Modification of Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from a petroleum refining effluent for increased petroleum product degradation

Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from Kaduna refining and petrochemical company (KRPC) were subjected to ultra-violet (UV)-irradiation for 30 min followed by nitrous acid treatment and re-irradiated with UV light for 30 min using standard methods and their petroleum degradation abilities were compared with parent strains. Prior to modification, B. cereus and P.aeruginosa grew on minimal basal medium containing 1.5 and 1% crude oil, respectively, initially but on re-inoculation, both organisms grew on minimal basal medium containing 5% crude oil. 99.83 (0.17% survival) and 96.91% (3.08% survival) death were recorded on UV-irradiation for 30 min; 38.24 (61.76% survival) and 82.02% (10.98% survival) death were recorded after nitrous acid treatment and 29.01 (70.99% survival) and 95.76% (4.24% survival) death were observed on re-irradiation with UV light for 30 min for B. cereus and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Petroleum product degradation increased from98.92% for parent B. cereus to 99.70% for UV-irradiated nitrous acid treated B. cereus, and from 91.34% for parent P. aeruginosa to 98.09% for UV-irradiated nitrous acid treated P. aeruginosa. However, itdecreased from 98.92 to 97.87% and increased from 91.34 to 97.87% for parents and second stage mutants re-irradiated with UV light of B. cereus and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Higher potential were observed for second stage mutant of B. cereus than P. aeruginosa. Thus, the modification of the organisms with UV-irradiation for 30 min followed by nitrous acid treatment resulted in their increased petroleum product degradation ability and could therefore be used for bioremediation of environmentspolluted with petroleum products of 1 - 5% (v/v)

Study of the bacteriological and physicochemical indicators of pollution of surface waters in Zaria, Nigeria

This study investigates the pollution level of surface waters in Zaria, Nigeria. The bacteriological and physicochemical analyses performed were in accordance with standard procedures. Out of 228 samples from different sites, 128 (56.1%) had counts higher than the standards. Samaru stream was themost polluted. The frequency of contamination of samples with Escherichia coli O157 was only 2.2%. There was a positive correlation between faecal coliform count with most of the physicochemical parameters. The use of the surface waters as raw water for drinking, irrigation of food crops for rawconsumption and for recreational activities may be hazardous. The study therefore, stresses on the need to control the faecal pollution of the bodies of water

A Systematic Review of African Studies on Intimate Partner Violence against Pregnant Women: Prevalence and Risk Factors

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is very high in Africa. However, information obtained from the increasing number of African studies on IPV among pregnant women has not been scientifically analyzed. This paper presents a systematic review summing up the evidence from African studies on IPV prevalence and risk factors among pregnant women. Methods: A key-word defined search of various electronic databases, specific journals and reference lists on IPV prevalence and risk factors during pregnancy resulted in 19 peer-reviewed journal articles which matched our inclusion criteria. Quantitative articles about pregnant women from Africa published in English between 2000 and 2010 were reviewed. At least two reviewers assessed each paper for quality and content. We conducted meta-analysis of prevalence data and reported odds ratios of risk factors. Results: The prevalence of IPV during pregnancy ranges from 2% to 57% (n = 13 studies) with meta-analysis yielding an overall prevalence of 15.23% (95% CI: 14.38 to 16.08%). After adjustment for known confounders, five studies retained significant associations between HIV and IPV during pregnancy (OR1.48-3.10). Five studies demonstrated strong evidence that a history of violence is significantly associated with IPV in pregnancy and alcohol abuse by a partner also increases a woman's chances of being abused during pregnancy (OR 2.89-11.60). Other risk factors include risky sexual behaviours, low socioeconomic status and young age. Conclusion: The prevalence of IPV among pregnant women in Africa is one of the highest reported globally. The major risk factors included HIV infection, history of violence and alcohol and drug use. This evidence points to the importance of further research to both better understand IPV during pregnancy and feed into interventions in reproductive health services to prevent and minimize the impact of such violence

Adenocarcinoma arising in a cystic duplication of the small bowel: case report and review of literature

Enteric duplications are rare, but can occur anywhere along the digestive tract. Most of the patients become symptomatic in early childhood and only a few cases of adult patients have been reported in literature. Here we report a unique case of an adenocarcinoma arising in a coincidentally found cystic duplication of the small bowel

Development of the Migrant Friendly Maternity Care Questionnaire (MFMCQ) for migrants to Western societies: an international Delphi consensus process

Background Through the World Health Assembly Resolution, ‘Health of Migrants’, the international community has identified migrant health as a priority. Recommendations for general hospital care for international migrants in receiving-countries have been put forward by the Migrant Friendly Hospital Initiative; adaptations of these recommendations specific to maternity care have yet to be elucidated and validated. We aimed to develop a questionnaire measuring migrant-friendly maternity care (MFMC) which could be used in a range of maternity care settings and countries. Methods This study was conducted in four stages. First, questions related to migrant friendly maternity care were identified from existing questionnaires including the Migrant Friendliness Quality Questionnaire, developed in Europe to capture recommended general hospital care for migrants, and the Mothers In a New Country (MINC) Questionnaire, developed in Australia and revised for use in Canada to capture the maternity care experiences of migrant women, and combined to create an initial MFMC questionnaire. Second, a Delphi consensus process in three rounds with a panel of 89 experts in perinatal health and migration from 17 countries was undertaken to identify priority themes and questions as well as to clarify wording and format. Third, the draft questionnaire was translated from English to French and Spanish and back-translated and subsequently culturally validated (assessed for cultural appropriateness) by migrant women. Fourth, the questionnaire was piloted with migrant women who had recently given birth in Montreal, Canada. Results A 112-item questionnaire on maternity care from pregnancy, through labour and birth, to postpartum care, and including items on maternal socio-demographic, migration and obstetrical characteristics, and perceptions of care, has been created - the Migrant Friendly Maternity Care Questionnaire (MFMCQ) – in three languages (English, French and Spanish). It is completed in 45 minutes via interview administration several months post-birth. Conclusions A 4-stage process of questionnaire development with international experts in migrant reproductive health and research resulted in the MFMCQ, a questionnaire measuring key aspects of migrant-sensitive maternity care. The MFMCQ is available for further translation and use to examine and compare care and perceptions of care within and across countries, and by key socio-demographic, migration, and obstetrical characteristics of migrant women