Physiochemical Analysis Of Some Portions Of Lake ALAU, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

Water samples from six (6) differimt locations (Lowojerij Man Chohnari Ngaiate, Ngunnuri Awa !sari and Abbari) around Lake Alan were collected and analyzed for physical (temperature. condudivity, tUrbidity. Colour, pH an4 Alkalinity) and chemical (Lead, Cadmium, Manganese, Iron, Cobalt, Mercwy, Nickelj Copper, Chromium, Zinc and Arsenic) respectively .. Phosphate and sulphate levels were ~ determined. Result showed varying values with respect to locations. The pH ranged between 7.6±0.3 to 8.45±0.50mgll); Turbidity 6.0:1:0.80 to 12.3±6.NTIJ and Al~alinity 86.5±1.50 mg/1 to 95.3±1.50 mg/1 re.-pectively. Similarly, results showed varyii~ concentration values \Vith location C (Nga fate) having the highest concentration of lef!d 0.60±0.30ppm, Arsenic 0.30±0.03ppm, Copper 0.54±0.32ppm. as against other locatio~s: Also location B (Man Cllolmari) showed high values 44.7±3.00mgll and 8lJ4 98±1.40mg/l respectively thereby indicating high level of entrophication making the ru;~ not fit for aquatic. The results of other par..nneter examined tends to fall within the W{IO re1.:ommended standard . val~

Elemental Analysis Of Some Cereal Plants Grown In North Eastern Nigeria For Possibilities Of Secondary Minerals Prospecting

The elemental contents of the rQOts and tops of (tissue arid )eat) of some plants bave been determined by solution experiments with colllJlllfF calculations of aq.Ieous species. Therntio ofrootsltopsofZn in Wheat is 150,Pblp.6. Cd.30 andAg,O.?. The ratio for Zn in sorghum is 80, Pb. 2.1, Cd; 37 and Agl is 2.3. Zinc and Lead, for example are apparently largely immobiHsed by precipitatitjltl. in root tissues of some of the cereal plants studied. These plants may then serve as sr-biochemical indicators of secondary minem.ls in this :ron

Aeschynomene histrix (Joint Vetch) fallow and nitrogen fertilizer effects on Striga hermonthica infestation and maize (Zea mays) productivity in southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria

Integration of herbaceous legume Aeschynomene histrixinto the farmers’ cropping system is one viable option that can improve the nutrition of maize (Zea mays), increase soil physical, chemical and biological properties which can result in sustainable Striga control and crop productivity. This study was conducted to determine the effects of A. histrix fallow and N fertilizer application on Strigainfestation, growth and yield of maize. The study involved the factorial combination of fallow type: natural fallow (NF) and A. histrix fallow (AF), and inorganic N fertilizer application: 0, 30, 60 and 90 kg N ha-1 arranged in a split plot in a randomised complete block design and replicated three times. Results show that cropping/maize after A. histrix fallow significantly (P < 0.05) delayed Strigaemergence, reduced its virulence on the host crop, increased maize plant height, and grain yield compared to natural fallow. Application of 90 kg N ha-1 delayed days to Striga shoot emergence, reduced Striga damage on host crop, and increased plant height of maize. Heavier and higher grain yield of maize were significantly associated with of 60 kg N ha-1. Integrating A. histrix fallow rotations with application of 60 kg N ha-1 can provide sustainable Strigacontrol, and A. histrix in combination with 90 kg N ha-1 modest yield of maize. This study has shown that farmers in the southern Guinea savanna location of Nigeria can effectively control Striga and obtain better maize yield by integrating A. histrix fallow with the application of N fertilizer.Keywords:  Striga, Aeschynomene histrix, fallow rotation, nitrogen, maiz

Kinetic modeling of ethylbenzene isomerization using Bodenstein approximation technique

Ethylbenzene isomerization reaction is a significant reaction employed in the production of xylene isomers which are used as petrochemical feedstocks. The reaction which proceeds over Pt/Al2O3 catalyst is multi-pathway and multi-cycle in topology. Kinetic model for the reaction was developed in this study using the general rate equation approach. Bodenstein approximation, cross-to-square, and Y-to-delta transformation techniques were used to reduce the complex reaction network to a single cycle network. In addition, the general rate equation for reduced single cycle networks was applied to derive the model for the reaction. The Nelder-Mead simplex optimization technique was used to estimate the kinetic parameters in the model. The structure of the model developed indicates that the model reasonably represents the mechanism of the reaction although few anomalies were observed in the values of the kinetic parameters estimated. The activation energy obtained for the rate constants follows the expected trend for multi-step reactions

Antimicrobial activity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with respect to immunological response: Diclofenac sodium as a case study

The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as the name implies are compounds of nonsteroidal origin, with the capability of inhibiting/reducing inflammatory response associated with tissue injury which could be as a result of physical trauma, noxious chemicals or microorganisms. There is however reason to believe that these drugs, which confound disease progression by suppressing fever, pain and attenuating some of the cardinal manifestations of inflammation in a patient actually lessen the immunologic response to bacterial infection. This seemingly paradoxical property is the birth of this mini review. This review aims at invalidating the claims that NSAIDs in general lessen the immunological response to microbial infections by examining the antimicrobial properties of diclofenac sodium, an NSAID

Cultural Landscape Design in Nigeria during the Pre-Colonial, Colonial and Twenty-First Century.

Landscape is an integral part of man’s environment and the term in relation to a place may invoke the creation and experience of multiple meanings. This research investigates the relationship between landscapes in Nigeria during the precolonial, colonial and the twenty-first century. It looks at the influences of colonialism on landscape design, which seeks to find out how Nigeria has fared in its land use planning. The research highlighted the continued importance of historically constituted landscape upon which present-day activities in Nigeria are performed, and also considered the existing relationships of the present to the past. This paper through intensive review of relevant literature - books, journals and seminar papers amongst other documents, critically examined the factors that best answer the objectives of the study. The paper also outlines outdoor spaces that connect individuals to their social, economic and religious or cultural activities. It reviewed reasons that necessitate the proper organisation or arrangement that landscape design is concerned with. The paper recommended adequate implementation of town planning laws such as the active participation of the masses. Keywords: architecture, cultural landscape, design, environment DOI: 10.7176/CER/11-2-08 Publication date:March 31st 201

Decarbonising heating and cooling using temperature setback and geothermal energy

\ua9 2023 Institute of Physics Publishing. All rights reserved. The lion’s share of buildings’ energy consumption is used for maintaining a thermally comfortable indoor environment. Strategies of reducing heating and cooling demand can thus be crucial for buildings to achieve net zero. This research aims to investigate the extent to which an occupancy-based temperature setback strategy and geothermal energy supply can decarbonise an office building. The objectives include: 1) exploring the optimal setback temperature for maximum energy savings, both in present time and under the future climate scenarios, and 2) evaluating the extent to which a geothermal borehole can meet the building’s energy demand. The outcome shows that a temperature setback strategy coupled with geothermal energy supply can decarbonise heating and cooling by around half. As for overall building energy demand, temperature setback can make demand reduction by over a tenth while the geothermal energy can meet the demand by a minimum of a fifth

Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) Pulp Juice Production and Quality Evaluation via Proximate and Mineral Composition Analyses

Shea trees (Vitellaria paradoxa) are common in African countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Sudan, and others. When fully ripe, the Shea tree's green fruit turns yellow. The tree is well-known and valued for its versatility. Its entire composition is useful in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Among its applications is the production of butter from the nuts, while the rest of the fruit is left to rot or discarded. This study focuses on using other parts of the fruit to create a new product, reduce waste, and expand the Shea value chain. Three formulations of Shea fruit juice were created. The juice were evaluated for nutritional, physicochemical, and mineral compositions. The nutritional composition revealed a high moisture content that ranged from 84.39 to 93.01%, high carbohydrate and caloric values, ranging from 5.84 to 8.96% and 33.51 to 67.31%, respectively. It also had a high concentration of vitamin C (16.45 - 38.99 percent). The mineral composition was observed to increase as the Shea pulp percentage increased. Magnesium was observed to be higher in sample C (36.71±0.24) while sample A recorded a lower magnesium content (18.04±0.06). Calcium was also found to be present in high concentrations (30.07 - 50.64 %). The juice's potassium content ranged from 58.6 - 50.54% in sample C to 24.6 - 60.16% in sample A. The physicochemical analysis revealed a close range of p H values (5.37 - 6.06 %) between the samples and the control, making the juice less susceptible to spoilage. Overall, the results presented a high-quality juice that could compete favorably in the market with other fruit juices