Biosorption of Phosphate Ion on Albizia Lebbeck Seed Pod with and Without Organic Acid Modification

This study uses batch experiment to compare the binding efficiency of phosphate onto Albizia lebbeck (ALB) pod with and without citric acid (CALB) or tartaric acid (TALB) modification. The residual phosphate concentration was analyzed using ascorbic acid method and the generated data were fitted into equilibrium isotherms and kinetics models. Intra-particle diffusion model was used to describe the biosorption mechanism. Characterization by FTIR spectroscopy and SEM shows that modification was successful. The maximum biosorption capacity occurred at biosorbent dosage of 0.5 g for ALB and 1.0 g for CALB and TALB. At optimum pH for each biosorbents, phosphate biosorption capacity is in the order ALB>CALB>TALB. Equilibrium time of 90, 150 and 60 minutes were recorded for phosphate on ALB, CALB and TALB respectively. The biosorption capacity increases as the initial anion concentration increases with highest biosorption capacity of 5.296 mg/g for ALB. Langmuir isotherm describes CALB data while TALB data fits Freundlich. Results from this study suggest that unmodified Albizia lebbeck can be used as a low-cost, highly-efficient biosorbent for phosphate removal in effluents

Equilibrium, Kinetic and Thermodynamic Studies of Biosorption of Methylene Blue on Goethite Modified Baobab Fruit Pod ( Adansonia Digitata L.)

Methylene Blue (MB) was adsorbed from aqueous solution using Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) fruit pod and its goethite modified form. Adsorbents were characterized using Fourier Transform-Infra Red (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Batch experiments were conducted at room temperature (26.8 \ub0C) and the adsorption data were fitted using Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms. Also, kinetic data was fitted using Pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, Elovich and intra-particle diffusion models. Goethite modified baobab (GMB) appeared to have a coarse microporous surface with smoother surface and larger pore volumes compared to unmodified baobab (UB). The \u2013C=O band was observed at 1631 and 1636 cm-1 for UB and GMB. The \u2013OH band was observed at 3447.00 cm-1 and 3442 cm-1 for UB and GMB respectively. Langmuir model was suitable for describing the adsorption data of UB with R2 of 0.9293 while Temkin model was best for fitting adsorption data of MB on GMB with R2 of 0.9691. However, maximum adsorption capacity was obtained with Freundlich adsorption isotherm (15.4253 and 43.1301 mg/g for UB and GMB respectively). The maximum biosorption were 8.98 mg/g and 9.86 mg/g for UB and GMB respectively at pH 10. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model best fitted the kinetic data with R2 values of 0.9968 and 0.9993 for UB and GMB, \uf044Ho values were 83.123 KJ/mol and 361.094 KJ/mol for UB and GMB, while \uf044So values were 3.084 J/mol/K and 1.765 J/mol/K for UB and GMB respectively. GMB adsorbed more of MB than UB and the process was endothermic

Building sustainable clinical trial sites in Sub-Saharan Africa through networking, infrastructure improvement, training and conducting clinical studies:the PanACEA approach

Introduction: The Pan-African Consortium for the Evaluation of Anti-Tuberculosis Antibiotics (PanACEA) was designed to build tuberculosis (TB) trial capacity whilst conducting clinical trials on novel and existing agents to shorten and simplify TB treatment. PanACEA has now established a dynamic network of 11 sub-Saharan clinical trial sites and four European research institutions. Objectives: In 2011, a capacity development program, funded by the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), was launched with four objectives, aiming at strengthening collaborating TB research sites to reach the ultimate goal of becoming self-sustainable institutions: networking; training; conducting clinical trials; and infrastructure scaling-up of sites. Methods: Assessment in six sub-Saharan TB-endemic countries (Gabon, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) were performed through a structured questionnaire, site visits, discussion with the PanACEA consortium, setting of milestones and identification of priorities and followed-up with evaluations of each site. The results of this needs-based assessment was then translated into capacity development measures. Results: In the initial phase, over a four-year period (March 2011 – June 2014), the programme scaled-up six sites; conducted a monitoring training program for 11 participants; funded five MSc and four PhD students, fostering gender balance; conducted four epidemiological studies; supported sites to conduct five Phase II studies and formed a sustainable platform for TB research (panacea-tb.net). Conclusion: Our experience of conducting TB clinical trials within the PanACEA programme environment of mentoring, networking and training has provided a sound platform for establishing future sustainable research centres. Our goal of facilitating emergent clinical TB trial sites to better initiate and lead research activities has been mostly successful

Building sustainable clinical trial sites in Sub-Saharan Africa through networking, infrastructure improvement, training and conducting clinical studies: the PanACEA approach

INTRODUCTION: The Pan-African Consortium for the Evaluation of Anti-Tuberculosis Antibiotics (PanACEA) was designed to build tuberculosis (TB) trial capacity whilst conducting clinical trials on novel and existing agents to shorten and simplify TB treatment. PanACEA has now established a dynamic network of 11 sub-Saharan clinical trial sites and four European research institutions. OBJECTIVES: In 2011, a capacity development program, funded by the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), was launched with four objectives, aiming at strengthening collaborating TB research sites to reach the ultimate goal of becoming self-sustainable institutions: networking; training; conducting clinical trials; and infrastructure scaling-up of sites. METHODS: Assessment in six sub-Saharan TB-endemic countries (Gabon, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) were performed through a structured questionnaire, site visits, discussion with the PanACEA consortium, setting of milestones and identification of priorities and followed-up with evaluations of each site. The results of this needs-based assessment was then translated into capacity development measures. RESULTS: In the initial phase, over a 4-year period (March 2011 - June 2014), the programme scaled-up six sites; conducted a monitoring training program for 11 participants; funded five MSc and four PhD students, fostering gender balance; conducted four epidemiological studies; supported sites to conduct five Phase II studies and formed a sustainable platform for TB research (panacea-tb.net). CONCLUSION: Our experience of conducting TB clinical trials within the PanACEA programme environment of mentoring, networking and training has provided a sound platform for establishing future sustainable research centres. Our goal of facilitating emergent clinical TB trial sites to better initiate and lead research activities has been mostly successful