Properties of Lightweight Papercrete Made with Pumice

This study assessed the strength and other properties of papercrete (a paper and mortar composite) produced by using pumice as fine aggregate instead of sand. Papercrete samples containing ordinary Portland cement (OPC), paper sludge and pumice as fine aggregate were produced (Sample PP) and compared to control samples containing OPC, paper sludge and 2 sand (Sample SP). The experimental results show that Sample PP (3.86N/mm ) recorded a 2 55% increase in compressive strength over Sample SP (1.74N/mm ) at 28 days. Sample PP (563Kg/m ) also increased in density over Sample SP (555Kg/m ) at 28 days. In other tests, Sample PP showed a similar response to water absorption and fire reaction as Sample SP.  Additionally, Sample PP recorded a lower thermal conductivity  (0.630W/moK) than Sample SP (0.657W/m oK). It was concluded that when pumice is used as fine aggregate to produce papercrete, it substantially improves strength and lowers thermal conduction in addition to behaving in similitude to ordinary papercrete in other properties. Keywords: Pumice, Papercrete, Compressive strength, Density, Thermal conductivity &nbsp

Evidence of Malnutrition and its Associated Factors among Under-five Children in Danko-Wasagu Kebbi State, North-western Nigeria

Malnutrition is a major health problem worldwide and causes about 2.3 million deaths among under-5 children in low- and middle-income countries annually including Nigeria. Therefore, the present study was designed to assess the nutritional status of under-five children (0-59 months) and associated factors in Danko-Wasagu. The socio-demographic characteristics, prevalence of childhood  diseases, anthropometric parameters and dietary pattern of the children were evaluated. The results indicated that 54.8% of the caregivers are young adults within 20 to 24 years of age with 41.7% having two living children. In addition, 58% of the caregivers have monthly family income below ₦20,000 with no any formal education. The Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) and Weight-for-Height (WFH) indices indicated that none of the children had Severe-Acute-Malnutrition (SAM). However, there was 65.5% prevalence of diarrhea, 45.2% with dermatitis and 25.0% with acute respiratory infections. In addition, stunting, underweight and wasting among the children investigated were 72.7%, 29.8% and 11.9% respectively. Consumption of cereals based diet by the children was 92.7% while 28.6% and 31.0% of the children met the minimum dietary diversity and minimum meal frequency respectively. Caregiver’s age was observed to associate significantly (p<0.05) with wasting, underweight and stunting among the children. Altogether, the presentstudy demonstrated a high prevalence of chronic malnutrition and childhood diseases even though without any case of SAM in the study area. Keywords: Malnutrition, Nutritional status, Under-five-children, Childhood diseases, Dietary patter

Effect of nutrient supplementation on single cell protein production from watermelon and pineapple peels

The fast growing population of the world has led to an increased demand for protein rich food; this exerts great pressure on food and feed industries to produce sufficient quantities of protein to meet the high nutrient requirements of vulnerable populations (children and women). Single cell protein (SCP) has proven to be a sustainable approach since agricultural residues can be used for the production. In the present study, efforts were made to improve the growth support capacity of watermelon and pineapple fruit peels by submerged fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Fruit hydrolysate media supplemented with glucose and nitrogen recorded the highest concentrations of total carbohydrate (6.6 g/L) and crude protein (20 g/L) on the 16th day of fermentation, as compared to that of the fruit hydrolysate media without supplementation which produced 3.6 g/L of total carbohydrate and 5.6 g/L of crude protein. Similarly, fruit hydrolysate media supplemented with nitrogen recorded higher content of total carbohydrate (5.4 g/L) and crude protein (20 g/L); while fruit hydrolysate media supplemented with glucose produced 5.1 g/L and 6.0 g/L of total carbohydrate and crude protein, respectively. Thus, S. cerevisiae produces higher amount of Single Cell Protein by submerged fermentation of pineapple peel hydrolysate (9.8%) as compared to watermelon peel hydrolysate (2.42%). It was also observed that, the combination of the two fruit peels produces higher SCP than watermelon but lower than pineapple fruit peels. However, supplementation with nutrients (Glucose and Ammonium sulphate) at 2% (w/v) greatly increased SCP production in all the fruit combinations. This suggest that microbial growth support capacity of fruit peels can best be improved by addition of nutrient supplements rather than combining different fruit peels. The findings in this study indicated that pineapple peels could serve as a good substrate for SCP production which is strongly influenced by glucose and ammonium sulphate supplementations.Keywords: Yeast, Single Cell Protein, Watermelon, Pineapple, Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Common Radiographic Findings in Patients with Low Back Pain a Major Nigerian Teaching Hospital

Objective: To identify common radiographic findings among patients presenting with low back pain.Methodology: A retrospective study was carried out on 160 patients with low back pain that underwent x-ray of the lumbosacral spine at ABUTH. The collected data was organized and classified into groups based on age, sex, radiographic findings, location on the lumbar spine and patients’ occupation. Mean, standard deviation and percentages were calculated and tabulated.Results: Findings show that, low back pain is mostly in patients between 41-50 years of age accounting 28.1%.Likewise, those engaged in more than one activity 71.3%. Abnormal radiographic findings were mostly seen on L4 vertebral body representing 26.5%, and lumbar spondylosis is the most frequent finding with 51.2%.Conclusion: The study has established various radiographic findings in patients with low back pain, and lumbar spondylosis is the most frequent in both males and females gender

Detection of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii among Gram-Negative Bacteria Isolated from Clinical Samples

Acinetobacter baumannii is an aerobic, Gram -negative cocco-bacilli, non-fermentative, non-motile, and non-fastidious organism belonging to the genus Acinetobacter. The A. baumannii has emerged as a worldwide nosocomial pathogen causing about 80%25 of nosocomial infections comprising ventilator-acquired pneumonia, bacteremia, meningitis, urinary tract infections, skin and soft tissues infections associated with high mortality rate of approximately 63.3%25. Although literature shows sufficient information about the drug resistant A. baumannii, there has been inadequate reports on the antibiotic resistance level of this bacterium in the study area. The aim of this research was to detect Multidrug-resistant A. baumannii isolates among Gram-negative bacteria isolated from Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, Nigeria. A total of 1008 clinical samples were collected and cultured on MacConkey agar and Blood agar plates at 37o C for 18-24 hours. Following the incubation period, discrete colonies obtained were subjected to Gram staining. The Gram-negative isolates were identified based on conventional biochemical tests with further use of VITEK 2 COMPACT (BioMérieux, France) for confirmation of A. baumannii amongst the Gram-negative organisms. The results obtained showed that 263 Gram-negative organisms were isolated. A. baumannii accounted for 8.5%25 prevalence. Most of the A. baumannii isolated were from the male patients (75%25) within the age range of 33-48 years. Antibiotic susceptibility test using Kirby Bauer method in accordance with CLSI guidelines was done on 20 A. baumannii isolates. The isolates were more sensitive to levofloxacin (60%25), followed by Gentamicin (55%25), then Ciprofloxacin and Tetracycline (50%25) respectively. High level of resistance to Ceftriaxone (80%25), Cefepime (75%25), Ceftazidime (65%25), Piperacillin-Tazobactam (55%25), Ampicillin%252FSulbactam (60%25), Tigecycline (60%25), Meropenem (55%25) and Amikacin (60%25). This study revealed that 15 (75%25) of the A. baumannii were found to be multidrug-resistant. Therefore, antibiotic stewardship is necessary to combat further dissemination of this organism

Biodiesel production by lipase mediated transesterification of Acacia nilotica seed oil

Biodiesel is becoming prominent among the alternative sources of energy due to its economic, environmental and social values. This work  investigated the possibility of using calcium alginate immobilized lipase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa for the production of biodiesel from Acacia nilotica seed oil. The physico-chemical properties of Acacia nilotica biodiesel were assessed. Methyl esters composition indicated the presence of  octadecenoic (69.14%), hexadecanoic (15.47%) and (7.92%) octadecanoic acid as dominant fatty acid methyl esters. The biodiesel produced had a specific gravity of 0.84, refractive index of 1.34 0.04 and viscosity 2.73 ± 0.15 Pa.S. The cetane number recorded was 32.81 ±0.10, calorific value 29.0 mJkg-1, flash point 113oC, while the cloud and pour points were 1.06oC and 4.0oC respectively. The iodine value was 187.6±0.60 gI2/100 g, acid value 0.61±0.01/g, saponification value 189±1.00mgKOH/g and peroxide value 6.60±0.05 meq/kg. The observed characteristics of the biodiesel produced were largely in conformity with the ASTM and EN biodiesel standards.Key words: Acacia nilotica: seed oil: transesterification: immobilized lipas

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Rising rural body-mass index is the main driver of the global obesity epidemic in adults

Body-mass index (BMI) has increased steadily in most countries in parallel with a rise in the proportion of the population who live in cities 1,2 . This has led to a widely reported view that urbanization is one of the most important drivers of the global rise in obesity 3�6 . Here we use 2,009 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in more than 112 million adults, to report national, regional and global trends in mean BMI segregated by place of residence (a rural or urban area) from 1985 to 2017. We show that, contrary to the dominant paradigm, more than 55 of the global rise in mean BMI from 1985 to 2017�and more than 80 in some low- and middle-income regions�was due to increases in BMI in rural areas. This large contribution stems from the fact that, with the exception of women in sub-Saharan Africa, BMI is increasing at the same rate or faster in rural areas than in cities in low- and middle-income regions. These trends have in turn resulted in a closing�and in some countries reversal�of the gap in BMI between urban and rural areas in low- and middle-income countries, especially for women. In high-income and industrialized countries, we noted a persistently higher rural BMI, especially for women. There is an urgent need for an integrated approach to rural nutrition that enhances financial and physical access to healthy foods, to avoid replacing the rural undernutrition disadvantage in poor countries with a more general malnutrition disadvantage that entails excessive consumption of low-quality calories. © 2019, The Author(s)

Effect of Height Variation for the Determination of Accurate Focal Zone for a Thin Foil L-Shaped Parabolic Reflector

The use of concentrators in forms of solar energy collector in order to concentrate sun rays for better usage is on the increase worldwide. This paper presents the effect of height variations for the determination of accurate focal zone for three different parabolic reflectors. The system was constructed using locally available materials with design parameters. The thermal performance experiments were conducted (water boiling test) to evaluate the performance evaluation of the reflector at different height. The experimental test results showed that the systems when set at 65 cm height from cooking vessel performed better than at 45 cm and 55 cm heights respectively. Similarly the temperature profile of the systems showed highest result of 94.1 oC at a height of 65 cm

Crude extracts of epidermal mucus and epidermis of climbing perch Anabas testudineus and its antibacterial and hemolytic activities

Epidermal mucus of fish contains a number of biologically active constituents including antimicrobial peptides that are continuously expressed and also engaged in provision of protection to the fish against injurious substances as well as potential pathogenic microbes. This study seeks to determine the hemolytic and antibacterial properties of crude extract from epidermal mucus of climbing perch. Epidermal mucus and epidermis were obtained from 15 climbing perches after hypothermic stress stimulation for extraction of crude by aqueous and acidic methods. Antibacterial activity by well diffusion agar was applied for both extracts against 11 strains belonging to 7 different bacterial species using well agar diffusion test assay. In addition, haemolytic activity was investigated using horse RBCs. Antibacterial activity was performed for acidified crude extract only and it was found to be significant (P < 0.05) against P. aeruginosa while the least reactivity was observed against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Total soluble protein concentration was 1.2 mg/ml with 13 bands of proteins (245–11) kDa distinguished. There was absence of haemolytic activity of acidified crude extract using horse RBCs. The finding of this study indicates that proteins in bioactive crude extracted from climbing perch have potential therapeutic application. Keywords: Epidermal mucus, Anabas testudineus, Antibacterial peptides, Hemolytic activity, Innate immunity, Fis