Isolation and Characterization of Steroids from Petroleum Ether Extract of Stem Bark of Parinari curatellifolia Planch ex. Benth (Chrysobalanaceae)

In our search for biologically active compounds, three steroids have been isolated from the stem bark of Parinari curatellifolia through series of column chromatography. Compound C1, C2 and C3 where characterized as ?-sitosterol (22,23-dihydrostigmasterol), stigmast-4-en-3-one and stigmasterol, respectively, on the basis of 1D-NMR (1HNMR, 13CNMR and DEPT-135), 2D-NMR (HSQC, HMBC, 1H-1H COSY,  1H-1H NOESY), mass spectroscopy (MS) and IR spectroscopy. These compounds are reported for the first time as constituents in Parinari curatellifolia. Keywords: Parinari curatellifolia, ?-sitosterol, stigmast-4-en-3-one and stigmastero

Treatment of brewery wastewater using electro-Fenton and granulated activated carbon

Improvement of electro-Fenton (EF) process with granulated activated carbon (GAC) for the treatment of brewery effluent obtained from Ota, South-West Nigeria was investigated. The GAC was obtained by crushing, carbonising, sieving, and activating cow bones. Duplicate samples of the raw effluent and 10 treated brewery effluent samples were analysed for conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), copper, manganese, cadmium, lead, and zinc. The average readings were taken as final values. Results showed that the combined use of EF and GAC treatment of the effluent yielded better result than use of EF alone. The removal efficiency was 1181, 50, 565, 4375, 160, and 840% for turbidity, COD, copper, cadmium, lead, and zinc respectively. EF and GAC treatment were, however, found to be inefficient for the treatment of conductivity, TDS, and manganese. It was also found that pH had a direct impact on the treatment media. Turbidity and cadmium, which had the highest removal rates were achieved at pH 2, while COD, copper, and zinc had optimum treatment at pH 6. It was concluded that the combined advantage of electrolytic separation from EF and adsorption from GAC yielded better treatment result for the brewery effluent samples

Bacteriological pollution indicators in Ogun River flowing through Abeokuta Metropolis

Water resources are significant part of integrated community development policy and good health. Hence, the need to reduce the impact of natural and anthropogenic pollution causes so as to enhance water quality. The bacteriological quality of the Ogun River was investigated to determine the sanitary conditions of the water body between March and August, 2014. Total heterotrophic bacteria counts (THBC), total coliform counts (TCC) and total Escherichia coli counts (TEC) using standard plate count and Most Probable Number (MPN) techniques were determined. The isolates were identified using 16SrRNA gene. Total heterotrophic bacteria counts varied between 1.13 × 106 and 4.1 × 107 CFU/ml, TCC ranged between 2.5 × 105 and 2.33× 107 CFU/ml and TEC was between 5 × 104 and 1.3 × 106 CFU/ml. Most Probable Number of coliforms in all samples varied between 120 and 1600 MPN/100 ml. Isolated microorganisms include Escherichia coli strain SUS9EC, Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain SSI7, Escherichia coli strain BW25113, Escherichia coli strain C-X1B, and Klebsiella oxytoca strain KU-5. One-wayanalysis of variance showed significant difference within the samples at (P<0.05).The results revealed high bacteria counts which is higher than the recommended value of 1.2 × 102 for THBC, a zero E. coli count and not more than 10 coliforms per 100 ml by World Health Organization standards for drinking water.Keywords: Water, bacteria, Escherichia coli, pollutio

Prevalence and associated risk factors of urinary schistosomiasis among primary school pupils in the Jidawa and Zobiya communities of Jigawa State, Nigeria

Background: Urogenital schistosomiasis (UgS) is a parasitic disease caused by Schistosoma haematobium and can lead to chronic ill-health. Nigeria is endemic for schistosomiasis, but epidemiology of UgS has not been studied in most states. This study was conceived with the aim to contribute towards an accurate national picture of UgS in Nigeria. The prevalence of UgS and the associated risk factors were for the first time investigated among primary school pupils in Jidawa and Zobiya communities of the Dutse Local Government Area (LGAs) of Jigawa State, Nigeria. Method: Focus group discussions with teachers and parents were conducted. After obtaining written consent from parents, questionnaires were administered to pupils to obtain socio-demographic data and information on water contact activities. Urine samples (279) were collected and processed by the urine filtration technique to evaluate haematuria and the presence of S. haematobium eggs. Results: Prevalences of 65.7% (90/137) and 69.0% (98/142) were recorded in the Jidawa and Zobiya communities, respectively. In both communities, there was a significant association between gender and UgS: 63.3% of the infected pupils were males as compared to 36.7% females (χ2 = 5.42, p = 0.020). Grade 5 students had a significantly higher prevalence (χ2 = 17.919, p = 0.001) (80.0%) compared to those in grades 2, 3, 4, and 6 (63.8%, 66.7%, 61.5%, and 64.6%, respectively). Water contact activities showed that pupils involved in fishing, irrigation, and swimming were at greater risk of becoming infected in Jidawa and Zobiya, with odds ratios (risk factors) of 5.4 (0.994–28.862) and 4.1 (1.709–9.862), respectively (p = 0.05). Conclusion: Both the Jidawa and Zobiya communities of the Dutse LGAs of Jigawa State are hyperendemic for UgS. In collaboration with the State Ministry of Health, mass administration of praziquantel was carried out in the Jidawa and Zobiya communities after this study

EFFECT OF CHRONIC ADMINISTRATION OF LEAD (Pb) ON SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR OF MALE ALBINO RATS

ABSTRAC

Distribution and abundance of freshwater snails in Warwade Dam, Dutse, Northern Nigeria

Preliminary investigation in August, 2017 reported the presence of Lymnaea natalensis, Bellamya unicolor, Melanoides tuberculata and Bulinus globosus in order of increasing abundance and distribution in Warwade dam, Dutse, Jigawa State, Nigeria. A follow up study was carried out from April to October, 2019 to reveal further details on the abundance and distribution of freshwater snails in relation to some physiochemical factors of the dam. Four sampling sites; human activity, vegetation cover, lentic and lotic were selected for the study along the bank of the dam. Freshwater snails were collected using long handled scoop net with mesh 0.2mm complemented by hand picking methods in the four sampling sites. Water samples from the sampling sites were analyzed in the laboratory using standard procedures. A total of 2,027 of freshwater snails belonging to ten species were identified. Bulinus globosus 12(0.6%) and Lymnaea natalensis 12(0.6%) had the lowest abundance and distribution while Melanoides tuberculata 1553(76.6%) had the highest. Snail abundance was highest in site characterized by human activities (670) followed by vegetation (482), lotic (442) and lentic (433) waters. Most of the physico-chemical factors measured appeared to favour the growth and survival of fresh water snails. pH (p = 0.01), water current (p = <0.01) and magnesium ion concentration (p = < 0.01) varied significantly across the four sites. Only calcium ion concentration was significantly associated with snail abundance (p = 0.04). Snail abundance showed weak positive relationship with water temperature, color, turbidity and concentration of magnesium ion. The dam habours about ten species of freshwater snails in different abundance and distribution with M. tuberculata being the most abundant throughout the period of investigation. The dominance of M. tuberculata over other species particularly those of medical and veterinary importance could have positive implication for their control in the dam

Culture change in elite sport performance teams: Examining and advancing effectiveness in the new era

Reflecting the importance of optimizing culture for elite teams, Fletcher and Arnold (2011) recently suggested the need for expertise in culture change. Acknowledging the dearth of literature on the specific process, however, the potential effectiveness of practitioners in this area is unknown. The present paper examines the activity's precise demands and the validity of understanding in sport psychology and organizational research to support its delivery. Recognizing that sport psychologists are being increasingly utilized by elite team management, initial evidence-based guidelines are presented. Finally, to stimulate the development of ecologically valid, practically meaningful knowledge, the paper identifies a number of future research directions

The WOMAN trial: clinical and contextual factors surrounding the deaths of 483 women following post-partum haemorrhage in developing countries.

BACKGROUND: Post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal death worldwide. The WOMAN trial assessed the effects of tranexamic acid (TXA) on death and surgical morbidity in women with PPH. The trial recorded 483 maternal deaths. We report the circumstances of the women who died. METHODS: The WOMAN trial recruited 20,060 women with a clinical diagnosis of PPH after a vaginal birth or caesarean section. We randomly allocated women to receive TXA or placebo. When a woman died, we asked participating clinicians to report the cause of death and to provide a short narrative of the events surrounding the death. We collated and edited for clarity the narrative data. RESULTS: Case fatality rates were 3.0% in Africa and 1.7% in Asia. Nearly three quarters of deaths were within 3 h of delivery and 91% of these deaths were from bleeding. Women who delivered outside a participating hospital (12%) were three times more likely to die (OR = 3.12, 95%CI 2.55-3.81) than those who delivered in hospital. Blood was often unavailable due to shortages or because relatives could not afford to buy it. Clinicians highlighted late presentation, maternal anaemia and poor infrastructure as key contributory factors. CONCLUSIONS: Although TXA use reduces bleeding deaths by almost one third, mortality rates similar to those in high income countries will not be achieved without tackling late presentation, maternal anaemia, availability of blood for transfusion and poor infrastructure