Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial studies of Mn(II) complex with N-salicyl-O-hydroxyphenyleneiminato schiff base ligand

The complex of Mn(II) with schiff base derived from 2-aminophenol and 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde has been synthesised and characterized by molar conductance, elemental analysis, FT-IR, solubility test and potentiometric studies. The elemental analysis data suggested the stoichiometry to be 1:1 [M:L]. Solubility test carried out in some common solvents showed that it is soluble in methanol, DMSO, acetone and diethylether but insoluble in benzene and ether, while in toluene is slightly soluble and these suggested the polar nature of the complex. The molar conductance measurement of the complex is 2.5 Ω-1 cm2  mol-1 which is very low suggesting that the complex is non-electrolyte. Evidence from Infrared spectral study indicated a strong band in the spectra of free ligand occurring at 1600cm-1 which assigned to ν(C=N). It shifted to lower frequency region 1520cm-1 in the complex indicating the involvement of nitrogen atom of azomethine group. The coordination of Schiff base with the metal ion as showed by the appearance of low frequency band at 430cm-1 due to metal-oxygen ν(M-O) vibration thus confirming participation of oxygen in the coordination. Further coordination of metal to azomethine nitrogen ν(M-N) is confirmed by a new band at 580cm-1. The synthesized ligand, and metal complex were screened for its antibacterial activity using gram positive (Staphylococcus aurous) and gram negative (Escherichia coli) and antifungal activity using Aspergillum niger and Candida albican as potential antimicrobials and showed moderate activity.Keywords: Schiff base; Mn(II) complex; Antimicrobial stud

Solid State Synthesis, Spectroscopic and X-ray Studies of Cu(II) Schiff base Complex Derived from 2-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde and 1,3- Phenylenediamine

Complex of Cu (II) with Schiff base derived from 2-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde and 1,3- Phenylenediamine have been mechanochemically (liquid-assistant grinding) synthesized and characterized by infrared, powder x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray and CHN analysis. Evidence from Infrared spectral study indicated a strong band in the spectra of free ligand occurring at 1619 cm-1 which assigned to ν(C=N). It shifted to lower frequency region 1587 cm-1 in the complex indicating the involvement of nitrogen atom of azomethine group. The coordination of Schiff base with the metal ion is confirmed by the appearance of low frequency band at 461 cm-1 due to metal-oxygen ν(M-O) and at 579 cm-1 due to metal azothemine nitrogen (MN) band. The Powder-XRD analysis reveals that, the patterns of the ground mixture were entirely different from the starting constituents, indicating that, all the starting materials were transformed to product, furthermore the colour of the complex was different from that of the Schiff base suggesting the formation of coordination compound. The antimicrobial activities of the synthesized Schiff base and complex were tested using serial dilution method, against bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus) and fungal strain (Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger). It has been observed that the complex has higher activity than the free Schiff base ligand.Keywords: Mechanochemistry, Power-X-ray, Azomethine, Ligand, Complex

A Prospective Study on Building Quality: Relationship between Workmanship Quality and Common Building Defects of Low-cost Construction Projects

This study focuses on the quality of workmanship in the construction of lowcost housing in Kedah and Penang State, Malaysia and its relation to defects occurring in the building. The objectives of this study are to investigate common building defects that mostly occur at low-cost housing due to poor workmanship, the factors that contribute to poor workmanship and to established possible measures to minimize these problems. From the combination of literary reviews and questionnaire surveys, this research explores all the stated objectives. For this particular study, quantitative research was conducted through questionnaire surveys involving respondents who are involved in and are experienced in working on construction projects. After analysing the data, this study found that most common defects occurring on low-cost housing are cracks on walls, settlement and peeling paint. Additionally, construction of low-cost housing commonly suffers from low quality workmanship due to poor project management and a lack of experience and competency among labourers. These significant impediments can be remedied by providing training and education to the labourers as well as implementing strict supervision during construction work

Approaches to Construction Waste Management in Malaysia

The concept of construction waste management was introduced a long time ago but the effort of waste minimization has, for the most part, merely been observed and not practiced. Additionally, an increasing allocation of landfills has indicated a growing production of waste. However, the allocation of funding or skills for the prevention of waste has been scarce as waste minimization has not been given enough attention. One such example is the undertaking of different stages of construction, which often does not account for future problems in construction waste. Hence, this study is intended to investigate common waste management practices on construction sites in Malaysia. As part of this investigation, site observations and questionnaires were conducted to collect information from the respondents. Comprehensive literature reviews also helped to understand the latest norms as well as previous practices in waste management. The results reflected that certain areas of knowledge and implementation showed great gaps with the same mistakes appearing frequently, pointing to the conclusion that known causes of excess waste are often not rectified and suggestions for improvement are not fully incorporated in standard practices

Effect of Educational Technology Usage on Student’s Clinical Skills, Competencies and Satisfaction at School of Nursing in Sokoto State, Nigeria

Background: Technology allows the most difficult tasks to become seamlessly easy and more efficient. In education, technology has allowed the dissemination of knowledge to be dispersed instantly and it allows for quicker and more effective communication. A critical reflection on what nursing educators should consider now in order to better support the clinicians of the future is also included with a particular focus on existing informatics curricular supports. Aim: The study aimed at assessing the effect of the use of educational technology on student clinical skills, competency, and satisfaction at schools of nursing Sokoto state. Methodology: A quasiexperimental design was used for the study, A total of 239 respondents, with pre-test/post-test injection and hand hygiene clinical Competency observation checklist and a researcher developed a questionnaire for satisfaction. Results: The findings of the study revealed that the effect of educational technology on student clinical competence skills based on hand hygiene difference of 2.36 with t(186)=9.837, p<0.05, hence, the experiment group performed better than the control group in hand hygiene competencies and injection procedure with mean 1.12 with t(186)=3.556, P<0.05 The satisfaction with teaching/learning using reusable learning object, both experiment, and control groups were relatively satisfied with the reusable learning object educational technology The mean levels of satisfaction was 26.54 and 26.38 for experimental and control groups respectively r(92)=0.425, r2=0.18 (18%), P<0.05 Conclusion: The RLOs were successful in supporting the students understanding of clinical procedures such as injection and hand hygiene issues, resulting in effective ability and confidence to meet their clinical competency

Axial Compressive Strength of Foamcrete with Different Profiles and Dimensions

Lightweight foamcrete is a versatile material; primarily consist of a cement based mortar mixed with at least 20% volume of air. High flow ability, lower self-weight, minimal requirement of aggregate, controlled low strength and good thermal insulation properties are a few characteristics of foamcrete. Its dry densities, typically, is below 1600 kg/m3 with compressive strengths maximum of 15MPa. The ASTM standard provision specifies a correction factor for concrete strengths of between 14 and 42MPa to compensate for the reduced strength when the aspect height-to-diameter ratio of specimen is less than 2.0, while the CEB-FIP provision specifically mentions the ratio of 150 x 300 mm cylinder strength to 150 mm cube strength. However, both provisions requirements do not specifically clarify the applicability and/or modification of the correction factors for the compressive strength of foamcrete. This proposed laboratory work is intended to study the effect of different dimensions and profiles on the axial compressive strength of concrete. Specimens of various dimensions and profiles are cast with square and circular cross-sections i.e., cubes, prisms and cylinders, and to investigate their behavior in compression strength at 7 and 28 days. Hypothetically, compressive strength will decrease with the increase of concrete specimen dimension and concrete specimen with cube profile would yield comparable compressive strength to cylinder (100 x 100 x 100mm cube to 100dia x 200mm cylinder)

Mechanochemical synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial screening of Metal (II) complexes derived from amoxicillin

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Effect of GGBS Slag on Setting Time and Compressive Strength of One-Part Geopolymer Binders

This paper investigated the influence of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) on the setting time and compressive strength of one-part geopolymer binders (OPGB). Powdered sodium metasilicate activator was utilized in the range of 8 – 16% by weight of the total binder. Central composite design method was used in designing the mixtures. Experimental investigation revealed that both the initial and final setting time of the OPGB decreased drastically with the increase in the GGBS and the activator content. The inclusion of GGBS in the binder influences the setting time of the binders thereby resulting in quick setting time. The variance analysis of the established models demonstrated that the setting and compressive strength models could be predicted using quadratic models with high R2 coefficient. Optimizations results revealed that the optimum mixture can be obtained by substituting 95.8 % fly ash with GGBS and 13.4 % solid activator

Analysis of Micro-Morphology, Thermal Conductivity, Thermal Diffusivity and Specific Heat Capacity of Coconut Fibre Reinforced Foamed Concrete

With the quest for green construction and affordable housing systems for both rural and urban populations in Malaysia, various proposals focusing on cutting down on conventional building material costs have been put forward. One vanguard suggestion has been the sourcing, development and use of alternative, non-conventional local construction materials including the prospect of using some agricultural wastes as construction materials. This research describes experimental studies on the use of coconut coir fibre as an enhancer of foamed concrete with a focus on 2 parameters which are morphology properties and thermal properties of different percentages of coconut fibre (0%, 0.2% and 0.4%). In this study the addition of coconut fibre significantly improved all the properties investigated. The results of the tests showed that the thermal properties of foamed concrete improved with an increase in the proportion of coconut fibre. Findings from this research will also be used to address the knowledge gap on the subject of foamed concrete and will provide an improved understanding and raised awareness of the potential for using waste materials for domestic construction

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B Virus and Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection among students in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Evidence on HBV co-infection rates with HIV infection among individuals remains conflicting. The study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of HBV and HIV infections and the possible potential risk factors among students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Nigeria. Blood samples were collected from 600 consenting consecutive students aged between 16 and 40 years old at the University Health Services, ABU, Zaria. The sera were screened for HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe and anti-HBc using diagnostic kits and for Human Immunodeficiency Virus using DetermineTMHIV-1/2 kits. Reactive sera for HBsAg were further confirmed using ELISA kits. For HBsAg, 9.2% (55/600) tested positive among which, none had detectable anti-HBs antibodies, indicating recent infection. About 7.3%, 36.4% and 94.5% were positive for HBeAg, anti-HBe and anti-HBc respectively. Seroprevalence of HIV infection was 2.8% (17/600). One (0.2%) of the student was infected with both HBV and HIV. There was a significant association between age group (p=0.016), gender (p=0.049), family history of HBV infection (p=0.000), and seroprevalence of HBsAg. While for HIV, only menial jobs (p = 0.001) was significantly associated with the infection. The results showed close contact among family members to be a predisposing factor to these viral infections. A total of 314 students were ignorant of HBV and four of them were infectious. The seroprevalence of HBsAg obtained in this study indicates high endemicity according to WHO classification. However, seroprevalence of HIV and its co-infection rate with HBV were very low. This was encouraging and it indicates that the campaign on HIV is yielding the desired result. Therefore similar campaign should be extended to Hepatitis B.Keywords: Seroprevalence; HIV; HBsAg; Serological markers; Students; Nigeri