Assessment of the Level of Compliance of Petroleum Filling Stations to Development Control Standards on Land Space/Size and Setbacks in Anambra State.

Sequel to the loss of lives and properties with other attendant negative socio-economic effects of non-compliance to development control standards, this study was conceived with the aim of assessing the level of compliance of petroleum filling stations to development control standards on land space/size and setbacks in Anambra State. The study adopted the survey research design and field measurement. There were actual field measurements of the filling stations under study as well as the use of imageries of the study areas to identify these filling stations and measure their level of compliance to set standards for distances and location. 270 filling stations which is about 31% of the total number of filling stations were sampled. Arc GIS 10.1 software was utilized to measure the distances between the sited Petroleum Filling Stations and the roads with the help of a computer system. The imagery used was Quickbird (0.5m resolution) and Ikonos (1m resolution). The age ranges between 2015 and 2018. The Software used was ESRI ArcGIS 10.3, GIS Software. It has a measuring tool which was used to measure the distance. The Imagery were added using the ‘Add’ tool. It was then displayed (re-projected) on Projected Coordinate System (UTM, WGS 1984, Zone 32) for accuracy. It was found that the overall level of compliance to land space/size and setback standards is 44.1 percent across the filling stations in Anambra State. That is to say that only 44.1 percent of the PFSs in Anambra State complied with the land space/size and setback standards of building filling stations. Also that there is significant difference between the distances of the filling stations sampled from the road and the set standards for setback. The study thus recommends that: the law should empower the planning officer(s) to prosecute all cases of illegal developments and plans by non-planners without the planners approval should be subjected to prosecution as well. There is great need for public participation as the owners of these lands can join hands to say that a wrongly sited structure cannot be. Campaign should be mounted to conscientize the filling station owners and other developers of the dangers of non-compliance to set standards. Open punishment should be given to all defaulters to the set standards and  corrupt officials of the enforcement agencies/bodies for others to learn their lessons. Finally, there should be proper planning to accommodate future expansion of roads. KEYWORDS: Development Control Standards, Compliance, Land Space/Size, Setbacks, Petroleum Filling Stations. DOI: 10.7176/CER/12-2-10 Publication date: February 29th 202

Syntheses, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Screening of N-(benzothiazol-2-yl)-2-nitrobenzenesulphonamide and its Cu(I), Ni(II), Mn(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) Complexes

N-(benzothiazol-2-yl)-2-nitrobenzenesulphonamide (NBS2ABT) was synthesized by the condensation of 2-aminobenzothiazole and 2-nitrobenzenesulphonylchloride under reflux. Five metal complexes of Cu(I), Ni(II), Mn(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) of the ligands were synthesized. The compounds were characterized using magnetic susceptibility measurements, mass spectrometry, elemental microanalysis, UV/VIS spectrophotometry, infra red, 1H and 13C nmr spectroscopies. The antimicrobial tests of the ligands and its metal complexes were carried out on both multi-resistant bacterial strains isolated under clinical conditions and cultured species using agar-well diffusion method. The multi-resistant bacterial strains used were E. coli, Proteus species, P. aeroginosa and S. aureus which were isolated from dogs. The culture species were P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), E. coli (ATCC 25922), S. aureus (ATCC 25923), and the fungi, C. krusei (ATCC 6258) and C. albicans (ATCC 90028). The tests were both in vitro and in vivo. The antimicrobial activities of the compounds were compared with those of Ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole as antibacterial agents and Fluconazole as an antifungal drug. All the compounds showed varying activities against the cultured typed bacteria and fungi used. The Lethal Concentration (LC50) ranged from 5.00±0.86-618.90±30.8 ppm. These are within the permissible concentrations. Key words: N-(benzothiazol-2-yl)-2-nitrobenzenesulphonamide, Metal complexes, Antimicrobial, Ligan

Quality Assessment of Surface and Groundwater Sources in Lugbe, Abuja, North-Central Nigeria

Lugbe is one of the satellite towns in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. It is situated between latitudes 08º55´N to 09º00´N and longitudes 07º19´E to 07º26´E covering an area of about 50 km2.  The area is underlain by crystalline rocks of Precambrian age mainly the older granite and the Migmatite-gneiss. Groundwater and surface water samples were collected and analyzed for their physical, chemical and microbial parameters. Results of the analyses indicate that the physical parameters falls within the acceptable limit except pH which ranged from 5.8 and 6.9 indicating slightly acidic environment. Concentrations of the chemical parameters analyzed are within the permissible limits except copper and lead whose concentration in few locations where found to be higher than the WHO and NSDWQ recommended limits for safe drinking water. The water is poor bacteriologically as total coliform and E.coli were determined in both the surface and groundwater samples which is an indication of faecal contamination. The dominant water type from Piper diagram and Schoeller plot is Ca-Mg-Cl-SO4. Due the poor quality of surface and groundwater sources in Lugbe, treatment of the water before domestic usage is recommended. The observed anomalies in the water sources are finger-prints of anthropogenic contamination due to upsurge in population and urbanization without proper sanitary measures as well as rock-water interaction mechanism. Keyword: Quality Assessment, Surface water, Groundwater, Lugbe, Abuja, North-Central Nigeri

X-ray crystallographic and structural studies of (benzothiazol-2-yl)ethanesulphonamide, and its antimicrobial properties

N-(benzothiazol-2-yl)ethanesulphonamide (ES2ABT) was synthesized by the condensation of 2-aminobenzothiazole and ethanesulphonylchloride in acetone at 130 °C. The resulting crude precipitates were recrystallized in absolute ethanol. ES2ABT was characterized using X-ray crystallography, mass spectrometry, elemental microanalysis, UV/VIS spectrophotometry, infra red, proton and 13C NMR spectroscopies. The antimicrobial tests of the compound were carried out on both multi-resistant bacterial strains isolated under clinical conditions and cultured species using agar-well diffusion method. The multi-resistant bacterial strains used were Escherichia coli, Proteus species, Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Staphylococcus aureus which were isolated from dogs. The culture species were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), Escherichia Coli (ATCC 25922) Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), and the fungi, Candida krusei (ATCC 6258) and Candida albicans (ATCC 90028). The tests were both in vitro and in vivo. Thus the Inhibition Zone Diameter (IZD), the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), and the Lethal and Effective Concentrations (LC50 and EC50) were determined. The antimicrobial activity of the compound was compared with those of Ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole as antibacterial agents and Fluconazole as an antifungal drug. The compound showed varying activity against the cultured typed bacteria and fungi used. However, ES2ABT was less active than the antibacterial standard drugs used but not Fluconazole which did not show any activity against Candida krusei (ATCC 6258). The Lethal Concentration (LC50) is 338.80 ± 28.6 ppm. This is within the permissible concentrations. Key words: N-(benzothiazol-2-yl)ethanesulphonamide, antimicrobial, in vivo, in vitr

Application of High-Voltage, Precision, Low-Power Max9943/Max9944 Operational Amplifier in Industrial Process Control Using ±20ma OR 4-20ma Current-Loop Systems

This article explains how to apply a high-voltage, high-current-drive operational amplifier to convert a voltage signal into a ±20mA or 4–20mA current signal for use in process-control industrial applications. The MAX9943 op amp a family of high-voltage amplifiers that offers precision, low drift, and low power consumption device was used as case study]. Experiments are described and test results presented. Current loops are known for their high immune to noise compare to voltage-modulated signals, a feature that makes it ideal for use in a noisy industrial environment. This signal can travel over a long distance, sending or receiving information from remote locations. A current loop typically includes a sensor, transmitter, receiver, and an ADC or a micro-controller (figure 1). The sensor measures a physical parameters such as pressure or temperature and provides a corresponding output voltage. The transmitter converts the sensor's output into a proportional 4mA-to-20mA current signal, while the receiver then converts the 4mA-to-20mA current into a voltage signal output. This receiver's output is then received, interpreted and converts into a digital signal output by an ADC or a micro-controller. Experiment performed using the relationship the relationship stated in equation 5, shows that if the input voltage level rise above or fall below ±2.5v, the op amp device attains its saturation point and its output voltage can no longer increase. As shown in figure 3, where the curve flatten and no longer follow the ideal linearity characteristics that was supposed

Analysis of Electrical Porcelain Insulators from Local Clays

This paper focused on the chemical analysis of electrical porcelain insulators based on local clays. Test samples were made by conducting some chemical composition test using the Atomic Assumption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The clay samples were also tested for linear shrinkage and apparent porosity. Based on the results obtained, the linear shrinkage values recorded range from 7.29% to 14.29% for Iva Valley formulations, 5.14% to 14.71% for Nawfija and 7.74% to 10.29% for Ekwulobia. It was observed that linear shrinkage decreases as the content of non-plastic materials increases and increases as clay content increases. Iva Valley formulation recorded porosity values ranging from 8.84% to 20.80%. For Nawfija formulation, porosity values range from 10.81% to 17.30% while Ekwulobia formulations gave porosity values ranging from 9.52% to 16.82. Porcelain insulators that constitute the above results were found to have requisite properties that make them suitable for domestic production of porcelains insulators from the clay samples studied

Recall and decay of consent information among parents of infants participating in a randomized controlled clinical trial using an audio-visual tool in The Gambia.

Communicating essential research information to low literacy research participants in Africa is highly challenging, since this population is vulnerable to poor comprehension of consent information. Several supportive materials have been developed to aid participant comprehension in these settings. Within the framework of a pneumococcal vaccine trial in The Gambia, we evaluated the recall and decay of consent information during the trial which used an audio-visual tool called 'Speaking Book', to foster comprehension among parents of participating infants. The Speaking Book was developed in the 2 most widely spoken local languages. Four-hundred and 9 parents of trial infants gave consent to participate in this nested study and were included in the baseline assessment of their knowledge about trial participation. An additional assessment was conducted approximately 90 d later, following completion of the clinical trial protocol. All parents received a Speaking Book at the start of the trial. Trial knowledge was already high at the baseline assessment with no differences related to socio-economic status or education. Knowledge of key trial information was retained at the completion of the study follow-up. The Speaking Book (SB) was well received by the study participants. We hypothesize that the SB may have contributed to the retention of information over the trial follow-up. Further studies evaluating the impact of this innovative tool are thus warranted

HEMAGLUTINAÇÃO DOS ERITRÓCITOS DE MAMÍFEROS POR CEPAS DE VÍRUS DA DOENÇA DE NEWCASTLE ISOLADOS NA NIGÉRIA CENTRAL

The haemagglutinability of mammalian erythrocytes by field and vaccine strains of theNewcastle disease virus was assessed. Variability in the pattern of agglutination of thevarious specie erythrocytes was observed. Whereas noticeable differences in the patternof agglutination between field virus and vaccine strains were not apparent, differencesbetween the velogenic and non-velogenic strains was observed. The possibility ofdeveloping haemagglutinability tests using mammalian erythrocytes for rapid straindifferentiation in less developed laboratories is discussed.A hemaglutinação dos eritrócitos de mamíferos por cepas de campo e vacinais do vírusda doença de Newcastle foi avaliada. Foi verificado variabilidade no modelo deaglutinação entre as várias espécies. Embora diferenças perceptíveis no padrão deaglutinação entre vírus de campo e cepas vacinais não tenham sido evidentes, diferençasentre as cepas velogénicas e não velogénicas foram observadas. A possibilidade dedesenvolvimento de testes hemaglutinação utilizando eritrócitos de mamíferos para arápida diferenciação de cepas em laboratórios menos desenvolvidos é aqui discutida

Antimicrobial activities of secondary metabolites of endophytic fungi isolated from Catharanthus roseus

Introduction: Recently, several endophytes have been shown to possess the potentials to synthesize novel bioactive compounds that have found use for drug discovery. We isolated endophytic fungi associated with Catharanthus roseus collected from the river banks of Amassoma in Southern Nigeria, and identified some of their bioactive secondary metabolites. Methods: The fungi were subjected to solid-state fermentation on rice medium and the metabolites were extracted using ethyl acetate. The fungal crude extracts were screened for antimicrobial activity and were also subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography-diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) analysis for the identification of the bioactive compounds. Results: The fungal extracts showed both antibacterial and antifungal activities with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.0625 to 1 mg/mL. The HPLC-DAD analysis of the extracts suggested the presence of citreoisocoumarin, citreoisocoumarinol, questinol, hydroxyemodin, acropyrone, methyl 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetate, nigricinol, and cladosporin. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that endophytic fungi associated with C. roseus could be a promising source of novel bioactive compounds with pharmaceutical and industrial importance

Antimicrobial activities of secondary metabolites of endophytic fungi isolated from Catharanthus roseus

Introduction: Recently, several endophytes have been shown to possess the potentials to synthesize novel bioactive compounds that have found use for drug discovery. We isolated endophytic fungi associated with Catharanthus roseus collected from the river banks of Amassoma in Southern Nigeria, and identified some of their bioactive secondary metabolites. Methods: The fungi were subjected to solid-state fermentation on rice medium and the metabolites were extracted using ethyl acetate. The fungal crude extracts were screened for antimicrobial activity and were also subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography-diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) analysis for the identification of the bioactive compounds. Results: The fungal extracts showed both antibacterial and antifungal activities with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.0625 to 1 mg/mL. The HPLC-DAD analysis of the extracts suggested the presence of citreoisocoumarin, citreoisocoumarinol, questinol, hydroxyemodin, acropyrone, methyl 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetate, nigricinol, and cladosporin. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that endophytic fungi associated with C. roseus could be a promising source of novel bioactive compounds with pharmaceutical and industrial importance