Evaluation of Radiation Emissions, Physico-Chemical Parameters and Insect Fauna around the Environment of National Institute of Radiation Protection and Research

Abstract: Radiation emissions from the University of Ibadan National Institute of Radiation Protection and Research (NIRPR), physico-chemical properties measurement and insect's fauna collection around the surrounding of the Institute were conducted for a period of six months (November, 2011-April, 2012. Radiation survey meter model (RDS-30) type was used to take readings along the immediate surroundings of the NIRPR surroundings. Soil samples were collected at five points in the study site at a distance of 50 m from the Institute and the football pitch with a distance of 250 m away from the Institute as control site. Heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr, and Pb) were analysed using MiniPal 4 energy-dispersive X-Ray fluorescence (EDXRF) bench top spectrometer. Pit falls and sweep net were used in collection of crawling and flying insects respectively, some other arthropods were also collected. Results showed that radiation emission values of 0.012-0.016 µSv/hr was recorded, which was higher than the control site with reading of 0.009 µSv/hr. Heavy metal readings showed that iron (Fe) was higher at the sites than other metals. Correlation between chromium and lead was high (0.797) at (p<0.01). Diversity indices (Margalef, Shannon Wiener and Evenness respectively) for control site (3.56, 0.54, and 0.52) were higher than at the study site (2.62, 0.15 and 0.17). There was no correlation between arthropods abundance and radiation. This result therefore suggests that radiation could not be implicated in abundance and distribution of these arthropods

Strengthening retinopathy of prematurity screening and treatment services in Nigeria: a case study of activities, challenges and outcomes 2017-2020.

OBJECTIVES: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) will become a major cause of blindness in Nigerian children unless screening and treatment services expand. This article aims to describe the collaborative activities undertaken to improve services for ROP between 2017 and 2020 as well as the outcome of these activities in Nigeria. DESIGN: Descriptive case study. SETTING: Neonatal intensive care units in Nigeria. PARTICIPANTS: Staff providing services for ROP, and 723 preterm infants screened for ROP who fulfilled screening criteria (gestational age <34 weeks or birth weight ≤2000 g, or sickness criteria). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A WhatsApp group was initiated for Nigerian ophthalmologists and neonatologists in 2018. Members participated in a range of capacity-building, national and international collaborative activities between 2017 and 2018. A national protocol for ROP was developed for Nigeria and adopted in 2018; 1 year screening outcome data were collected and analysed. In 2019, an esurvey was used to collect service data from WhatsApp group members for 2017-2018 and to assess challenges in service provision. RESULTS: In 2017 only six of the 84 public neonatal units in Nigeria provided ROP services; this number had increased to 20 by 2018. Of the 723 babies screened in 10 units over a year, 127 (17.6%) developed any ROP; and 29 (22.8%) developed type 1 ROP. Only 13 (44.8%) babies were treated, most by intravitreal bevacizumab. The screening criteria were revised in 2020. Challenges included lack of equipment to regulate oxygen and to document and treat ROP, and lack of data systems. CONCLUSION: ROP screening coverage and quality improved after national and international collaborative efforts. To scale up and improve services, equipment for neonatal care and ROP treatment is urgently needed, as well as systems to monitor data. Ongoing advocacy is also essential

Treatment of persistent organic pollutants in wastewater using hydrodynamic cavitation in synergy with advanced oxidation process

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are very tenacious wastewater contaminants. The consequences of their existence have been acknowledged for negatively affecting the ecosystem with specific impact upon endocrine disruption and hormonal diseases in humans. Their recalcitrance and circumvention of nearly all the known wastewater treatment procedures are also well documented. The reported successes of POPs treatment using various advanced technologies are not without setbacks such as low degradation efficiency, generation of toxic intermediates, massive sludge production, and high energy expenditure and operational cost. However, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have recently recorded successes in the treatment of POPs in wastewater. AOPs are technologies which involve the generation of OH radicals for the purpose of oxidising recalcitrant organic contaminants to their inert end products. This review provides information on the existence of POPs and their effects on humans. Besides, the merits and demerits of various advanced treatment technologies as well as the synergistic efficiency of combined AOPs in the treatment of wastewater containing POPs was reported. A concise review of recently published studies on successful treatment of POPs in wastewater using hydrodynamic cavitation technology in combination with other advanced oxidation processes is presented with the highlight of direction for future research focus

Growth Performance Characteristics of Goats Fed Varied Levels of Poultry Manure in whole Cassava Plant Based Concentrate Diet

A 56-day feed intake, growth and digestibility trial was carried out to investigate the use of poultry manure as a fermentable nitrogen source in whole cassava plant-based concentrate fed to goats on basal Panicummaximum hay (9.18 % CP). Sixteen adult (2 years old; 12.48 – 16.72 kg initial body weights) West African Dwarf goats were blocked on the basis of body weights into four similar groups that were assigned randomly to four treatments. Treatments consisted of dried poultry manure that was included in a cassava-based concentrate at 0, 14, 18 or 22 % level. Average feed intake (g/W0.725 kg) was reduced (p < 0.05) in goats fed poultry manure at 22 % inclusion level when compared with the other dietary groups. Effects of poultry manure treatments on digestibility of dry matter or crude protein, nitrogen retention and body weight gain were significant (p < 0.05). It was concluded that poultry manure could be used to complement cassava leaf meal in cassava plant-based concentrates for the goats. The use of poultry manure as a source of fermentable nitrogen would promote activities of rumen microbial populations for efficient fermentation and reduce the constraints associated with collection and processing of cassava leaf in sufficient quantity for inclusion in the diet

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Cytotoxicity of Securidaca longepedunculata (polygalaceae) Root Bark Extract

Securidaca longepedunculata is a savannah shrub found growing in tropical Africa. It is reputed to have more than a hundred medicinal uses and is a major component of anticancer decoctions in Nigeria. Despite its reported use as an anti-cancer plant, there is a dearth of information on the anti-cancer potential and mechanism of its anticancer activity. The present study is to identify the chemical constituents present in Securidaca longepedunculata by quantitative Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and determine the cytotoxic effect of the plant on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells. Secondary metabolites in the extract were predicted using GC-MS. In vitro cytotoxic activity was determined using the trypan blue dye exclusion assay by incubating Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells with various concentrations of S. longepedunculata aqueous extract. Analysis by GC-MS revealed the presence of the following compounds: bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (90.99%), 1-decanol (4.17%) and cyclododecane (1.86%), phenol, 2, 21-methylene bis (1.32%), cyclopenten-4-one, 3-hydroxy-1, 2, 3, 5, 51-pentakis (trimethylsilyloxy)- (0.89%) and phenol, 2, 4-bis (1, 1-dimethylethyl)(0.78%). Securidaca longepedunculata aqueous extract (SL) was cytotoxic to Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells in vitro. The IC50 of SL on EAC cells was 67 μg/ml. The aqueous root-bark extract of S. longepedunculata contains bioactive agents and was cytotoxic to Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells in vitro. Keywords: phthalate, Ehrlich, carcinoma, medicinal, plant