Bacteriological assessment of some borehole water samples in Mile 50, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Water as excellent natural resource is meant to be of high quality to reduce the outbreak of water-borne diseases. Bacteriological load of some borehole water samples in Mile 50 Abakaliki were carried out to determine their potability. Fifteen borehole water samples were sampled during rainy and dry season from June to July and November to December 2018 respectively. The total bacterial count was determined by tenfold serial dilution method using peptone water. Eight bacterial species namely Vibrio cholerae, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Shigella flexineri, Proteus vulgaris and Klebsiella  pneumoniaewere isolated using standard analytical procedures. The bacterium that had the highest frequency of occurrence during both rainy and dry season’s was K. pneumoniae with percentage frequency of  21.81% and 20.79%  respectively, and P. vulgaris had the least value of 6.96% during rainy season. E. coli and S. aureus have the least value of 5.94% during dry season. Amoxicillin (30ug) was mostly resisted by the bacterial isolates why being was more susceptible to Ciprofloxacin (10ug) among the antibiotics used for susceptibility test. Two way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the level of significance among the bacteriological analyses of both seasons. Therefore, there is need to create awareness about the present situation of the borehole waters and the necessity for further treatment of water by consumers, before it can be used for both drinking and domestic purposes to prevent disease outbreak in the area

PRODUKSI BIOETANOL DARI HIDROLISAT AMPAS SAGUBERDASARKAN VARIASI JUMLAH RAGI ROTI (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) DAN WAKTU FERMENTASI

Ampas sagu merupakan limbah yang dihasilkan dari pengolahan sagu, yang masih  kaya akan karbohidrat dan bahan organik lainnya. Ampas sagu juga mengandung selulosa sebesar 20% yang dapat diuraikan menjadi glukosa (hidrolisat) melalui proses hidrolisis asam sulfat di mana glukosa ini dapat menjadi bahan dasar fermentasi untuk  menghasilkan bioetanol. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh kondisi optimum produksi bioetanol dengan memvariasikan jumlah ragi roti (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), dan lama waktu fermentasi. Hidrolisat ampas sagu (Metroxylon sp.) dengan pH awal 1,4 ditambahkan dengan larutan NaOH 80% hingga diperoleh pH 5. Ragi (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)  merupakan golongan khamir yang mampu memfermentasikan berbagai karbohidrat sederhana dan mengubah glukosa menjadi alkohol dan karbon dioksida (CO2). Jumlah ragi yang dipakai adalah 3 g, 4 g, dan 5 g, sedangkan fermentasi hidrolisat dilakukan pada pH 5 dalam skala waktu 1-10 hari. Hasil  fermentasi  (bioetanol)  dimurnikan  dengan  metode  destilasi.  Data  penelitian  menunjukkan  bahwa  kadar  bioetanol terbanyak adalah 4,25% dengan kondisi optimum jumlah ragi 4 g, waktu fermentasi 6 hari dan pH fermentasi 5. Jadi data penelitian ini dapat menjadi informasi dalam membuat rancangan optimasi produksi bioetanol selanjutnya Kata Kunci : Ampas sagu (Metroxylon sp.), bioetanol, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, fermentasi

Dioxin Toxicity In Vivo Results from an Increase in the Dioxin-Independent Transcriptional Activity of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor

The Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) is the nuclear receptor mediating the toxicity of dioxins -widespread and persistent pollutants whose toxic effects include tumor promotion, teratogenesis, wasting syndrome and chloracne. Elimination of Ahr in mice eliminates dioxin toxicity but also produces adverse effects, some seemingly unrelated to dioxin. Thus the relationship between the toxic and dioxin-independent functions of Ahr is not clear, which hampers understanding and treatment of dioxin toxicity. Here we develop a Drosophila model to show that dioxin actually increases the in vivo dioxin-independent activity of Ahr. This hyperactivation resembles the effects caused by an increase in the amount of its dimerisation partner Ahr nuclear translocator (Arnt) and entails an increased transcriptional potency of Ahr, in addition to the previously described effect on nuclear translocation. Thus the two apparently different functions of Ahr, dioxin-mediated and dioxin-independent, are in fact two different levels (hyperactivated and basal, respectively) of a single function

Are Local Economic Development Incentives Promoting Job Growth? An Empirical Case Study

At a time when cities are competing with one another to attract or retain jobs within a globalizing economy, city governments are providing an array of financial incentives to stimulate job growth and retain existing jobs, particularly in high cost locations. This paper provides the first systematic and comprehensive analysis of datasets on economic development incentives in New York City over the last fifteen years. The evidence on job retention and creation is mixed. Although many companies do not meet their agreed-upon job targets in absolute terms, the evidence suggests that companies receiving subsidies outperform their respective industries in terms of employment growth, that is, the grow more, or decline less. We emphasize that this finding is difficult to interpret, since firms receiving incentives may not be representative of the industry as a whole. In other words, their above-average performance may simply reflect the fact that the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) selects economically promising companies within manufacturing (or other industries) when granting incentives. At the same time, it is also possible that receiving incentives helps these companies to become stronger

DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS OF YOUTUBE CHILDREN SONGS ON THE L2ACQUISITION OF PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN: A CASE STUDY

This research aimed to look into direct and indirect effects of YouTube children songs on the L2 acquisition of preschool children. The researchers’ formulated three main questions in this study: (1) what is the effect of indirect exposure to YouTube children songs on the L2 acquisition of preschool child? (2) What is the effect of direct exposure to YouTube children songs on the L2 acquisition of preschool child? (3) Is there a significant difference between the children with direct and indirect exposure to YouTube children songs? To answer the research questions, the researchers utilized a qualitative research design. The researchers observed and recorded the session with the child for the data collection. Research ethics was properly observed in data gathering. Additionally, the researchers used a statistical tool to determine the significant difference in the participants L2 acquisition. Also, researchers used observational analysis to analyze the collected data from recorded video and test results. Furthermore, the findings showed that a child with direct exposure to YouTube songs shows more progress than a child with indirect exposure. Exposure to YouTube songs can help children learn because they can increase engagement, create a desired environment, improve concentration and memory, and keep children on task