Determinants of Volume of POME Generation in Palm Oil Mills for Planning Wastewater Recovery in Biogas Energy Development

Wastewater volume is a necessary prerequisite for planning transformation to valuable resource and averting environmental degradation. This study investigated the dynamics of POME volume generation in palm oil mills in relation to types of fresh fruit bunches (FFBs), seasons, milling scales and volume of crude palm oil (CPO) produced in ADAPALMS and catchment communities, Ohaji/Egbema LGA, Imo State. The eight catchment communities of ADAPALMS were categorised into three strata in relation to the number of small-scale mills in each community (1-5mills, 6-10mills, and 11-15mills). In each stratum, a community was randomly sampled. A total of nine small-scale mills were sampled from the three sampled communities (Ohoba, Amafor and Etekwuru) in proportion to the average number of mills in each stratum. The lone medium and large scale mill (ADAPLAMS) in the study area represented the other scales of milling. For small and medium scale mills, the volume of POME generated was measured from the dimensions of the vessels where POME was stored, while that of large scale mill was obtained from industrial records. Data was analysed using multiple linear regression of SPSS. The volume of POME generated is significantly related to milling scales and volume of CPO produced (p< 0.01); R2=0.788. Within small scale mills, the volume of POME is significantly related to types of FFBs (p< 0.01), different small milling scales (p< 0.05), and volume of CPO produced (p< 0.01); R2=0.762. Thus, these independent variables are the principal determinants of POME volume generation in the area. The result has implication on the necessity of predictive models in managing the dynamics of POME volumes for efficient recovery and transformation of the wastewater to bioenergy

Enhancing The Learning Environment Of Nursing Students Through Interprofessional Collaboration

The AACN position statement (1999) supports interprofessional collaboration. The development of innovative collaborative teaching methods within education may enhance the learning environment of students. Educational institutions utilize student evaluations as a method of listening to the voices of students, but research related to their use is limited. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of interprofessional collaboration on nursing students’ perceptions of the online learning environment. An innovative collaborative teaching methodology was developed using a variety of disciplines, including physicians, pharmacists, chiropractic physicians, and nurses. Quantitative data analyses indicated a significant increase in student satisfaction with the online course as well as the online environment p < 0.05 following the establishment of the collaborative teaching methodology. Qualitative analysis illustrated enhanced satisfaction among students following the institution of interprofessional collaboration. Findings that view the learning environment through the lens of students’ eyes have many implications, including increased student and faculty satisfaction with the teaching/learning experience and enhanced collaboration among healthcare professionals. In addition, results may impact the curriculum by identifying a multidisciplinary approach to nursing education as an important resource. If we believe that students have a right to be active participants in their educational experiences, then we must give voice to their values, choices, concerns, and requests. A collaborative teaching methodology is one way to ensure that students’ voices are heard and acted upon, and it was found to be an innovative solution in meeting enrollment demands and healthcare needs. Collaborative relationships within nursing practice and nursing education are essential in the preparation of future nurses.

Symbiosis in the microbial world: from ecology to genome evolution

© 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd. The concept of symbiosis – defined in 1879 by de Bary as ‘the living together of unlike organisms’ – has a rich and convoluted history in biology. In part, because it questioned the concept of the individual, symbiosis fell largely outside mainstream science and has traditionally received less attention than other research disciplines. This is gradually changing. In nature organisms do not live in isolation but rather interact with, and are impacted by, diverse beings throughout their life histories. Symbiosis is now recognized as a central driver of evolution across the entire tree of life, including, for example, bacterial endosymbionts that provide insects with vital nutrients and the mitochondria that power our own cells. Symbioses between microbes and their multicellular hosts also underpin the ecological success of some of the most productive ecosystems on the planet, including hydrothermal vents and coral reefs. In November 2017, scientists working in fields spanning the life sciences came together at a Company of Biologists’ workshop to discuss the origin, maintenance, and long-term implications of symbiosis from the complementary perspectives of cell biology, ecology, evolution and genomics, taking into account both model and non-model organisms. Here, we provide a brief synthesis of the fruitful discussions that transpired

High functional diversity in deep-sea fish communities and increasing intraspecific trait variation with increasing latitude

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Addendum of 2MW Wind Turbine to A Power with Directly-Driven Permanent Magnet Generation System

In recent years, wind turbine has become an acceptable alternative energy generation, because of the environmental and economic benefits. Notwithstanding more research works still need to be done to reduce wind turbine installation complexity, enhance profitability and reliability especially in developing countries like Nigeria. This paper presents the modeling and analysis of a 2MW variable-speed directly-driven permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), Wind energy conversion system (WECS). The objective is to optimize the power captured from the wind, ensure optimum efficiency for power generation and reduce system hardware count. The mathematical model for the permanent magnet synchronous wind turbine and its power control algorithms are modified by removing the speed sensors. Further, enhancement was achieved by utilizing wind speed forecasts as the starting speed. A modified Field Orientation Control FOC and voltage orientation control VOC scheme were developed for the system using matlab Simulink CAD application. The Simulation results of the model for various changes in wind speed utilizing average wind speed data of Mmaku in Awgu local government area of Enugu state Nigeria. The developed system ability to ‘smoothen’ the power, voltage output and operates at the optimum coefficient of performance between the cut in speed of 3m/s and 12m/s without wind sensor is found to be promising, Key words: wind turbine, variable-speed, permanent magnet, synchronous generator, efficiency DOI: 10.7176/JETP/9-3-04 Publication date:March 31st 201

Chlamydial contribution to anaerobic metabolism during eukaryotic evolution

The origin of eukaryotes is a major open question in evolutionary biology. Multiple hypotheses posit that eukaryotes likely evolved from a syntrophic relationship between an archaeon and an alphaproteobacterium based on H-2 exchange. However, there are no strong indications that modern eukaryotic H-2 metabolism originated from archaea or alphaproteobacteria. Here, we present evidence for the origin of H-2 metabolism genes in eukaryotes from an ancestor of the Anoxychlamydiales-a group of anaerobic chlamydiae, newly described here, from marine sediments. Among Chlamydiae, these bacteria uniquely encode genes for H-2 metabolism and other anaerobiosis-associated pathways. Phylogenetic analyses of several components of H-2 metabolism reveal that Anoxychlamydiales homologs are the closest relatives to eukaryotic sequences. We propose that an ancestor of the Anoxychlamydiales contributed these key genes during the evolution of eukaryotes, supporting a mosaic evolutionary origin of eukaryotic metabolism

Asgard archaea capable of anaerobic hydrocarbon cycling

Large reservoirs of natural gas in the oceanic subsurface sustain complex communities of anaerobic microbes, including archaeal lineages with potential to mediate oxidation of hydrocarbons such as methane and butane. Here we describe a previously unknown archaeal phylum, Helarchaeota, belonging to the Asgard superphylum and with the potential for hydrocarbon oxidation. We reconstruct Helarchaeota genomes from metagenomic data derived from hydrothermal deep-sea sediments in the hydrocarbon-rich Guaymas Basin. The genomes encode methyl-CoM reductase-like enzymes that are similar to those found in butane-oxidizing archaea, as well as several enzymes potentially involved in alkyl-CoA oxidation and the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. We suggest that members of the Helarchaeota have the potential to activate and subsequently anaerobically oxidize hydrothermally generated short-chain hydrocarbons

Plasmodium APC3 mediates chromosome condensation and cytokinesis during atypical mitosis in male gametogenesis

The anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) is a highly conserved multi-subunit E3 ubiquitin ligase that controls mitotic division in eukaryotic cells by tagging cell cycle regulators for proteolysis. APC3 is a key component that contributes to APC/C function. Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, undergoes atypical mitotic division during its life cycle. Only a small subset of APC/C components has been identified in Plasmodium and their involvement in atypical cell division is not well understood. Here, using reverse genetics we examined the localisation and function of APC3 in Plasmodium berghei. APC3 was observed as a single focus that co-localised with the centriolar plaque during asexual cell division in schizonts, whereas it appeared as multiple foci in male gametocytes. Functional studies using gene disruption and conditional knockdown revealed essential roles of APC3 during these mitotic stages with loss resulting in a lack of chromosome condensation, abnormal cytokinesis and absence of microgamete formation. Overall, our data suggest that Plasmodium utilises unique cell cycle machinery to coordinate various processes during ndomitosis, and this warrants further investigation in future studies