric indicators were applied. We retrieved a total of 18,304 articles within 2002 and 2022. The growth pattern showed a saturated pattern, with the linear and exponential plots coinciding. A small number of authors were responsible for the majority of the publications, with a transience index of 71.84%. The Bradford core consisted of 32 journals, with Leukemia and Lymphoma being at the top. The most productive institutions were resident in United States with the University of Texas MD Anderson Center at the helm. The United States was found to be the most productive country. Engert A. was the most productive author. Scientific production in Hodgkin lymphoma was found to be saturated with a high transience index. This study provides a reference for oncologists, epidemiologists, funders, policy decision makers, academics, and Hodgkin lymphoma researchers.

The study examined the effect of green accounting on firm value of listed industrial goods firms in Nigeria. The specific objective was to ascertain the effect of waste management disclosure, pollution control disclosure and emission control disclosure on firm value of listed industrial goods firms in Nigeria. The study deployed the ex-post facto research design. A sample size of nine listed industrial goods firms was selected from the population of thirteen listed industrial goods firms in Nigeria. Secondary data were sourced from the annual reports of the firms over a ten-year period (2015-2024). Descriptive analysis was carried out together with Hausman specification test. The hypotheses were tested using Fixed Effect Model, which revealed that: waste management disclosure has a positive and significant effect on firm value of listed industrial goods firms in Nigeria (β = 2.169058; p = 0.0062); pollution control disclosure has a positive but not significant effect on firm value of listed industrial goods firms in Nigeria (β = 0.730396; p = 0.4339); emission control disclosure has a negative and significant effect on firm value of listed industrial goods firms in Nigeria (β = -2.829106; p = 0.0000). By implication, stakeholders, including capital market participants, interpret environmental disclosures in different ways—rewarding transparency in waste management practices with enhanced firm value, while reacting less favorably or even negatively to certain disclosures such as those related to emissions. The study recommends that board directors should institutionalize structured waste management disclosure frameworks to ensure transparent and consistent reporting of waste reduction, recycling, and disposal activities.

The rapid dissemination of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial clones poses a global health threat and limits treatment options. Understanding the dynamics of bacterial clones in Nigeria is essential for developing effective control strategies. This systematic review aimed to track MDR pathogen clones in Nigeria. The search of studies published from 1 January 2010 to 30 April 2025 reporting on MDR bacterial clones in Nigeria was done in Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science databases, complemented with a search in Google Scholar. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) adapted for cross-sectional studies was used to evaluate the risk of bias. The meta-analysis was performed using the R-Studio software version 4.4.3 and the metaprop package. Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria and reported MDR bacterial species. The MDR bacteria had a pooled prevalence of 81.5% (95% CI: 71.4-91.6). The predominant MDR clones reported were Escherichia coli-ST692 (54.0%), Staphylococcus aureus-ST1 (53.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae-ST307 (29.6%), Acinetobacter baumannii-ST2 (23.9%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa-ST773 (24.2%). The overall pooled prevalence of MDR clones was 6.5% (95% CI: 4.8-8.1) for E. coli, 25.9% (95% CI: 1.5-50.4) for S. aureus, 8.0% (95% CI: 4.7-11.3) for K. pneumoniae, 6.5% (95% CI: 3.8-9.2) for A. baumannii, and 11.4% (95% CI: 2.8-19.9) for P. aeruginosa. This systematic review provides up-to-date data on MDR clones that might be spreading in Nigeria. Public health priority pathogens were reported to harbor international clone sequence types which includes; E. coli ST692, S. aureus ST1, K. pneumoniae ST307, A. baumannii ST2, and P. aeruginosa ST773 as the major predominant clones in Nigeria. The presence of these high-risk clones in Nigeria requires the development of a resilient system capable of effectively tracking and controlling MDR pathogen clones.

<strong class="journal-contentHeaderColor">Abstract.</strong> This paper investigates the prevalence and identification of spurious correlations within space weather datasets, a critical concern given the complex inter-dependencies of nature of geophysical phenomena. This is carried out using daily-averaged galactic cosmic ray (GCR) datasets from MOSC and OULU neutron monitor (NM) stations analyzed separately, the large Forbush Decrease (FD) (FD &gt; 3 %) and the small FD (FD &le; 3 %) in each station, to account for the effects of 11-year solar cycle oscillations. For the first time, a statistical analytical method was employed to test the link between FD amplitudes and solar-geomagnetic variables in each dataset after the effects of 11-year solar cycle oscillations are filtered. We demonstrate that, while significant correlations between various space-weather indices and Forbush Decrease events are empirically observable, a meticulous analysis reveals that a subset of these relationships may not reflect true physical causality but rather arise from statistical artifacts or confounding factors inherent in the data. Specifically, analyses of Forbush Decreases often reveal varying correlation coefficients with geomagnetic and solar wind parameters, which can fluctuate significantly across time periods and cosmic-ray stations. For instance, correlations between Forbush Decrease amplitudes and interplanetary magnetic field strength, solar wind speed, and geomagnetic indices like Kp and Dst have been observed to exhibit both negative and positive trends, depending on the specific dataset and analytical approach employed. The results obviously show inconsistencies in the datasets for both MOSC and OULU stations for the large and small FDs, respectively &ndash; specifically, strong correlations were noticed for the parameters&rsquo; regression analyses after the effects of 11-year solar cycle oscillations were removed for both big and small Fds. These inconsistencies strongly suggest the influence of 11-year solar cycle oscillations on the FDs counted on both stations, thereby affecting the relationships between the FDs and the geomagnetic tested variables, echoing concerns about "spurious regression" in the stationary time series. Most of the results are statistically significant at a 95 % confidence level. The results obtained here imply that 11-year solar cycle oscillations have impacts on the GCR flux intensity.

This study examines the effect of ICT capacity building on teaching effectiveness in selected State-owned Universities in South East Nigeria, drawing on Human Capital Theory as its principal analytical framework. Adopting a descriptive survey research design and mixed research method, quantitative and qualitative data were collected from academic staff across selected State-owned Universities in South East Nigeria using a structured questionnaire and Key Informant Interviews (KII). The study employed descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between ICT capacity building and teaching effectiveness. Specifically, digital skills training, exposure to e-learning platforms, and continuous ICT-oriented professional development emerged as strong predictors of instructional delivery quality, student engagement, and substantial use of digital pedagogy. The study concludes that ICT capacity building is a necessary but insufficient condition for sustained teaching effectiveness without complementary institutional and infrastructural support. It recommends policy-driven, practice-oriented ICT training, improved digital infrastructure, and stronger institutional commitment to enhance pedagogical outcomes in selected State-owned universities in South East Nigeria.