Acid-Catalyzed Esterification of Waste Cooking Oil with High FFA for Biodiesel Production

In this work, Biodiesel was produced from waste cooking oil (WCO) obtained from Mr. Biggs.  Since WCO usually comes with a high content of FFA and thus requires an additional acid pre-treatment process to convert the FFA to ester. Two steps (esterification and transesterification) approach was employed to convert the WCO to biodiesel. In the first step, six experimental run was carried out until the % FFA was constant. Meanwhile, the second step required five experimental runs, and the average WCO biodiesel yield (95.06 % w/w) was computed at the following variable conditions, 0.55% KOH, 5:1 Methanol/oil molar ratio, 60 oC reaction temperature and 30 min reaction time. Meanwhile, the produced WCO biodiesel possess some fuel properties which satisfied both ASTME D6751 and EN 1424 standards. The fatty acid profiles of both the WCO and WCO biodiesel revealed that both profiles contained unsaturated fatty acids. Hence, it can be concluded that WCO is a potential raw material for biodiesel production which are biodegradable, economical, environmental friendly and always available. Keywords: Waste cooking oil (WCO), esterification, transesterification, biodiesel, fatty acids profile, physicochemical analysis

Entrepreneurship Development and the Growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Nigeria

Objective The study examines the impact of entrepreneurship development on the growth of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs’) in Nigeria using a Lagos based MSME in the Information and Communication Technology industry, Befy Links Nigeria Limited.   Prior Work The roles of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), as a catalyst for economic growth have been well documented in economics literature. The recent global economic crisis negatively affected productive activities and reduces business operations, investments and demand for goods and services. This forced many countries to look for alternative means of growth and development. One of these alternative approaches is the encouragement of micro, small and medium scale enterprises.   Approach The study employed descriptive and Chi-square techniques for the analyses. Questionnaires were randomly administered to the workers and customers in the company.   Results It was found that entrepreneurship development has significant impact on the growth of MSMEs and that training and re-training of existing and intending entrepreneurs is necessary to ensure sufficient impact of entrepreneurship development on the growth of MSMEs in Nigeria.    Implications Government and stakeholders in entrepreneurship development should support, promote and ensure that MSMEs are given necessary impetus to function efficiently. Entrepreneurs should also cultivate the right attitude that would engender partnerships and pooling of resources. The entrepreneurship programmes (EDPs), should not be left to the public sector and professionals in other sectors of the economy should utilize the potentials in these programmes.   Value The unique contribution of the study is that it takes interest in information and technology sector.   Keywords: Investment; Industrial Growth; Economic Growth   JEL Classification: O4, L8, L260, Objective The study examines the impact of entrepreneurship development on the growth of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs’) in Nigeria using a Lagos based MSME in the Information and Communication Technology industry, Befy Links Nigeria Limited.   Prior Work The roles of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), as a catalyst for economic growth have been well documented in economics literature. The recent global economic crisis negatively affected productive activities and reduces business operations, investments and demand for goods and services. This forced many countries to look for alternative means of growth and development. One of these alternative approaches is the encouragement of micro, small and medium scale enterprises.   Approach The study employed descriptive and Chi-square techniques for the analyses. Questionnaires were randomly administered to the workers and customers in the company.   Results It was found that entrepreneurship development has significant impact on the growth of MSMEs and that training and re-training of existing and intending entrepreneurs is necessary to ensure sufficient impact of entrepreneurship development on the growth of MSMEs in Nigeria.    Implications Government and stakeholders in entrepreneurship development should support, promote and ensure that MSMEs are given necessary impetus to function efficiently. Entrepreneurs should also cultivate the right attitude that would engender partnerships and pooling of resources. The entrepreneurship programmes (EDPs), should not be left to the public sector and professionals in other sectors of the economy should utilize the potentials in these programmes.   Value The unique contribution of the study is that it takes interest in information and technology sector.   Keywords: Investment; Industrial Growth; Economic Growth   JEL Classification: O4, L8, L260, &nbsp

A four-step ortho-rectification procedure for geo-referencing video streams from a low-cost UAV

In this paper, we present a four-step ortho-rectification procedure for real-time geo-referencing of video data from a low-cost UAV equipped with a multi-sensor system. The basic procedures for the real-time ortho-rectification are: (1) decompilation of the video stream into individual frames; (2) establishing the interior camera orientation parameters; (3) determining the relative orientation parameters for each video frame with respect to each other; (4) finding the absolute orientation parameters, using a self-calibration bundle and adjustment with the aid of a mathematical model. Each ortho-rectified video frame is then mosaicked together to produce a mosaic image of the test area, which is then merged with a well referenced existing digital map for the purpose of geo-referencing and aerial surveillance. A test field located in Abuja, Nigeria was used to evaluate our method. Video and telemetry data were collected for about fifteen minutes, and they were processed using the four-step ortho-rectification procedure. The results demonstrated that the geometric measurement of the control field from ortho-images is more accurate when compared with those from original perspective images when used to pin point the exact location of targets on the video imagery acquired by the UAV. The 2-D planimetric accuracy when compared with the 6 control points measured by a GPS receiver is between 3 to 5 metres

AMINO ACID COMPOSITION AND ANTI-TYROSINASE ACTIVITY OF METABOLITES FROM EDIBLE Pleurotus SPECIES FOR THEIR NUTRITIONAL AND THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL

Mushrooms are being extensively researched due to their nutritional value and medicinal importance. The genus Pleurotus is the second most cultivated mushroom and is known for its high nutritional value, therapeutic properties, taste, flavor, as well as their application in biotechnology and environmental study. Also, tyrosinase is prevalent in most living organisms. The enzyme catalyzes the oxidation of monophenols to ortho-quinones in a two-step reaction process. This study was aimed to assess the amino acid composition and anti-tyrosinase activity of metabolites obtained from edible Pleurotus species. Assessment of the nutritional content and inhibitory studies of mushroom tyrosinase produced from four Pleurotus strains was carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The results of the study showed that seventeen different amino acids were identified in the crude and partially purified protein metabolites. Also, the crude extract metabolite had the highest quantity of amino acids than the partially purified. The highest and lowest amino acids value Glutamic acid (1343.26 µmol/mL) and valine (0.34 µmol/mL). The anti-tyrosinase inhibition studies of the four Pleurotus strains showed varying results from significantly inhibitory effects to slightly inhibitory effects on mushroom tyrosinase. The highest inhibition was 14.86% (Pleu-W), while the lowest inhibition was 51.42% (Plof-30) respectively. The high point of this study is that the Pleurotus species contains a significant number of amino acids and also, they possess good anti-tyrosinase activity. Therefore, these are a good source of nutritional and therapeutic metabolites and these can be explored further for their nutritional and medicinal importance to man

PRELIMINARY STUDY ON POTENTIAL EDIBLE COATINGS DERIVED FROM CARBOXYL METHYLCELLULOSE AND FUNGI CULTURED METABOLITES ON THE SHELF-LIFE EXTENSION OF SWEET-ORANGE (CITRUS SINENSIS)

This study focused on assessing the potential of formulated edible coatings derived from a metabolite of Trichoderma viride and Penicillium chrysogenum, combined with carboxyl methylcellulose (CMC) on the postharvest storage quality of orange fruits. The cultured metabolite of fungal bioagents combined with CMC, as well as glycerol (plasticizer), inadequate solution ratio based on wettability, was evaluated for microbiological quality and shelf-life extension of sweet orange. Thereafter, ascorbic acid, total soluble solids, pH, percentage weight loss, among other parameters were assessed for 7 weeks. The results of the study revealed that the pH of CMC + Trichoderma viride and CMC + P. chrysogenum coatings had 3.8 ± 0.02 and 3.17 ± 0.06 respectively, while it was reported 2.90 ± 0.04 for uncoated treatment. Also, the ascorbic acid and total soluble solids of the edible coated oranges were higher than the control. In addition, the percentage of weight loss was higher in the uncoated control compared to the potential edible coated oranges. Further, the microbial load count of the potential edible-coated oranges was less compared to the un-coated oranges. In conclusion, this formulated potential edible coating could be further improved upon and optimized for use in prolonging the storage of sweet oranges

APPLICATION OF RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY (RSM) AND ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK (ANN) FOR ACHIEVING DESIRE BA IN THE BIOTRANSFORMATION OF BENZALDEHYDE USING FREE CELLS OF SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISAE AND THE EFFECT OF Β-CYCLODEXTRIN

This work dwells on the production of benzene alcohol (BA) from the biotransformation of benzaldehyde using free cells of Saccharomyces cerevisae and effects of β-Cyclodextrin. Meanwhile, the properties of BA produced was evaluated. The effects of five variables considered in this research work were evaluated using RSM and ANN. The root mean square error, the coefficient of determination, the adjusted coefficient of determination and the predicted values were used to compare the performance of the RSM and ANN models. The RMSE and R2 of RSM and ANN were 2.00 and 0.0739; 0.9898 and 0.99206, respectively. The R2 adj. and the predicted values of RSM and ANN were found to be 0.98416 and 0.9889 and 327.259 mg/100 ml and 351.50 mg/100 ml. The quality of BA showed that at room temperature, BA was colourless liquid with density 1.030 kg/dm3, the boiling point and refractive index was found to be 204 ± 2 0C and 1.5453, respectively. The results indicated the ANN model to have higher predictive capability than RSM model. Thus, the ANN methodology presents a better alternative than the RSM model. The quality of produced BA was found to be in line with Analytic grade values

Preliminary Investigation on Production of Brown Ink from Gmelina arborea (ROXB) Fruit Extract

The study was carried out to assess the potential of producing brown ink from Gmelina arborea fruit extract and to compare the ink produced with commercial ink using ink flotation test. The Gmelina arborea fruit extract was gotten by soaking the fruits in water for two hours, after which they were squeezed manually to extract the juice. Five different concentration levels (100%, 80%, 60%, 40% and 20%) of the ink were produced using ethanol as diluent and coconut vinegar as additive to preserve the ink from biodegradation and to enhance its stability and permanence on paper once it has dried. The prepared ink was compared with the commercial ink (control) to determine the best concentration level for optimal ink penetration on selected paper surfaces. The results showed that 40% concentration level of the prepared ink has the best penetration time of 5.2

EFFECTS OF PALM KERNEL CAKE SUPPLEMENT ON FATTY ACID PROFILE AND MILK COMPOSITION OF LACTATING WAD GOATS FED GRASS SILAGE

The scarcity of quality feed and cost-effective supplements necessitates verifiable concentrate as a supplement for goat milk production. Palm Kernel Cake (PKC), an oil palm by-product rich in protein and energy, gradually replaced Prepared Concentrate (PC) in this study. This replacement's impact on milk composition and fatty acid profile in lactating WAD goats fed grass silage basal diet was assessed. Five supplement concentrates with varying PC: PKC ratios (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, 0:100) were fed to 25 lactating WAD goats in a randomized setting of 5 animals per group. The replacement significantly affected (p<0.05) milk fat, protein, specific gravity, ash, and fat-corrected milk. The highest milk fat (2.17%) came from 100%PKC supplementation, while the lowest (0.77%) came from 25% PKC. Total solid fat values were not significantly affected. Fat Corrected Milk results mirrored the milk fat trend. The 100%PKC group had the highest crude protein (8.22%), while 25% and 75%PKC were not different (p<0.05). Fatty acid profile, expressed as total Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAMEs) g/kg, showed increased medium and long-chain fatty acids as PC was replaced. In conclusion, 100% PKC supplementation enhanced milk fat, while 50% PC replacement increased long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in goat mil

Membrane purification techniques for recovery of succinic acid obtained from fermentation broth during bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass : current advances and future perspectives

Recently, the bioconversion of biomass into biofuels and biocommodities has received significant attention. Although green technologies for biofuel and biocommodity production are advancing, the productivity and yield from these techniques are low. Over the past years, various recovery and purification techniques have been developed and successfully employed to improve these technologies. However, these technologies still require improvement regarding the energyconsumption-related costs, low yield and product purity. In the context of sustainable green production, this review presents a broad review of membrane purification technologies/methods for succinic acid, a biocommodity obtained from lignocellulosic biomass. In addition, a short overview of the global market for sustainable green chemistry and circular economy systems or zero waste approach towards a sustainable waste management is presented. Succinic acid, the available feedstocks for its production and its industrial applications are also highlighted. Downstream separation processes of succinic acid and the current studies on different downstream processing techniques are critically reviewed. Furthermore, critical analysis of membrane-based downstream processes of succinic acid production from fermentation broth is highlighted. A short review of the integrated-membrane-based process is discussed, as well, because integrating “one-pot” lignocellulosic bioconversion to succinic acid with downstream separation processing is considered a critical issue to address. In conclusion, speculations on outlook are suggested.The National Research Foundation of South Africa.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainabilityChemical Engineerin

DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF A MOTORIZED/ POWER OPERATED PLANTAIN SLICER FOR OPTIMUM CHIPS PRODUCTION

In Nigeria, plantain chips are in high demand and this demand is not being met by most small scale food industries and shops due to some critical factors. Shops are only able to fulfill approximately two-thirds of the demand. The biggest obstacle towards attaining self-sufficiency in the production of plantain chips is the intensity of labor involved and the tediousness of the process which often culminate into prolonged production time. Plantain has a large amount of sap and this causes the skin to adhere to the fruit inside. After peeling, they must be sliced into discs to fry into chips. Worker will hold up to eight plantains in one hand and rapidly slice them using a wooden mandolin. Because of the rapid pace at which they slice plantain and the absence ofhand gloves on the workers, accidents are very often unavoidable. These presents health hazards to both the worker, who may develop infections from their injuries, and customers who may consume an unsanitary product. This development is very uncomfortable and tasking on the workers. They must hold the mandolin over the fryer so the plantains will fall in, which causes splashing of the boiling hot oil that occasionally hits and injures the worker. This research focused on design and fabrication of motorized / power operated plantain slicer to meet the raising demands for plantain chips in Nigeria. The objectives of this research was met as the machine has the capacity to produce plantain chips of uniform size in shorter time and a greater slicing efficiency of up to 96.84% while keeping the cost of themachine at an affordable price