Assessment of Groundwater Quality in the Western Part of Bayero University New Campus and it’s Environs

This research aimed at assessing the quality of groundwater for safe drinking in the western part of BUK’s new campus and its environs, Kano state. In achieving the aim, a total of ten (10); five (5) boreholes and five (5) hand-dugged wells were selected at random across the area, taking into consideration the fact that thousands of staff and students depend on these sources. Water from each of the selected wells was sampled in a sterilized 500 mL plastic container and taken to the laboratory for analysis. Fourteen relevant parameters on the test of water quality were taken into consideration. Analysis of physical parameters was made in-situ using a PC400 portable pH/COND/EC/Temp meter. The result reveals that electrical conductivity is the only parameter with a mean concentration of 437.9 mg/L higher than the maximum permissible limit of 400 mg/L sets by the World Health Organization, 2011. The mean values of other physical parameters are within the standards. Chemical parameters analysis reveals that chloride (335.5 mg/L), calcium (781.3 mg/L), sodium (62.5 mg/L) and magnesium (115.9 mg/L) are the parameters with concentrations higher than the maximum permissible levels of 250 mg/L, 100 mg/l, 50 mg/L, and 50mg/L respectively, all in Tudun Malumai area. Therefore, with the exception of this area, all other sources investigated are safe for drinking by meeting the standard requirements. The high concentration of chloride in the Tudun Malumai area is attributed to the use of inorganic fertilizers and animal feeding. Distillation, one of the oldest, and yet still very effective methods of purifying water sources is highly recommended

Chemical equivalence assessment of three brands of carbamazepine tablets and their anticonvulsant outcome on electrically-induced seizures in chicks

Assay for content of active ingredients is a critical test of drug quality; failure to meet up the standard for content of active ingredients will result to sub therapeutic quantities. Three brands (A, B and C) of carbamazepine were assayed to determine their chemical equivalence as well as their anticonvulsant activities. This was aimed at determining the possible relation between the chemical equivalence of the brands and their anticonvulsant outcomes. The brands were randomly selected from Community Pharmacies in Zaria, Kaduna State, and assayed for chemical equivalence to establish weight uniformity and identity; percentage content of active ingredients, using UV spectrophotometric analysis. Similarly all the brands were evaluated for anticonvulsant activity using maximal electroshock seizure model in chicks at doses of 20, 10 and 5 mg/kg. All the brands passed weight uniformity test as none of the tablets deviated from the mean by more than 7.5%. Similarly, their melting points were found to conform to standard average melting point (191oC) according to B.P. official monograph. However, the content of the active ingredients for Brands B and C did not conform to official standard of 95-105% while brand A conformed. Thus, the percentage contents for brands A, B and C were 99.49%, 76.02% and 87.59% respectively. Also, all the brands at the tested doses offered protection against seizures, ranging from 70-100%; but Brand C at 5 mg/kg offered only 40% quantal protection. The three brands of carbamazepine tablets were not chemically equivalent and their chemical equivalence indices could not be said to be the determinant of anticonvulsant effect.Key words: carbamazepine, anticonvulsant and chemical equivalenc

Antimicrobial Activities of Acacia nilotica, Ziziphus Jujube Linn and Lawsonia Inermis

Infectious diseases are important cause of morbidity and mortality due to continuous emergence of microbial resistance to conventional drugs. Acacia nilotica, Ziziphus jujube Linn and Lawsonia inermis are widely used for traditional medicine in Northern Nigeria. However, little is known about the biochemical and microbiological potentials of these indigenous plants. In this study, the plants leaves were screened for phytochemical and in vitro antimicrobial potentials using standard methods. Quantitative phytochemical analysis of crude methanolic leave extracts revealed high content of glycoside, tannins and phenols. High levels of saponins and flavonoids were also detected. The extracts exhibited antibacterial effects on Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas flourecense, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus aureus. At 50 mg/ml extract concentration, the zone of inhibition observed was greater than 6mm. This indicates high inhibitory potency of the plants leaves. In comparison to streptomycin sulphate, A. nilotica and L. inermis had statistically similar (P>0.05) effect on E. coli at 50 mg/ml. In general, the inhibitory effect of A. nilotica and L. inermis were higher than that of Z. jujube Linn in all concentrations, except on E. coli at 150 mg/ml. Both the extracts and control drug had minimum inhibitory concentration of 10 mg/ml for all the microbes testedexcept Streptococcus (20-25 mg/ml). Furthermore, the average Minimum Bactericidal Concentration was 15 mg/ml except for Streptococcus with 20-25 mg/ml. Methanol extracts of Acacia nilotica, Ziziphus jujube Linn, and Lawsonia inermis exhibit antibacterial effect, hence could be used as sources of potent agents against bacterial infection.Keywords: Antimicrobial, infectious disease, Methanol extract, Phytochemica

The Effect of Varying Soot Concentration and Relative Humidity on Visibility and Particle Size Distribution in Urban Atmosphere

This research used extracted extinction coefficients and common mode radii of urban aerosols to carry out visibility simulations at corresponding spectral wavelengths from 0.4-0.8µm from the improved version of the Optical Properties of Aerosols and Clouds (OPAC 4.0) data at eight relative humidities(RH) (0%, 50%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, 98% and 99% RH). Five models of the urban aerosols used comprised of insoluble (INSO), Water-soluble (WASO) and Soot (Black Carbon). From the average concentration set up by OPAC 4.0, the concentrations of the Soot (Black Carbon) were varied by external mixing. The Angstrom exponent (α), the curvature (α2) and the urban atmospheric turbidity (β) were obtained from the regression analysis of the first and second order polynomial of Kaufman’s representation of the Koschmieder equation for atmospheric visibility. The mean exponents of the aerosol size growth curve (µ) were determined from the aerosol effective hygroscopic growth (geff) while the humidification factors (γ) were determined from the visibility enhancement factors f(RH,λ). With µ and γ, the mean exponents of aerosol size distributions (υ) were determined for all the models. It was observed that at varying Soot (Black Carbon) concentrations and RH there were non-linear relationships between them and visibilities. The values of α > 1 showed the presence of fine mode particles from the WASO part of the aerosol mixture and α2 being positive indicated bimodal aerosol particle distributions. Additionally, visibility deterioration is predicted because of the increase in turbidity (β) with the variation of Soot and RH

Anti-diabetic properties of Securinega virosa (Euphorbiaceae) leaf extract

This study was undertaken to evaluate the hypoglycemic effect of methanol extract of securinega virosa leaves on blood levels of streptozocin-induced diabetes rats. Three doses of the extract (100, 300 and 600 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally. After 2 h of extract administration there was no significant change in the blood glucose levels in all the three doses of the extract. Also after 4, 8 and 24 h of extract administration there was a significant (p < 0.05 - 0.001) decrease in the blood glucose levelsin all the three doses of the extract. The preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of reducing sugars, cardiac glycosides, resin, tannins, saponins, glycosides, flavonoids, glycerin carbohydrate, anthraquine and steroids. The median lethal dose (LD50) in rats was calculated to be 1264.9 mg/kg body weight

Detection of Bacteriological Contaminants in Hand-Pump Fitted Borehole Water from a Residential Suburb in Ringim Local Government, Jigawa State

Water from borehole source can be contaminated due to indiscriminate waste disposal. This pilot study was conducted to assess the bacteriological quality of water from five (5) hand-pump-fitted borehole sources present in Sabon Gari quarters in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State. Presumptive, confirmed and completed tests were employed to determine total and faecal coliforms from the water samples using most probable number (MPN) technique. Bacterial isolates were identified by standard microbiologicalmethods. Results obtained indicate that all the water samples across all the dilution strengths tested recorded substantial growth of total coliforms at 37.3°C while faecal coliforms were observed at 44°C after incubation for 48 h. Using the MPN table, the five water samples assayed recorded 50 MPN/100mL, 14 MPN/100mL, 3 MPN/100mL, 5 MPN/100mL and 1 MPN/100mL. Results were also positive for gas and acid production in all samples collected characteristic of presence of E. coli. The results obtained in this study show bacterial contamination of the water from the boreholes which may constitute a public health risk. It is therefore recommended that the water pumped from these boreholes should be subjected to&nbsp; adequate treatment to meet World Health Organization (WHO) required&nbsp; standard for potable water meant for drinking. Keywords: Boreholes, hand pump, most probable number, total coliforms and faecal coliforms

Analysis of the Impact of Relative Humidity and Mineral Nuclei Mode Aerosols Particle Concentration on the Visibility of Desert Aerosols

This paper presents the results of the Analysis of the Impact of relative humidity and water-soluble aerosol particle concentrations on the visibility and particle size distribution of desert aerosols based on microphysical properties of desert aerosols. The microphysical properties (the extinction coefficients, volume mix ratios, dry mode radii and wet mode radii) were extracted from Optical Properties of Aerosols and Clouds (OPAC 4.0) at eight relative humidities (00 to 99%RH) and at the spectral range of 0.4-0.8 mm. the concentrations of mineral nuclie component (MINN) were varied to obtain five different models. The angstrom exponent (a), the turbidity (b), the curvature (a2), humidification factor (g), the mean exponent of aerosol growth curve (µ) and the mean exponent of aerosol size distributions (n) were determined from the regression analysis of some standard equations. It was observed that the values of (a) are less than 1 throughout the 5 models which signifies the dominance of coarse mode particles over fine mode particles. It was observed that the curvature (a2) has both monomodal and bimodal types of distributions all through the 5 models and this signifies the dominance of coarse mode particles with some traces of fine mode particles. The visibility was observed to decrease with the increase in RH and increased with wavelength. The analysis further found that there is an inverse power law relationship between humidification factor, the mean exponent of the aerosol size distribution with the mean exponent of the aerosol growth curve (as the magnitude of (µ) decreases across the five models, the magnitudes of (g) and (n) increase, but the magnitude of both (g) and (n) increases for a given (µ) across the individual models). The mean exponent of aerosol size distribution (µ) being less than 3 indicate hazy condition of the desert atmosphere

MobiQ: A modular Android application for collecting social interaction, repeated survey, GPS and photographic data

The MobiQ app for Android smartphones is a feature-rich application enabling a novel approach to data collection for longitudinal surveys. It combines continuous automatic background data collection with user supplied data. It can prompt users to complete questionnaires at regular intervals, and allows users to upload photographs for social research projects. The app has the capability to collect GPS location data, and calls and text frequency (excluding content) unobtrusively. The app transmits data to a secure cloud rather than storing research data on the phone, but can also store data temporarily if a data connection is unavailable; hence, MobiQ offers data security advantages over text- or web-based surveys using phones. MobiQ has been pilot tested in the field in a social science research project and is able to collect longitudinal social research data. Due to its modular and flexible design, MobiQ can easily be adapted to suit different research questions. Furthermore, its core design approach which allows for long-term power efficient data collection can be re-used outside the social sciences domain for other kinds of smartphone-based data-driven projects. Projects that have a requirement for communications-based, sensors-based, user-based data collection or any combination of these may find our code and design approach beneficial. For example, MobiQ code and architecture has been successfully adapted to build an app for a project investigating smartphone-based implicit authentication for mobile access control

Organic Matter and Heavy Metals Leachate Effect on Soils of Selected Dumpsites in Selected North Central States of Nigeria

This research was conducted to assess the presence &nbsp;of some heavy metals Chromium (Cr), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn) and Aluminum (Al) in municipal solid waste dumps. Heavy metals in the soils were determined at varying depths of 0-5cm, 5-15cm and 15-30cm to assess the extent of pollution and the effects of pH and organic matter in the soil. Heavy metals concentrations were analysed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The results revealed a significant difference (p &lt; 0.05) in the concentrations of heavy metals across varying depth at the dumpsites when compared with control points in the same location. Mn had the highest mean 131.22 ± 25.98 mgkg-1&nbsp;followed by Fe, which is 69 ± 11.02 mgkg-1&nbsp;at the dumpsites. Mean concentration of all the Heavy metals investigated at the various dumpsites studied were significantly higher than at the control point and below the maximum standard levels set by FAO and WHO for agricultural soils. Result of particle distribution indicated higher sand content (&gt; 80.0%) and lower clay and silt contents in both dumpsite and control site which implies the ease of movement of dissolved metals in the soil environment. Organic Matter (OM) content at dumpsites was observed to be slightly higher than at the control sites. The data also signifies that as pH decreases and %OM decreases the concentration of these heavy metals decreases down the soil profile. It is, therefore, concluded that accumulation of heavy metals in depth was highly correlated with pH and organic matter content

Antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-SARS-CoV Activity of Commercial Products of \u3cem\u3eXylopia\u3c/em\u3e (\u3cem\u3eXylopia aethiopica\u3c/em\u3e)

Xylopia aethiopica (Annonaceae) is a spice and medicinal plant that grows wild in many West African countries (from Liberia to Nigeria) and is locally known as Guinea pepper, grains of Selim, hwentia and uda. The dried fruits are used as a flavoring for soups and traditionally in decoctions as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory, as well as a treatment for infections. The medicinal properties of the fruits are associated with the presence of phenolics and essential oil constituents. We studied the total phenols, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activity in different X. aethiopica extracts using spectrophotometry. We found variation in total phenolic and flavonoids and antioxidant capacity between different samples and different extraction solvents. Antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis were evaluated using a spectrophotometric assay and Kirby-Bauer test. Additionally, a pseudoviral cell-based assay was used to test the antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2). High total phenolic and flavonoid content was correlated with high antioxidant capacity. Results of antibacterial tests indicated that one Xylopia extract potentially has strong antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria B. subtilis. The pseudoviral assay showed moderate antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2