Use of two vertical injectors in place of a horizontal injector to improve the efficiency and stability of THAI in situ combustion process for producing heavy oils.

The current commercial technologies used to produce heavy oils and bitumen are carbon-, energy-, and wastewater-intensive. These make them to be out of line with the global efforts of decarbonisation. Alternative processes such as the toe-to-heel air injection (THAI) that works as an in situ combustion process that uses horizontal producer well to recover partially upgraded oil from heavy oils and bitumen reservoirs are needed.

Detailed investigations of the influence of catalyst packing porosity on the performance of THAI-CAPRI process for in situ catalytic upgrading of heavy oil and bitumen.

Heavy oils and bitumen are indispensable resources for a turbulent-free transition to a decarbonized global energy and economic system. This is because according to the analysis of the International Energy Agency's 2020 estimates, the world requires up to 770 billion barrels of oil from now to year 2040. However, BP's 2020 statistical review of world energy has shown that the global total reserves of the cheap-to-produce conventional oil are roughly only 520.

Impacts of Kinetics Scheme Used To Simulate Toe-to-Heel Air Injection (THAI) in Situ Combustion Method for Heavy Oil Upgrading and Production.

While simulating toe-to-heel air injection (THAI), which is a variant of conventional in situ combustion that uses a horizontal producer well to recover mobilized partially upgraded heavy oil, the chemical kinetics is one of the main sources of uncertainty because the hydrocarbon must be represented by the use of oil pseudo-components. There is, however, no study comparing the predictive capability of the different kinetics schemes used to simulate the THAI process. From the literature, it was determined that the thermal cracking kinetics schemes can be broadly divided into two: split and direct conversion schemes.

Acetylcholinesterase and α-glucosidase inhibitory compounds from .

Phytochemical investigation on the soluble fractions of -hexane and dichloromethane of methanolic leaves extract of the K. & G. led to the isolation of three triterpenoids [euscaphic acid (), arjunic acid (), and ursolic acid ()] together with two flavones [apigenin () and acacetin ()], two phytosterols [stigmasterol 3--β-glycopyranoside () and sitosterol 3--β-glycopyranoside ()], and a fatty acid [-hexacosanoic acid ()].

Anaemia and thrombocytopenia among pregnant women attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State, North Western Nigeria.

Background: Pregnancy induces a number of physiologic changes either directly or indirectly that affect the haematologic parameters. The most frequent haematologic complication associated with pregnancy is anaemia and thrombocytopenia.

Objectives: The aim of this case-control study was to investigate the prevalence of anaemia and thrombocytopenia among one hundred and twenty consecutively-recruited pregnant subjects and sixty age-matched non-pregnant controls.

Understanding vaccine hesitancy in polio eradication in northern Nigeria.

Background: Vaccine hesitancy constitutes a major threat to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), and to further expansion of routine immunisation. Understanding hesitancy, leading in some cases to refusal, is vital to the success of GPEI. Re-emergence of circulating wild poliovirus in northern Nigeria in mid-2016, after 24months polio-free, gives urgency to this.

Survey of poliovirus antibodies in Borno and Yobe States, North-Eastern Nigeria.

Background: Nigeria remains one of only three polio-endemic countries in the world. In 2016, after an absence of 2 years, wild poliovirus serotype 1 was again detected in North-Eastern Nigeria. To better guide programmatic action, we assessed the immunity status of infants and children in Borno and Yobe states, and evaluated the impact of recently introduced inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) on antibody seroprevalence.

Putting Institutions at the Center of Primary Health Care Reforms: Experience from Implementation in Three States in Nigeria.

-Within the last two decades, the Nigerian government has committed to strengthening its primary health care system, through reforms addressing institutional restructuring, deepening decentralized governance, and the incorporation of an alternative health care financing strategy. One of these reforms prescribed the establishment of state primary health care agencies/boards (SPHCDBs) as an integral part of the national health system, with the principal responsibility "for the coordination of planning, budgeting, provision and monitoring of all primary health care services that affect residents of the state." Central to this reform is the integration of primary health care (PHC) governance and management, popularly called primary health care under one roof.

Poliovirus seroprevalence before and after interruption of poliovirus transmission in Kano State, Nigeria.

Introduction: In September 2015, Nigeria was removed from the list of polio-endemic countries after more than 12months had passed since the detection of last wild poliovirus case in the country on 24 July 2014. We are presenting here a report of two polio seroprevalence surveys conducted in September 2013 and October 2014, respectively, in the Kano state of northern Nigeria.

Methods: Health facility based seroprevalence surveys were undertaken at Murtala Mohammad Specialist Hospital, Kano.

Containment of Ebola and Polio in Low-Resource Settings Using Principles and Practices of Emergency Operations Centers in Public Health.

Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) have been credited with driving the recent successes achieved in the Nigeria polio eradication program. EOC concept was also applied to the Ebola virus disease outbreak and is applicable to a range of other public health emergencies. This article outlines the structure and functionality of a typical EOC in addressing public health emergencies in low-resource settings.

Midwives as drivers of reproductive health commodity security in Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Objectives: The significant improvement in the contraceptive prevalence rate in Kaduna State, Nigeria, from 8.4% in 2008 to 18.5% in 2013 is a notable achievement.

Contribution of Environmental Surveillance Toward Interruption of Poliovirus Transmission in Nigeria, 2012-2015.

Background: Cases of paralysis caused by poliovirus have decreased by >99% since the 1988 World Health Assembly's resolution to eradicate polio. The World Health Organization identified environmental surveillance (ES) of poliovirus in the poliomyelitis eradication strategic plan as an activity that can complement acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance. This article summarizes key public health interventions that followed the isolation of polioviruses from ES between 2012 and 2015.

Role of Serial Polio Seroprevalence Studies in Guiding Implementation of the Polio Eradication Initiative in Kano, Nigeria: 2011-2014.

Background: Nigeria was one of 3 polio-endemic countries before it was de-listed in September 2015 by the World Health Organization, following interruption of transmission of the poliovirus. During 2011-2014, Nigeria conducted serial polio seroprevalence surveys (SPS) in Kano Metropolitan Area, comprising 8 local government areas (LGAs) in Kano that is considered very high risk (VHR) for polio, to monitor performance of the polio eradication program and guide the program in the adoption of innovative strategies.

Methods: Study subjects who resided in any of the 8 local government areas of Kano Metropolitan Area and satisfied age criteria were recruited from patients at Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital (Kano) for 3 seroprevalence surveys.

Conditional cash transfer schemes in Nigeria: potential gains for maternal and child health service uptake in a national pilot programme.

Background: This paper describes use of a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme to encourage use of critical MNCH services among rural women in Nigeria.

Methods: The CCT programme was first implemented as a pilot in 37 primary health care facilities (PHCs), in nine Nigerian states. The programme entitles women using these facilities up to N5,000 (approximately US$30) if they attend antenatal care (ANC), skilled delivery, and postnatal care.

Polio eradication in Nigeria and the role of the National Stop Transmission of Polio program, 2012-2013.

To strengthen the Nigeria polio eradication program at the operational level, the National Stop Transmission of Polio (N-STOP) program was established in July 2012 as a collaborative effort of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Nigerian Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since its inception, N-STOP has recruited and trained 125 full-time staff, 50 residents in training, and 50 ad hoc officers. N-STOP officers, working at national, state, and district levels, have conducted enumeration outreaches in 46,437 nomadic and hard-to-reach settlements in 253 districts of 19 states, supported supplementary immunization activities in 236 districts, and strengthened routine immunization in 100 districts.

Chemical profile and antiacetylcholinesterase, antityrosinase, antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of Cynometra cauliflora L. leaves.

Background: The aim of the current study was (i) to evaluate the bioactive potential of the leaf methanolic extract of Cynometra cauliflora L., along with its respective hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol (n-BuOH) and aqueous fractions, in inhibiting the enzymes α-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and tyrosinase as well as evaluating their antioxidant activities. (ii) In addition, in view of the limited published information regarding the metabolite profile of C.

Anti- and pro-lipase activity of selected medicinal, herbal and aquatic plants, and structure elucidation of an anti-lipase compound.

Plants that help in slowing down the digestion of triacylglycerols (TAGs) in the pancreas and small intestine of humans play an important role in the reduction of obesity. On the other hand, there may be plants or plant parts that stimulate intestinal lipolytic activity, thus contributing to greater TAG assimilation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the aqueous methanolic extracts of ninety eight (98) medicinal, herbal and aquatic plant materials from Malaysia for their effect on porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL) activity and to identify the structure of an anti-lipase compound from one of the sources.