Citric acid Production from Agricultural Wastes using Aspergillus niger Isolated from some Locations within Kaduna Metropolis, Nigeria

This investigation was carried out to assess citric acid production by Aspergillus species isolated in some locations within Kaduna metropolis Nigeria using standard methods. Fungal isolates identified as Aspergillus niger were obtained from samples collected from four (4) different locations.  Isolates were subjected to substrate preference test using local substrates such as wheat straw, rice straw and potato peel powder. Wheat straw supported the highest growth value of 41%. Screening of A. niger isolates for the production of citric acid showed that the isolate from Kawo (Kw) gave the highest yield of citric acid (0.38g/100ml) on basal screening media. Optimization of pH and temperature were carried out and the optimum temperature and pH for citric acid production by isolate Kw was 30OC (0.65g/100ml) and pH 6.0. The wheat straw treated with 5 N HCl produced a high yield of citric acid with a value of 25.60g/kg while the untreated wheat straw produced a yield of 13.3g/kg. Molecular characterization to confirm the identity of the fungal isolates was carried out by the amplification and sequencing of the 5.8S gene of the ribosomal RNA and the two intergenic spacers ITS1 and ITS2 of the strains. By comparison (BLAST) of Aspergillus niger isolate to reference sequence in the gene bank, a sequence similarity of 99% to 100% of other Aspergillus niger strain was obtained. Various methods of strain improvement techniques could be adopted to increase citric acid production by the A. niger isolates obtained from this study

A Study on Germination and Early Seedling Growth of Zea mays L.in Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn. Extract Treated Medium

Germination and early seedling growth of Zea mays   in  aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces treated medium  was conducted in the laboratory. The concentration levels of 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%  were prepared through serial dilutions, while 0% (distilled water) was used as control. Elemental composition of calyces of H. sabdariffa was determined using standard procedures. 10 seeds of the test crop were sown in sterilized Petri dishes containing two sterile What-Man’s filter paper per treatment. Percentage germination and coefficient of velocity of germination counts were recorded at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after sowing all the seeds.  Growth parameters such as shoot length, root length, fresh weight and dry weight of the seedlings were measured after 20 days. Elemental analysis of  aqueous extract of H. sabdariffa calyces indicated the presence calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, iron, manganese, copper, zinc and lead in varied concentrations. The values of coefficient of velocity of germination and percentage germination of Zea mays  were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased with increase in the concentration of H. sabdariffa  extract, except at 20% concentration level of H. sabdariffa  extract where slight stimulations were recorded in comparison with the control treatment. Similarly, the shoot length, root length, fresh weight and dry weight of maize seedlings were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased with increase in the concentration of H. sabdariffa  extract, except at 20% concentration level of H. sabdariffa  extract where the shoot length was slightly stimulated above that of the control treatment. This study suggests that  aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces could negatively affect the germination and early seedling growth of Z. mays

Physiological Studies of Phaseolus vulgaris L. in Medium Irrigated with Different Sources of Water from Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Physiological studies on Phaseolus vulgaris L. in medium irrigated with different sources of water obtained from Otuoke,  Bayelsa State, Nigeria were conducted in the laboratory. Three (3) sources of water; stream water, rain water and tap water were used alongside a control (distilled water). Analysis of water samples for physico-chemical characteristics was conducted using standard procedures. 10 seeds of the test crop were sown in sterilized Petri dishes containing two sterile What-Man’s filter paper per treatment and replicated five (5) times. The experimental set up was maintained in a growth chamber under light condition at 28±1oC for two (2) weeks. Coefficient of velocity of germination, germination percentage, shoot length, root length, fresh weight and dry weight of the seedlings were determined. There were marked variations (P < 0.05) in pH value, contents of dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total dissolved solids, and total suspended solids as well as mineral elements contents of the three water samples. Similarly, the coefficient of velocity of germination, germination percentage and growth parameters such as shoot length, root length, fresh weight and dry weight of P. vulgaris varied significantly (P < 0.05) among the three treatments, although in most cases the germination and growth responses were comparatively lower than that of the control treatment.   This study suggests that both nutrients and non- nutrients composition of irrigation water can influence the growth performance of the test crop

Uterine rupture at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar; Nigeria: a six-year review

Background: Ruptured uterus is one of the major complications of labour which contributes significantly to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in low-resource and developing countries. Periodic review is necessary to determine the magnitude, risk factors and feto maternal outcomes to aid to plan prevention reduce maternal and fetal mortality are needed. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence, risk factors, management options, and feto-maternal outcomes of uterine rupture in University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Calabar.Methods: Records of women with uterine rupture between January 2013 and December 2018 were retrieved. Sociodemographic data, clinical presentations, surgical options, fetal and maternal outcomes were recorded and analysed. Data was presented in frequencies and percentages.Results: During the study period, total number of deliveries was 11,382 with 41 ruptured uterus giving it an incidence of 0.36 percent. Twenty-eight (71.8%) of the patients were unbooked while 11 (28.2%) were booked. The mean age was 28.08 and majority were para 2 and 3 at 10 (25.6%). Obstructed labour was the commonest cause 28 (71.8%). Rupture of scar contributed to 8 cases (20.5%). Commonest presentation was abdominal pain 25 (64.1%). The commonest surgical procedure was uterine repair alone 21 (53.8%), while repair and bilateral tubal ligation was 8 (20.5%) and hysterectomy 9 (23.1%). Maternal mortality was 1 (2.6%) while fetal mortality was 32 (82.05%). The cause of maternal death was anaemic heart failure.Conclusions: Predisposing factors for uterine rupture at UCTH, Calabar are mostly modifiable. As such integrated efforts to prevent occurrence and ensure prompt management to reduce maternal and fetal mortality are needed.

National Trends in Admission and In-Hospital Mortality of Patients With Heart Failure in the United States (2001–2014)

Background-—To investigate heart failure (HF) hospitalization trends in the United States and change in trends after publication of management guidelines. Methods and Results-—Using data from the National Inpatient Sample and the US Census Bureau, annual national estimates in HF admissions and in-hospital mortality were estimated for years 2001 to 2014, during which an estimated 57.4 million HF-associated admissions occurred. Rates (95% confidence intervals) of admissions and in-hospital mortality among primary HF hospitalizations declined by an average annual rate of 3% (2.5%–3.5%) and 3.5% (2.9%–4.0%), respectively. Compared with 2001 to 2005, the average annual rate of decline in primary HF admissions was more in 2006 to 2009 (ie, 3.4% versus 1.1%; P=0.02). In 2010 to 2014, primary HF admission continued to decline by an average annual rate of 4.3% (95% confidence interval, 3.9%–5.1%), but this was not significantly different from 2006 to 2009 (P=0.14). In contrast, there was no further decline in in-hospital mortality trend after the guideline-release years. For hospitalizations with HF as the secondary diagnosis, there was an upward trend in admissions in 2001 to 2005. However, the trend began to decline in 2006 to 2009, with an average annual rate of 2.4% (95% confidence interval, 0.8%–4%). Meanwhile, there was a consistent decline in in-hospital mortality by an average annual rate of 3.7% (95% confidence interval, 3.3%–4.2%) during the study period, but the decline was more in 2006 to 2009 compared with 2001 to 2005 (ie, 5.4% versus 3.4%; P Conclusions-—From 2001 to 2014, HF admission and in-hospital mortality rates declined significantly in the United States; the greatest improvements coincided with the publication of the 2005 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association HF guidelines. (J Am Heart Assoc. 2017;6:e006955. DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.117.006955.

Cyclic peptide production using a macrocyclase with enhanced substrate promiscuity and relaxed recognition determinants

This project was supported by grants from the ERC (no. 339367, MJ), BBSRC IBCatalyst (no. BB/M028526/1, MJ, WEH), BBSRC FoF (no. BB/M013669/1, MJ, WEH), IBioIC Exemplar (no. 2014-2-4, MJ, WEH), an AstraZeneca studentship (MJ, WEH, LT, KR), the Academy of Finland (no. 259505, DPF) and the SULSA leaders award (WEH). The authors like to thank the Aberdeen Proteomics Facility and the Aberdeen School of Natural and Computing Sciences MS Facility for LCMS analysis. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental section, Fig. S1–S60 and Tables S1–S3. See DOI: 10.1039/c7cc05913bPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Bioethanol Production from Waste Paper: An Alternative Energy Source

Bioethanol is one of the best alternative form of energy source in place of fossil fuels. In this study, bioethanol was produced from waste paper following a pre-treatment. The isolates used were isolated from fresh palm wine and characterized via standard microbiological methods. The pre-treatment was done using 5%, 10% and 50% concentrations of sulphuric acid and sodium hydroxide respectively. Results obtained showed that the concentration of glucose from the substrates ranged between 0.2-0.8 ppm with 10% sulphuric acid giving the highest glucose yield. The fermentation of the sugar was carried out using Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the production of bioethanol, which was recovered by fractional distillation. From this study, the production of bioethanol from waste paper is a veritable means of shoring up energy deficit especially in the developing countries

Prévalence du VIH chez la Femme Enceinte et Transmission Mère-Enfant du VIH à la Maternité de l’Hôpital Général de Douala, Cameroun

Nous rapportons ici une évaluation sommaire de nos activités de prévention transmission mère-enfant du VIH sur 6 ans (2002 à 2007). Il s’agissait d’une étude descriptive et rétrospective effectuée à l’Hôpital Général de Douala. Les enfants inclus étaient âgés d’au moins 18 mois. La technique d’ELISA GENSCREEN 3ème génération pour le VIH a été utilisée. Sur 5261 accouchements effectués pendant cette période, 138 étaient de mères VIH positifs (prévalence : 2,62%). Quatre de nos patientes étaient testées négatives au premier trimestre de gestation. Des 138 bébés, 87 seulement ont pu être testés (63%), dont 4 contaminés (prévalence de transmission : 4,6%). Des 4 enfants contaminés, un seul a reçu la prévention adéquate en grossesse, soit un taux de transmission sous prévention de 1,19%. Une meilleure organisation des stratégies de réduction de la transmission mèreenfant du VIH/SIDA, même dans un environnement à ressources limitées, peut conduire à des résultats similaires à ceux des pays du Nord. A la lumière de cette étude, nous recommandons fortement un deuxième test du VIH au 3ème rimestre de la grossesse afin de réduire davantage le risque de sa transmission périnatale.Mots Clés prévalence du VIH ; femme enceinte ; transmission mère-enfant du VI

Malaria Care-Seeking Behaviour Among HIV-Infected Patients Receiving Antiretroviral Treatment in South-Eastern Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study assesses malaria prevention and treatment behaviour among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Owerri, South Eastern Nigeria. Although Nigeria bears one of the world\u27s largest burdens of both malaria and HIV, there is almost no research studying how co-infected patients manage their care. We systematically sampled 398 PLWHA receiving care at Imo State Specialist Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre in Owerri to complete a structured, pre-tested questionnaire on malaria care-seeking behaviour. Descriptive statistics were reported and chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regressions were also used. The majority of HIV-infected patients (78.9%) reported having had an episode of suspected malaria quarterly or more often. There was a large variation in care-seeking patterns: on suspicion of malaria, 29.1% of participants engaged in self-medication; 39.2% went to drug shops, and only 22.6% visited HIV/AIDS care centres. Almost 40% waited more than 24 hours before initiating treatment. Most (60.3%), reported taking recommended artemisinin-based combination treatments (ACT) but a significant minority took only paracetamol (25.6%) or herbal remedies (3.5%). Most (80%) finished their chosen course of treatment; and completion of treatment was significantly associated with the frequency of suspected malaria occurrence (p = 0.03). Most (62.8%) did not take anti-malaria medication while taking antiretroviral treatment (ART) and almost all (87.6%) reported taking an ACT regimen that could potentially interact with Nigeria\u27s first-line ART regimen. Our findings suggest the need to pay more attention to malaria prevention and control as a crucial element in HIV/AIDS management in this part of Nigeria and other areas where malaria and HIV/AIDS are co-endemic. Also, more research on ART-ACT interactions, better outreach to community-level drug shops and other private sector stakeholders, and clearer guidelines for clinicians and patients on preventing and managing co-infection may be needed. This will require improved collaboration between programmes for both diseases