Physicochemical characteristics and heavy metal levels in soil samples obtained from selected anthropogenic sites in Abeokuta, Nigeria

This study assessed the effect of heavy metals introduced into the soils through human activities which can bio-accumulate in plants and passed to man via the food chain that can pose health risk. Topsoil samples were collected from selected anthropogenic and control sites (dumpsites, mechanical workshops, abattoirs, fuel filling stations and hospital incinerators) in Abeokuta, Nigeria at the depths 0-5cm, 5-10cm and 10-15cm. Physicochemical parameters such as pH, moisture content, bulk density, organic matter, organic carbon, particle size distribution and Mn, Zn, Pb, and Cd were analyzed in soils using standard methods. Soil pH values ranged from 5.17 - 8.28, moisture content ranged from 3.50 - 28.55 %, bulk density ranged from 0.78 - 2.29 gcm-3, organic matter ranged from 0.09 - 16.01 %, organic carbon ranged from 0.02 % - 8.48 %. Mean concentrations of heavy metals (mgkg-1) ranged from 182.69 ± 61.95 - 697.06 ± 85.62; 122.69 ± 30.04 - 632.94 ± 508.79; 19.38 ± 6.72 - 158.50 ± 71.41; 0.25 ± 0.00 - 1.63 ± 1.38 for Mn, Zn, Pb and Cd respectively. Distribution pattern of heavy metals in petrol stations, abattoirs, mechanic workshops and hospital incinerator sites were Mn > Zn > Pb > Cd, while for dumpsites Zn > Mn > Pb > Cd. Pollution index indicated that soil qualities varied between slightly contaminated to severely polluted status. This showed that the heavy metal contamination of the soils does not call for any alarm; proactive measures must be taken to minimize accumulation of these metals.Keywords: Heavy metals, dumpsites, pollution, physicochemical parameters,  abattoirs and soil

Prevalence and Antibiotics Sensitivity of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 In Table Eggs from Poultry Farms in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

The occurrence of antibiotics resistant food borne pathogens continues to be a growing concern to the food industry. However, as eggs continue to be a source of cheap protein, there are few information on the prevalence of these antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli O157:H7 in table eggs. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the occurrence and antibiotic sensitivity profile of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in table eggs from poultry farms in Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria. Eggshells and contents of 360 table eggs were sampled purposively from 12 farms (2 farms per local government) in Ibadan. Enumeration for Escherichia coli O157:H7, total aerobic bacteria and coliform counts was performed using standard procedures. The antibiotics sensitivity test was carried out using the Kirby Baeur disc diffusion method. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at α 0.05. The prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was 7(9.8%) which was entirely from egg shell. The Total aerobic bacteria count (Mean Log CFU) was 1.43 ±1.65 and 4.95 ± 0.24 for egg contents and shell, respectively, and the Total coliform count was 1.36±1.46 and 4.84 ± 0.33 for egg contents and shell, respectively. All isolates were resistant to Ampilillin, Ceftadizine, Cefuroxime and Amoxicillin. In all 100% was multidrug resistant. The isolates were mostly susceptible to Ciprofloxacin (87.5%). and Ofloxacin (87.5%). Improvement in the hygienic conditions of poultry farms and control of the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in poultry is therefore strongly recommended

Challenges in the logistics management of vaccine cold chain system in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

Background: The success of national immunization programmes depends largely on effective logistics management of the vaccine cold chain system. This study assessed cold chain equipment functionality, healthcare workers’ knowledge and practice of the logistics management of vaccine cold chain system in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in immunization clinics of 35 health facilities in Ife East and Central Local Government Areas (LGA) in Ile-Ife. There were 100 immunization service providers in the (LGAs) and they were all recruited into the study. Information was obtained with the aid of an interviewer-administered, structured questionnaire. Cold chain equipment functionality was assessed using a checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0.Results: Eleven (31.4%) of the facilities had functional refrigerators for storing vaccines, 16 (45.7%) had cold boxes while 13 (37.1%) had thermometers for vaccine temperature monitoring. Fifty-four (54.0%) of the healthcare workers were aware of the “shake test” and 19 (19.0%) could correctly interpret colour changes on a vaccine vial monitor. Consumption record was considered by 69 (69.0%) of healthcare workers when making vaccine requisitions while the required lead time was considered by 24 (24.0%) of them. Only 29 (29.0%) of healthcare workers kept records of vaccines stock-on-hand.Conclusion: Adequate training and supportive supervision is essential to improve healthcare workers’ knowledge and cold chain practices. Relevant cold chain equipment should be provided to boost storage capacity across health facilities.Keywords: Vaccine cold chain; Logistics management; Nigeri

Effects of fertilized maize leaf concentrate diets on the growth, haematology and carcass characteristics of West African dwarf sheep

The effects of fertilized maize leaf concentrate (MLC) diets as feed supplements on the performance of the West African Dwarf (WAD) breed of sheep were evaluated. The 90-day experiment involving twenty-five (25) WAD sheep with average body weight of 11.14 ± 0.88kg in a completely randomized design were fed five diets containing concentrate from maize leaves fertilized with manure of poultry, swine, sheep for treatments 1 to 3 while NPK and the control made up treatments 4 and 5, respectively. Data were obtained on feed intake, weight gain, haematological and serum parameters as well as carcass characteristics and meat sensory evaluation. Results showed that manure fertilized MLC had a positive effect (p<0.05) on dry matter (DM) intake and weight gain of sheep. Among treatments, animals supplemented with sheep manure MLC showed better DM intake (466.79g/day), weight gain (46.44g/day) and feed conversion ratio (10.06). Results on the blood indices showed variation (p<0.05) in values observed in white blood cells (7.05-8.4 x109/L) and serum glucose (82.90-97.55mg/dl) while other parameters were similar among the treatment groups. Carcass traits of sheep varied (p < 0.05) across treatments with sheep fed manure MLC having better values. Dressing percentage varied (p < 0.05) from 50.58 to 58.86% in sheep fed sheep manure MLC and the control treatment, respectively. Following sensory assessment, panelists rated eating quality traits similar (p > 0.05) across treatments with variation (p < 0.05) observed in the ratings for flavour. It was concluded that sheep offered manure fertilized MLC improved performance with animals fed sheep manure MLC having better plane of nutrition, thereby supporting higher growth rates and carcass traits. Keywords: Carcass, dry season, haematology, maize leaves, manure, performance, sensory, shee

Geophysical investigation into the integrity of a reclaimed open dumpsite for civil engineering purpose

Structural failure is one of the concerns of earth scientists in the in the recent time. Most of the building engineers neglect investigation into the subsurface structure prior to construction without taking into cognizance the soil type and its variation which is one of the contributing factors to frequent building collapse in this era. Integrated geophysical methods involving ground magnetic, Very Low Frequency-Electromagnetic (VLF-EM) and Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) were adopted with a view to investigating into the integrity of a reclaimed open dumpsite in Oyo for civil engineering worthiness. Three (3) traverses were occupied for ground magnetic and VLF-EM survey. A total length of 100 m was occupied in each traverse along E-W orientation with inter-station spacing of 10 m. Six (6) VES stations were occupied along two geoelectric profiles in the study area. The ground magnetic study showed magnetic highs and lows both on the profiles and the generated 2-D map. The magnetic highs are competent zones for civil engineering construction while magnetic lows are incompetent zones. The VLF result revealed conductive and non-conductive zones. More than half of the area of study is characterized with conductive signatures. Conductive zones are regarded as the incompetent zones while the non-conductive zones are regarded as competent zones. The VES result showed that the five out of six VES points occupied are underlain with fractured bedrock while only VES 3 showed fresh bedrock. It is concluded that the study area unsuitable for the construction of giant structure

Assessment of aflatoxigenicAspergillusand other fungi in millet and sesame from Plateau State, Nigeria

Sixteen fonio millet and 17 sesame samples were analysed for incidence of moulds, especially aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species, in order to determine the safety of both crops to consumers, and to correlate aflatoxin levels in the crops with levels produced by toxigenic isolates on laboratory medium. Diverse moulds including Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cercospora, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus and Trichoderma were isolated. Aspergillus was predominantly present in both crops (46–48%), and amongst the potentially aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species, A. flavus recorded the highest incidence (68% in fonio millet; 86% in sesame kernels). All A. parvisclerotigenus isolates produced B and G aflatoxins in culture while B aflatoxins were produced by only 39% and 20% of A. flavus strains isolated from the fonio millet and sesame kernels, respectively. Aflatoxin concentrations in fonio millet correlated inversely (r = −0.55; p = 0.02) with aflatoxin levels produced by toxigenic isolates on laboratory medium, but no correlation was observed in the case of the sesame samples. Both crops, especially sesame, may not be suitable substrates for aflatoxin biosynthesis. This is the first report on A. parvisclerotigenus in sesame

Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensive estimates of exposure levels, relative health risks, and attributable burden of disease for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Methods: The GBD 2021 risk factor analysis used data from 54 561 total distinct sources to produce epidemiological estimates for 88 risk factors and their associated health outcomes for a total of 631 risk–outcome pairs. Pairs were included on the basis of data-driven determination of a risk–outcome association. Age-sex-location-year-specific estimates were generated at global, regional, and national levels. Our approach followed the comparative risk assessment framework predicated on a causal web of hierarchically organised, potentially combinative, modifiable risks. Relative risks (RRs) of a given outcome occurring as a function of risk factor exposure were estimated separately for each risk–outcome pair, and summary exposure values (SEVs), representing risk-weighted exposure prevalence, and theoretical minimum risk exposure levels (TMRELs) were estimated for each risk factor. These estimates were used to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF; ie, the proportional change in health risk that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to the TMREL). The product of PAFs and disease burden associated with a given outcome, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), yielded measures of attributable burden (ie, the proportion of total disease burden attributable to a particular risk factor or combination of risk factors). Adjustments for mediation were applied to account for relationships involving risk factors that act indirectly on outcomes via intermediate risks. Attributable burden estimates were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile and presented as counts, age-standardised rates, and rankings. To complement estimates of RR and attributable burden, newly developed burden of proof risk function (BPRF) methods were applied to yield supplementary, conservative interpretations of risk–outcome associations based on the consistency of underlying evidence, accounting for unexplained heterogeneity between input data from different studies. Estimates reported represent the mean value across 500 draws from the estimate's distribution, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) calculated as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile values across the draws. Findings: Among the specific risk factors analysed for this study, particulate matter air pollution was the leading contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, contributing 8·0% (95% UI 6·7–9·4) of total DALYs, followed by high systolic blood pressure (SBP; 7·8% [6·4–9·2]), smoking (5·7% [4·7–6·8]), low birthweight and short gestation (5·6% [4·8–6·3]), and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG; 5·4% [4·8–6·0]). For younger demographics (ie, those aged 0–4 years and 5–14 years), risks such as low birthweight and short gestation and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing (WaSH) were among the leading risk factors, while for older age groups, metabolic risks such as high SBP, high body-mass index (BMI), high FPG, and high LDL cholesterol had a greater impact. From 2000 to 2021, there was an observable shift in global health challenges, marked by a decline in the number of all-age DALYs broadly attributable to behavioural risks (decrease of 20·7% [13·9–27·7]) and environmental and occupational risks (decrease of 22·0% [15·5–28·8]), coupled with a 49·4% (42·3–56·9) increase in DALYs attributable to metabolic risks, all reflecting ageing populations and changing lifestyles on a global scale. Age-standardised global DALY rates attributable to high BMI and high FPG rose considerably (15·7% [9·9–21·7] for high BMI and 7·9% [3·3–12·9] for high FPG) over this period, with exposure to these risks increasing annually at rates of 1·8% (1·6–1·9) for high BMI and 1·3% (1·1–1·5) for high FPG. By contrast, the global risk-attributable burden and exposure to many other risk factors declined, notably for risks such as child growth failure and unsafe water source, with age-standardised attributable DALYs decreasing by 71·5% (64·4–78·8) for child growth failure and 66·3% (60·2–72·0) for unsafe water source. We separated risk factors into three groups according to trajectory over time: those with a decreasing attributable burden, due largely to declining risk exposure (eg, diet high in trans-fat and household air pollution) but also to proportionally smaller child and youth populations (eg, child and maternal malnutrition); those for which the burden increased moderately in spite of declining risk exposure, due largely to population ageing (eg, smoking); and those for which the burden increased considerably due to both increasing risk exposure and population ageing (eg, ambient particulate matter air pollution, high BMI, high FPG, and high SBP). Interpretation: Substantial progress has been made in reducing the global disease burden attributable to a range of risk factors, particularly those related to maternal and child health, WaSH, and household air pollution. Maintaining efforts to minimise the impact of these risk factors, especially in low SDI locations, is necessary to sustain progress. Successes in moderating the smoking-related burden by reducing risk exposure highlight the need to advance policies that reduce exposure to other leading risk factors such as ambient particulate matter air pollution and high SBP. Troubling increases in high FPG, high BMI, and other risk factors related to obesity and metabolic syndrome indicate an urgent need to identify and implement interventions. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. Methods: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model—a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates—with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality—which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. Findings: The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2–100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1–290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1–211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4–48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3–37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7–9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. Interpretation: Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Effets de l'infection expérimentale par <em>Babesia bigemina</em> sur certains composants du sang de veaux blancs Fulani splénectomisés

Quatre veaux blancs Fulani ont été splénectomisés. Trois ont été expérimentalement infectés par Babesia bigemina à l'aide de larves infectieuses de Boophilus decoloratus. Le quatrième a servi de témoin. L'évolution des principaux paramètres de leur sang a été observée pendant 40 jours avec les résultats suivants: chez les veaux infectés, tant les valeurs de l'hématocrite que celles des érythrocytes ont progressivement diminué à partir du 5e jour après l'infection alors que ces valeurs sont restées constantes chez le veau témoin. Par contre, le taux de leucocytes a augmenté chez les quatre animaux mais de façon plus sensible chez les veaux splénectomisés, ce qui semblerait indiquer que cette augmentation est à mettre pour une faible partie seulement au compte du stress opératoir

Evaluation of Mucoadhesive Properties of Native and Modified Starches of the Root Tubers of Cocoyam ( Xanthosoma sagittifolium )

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bioadhesive properties of native and modified cocoyam ( Xanthosoma sagittifolium ) starches. The methods of modification were by pregelatinisation and acetylation. The starch particles were evaluated for characteristics like particle size, swelling ability, viscosity, and mucoadhesion. The mucoadhesive evaluation of the starches were done using the rotating cylinder methods in 0.1M HCl and Phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) to simulate the stomach and small intestine respectively. The mechanical properties of the compacted starches were determined using friability and crushing strength.The particles so prepared had irregular shape size ranged from 9.38 to 10.67mm. Mucoadhesion time was in the order Acetylated >Native >Pregelatinised starch in 0.1M HCl and Pregelatinised >Native >Acetylated starch in pH 6.8 Phosphate buffer. None of the severe signs such as appearance of epithelial necrosis, sloughing of epithelial cells were observed in ileum sections. The work concludes that modified cocoyam starches could be useful in targeted mucoadhesive drug delivery