Phytochemical and Antibacterial Properties of Root and Leaf Extracts of Calotropis procera

Phytochemical and antibacterial properties of water, methanol and ethanol extracts obtained from root and leaf of Calotropis procera were investigated. Antibacterial growth inhibition was determined using Ditch method against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyrogenes. The phytochemical screening reveals the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and cardiac glycosides, balsams and volatile oil and steroids with higher amount in water extracts. The concentration of the phytochemical constituents were in the order of water > methanol > ethanol. Water extracts showed broad spectrum activity against the tested organisms at concentrations of 30, 60, 90 and 120 mg/ml. Methanol and ethanol extracts did not show a significant effect against the tested organisms at 120 mg/ml as compared with those of tetracycline. The result of this study validates the use of water extract of this species in ethnomedicine and could provide a lead in the isolation of antibacterial agents from water extracts of Calotropis procera

Influence of tillage practices on physical properties of a sandy loam in semi-arid region

The contrasts observed in soil tillage research studies documented the need for more research in many regions of the world if the mechanics of tillage effects on soil physical properties is to be well understood. Thus, the effect of three tillage systems: no-tillage (NT), reduce tillage (RT) andconventional tillage (CT) on the physical properties of a sandy loam soil in Maiduguri, Nigeria was investigated after 9-15 years of management. During the growing season of 2010, triplicate undisturbed core samples (5.5 cm in diameter and 4 cm height) were obtained at two soil depths (0-15 cm and 15-30 cm), for determination of volumetric (.v) moisture content, bulk density (Bd), and total porosity (TP) of the soil at selected dates, while soil penetration resistance (PR) was determined using hand held digital penetrometer. Tillage systems significantly (p = 0.05) affectedBd and TP of the soil at two of the four sampling dates. The RT treatment recorded highest Bd and lowest TP at (0-15 cm) depth across most sampling dates, while at (15-30 cm) soil depth, the CT and RT treatments maintained higher Bd. Soil PR was significantly influenced by tillage systems only at the surface (0-15 cm) soil depth. The NT treatment  recorded significantly (p = 0.05) higher PR while the RT treatment recorded the least. Further, significant (p = 0.05) tillage treatment effects on the .v content of the soil was observed at both surface (0-15 cm) and sub surface (15-30 cm) soil depths. The NT and RT treatments, on average, recorded higher values of .v relative to the CT treatment. Soil organic carbon (OC) and aggregate stability in water (MAW, ASC, DR and WSI) were found to correlate (p < 0.05) well with .v content of the soil for most sampling dates particularly a surface soil layer. The study revealed that, the NT and RT treatments promotes better physical quality of the soil relative to the CT treatment. It ishowever recommended that, other reduced tillage systems such as animal traction and ridgetillage be tried to assess their efficacy of improving soil physical quality.Key words: Tillage, Tillage systems, Soil Physical properties, Moisture storage, Physical qualit

Diversity of Bacteria and Fungi Associated with Freshwater Fishes from Mijawal River, Nasarawa, Nigeria

Understudying the presence of bacteria and fungi population on freshwater fishes, provides the knowledge and understanding of their diversity and potential roles they may play in the health of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The present study was conducted to evaluate the diversity of bacteria and fungi species of identified fish samples from River Mijawal, Nasarawa State. The fishes were sampled from the only landing for three months (October to December, 2019) for this study. During the sampling periods, thirteen (13) different fish species were identified; they were swabbed with sterilized swab stick from the skin surface for bacteria and fungi identification. The Dominant fish species were Tilapia zillii , Labeo senegalensis , Mormyrus rume and Mormyrus tapines. The total number of thirteen (13) bacterial and five (5) fungi species were isolated and identified. Eight (8) of the bacteria isolates, were gram negative bacteria ( Pseudomonas sp, Aeromonas sp, Serratia mercescenes , Proteus sp, Salmonella spp, Escherichia coli , Klebsiella sp, and Enterobacter sp.); whilst the other five (5) were gram positive bacteria ( Bacillus sp, Micrococcus sp, Staphylococcus sp, Enterococcus sp and Listeria monocytogenes ).The five isolated fungi species were Aspergillus niger , Rhizopus sp, Penicillium sp, Trichoderma viridae and Geotrichum candidum . The frequency of occurrence of the isolated bacteria indicated that Staphylococcus sp had the highest frequency of occurrence (16.67%) while Serratia mercescens had the least occurrence (2.78%). The highest number of occurrence of the isolated fungi species was observed in Rhizopus sp while the least was recorded in Geotricum candidum. It was observed that Tilapia zillii and Mormyrus rume had the most frequent bacteria and fungi isolates. It can therefore be deduced from the results that fish samples identified from River Mijawal has high bacteria and fungi diversity that may be pathogenic to man. The occurrence of these microbes may be attributed of human and animal faeces in the Rive

Robust decision making for a climate-resilient development of the agricultural sector in Nigeria.

Adaptation options that work reasonably well across an entire range of potential outcomes are shown to be preferable in a context of deep uncertainty. This is because robust practices that are expected to perform satisfactorily across the full range of possible future conditions, are preferable to those that are the best ones, but just in one specific scenario. Thus, using a Robust Decision Making Approach in Nigerian agriculture may increase resilience to climate change. To illustrate, the expansion of irrigation might be considered as a complementary strategy to conservation techniques and a shift in sowing/planting dates to enhance resilience of agriculture. However, given large capital expenditures, irrigation must consider climate trends and variability. Using historical climate records is insufficient to size capacity and can result in "regrets" when the investment is undersized/oversized, if the climate turns out to be drier/wetter than expected. Rather utilizing multiple climate outcomes to make decisions will decrease "regrets." This chapter summarizes the main results from a study titled "Toward climate-resilient development in Nigeria" funded by the Word Bank (See Cervigni et al. 2013)

Pooled analysis of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist use and mortality after emergency laparotomy

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist has fostered safe practice for 10 years, yet its place in emergency surgery has not been assessed on a global scale. The aim of this study was to evaluate reported checklist use in emergency settings and examine the relationship with perioperative mortality in patients who had emergency laparotomy. Methods In two multinational cohort studies, adults undergoing emergency laparotomy were compared with those having elective gastrointestinal surgery. Relationships between reported checklist use and mortality were determined using multivariable logistic regression and bootstrapped simulation. Results Of 12 296 patients included from 76 countries, 4843 underwent emergency laparotomy. After adjusting for patient and disease factors, checklist use before emergency laparotomy was more common in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI) (2455 of 2741, 89.6 per cent) compared with that in countries with a middle (753 of 1242, 60.6 per cent; odds ratio (OR) 0.17, 95 per cent c.i. 0.14 to 0.21, P <0001) or low (363 of 860, 422 per cent; OR 008, 007 to 010, P <0.001) HDI. Checklist use was less common in elective surgery than for emergency laparotomy in high-HDI countries (risk difference -94 (95 per cent c.i. -11.9 to -6.9) per cent; P <0001), but the relationship was reversed in low-HDI countries (+121 (+7.0 to +173) per cent; P <0001). In multivariable models, checklist use was associated with a lower 30-day perioperative mortality (OR 0.60, 0.50 to 073; P <0.001). The greatest absolute benefit was seen for emergency surgery in low- and middle-HDI countries. Conclusion Checklist use in emergency laparotomy was associated with a significantly lower perioperative mortality rate. Checklist use in low-HDI countries was half that in high-HDI countries.Peer reviewe

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

Global variation in anastomosis and end colostomy formation following left-sided colorectal resection

Background End colostomy rates following colorectal resection vary across institutions in high-income settings, being influenced by patient, disease, surgeon and system factors. This study aimed to assess global variation in end colostomy rates after left-sided colorectal resection. Methods This study comprised an analysis of GlobalSurg-1 and -2 international, prospective, observational cohort studies (2014, 2016), including consecutive adult patients undergoing elective or emergency left-sided colorectal resection within discrete 2-week windows. Countries were grouped into high-, middle- and low-income tertiles according to the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI). Factors associated with colostomy formation versus primary anastomosis were explored using a multilevel, multivariable logistic regression model. Results In total, 1635 patients from 242 hospitals in 57 countries undergoing left-sided colorectal resection were included: 113 (6·9 per cent) from low-HDI, 254 (15·5 per cent) from middle-HDI and 1268 (77·6 per cent) from high-HDI countries. There was a higher proportion of patients with perforated disease (57·5, 40·9 and 35·4 per cent; P < 0·001) and subsequent use of end colostomy (52·2, 24·8 and 18·9 per cent; P < 0·001) in low- compared with middle- and high-HDI settings. The association with colostomy use in low-HDI settings persisted (odds ratio (OR) 3·20, 95 per cent c.i. 1·35 to 7·57; P = 0·008) after risk adjustment for malignant disease (OR 2·34, 1·65 to 3·32; P < 0·001), emergency surgery (OR 4·08, 2·73 to 6·10; P < 0·001), time to operation at least 48 h (OR 1·99, 1·28 to 3·09; P = 0·002) and disease perforation (OR 4·00, 2·81 to 5·69; P < 0·001). Conclusion Global differences existed in the proportion of patients receiving end stomas after left-sided colorectal resection based on income, which went beyond case mix alone

Performance of West African Dwarf (WAD) Goats Fed Urea Treated Maize Offal as Supplement to Natural Herbage

West African Dwarf (WAD) goats grazing natural herbage were supplemented with different levels of urea treated maize offal (UMO) to determine their performance. The maize offal were treated at 0% UMO, 4% UMO, 6% UMO and 8% UMO representing 0, 4, 6 and 8% of urea respectively. Naturally grazing twenty WAD bucks aged between 7 and 9 months weighing 8.7 ±1.5kg were randomly allocated to five supplementary diets (0% UMO, 4% UMO, 6% UMO and 8% UMO) in a completely randomized design lasting 84 days to determine the effect of the supplementation. Significant (

Factors affecting time of access of in-patient care at Webuye District hospital, Kenya

BACKGROUND: Among many Kenyan rural communities, access to in-patient healthcare services is seriously constrained. It is important to understand who has ready access to the facilities and services offered and what factors prevent those who do not from doing so

Determination of Mineral and Toxic Elements in Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Produced in Three Locations of Niger State, North-Central, Nigeria

Background: Accumulation of heavy metals in the human body may result in toxic effects. They are universally found in the earth's crust and tend to accumulate in crops grown in heavily contaminated soil and hence enter the food chain. On the other hand, some mineral elements are required in a small amount (micronutrients) or large quantity (macronutrients) for the proper functioning of both plant and animal body systems.&nbsp;Objectives: This study determined the toxic and mineral elements in rice (Oryza sativa) varieties produced in three locations of Niger State, North-Central, Nigeria.&nbsp;&nbsp;Methods: Toxic and mineral elements analysis was conducted on rice samples obtained from three locations in Niger State. Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg),&nbsp; Phosphorus (P), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), Nickel (Ni), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr) and Lead (Pb) were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, while Sodium (Na) and Potassium (K) were determined using a photoelectric flame photometer.&nbsp;Results: Sodium concentrations ranged from 1.33 mg/kg to 1.41 mg/kg; potassium, 3.22 mg/kg to 3.97 mg/kg; calcium, 0.67 mg/kg to 0.88 mg/kg; magnesium, 7.20 mg/kg to 8.25 mg/kg;&nbsp; phosphorus, 5.82 mg/kg to 7.22 mg/kg; copper, 0.40 mg/kg to 1.35 mg/kg; manganese, 0.15mg/kg to 0.25 mg/kg; zinc, 1.60 mg/kg to 2.90 mg/kg; and nickel, 2.21 mg/kg to 2.24 mg/kg. Lead, cadmium and chromium were not detected in the rice samples.&nbsp;Conclusions: While the toxic metals (Pb, Cd and Cr) were not detected, the concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Mn, Zn and Ni) were lower than the FAO and WHO recommended level. It can therefore be concluded from this study that rice produced from these locations at the time of study is safe and may not pose immediate health hazards to consumers. &nbsp; Keywords: Rice, toxic elements, mineral element