Bioconcentration of Heavy Metals by Wild Plants Along Holomorphic Soils in Sule-Tankarkar Local Government Area, Jigawa State, Nigeria

This study aims at assessing the heavy metals concentration levels in wild plants along the holomorphic soil in Suletankarkar Local Government Area of Jigawa State, Nigeria. Soil and Plant samples were collected from 7 different locations. Two (2) locations each from Danaldi and Danzomo districts while a location each from Dangwanki, Jeke and Suletankarkar districts. A 20cm2 quadrant was thrown at random. At each location, soil sample was collected from 0 – 10cm depth and mixed to obtain one composite sample. Samples of all plant species found growing within 1 m radius of each sampling point were collected and preserved in pressed paper. Both Soil and Plant samples were analyzed for heavy metals concentration using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The results show that; Cd with 3.6 ppm has the highest while Zn with 0.28 ppm has the least concentration in the soil at Danzomo I. The plants have varying concentrations ranging from Pd with 0.04 ppm to Zn with 5.42 ppm in Mitracarpus hirtus; Cr with 0.07 ppm to Zn with 6.42 ppm in Spermacoce radita; Co and Cr both with 0.04 ppm to Mn with 1.47 ppm in Corchonis olitorius. The elemental concentration in the soil at Danzomo II ranges from Co with 0.4 ppm to Cd with 2.75 ppm. In plants, the concentration ranges from Cr with 0.04 ppm to Mn with 1.87 ppm in Cenchrus biflorus; Cr with 0.04 to Mn with 11.8 ppm in Commelina erecta; Cr with 0.04 ppm to Mn with 21.5 ppm in Guiera senegalensis; again Cr with 0.04 ppm to Mn with 3.1 ppm in Cassia singueana. Zn with 0.28 ppm has the least while Mn with 4.0 has the highest elemental concentration value in the soil at Danladi I. The mineral concentration ranges from Cr with 0.04 ppm to Mn with 2.54 ppm in Philliostigma thonningii; Co with 0.04 ppm to Mn with 16.8 ppm in Sida cordifolia; Co and Cr both with 0.04 ppm to Mn with 5.15 ppm in Alysicarpus vaginalis. These results support the conclusion that the heavy metal concentration in all the sampled plants exceeded the WHO standard limit for consumption. Therefore, the authors recommended that the heavy metal concentrations in plants, soils, water and air should be frequently monitored by the appropriate authority in the State. Keywords: Heavy metals, Concentration, Plants, Soil

Filtered mud improves sugarcane growth and modifies the functional abundance and structure of soil microbial populations

Background Exploring high-quality organic amendments has been a focus of sustainable agriculture. Filtered mud (FM), a sugar factory waste derived from sugarcane stems, could be an alternative organic amendment for sugarcane production. However, the effects of its application proportions on soil fertility, nutrient cycling, structure of soil bacterial and fungal communities, and the growth of sugarcane in clay-loam soils remain unexplored. Methods Three application proportions of FM: (FM1-(FM: Soil at 1:4), FM2-(FM: Soil at 2:3), and FM3-(FM: Soil at 3:2)) were evaluated on sugarcane growth and soil nutrient cycling. High throughput sequencing was also employed to explore soil microbial dynamics. Results We observed that FM generally increased the soil’s nutritional properties while improving NO3− retention compared to the control, resulting in increased growth parameters of sugarcane. Specifically, FM1 increased the concentration of NH4+−N, the N fraction preferably taken up by sugarcane, which was associated with an increase in the plant height, and more improved growth properties, among other treatments. An increase in the proportion of FM also increased the activity of soil nutrient cycling enzymes; urease, phosphatase, and β-glucosidase. High throughput sequencing revealed that FM reduced the diversity of soil bacteria while having insignificant effects on fungal diversity. Although increasing FM rates reduced the relative abundance of the phyla Proteobacteria, its class members, the Gammaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria containing some N-cycling related genera, were stimulated. Also, FM stimulated the abundance of beneficial and lignocellulose degrading organisms. These included the bacterial phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, and the fungal phylum Ascomycota. The distribution of the soil microbial community under FM rates was regulated by the changes in soil pH and the availability of soil nutrients. Since FM1 showed more promise in improving the growth properties of sugarcane, it could be more economical and sustainable for sugarcane production in clay-loam soils

HausaNLP at SemEval-2023 Task 12: Leveraging African Low Resource TweetData for Sentiment Analysis

We present the findings of SemEval-2023 Task 12, a shared task on sentiment analysis for low-resource African languages using Twitter dataset. The task featured three subtasks; subtask A is monolingual sentiment classification with 12 tracks which are all monolingual languages, subtask B is multilingual sentiment classification using the tracks in subtask A and subtask C is a zero-shot sentiment classification. We present the results and findings of subtask A, subtask B and subtask C. We also release the code on github. Our goal is to leverage low-resource tweet data using pre-trained Afro-xlmr-large, AfriBERTa-Large, Bert-base-arabic-camelbert-da-sentiment (Arabic-camelbert), Multilingual-BERT (mBERT) and BERT models for sentiment analysis of 14 African languages. The datasets for these subtasks consists of a gold standard multi-class labeled Twitter datasets from these languages. Our results demonstrate that Afro-xlmr-large model performed better compared to the other models in most of the languages datasets. Similarly, Nigerian languages: Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba achieved better performance compared to other languages and this can be attributed to the higher volume of data present in the languages

Antimicrobial resistance pattern of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from sheep and humans in Veterinary Hospital Maiduguri, Nigeria

BACKGROUND AND AIM : Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an important opportunistic pathogen, is a Gram-positive coccus known to be resistant to β-lactam antibiotics. Its virulence depends on a large range of factors, mainly extracellular proteins, such as enzymes and exotoxins, that contribute to causing a wide range of diseases in human and animal species. The major reasons for the success of this pathogen are its great variability, which enables it to occur and thrive at different periods and places with diverse clonal types and antibiotic resistance patterns within regions and countries. Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant S. aureus bring about serious problems in the general population (humans and animals). Infections with these pathogens can be devastating, particularly for the very young, adults and immunocompromised patients in both humans and animals. This study aimed to determine the presence of MRSA in both apparently healthy and sick sheep brought to the veterinary hospital as well as veterinary staff and students on clinical attachment in the hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS : A total of 200 nasal swab samples were collected aseptically from sheep and humans (100 each) for the isolation of MRSA. The samples were processed by appropriately transporting them to the laboratory, then propagated in nutrient broth at 37°C for 24 h followed by subculturing on mannitol salt agar at 37°C for 24 h, to identify S. aureus. This was followed by biochemical tests (catalase and coagulase tests) and Gram staining. MRSA was isolated using Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) guideline and confirmed by plating onto Oxacillin (OX) Resistance Screening Agar Base agar. The antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the MRSA isolates was determined using the disk diffusion method against 12 commonly used antimicrobial agents. RESULTS : The total rate of nasal carriage of S. aureus and MRSA was found to be 51% and 43% in sheep and humans, respectively. The MRSA prevalence in male and female sheep was 18% and 8%, while 9% and 8% were for male and female human samples, respectively. The antimicrobial susceptibility test showed 100% resistance to OX, cefoxitin, oxytetracycline, cephazolin, and penicillin-G (Pen) by MRSA isolates from humans. Conversely, there was 100% susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, imipenem, and gentamicin; for linezolid (LZD), it was 87.5%, norfloxacin (NOR) (71%), and erythromycin (ERY) (50%) susceptibility was recorded. The MRSA isolates from sheep recorded 100% resistance to the same set of drugs used for human MRSA isolates and were equally 100% susceptible to gentamicin, imipenem, LZD, ciprofloxacin, NOR (92%), and ERY (50%). CONCLUSION : This study determined the presence of MRSA in sheep and humans from the Veterinary Hospital, Maiduguri. It appears that certain drugs such as ciprofloxacin, imipenem, and gentamicin will continue to remain effective against MRSA associated with humans and sheep. Reasons for the observed patterns of resistance must be explored to reduce the burdens of MRSA resistance. Furthermore, the present study did not confirm the MRSA resistance genes such as mecA and spa typing to ascertain the polymorphism in the X-region using appropriate molecular techniques. Hence more studies need to be conducted to elucidate these findings using robust techniques.http://www.veterinaryworld.orgam2023Production Animal StudiesVeterinary Tropical Disease

Identification and comparison of RCMV ALL 03 open reading frame (ORF) among several different strains of cytomegalovirus worldwide

Background: Rat cytomegalovirus ALL-03 (Malaysian strain) which was isolated from a placenta and uterus of a house rat, Rattus rattus diardii has the ability to cross the placenta and infecting the fetus. To further elucidate the pathogenesis of the Malaysian strain of Rat Cytomegalovirus ALL-03 (RCMV ALL-03), detailed analysis on the viral genome sequence is crucial. Methods: Genome sequencing of RCMV ALL-03 was carried out in order to identify the open reading frame (ORF), homology comparison of ORF with other strains of CMV, phylogenetic analysis, classifying ORF with its corresponding conserved genes, and determination of functional proteins and grouping of gene families in order to obtain fundamental knowledge of the genome. Results: The present study revealed a total of 123 Coding DNA sequences (CDS) from RCMV ALL-03 with 37 conserved ORF domains as with all herpesvirus genomes. All the CDS possess similar function with RCMV-England followed by RCMV-Berlin, RCMV-Maastricht, and Human CMV. The phylogenetic analysis of RCMV ALL-03 based on conserving genes of herpes virus showed that the Malaysian RCMV isolate is closest to RCMV-English and RCMV-Berlin strains, with 99% and 97% homology, respectively. Similarly, it also demonstrated an evolutionary relationship between RCMV ALL-03 and other strains of herpesviruses from all the three subfamilies. Interestingly, betaherpesvirus subfamily, which has been shown to be more closely related with gammaherpesviruses as compared to alphaherpesviruses, shares some of the functional ORFs. In addition, the arrangement of gene blocks for RCMV ALL-03, which was conserved among herpesvirus family members was also observed in the RCMV ALL-03 genome. Conclusion: Genomic analysis of RCMV ALL-03 provided an overall picture of the whole genome organization and it served as a good platform for further understanding on the divergence in the family of Herpesviridae

Effects of antibiotic resistance, drug target attainment, bacterial pathogenicity and virulence, and antibiotic access and affordability on outcomes in neonatal sepsis: an international microbiology and drug evaluation prospective substudy (BARNARDS)

Background Sepsis is a major contributor to neonatal mortality, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). WHO advocates ampicillin–gentamicin as first-line therapy for the management of neonatal sepsis. In the BARNARDS observational cohort study of neonatal sepsis and antimicrobial resistance in LMICs, common sepsis pathogens were characterised via whole genome sequencing (WGS) and antimicrobial resistance profiles. In this substudy of BARNARDS, we aimed to assess the use and efficacy of empirical antibiotic therapies commonly used in LMICs for neonatal sepsis. Methods In BARNARDS, consenting mother–neonates aged 0–60 days dyads were enrolled on delivery or neonatal presentation with suspected sepsis at 12 BARNARDS clinical sites in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa. Stillborn babies were excluded from the study. Blood samples were collected from neonates presenting with clinical signs of sepsis, and WGS and minimum inhibitory concentrations for antibiotic treatment were determined for bacterial isolates from culture-confirmed sepsis. Neonatal outcome data were collected following enrolment until 60 days of life. Antibiotic usage and neonatal outcome data were assessed. Survival analyses were adjusted to take into account potential clinical confounding variables related to the birth and pathogen. Additionally, resistance profiles, pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic probability of target attainment, and frequency of resistance (ie, resistance defined by in-vitro growth of isolates when challenged by antibiotics) were assessed. Questionnaires on health structures and antibiotic costs evaluated accessibility and affordability. Findings Between Nov 12, 2015, and Feb 1, 2018, 36 285 neonates were enrolled into the main BARNARDS study, of whom 9874 had clinically diagnosed sepsis and 5749 had available antibiotic data. The four most commonly prescribed antibiotic combinations given to 4451 neonates (77·42%) of 5749 were ampicillin–gentamicin, ceftazidime–amikacin, piperacillin–tazobactam–amikacin, and amoxicillin clavulanate–amikacin. This dataset assessed 476 prescriptions for 442 neonates treated with one of these antibiotic combinations with WGS data (all BARNARDS countries were represented in this subset except India). Multiple pathogens were isolated, totalling 457 isolates. Reported mortality was lower for neonates treated with ceftazidime–amikacin than for neonates treated with ampicillin–gentamicin (hazard ratio [adjusted for clinical variables considered potential confounders to outcomes] 0·32, 95% CI 0·14–0·72; p=0·0060). Of 390 Gram-negative isolates, 379 (97·2%) were resistant to ampicillin and 274 (70·3%) were resistant to gentamicin. Susceptibility of Gram-negative isolates to at least one antibiotic in a treatment combination was noted in 111 (28·5%) to ampicillin–gentamicin; 286 (73·3%) to amoxicillin clavulanate–amikacin; 301 (77·2%) to ceftazidime–amikacin; and 312 (80·0%) to piperacillin–tazobactam–amikacin. A probability of target attainment of 80% or more was noted in 26 neonates (33·7% [SD 0·59]) of 78 with ampicillin–gentamicin; 15 (68·0% [3·84]) of 27 with amoxicillin clavulanate–amikacin; 93 (92·7% [0·24]) of 109 with ceftazidime–amikacin; and 70 (85·3% [0·47]) of 76 with piperacillin–tazobactam–amikacin. However, antibiotic and country effects could not be distinguished. Frequency of resistance was recorded most frequently with fosfomycin (in 78 isolates [68·4%] of 114), followed by colistin (55 isolates [57·3%] of 96), and gentamicin (62 isolates [53·0%] of 117). Sites in six of the seven countries (excluding South Africa) stated that the cost of antibiotics would influence treatment of neonatal sepsis

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

Abstract 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

A Study of Holomorphic Soil in SuleTankarkar Local Government Area of Jigawa State Using Remote Sensed Data

This study is carried out to examine Holomorphic soil formation in one of the local Government Areas of Jigawa State – SuleTankarkar LGA. Unsupervised random sampling technique was used to select the sampling sites from the five districts that make up the Local Government. Global Positioning System (GPS) was used in the field for data collection. The sample soils collected were taken to laboratory for physicochemical analysis unto which the textural classes and electrical conductivity (EC) of the soils were measured. The results for EC measurement ranges from 8.22µS/cm – 63.7µS/cm with lowest figures at Danladi site 1 and the highest figures occurs at Danzomo site 1. The textural class measurement revealed that Dangwanki site 2, Jeke site 1 and 2 were classified with sandy soil. Danladi site 2, Danzomo site 1 and SuleTankarkar site 2 falls under sandy loam type. While Dangwanki site 1, Danladi site 1, Danzomo site 2 and SuleTankarkar site 1 were classified with loamy sand. The 36 Normalized Difference vegetation Index (NDVI) data sets utilized for the study were recomposed into 4 Multiple Value Composites (MVCs) and then reclassed to derive the bare soil images used for the GIS analysis. The empirical reflectance method was applied to detect the spatial spectral reflectance pattern of the dielectric properties of the soil. The spectral curves showed that there were existences of holomorphic soil formation from 2000 to 2009, but significantly decrease to 2010. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) for time-series analysis was also incorporated with the used of Standardized principal components. This gave a clear indication of its formation from the components loadings and graphs with about 65% of the areas been affected. Holomorphic soil formation causes changes in agricultural suitability, and declining rate of productivity. It is therefore necessary to construct drainage channels to alleviate flooding and waterlogging, soil nutrient management shall be induced such like application of manures. Key words: Holomorphic, Electric conductivity, empirical reflectance, principal components analysi

Solid Waste Disposal and Extent of Selected Heavy Metals in Fadama Area of Sokoto City, Nigeria

This study was carried out with the purpose of assessing solid waste disposal and levels of heavy metals in Fadama area of Sokoto city. A survey using questionnaire and atomic absorp-tion spectroscopy was employed for the study. The descriptive statistics and X2 test were done. The types of pollution noticed include: land (40.0%), air (40.0%), and water (20.0%). The possible causes of the pollution include, mostly open dumping of solid waste (41.7%), then open defecation (33.3%), and lastly burning (25.0%). Spread of diseases was most (40.0%) perceived effect, then effect on children (20.0%) and gastroenteritis (20.0%). Other effects are: sickness (13.3%) and accidents (6.7%). The efforts to address the waste disposal are: burning (60.0%), pushing it away from road (20.0%) and provision of containers (20.0%). Effort did by the government involves, promising to bring con-tainers (30.0%), and doing nothing (70.0%). Wastes found are: plastics (70.0%), organic and defeca-tions (23.3%), metal and relations. The heavy metals analysis shows, the lead ranges from 5.1 ± 1.2 to 10.0 ± 0.80 (ppm); chromium ranges from 0.59 ± 0.01 to 2.10 ± 0.02 (ppm); zinc ranges from not detected to 0.81 ± 0.3 (ppm); cadmium from 0.25 ± 0.02; and mercury ranges from 0.95 ± 0.02 to 10.20 ± 0.11 (ppm). There is poor waste management in an agricultural area, a trend that can seep harmful chemicals to be taken up by plants to the upward food chain/web, coupled with other harmful ef-fects of waste such as instigation of diseases and environmental degradation

Toxicity of Radon-222 in Groundwater across Keana in Nasarawa, Nigeria

The most common supply of freshwater for drinking, irrigation, and other domestic uses is groundwater; however, because of increased radon concentrations brought on by mining activities, its quality is still a severe concern. Using a liquid scintillation detector, this study investigated the radon content, its related toxicity, and its risk to human health in the groundwater of the Keana in Nasarawa, Nigeria. Ten (10) borehole samples and five (5) well samples totaling fifteen (15) groundwater samples were taken. The results showed that the average radon concentration in water samples from Keana was 2.25 Bq/L. The mean annual effective dosage (ingestion) for adults and children in Keana was 0.016 mSv/y and 0.027 mSv/y, respectively. In Keana, the additional lifetime cancer risk per adult was 5.65 × 10–5, and per child, it was 8.79 × 10–5. The study’s radon concentration was lower than the benchmark of 11.1 Bq/L established in 1991 by the Nigerian Standard Organization and the US Environmental Protection Agency. The results of this study indicate that the level of radon is safe; as a result, people can continue farming and other activities. To reduce the risk of cancer, however, more research could be done in the area. Further research should be done by looking at additional sources in the study area in order to cover the entire zone. Further investigation should be carried out both during the dry and wet seasons because radon concentrations in groundwater alter over time due to dilution by recharge from rainfall