Hydrogeophysical investigation for groundwater potential in central Minna, Nigeria.

This hydro geophysical investigation is aimed at delineating the aquiferous units in the central part of Minna by determining their depths, thicknesses, resistivities and the potential borehole depth at various locations within the area employing the technique the Vertical Electric Sounding (VES) using the Schlumberger array. A grid of 7 profiles with a total of 49 sounding stations was occupied. The area was found to be underlain by 4 geological formations. The second and third formations underlying parent bedrock form the aquiferous unit. This unit was found to have an average resistivity value range of 120 – 900 Ωm and an average thickness of 25 m. It is deeply seated in some areas with an average depth of 25 – 30 m. Keywords: Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES), Resistivity, Aquifer, Borehole

A regional geoelectric investigation for groundwater exploration in Minna area, north west Nigeria.

A Regional Geoelectric survey using the Vertical Electrical Resistivity (VES) was used to investigate the land mass covering Minna and it's environ in Nigeria aimed at assessing the lithology beneath the area, delineate the aquiferous formations and its depths and thicknesses. The area was grided into 13 profiles spaced at 3 km intervals with each having 13 stations for the VES. A total of 169 VES points were occupied. The Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment was used for locating the stations on ground. The interpretation of the field data was carried out using the Zhody soft-ware, which converts the apparent resistivity as a function of electrode spacing to the true resistivity as a function of depth in two dimensions. The rocks of the area are largely of crystalline rocks, which include gneisses, migmatites and metasedimentary schists. The results show that the area is underlain by three layer lithologic sections. In some sections where the basement had probably suffered severe weathering and or fracturing, four or five layer models were obtained. The weathered/fractured layers along the transitional zones form the aquiferous formations in the area with a maximum thickness of about 45m

Antibiotic Resistance among Iraqi Local <em>E. coli</em> Isolates

Escherichia coli is a famous Gram-negative bacillary bacterium that belongs to Enterobacteriaceae. It is either micro-biota innocent for human or pathogenic with arrays of diseases. The pathogenic E. coli can be assigned to intestinal (InPEC) or extraintestinal (ExPEC) with disease ranging from watery diarrhea to pulmonary distress. The most prevalent form of InPEC is enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), while the most prevalent ExPEC is uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). The other InPEC includes Shiga toxin–producing (STEC), enteroaggregative (EAEC), enterotoxigenic (ETEC), enteroinvasive (EIEC), diffusely adherent (DAEC) and adherent invasive E. coli (AIEC). ExPEC was implicated in cystitis, pyelonephritis, sepsis, respiratory tract infection, cervicovaginal infection (CVEC), meningitis (NMEC), otitis media, cholecystitis and wound infection. Antibiotic resistance is the challenging in world nowadays. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli has become challenging with existing antibiotic options. E. coli pathogens have various virulence factors that determine their pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. The rapid and ongoing spread of antimicrobial-resistant organisms threatens our ability to successfully treat a growing number of infectious diseases. It is well established that antibiotic use is a significant, and modifiable, driver of antibiotic resistance. The most commonly used antibiotic classes for InPEC and ExPEC were third-generation cephalosporin, carbapenem, fluoroquinolone and aminoglycosides. Actually, the most effective prescribed medication is one of the following: cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, amikacin, gentamycin, levofloxacin and imipenem. Generally, according to our review for more than 100 local Iraqi studies among Iraqi provinces, the results revealed the resistance rate from highest to lowest as follows: cefotaxime (76.5%), ceftriaxone (75.9%), gentamycin (41.65%), ciprofloxacin (32.13%), amikacin (17.3%), levofloxacin (15%) and imipenem (5.14%). The resistance mechanisms may include genes encoding antibiotic-modifying enzymes like those of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases gene comprising: blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaSHV, blaOXA, blaPER, blaVIM, blaIMP, blaNDM and blaAMPc. Efflux pumping includes AcrAB, while resistance to quinolone may be mediated by mutation among qnrA, qnrB, qnrD and qnrS. Resistance to aminoglycosides includes encoding to aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes like aac(6)-Ib, aph(3)-I, aph(3)-IIa, aph(3)-Ib, ant(3)-I, aac(3)-II and aac(3)-IV

Long-range Angular Correlations On The Near And Away Side In P-pb Collisions At √snn=5.02 Tev

7191/Mar294

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Equine chorionic gonadotropin regulates luteal steroidogenesis in pregnant mares

The onset of eCG secretion in pregnant mares coincides with an increase in luteal steroid production and a relative shift toward androgen and estrogen synthesis. However, a cause-effect relationship between eCG and the shift in luteal steroidogenesis has not been demonstrated. In this study, we have investigated the effect of eCG on steroid production by the corpus luteum (CL) during equine pregnancy. All mares were supplemented with 44 mg altrenogest (a progestogen) per day on Days 18-50. Increasing doses of eCG were administered on Days 26-28, before the onset of endogenous eCG secretion, to four mares with and four mares without a functional CL (prostaglandin F-2 alpha administered on Day 18). Four mares with a functional CL received no exogenous eCG. In eCG-treated mares without a functional CL, progestin, androstenedione, and estrogen concentrations did not significantly increase after exogenous eCG administration or endogenous eCG secretion. In eCG-treated mares with a functional CL, progestin and estrogen production increased significantly after exogenous eCG administration and endogenous eCG secretion, whereas androstenedione concentrations tended to increase following exogenous eCG and increased significantly following endogenous eCG secretion. In mares with a functional CL that did not receive exogenous eCG, progestin and estrogen concentrations increased and androstenedione concentrations tended to increase only after the onset of endogenous eCG secretion. These data demonstrate that the increase in luteal steroidogenesis that coincides with the onset of eCG secretion is induced by eCG and results in an increase in luteal androgen and estrogen synthesis. Our findings support the hypothesis that eCG has a luteotropic action in pregnant mares

GIS-based approach for morphometric characteristics and development of hydrographs for the upper watershed of Jebba Reservoir, Nigeria

Nigeria's Jebba sub-basins are synonymous to frequent flooding, high rate of erosion, depletion of soil nutrients and unsustainable water use. The uncontrolled flooding may be a result of numerous factors related to topography, geology, climate and human activity. &nbsp;The present work was an attempt to describe the application of Geographical Information System (GIS) and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for the estimation of morphometric characteristics of eight sub-basins in the upstream watershed of Jebba reservoir, Nigeria. Morphometric characteristics such as topographic, areal, relief and network were determined. Soil Conservation Service (SCS) technique was applied to estimate hydrographs. The study revealed that sub-basin number 3 had the lowest time of concentration and maximum depth of runoff while sub-basin number 2 had maximum ratio of circulation of 1.8 and it is tagged as the area that is highly prone to flood. The peak runoff in the sub-basins ranged between 330.10 and 924.86 m3/s (25-year return period) and for 100-year intervals ranged between 502.69 to 1408.40 m3/s. The estimated peak runoffs can be adopted for designing and constructing erosion control structures in the catchment area