Assessment of heavy metal concentrations as indicator of pollution in Clarias gariepinus (African catfish) of Warwade reservoir, Dutse, Jigawa State-Nigeria

Pollution status of Warwade reservoir was assessed using heavy metals bioaccumulation in water, gills and liver samples of C. gariepinus between July and December, 2019. Heavy metals analyses were carried out using microwave plasma atomic spectroscopy (MP-AES). Water and fish were sampled fortnightly from the three sites coded as upstream (A), midstream (B) and downstream (C) between 7:00 – 7:30am for period of six months. The results revealed that heavy metal concentrations in water followed the order: Cr (2.15mg/L)>Cu (1.40mg/L) > Pb (0.89mg/L)> Cd (0.68mg/L). Bioaccumulation Factor (BAF) of heavy metal concentration in water decreased in the order of Cr > Pb > Cu >Cd. In the fish organs, gills had the highest value of Cr, followed by Pb, Cu and Cd recorded the lowest. The BAF in liver tissues decreased in the order of Cu > Pb > Cr >Cd. BAF for Cu was highest in liver tissue (2.90) while the lowest was obtained in the gills (1.04). Lead (Pb) had its highest value in liver (2.16) and the lowest value (1.33) was obtained in the gill. BAF in Cr had its highest value of 2.15 in water and the lowest was obtained in the gills. Heavy metals bioaccumulation differed significantly (p<0.05) between the sampling sites and seasons with the exception of cadmium which did not differed significantly (p>0.05). It can be deduced that heavy metals bioaccumulation in the fish tissue is attributed to the influx of chemicals into the reservoir as a result of agrochemicals input among other anthropogenic activities. It is recommended that indiscriminate release of the xenobiotic compounds should be minimized in order to avert degradation of the reservoir in the long run. Intervention by appropriate authorities to curtail the effects of heavy metals on fish species among other important biota is recommended

A Framework for Tracing the Flavouring Information to Accelerate Halal Certification

Halal industry is a new sector in the manufacturing industry in Malaysia and is a fast-growing global business. In Malaysia, JAKIM is the body responsible in matters relating to approve the halal certification. However, the process of issuing the halal certificate is time consuming. Based on the delay in issuing the halal certificate, this study conducted a case study to examine issues in halal certification. The reasons for the delay in issuing halal certification is the constraints in determining halal status of flavouring due to the absence of halal certificate when auditors were processing the documentation for applying certification. In addition, the inconsistent use of terms among the food producers and the auditors makes it difficult to trace halal status of flavouring. The case study also found that there is no framework that can help to trace the halal status of flavouring ingredient systematically. Thus, the study contributes a framework for tracing flavouring information to accelerate halal certification

Structural and luminescence characterization of lithium-borosulfophosphate glasses containing dysprosium ions

Rare earth doped glasses have been a great deal of research interest due to their prominent applications in laser lighting technology. However, achieving highly efficient yellow light emission from these materials require the collective efforts of many researchers across the world. Hence, a series of high optical quality dysprosium doped lithium-borosulfophosphate glasses with chemical composition of 15Li2O-30B2O3-15SO3-(40-x)P2O5-xDy2O3 (where x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 in mol%) were prepared by convectional melt quenching technique and characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Photoluminescence (PL) measurements. XRD pattern of the host glass confirms its amorphous nature while the results from FTIR spectra analysis indicates the presence of BO3, BO4, PO4 and SO42- groups in the host network structure. The photoluminescence spectral analysis revealed three emission bands at 494 nm, 585 nm and 673 nm attributed to the electronic transitions of 4F9/2→6H15/2, 4F9/2→6H13/2 and 4F9/2→6H15/2,respectively, under the excitation of 386 nm. Among all the prepared glass samples, 1.0 mol% Dy3+ contained glass sample exhibits an intense yellow emission at 585 nm which specifies its prospective suitability for yellow laser applications.Keywords: Borosulfophosphate glasses, Dysprosium ions, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Photoluminescence analysi

Assessment of mango and carrot juices as West African Dwarf ram semen extender at room temperature

Quality and affordable semen extenders are essential for successful artificial insemination. Extenders from natural sources have been found to be effective and affordable. Using two matured West African Dwarf rams (18.67±1.45kg), the effectiveness of graded mixtures of mango and carrot juices (100% Mango (M), 100% Carrot (C) 90%M10%C, 70%M30%C, 50%M50%C, 30%M70%C and 10%M90%C), and conventional egg yolk citrate (EYC) as ram semen extender was studied. Each diluent was constituted in five aliquots using standard methods and pH determined electronically. Semen collection in three trials using electro-ejaculator method was followed by evaluation for colour, volume, pre-extended sperm motility, concentration, percentage liveability and morphological normality. Thereafter, semen were extended with different diluents by adding 0.2ml of semen to 7.5ml of diluents. Immediately, hourly evaluation for sperm motility from zero to eight hours then twenty-four hours post-extension was done. Diluents revealed in the study as the most effective semen extender were subjected to proximate analyses. The pH of the diluents ranged from 4.56±0.11 (70%M30%C) to 6.40± 0.14 (90%C10%M). The mean ejaculate volume was 0.8±0.00ml while colour observed was creamy. The pre-extended mean spermatozoa motility, morphological abnormality, percentage liveability and concentration were 94.5±4.5%, 7.0±2.83%, 88.75±2.5% and 0.3×109 sperm cell/ml respectively. Spermatozoa motility declined progressively in all the diluents from 0-24hours post-extension. The decline was observed to be significantly rapid (p≤0.05) in 100%Carrot diluent from 94±2.4% at zero hour to 0% at three hours post extension. Only diluents 90%M10%C, 100%M and Egg Yolk Citrate provided sperm motility score of 30% and above at eight hours post extension. Proximate analyses of 90%M10%C and 100%M revealed presence of essential minerals which are found to be naturally occurring in ram ejaculate. The work established that mixture of mango and carrot (90%M10%C) and 100% mango juices could be used as a suitable semen extender in preserving West African Ram semen at room temperature

Management of Open-Cervix Pyometra in a Four-Year-Old German Shepherd-Cross Bitch

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Crohn's disease with Pyoderma gangrenosum in a patient in northern Nigeria: A case report

Background: Crohn's disease is a major form of inflammatory bowel disease that can present with extra-intestinal manifestations. We report a case of Crohn's disease with pyodermagangrenosum in a Nigerian patient. The report is to alert physicians in our setting on the occurrence of this rare presentation.Case presentation: The patient presented with chronic bloody and mucoiddiarrhoea with associated weight loss and fever of one-year duration. There was also history of mouth rashes, anal pain and itching. One month prior to presentation, he developed leg ulcer. Colonoscopy showed multiple ulcerations with normal intervening mucosa. Colonic mucosal histology showed focal area of ulceration with extensive inflammatory infiltrate in the lamina propia and submucosa. The patient's symptoms improved after the commencement of sulfasalazine.Conclusion: Crohn's disease should be suspected in a patient with chronic leg ulcer

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

Optimization of sparse randomly spaced linear antenna array using hybrid iteratively reweighted least squares

Uniformly Spaced Antenna Array (USAA) with large radiating elements is characterized with complex feed network as well as high sidelobes level (SLL) leading to interference and power wastage. To solve these problems, research works have been carried out using different methodologies, to synthesize sparse Randomly Spaced An- tenna Array (RSAA) to reconstruct the desired radiation pattern using fewer radiating elements and suppressed SLL. In this paper, a deterministic Iteratively Reweighted Least Squares (IRLS) algorithm based on the concept of compressed sensing was used to achieve better sparsity through thinning. The SLL was also suppressed using Convex Technique (CT). The performance of the synthesized array was evaluated in terms of sparsity and SLL. Simulation results showed that it has a higher sparsity of 12 elements with SLL of -39.44dB which are 14.29% and 28.72% improvements, respectively compared to previous research work with 14 elements and SLL of -30.64dB

Entrepreneurship management skills needed by self-employed motor vehicle mechanics in the North Central States of Nigeria

This study identified the entrepreneurship management skills needed by self-employed motor vehicle mechanics in the North-Central States of Nigeria. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive survey research design was employed for the study. The study was carried out in the North-Central States of Nigeria. The targeted population for this study was 22,523 respondents. The sample for the study was 2,019 respondents comprising of 1,435 registered self-employed motor vehicle mechanics, drawn through the use of Taro Yamane formula for finite population, 475 managers of micro firms in motor vehicle mechanics and 109 entrepreneurship lecturers. A structured questionnaire titled: Self-Employed Motor Vehicle Mechanics Entrepreneurship Management Skills Needed Questionnaire (SEMVMEMSNQ) developed by the researchers and validated by five Lecturers in the Department of Industrial and Technology Education, Federal University of Technology, Minna was used for the data collected for the study. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was 0.84 established through Cronbach Alpha Statistic techniques. Mean and standard deviation were the statistical tools used to analyze the data for answering the research question; While One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistics was employed to test the null hypotheses for the study at .05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed among others that all the 13 items entrepreneurial accounting skills and public relations skills are highly needed by motor vehicle mechanics in the North Central States of Nigeria. Based on the findings it was recommended among others that: The National Council on Automotive (NCA) should in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity incorporate the identified entrepreneurial skills into their training and re-training programmes so that motor vehicle mechanics can be made to acquire the needed entrepreneurship management skills that will assist them to sustain and secure their employment