Big Data Analytics and Electronic Resource Usage in Academic Libraries: A Case Study of a Private University in Kenya

The purpose of the study was to apply Big Data analytics as a tool for evaluating electronic resources usage in the academic library setup in Kenya with reference to the library of one private university. Log files of postgraduate students were mined from the server where the offsite access platform (ezproxy) has been installed. Descriptive statistical techniques such as mean, standard deviation and percentages were computed. Data was transferred to the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was aided in the analysis. Results revealed that in terms of usage intensity, total URL count was 2,352, the highest user made 283 downloads and the mean URL count was 49 downloads. Further findings revealed that no user utilized more than 5 databases over a period of one year. The mean usage intensity score for respondents who were trained or orientated on e-resource usage was above average at 69.0 while those who had not received training were below average at 29.8. It was concluded that big data analytics is a necessary and powerful tool for investigating electronic resources seeking and usage trends and patterns within Kenyan university libraries. Through big data analysis and data mining, usage patterns and trends such as usage intensity that might not have accurately been revealed through other tools are unearthed. Big data analytics has revealed user preferences and intensity of utilization of various databases and helped in detection of redundant databases. From the usage patterns, it was clear that the level of utilization of the University library’s e-resource platform was very low. Most of the databases accessible through the platform were redundant. Further, only two databases namely e-book central and ebscohost were the most popular among users while the rest were barely being utilized if at all. For most students, just one or two databases were sufficient in meeting their research needs. An integrated data analytics model for investigating university library’s e-resources usage is proposed

In vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Prunus africana (Hook. f.) Kalkman (bark extracts) and Harrisonia abyssinica Oliv. extracts (bark extracts): A comparative study

Background: Plants are new sources of antibacterial agents, hence the need to determine and evaluate the antibacterial properties, antioxidant activity and gas chromatography – mass spectrometer (GC-MS) profile of medicinal plants.   Methodology: In this study, sequential extraction of Prunus africana and Harrisonia abyssinica was used to obtain ethyl acetate and methanol extracts. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), whereas the total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were estimated using Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminium chloride, respectively. Antibacterial properties of the extracts against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coliand Candida albicans were estimated using the disc diffusion method and compared against streptomycin.   Results: Screening of crude methanolic extracts revealed the presence of secondary metabolites which was further confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) characterisation that revealed the presence of H-bonded OH functional groups. The extracts revealed that P. africana had a higher total phenolic and total flavonoid contents compared to H. abyssinica. Methanolic extracts of both plants had moderate activity against selected microorganisms and both inhibited DPPH radical scavenging activity. GC-MS analysis of P. africana and H. abyssinica extracts revealed the presence of several phytochemicals that have been reported to have medicinal uses. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents showed positive correlations with the DPPH radical scavenging activity and negative correlations with EC50.   Conclusion: Prunus africana and H. abyssinica extracts had moderate antimicrobial properties against the selected microorganisms because of the presence of secondary metabolites

Antioxidant activity and antimicrobial properties of <i>Entada leptostachya</i> and <i>Prosopis juliflora</i> extracts

Background: Natural phytoconstituents produced by plants for their sustenance have been reported to reduce disease. Objectives: This study determined the phytoconstituents, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of crude methanolic extracts of Entada leptostachya and Prosopis juliflora extracts. Methodology: Antioxidant activity was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and β-carotene assays; the total phenolic and flavonoid were estimated using Folin–Ciocalteau and aluminium chloride, whereas antimicrobial activity was determined using the zone of inhibition method. Results: Screening of the extracts revealed the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins and phenols. Fourier transform infrared spectra of the extracts revealed presence of hydrogen bonded –OH functional group. E. leptostachya barks had the highest antioxidant activity followed by P. juliflora roots, E. leptostachya roots and P. juliflora leaves [μg/mL]. Prosopis juliflora (roots) had the highest bleaching effect, whereas E. leptostachya (barks) had the lowest bleaching effect. The total flavonoids were determined to be 0.15 ± 0.02 mg/g, 1.18 ± 0.18 mg/g, 0.39 ± 0.05 mg/g and 0.64 ± 0.03 mg/g for E. leptostachya roots, E. leptostachya barks, P. juliflora leaves and P. juliflora roots extracts, respectively. The total phenols were determined to be 0.93 ± 0.18 mg/g, 2.69 ± 0.41 mg/g, 0.62 ± 0.08 mg/g and 0.62 ± 0.08 mg/g for E. leptostachya roots, E. leptostachya barks, P. juliflora roots and P. juliflora leaves extracts. All plant extracts exhibited moderate activity against the growth of selected microorganisms. Conclusion: Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the two plants was as a result of secondary metabolites found in the crude extracts

Emerging technologies for enhanced removal of residual antibiotics from source-separated urine and wastewaters : A review

Antibiotic residues are of significant concern in the ecosystem because of their capacity to mediate antibiotic resistance development among environmental microbes. This paper reviews recent technologies for the abatement of antibiotics from human urine and wastewaters. Antibiotics are widely distributed in the aquatic environment as a result of the discharge of municipal sewage. Their existence is a cause for worry due to the potential ecological impact (for instance, antibiotic resistance) on bacteria in the background. Numerous contaminants that enter wastewater treatment facilities and the aquatic environment, as a result, go undetected. Sludge can act as a medium for some chemicals to concentrate while being treated as wastewater. The most sewage sludge that has undergone treatment is spread on agricultural land without being properly checked for pollutants. The fate of antibiotic residues in soils is hence poorly understood. The idea of the Separation of urine at the source has recently been propagated as a measure to control the flow of pharmaceutical residues into centralized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). With the ever increasing acceptance of urine source separation practices, visibility and awareness on dedicated treatement technologies is needed. Human urine, as well as conventional WWTPs, are point sources of pharmaceutical micropollutants contributing to the ubiquitous detection of pharmaceutical residues in the receiving water bodies. Focused post-treatment of source-separated urine includes distillation and nitrification, ammonia stripping, and adsorption processes. Other reviewed methods include physical and biological treatment methods, advanced oxidation processes, and a host of combination treatment methods. All these are aimed at ensuring minimized risk products are returned to the environment.peerReviewe

Encapsulation of AgNPs in a Lignin Isocyanate Film: Characterization and Antimicrobial Properties

Lignin isolated from agricultural residues is a promising alternative for petroleum-based polymers as feedstocks in development of antimicrobial materials. A polymer blend based on silver nanoparticles and lignin–toluene diisocyanate film (AgNPs–Lg–TDIs) was generated from organosolv lignin and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Lignin was isolated from Parthenium hysterophorus using acidified methanol and used to synthesize lignin capped silver nanoparticles. Lignin–toluene diisocyanate film (Lg–TDI) was prepared by treating lignin (Lg) with toluene diisocyanate (TDI) followed by solvent casting to form films. Functional groups present and thermal properties of the films were evaluated using Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometry (FT–IR), thermal gravimetry (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–visible spectrophotometry (UV–Vis), and Powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD) were used to assess the morphology, optical properties, and crystallinity of the films. Embedding AgNPs in the Lg–TDI films increased the thermal stability and the residual ash during thermal analysis, and the presence of powder diffraction peaks at 2θ = 20, 38, 44, 55, and 58⁰ in the films correspond to lignin and silver crystal planes (111). SEM micrographs of the films revealed the presence of AgNPs in the TDI matrix with variable sizes of between 50 to 250 nm. The doped films had a UV radiation cut-off at 400 nm as compared to that of undoped films, but they did not exhibit significant antimicrobial activity against selected microorganisms

Occurrence of antibiotics and risk of antibiotic resistance evolution in selected Kenyan wastewaters, surface waters and sediments

Active pharmaceutical ingredients, especially antibiotics, are micropollutants whose continuous flow into hydrological cycles has the potential to mediate antibiotic resistance in the environment and cause toxicity to sensitive organisms. Here, we investigated the levels of selected antibiotics in four wastewater treatment plants and the receiving water bodies. The measured environmental concentrations were compared with the proposed compound-specific predicted no-effect concentration for resistance selection values. The concentration of doxycycline, amoxicillin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin within the influents, effluents, surface waters and river sediments ranged between 0.2 and 49.3 μgL−1, 0.1 to 21.4 μgL−1; ˂ 0.1 and 56.6 μgL−1; and 1.8 and 47.4 μgkg−1, respectively. Compared to the effluent concentrations, the surface waters upstream and downstream one of the four studied treatment plants showed two to five times higher concentrations of ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and sulfamethoxazole. The risk quotient for bacterial resistance selection in effluent and surface water ranged between ˂0.1 and 53, indicating a medium to high risk of antibiotic resistance developing within the study areas. Therefore, risk mitigation and prevention strategies are a matter of priority in the affected areas.peerReviewe

Contamination of Surface Water and River Sediments by Antibiotic and Antiretroviral Drug Cocktails in Low and Middle-Income Countries : Occurrence, Risk and Mitigation Strategies

Presence of antimicrobial cocktails in the hydrological cycles is of interest because of their potential to mediate antimicrobial resistance within the natural environment. In this study, we determined the concentrations of selected antibiotics and antiretroviral drugs (ARVDs) in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, effluent suspended particulate matter (SPM), surface waters and river sediments in Kenya in order to determine the extent of pollution within the sampled environment. Target analysis for the most common antibiotics and ARVDs was done. Sulfamethoxazole (SMX), ciprofloxacin (CIP), trimethoprim (TMP), norfloxacin (NOR), zidovidine (ZDV), lamivudine (3TC) and nevirapine (NVP) were analyzed using LC-ESI-MS/MS. Effluent aqueous phase had concentrations ranging between 1.2 µg L−1 to 956.4 µg L−1 while the effluent SPM showed higher concentrations, ranging between 2.19 mg Kg−1 and 82.26 mg Kg−1. This study shows emission of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from WWTP to the environment mainly occurs via the SPM phase, which is usually overlooked in environmental analyses. Concentrations in surface waters and river sediments ranged between 1.1 µg L−1 to 228 µg L−1 and 11 µg Kg−1 to 4125 µg Kg−1 respectively. ARVDs occurred at consistently higher concentrations than antibiotics in both the aqueous and solid samples. The wastewater treatment plants and lagoons where sludge degradation should occur, are sources of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) including transformational products, nutrients and organic matter that are released back to the aqueous phase.peerReviewe

Mass loading, distribution, and removal of antibiotics and antiretroviral drugs in selected wastewater treatment plants in Kenya

The discharge of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) into the aquatic environment from wastewater effluents is a concern in many countries. Although many studies have been conducted to evaluate the APIs removal efficiencies and emissions to the environment in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), most of these studies considered the aqueous and sludge phases, disregarding the suspended particulate matter (SPM) phase. To try to understand the role of the SPM, the occurrence of five most common antibiotics and three antiretroviral drugs (ARVDs) commonly used in Kenya were investigated in this study. APIs partitioning and mass loading in influents and effluents of three different WWTPs: trickling filters, stabilization ponds, and decentralized fecal sludge system, were evaluated. API concentration levels ranging from ˂LOQ (limit of quantification) to 92 μgL−1 and ˂LOQ to 82.2 mgkg−1 were observed in aqueous samples and solid samples respectively, with SPM accounting for most of the higher concentrations. The use of the aqueous phase alone for determination of removal efficiencies showed underestimations of API removal as compared to when solid phases are also considered. Negative removal efficiencies were observed, depending on the compound and the type of WWTP. The negative removals were associated with deconjugation of metabolites, aggregated accumulation of APIs in the WWTPs, as well as unaccounted hydraulic retention time during sampling. Compound characteristics, environmental factors, and WWTPs operation influenced WWTPs removal efficiencies. Wastewater stabilization ponds had the poorest removals efficiencies with an average of −322%. High total mass loads into the WWTPs influent and effluent of 22,729 and 22,385 mg day−1 1000 PE−1 were observed respectively. The results aims at aiding scientists and engineers in planning and designing of WWTPs. Findings also aim at aiding policy-making on pharmaceutical drug use and recommend proper wastewater management practices to manage the high mass loading observed in the WWTPs.peerReviewe

Environmental Remediation using Nanomaterial as adsorbents for Emerging Micropollutants

Water shortage and scarcity are issues of global concern. Water pollution caused by organic micropollutants further aggravates the problem, by rendering an already scarce resource unfit for human consumption. The existing conventional wastewater treatment methods and infrastructure were not designed to eliminate micropollutants. Therefore, their inefficiencies call for modern methods for removing emerging micropollutant residues such as Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs), personal care products and pesticides. The use of nanomaterials, for the abatement of micropollutants in water is gaining traction in recent years, due to the abundance of sustainable, cost-effective raw materials, especially plant extracts. Synthesis of nanoparticles and their application in removal of micropollutants in wastewater streams is addressed through this review.peerReviewe