Assessment of water quality for selected boreholes and sachets water in Maigatari Town, Jigawa State, Nigeria

Eight water samples were collected, four from different vendors of sachet water and four from different boreholes across Maigatari town. The samples were analyzed for pH using pH meter; Electrical Conductivity using a conductivity meter; while Turbidity of the water using turbidity meter. TDS and TSS using TDS meter. The electron microscope was used to determine the microbial counts. The results of the analysis revealed the range of values for the four (4) sachet and borehole waters respectively as pH (7 – 7.6) and (6 – 6.3); Conductivity (181 – 600) and (413 – 998) µS/m; Turbidity (0 – 2) and (1 – 2) NTU; Total Dissolve Solids (128 – 219) and (131 – 405) Mg/L; Total Suspended Solids (62 – 85) and (71 – 88) Mg/L; Total Solids (227 – 288) and (215 – 476) Mg/L; Microbes (0 – 1) and (0 – 3) cfu/mL; Total Hardness (41.5 – 111) and (50.1 – 123.3) Mg/L. The result also revealed strong positive correlation between pH and Conductivity (0.780); pH and TDS (0.875); pH and Microbes (1.046); turbidity and TS (0.906); Turbidity and Hardness (0.933); TS and Hardness (0.972) in sachet water. While Strong positive correlation existed between Conductivity and TDS (0.861); Conductivity and TSS (0.809); TDS and TSS (0.941) in borehole water. The water quality parameters analyzed were within the threshold of the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) with the exception of very few in one or the other samples. The parameters were significantly related to one another. It was however, recommended that the water vendors should improve the drinking water quality of their products and the officials of the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) should ensure strict adherence to regulations for drinking water quality.Keywords: Borehole, Sachet, Quality, Water, Turbidity, Conductivity, Total Dissolve Solid

Microwave assisted synthesis of novel bis-flavone dimers as new anticancer agents

In this study we describe a microwave based click chemistry method used to prepare a family of novel bis-flavone dimers. The substituted 7-hydroxy and 4’-hydroxy flavonoids were linked through a triazole ring. The compounds were easily synthesized and purified in high yields. The bis-flavonoids were tested on different cell lines including HCT116, HepG2, MCF7 and MOLT-4. Several analogues showed to have anticancer activity with IC50 values in the range of 20-60 µM. Flavonoids are known for their anticancer properties and this method provides the basis for new medicinal structures

Accuracy of a no-biopsy approach for the diagnosis of coeliac disease across different adult cohorts

Objective We aimed to determine the predictive capacity and diagnostic yield of a 10-fold increase in serum IgA antitissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibody levels for detecting small intestinal injury diagnostic of coeliac disease (CD) in adult patients. Design The study comprised three adult cohorts. Cohort 1: 740 patients assessed in the specialist CD clinic at a UK centre; cohort 2: 532 patients with low suspicion for CD referred for upper GI endoscopy at a UK centre; cohort 3: 145 patients with raised tTG titres from multiple international sites. Marsh 3 histology was used as a reference standard against which we determined the performance characteristics of an IgA tTG titre of ≥10×ULN for a diagnosis of CD. Results Cohort 1: the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for IgA tTG levels of ≥10×ULN at identifying individuals with Marsh 3 lesions were 54.0%, 90.0%, 98.7% and 12.5%, respectively. Cohort 2: the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for IgA tTG levels of ≥10×ULN at identifying individuals with Marsh 3 lesions were 50.0%, 100.0%, 100.0% and 98.3%, respectively. Cohort 3: the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for IgA tTG levels of ≥10×ULN at identifying individuals with Marsh 3 lesions were 30.0%, 83.0%, 95.2% and 9.5%, respectively. Conclusion Our results show that IgA tTG titres of ≥10×ULN have a strong predictive value at identifying adults with intestinal changes diagnostic of CD. This study supports the use of a no-biopsy approach for the diagnosis of adult CD

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease

Modelagem da capacidade de suporte de carga e quantificação dos efeitos das operações mecanizadas em um Latossolo Amarelo cultivado com cafeeiros Modelling the load support capacity and quantification of mechanized operation effects on a Yellow Latosol under coffee plantations

O Estado de Minas Gerais é o maior produtor de café do Brasil, com mais de 50 % da produção total, sendo grande parte da área cultivada originalmente ocupada por vegetação de cerrado. Essa região é destaque na cafeicultura em razão da alta tecnologia empregada na mecanização, que submete o solo ao tráfego de máquinas, tornando preocupante a possibilidade de disseminação da compactação do solo. Objetivou-se com este estudo: (a) propor modelos de capacidade de suporte de carga de um Latossolo Amarelo distrófico típico (LAd) cultivado com cafeeiro em função da pressão de preconsolidação e da umidade, (b) determinar, com o uso destes modelos, em três profundidades e em duas épocas de amostragem, a influência das operações de manejo na estrutura do Latossolo Amarelo nas estações: seca e chuvosa. As amostragens foram realizadas em três camadas (0-3, 10-13 e 25-28 cm), sendo 30 amostras coletadas no local onde não houve tráfego e 10 amostras na linha de tráfego para cada equipamento, coletadas nos meses de agosto de 2002 e março de 2003 para quantificar seu efeito na estrutura do solo nas duas épocas: seca e chuvosa, respectivamente. As amostras indeformadas foram utilizadas nos ensaios de compressão uniaxial. Foram determinados também granulometria, matéria orgânica, densidade de partículas, limite de contração e limite de plasticidade do solo. O modelo de capacidade de suporte de carga do LAd é expresso pela equação sigmap = 10(2,72-1,17U), em que sigmap significa a pressão de preconsolidação e U a umidade. Os efeitos das operações mecanizadas na lavoura cafeeira foram quantificados com o modelo de capacidade de suporte de carga e com o seu uso foi possível quantificar a influência das operações de manejo na estrutura do Latossolo Amarelo distrófico típico.<br>Minas Gerais state is the largest coffee producer in Brazil. The state contributes with over 50 % of the total production, which is for the most part cultivated in the Cerrado region. This region is outstanding in coffee production due to the advanced technology in mechanization. Consequently, the machine traffic that the soils are subjected to causes concern because of the possibility of widespread soil compaction. Our objectives were (a) to propose load support capacity models to a typical dystrophic Yellow Latosol (LAd) cultivated with coffee as a function of preconsolidation pressure and moisture content; (b) to determine, through the use of this model, the influence of soil management operations on the soil structure at three depths, in the dry and rainy seasons. Soil samples were taken from three depths (0 to 3, 10 to 13 and 25 to 28 cm); thirty samples were collected where there was no traffic and ten samples collected in the traffic line of each equipment, in August 2002 and March 2003, respectively, to quantify its effects on the soil structure in the rainy and in the dry seasons. The undisturbed soil samples were used in the uniaxial compression test. Texture, organic matter, particle density, shrinkage limit, and plasticity limit were also determined. The load support capacity model of the LAd is a function of the preconsolidation pressure and moisture content and is expressed by the equation sigmap = 10(2.72-1.17U) where sigmap means preconsolidation pressure and U means humidity. The effects of the mechanized operations in the coffee plantation were quantified by the load support capacity model and through its use it was possible to quantify the influence of the management operations in the Yellow Latosol structure