Space enabled smart Africa (SESA)

Urbanization in Africa is growing at a rapid pace and so is the population growth. Cities in Africa are struggling to cope with the demand that urban migration brings. For example, Africa has over 60% of her population located in the urban areas. These urban locations are sprawling slums due to the massive influx of people and inadequate housing systems. The United Nations, through the Sustainable Development Goals called for a sustainable cities and communities. This project is focus on using the smart city approach to tackle these urbanization issues. With the advancement in satellite application systems, smart cities can be enabled through space technology to address these urbanization and other issues affecting the African region. Integrating space technology, such as communication, Earth observation, and satellite aided position timing & navigation application systems and small satellite technology, to the smart city paradigm could provide sustainable ways in which problems like digital division, over population, natural disaster, etc. could be managed and eradicated

Frequency of Isolation of Enterobacter Species from a Variety of Clinical Specimens in a Teaching Hospital in Nigeria

Purpose: To determine the frequency of occurrence of Enterobacter species and their antibiogram from clinical specimens of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, urine and wound obtained from University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.Methods: Specimens were obtained from patients who were seen at the various units of the hospital during the period January 2008 to June 2010. The total number of specimens was 6632, and were obtained from 1678 adult males, 2010 adult females and 2944 children. The specimens were collected prior to commencement of antibiotic therapy, and cultured immediately using standard bacteriological methods. Growths were identified by colonial morphology and characteristics, and biochemical reactions. Antimicrobial sensitivity test was performed according to Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendation. The control organism was a sensitive strain of Eschrichia coli (NCTC 10418).Results: Two species of Enterobacter, namely, E. aerogenes (104; 97.2 %) and E. sakazakii (3; 2.8 %) were isolated from the four types of clinical specimens, accounting for 1.6 % of all the samples. Sensitivity to antibacterials was as follows: ceftazidime (55.0 %), ofloxacin (53.3 %) and amoxicillin clavulanate (48.3 %). They were strongly resistant to the other antibiotics used in the study, especially the cephalosporins. There was no significant difference in infection rate among the age groups (p > 0.05). However, there was significant difference (p < 0.05) between isolates from cerebrospinal fluid, on the one hand, and those from wound, urine and blood, on the other hand. Conclusion: The rate of isolation of Enterobacter species in the health facility was low. Remarkable drug resistance of the organisms make them clinically significant pathogens.Keywords: β-Lactam antibiotics, Opportunistic infections, Bacterial resistance, Enterobacter species

Microbial contamination and preservative capacity of some brands of cosmetic creams

Purpose: Cosmetic and topical products need not be sterile but may contain low levels of microbial load during use. This study was conducted to determine and compare the level and type of microbial contaminants in commercial cosmetic products sold in the market and a laboratory prepared aqueous cream and their preservative capacities while in use. Methods: Ten brands of commercially available cosmetic creams and lotions were randomly purchased from the open markets in Benin City. Aqueous Cream was also prepared. Their bacterial and fungal loads as well as types were evaluated. Preservative capacity was evaluated by challenging the creams and lotions with washed and characterized isolates of Staph. aureus and viable counting was performed by the surface viable method. The prepared aqueous cream was similarly challenged with the test organism. Results: All the products were contaminated to varying degrees. Staphylococci and other gram-positive cocci were the most preponderant; gram-negative isolates were hardly found. Fungal contaminants consisted largely of Asp. fumigatus, Penicillium and Microsporium species. Challenge test (re-infection) with Staph. aureus revealed the commercial products as having low capacity for suppressing bacterial proliferation such as may be encountered during in – use contamination. Conclusion: Commercial cosmetic creams and lotions evaluated did not generally meet the standards for microbial limits as specified in official monographs. Such products can adversely affect health status of consumers as well as the stability profiles of the products. Key words: Commercial products; cosmetic creams; cosmetic lotions; microbial contamination Trop J Pharm Res, December 2003; 2(2): 229-23

Susceptibility of three pathogenic bacteria to admixtures of chloroquine and antibiotics

No Abstrac

Five decades of beta-lactam antibiotics

No Abstrac

Frequency of Isolation of Enterobacter Species from a Variety of Clinical Specimens in a Teaching Hospital in Nigeria

Purpose: To determine the frequency of occurrence of Enterobacter species and their antibiogram from clinical specimens of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, urine and wound obtained from University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Methods: Specimens were obtained from patients who were seen at the various units of the hospital during the period January 2008 to June 2010. The total number of specimens was 6632, and were obtained from 1678 adult males, 2010 adult females and 2944 children. The specimens were collected prior to commencement of antibiotic therapy, and cultured immediately using standard bacteriological methods. Growths were identified by colonial morphology and characteristics, and biochemical reactions. Antimicrobial sensitivity test was performed according to Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendation. The control organism was a sensitive strain of Eschrichia coli (NCTC 10418) Results: Two species of Enterobacter, namely, Enterobacter aerogenes (104; 97.2 %) and Enterobacter sakazakii (3; 2.8 %) were isolated from the four types of clinical specimens, accounting for 1.6 % of all the samples. Sensitivity to antibacterials was as follows: ceftazidime (55.0 %), ofloxacin (53.3 %) and amoxicillin clavulanate (48.3 %). They were strongly resistant to the other antibiotics used in the study, especially the cephalosporins. There was no significant difference in infection rate among the age groups (p> 0.05). However, there was significant difference (p <0.05) between isolates from cerebrospinal fluid, on the one hand, and those from wound, urine and blood, on the other hand. Conclusion: The rate of isolation of Enterobacter species in the health facility was low. Remarkable drug resistance of the organisms make them clinically significant pathogens

The Prevalence and Antibiogram of Esherichia Coli from Clinical Specimens of Superficial Wounds, High Vagina and Antral Washouts in University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State

This study seeks to determine the prevalence of recovery of Escherichia coli from clinical specimens of superficial wounds, high vagina and antral washouts. This study which was prospective and cross-sectional involved six hundred and sixty eight (668) participants who were patients seen at the various facilities in the hospital. Males were two hundred and forty (35.9%) Females were two hundred and twenty eight (34.3%) while children were two hundred (29.9%). Specimens of wounds, aspirates and high vagina were cultured on chocolate, blood and McConkey and Eosin methylene blue agars. Specimens on blood agar were incubated both aerobically and anaerobically for 24hrs. Isolates were identified by their colonial morphology and biochemical reactions and tested for sensitivity. Escherichia coli isolates demonstrated strong resistance to some of the antibiotics while they showed moderate sensitivity to ceftazidime, ofloxacin, clarithomycin and amoxicillin clavulanate. The increasing resistance of Escherichia coli to the commonly used antibiotics in the community is a cause of concern, and measures were suggested for effective resistance control.Key words: Escherichia coli , Aspirates and swabs, resistance

Research Article - Microbial contamination and preservative capacity of some brands of cosmetic creams

Purpose: Cosmetic and topical products need not be sterile but may contain low levels of microbial load during use. This study was conducted to determine and compare the level and type of microbial contaminants in commercial cosmetic products sold in the market and a laboratory prepared aqueous cream and their preservative capacities while in use. Methods: Ten brands of commercially available cosmetic creams and lotions were randomly purchased from the open markets in Benin City. Aqueous Cream was also prepared. Their bacterial and fungal loads as well as types were evaluated. Preservative capacity was evaluated by challenging the creams and lotions with washed and characterized isolates of Staph. aureus and viable counting was performed by the surface viable method. The prepared aqueous cream was similarly challenged with the test organism. Results: All the products were contaminated to varying degrees. Staphylococci and other gram-positive cocci were the most preponderant; gram-negative isolates were hardly found. Fungal contaminants consisted largely of Asp. fumigatus, Penicillium and Microsporium species. Challenge test (re-infection) with Staph. aureus revealed the commercial products as having low capacity for suppressing bacterial proliferation such as may be encountered during in –use contamination. Conclusion: Commercial cosmetic creams and lotions evaluated did not generally meet the standards for microbial limits as specified in official monographs. Such products can adversely affect health status of consumers as well as the stability profiles of the products