Digenetic trematode flatworms (flukes) of the genus Schistosoma are the cause of schistosomiasis. These water-borne parasitic diseases are extremely debilitating and chronic, causing serious health problems as well as financial burden. After malaria, schistosomiasis is thought to be the most prevalent tropical parasitic disease. Cercariae that pierce the skin while bathing, washing, playing in rivers, streams, lakes, fishing, working in agriculture, or engaging in any other activity involving contact with infested water are the means by which S. haematobium is spread. Therefore, this research aims to study the prevalence and sociodemographic factors associated with urinary schistosomiasis in selected communities of Kaduna North L.G.A. A total of 300 samples were collected from three communities: Rafin Guza, Badarawa and Ungwan Dosa. The samples were examined microscopically, then subjected to sedimentation technique and microscopy. The overall prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis found in this study was 19%. There was a statistically significant difference (P=0.002) in the occurrence of the infection across the three communities: the highest was 24% in Rafin Guza, followed by Badarawa (17%) and the least was at Ungwan Dosa (16%). The age group 11 to 15 had prevalence infection rate of 12.66 % contributing to the total prevalence infection rate of 19 % across all three communities. One of the major suspects of this parasitic infection is due to their association with water. The positive cases were further confirmed by ELISA. There is a need for communitybased health education and awareness campaign which will help to reduce the burden of the disease.

The need for high performance and sustainable polymercomposites in the design of electrical materials for appliances hasamplified the search for hybrid composites of natural fibers. Thestudy aim was to evaluate the tensile, flexural, hardness, impactand structural properties of chemically treated hybrid composite ofcoir and maize fibers reinforced high-density polyethylene.Fabrication of the hybrid composite was performed usingcompression moulding technique. Impact, flexural, tensile andhardness test were carried out using ASTM D-156, ASTM D-790,ASTM D-638 and ASTM D2240 standards respectively.Mechanical testing demonstrated that the incorporation of CF andMHF significantly enhanced tensile strength, with the 7:3 blend ofCoir/Maize husk composite achieving the highest tensile strength(27.27 MPa) and tensile modulus (300.00 MPa). SEM analysisrevealed that fiber concentration plays a critical role in thecomposite microstructure, with lower filler concentrations with the1:1 blend of Coir/Maize husk composite exhibiting improvedhomogeneity, while higher concentrations (e.g. 30% Maize huskcomposite, 3:7 blend of Coir/Maize husk composite) led to fiberagglomeration. These findings underscore the importance oftreatment methods and filler concentration in tailoring CF/MHhybrid composites for diverse applications, particularly in industriessuch as automotive, electrical and construction, where optimalmechanical properties and characterization are crucial. Furtherresearch on the thermal stability of natural fiber reinforced hybridcomposites in this study should be investigated for their potentialuse in electrical fittings.

Uncontrollable access to arms and light weapons by bandit groups across Northwestern Nigeria is adjudged to be responsible for the unsuccessful fight against banditry in Nigeria. This study explores the impact of control of arms and light weapons on the anti-banditry measures using a time delay model and analysis. The conditions for attaining a critical steady state for anti-banditry dynamics are obtained, and the stability analysis of its critical steady state is determined. This result suggests an unstable critical steady state when arms and light weapons control is not enforced. With the enforcement of arms and light weapons control, the critical steady state undergo a supercritical Pitchfork bifurcation characterized by a control-induced regression of activities of bandit groups coupled with the return of progress and prosperity to the banditry-ravaged communities. All analytical results were verified, and the impact of arms and light weapons control is graphically showcased. The work postulates that the ongoing kinetic approach will not bring about a desirable lasting solution as long as arms and weapons proliferations are not controlled. Also, the findings hint at postbanditry government forces’ persistence and over-concentration which might degenerate into adversity if not properly planned.

The demand for water has increased over the last few decades, due to increase in population, social and economic development in different part of the World. The drying up of boreholes and wells worsens the problem of water scarcity in Yobe State because of the high demand for water. The study aimed at stimulating and predicting the groundwater level in River Mallam Sule catchment Area, Nigeria. Resistivity data, Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data, Digital elevation model, stream flow data, and Land Use Land Cover map. Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used as a model to simulate and predict the groundwater level. It was calibrated successfully. Descriptive and Mann Kendall trend was used to compute trend in the variability of groundwater. The result of the study shows the level of surface water anomalies was lowest in 2008 and highest in 2015. Similarly, the level of soil moisture was lowest in 2018 and highest in 2004, terrestrial water storage was lowest in 2008 and highest in 2014 while groundwater level was lowest in 2006 and highest in 2008. The calibrated model was used to predict the future scenario of groundwater in the study area for 2030s, 2060s and 2100s, using 1981 to 2020 as the base line, the calibration was successful. The result of inter decadal trend analysis of projected groundwater from 2020 -2050 shows a negative trend from 2020-2049 and a positive trend in 2050. The study concluded that the temporal variation of groundwater, surface and terrestrial water storage anomalies has moderate variability with positive trend, while soil moisture and groundwater anomalies shows a negative trend, this implies that there is a decrease in the soil moisture and groundwater. The study recommended that there should be alternative source of water to reduced sustained pumping of groundwater which lead to the decline in groundwater.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, is one of the most ancient chronic infectious illnesses and the second greatest cause of infectious death worldwide, behind COVID-19. This study was conducted at the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Center and Referral Hospital, Saye, Zaria, Nigeria, with the intention of detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis among patients with suspected cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. Gene-Xpert MTB/RIF assay was employed in detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and multi-drug resistant MTB. Thirty three (23.0%) of the 100 sputum samples obtained were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Two (8.7%) of the 23 Mycobacterium tuberculosis were found to be MDR-MTB, while the remaining 21 (91.3%) were not. The study found that there were statistically significant differences in the age-based distribution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among the patients. Specifically, patients aged 2-25 years old had the highest rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (33.3%), while patients aged 49-71 years old had the lowest rate (3.8%). The male patient population had a slightly higher prevalence of 23.1% than the female patient population of 22.9%, although the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.985). Based on the patients' marital status, there was a statistically significant (P = 0.003) difference in the infection distribution; the prevalence of the infection was higher in single (i.e., unmarried) patients—38.5%—than in married patients (13.1%). Malnutrition (P=0.000), cattle rearing (P=0.026, OR=4.028), and a history of tuberculosis (OR=1.362) are additional significant risk factors. Health facilities should use the GeneXpert assay to quickly diagnose tuberculosis and identify cases of multidrug resistant TB. This will enable a more efficient and timely course of treatment.

This research aims to evaluate the nutritional composition and consumer acceptability of traditional candies made from various nuts. The study employed proximate and mineral analyses following the methods, while sensory evaluation was conducted using a nine-point hedonic scale. Results indicated significant differences (p < 0.05) among the candies, with mineral composition ranging from calcium 3.04 mg/kg, magnesium 9.06 mg/kg, potassium 390.02 mg/kg, sodium 667.43 mg/kg, phosphorus 22.31 mg/kg, manganese 9.05 mg/kg, to iron 2.80 mg/kg. Proximate analysis revealed a moisture content of 8.34%, fat of 13.45%, protein of 16.67%, fiber of 4.03%, carbohydrate of 55.02%, and an energy value of 407.81 kcal/kg. Sensory evaluation yielded scores of 6.86 for appearance, 7.63 for color, 6.80 for texture, 6.71 for flavor, 6.87 for hardness, 7.30 for fracturability, 6.97 for sweetness, 6.43 for clarity, 5.77 for stickiness, and 7.21 for overall acceptability. These findings suggest that traditional nut-based candies possess diverse nutritional properties and sensory attributes that may complement daily dietary requirements and potentially address mineral deficiencies. Furthermore, these products could enhance the utilization of locally available food materials and serve as functional snacks in regions with limited access to diverse nutritional resources.

Chlorpyrifos are broad-spectrum organophosphorus pesticides used excessively for agricultural purposes to fight insects. The presence of such toxic compounds in watercourses exhibits harmful threats to the environment. The technology of bio-removal (or biodegradation) is nowadays the alternate method for environmental curing. The present study aimed to isolate and identify bacterial strains with strong capabilities of biodegrading such pesticides in wastewater from Nassarawa and Hayin Danmani, Kaduna State. Aeromonas hydrophila was isolated from agricultural wastewater and identified based on morphological, biochemical tests, and 16S rRNA analysis. The degradation conditions were optimized at 30°C and pH of 7. Preliminary screening assessed growth via optical density. Degradation efficiency was measured in inoculated samples compared to controls, with Chlorpyrifos concentration and degradation rates evaluated. Chlorpyrifos concentrations in water samples NA1-HB1 ranged from 2.71 ± 0.11 to 131.8 ± 0.2. Aeromonas hydrophila effectively degraded Chlorpyrifos, with optimal growth observed at an optical density of 0.74 ±0.002. Degradation was faster in inoculated samples, achieving a 73.6 % degradation rate at a Chlorpyrifos concentration of 30 mg/L. The metabolite 3, 5, 6- trichloro-2- pyridinol (TCP), responsible for Chlorpyrifos degradation was detected. Aeromonas hydrophila can efficiently degrade Chlorpyrifos in wastewater, utilizing it as a carbon source. Further research should explore more soil microbiota with Chlorpyrifos (CP) utilization capabilities and investigate the metabolic pathway of Chlorpyrifos degradation.

This study proposed a hybrid modelling framework that integrates Random Forest (RF), Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), and Regression Analysis to enhance macroeconomic forecasting in Nigeria. Addressing challenges such as oil price volatility, structural shocks, and sparse high-frequency data, this approach combines RF’s ability to capture non-linear patterns, VECM’s cointegration of non- stationary variables, and Regression’s parametric efficiency through residual correction and ensemble averaging. Using macroeconomic data from 1993–2022, the hybrid model achieved a 23.4% reduction in Mean Absolute Error (MAE) for GDP (from 15.23 to 11.67) and a 28.5% reduction in Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) (from 20.45 to 14.62), alongside significant improvements for other variables: 17.6% MAE (exchange rate), 15.2% MAE (inflation), 12.1% MAE (unemployment), and 20.3% RMSE (exchange rate), 18.5% RMSE (inflation), 15.6% RMSE (unemployment). The optimized integration weights ( α = 0.61 for RF, β = 0.17 for VECM, γ = 0.23 for RA in GDP forecasting) highlight machine learning’s dominance in modeling non-linearities, while VECM anchors predictions to long-term equilibria and RA stabilizes parametric relationships. Residual correction and ensemble averaging further reduced systematic biases, as evidenced by tighter error distributions. By bridging machine learning and econometrics, this integrated approach provided policymakers with a robust tool for economic stabilization in resource-dependent economies. While data granularity influenced performance, it highlighted its potential for emerging markets facing structural constraints.

This paper describe a new one-pot synthetic route for the preparation of dinuclear triple carboxylato-bridged copper(II) complexes incorporating polypyridyl ligands. The ligands utilized were 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), and dipyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′- c]phenazine (dppz). Reaction of these ligands with copper(II) nitrate and acetylated lincomycin under mild conditions serendipitously yielded the complexes: [Cu2(bpy)2(CH3COO)(OH)(H2O)](NO3)2, [Cu2(phen)2(CH3COO)(OH)(H2O)](NO3)2 and [Cu2(dppz)2(CH3COO) (OH)(H2O)](NO3)2. The complexes were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and elemental analysis (C, H, N), while the structure of complex 1 was confirmed via singlecrystal X-ray crystallography. The X-ray analysis revealed a dinuclear core with a triple carboxylato bridge, confirming the proposed coordination geometry. The synthetic method highlights the role of acetylated lincomycin as a unique reagent in facilitating the formation of these dinuclear copper complexes. The findings underscore the potential of these complexes for further exploration in catalysis, molecular magnetism, and biomimetic chemistry.

Mathematical modelling and simulation of effective production of non-isothermal transient Hydrogen Natural Gas mixture is an important phenomena in gas producing industries. Gas mixture production is a production of natural gas mixed with hydrogen which remain a problem to gas producing industries. During production transient pressure is usually generated by rapid and sudden closure of shut-off valve at wellhead and the flow environment. Many authors in gas producing industries consider gas as a single substances and does not consider the production of natural gas mixed with hydrogen. In this work a one-dimensional transient compressible model comprising conservation of mass, momentum and energy which incorporate hydrogen natural gas mixture equation with the properties of flow environment has been developed with the aim of determining the effect of the mixture on the flow parameters. The model was solved using flux vector splitting method (FVSM). The effect of body force on transient pressure and sound wave due to the well flow geometry including the effect of hydrogen mass ratio has also been discussed. The results obtained when considering isothermal flow in a well of 700 ft deep using different wellbore diameter 0.073 m, 0.088m different time and different thermal conductivities shows good agreement with published results. For non-isothermal flow, the pressure and sound wave are observed to be increasing when the hydrogen mass ratio are increased. The heat exchange between the flowing fluid and the well flow environment increase the temperature of the flowing fluid. The result of this work reflect gas flow law and has provide a technical way forward for production of hydrogen natural gas mixture to all gas producing industries.