39 research outputs found
PREVALENCE AND MANAGEMENT OF FALCIPARIUM MALARIA AMONG INFANTS AND CHILDREN IN OTA, OGUN STATE, SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA
Studies were carried out to determine the prevalence of malaria parasite infection among infants and
children (0-12yrs) in Ota, Southwestern Nigeria between April and December 2008. The two hospitals used were Ota General Hospital and Covenant University Health Centre, Canaanland, Ota. Thick and thin films were made and stained using standard parasitological procedures. Structured Questionnaires were distributed to ascertain the age, sex, drugs or insecticides used and state of health of the subjects before recruiting them into the study.
Overall, 215 (80.5%) of the 267 children investigated were found to have malaria infection. Age group (0-5 years) had the highest frequency rate of 84.7% with mean parasite density of 900 and the difference between the age groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). Children of illiterates from suburb villages had the highest mean parasite density of 850 with 78.1% prevalence rate. 20% of the children were given local herbs and 22% used orthodox medicine as prophylaxis. Only 18% used insecticide treated mosquito nets while 24% of the parents spray insecticides to prevent mosquito bites.
There is therefore need for more awareness on effective use of drugs and Insecticide Treated bed nets in malaria hyperendemic regions
Spatio‑temporal calibration of Hargreaves-Samani model in the Northern Region of Nigeria
One of the significant components of the hydrological cycle is evapotranspiration. Monthly meteorological parameters of 35 years from 19 meteorological stations across the Northern Region of Nigeria (NRN) were obtained and utilized for the calibration of Hargreaves–Samani (HS) model by comparing between potential evapotranspiration (ETo) values estimated from the original HS and the Penman–Monteith (FAO-56 PM) models. The calibrated HS equation was assessed using trend patterns and some statistical indices. The average value of root mean square error (RMSE) and the mean absolute error (MAE) decreased by 37.1 and 40%, respectively, after the calibration of the model. Also, the correlation coefficients (R) of stations that had values > 0.8 increased from 6 to 11 and the minimum R value increased by 12% above that of the original HS equation. The trend and spatial map of the statistical tests conducted also indicate better performance in most climatic regions after calibration. The precision of the HS equation improved significantly after calibration for semi-arid, humid, and sub-humid regions. However, few stations in the semi-arid, humid, and sub-humid regions did not show drastic improvement due to the peculiarity of the location and high variations in the wind speed and relative humidity parameters
Preparation and Characterization of Biochar and Activated Carbon Derived from Cashew Bagasse Waste
Biochar and Activated carbon derived from cashew bagasse waste are veritable materials produced from agro-waste. They are currently under-utilized owing to paucity of information in their recycling methods which reduces agricultural waste from the environment. This study investigates the use of under-utilized cashew bagasse waste in the production of biochar and activated carbon using pyrolysis and chemical activation methods, respectively. Cashew bagasse waste was pyrolysed at 4000C for 20mins at a heating rate of 100C per mins. The biochar produced was allowed to cool at room temperature for 30 mins. It was further reduced to smaller size particles using euro premium grinder and later sieved with 10 mesh sieve size prior to its application. The biochar was chemically activated using 0.3M Orthophosphoric acid (H3PO4) as activating agent at an impregnation ratio of 1:2.36(w/w). It was heated at 1000C to form a paste and later placed in muffle furnace at 5000C for 30 mins. This was allowed to cool and washed with distilled water until a neutral pH was obtained and later oven dried at 1050C for 24 hours to a constant weight to produce activated carbon. The produced activated carbon was kept in air tight containers prior to analysis. Characterization of pH, bulk density, moisture content, dry matter, volatile matter, and fixed carbon were determined for biochar and activated carbon. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed to determine the functional groups and surface morphology of biochar and activated carbon, respectively. The Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at P value < 0.05. The results showed that significant differences (p<0.05) were observed in the characterized parameters determined. The biochar and activated carbon has pH: (7.68±0.06 and 6.13±0.03); Bulk density :( 0.18±0.01 and 0.20±0.01) %; Moisture content: (6.67±0.33 and 16.00±0.58)%; Dry matter (93.33±0.33 and 84.00±0.58) %; Volatile matter (68.67±3.18 and 29.67±5.21) %; Fixed carbon (30.24±3.20 and 69.32±5.16) %, respectively. FTIR Analysis showed that biochar and activated carbon were more polar and also contained specific bonds. SEM analysis also indicated that biochar and activated carbon have porous structures. This study, therefore, revealed that chemically activated carbon had better characteristics than biochar produced through pyrolysis method
Next Generation Nuclear Plant Methods Technical Program Plan
One of the great challenges of designing and licensing the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) is to confirm that the intended VHTR analysis tools can be used confidently to make decisions and to assure all that the reactor systems are safe and meet the performance objectives of the Generation IV Program. The research and development (R&D) projects defined in the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Design Methods Development and Validation Program will ensure that the tools used to perform the required calculations and analyses can be trusted. The Methods R&D tasks are designed to ensure that the calculational envelope of the tools used to analyze the VHTR reactor systems encompasses, or is larger than, the operational and transient envelope of the VHTR itself. The Methods R&D focuses on the development of tools to assess the neutronic and thermal fluid behavior of the plant. The fuel behavior and fission product transport models are discussed in the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) program plan. Various stress analysis and mechanical design tools will also need to be developed and validated and will ultimately also be included in the Methods R&D Program Plan. The calculational envelope of the neutronics and thermal-fluids software tools intended to be used on the NGNP is defined by the scenarios and phenomena that these tools can calculate with confidence. The software tools can only be used confidently when the results they produce have been shown to be in reasonable agreement with first-principle results, thought-problems, and data that describe the “highly ranked” phenomena inherent in all operational conditions and important accident scenarios for the VHTR
Nanochitosan derived from marine bacteria
Nanochitosans are polysaccharides produced by the alkalescent
deacetylation of chitin and comprise a series of 2-deoxy-2
(acetylamino) glucose linked by Ăź-(1-4) glycosidic linkages. These are
naturally formed from the deacetylation of shellfish shells and the
exoskeleton of aquatic arthropods and crustaceans. Reports of
chitosan production from unicellular marine bacteria inhabiting the
sea, and possessing distinct animal- and plant-like characteristics
abound. This capacity to synthesize chitosan from chitin arises from
response to stress under extreme environmental conditions, as a
means of survival. Consequently, the microencapsulation of these
nanocarriers results in new and improved chitosan nanoparticles,
nanochitosan. This nontoxic bioactive material which can serve as an
antibacterial agent, gene delivery vector as well as carrier for protein
and drug release as compared with chitosan, is limited by its
nonspecific molecular weight and higher composition of deacetylated
chitin. This chapter highlights the biology and diversity of
nanochitosan-producing marine bacteria, including the factors
influencing their activities, survival, and distribution. More so, the
applications of marine bacterial nanochitosans in transfection and
gene delivery; wound healing and drug delivery; feed supplement
development and antimicrobial activity are discussed
Microbiological Assessment of Commercial Yogurt Sold in Ota Metropolis, Ogun State, Nigeria
Ten authorized Yogurt products purchased within Ota metropolis, Ogun State of Nigeria were
subjected to pH, Total Bacterial Count (TBC) and Total Fungal Count (TFC) analysis. pH values
were in the range of 4.05 to 5.50, the TBC and TFC values ranged between 1.0 x 103 - 5.0 x 105
cfu/ml and 1.0 x 103- 5.0 x 105 cfu/ml respectively. Eleven bacterial isolates were detected in the
yogurt samples. Lactobacillus spp. and Bacillus spp. constituted 16% of the total microbial load,
Corynebacterium spp., Klebsiela spp., Staphylococcus spp., and Pseudomonas spp. constituted
8% while Proteus spp., Micrococcus spp., Shigella spp., Listeria spp., and Streptococcus spp.
constituted 4%. Fungal isolates obtained were Mucor spp. (22%), Geotrichum spp. (17%),
Montospora spp. (11%), while Aspergillus spp., Rhizopus spp., and Fusanrium spp. constituted
6%.The antimicrobial susceptibility test showed that the isolates exhibited susceptible to
Ciprofloxacin and Ofloxacin and resisted Nitrofurantoin, Augumentin, Cefixime, Ceufuroxime,
Gentamicin and Ceftazidime. The isolates were plasmid encoded, with size range of 20,000-
40,000 Kilo base pairs. Result show no significant difference within the bacteria isolates (P>
0.05), while the fungi isolates showed significant difference (P<0.05). Significant difference also
occurred between the bacteria and the fungi isolate (P< 0.05)
APOE E4 is associated with impaired self-declared cognition but not disease risk or age of onset in Nigerians with Parkinson's disease
The relationship between APOE polymorphisms and Parkinson's disease (PD) in black Africans has not been previously investigated. We evaluated the association between APOE polymorphic variability and self-declared cognition in 1100 Nigerians with PD and 1097 age-matched healthy controls. Cognition in PD was assessed using the single item cognition question (item 1.1) of the MDS-UPDRS. APOE genotype and allele frequencies did not differ between PD and controls (p > 0.05). No allelic or genotypic association was observed between APOE and age at onset of PD. In PD, APOE ε4/ε4 conferred a two-fold risk of cognitive impairment compared to one or no ε4 (HR: 2.09 (95% CI: 1.13-3.89; p = 0.02)), while APOE ε2 was associated with modest protection against cognitive impairment (HR: 0.41 (95% CI 0.19-0.99, p = 0.02)). Of 773 PD with motor phenotype and APOE characterized, tremor-dominant (TD) phenotype predominated significantly in ε2 carriers (87/135, 64.4%) compared to 22.2% in persons with postural instability/gait difficulty (PIGD) (30/135) and 13.3% in indeterminate (ID) (18/135, 13.3%) (p = 0.037). Although the frequency of the TD phenotype was highest in homozygous ε2 carriers (85.7%), the distribution of motor phenotypes across the six genotypes did not differ significantly (p = 0.18). Altogether, our findings support previous studies in other ethnicities, implying a role for APOE ε4 and ε2 as risk and protective factors, respectively, for cognitive impairment in PD
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Next Generation Nuclear Plant Methods Technical Program Plan
One of the great challenges of designing and licensing the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) is to confirm that the intended VHTR analysis tools can be used confidently to make decisions and to assure all that the reactor systems are safe and meet the performance objectives of the Generation IV Program. The research and development (R&D) projects defined in the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Design Methods Development and Validation Program will ensure that the tools used to perform the required calculations and analyses can be trusted. The Methods R&D tasks are designed to ensure that the calculational envelope of the tools used to analyze the VHTR reactor systems encompasses, or is larger than, the operational and transient envelope of the VHTR itself. The Methods R&D focuses on the development of tools to assess the neutronic and thermal fluid behavior of the plant. The fuel behavior and fission product transport models are discussed in the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) program plan. Various stress analysis and mechanical design tools will also need to be developed and validated and will ultimately also be included in the Methods R&D Program Plan. The calculational envelope of the neutronics and thermal-fluids software tools intended to be used on the NGNP is defined by the scenarios and phenomena that these tools can calculate with confidence. The software tools can only be used confidently when the results they produce have been shown to be in reasonable agreement with first-principle results, thought-problems, and data that describe the “highly ranked” phenomena inherent in all operational conditions and important accident scenarios for the VHTR
Significance of African Diets in Biotherapeutic Modulation of the Gut Microbiome
Diet plays an essential role in human development and growth, contributing to health and well-being. The socio-economic values,
cultural perspectives, and dietary formulation in sub-Saharan Africa can influence gut health and disease prevention. The vast microbial
ecosystems in the human gut frequently interrelate to maintain a healthy, well-coordinated cellular and humoral immune signalling to prevent
metabolic dysfunction, pathogen dominance, and induction of systemic diseases. The diverse indigenous diets could differentially act as biotherapeutics to modulate microbial abundance and population characteristics. Such modulation could prevent stunted growth, malnutrition,
induction of bowel diseases, attenuated immune responses, and mortality, particularly among infants. Understanding the associations between specific indigenous African diets and the predictability of the dynamics of gut bacteria genera promises potential biotherapeutics towards improving the prevention, control, and treatment of microbiome-associated diseases such as cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The dietary influence of many African diets (especially grain-base such as millet, maize, brown rice, sorghum, soya, and tapioca) promotes gut lining integrity, immune tolerance towards the microbiota, and its associated immune and inflammatory
responses. A fibre-rich diet is a promising biotherapeutic candidate that could effectively modulate inflammatory mediators’ expression associated with immune cell migration, lymphoid tissue maturation, and signalling pathways. It could also modulate the stimulation of cytokines and chemokines involved in ensuring balance for long-term microbiome programming. The interplay between host and gut microbial digestion is
complex; microbes using and competing for dietary and endogenous proteins are often attributable to variances in the comparative abundances of Enterobacteriaceae taxa. Many auto-inducers could initiate the process of quorum sensing and mammalian epinephrine host cell signalling
system. It could also downregulate inflammatory signals with microbiota tumour taxa that could trigger colorectal cancer initiation, metabolic type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel diseases. The exploitation of essential biotherapeutic molecules derived from fibre-rich indigenous diet promises food substances for the downregulation of inflammatory signalling that could be harmful to gut microbiota ecological balance and
improved immune response modulation
Chapter 21 - Utilization of nanochitosan in the sterilization of ponds and water treatment for aquaculture
Water pollution constitutes the leading cause of infant mortality,
neonatal deformities, and shrinkage of man’s average life expectancy.
Pollutants come from point and nonpoint sources; and water pollution
arises from the discharge of wastewater containing undesirable
impurities used for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes.
More so, high nutrient and wastewater runoffs from fish production
systems contribute to the fouling and eutrophication of recipient water
bodies. Hence, aquaculture which is inextricably linked to the natural
environment is challenged by the dearth of appropriate water quantity
and quality, militating against fish, and fishery production.
Nanochitosans as polysaccharides produced by the alkalescent
deacetylation of chitin, comprise a series of 2-deoxy-2 (acetylamino)
glucose linked by Ăź-(1-4) glycosidic linkages. They are naturally
formed from the deacetylation of shellfish shells and exoskeletons of
aquatic arthropods and crustaceans. The unique attributes of chitin
confer a wide range of biotechnological applications on the polymer,
observed in flocculation as a wastewater treatment and purification
route initiated by chitosan. This chapter highlights nanochitosan properties of aquaculture relevance; and elucidates the purification
potentials of nanochitosan, compared to inorganic coagulants and
organic polymeric flocculants. Effects of chitosan on contaminants and
microorganisms, as well as applications in fish pathogens detection,
fish disease diagnosis, and control are discussed