Abia State University Uturu (ABSU) is a Nigerian public university. It is one of the state owned universities in Nigeria. These state academic institutions were created to expand admissions and bring professional skills, expertise and modern research facilities close to the city and rural dwellers, and have helped talented students to obtain higher education.The inception of the university was in 1981 in the former Imo State under the name of Imo State University, Etiti. The university was established by Sam Mbakwe when he was Governor of old Imo State. The main campus was located at Etiti, Imo State, while the Law Department was located in a separate Campus at Aba. Between 1984 and 1985 under the military governorship of General Ike Nwachukwu, the university moved to its permanent site at Uturu Okigwe.Following the creation of Abia State in 1991, the Uturu campus of the University was ceded to Abia State, and is now known as Abia State University Uturu, Isuikwuato Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria. The university is organized in colleges and schools having been founded on the same collegiate system that University of Nebraska operates.Studies at Abia State University include: undergraduate, graduate and doctorate degrees. It has two campuses- its main campus in Uturu; and the College of Law, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine housed by the campus in Umuahia, capital of Abia State, Nigeria.
Public automobile parks' soil dust is a significant source of inhalable particulate matter in metropolitan environments worldwide. This study aims to examine the health risks associated with ten potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Hg, Li, Zn and Pb) and their composition in 13 different motor parks in the Northwest region of Nigeria. The samples were digested with acids and analysed using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer, while cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrophotometers were used to analyse mercury. The highest mean concentrations followed the sequence Ba (189 mg/kg), followed by Zn (157 mg/kg), Cu (115 mg/kg), Cr (58.93 mg/kg), Ni (34.27 mg/kg), Pb (23.72 mg/kg), Cd (9.63 mg/kg), Li (1.07 mg/kg), and Hg (0.08 mg/kg). Ba and Zn exhibited the highest enrichment factor (EF) and contamination factor (CF). The health risk assessment for PTEs showed that As, Pb, Cr, and Ba have the greatest health index, suggesting a possible health risk where ingestion is the primary pathway, with children having higher vulnerability than adults. The geo-accumulation index reflected different pollution levels, with certain elements presenting serious ecological risks. The study also revealed different pollution patterns in automobile parks by comparing its findings with those of other studies conducted around the world. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified the sources of PTEs in the motor parks' dust includes human activities, vehicular emissions and lithogenic occurrences through leaching and runoffs. The study further showed that metals particularly Cr present slight to high ecological risks. Health hazard evaluation uncovered that the occupants of the area particularly children are more inclined to non-cancer-causing health risks. The study highlights the necessity of implementing remedial measures to address the environmental and public health problems associated with metal pollution.
Transformer oil degradation from partial electrical discharge produces toxic gases like acetylene (C2H2), ethylene (C2H4), hydrogen (H2), and carbon monoxide (CO), posing environmental hazards. Early detection is vital to prevent disasters. The study investigates the adsorption potential of a novel nickel-encapsulated germanium-doped porphyrin (Ni-Ge@PPR) for detecting these harmful gases. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations with the TPSSh functional and 6-311 + + G(d, p) basis set, the adsorption energies ranged from 0.0951 to 3.6573 eV, indicating weak to moderate physisorption. The NBO analysis revealed that the stability of the complexes followed the order: H2 > C2H2 > CO > C2H4. The strongest interaction was observed in the H2-Ni-Ge@PPR complex, driven by a σ* to σ* charge transition. Energy gap analysis indicated that C2H2-Ni-Ge@PPR and H2-Ni-Ge@PPR were the most reactive, while C2H4-Ni-Ge@PPR and CO-Ni-Ge@PPR showed greater stability. Non-covalent forces dominated the gas-Ni-Ge@PPR interactions, making Ni-Ge@PPR a promising material for gas sensor applications.
This study presents a novel comparative investigation of Ni- and Ag-doped CaAl_2O_4-ZnO/rGO ternary composite thin films synthesized through a simple, scalable, and eco-friendly electrodeposition process. The work explores how dopant concentration modulates both linear and nonlinear optical properties, linking them to the electronic and structural behavior relevant for electrode applications. The optical bandgap varied from 2.37 eV (undoped) to 2.50 eV (Ni-doped, 0.06 M) thin film, indicating a Moss–Burstein shift and enhanced carrier concentration, while Ag doping narrowed the bandgap significantly from 2.37 eV to 1.63 eV (Ag-doped, 0.03 M), attributed to plasmonic resonance and defect-induced states. The Urbach energy (E₍ᵤ₎) increased from 1.52 eV (undoped) to 4.80 eV (0.03 M Ag), suggesting rising structural and electronic disorder. Concurrently, the absorption edge (Ed) expanded from 0.92 eV in the pristine film to 1.65 eV in highly Ag-doped samples, confirming defect-tuned optical transitions. Analysis of dielectric and nonlinear parameters revealed the real dielectric constant (ε′) exhibited negative values across all samples, signifying plasmonic-type behavior and free-carrier dominance. The high-frequency dielectric constant ( ε_∞ ) ranged from 0.02 to 0.11, while the static refractive index (n₀) decreased from 0.33 to 0.14 as Ag concentration increased, indicating improved optical transparency. The linear optical susceptibility (χ1) decreased from − 0.68 to − 0.77, and the third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility (χ3) increased from 3.6 × 10⁻11 to 5.9 × 10⁻11, demonstrating higher electronic delocalization and nonlinear optical response, particularly in Ag-doped films. Correspondingly, the nonlinear refractive index (n2) fluctuated between 1.2 × 10⁻9 and 8.6 × 10⁻9, consistent with enhanced field-induced polarization. Overall, Ni doping primarily improved bandgap broadening, optical conductivity, and dielectric constant, signifying stronger electron–phonon coupling and higher charge storage capacity—key for supercapacitor electrodes—whereas Ag doping enhanced plasmonic response, χ3, and carbon cluster density, making it a promising candidate for nonlinear photonic and optoelectronic applications. This quantitative comparative analysis provides a novel understanding of dopant-induced multiphase interactions in ternary oxide–graphene composites and their significance in energy storage and optical device design.
Antibiotic resistance has accelerated into a critical global health emergency, undermining the effectiveness of modern medicine and increasing the burden of severe, persistent, and difficult-to-treat infections. This review synthesizes current evidence on the biological, clinical, and public health dimensions of resistance and highlights the major drivers behind its rapid expansion. Recent epidemiological data reveal substantial increases in mortality associated with resistant bloodstream, respiratory, and intra-abdominal infections, emphasizing the urgency of coordinated intervention. Mechanistic analyses demonstrate how horizontal gene transfer (HGT), mutational adaptation, biofilm formation, efflux systems, and enzymatic drug modification collectively strengthen bacterial survival. In parallel, persistent and tolerant cell populations further complicate therapeutic outcomes by enabling recurrent and chronic infections. Despite these challenges, several promising countermeasures have emerged. Advances in antimicrobial stewardship, drug repurposing, bacteriophage-based strategies, immunotherapies, and nanotechnology offer new avenues to restore or enhance antimicrobial efficacy. Innovative approaches—such as targeting novel metabolic pathways, disrupting virulence networks, and employing engineered phage systems—represent a growing frontier in drug development. Collectively, these insights highlight the importance of integrating molecular innovation, optimized clinical practices, and global surveillance as complementary strategies to mitigate the progression of antimicrobial resistance. Finally, this review acknowledges limitations related to the focus on bacterial pathogens, while recognizing that antifungal and antiviral resistance present parallel, distinct challenges in global health.
A binder-free composite hybrid electrode material was deposited through electrodeposition by combining carbon-based materials (graphene oxide) and battery like materials (NiO, ZnO and Al2O3) in a single electrode. The structural, morphological and electrochemical properties of CaAl2O4–ZnO/rGO composite thin film were studied to characterize the hybrid composites. The average crystallite size D of the hybrid composites is 23 nm with an average inter planar spacing of 1.90 Å and lattice constants (a = b = c = 1.456 Å) that reveal a rhombohedral structure. The introduction of Ni increases the cracks and nullifies the rod-like morphology of the undoped thin film while the presence of Ag reveals the nonexistence of cracks at lower concentrations of Ag dopant but densely packed homogenous noodle-like grains with cracks can be seen at a 0.03 M sample. EDX analysis confirmed the presence of deposited elements with the exception of Ag, and this could possibly be due to the low intensity of the Ag dopant or the low deposition voltage. Cyclic voltammetry curves show typical electrochemical behavior with clear oxidation and reduction peaks for most samples. The Nix = 0.06 doped CaAl2O4–ZnO/rGO composite thin films have the maximum specific capacitance of 673 F/g at a scan rate of 100 mV/s, while the Agx = 0.03 doped thin film has the minimum specific capacitance of 205 F/g at the same scan rate. indicating that NCZr3 has a good electrochemical behavior at 0.1 mA/g with an energy density and a power density of 59.83 W · h/Kg and 26.926 W · h/Kg, respectively. These results reveal the suitability of the Ni doped material as an electrode material for supercapacitor applications and confirm the model of roughening. Further studies should be explored by lowering scan rates (5–50 mV/s), adding binder materials, and properly varying Ag concentration and deposition time in order to explore more desirable properties for advanced applications.
