The interplay between sea turtle population and income generation in south-west Nigeria coastal environment

Over exploitation of marine resources pose a threat to their population and ultimate survival. Sea turtle is one of the endangered marine species whose conservation must be taken seriously because of their economic advantages. Human interferences with sea turtle habitat and procreation process have been observed to be one of the main causes of reduction in their population. This research considers the interplay of sea turtle population and hunting for sea turtles and eggs for consumption and sales to earn a living by the coastal community dwellers in some parts of South West (SW) Nigeria. The study area is characterized by humid and hot weather, with annual temperature ranging between 26 and 34oC.More than 80 percent of the rain falls during the rainy season around (April to October).Data on field encounters with sea turtle nesting sites, hatchlings and mature adults were collected ,questionnaires were administered among the coastal community dwellers t was observed that some local community members do hunt sea turtle eggs for consumption and eating of sea turtle meat which may create reduction in sea turtle population since their process of procreatpered with. Captured sea turtles must be rescued for it to survive. More needs to be done on the levels of awareness on turtle conservation and protection. Policy monitoring and implementation on endangered species conservation must be implemented and monitored in Nigeri

LANDFILL SITE SELECTION IN ADO-ODO OTA LGA USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

This study makes an attempt at determining suitable landfill sites in Ado-Odo, Local Government Area, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. A multi-criteria evaluation method is applied based on Geographical Information System to identify potentially favourable landfill sites in the study area. The landfill siting process requires the evaluation of several criteria such as land use, vegetation classification, road networks, water bodies and so on based on complex operations on databases containing spatial data of these criteria. The model chosen for site selection involved four (4) stages viz: preliminary analysis, creation of constraint maps, creation of final constraint overlay maps, and creation of final suitability maps depicting suitable areas. The first stage involves the creation of various maps for the study area to input the data layers. The second stage involves the creation of constraint maps using available spatial data which implies the creation of buffered distances according to stipulated criteria. The final constraint map overlay is created by merging all the data layers from the constraint maps. In addition, the final suitability map is created via the use of spatial analysis tools. This final map can be used by the state, local government and its policymakers on their choices of suitable and unsuitable sites that pose no threat to the health of its citizens, as well as minimal damages to the environment

Geospatial Investigation of Nigerian Honey and Detection of Anti-Enteric Biomarker

Geospatial mapping and antibacterial biomarkers were investigated in Nigerian honey used for therapeutic purposes in several communities affected with prevalent antibiotic-resistant enteric bacilli. Randomly collected enteric bacilli from faecal samples were biotyped and phenotypically assayed for antibiotic resistance and profiled for R plasmids. R plasmid molecular weight and multiantibiotic resistance index (MARI) relatedness were evaluated for resistance among phylogroups. Honey cidal activity, time kill kinetics, and bioactive markers were determined and analysed for geospatial distribution. More than 30% enteric biotypes were resistant to cotrimoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline at MIC ≥16 μg/ml (P � 0.004). Two unrelated cluster complexes with diverse antibiotic resistance indices expressed high molecular weight plasmid (14.17 kbp) with 0.73 MARI to two classes of antibiotics. Among the resistant bacilli, only 24.3% (MIC90 500 mg/mL) and 8.1% (MBC90 1000 mg/mL) were susceptible to honey with evidence of 14.85% and 5.94% significant viable reduction at 2 × MIC to less than 2.50 Log10 CFU/mL (P < 0.05). Only alkaloids significantly regressed (P � 0.028) with susceptibility of resistant bacilli significantly correlate with bacteria inhibition (r � 0.534, P � 0.049) at optimal cutoff limit of 0.32 mg/ml. Antibacterial honey with significant alkaloid biomarkers was detected at 3°10′0–3°30′0E and 6°30′0–7°30′0N of Southwest Nigeria. Spatial mapping evidently indicated variation in honey physicochemical and bioactive compounds and identified geographical locations suitable for production of anti-enteric honey rich in alkaloids marker required for prevention and treatment of resistant enteric bacilli infections

Occurrence, depth distribution and risk assessment of PAHs and PCBs in sediment cores of Lagos lagoon, Nigeria

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediment cores of the microtidal coastline of Lagos lagoon were investigated for the occurrence, sources and depositional contamination history. Sediment core samples were collected using the Wildco @ hand corer (50 cm) SS kit and extracted using a 40 mL mixture of hexane and acetone (1:1), and cleaned-up using 10 mm ID chromatographic column before the concentration of aliquots. In this investigation, 16 US EPA priority PAHs and PCB congeners were analysed in aliquots of sediment cores using Agilent 7820A gas chromatograph coupled to a 5975C inert mass spectrometer (with triple-axis detector) with an electron-impact source. PAHs and PCBs were detected at varying concentrations across the 50 cm depth of each sediment core. The total PAH concentrations ranged from 1.43–5.90 mg/kg, and were more widely distributed than the total PCBs. The total PCB concentrations ranged from BDL – 6.41 mg/kg. The PAH diagnostic ratios used identified the sources of the PAHs as pyrogenic rather than petrogenic. About 52% of the samples had concentrations above the ERM limit for total PCBs, suggesting that adverse effects on biota may occur in the long term. In general, the PAHs and PCBs concentrations detected in sediment cores of the Lagos lagoonal system may pose a considerable ecotoxicological risk to estuarine organisms

AWARENESS AND GEOSPATIAL EXAMINATION OF HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IN OGUN STATE NIGERIA: NEED FOR HEALTH CARE DEVELOPMENT

Spatial distribution inequity in health care facilities, including primary health care, has been recognized as a wedge towards effective delivery of such services in many countries, including Nigeria. Healthcare facilities are vehicles to attain an acceptable level of health that will enable everyone to lead a socially and economically productive life. One of the core challenges facing the Nigerian health care system is poor access to health facilities, worsened by poverty, poor road networks and transportation. The resultant consequences are high morbidity and mortality in most parts of the country, leading to low economic performance. Access serves as the bridge between availability and utilization. For Sustainable Development Goal 3, people should have access to health facilities closer to their residence. The study employed secondary data and geographic information system mapping in the investigation. The paper aimed to explore the locational distribution of existing health facilities in Ogun State and make informed recommendations for policy intervention in the study area. The study reveals that the distribution pattern of public healthcare facilities in the State is not uniform either at tertiary, secondary, or primary levels. And this scenario negates the essence of providing health care facilities within 5 kilometers distance envisaged by WHO and general health status. Densely populated health facilities were seen in local governments with high populations, industries and Local Government capitals. In contrast, others have fewer health care facilities, perhaps due to their rural and remote nature. Thus, the government needs to ensure even distribution of health facilities and motivated personnel, drugs, and deliverables in the study area to ensure optimal spatial efficiency

Infection Control of Spatial Disseminated Multi-Antibiotics Resistant And Phylo- Diverse Staphylococcus Aureus Pathotypes

Focal dissemination of multi-antibiotic resistant (MAR) Staphylococci pathotypes regulated by agr functionalities was investigated and evaluated for infection control. Non-repetitive Staphylococcus aureus strains from soft and skin infections disseminated in several communities were recovered and biotyped, assayed for biofilm and profiled for antibiotic resistance. Strains were further genotyped for spa types, virulence and resistant genes; and mapped for geospatial distribution. Clonal diversity and functional accessory gene regulators ( agr ) were also evaluated. Staphylococcal infection was not significant with age group (p>0.05), but high rate of MSSA (53.0%) and MRSA (1.5%) was observed. Median resistance rates were significantly differ (p=0.001) but highest 75 th percentile and media resistance rates were observed in wound infection. Resistance rate of 78.8% at MIC 50 32μg/ml and MIC 90 128μg/ml to amoxicillin-clavulanate, and more than 40% resistance to ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, gentamycin, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline with MIC 90 and MIC 50 at 32 μg/ml were observed. More than 0.83 multi-antibiotic resistance index (MARI) were observed among the strains that clustered into separate phylo-group expressing high beta- lactamase and strong biofilm production. Heterogeneous spa types t442 (wound and pus), t657 (wound), t091 (ear) and t657 (ear and wound) revealed high phylo- diversity. Only 4.6% pvl + MSSA-CC1 agr I, pvl + MSSA-CC5 (13.6%) and pvl + MRSA-CC7 agr II (4.6%), expressed enterotoxin; sea, sec, sed, sej, Leukocidins ( LukF-PV, lukD, lukE ), proteases ( aur, slpA sspB, sspE ) and resistance genes ( fosB, msr (A), bla mph(C),aphA3, sat, fosB, sdrM, Q7A4X2) . Phylogenetic related spa types of livestock origin, specifically bovine milk clustered with detected strains that were prevalent in urban communities with focal dissemination to other nearest suburbs. Clonal dissemination resistant pvl+ MAR MSSA-CC1 and MRSA- CC5 encoding agr were predominant in several peri-urban communities. This require adequate genosurveillance, population-target antimicrobial stewardship, extensive community health care intervention policy and well-structured infection control programs to prevent further focal dissemination

Suitability of spectrophotometric assay for determination of honey microbial inhibition

Commonly used methods for determination of antibacterial potency of honey are usually the disc, agar well diffusion and dilution plate assay which had shown various demerit of inaccuracies and impreciseness. Therefore, the suitability of spectrophotometric assay for determination of honey inhibitory activity is evaluated in this study. Honeys from different sources in southwest states in Nigeria were assayed for antibacterial activity using 96-well micro-titre plate spectrophotometric methods to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against enteric bacteria strains. The honey inhibition assay of Nigerian honeys tested against enteric bacilli showed more than 90% inhibitory activity. Among all the honeys sample assayed, only two honeys reveal a very low MIC of 31.25 and 125mg/mL. The use of spectrophotometry is a precise method to determine honey inhibitory rate and it is proven to be suitable highly sensitive, reproducible, specific, reduced cost, fewer amounts of sample and reagent are require

Synthesis of N, N(1,3-phenylene)dimethanimine: A useful resource for the removal of free fatty acid in waste vegetable oil

Developing an efficient material for the removal of free fatty acids (FFAs) in waste vegetable oil is a challenge in the refining of vegetable oil in food and oleochemical industries. In response to this, N,N(1, 3-phenylene)dimethanimine (NPD) was synthesized via green reaction route without involving solvent. NPD was characterized using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). NPD was then applied as a material for the removal of FFA from waste cooking oil (WCO). The synthesis process gave a high yield of 95% of NPD. The FTIR result revealed different functional groups in NPD, the TG showed mass loss at diverse temperature range revealing loss at 80–150, 180–250, 250–410 and 410–600 °C while loss above 600 °C was assigned to loss of char. while TEM revealed the surface of NPD to be smooth with an irregular shape. EDX results further demonstrated the presence of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon in NPD. Removal of FFA from WCO may be described by pseudo-second-order with an adsorption capacity of 42.30 L kg-1. The process obeyed Langmuir isotherm with ?H of -0.679 kJ mol-1 and ?S of -0.049 kJ mol-1 K-1 while ?G increased with increase in temperature. The Density Functional Theory (DFT) concept was used to explain the action of NPD as an adsorbent with the aid of lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO). It revealed the mechanism of removal of FFA from WCO by NPD to be via nucleophilic interaction

Preparation and application of nickel copper ferrate and its metal–organic framework composite in the decontamination of chemical indicator contaminated synthetic and raw laboratory wastewater

Inefficient decontamination of laboratory wastewater polluted by chemical indicators such as methyl orange (MO) and phenolphthalein (PH) is a challenge that requires attention in most developing countries. In response to this, nickel-copper ferrate (NiCuFeO4) and nickel-copper ferrate-terephthalic acid-zinc metal–organic framework composite (NiCuFeO4@MOF-5) were synthesised via simple chemical process and their activities compared for the removal of MO and PH from synthetic and raw laboratory wastewater colleccted from a science laboratory at Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Nigeria. The scanning electron micrograph (SEM) images, revealed the surfaces of NiCuFeO4 and NiCuFeO4@MOF-5 to be rough and homogeneous with tightly arranged particles that are agglomerated. The adsorption capacity of NiCuFeO4@MOF-5 expressed for the removal of MO (30.97 mg g−1) and PH (41.22 mg g−1) from aqueous solution is higher than that of NiCuFeO4 for MO (25.82 mg g−1) and PH (23.00 mg g−1). NiCuFeO4 and NiCuFeO4@MOF-5 exhibited a promising stability even at the 7th regeneration cycle for the removal of MO and PH from solution. Results obtained for the removal of MO and PH from aqueous solution by NiCuFeO4 and NiCuFeO4@MOF-5 compared favorably with reported adsorbents in literature. Conclusively, NiCuFeO4@MOF-5 is a potential and better adsorbent than NiCuFeO4 for decontaminating laboratory wastewater contaminated with MO and PH

Geospatial Investigation of Nigerian Honey and Detection of Anti-Enteric Biomarker

Geospatial mapping and antibacterial biomarkers were investigated in Nigerian honey used for therapeutic purposes in several communities affected with prevalent antibiotic-resistant enteric bacilli. Randomly collected enteric bacilli from faecal samples were biotyped and phenotypically assayed for antibiotic resistance and profiled for R plasmids. R plasmid molecular weight and multiantibiotic resistance index (MARI) relatedness were evaluated for resistance among phylogroups. Honey cidal activity, time kill kinetics, and bioactive markers were determined and analysed for geospatial distribution. More than 30% enteric biotypes were resistant to cotrimoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline at MIC ≥16 μg/ml (P=0.004). Two unrelated cluster complexes with diverse antibiotic resistance indices expressed high molecular weight plasmid (14.17 kbp) with 0.73 MARI to two classes of antibiotics. Among the resistant bacilli, only 24.3% (MIC90 500 mg/mL) and 8.1% (MBC90 1000 mg/mL) were susceptible to honey with evidence of 14.85% and 5.94% significant viable reduction at 2 × MIC to less than 2.50 Log10 CFU/mL (P<0.05). Only alkaloids significantly regressed (P=0.028) with susceptibility of resistant bacilli significantly correlate with bacteria inhibition (r = 0.534, P=0.049) at optimal cutoff limit of 0.32 mg/ml. Antibacterial honey with significant alkaloid biomarkers was detected at 3°10′0–3°30′0E and 6°30′0–7°30′0N of Southwest Nigeria. Spatial mapping evidently indicated variation in honey physicochemical and bioactive compounds and identified geographical locations suitable for production of anti-enteric honey rich in alkaloids marker required for prevention and treatment of resistant enteric bacilli infections