MYCOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF DIFFERENTLY PRESERVED TILAPIA FISH IN ABEOKUTA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT, NIGERIA

Fungi load and diversity of differently preserved tilapia fish obtained from Olomoore market, Abeokuta North local Government, Nigeria were evaluated. Fish samples were purchased, differently processed (smoking, salting, freezing) and analyzed for the presence of fungi. Microbial loads on the gills and the skin of fish samples were examined and characterised using standard microbiological procedures. The progression of growth was also monitored within 10-day storage period. The fungi isolated from the differently processed tilapia were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus spp, Branchysporum nigrum, Candida albican, Candida spp., Fusarium solani, Fusarium spp., Paecilomyces spp., Rhizopus stolonifer and Aspergillus 8flavus. No significant variation (p>0.05) was recorded in the fungal count of the skin during the first day of processing. However, significant variation (p<0.05) existed in the fungal count of the gill of the fish during the first day of processing. On the tenth day frozen fish skin had the highest fungal count while smoked fish skin possessed the lowest fungal count. There were significant difference (p<0.05) in the fungal count of the skin and the gill of differently processed fish samples during the storage. Similarly, significant variation (p<0.05) existed in the fungi count of the gill during the tenth day of processing

PH-Controlled Assembly of DNA Tiles

We demonstrate a strategy to trigger and finely control the assembly of supramolecular DNA nanostructures with pH. Control is achieved via a rationally designed strand displacement circuit that responds to pH and activates a downstream DNA tile self-assembly process. We observe that the DNA structures form under neutral/basic conditions, while the self-assembly process is suppressed under acidic conditions. The strategy presented here demonstrates a modular approach toward building systems capable of processing biochemical inputs and finely controlling the assembly of DNA-based nanostructures under isothermal conditions. In particular, the presented architecture is relevant for the development of complex DNA devices able to sense and respond to molecular markers associated with abnormal metabolism

Dataset and ANN model prediction of performance of graphene nanolubricant with R600a in domestic refrigerator system

Abstract: This work evaluated the steady state performance of R600a in the base lubricant and graphene nanolubricant. The mea- suring instruments required and their uncertainties were provided, step by step method and procedures for prepara- tion of graphene nanolubricant concentration and substitut- ing it with the base lubricant in domestic refrigerator system are described. The system temperatures data was captured at the inlet and outlet of the system components. Also, the pressures data was recorded at the compressor inlet and out- let. The data was recorded for 3 h at 30 min interval at an ambient temperature of 27 °C. The experimental dataset, Ar- tificial Neural Network (ANN) training and testing dataset are provided. The artificial intelligence approach of ANN model to predict the performance of graphene nanolubricant in do- mestic refrigerator is explained. Also, the ANN model pre- diction statistical performance metrics such as Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and coefficient of determination (R 2 ) are also provided. The data is useful to researchers in the field of refrigeration and energy efficiency materials, for replacing nanolubricant with the base lubricant

Urban agriculture: a global analysis of the space constraint to meet urban vegetable demand

Urban agriculture (UA) has been drawing a lot of attention recently for several reasons: the majority of the world population has shifted from living in rural to urban areas; the environmental impact of agriculture is a matter of rising concern; and food insecurity, especially the accessibility of food, remains a major challenge. UA has often been proposed as a solution to some of these issues, for example by producing food in places where population density is highest, reducing transportation costs, connecting people directly to food systems and using urban areas efficiently. However, to date no study has examined how much food could actually be produced in urban areas at the global scale. Here we use a simple approach, based on different global-scale datasets, to assess to what extent UA is constrained by the existing amount of urban space. Our results suggest that UA would require roughly one third of the total global urban area to meet the global vegetable consumption of urban dwellers. This estimate does not consider how much urban area may actually be suitable and available for UA, which likely varies substantially around the world and according to the type of UA performed. Further, this global average value masks variations of more than two orders of magnitude among individual countries. The variations in the space required across countries derive mostly from variations in urban population density, and much less from variations in yields or per capita consumption. Overall, the space required is regrettably the highest where UA is most needed, i.e., in more food insecure countries. We also show that smaller urban clusters (i.e., <100 km2 each) together represent about two thirds of the global urban extent; thus UA discourse and policies should not focus on large cities exclusively, but should also target smaller urban areas that offer the greatest potential in terms of physical space

Climate Change: Implication on Aquatic Resources, Food Security and Livelihoods

Climate changes are growing environmental concerns which are much in the scientific government and public eye at present. The potential impact on aquatic resources and livelihood are immense. From local to global levels, fisheries and aquaculture play important roles for food supply, food security and income generation. Some 43.5 million people work directly in the sector, with the great majority in developing countries. Adding those who work in associated processing, marketing, distribution and supply industries, and the sector supports nearly 200 million livelihoods. Aquatic foods have high nutritional quality, contributing 20 percent or more of average per capita animal protein intake for more than 1.5 billion people, mostly from developing countries. They are also the most widely traded foodstuffs and are essential components of export earnings for many poorer countries. Extreme events will also impact on infrastructure, ranging from landing and farming sites to post-harvest facilities and transport routes. They will also affect safety at sea and settlements, with communities living in low-lying areas at particular risk. Livelihood diversification is an established means of risk transfer and reduction in the face of shocks, but reduced options for diversification will negatively affect livelihood outcomes

Gauging parameters for e-procurement acquisition in construction businesses in Nigeria

e-Procurement tools build on traditional methods of procurement by integrating the processes and people involved in construction businesses through Internet-supported information and communication technologies. In spite of how crucial these tools are there is a need to for strategic management decision making before they are procured and used because of the cost and technical implications involved. The study examined the gauging parameters for e-procurement acquisition in the construction businesses by firms and organisations in Nigeria. The study utilized a survey approach of actual users of e-procurement tools and technologies in the Nigerian construction industry. A total of 759 actual users were identified from several cities in the study area. Data obtained were analyzed in stacked bars, frequencies and categorical regression. The study presented the significant gauging parameters that can influence e-procurement technology acquisition. They include staff strength of the construction business, presence of quality internet facilities, security level and validation capacity of eprocurement transactions, supportive policy and legislative framework in e-procurement usage and computer literacy level of construction stakeholders participating in an eprocurement environment. In conclusion, the study developed a framework to guide construction businesses in e-procurement technology acquisition. Every construction organization should have unique metrics for measuring and predicting technology acquisition in order to avoid obsolescence and waste of scarce resources. There is a need for supportive policies and legislative frameworks that encourage e-procurement usage among construction stakeholders in the different countries

Evaluation of Indigenous Poultry Improvement Project in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State

The study assessed an indigenous poultry improvement project carried out at Irepodun LGA of Kwara State. The focal objective of the project was to facilitate traditional backyard poultry development through improved chicks’ survivability. Ten (10) indigenous backyard poultry farmers were selected based on willingness to participate in the project from Rore Village of Irepodun LGA and were trained on the rudiments of the projects and improved poultry management practices. Baseline data were collected at the onset of the project on the level of chick survivability and other parameters. Cages, feeds, medication were supplied while each farmer was to provide five laying hens. Upon hatching, the chicks were reared in cages for six weeks without the mother hen. The project was found to yield 70 – 90% chick survival up to 6 weeks of age. Bird mortality was noticed to decline considerably after 6 weeks of age when the birds are turned to scavengers. It is concluded that the innovation is result-oriented and therefore recommended for extension dissemination and farmers` trials

UHPLC/GC-TOF-MS metabolomics, MTT assay, and molecular docking studies reveal physostigmine as a new anticancer agent from the ethyl acetate and butanol fractions of Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. fruit extracts

Staff PublicationKigelia africana plant is widely used as a herbal remedy in preventing the onset and the treatment of cancer-related infections. With the increase in the research interest of the plant, the specific chemical compound or metabolite that confers its anticancer properties has not been adequately investigated. The ethyl acetate and butanol fractions of the fruit extracts were evaluated by 2-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 3,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assay against four different cell lines, with the ethyl acetate fraction having inhibition concentration values of 0.53 and 0.42 μM against Hep G2 and HeLa cells, respectively. More than 235 phytoconstituents were profiled using UHPLC-TOF-MS, while more than 15 chemical compounds were identified using GC–MS from the fractions. Molecular docking studies revealed that physostigmine, fluazifop, dexamethasone, sulfisomidine, and desmethylmirtazapine could favorably bind at higher binding energies of –8.3, –8.6, –8.2, and –8.1 kcal/mol, respectively, better than camptothecin with a binding energy of –7.9 kcal/mol. The results of this study showed that physostigmine interacted well with topoisomerase IIα and had a high score of pharmacokinetic prediction using absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity profiles, thereby suggesting that drug design using physostigmine as a base structure could serve as an alternative against the toxic side effects of doxorubicin and camptothecin

Health and economic benefits of achieving contraceptive and maternal health targets in small island developing states in the Pacific and Caribbean

INTRODUCTION: Reducing unmet need for modern contraception and expanding access to quality maternal health (MH) services are priorities for improving women's health and economic empowerment. To support investment decisions, we estimated the additional cost and expected health and economic benefits of achieving the United Nations targets of zero unmet need for modern contraceptive choices and 95% coverage of MH services by 2030 in select Small Island Developing States. METHODS: Five Pacific (Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu) and four Caribbean (Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Saint Lucia) countries were considered based on population survey data availability. For each country, the Lives Saved Tool was used to model costs, health outcomes and economic benefits for two scenarios: business-as-usual (BAU) (coverage maintained) and coverage-targets-achieved, which scaled linearly from 2022 (following COVID-19 disruptions) coverage of evidence-based family planning and MH interventions to reach United Nations targets, including modern contraceptive methods and access to complete antenatal, delivery and emergency care. Unintended pregnancies, maternal deaths, stillbirths and newborn deaths averted by the coverage-targets-achieved scenario were converted to workforce, education and social economic benefits; and benefit-cost ratios were calculated. RESULTS: The coverage-targets-achieved scenario required an additional US$12.6M (US$10.8M-US$15.9M) over 2020-2030 for the five Pacific countries (15$82.4M to maintain BAU). This additional investment was estimated to avert 126 000 (40%) unintended pregnancies, 2200 (28%) stillbirths and 121 (29%) maternal deaths and lead to a 15-fold economic benefit of US$190.6M (US$67.0M-US$304.5M) by 2050. For the four Caribbean countries, an additional US$17.8M (US$15.3M-US$22.4M) was needed to reach the targets (4% more than US$405.4M to maintain BAU). This was estimated to avert 127 000 (23$426.2M (US$138.6M-US$745.7M) by 2050. CONCLUSION: Achieving full coverage of contraceptive and MH services in the Pacific and Caribbean is likely to have a high return on investment

Effect of Microwave Frying on Acrylamide Generation, Mass Transfer, Color, and Texture in French Fries

[EN] The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of microwave power on acrylamide generation, as well as moisture and oil fluxes and quality attributes of microwave-fried potatoes. Concretely, 25 g of potato strips, in 250 mL of fresh oil (at room temperature), were subjected to three different microwave powers (315, 430, and 600 W) in a conventional microwave oven. Microwave frying resulted in an acrylamide reduction ranged from 37 to 83% compared to deep-oil frying. Microwave-fried French fries presented lower moisture and higher fat content than deep-oil fried potatoes. Concretely, microwave-fried potatoes presented values of moisture and texture more similar to potato chips than French fries, nonetheless with lower fat levels (less than 20 g/100 g wb) and acrylamide content (lower than 100 ¿g/kg wb) at the reference time. 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