Evaluation of Antibiotic Resistance Pattern of Gram-positive Bacilli Isolated From Ready-to-Eat Vegetables Sold in Ota Metropolis, Nigeria

In most Nigerian cities, ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetables are purchased directly from street vendors and consumed immediately without necessarily having to cut, peel or rinse them as they have already been presumed to be processed by the vendors. However, the microbiological safety of these vegetables is of special concern due to the possible microbial contamination from incoming raw produce from farms, workers hygiene and handling practices, and the condition of the environment and equipment used to process the vegetables for distribution, marketing and sales. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Gram-positive Bacilli on RTE vegetables; Cabbage, Carrot, Cucumber and Lettuce from two local produce markets within Ota Metropolis. Pure cultures obtained by repeated streaking and identified based on cultural, morphological and biochemical characteristics were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility tests. The total aerobic bacteria present in the RTE vegetable samples Cabbage, Cucumber, Lettuce and Carrot ranged, respectively, from 1.84×106 - 2.24×106 cfu/g, 1.72 x106 - 2.48 x 106 cfu/g, 1.51x106 – 1.97 x 106 cfu/g and 1.69 x 106 – 2.42 x 106 cfu/g. A total of sixteen bacterial isolates from the RTE vegetables were tentatively identified as Bacillus brevis (30%), Nocardia spp. (18%), Bacillus spp. (12%), B. subtilis (12%), B. megaterium (6%), B. circulans (6%), B. sphaericus (6%) and B. pumilus (6%). Although, these bacteria are mostly causative agents of food spoilage and sometimes secondary infections, it is alarming that more than 80% of the bacterial isolates were resistant to at least two antibiotics including erythromycin, cloxacillin, cotrimoxazole, augmentin and streptomycin. The results of this study raise the spectre of antibiotic-resistance in normal soil microbes derived from RTE vegetables with potential impact on humans through the food chain and environmental exposure

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activities of 1-((5-Chloro-1-ethyl-2-methyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)sulfonyl)-N-ethylpyrrolidine-2-carboxamide

A new 1-((5-chloro-1-ethyl-2-methyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)sulfonyl)-N-ethylpyrrolidine-2-carboxamide was synthesized from methyl-1-[(5-chloro-1-ethyl-2-methyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)sulfonyl]pyrrolidine-2-carboxylate and ethylamine. The compound methyl-1-[(5-chloro-1-ethyl-2-methyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)sulfonyl]pyrrolidine-2-carboxylate was synthesized from methyl pyrrolidine-2-carboxylate and 5-chloro-4-chlorosulfonyl-1-ethyl-2-methyl-imidazole. The compounds were characterized based on FTIR, 1H, 13C NMR, and DEPT 135 analysis. Antimicrobial activities of the 1-((5-chloro-1-ethyl-2-methyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)sulfonyl)-N-ethylpyrrolidine-2-carboxamide against Gram-positive (methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis), Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae), and Candida albicans were carried out using the standard microbiological method. The newly synthesized 1-((5-chloro-1-ethyl-2-methyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)sulfonyl)-N-ethylpyrrolidine-2-carboxamide had no activities against the tested organisms. Keywords:    1-((5-chloro-1-ethyl-2-methyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)sulfonyl)-N-ethylpyrrolidine-2-carboxamide; methyl-1-[(5-chloro-1-ethyl-2-methyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)sulfonyl]pyrrolidine-2-carboxylate; L-proline; ethylamine

E-PROCUREMENT USE IN THE NIGERIAN BUILDING INDUSTRY

Since the mid-1990s, the use of the electronic procurement aspect of electronic commerce (e-commerce) in the different business and industrial sectors has increased globally. However, the extent of its adoption in the Nigerian building industry is not clearly understood. This study investigated e-procurement use in the Nigerian building industry with a goal to improve the general understanding of the extent of its adoption in this country. The research involved a questionnaire survey of 213 respondents drawn from consulting and contracting firms, client organizations in the private sector, and government institutions conducted in Nigeria in 2015. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and multiple regression analysis. The results show that the main users of e-procurement were quantity surveyors and construction/project managers in consulting firms. The most frequently used e-procurement technologies for advertising/announcing or receiving invitation to tender, exchanging project briefs and specifications, submitting/receiving tender/bids, and sourcing for materials and equipment were e-mails and websites. The type of organizations, top management support, and attitude towards current trends in e-procurement use in construction had the most significant influence on e-procurement adoption in the survey. The study concluded that only organisations with top management support and favourable attitudes towards the current trend in e-procurement use in construction, a good financial base, and information-technology-savvy staff would most likely adopt it in the Nigerian building industry

Gender-Based Competitive Performance In Built Environment Technical Related Courses In A Tertiary Institutionː Covenant University Case Study

Technical Education in recent times has witnessed high patronage in term of subscription from male and female candidates; this is against the school of thought that believes that technical-based disciplines are cut out for men. However in recent times, female candidates seem to be outperforming their male counterpart breaking the norms which tends to have defied reasonable logic. It is against this background that this study carried out comparative analysis of academic performances of male and female students studying technical-based disciplines in selected tertiary institution. Covenant University in Nigeria was chosen as a location of the study. Random sampling method was used in the study, with a sample of 80 students. A structured questionnaire in Likert scale was administered on student of technical based discipline, Eighty (80) questionnaires was administered on the students to harvest their perspective. The responses were further collated, analyzed with SPSS software, processed with Mean Item Score method and presented in tables and charts. Some factors were identified as being responsible for the trend, which includes: Age diference, emotional maturity, intelligence quotient, educational background, external interference, famiy problem, teachers challenge, complex curriculum, psychological problem, family problem, mode of subject delivery, attention to detail among others. Model was presented of an ideal metrics that influences higher performance of female students over their counterpart and what could be done to improve performance of all gender components

Coronavirus survey; a bibliometric analysis from 2012-2019

Background: Coronaviruses have emerged from animal reservoirs over the past decades to create severe illness and death. They are the SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and more recently, the SARS-CoV2. This study is focused at assessing the characteristics of published works involving SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV at global level; using bibliometric analysis. Methods: Peer-reviewed publications were retrieved from the Scopus database between 2012 and 2019. Data were analyzed in terms of the year, journal and number of publications, international collaboration patterns, research institutes, impact factor, h-index and number of times cited. Visual presentation and analysis of the data were performed using RStudio, Tableau and Microsoft Excel. Results: A total of 1707 research publications were published across the world between 2012 and 2019 with the highest and lowest number of publications in 2016 (288) and 2012 (87). USA had 249 articles, followed by South Korea (186) and Saudi Arabia (111). The total number of citations achieved was 39,094 with Journal of Virology (133) had the highest number of published articles, followed by Emerging Infectious Disease (85) and PLOS One (60). Conclusion: This research showed the international diversity of MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV research with 106 countries. It is also not surprising that United States leads in the number of publications, authors and citations because of its global power and economic strength; this can also be said with the other top countries. Saudi Arabia was among the top rank because of the origination of the MERS-CoV in the middle east

Characterization of Antiallodynic Actions of ALE-0540, a Novel Nerve Growth Factor Receptor Antagonist, in the Rat1

There is growing evidence that nerve growth factor (NGF) may function as a mediator of persistent pain states. We have identified a novel nonpeptidic molecule, ALE-0540, that inhibits the binding of NGF to tyrosine kinase (Trk) A or both p75 and TrkA (IC50 5.88 6 1.87 mM, 3.72 6 1.3 mM, respectively), as well as signal transduction and biological responses mediated by TrkA receptors. ALE-0540 was tested in models of neuropathic pain and thermally-induced inflammatory pain, using two routes of administration, a systemic i.p. and a spinal intrathecal (i.th.) route. Morphine was also tested for comparison in the antiallodynia model using mechanical stimuli. We show that either i.p. or i.th. administration of ALE-0540 in rats produced antiallodynia in the L5/L6 ligation model of neuropathic pain. The calculated A50 values (and 95% confidence intervals) for ALE- 0540 administered i.p. and i.th. were 38 (17.5– 83) mg/kg and 34.6 (17.3– 69.4) mg, respectively. ALE-0540 given i.th., at doses of 30 and 60 mg, also blocked tactile allodynia in the thermal sensitization model. Although morphine displayed greater potency [A50 value of 7.1 (5.6–8.8) mg/kg] than ALE- 0540 in anti-allodynic effect when given i.p. to L5/L6-ligated rats, it was not active when administered i.th. These data suggest that a blockade of NGF bioactivity using a NGF receptor antagonist is capable of blocking neuropathic and inflammatory pain and further support the hypothesis that NGF is involved in signaling pathways associated with these pain states. ALE-0540 represents a nonpeptidic small molecule which can be used to examine mechanisms leading to the development of agents for the treatment of pain

The burden of non-TB lung disease presenting to TB clinics in The Gambia: preliminary data in the Xpert® MTB/Rif era

In some low and middle-income countries, 10-20% of patients presenting with a persistent cough have tuberculosis (TB). Once TB is excluded, health service provision for alternative diagnoses is limited. We prospectively studied patients with two Xpert-negative sputum results presenting to a TB clinic in The Gambia. Of 239 patients, 108 did not have TB; 65/102 (6 were lost to follow-up) had alternative diagnoses, 24.6% of which were non-respiratory; 37/102 had no diagnosis, 27.0% of whom were HIV-1-positive; 37.8% had a history of TB and 24.3% smoked. We highlight the need for general health service integration with TB platforms and exploration of non-TB patients with chronic respiratory symptoms

Monitoring anti-tuberculosis treatment response using analysis of whole blood Mycobacterium tuberculosis specific T cell activation and functional markers

Background: Blood-based biomarkers have been proposed as an alternative to current sputum-based treatment monitoring methods in active tuberculosis (ATB). The aim of this study was to validate previously described phenotypic, activation, and cytokine markers of treatment response in a West African cohort. Methods: Whole blood immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis ESAT-6/CFP-10 (EC) and purified protein derivative (PPD) were measured in twenty adults at baseline and after 2 months of standard TB treatment. Patients were classified as fast or slow responders based on a negative or positive sputum culture result at 2 months, respectively. Cellular expression of activation markers (CD38, HLA-DR), memory markers (CD27), and functional intracellular cytokine and proliferation (IFN-γ, Ki-67, TNF-α) markers were measured using multi-color flow cytometry. Results: There was a significant increase in the proportion of CD4+CD27+ cells expressing CD38 and HLA-DR following EC stimulation at 2 months compared to baseline (p = 0.0328 and p = 0.0400, respectively). Following PPD stimulation, slow treatment responders had a significantly higher proportion of CD8+CD27–IFN-γ+ (p = 0.0105) and CD4+CD27+HLA-DR+CD38+ (p = 0.0077) T cells than fast responders at baseline. Receiver operating curve analysis of these subsets resulted in 80% sensitivity and 70 and 100% specificity, respectively (AUC of 0.82, p = 0.0156 and 0.84, p = 0.0102). Conclusion: Our pilot data show reductions in expression of T cell activation markers were seen with treatment, but this was not associated with fast or slow sputum conversion at 2 months. However, baseline proportions of activated T cell subsets are potentially predictive of the subsequent speed of response to treatment

A bifunctional exoglucanase-endoglucanase fusion protein

A fusion was constructed between the cex gene of Cellulomonas fimi, which encodes an exoglucanase, and the cenA gene of the same organism, which encodes an endoglucanase. The cex-cenA fusion was expressed in Escherichia coli to give a fusion protein with both exoglucanase and endoglucanase activities. The fusion protein, unlike the cex and the cenA gene products from E. coli, did not bind to microcrystalline cellulose, presumably because it lacked an intact substrate-binding region. The fusion protein was exported to the periplasm in E. coli

Functionalization of La0.33Ca0.67MnO3 with biologically active small ligand at room temperature

Wereportthestructural,morphological andopticalactivities of a paramagneticmanganite(La0.33Ca0.67MnO3) synthesized at 900�C. A simple method of formation of complex was employed. A complex was formed between a pre-prepared manganite dissolved in HCl and reacted with an organic ligand (ethyl 4-nitrobenzoate). The optical and antimicrobial properties of a complex were determined. The Ultraviolet-visible and Fourier-transforminfra-red spectroscopy wereused inmonitoringoptical activitiesof theresultingproduct. Itwasobserved toabsorb in thevisible region (205nmand256nm). The peaks observed from the infra-red spectra indicated that the reaction occurred at the nitroso end of the ethyl 4- nitrobenzoate. The bacterial inhibitorypropertyoftheLCMO-ethyl 4-nitrobenzoatewasdetermined against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albican, Aspergillus niger and Staphylococcus auerus. It was observed to inhibit the growth of all the microbes with zone of inhibitions of 60mm, 56mm, 45mm and 32mm, for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albican, Aspergillus niger and Staphylococcus auerus, respectivel