Abstract The accelerated growth of population and the rise in the number of vehicle owners are expected to create a sharp demand in the global market for brake pads, which will exert an acute demand to substitute asbestos-containing materials. Asbestos, which was previously employed in friction composites, is dangerous and does not withstand hot climates; hence, substitutes with safer ones are required. This paper explores the utilization of doum palm shell (DPS) as an agro-waste that contains silica as a reinforcement in asbestos-free brake pads manufactured using phenolic (PR) and epoxy (EP) binders. DPS is biodegradable, economical, and locally available, and it helps in valorizing waste and recovering resources that are sustainable. Graphite, glass fibre, aluminium oxide, and alkali-treated DPS were used to create brake pads. FTIR analysis showed better bonding, and TGA showed better thermal stability in EP and more char yield with better flame resistance in PR. Compressive strengths of EP samples of 47–77 MPa and impact energies of 4.27–7.09 J/m² were obtained in mechanical tests, compared to 70.12–80.20 MPa and 8.75 J/m² in PR samples. Hardness peaked at 95.6 Hv in S1PR. The tribological analysis showed that PR composites had lower wear levels and increased friction coefficients, while EP had high thermal resistance and lower water absorption (0.098%). The best performance was recorded in S2PR with 20 g DPS and 15 g glass fibre, which had a balance between strength and friction. Phenolic binders outperformed epoxy in tribological criteria, while epoxy had greater heat stability. The results reveal that DPS is a potential reinforcement in the manufacturing process of sustainable brake pads. Future research ought to address fade and recovery behaviour, thermo-mechanical coupling, and long-term durability. Graphical Abstract
The current therapeutic agents for diabetes provide glycemic control but not without adverse effects, necessitating the investigation of safe and effective alternatives. This research investigated the potential of a flavonoid-rich extract of Pteridium aquilinum (PAFRE) in the treatment of diabetes, employing an integrated in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approach. The DPP4 inhibitory potential of PAFRE was studied using an in vitro and in silico model, while the antihyperglycemic effect of PAFRE was studied in an alloxan-induced diabetic rat model. Thirty albino rats randomly assigned to five groups were used and given different treatments: Group 1, normal control; Group 2, diabetes control; Groups 3 and 4, diabetic rats treated with 100 mg/kg b.w. and 200 mg/kg b.w. of PAFRE, respectively; Group 5, diabetic rats treated with glibenclamide (5 mg/kg b.w.) for 14 days. The compounds of PAFRE identified by GC-MS were docked for inhibitory potential against DPP-4 using AutoDock in PyRx and Discovery Studio. In vitro assays revealed that PAFRE possesses potent inhibitory activity against DPPH and DPP-4. The in silico molecular docking supported these findings, showing high binding affinity of identified phytocompounds to the active site of DPP-4, comparable to that of a standard inhibitor (Alogliptin). An in vivo study showed that PAFRE administration significantly (p < 0.05) reduced fasting blood glucose, modulated antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GPx), and suppressed lipid peroxidation (MDA), thereby mitigating oxidative stress while attenuating dyslipidemia, liver enzyme dysfunction, and renal damage. These findings suggest that PAFRE exhibits antidiabetic effects by attenuating oxidative stress and inhibiting DPP-4 activity, highlighting P. aquilinum flavonoids as promising candidates for the development of natural therapeutics for managing diabetes mellitus.
The development of sustainable infrastructure in Nigeria requires the effective use of native timber species in designed constructions. This study assesses the structural integrity of glue-laminated timber (Glulam) made of five tropical hardwoods, namely, Ekki (Lophira alata), Baphia (Baphia spp.), Iroko (Milicia excelsa), Afara (Terminalia superba), and Opepe (Nauclea diderrichii). Polyvinyl acetate (PVA) adhesive was used to produce Glulam beams and short columns with 3-, 4-, and 5-laminate layers to determine the effect of the number of laminate layers on the mechanical performance. The physical tests indicated a density of Ekki (1.19 g/cm3) to Opepe (0.79 g/cm3), with Ekki having the highest moisture level (13.87–1). Mechanical testing revealed a positive correlation (p < 0.05) between laminate number and strength among all the species. For emphasis, the bending strength of Ekki increased by 32
Background: Heavy metal contamination in Nigerian water bodies poses persistent environmental and public health risks. Traditional laboratory-based detection methods, while accurate, are limited by cost, accessibility, and real-time applicability, creating a need for advanced monitoring approaches. Objectives: This review systematically synthesises recent advances in smart electrochemical sensors integrated with Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for heavy metal detection, highlighting technological innovations, field applications, and unresolved deployment challenges in Nigerian aquatic environments. Methods: Peer-reviewed literature was systematically surveyed to synthesise advances in heavy metal contamination assessment and smart electrochemical sensing technologies relevant to Nigerian aquatic systems. Publications spanning the early 2000s to 2023 were retrieved from major scientific databases, focusing on (i) environmental and toxicological studies of heavy metal exposure, (ii) electrochemical sensor development, including nanomaterial-enhanced and screen-printed platforms, and (iii) IoT-enabled water quality monitoring architectures. Additional studies addressing energy infrastructure, connectivity, cost considerations, and capacity constraints in Nigeria were included to contextualise deployment feasibility. The collected literature was qualitatively analysed to identify technological progress, practical applications, and persistent research gaps. Results: Nanomaterial-enhanced electrodes, such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, and metal nanoparticles, improve sensitivity, selectivity, and detection limits for Pb, Cd, Hg, As, and Cr. Miniaturised platforms, including screen-printed and microfluidic sensors, facilitate portable and multiplexed detection. IoT integration enables real-time data acquisition, cloud-based analytics, and remote monitoring, demonstrated across the Niger Delta, mining-affected rivers, and urban-industrial water bodies. Field studies reveal high correlation with laboratory measurements but also highlight technical, infrastructural, and economic challenges, including biofouling, sensor drift, power and connectivity limitations, high costs, and limited local expertise. Regulatory gaps and lack of standardised protocols further constrain national-scale deployment. Conclusion: Smart electrochemical sensors with IoT integration offer transformative potential for continuous and distributed monitoring of heavy metal contamination in Nigerian water systems. Despite demonstrable field viability, unresolved gaps remain in autonomous operation, multiplexed detection, long-term stability, and data integration, indicating critical areas for further investigation to fully leverage these technologies for water quality management.
The study examined the effect of digital knowledge management capabilities on innovative performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Owerri Metropolis. The study specifically sought to find out the effect of digital knowledge acquisition on product innovation, the effect of digital knowledge sharing on process innovation and the effect of digital knowledge application on service innovation in SMEs. The study adopted survey research approach and primary data were collected from owners, managers and senior staff of selected SMEs in Owerri Metropolis. The population of the study consisted of 1,250 respondents. Using Taro Yamane formula, the sample size for the study was 303 respondents. Multi-stage sampling approach was used where in the first stage, SMEs in Owerri Metropolis were purposively selected while in the second stage, owners, managers and senior staff of selected SMEs were simply randomly sampled. The questionnaire was structured and data collected were presented using descriptive statistics of frequency distribution, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. The study found out that digital knowledge acquisition has significant effect on product innovation of SMEs in Owerri Metropolis. The study also found out that digital knowledge sharing has significant effect on process innovation of SMEs. Furthermore, the study found out that digital knowledge application has significant effect on service innovation of SMEs. The study concluded that digital knowledge management capabilities significantly improve innovative performance and enhance competitiveness of SMEs in fast changing business environment. The study recommended that SMEs should invest in digital technologies, in collaborative communication platforms and in learning organization systems to strengthen their digital knowledge acquisition, sharing and application systems to sustain innovation and competitiveness.
