Viscometric Studies on the Biodegradation of Some Vegetable Oils using Aspergillus Niger

The continual utilization of vegetable oils in homes, restaurants, hotels and cosmetic industries require their preservation against microorganisms. Aerobic biodegradation of four different seed oils were carried out using Aspergillus niger in order to determined their susceptibility to these common microbes in a temperate climate. The intrinsic viscosities of the inoculated oils, incubated at temperature of 35oC, were determined from the relative viscosities measured at intervals of seven days for six weeks. The viscosities of the un-inoculated oils were determined and used as control. A gradual increase in the viscosities with increase in the time of incubation was observed. This was ascribed to the possible growth of the microbes as they consume the smaller molecules formed during the break down of the oil. A remarkable change in the colour of the oils sample was noticed. This was then attributed to break down of compounds responsible for colours in these oils. The maximum viscosity values were obtained on the twenty eight day of incubation beyond which a decline was observed.  This was credited to the formation of secondary metabolites. The Fourier Transform- Infra Red spectrogram and the pH supported the secretion of enzymes and subsequent conversion of oil to secondary metabolites by the Aspergillus niger.  Absorption peaks at 2923.04-2930.09cm-1 and 3359.14-3429.69 cm-1 were due to hydroxyl and carboxyl groups in the biodegraded compounds. Edible oils with high free fatty acid value would therefore, biodegrade easily if contaminated by common fungi such as Aspergillusniger at temperature of 35oC.  The consumption of edible oil without frying commonly practiced in Nigeria may have been the source of diseases such as diarrhea, flu, vomiting, etc. It is recommended that edible Oils such as Palm, Ground nut, Cotton seed oil should be stored at temperature below 30oC and properly covered to prevent any contact with fungi. Keywords: Oil, Biodegradation, Aspergillus niger, Viscosit

Review of Groundwater Potentials and Groundwater Hydrochemistry of Semi-arid Hadejia-Yobe Basin, North-eastern Nigeria

Understanding the hydrochemical and hydrogeological physiognomies ofsubsurface water in a semi-arid region is important for the effective management of water resources. This paper presents a thorough review of thehydrogeology and hydrochemistry of the Hadejia-Yobe basin. The hydrochemical and hydrogeological configurations as reviewed indicated that the Chad Formation is the prolific aquifer in the basin. Boreholes piercing theGundumi formation have a depth ranging from 20-85 meters. The hydrochemical composition of groundwater revealed water of excellent quality,as all the studied parameters were found to have concentrations withinWHO and Nigeria’s standard for drinking water quality. However, furtherstudies are required for further evaluation of water quality index, heavy metal pollution index, and irrigation water quality. Also, geochemical, andstable isotope analysis is required for understanding the provenance of salinity and hydrogeochemical controls on groundwater in the basin

Examination of Surface Water Along River-Rima Floodplain in Wamakko, Sokoto State, Nigeria

This study examined the hydrochemistry of surface water along the River-Rima floodplain area. Five sampling locations were purposively selected, and, in each point, three samples were taken from surface water (river).The sampling was repeated after 20 days. Thus, a total of 30 samples werecollected. Water samples obtained were subjected to laboratory tests. Results revealed that BOD, TDS, Mg2+, and Fe3+ are above the World HealthOrganization (WHO) and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) reference guidelines for drinking water quality. Isolates detected from the coliform bacteriological analysis include Enterobacter aerogene, Escherichiacoli, and Citrobacter freundii with most of the samples showing coliform bacteria growth above the SON standard for drinking water. Hence, the water in the River-Rima floodplain of the Wamakko area is of low quality and unsafe for drinking. Results of principal component analysis (PCA)revealed external influences such as pollutant wash off and rock weatheringas controls on hydrochemistry of surface water. There is some indication of anthropogenic inputs (Cl- , NO3- , and PO4 2-) based on hierarchical cluster analysis. Elements including Cl-, NO3-, and PO42- are increasingly added into surface water from human activities, mainly agriculture, and municipal sewage

Evaluation of Oxidant and Antioxidant Systems in Drought Response of Cowpea Varieties

Plant in their natural environment are exposed to several stresses such as the drought that affect their growth and productivity. Exposure of plant to drought leads to oxidative stresses as a result of increase in ROS, however plant counteract this effect by its antioxidant system. H2O2, malondialdehyde, membrane stability index, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activities where evaluated in leaves of two cowpea varieties drought tolerant (Dan’ila) and drought susceptible (TVU 7778) during 2 weeks water deficit and 5days recovery. The result indicates significant increase in the H2O2, MDA, CAT and APX activities in both varieties during the stress period and significant decrease during recovery in drought tolerant variety compared to the drought susceptible variety. The membrane stability index decreases significantly during stress period in both varieties. Drought tolerant variety has the higher ability to counteract oxidant activity during the drought stress and recover faster than the drought susceptible variety. Keywords: Drought, antioxidant, cowpea DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/12-8-03 Publication date: April 30th 202

Iron Overload in Chronic Kidney Disease: Less Ferritin, More T2MRI.

To date, there is no consensus on the most reliable marker of iron status in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Serum ferritin is used routinely, although it may be a misleading marker for iron overload. The success of T2 MRI in monitoring iron overload in patients with hemoglobinopathies can be beneficial to monitoring patients with CKD

Using artificial intelligence to improve body iron quantification: A scoping review

This scoping review explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing the screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of disorders related to body iron levels. A systematic search was performed to identify studies that utilize machine learning in iron-related disorders. The search revealed a wide range of machine learning algorithms used by different studies. Notably, most studies used a single data type. The studies varied in terms of sample sizes, participant ages, and geographical locations. AI's role in quantifying iron concentration is still in its early stages, yet its potential is significant. The question is whether AI-based diagnostic biomarkers can offer innovative approaches for screening, diagnosing, and monitoring of iron overload and anemia.Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library.Scopu

Global, regional, and national burden of tuberculosis, 1990–2016: results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2016 Study

Background Although a preventable and treatable disease, tuberculosis causes more than a million deaths each year. As countries work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target to end the tuberculosis epidemic by 2030, robust assessments of the levels and trends of the burden of tuberculosis are crucial to inform policy and programme decision making. We assessed the levels and trends in the fatal and non-fatal burden of tuberculosis by drug resistance and HIV status for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2016. Methods We analysed 15 943 site-years of vital registration data, 1710 site-years of verbal autopsy data, 764 site-years of sample-based vital registration data, and 361 site-years of mortality surveillance data to estimate mortality due to tuberculosis using the Cause of Death Ensemble model. We analysed all available data sources, including annual case notifications, prevalence surveys, population-based tuberculin surveys, and estimated tuberculosis cause-specific mortality to generate internally consistent estimates of incidence, prevalence, and mortality using DisMod-MR 2.1, a Bayesian meta-regression tool. We assessed how the burden of tuberculosis differed from the burden predicted by the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, average years of schooling, and total fertility rate. Findings Globally in 2016, among HIV-negative individuals, the number of incident cases of tuberculosis was 9·02 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 8·05–10·16) and the number of tuberculosis deaths was 1·21 million (1·16–1·27). Among HIV-positive individuals, the number of incident cases was 1·40 million (1·01–1·89) and the number of tuberculosis deaths was 0·24 million (0·16–0·31). Globally, among HIV-negative individuals the age-standardised incidence of tuberculosis decreased annually at a slower rate (–1·3% [–1·5 to −1·2]) than mortality did (–4·5% [–5·0 to −4·1]) from 2006 to 2016. Among HIV-positive individuals during the same period, the rate of change in annualised age-standardised incidence was −4·0% (–4·5 to −3·7) and mortality was −8·9% (–9·5 to −8·4). Several regions had higher rates of age-standardised incidence and mortality than expected on the basis of their SDI levels in 2016. For drug-susceptible tuberculosis, the highest observed-to-expected ratios were in southern sub-Saharan Africa (13·7 for incidence and 14·9 for mortality), and the lowest ratios were in high-income North America (0·4 for incidence) and Oceania (0·3 for mortality). For multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, eastern Europe had the highest observed-to-expected ratios (67·3 for incidence and 73·0 for mortality), and high-income North America had the lowest ratios (0·4 for incidence and 0·5 for mortality). Interpretation If current trends in tuberculosis incidence continue, few countries are likely to meet the SDG target to end the tuberculosis epidemic by 2030. Progress needs to be accelerated by improving the quality of and access to tuberculosis diagnosis and care, by developing new tools, scaling up interventions to prevent risk factors for tuberculosis, and integrating control programmes for tuberculosis and HIV