Exploration of Aquifer Levels in Abraka, Obiaruku and Umutu Communities in Delta State, Nigeria

The Schlumberger vertical electrical sounding method was used to detect aquifer levels in Abraka, Obiaruku and Umutu communities in Delta State respectively.  The study recorded the aquifer level in Obiaruku to be between 26m to 34m.  In Abraka the aquifer level lied between 20m to about 30m while in Umutu, it was between 50m to 100m. Borehole data showed that portable drinking water lies between 20m to 100m and could easily be assessed in these areas

Diversity and abundance of butterfly species (Lepidoptera) fauna in Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi forestry nursery, Benue State, Nigeria

Butterflies belong to one of the most important taxa of insects. Understanding their significance in an ecosystem as an environmental health indicator and pollination of flowering plants is crucial to achieving sustainability and conservation of floral diversity. Owing to habitat destruction due to some anthropogenic activities, butterflies are fast disappearing and at present, their survival is under threat. The study assessed the diversity and abundance of butterfly species in the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi forestry nursery, Nigeria. Line transects were used to survey three habitats within and around the forestry nursery using handheld sweep nets in March and April, 2016. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and One-way analysis of variance. A total of 337 individuals representing 17 butterfly species belonging to 5 families were recorded across the three habitat types. Out of these, members belonging to the family Nymphalidae were the most common with 7 species being recorded accounting for 41.2% of the total species and 26.7% of total number of individuals collected. Species richness, evenness and diversity varied from habitat to habitat and decreased from dry land area to swampy area (D= 2.336 – 1.966), (J= 0.336 – 0.236), (H1= 1.394 – 0.955). There was no significant different in species composition/richness across habitat types at 0.05%. It was recommended that management effort towards conservation be put in place so as to ensure sustenance of butterflies and ecosystem services derived from them, and further exploration of butterfly species be done to update this checklist.Keywords: Butterfly, Species, Forestry Nursery, Diversity, Abundanc

Herpesviruses in reptiles

Since the 1970s, several species of herpesviruses have been identified and associated with significant diseases in reptiles. Earlier discoveries placed these viruses into different taxonomic groups on the basis of morphological and biological characteristics, while advancements in molecular methods have led to more recent descriptions of novel reptilian herpesviruses, as well as providing insight into the phylogenetic relationship of these viruses. Herpesvirus infections in reptiles are often characterised by non-pathognomonic signs including stomatitis, encephalitis, conjunctivitis, hepatitis and proliferative lesions. With the exception of fibropapillomatosis in marine turtles, the absence of specific clinical signs has fostered misdiagnosis and underreporting of the actual disease burden in reptilian populations and hampered potential investigations that could lead to the effective control of these diseases. In addition, complex life histories, sampling bias and poor monitoring systems have limited the assessment of the impact of herpesvirus infections in wild populations and captive collections. Here we review the current published knowledge of the taxonomy, pathogenesis, pathology and epidemiology of reptilian herpesviruses

Draft Genome Sequence of a Novel Adenovirus Recovered from the Metagenome of Agile Wallabies

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of a novel agile wallaby adenovirus that was detected in the fecal metagenome of agile wallabies. The genome is 31,512 bp long, with a G+C content of 34.4%. Currently, the pathogenic and zoonotic potential of this novel virus is unknown

Molecular detection of novel herpesviruses and adenoviruses in two species of Australian freshwater turtles

Cutaneous lesions were observed in a wild population of freshwater turtles during routine disease surveillance at Alligator Creek, Townsville, Australia. Previous attempts to identify the causative agent of these lesions were unsuccessful; however, existing evidence suggests viral etiology. To further investigate these events, blood samples and lesion, oral and cloacal swabs collected from 128 freshwater turtles at two locations (Alligator Creek and Ross River) were screened for herpesvirus, adenovirus, poxvirus and papillomavirus by polymerase chain reaction. We detected three novel herpesviruses (chelid herpesvirus 1–3) as well as three adenoviruses (saw-shelled turtle adenovirus 1–3). Phylogenetic analyses showed that the herpesviruses formed a distinct clade with the tumour-associated chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (Scutavirus chelonidalpha5) within the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae. The adenoviruses clustered with members of the genus Testadenovirus. Although the novel herpesviruses and adenoviruses could not be linked to the occurrence of cutaneous lesions, further characterisation will help provide better insights into their clinical, epidemiological and conservation significance

A marine bacterium, Oceanobacillus sp. Pinky, isolated from Algoa Bay sediment produces a thermostable glycoprotein flocculant

In this study, we report on the bioflocculant production potential of an Oceanobacillus sp. isolated from the marine sediments of Algoa Bay. The bacteria produced an extracellular bioflocculant optimally in the presence of sodium carbonate as source of carbon with flocculating activity of about 95.5%. Other optimal culture conditions included: tryptone as nitrogen source (flocculating activity, 84.5%); presence of Ca2+; inoculum size of 2% (v/v) and alkaline pH (10). Composition analyses revealed the purified bioflocculant to be thermostable and composed of polysaccharide and protein. Optimum dose of the purified bioflocculant for the clarification of 4 g/L kaolin clay suspension at neutral pH was 0.2 mg/ml. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observations were indicative of a porous bioflocculant structure while Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum revealed the presence of carboxyl, hydroxyl and amine groups. We proposed that the bacteria hold promise as a potential source of new bioflocculant compound(s).Keywords: Oceanobacillus sp., bioflocculant, glycoprotein, marine sediment, Algoa BayAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(26), pp. 4135-414

Development of subfamily-based consensus PCR assays for the detection of human and animal herpesviruses

Consensus PCR assays that can be used to sensitively detect several herpesvirus (HV) species across the different subfamilies were developed in this study. Primers containing degenerate bases were designed to amplify regions of the DNA polymerase (DPOL) gene of alpha- and gamma-HVs, and the glycoprotein B (gB) gene of beta-HVs in a singleplex, non-nested touchdown PCR format. The singleplex touchdown consensus PCR (STC-PCR) was used to amplify the DNA of eight human and 24 animal HVs. The assay was able to detect the lowest DNA dilution of 10−5 for alpha-HVs and 10−3 for beta- and gamma-HVs. In comparison, lowest detection limits of 10−5, 10−3, and 10−2 were obtained for alpha-, beta-, and gamma-HVs respectively when a nested PCR was used. The findings in this study suggest that the STC-PCR assays can be employed for the molecular surveys and clinical detection of novel and known HVs

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS, ENTREPRENEURIAL STIMULATION AND START-UPS IN NIGERIA

Continuous increase in unemployment has negatively impacted the lives of Nigerians. The effect of COVID-19 pandemic has made it worse- as many companies/employers keep laying off their staff continuously. If the increasingly high unemployment rate is not urgently reversed, the consequences will be the prevalence of crimes and criminality. Therefore motivating or stimulating people to be entrepreneurial and to set up new businesses is vital for their emancipation and global economic sustainability. Meanwhile, many faith-based organisations (FBOs) in Lagos have been engaging their members with entrepreneurial training programmes to support government moves and in response to their members' economic challenges. The FBOs are driven to partake in members' economic emancipation by promulgating trainings that are impactful to start businesses. However, some factors have been underscored as the motivating influence for the trainees starting businesses. Little is known about the influence of educational qualification in participation of entrepreneurial training and entrepreneurial activities. Hence this study investigates the education qualifications of participants in the entrepreneurial training programmes of selected FBOs towards business start-ups. Out of 643 copies of the questionnaire distributed, 620 copies were retrieved, accounting for 96.4% response rate, which is considered adequate and appropriate for analysis. This study's data were subjected to relevant statistical analysis, including descriptive statistics using SPSS version 25. Frequency distribution and percentage analysis were used to present the educational background of the respondents. Respondents with HND/BSc/BA qualification have the highest participation of 296 which accounts for about 47.6% in the entrepreneurial training programme. This is followed by respondents with OND/NCE qualification with 163 and about 26.4%. Respondents with MSc/MA/MBA qualifications have 88, which is about 14.2%. Respondents with SSCE qualifications' participation was 52 (8.4%). Trainees/graduates should not be discouraged to continue with their higher educations because it gives room for better entrepreneurial awareness that can lead to start-ups

Drivers of long-lasting insecticide-treated net utilisation and parasitaemia among under-five children in 13 States with high malaria burden in Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Although Nigeria has made some progress in malaria control, there are variations across States. We investigated the factors associated with utilisation of long-lasting insecticide-treated net (LLIN) and parasitaemia among under-five children in 13 States with high malaria burden. METHOD: Data from the 2015 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey and 2018 Demographic and Health Survey were obtained and analysed. The 2015 and 2018 data were compared to identify States with increase or reduction in parasitaemia. Analysis was done for all the 13 study States; four States with increased parasitaemia and nine States with reduction. Random-effects logit models were fitted to identify independent predictors of LLIN utilisation and parasitaemia. RESULTS: LLIN was used by 53.4% of 2844 children, while parasitaemia prevalence was 26.4% in 2018. Grandchildren (AOR = 5.35, CI: 1.09-26.19) were more likely to use LLIN while other relatives (AOR = 0.33, CI: 0.11-0.94) were less likely compared to children of household-heads. LLIN use was more common in children whose mother opined that only weak children could die from malaria (AOR = 1.83, CI: 1.10-3.10). Children whose mothers obtained net from antenatal or immunisation clinics (AOR = 5.30, CI: 2.32-12.14) and campaigns (AOR = 1.77, CI: 1.03-3.04) were also more likely to use LLIN. In contrast, LLIN utilisation was less likely among children in female-headed households (AOR = 0.51, CI: 0.27-0.99) and those in poor-quality houses (AOR = 0.25, CI: 0.09-0.72). Children aged 24-59 months compared to 0-11 months (AOR = 1.78, CI: 1.28-2.48), those in whom fever was reported (AOR = 1.31, CI: 1.06-1.63) and children of uneducated women (AOR = 1.89, CI: 1.32-2.70) were more likely to have parasitaemia. The likelihood of parasitaemia was higher among children from poor households compared to the rich (AOR = 2.06, CI: 1.24-3.42). The odds of parasitaemia were 98% higher among rural children (AOR = 1.98, CI: 1.37-2.87). CONCLUSION: The key drivers of LLIN utilisation were source of net and socioeconomic characteristics. The latter was also a key factor associated with parasitaemia. These should be targeted as part of integrated malaria elimination efforts

Empirical Examination of Sources of Inflation in Nigeria

The paper focused on identifying major factors that cause inflation in Nigeria using secondary data for 1981-2016. It specifically examined how the dynamics of key economic fundamentals like external debt, exchange rate, output growth rate, interest rate, fiscal deficits and money supply explain inflationary trend in Nigeria. Based on the result of the unit root test, the econometric technique of ordinary least squares was adopted in the study. The study produced strong empirical support for positive effect of exchange rate, fiscal deficits and money supply on inflation. However, there is no evidence from the study that output growth rate, external debt, and interest rate cause significant changes in inflation rate in Nigeria. Within the scope of our study, there is substantial evidence to conclude that inflation in Nigeria is driven by exchange rate dynamics, fiscal deficit and money supply