Adsorption of Dyes Using Different Types of Sand: A Review

The threat posed by increasing amount of dyes on daily basis, especially on our ecosystem, has brought a serious search for more efficient low-cost adsorbents. Sand is mixed with cement and water to make concrete, used in the manufacture of brick, glass and other materials, and it can also be used as a medium for the filtration of water. Sand, which is ubiquitous, has been used as an adsorbent because of its enormous availability in the local environment. This review reveals that further research must be conducted to bring to the fore the expansive laboratory, industrial and environmental usage of sand materials as dye adsorbents. Consequently, the usage of different types of sand in the field of adsorption science represents a viable and powerful tool, resulting into the superior improvement in pollution control and environmental preservation.KEYWORDS Adsorption, dyes, low-cost adsorbents, sand

Isolation, characterization and antimicrobial study of lupeol acetate from the root bark of Fig-Mulberry Sycamore (Ficus sycomorus LINN)

The phytochemical investigation of n-butanolic extract from the root bark of Ficus sycomorus using microwave-assisted extraction revealed the presence of steroids, triterpenes, flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins. Detailed chromatographic techniques on the extract led to the isolation of a triterpenoid compound for the first time from the part of the plant, which was identified as lupeol acetate by chemical and spectroscopic studies. Antimicrobial activity study of the isolated compound on some selected microorganisms showed that the compound is a potential source of antibiotic agents.Keywords: Antimicrobial, Ficus sycomorus, lupeol acetate, root bar

Phytochemical and antimicrobial studies on the leaves and stem ofDesmodium scorpiurus Der (sw)

Phytochemical studies on the aerial parts of Desmodium scorpiurus Der (sw) revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, glycosides, steroids and carbohydrates. The petroleum spirit, chloroform and methanol extracts were screened for antimicrobial activity using clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pyrogenes and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The results showed that the plant is very active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pyrogenes with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 x 102 mg/ml

Phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial screening of crude extracts from the leaves, stem bark and root bark of Ekebergia senegalensis A. Juss

The leaves, stem bark and root bark of Ekebergia senegalensis, which has some traditional medicinal applications were investigated. Phytochemical analysis gave positive results for carbohydrates, glycosides, saponins, tannins and alkaloids. The crude methanol extracts showed growth inhibitory effects on Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of these extracts on the bacteriais 0.125 x 103 mg/ml for the methanol extracts. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) determination showed that a concentration of 0.03125 x 103 mg/ml of the methanol extract of the leaves could completely kill S. typhi. The petroleum spirit extract did not show marked antimicrobial activity

Effects of nitrogen levels and harvest interval on the growth and yield of Moringa (Moringa Oleifera Lam) in Sudan Savanna of Nigeria

Field experiment was conducted under irrigation at Bayero University Kano, during 2011/2012 dry season to investigate the effects of different nitrogen levels and harvest interval on growth and leaf yield of Moringa  (Moringa oleifera (Lam)). The treatments consisted of four levels of nitrogen (0, 50, 100 and 150kg N ha-1) and three times of harvest interval (2, 3, and 4 weeks). These were arranged in a split plot design with the nitrogen levels allocated to the main plots while the harvest interval allocated to the sub plots and replicated four times. The data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the general linear model of GenStat and significant different means were separated using DMRT. The result shows that applications of nitrogen significantly increased plant height, number of leaflets per plant, plant stem diameter, number of  branches per plant, fresh and dry weights per plant. Generally, 150kg N ha-1 level gave highest values for all  the growth and yield characters assessed. The highest fresh and dry total leaf yields were also obtained with  150kg N ha-1 level. Increase in harvest interval significantly increased fresh and dry leaf yields of Moringa with  the highest yields obtained from 4 weeks harvest interval. Nitrogen and harvest interval interaction was found  to be significant on fresh and dry leaf yields of Moringa, which indicated that high yields were supported by  150kg N ha-1 at 4 weeks harvest interval.Keywords: Moringa, harvest interval, Nitrogen level, yiel

Social, economic and psychological burdens of sickle cell disease care among households of sufferers in a tertiary health facility in North Western Nigeria

The study assessed the social, economic and psychological burden of sickle cell disease (SCD) care among households of SCD patients attending sickle cell outpatient clinic in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria. Methods: It was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted among 205 caregivers of SCD outpatients selected through systematic sampling. Data was collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, and analyzed using the IBM SPSS version 20.0 Results: The mean age of the SCD patients was 12.7±9.0 years and their mean duration since diagnosis was 10.9±8.7 years. In the last 12 months, 92 (44.9%) patients had been admitted at least once due to complications of SCD, 72 (35.1%) had been transfused with blood and 150 (73.1%) had experienced painful crises. Caring for SCD patients frequently reduces the amount of care that other household members were receiving 95 (46.3%), patient's illness frequently caused disagreement or quarrel among household members 150 (73.2%), and households experienced stigmatization by community members 33 (16.1%). Ninety-six (71.2%) of the households were experiencing catastrophic expenditure from providing medical care for the SCD patient. Conclusion: Households of SCD patients were experiencing various forms of psychological, social and economic burden. It is recommended that locally applicable methods of psychological, social and economic support be included in the routine care of SCD patients and their families

Effect of imazapyr treated maize on Striga infestation and time of intercropping cowpea in Samaru, Nigeria

Two field experiments were conducted at the research farm of Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Samaru, Zaria during the 2011 cropping season, with the aim of determining the effect of imazapyr treated maize on Striga infestation and time of intercropping cowpea in Samaru, northern guinea savannah of Nigeria. There were two sets of experiments: the first experiment consisted of Six (6) hybrids (AS1128-1, AS1128-2, AS1128-3, AS1128-4, AS1128-6 and AS1128-8) of imazapyr resistant (IR) maize seeds treated with imazapyr chemical and intercropped with cowpea at 2, 4 and 6 weeks after sowing (WAS) of maize. The second experiment consisted of the same Six (6) hybrids of IR maize seeds but untreated and also intercropped with cowpea at 2, 4 and 6 WAS of maize. The experiments were laid out in a split plot design with time of intercropping cowpea as main plot and hybrid maize varieties as sub plot, and replicated three times. The cowpea variety used for the trial was IT97K-499-35. Among the treated IR-maize hybrids, only AS1128-1, AS1128-2, AS1128-3 and AS1128-4 germinated while for the untreated, all the six hybrids germinated. The grain yields per hectare of all the treated maize hybrids did not significantly differed whereas grain yields per hectare of the untreated maize hybrids AS1128-1, AS1128-2, AS1128-3 and AS1128-4 were significantly higher than the hybrid AS1128-8. The treated IR  maize hybrids exerted 100% control of Striga while the untreated supported Striga emergence. There was no visible damage symptoms observed on the cowpea intercropped with treated maize at all times of intercropping. It is therefore concluded that the IR-maize hybrids ASII28-1, ASII28-2, ASII28-3 and ASII28-4 should be used in the treated forms for the control of Striga. Moreover, the intercropping of cowpea with imazapyr treated maize can be carried out starting from 2 WAS of maize.Key words: Intercropping, imazapyr resistant maize (IR-maize), cowpea, Striga

Effect of earthworm inoculation on the bioremediation of used engine oil contaminated soil

The effect of earthworm (Eudrilus eugeniae) on the bioremediation of used engine oil contaminated soil, amended with poultry manure, was investigated. Investigation into the effect of initial concentration of used engine oil, in soil, for earthworm inoculated samples showed that the biodegradation rate of used engine oil contaminant increased with increasing initial concentration of used engine oil. For initial used engine oil concentration of 5, 10, 15 and 20 g/kg soil, the drop in total petroleum hydrocarbon was found to be -16.91, 20.82, 34.68 and 36.28% respectively after 42 days of treatment. Investigation into the effect of earthworm concentration showed that the use of earthworms did not result in catalysis of the bioremediation process as the extent of biodegradation for the sample without earthworm was found to be higher than those of all concentrations of earthworm considered (5 - 20 worms/kg soil). However, the rate of bioremediation was found to increase with increase in earthworm concentration (as earthworm concentration was increased from 5 to 20 worms per kg of used engine oil contaminated soil). Similarly when the rate of bioremediation in the without-earthworm but manually tilled and the without-earthworm and untilled samples where compared with samples inoculated with earthworm for bioremediation, both samples without worms recorded higher bioremediation rates.Keywords: Concentration, Time, Total petroleum hydrocarbon, vermicomposting, Eudrilus eugenia

Competency-based Learning: The effectiveness of targeted resident education and clinical auditing feedback on completed death certificate accuracy rates

Background: Death certification is an integral part of physician practice, yet common errors are being encountered from this vital source of health information. Most medical training programs lack formal curricula for this important skill. Accurate information from DC will help in improve our mortality data which can be use public health purposesObjectives: This study evaluated the effect of a multifaceted educational intervention on accuracy of completing death certification in a tertiary-based paediatric residency programMethod: A pre-post intervention and control cohort study over 12- month period to assess the effect of our multifaceted intervention accuracy rate of completed DC was conducted. The intervention consisted of a 3-part program (distribution of educational material, presentation by a skilled instructor, skills workshop, and clinical mortality/auditing feedback sessions). Primary outcome was the difference in scores preand post-intervention and also the rate of accuracy on the MAHI death certificate scoring system.Results: The mean score before the intervention was 6.8±2.7 and 7.1±2.3 in both the intervention and control cohorts respectively. The mean score after the intervention was 16.3±2.5 and 7.3±2.8 in both the intervention and control cohorts respectively indicating an increase in scores. The mean difference in pre- and post-tutorial scores was significant (t=20.39, p=0.0001).Conclusions: We found that using a multifaceted educational intervention to train junior physicians on how to correctly complete a DC was effective in a residency-based pediatric programKeywords: Death certificate, medical education, multifaceted training, heath information, Nigeria