Renaissance University

Ischemic stroke triggers a systemic inflammatory response that extends beyond the central nervous system, impacting peripheral organs. The lungs are particularly vulnerable to secondary injury following stroke, yet the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely defined. We hypothesized that ischemic stroke disrupts pulmonary function through time-dependent immune cell redistribution and loss of vascular barrier integrity mirroring changes that occur in the CNS. Adult male C57BL/6 mice underwent 60-minute middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo; n = 5) or SHAM surgery (n = 5), followed by 1- or 3-day reperfusion, and were compared to naïve controls (n = 4). Lung function and vascular integrity were assessed via pulmonary mechanics (FlexiVent), bronchoalveolar lavage (BALF), and Western blotting. A subset (SHAM: n = 3; MCAo: n = 4) underwent flow cytometry and imaging mass cytometry (IMC) of lung, brain, and spleen to evaluate immune responses. At 3 days post-MCAo, mice exhibited significantly decreased lung compliance and increased airway elastance and resistance compared to SHAM, despite preserved alveolar architecture. These physiological impairments were accompanied by elevated levels of 4-HNE adducts and VCAM-1 expression in lung tissue, indicating oxidative stress and endothelial activation. BALF analysis revealed increased total protein and cellularity, along with reduced claudin-5 expression and IgG extravasation, consistent with pulmonary barrier dysfunction. Imaging mass cytometry (IMC) showed that by day 3, inflammatory marker expression in the lung was similar between MCAo and SHAM. However, at day 1, MCAo lungs demonstrated markedly reduced expression of CD45, CD44, CD11b, Ly6G, Granzyme B, and iNOS relative to both naïve and SHAM controls, suggesting early immune cell egress. Flow cytometry corroborated these findings, revealing increased splenic neutrophils and cerebral macrophages at day 1 post-MCAo, supporting a model of peripheral immune cell redistribution following stroke. These findings suggest that MCAo is associated with impaired pulmonary barrier function and mechanics, correlating with redox imbalance and temporal immune cell redistribution. The early depletion of lung-resident immune effectors likely reflects systemic immunologic reprioritization, rendering the lung transiently vulnerable to secondary insults. This defines a post-stroke window of pulmonary susceptibility with implications for infection risk and therapeutic targeting.

The study explored whether career mentoring moderates the direct and indirect relationship between career-related anxieties and job search outcomes through job search strategies. Three-wave panel data were collected from three hundred and fifteen (315) unemployed graduates in Southeastern Nigeria. Results from Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) provided support for the direct, indirect, and moderation hypotheses. Specifically, the results showed that job search anxiety was negatively related to job search outcomes. Job search behavior and systemacity in job search significantly mediated the relationship between future career anxiety and job search outcomes. We recommend that job search behavior, job search systematicity, and career mentoring are important in finding jobs. We discussed limitations and future research, as well as recommendations for career counseling practice and research.

Aim: Bat guano is a well-suited substance for the growth and multiplication of fungal pathogens implicated in human, animal and food infections. However, it is used in agriculture as a biological fertilizer to improve soil fertility. This study evaluated the impact of bat guano on soil fungi community structure and diversity in farmlands fertilized with bat guano. Study Design: Experiments with different farmland soils fertilized with bat guano. Place and Duration of Study: Sample: Renaissance University, Department of Microbiology, Ugbawka, Enugu State, between May 2021 and July 2021. Methodology: Physico-chemical and mycological analyses of the bat guano-fertilized and control soils were done following standard analytical and microbiological methods. Soil fungal isolates were identified via macroscopy and microscopy. Results: Results revealed that all tested soil samples were sandy and application of the bat guano increased organic matter, nitrate and organic carbon content of the soils compared to the control. Culturable fungal isolates from bat guano-fertilized soils belonged to the genera Aspergillus, Cladophialophora, Colletotrichum, Curvularia, Diaporthe, Fusarium, and Rhizopus, relative to the control, which had no cultured fungal isolates. Bat guano also impacted the fungal structure of the soil, introducing pathogens such as Curvularia spp., Fusarium sp., Rhizopus sp., and Cladophialophora sp. implicated in human health, Phytopathogenic fungi such as Diaporthe sp. and Fusarium sp. and Food spoilage fungi such as Rhizopus sp. Conclusion: These findings thus alert the scientific community and general public to challenges in human health and food insecurity posed by bat guano fertilisation of farmlands.

Since late 2021, there has been increasing interest in the idea of the “metaverse.” This is a virtual, augmented or mixed reality system that potentially millions of people can simultaneously inhabit and where people can interact with one another in real-time, irrespective of the physical distance between them. It is heralded by some as the next-level world wide web that will use a 3D immersive interface, with the potential of mixing virtual and physical reality, with environments persisting over time and all interoperable between different platforms and devices. Nevertheless, there is still no true example of a metaverse, only a number of nascent examples. Here we discuss the technical foundations for such metaverses, the role of generative AI, and its possible impact on society—including education, healthcare and quality of life, business and consumers, the future of work, and its implications for democracy. We also discuss public perceptions of the metaverse, issues of governance and regulation, and its legal implications. Overall, while the metaverse may radically and positively alter the way that we live, we must take into account ethical and regulatory issues in order to avoid predictions of a dystopian future being realized. This study is, therefore, a multi-disciplinary introduction to the metaverse concept that may be useful to readers with many different interests.

Industry 4.0 is revolutionizing the world of manufacturing by merging modern digital technologies with conventional production techniques. One of the most crucial advancements is the use of robotics and automated systems for quality checking, which improves accuracy, consistency, and real-time sensitivity. In this paper, deep robotics-based quality control systems are presented with an in-depth analysis focusing on the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI), machine vision, and sensor networks. The transformation towards Industry 4.0 has heightened the demand for smart and automated quality inspection systems that can work with speed, accuracy, and flexibility. Traditional inspection methods tend to fail in meeting the increasing complexity and amount of contemporary manufacturing processes. Robotics and automation, enabled by machine learning, computer vision, and sensor fusion, offer a revolutionary solution to such issues. This paper contribution acknowledges the manner in which these technologies are transforming industrial quality assurance in the context of Industry 4.0.

School health programs are critical for promoting the physical, psychological, and social well-being of students and staff, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Effective evaluation of these programs requires comprehensive and context-sensitive tools. The School Health Assessment Tool for Primary Schools (SHAT-PS), originally developed and validated in Iran, offers a biopsychosocial framework for evaluating key dimensions of school health. Designed for use in low- and middle-resource settings and emphasizing both staff and student well-being, the SHAT-PS provides a promising foundation for addressing gaps in school health assessment. However, although this tool has demonstrated strong psychometric properties in its original context, its applicability in other cultural and educational settings remains underexplored. This study aimed to validate the SHAT-PS in Nigerian primary schools by examining its factor structure, internal consistency, and contextual relevance. A total of 706 primary school teachers and school staff from the Nsukka education zone in southeast Nigeria completed the original 76 items of the SHAT-PS. Although the tool was originally developed in Persian, an English version, produced by the original developers through a standard forward and back translation process, was available and used in this study. As English is the official language of instruction in Nigeria, no additional translation was required. Instead, adaptation efforts focused on ensuring contextual and conceptual relevance of the items for the Nigerian educational setting, including expert review and evaluation by Nigerian educational psychologists and school administrators. We employed a cross-sectional design and conducted an Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on half of the sample and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the remaining half. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha (α). EFA and CFA supported a six-factor structure (52 items): (1) School Health Policies, (2) Health Education and Psychological Services, (3) Health Services, Nutrition, and Staff Health, (4) School Hygiene, (5) School Area and Comfort, and (6) Physical Environment. The tool demonstrated good internal consistency (α = 0.66-0.89) and strong construct validity. Variations in responses highlighted its sensitivity to local discrepancies in infrastructure, services, and staff well-being. The SHAT-PS was successfully validated for use in Nigerian primary schools. Its robust psychometric performance and contextual alignment with national school health priorities make it a valuable tool for monitor school health and inform targeted interventions. Further validation in other regions and among broader stakeholder groups is recommended to enhance its generalizability and support nationwide implementation.

Access to justice in India is constitutionally guaranteed but practically constrained by cost, delay, and complexity. Legal aid and Lok Adalat’s—statutory mechanisms under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987—seek to bridge these gaps by offering free legal assistance and conciliatory forums for amicable settlement. This paper assesses their impact on dispute resolution in Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) through a mixed-methods framework. It maps the local institutional ecosystem, proposes indicators to evaluate effectiveness (case throughput, settlement and compliance rates, time/cost savings, user satisfaction, equity of access), and synthesizes insights from secondary sources and illustrative field observations. The analysis suggests that Lok Adalat’s and legal aid clinics reduce pendency for select categories (motor accident claims, petty criminal compoundable matters, family and bank recovery disputes), deliver substantial time and cost savings, and improve perceived fairness—provided cases are carefully screened and conciliators trained. However, uneven outreach, case-mix constraints, and post-award compliance remain challenges. The paper concludes with a practical evaluation toolkit and policy recommendations tailored to Ujjain

Abstract Time-lapse seismic (4D seismic) has emerged as a critical tool in understanding reservoir dynamics, particularly in complex deep-water turbidite sandstone systems. The application of 4D seismic in the Niger Delta's deep-water turbidite reservoirs has significantly enhanced reservoir management and further development, particularly in modeling waterflood fronts and identifying remaining and/or by-passed oil. This study explored the integration of 4D seismic data into reservoir performance history matching for modeling waterflood fronts and identifying bypassed or remaining oil. Deep-water turbidites are characterized by heterogeneous and high-permeability channel systems, leading to challenges in predicting waterflood efficiency and ultimate recovery. By combining 4D seismic with dynamic reservoir simulation, key insights into saturation changes (remaining oil), reservoir connectivity, and fluid flow pathways were obtained. This workflow involved processing an Ocean-Bottom-Node (OBN) 4D seismic data to extract changes in acoustic impedance, which were linked to saturation and pressure variations. These changes were then incorporated into the reservoir performance history matching to refine the reservoir model, ensuring better alignment with observed production and injection data. The seismic-derived waterflood front tracking enhanced the understanding of the reservoir sweep efficiency and flood front location, highlighting areas with bypassed oil due to intra-reservoir heterogeneities, stratigraphic barriers, sub-seismic faults, or suboptimal well placement. This integrated approach has been used in the Ufoma deepwater oilfield further development as a case study. It did not only improve the accuracy of the existing 3D Earth reservoir models but also supported the optimization of the field development strategy by successfully targeting the remaining oil pockets in the further development project for the reservoir. It also led to improved reservoir characterization and modeling in the Ufoma field reservoir management (i.e., WRFM - History Matching and Prediction) and has proven to be a valuable tool in maximizing hydrocarbon recovery in these complex geological channel sands bodies. This work further demonstrates the efficacy of this integrated approach, leading to improved well placement for maximum oil recovery and optimized field development strategies for the Ufoma oilfield in deepwater Niger-Delta.

Abstract The need for WRFM (well, reservoir, and facility management) with infill wells cannot be over-emphasized and has become essential for assets maturation and ullage utilization. EEI is the application of angle rotation in the conventional acoustic impedance under certain approximation. It essentially works by projecting intercept and gradient together with different angles which highlight different features. Extended Elastic Impedance (EEI) has proved to be a highly convenient framework for seismic AVO studies. EEI logs can be directly related to the petrophysical properties of interest, and seismic EEI reflectivity volumes can be obtained directly from the prestack data via linear projection in sin2 θ. In this project, we modelled the "chi" angles from the logs and applied the different chi angles to the prestack seismic dataset. This can be likened to a bandlimited seismic inversion product. The chi angles of the lithology indicators- Share Impedance (SI), MuRho and Density and the fluid indicators- Saturation, Fluid factor (FF) and LamdaRho were derived and applied on the seismic dataset for generating a 3D property distribution map. The input to the EEI inversion is the seismic angle sub-stacks of near (0-10deg), mid (10-20deg) and far (20-30deg) solving the AVA_2term Shuey AVO fitting function- intercept and gradient only. In some cases where the seismic S/N ratio in the ultra-far angle stack is high, it could be considered for the inversion and would give rise to the 3rd term- curvature, but in our case, it was considered noisy. To ensure stability of the inversion, the substacks were aligned both spectrally and on the waveforms and the seismic dataset was further post-processed. Amplitude maps generation and sculpting were done on the different EEI generated seismic volumes and the result provided insight in the lithology and fluid study at the reservoirs of interest. This has led to field life extension by several years more than design life and is helping to keep xxxkbpd-sized facility full via world class WRFM, infill drilling and growth projects. The EEI result helped in identified new leads and revalidated existing leads aiding well placement.

Abstract Across the drilling industry, stuck pipe incidents are major contributors of Non-Productive Time during well operations, as significant resources are often dedicated to recovery from stuck pipe and re-work of the well to achieve the objectives. Globally, the drilling industry has committed significant resources towards stuck pipe incident prevention and mitigation. However, with increasingly complex well trajectories being drilled to access deeper reservoirs from existing surface locations, stuck pipe incidents continue. This situation is compounded by subsurface uncertainties like unstable shale intervals. A limited understanding of the characteristics of the in-situ stresses, especially for the unstable shale intervals, may lead to a significant challenge during well execution. For instance, the outcome of the mud weight prediction, from wellbore stability studies and/or during well planning, with inaccurate outcomes could result in challenges during well execution. The paper presents the outcome of the design and execution of a deviated gas well to ensure well bore stability while drilling across shale intervals in a brown field in the Niger Delta Basin, highlighting the impact of stuck pipe incidence on drilling performance. It documents the best practices that were adopted, and the key learning outcomes from a stuck pipe investigation. The paper shares the detailed well design, highlighting the identified hazards that had potential of leading to stuck pipe incidents, the standard solutions implemented during the well program phase, and the impact that the use of real time operations monitoring and algorithms in identifying the onset of a stuck pipe incident. The recovery efforts following stuck pipe incidents and the results of the investigation into the incidents will be presented here. The paper also documents the successful delivery of a well as a dual-zone smart producer. The value of this work is that it provides a robust framework for managing stuck pipe incidents, from prevention to recovery, especially in the face of subsurface uncertainties that can impact wellbore stability studies during the detailed well design. These key learnings are considered best-practices and recommended for use in preventing potential stuck pipe incidents in drilling operations across the Niger Delta basin.