Potentials of Sludge from Drinking Water Treatment Plant for Use as Source of Soil Nutrients for Reclamation of Degraded Land

The residuals from Gubi drinking water treatment plant are usually discharged directly into the nearby streams without any form of treatment. The decomposition of the organic materials contained in the untreated sludge has caused the production of malodorous gases and unsightly condition in the area. The disposal of this sludge in an environmentally friendly manner is therefore not only desirable but necessary. The aim of this investigation was to assess the feasibility of utilizing the residuals from Gubi water treatment plant as a source of nutrients for reclamation of degraded lands especially those arising from mining activities. The study was carried out at Gubi water treatment plant located in the vicinity of Gubi Dam water reservoir.Ten sludge samples were collected from each of the three clerifiers. Important sludge properties that are known to aid nutrients status of soil were analyzed using standard laboratory procedures. The means of various soil quality parameters recorded in the WTRs were 6.8, 20.06g/kg, 34.90g/kg, 1.65g/kg, 2.30g/kg, 13.45mg/kg, 2.50Cmol/kg, 2.10Cmol/kg and 28Cmol/kg for pH, Organic C, Organic Matter, K, Total N, Olsen P, Ca, Mg and CEC respectively. The means of all the parameters analysed falls within the ranges considered good for vegetation growth. The heavy metals concentrations recorded in the residual were 1.8mg/kg, 0.1mg/kg, 2mg/kg, 29mg/kg, 66mg/kg, 15mg/kg, 8.7mg/kg, 6.2mg/kg and 0.03mg/kg for As, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, Cr and Hg respectively. The concentrations of all the metals did not exceed the acceptable threshold limits recommended by regulatory authorities. Considering the enormous amount of plant nutrients and absence of excessive toxic metals in Gubi WTRs, it is safe to conclude that the residual can be use as a source of soil nutrients for reclamation of degraded land. Key words: Sludge, Soil Nutrients, Degraded Land, Reclamatio

Extraction of Chrysophyllum albidum Seed Oil: Optimization and Characterization

This work presents the result of the optimization of extraction of oil from Chrysophyllum albidum seed using ethanol as solvent. A 23 factorial designs with replication was employed to study the effect particle size, time, and temperature of extraction. The oil yield from extraction was 12.70 – 16.85 % with the optimal yield of 16.85 % at particle size of 500 µm, temperature of 55 0 C, and a time of 6 hours. Characterizations of the oil reveal a Saponification value of 228.4mgKOH/g, iodine value of 30 gI2 /100g, peroxide value of 1.45 meq/kg, acid value of 2.52 mgKOH/g. The oil extracted from this seed can be effectively used for variety of domestic and industrial application such as the making of paint, candles, soap and biodiesel. Keywords: Optimization, Characterization, Chrysophyllum albidum, Oi

Groundwater Resource Appraisals of Bodinga and Environs, Sokoto Basin North Western Nigeria

The groundwater resources of semi-arid region of Bodinga town and its environs within the Sokoto basin of Northwestern Nigeria have been evaluated. Data obtained at site during pumping test sessions which lasted for a period of between 8-12 hours for a total of 67 boreholes in the area of study were used alongside Information gathered from the careful analysis of lithological logs of the drilled Boreholes. The Hydraulic conductivity for the Kalambaina, Wurno, and Taloka formations are 22.00x10 m/s , 8.00x10-1 m/s, and 1.02x10 m/s and respectively with an average of 3.00x10 m/s for the area. The Transmissivity calculated for these formations are 167.54x10 m2/s, 3.02x10 m2/s and 3.00x10 m2/s respectively while the average total for the area is. 20.30x10 m2/s. Specific capacity for the Kalambaina is 140.00x10 m2/s/m, for Wurno the value is 2.10x10 m2/s/m while Taloka formation have a value of 2.35x10 m2/s/m and the mean computed for this part of the basin is 16.30x10 m2/s /m. Yield is between 0.23 l/s and 6.7 l/s. The calculated properties show the area to be rich in groundwater resources mainly tapped from the coarse sandy and cavernous/jointed limestone layers. However the high drawdown values recorded in some of the boreholes is attributed to the presence of silt- clay materials which act as aquiclude. The high yielding boreholes are those with thicker and sandy aquifer material and less drawdown, however the area have high groundwater resource that is partly affected by the presence of silt and clay intercalations within the sandy Aquiferous units.Keywords: Groundwater, Transmissivity, Coarse-sandy layer, Aquiclude, Semi-confined, Sokoto basin

Effect of Dietary Replacement of Maize with Yam and Irish potato peel meals on the Growth and Economic Performance of Growing Rabbits

An eight-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding yam and irish potato peel meals on the growth performance and economic analysis of cross-bred (Dutch x New Zealand white) growing rabbits aged between five to seven weeks. Thirty rabbits were randomly allocated to six dietary treatments with five rabbits per treatment. Diets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 contained 100% maize, 50% maize and 50% yam peel meal, 50% maize and 50% irish potato peel meal, 50% yam peel meal and 50% irish potato peel meal, 100% yam peel meal and 100% irish potato peel meal, respectively. The response showed that the growth parameters were not significantly (P>0.05) different among the treatment groups except mean final body weight which was significantly (P>0.05) different. The mean final body weight of rabbits fed T3 diet (50% maize and 50% irish potato peel meal) was significantly (P< 0.05) higher than those fed T2 (50% maize and 50% yam peel meal) and T6 (100% irish potato peel meal) diets, but were similar (P>0.05) to other diets. However, the lowest mean final body weight was obtained in rabbits fed T6 (100% irish potato peel meal) diet. The cost per kg feed decreased progressively as the levels of yam and irish potato peel meals increased in the diets. The cost per kg gain also declined from  ₦ 249.59 in T1 (100% maize) to ₦ 181.95 in T4 (50% yam peel meal and 50% irish potato peel meal), which showed the best cost per kg weight gain. The study demonstrated that the yam and irish potato peel meals can replace maize up to 100% as energy source for growing rabbits without adverse effect on performance.Keywords: Growth Performance, Yam and Irish Potato peel meals, Economic Analysi

EFFECT OF SOLUTION pH AND TEMPERATURE ON PHENOL ADSORPTION ONTO CARBONIZED RICE HUSK CHEMICALLY ACTIVATED WITH PHOSPHORIC ACID

Operating conditions such as pH and temperature are important factors that influence the performance of activated carbon and solute uptake in adsorption process. Thus, this research work was aimed at studying the effect of solution pH and temperature on phenol adsorption onto rice husk activated carbon. Results obtained showed that when pH was increased from 2 to 4, adsorption capacity and removal efficiency increased, and thereafter, decreased progressively with additional increase in pH. Results also showed that when temperature was increased from 30 to 50 oC adsorption capacity and removal efficiency decreased. Therefore, this study has established that the optimum solution pH for adsorption of phenol onto phosphoric acid modified rice husk activated carbon is 4, and better performance of the adsorption process was occurred at lower solution temperatures

Market‐led options to scale up legume seeds in developing countries: Experiences from the Tropical Legumes Project

There are several hurdles to ensure sustainable seed production and consistent flow of improved legume varieties in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia (SA). The unreliable demand, autogamous nature of most of the grain legumes, and slow variety replacement rate by smallholder farmers do not provide strong incentive for private seed companies to invest in legume seed business. Unless a well thought‐out and comprehensive approach to legume seed delivery is developed, current seed shortages will continue, eroding emerging market opportunities. The experiences reported here are collated through a 10‐year partnership project, the Tropical Legumes in SSA and SA. It fostered innovative public–private partnerships in joint testing of innovative market‐led seed systems, skills and knowledge enhancement, de‐risking private sector initiatives that introduced in new approaches and previously overlooked entities in technology delivery. As new public and private seed companies, individual seed entrepreneurs and farmer organizations emerged, the existing ones enhanced their capacities. This resulted in significant rise in production, availability and accessibility of various seed grades of newly improved and farmer demanded legume varieties in the target countries

Meningococcus serogroup C clonal complex ST-10217 outbreak in Zamfara State, Northern Nigeria.

After the successful roll out of MenAfriVac, Nigeria has experienced sequential meningitis outbreaks attributed to meningococcus serogroup C (NmC). Zamfara State in North-western Nigeria recently was at the epicentre of the largest NmC outbreak in the 21st Century with 7,140 suspected meningitis cases and 553 deaths reported between December 2016 and May 2017. The overall attack rate was 155 per 100,000 population and children 5-14 years accounted for 47% (3,369/7,140) of suspected cases. The case fatality rate (CFR) among children 5-9 years was 10%, double that reported among adults ≥ 30 years (5%). NmC and pneumococcus accounted for 94% (172/184) and 5% (9/184) of the laboratory-confirmed cases, respectively. The sequenced NmC belonged to the ST-10217 clonal complex (CC). All serotyped pneumococci were PCV10 serotypes. The emergence of NmC ST-10217 CC outbreaks threatens the public health gains made by MenAfriVac, which calls for an urgent strategic action against meningitis outbreaks

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century