International Journal of Science for Global Sustainability
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GC-MS Analysis of Antibiotic-Producing Bacteria Isolated from The Soil Environment of Zamfara State
Get PDFAntibiotics produced by soil microorganisms, are crucial for treating bacterial and fungal diseases. Due to antibiotic resistance, a broad spectrum of antibiotics from bacteria is needed. Soil samples from Zamfara state were used for detecting antibiotic-producing bacteria. The study involved physico-chemical analysis, pour plate methods, biochemical tests and molecular characterization using 16s rRNA. Agar well diffusion method was employed to test isolates’ ability to inhibit pathogens growth and their potential for antibiotic production. Antibiotics production was assessed through small-scale submerged fermentation condition. Compounds were extracted using solvent extraction method, thin layer chromatography and GC-MS analysis were used for separation and identification. Data analysis were done using SPSS and were presented as mean, standard error of mean, and Anova. The soil samples exhibited light brown to dark brown colors, indicating clay-loamy, loamy-sandy and sandy-loamy. Sample C had the highest pH (7.31±.03), Sample H had the highest temperature (26oC), sample D had the highest electrical conductivity (108µs/m), and sample B had the highest moisture content (5.6). Six bacteria were identified and these include; Bacillus cereus, Bacillus pumilus, Providencia stuartii, Providencia alcalificiens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Micrococcus luteus. All the organisms inhibited at least one pathogen, with Bacillus cereus showing the highest zone of inhibition. GC-MS analysis revealed diverse bioactive compounds namely, Carbonic acid, Glycerin, Nonadecane, 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, L-arabinitol, and Methylchloroformate. This study has demonstrated the diversity of bacterial population in the local soils and potential production of antibiotics that can be useful for many medical applications and further studies are recommended
Modified Kumaraswamy Negative Exponential Distribution
Get PDFIn this research a four parameter continuous probability distribution model called Kumaraswamy negative exponential distribution (KNED) was proposed as an enhancement of the negative exponential distribution. The probability density function and cumulative distribution function of the modified distribution were derived. Additionally, the validity of this distribution was demonstrated. Also, various properties of the modified distribution for instance survival and hazard functions, moments, moment generating functions, and order statistics were obtained. Parameters for the modified distribution were estimated using maximum likelihood estimation method. Furthermore, the proposed model was compared to other variations of exponential distribution using some analytical measures of goodness of fit on information criteria and the results obtained shows that our proposed model gives better fit, thus proving greater flexibility in modelling real-world phenomenon
Enhancing User-Item Matrix Using Principal Component Analysis and User Profiling Techniques for User Based Collaborative Filtering Recommender System
Get PDFCollaborative filtering recommender systems are systems that aid users in finding relevant items. However, collaborative Filtering is the most popular approach for building recommender system due to superior performance. However, collaborative filtering approach has the many inherent problems including data sparsity. This research work presents an enhanced approach to creating a personalized movie recommendation system, leveraging the power of collaborative filtering; the research work employs a Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) algorithm to capture user preferences and item characteristics from a vast movie rating dataset, ensuring the accuracy of movie recommendations. It incorporates user profiling to comprehend user preferences in a more interpretable fashion, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), to visualize users in a reduced 2D space. It further applies K-Means clustering that categorized users into distinct segments based on their movie preferences, by facilitating target user recommendations and analysis. The fusion of these techniques results in a sophisticated recommendation system, demonstrated through practical implementation, offering both accurate movie suggestions and insights into user clusters. The experimental evaluation results revealed that, the proposed system outperformed the existing system performance, in terms of both Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Mean Squared Error (MRSE)
Isolation and Characterization of Some Methoxylated Flavones from Centaurea perrottetii D. C. (Asteraceae)
Get PDFCentaurea perrottetii, which is commonly known as star thistle, belongs to the compositae family and it is used in traditional medicine to treat malaria, microbial infections among others. This study aimed to isolate and characterize compounds from the whole plant of C. perrottetii. The whole plant extract of Centaurea perrottetii was collected, dried, pulverized and extracted with methanol using maceration method. The extract was concentrated in vacuo with the aid of rotary evaporator to afford a greenish crude methanol extract (CME). The extract was successively partitioned into hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate and n-butanol fractions respectively. These fractions were subjected to preliminary phytochemical investigation using standard procedures. A combination of silica gel and sephadex LH-20 column chromatography was employed which led to the isolation of two methoxylated flavones, 8,4'-dihydroxy-6,7,3'-trimethoxyflavone and 3',4'-dihydroxy-6,7,8-trimethoxyflavone, from the ethylacetate soluble fraction of the methanol extract of the whole plant of Centaurea perrottetii. The identity of the compounds was determined via chemical tests, spectroscopic techniques and by comparison with existing data in the literature. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of isolation of these compounds from the whole plant of C. perrottetii.  
Structural Styles and Hydrocarbon Trapping Mechanisms Onshore and Offshore, Niger Delta
Get PDFA three-dimensional (3D) seismic Data and well log Data from two oil fields (Onshore Field and Offshore Field) were obtained and analyzed with Techlog and Petrotech software in order to attempt the structural styles and Hydrocarbon trapping mechanisms onshore and offshore fields. Suites of Well logs of the two fields were interpreted and appropriate reservoir bodies were characterized. The well log petrophysical analysis revealed three reservoirs in onshore and three reservoir in offshore which cut across four (4) wells respectively. Average reservoir parameters for the onshore such as porosity 30.01% and hydrocarbon saturation 64.33% with average thickness of 26.52m while the offshore average reservoir parameters such as porosity 28% and hydrocarbon saturation 77.67% with average thickness of 10m were derived from petrophysical analysis. A total of three horizons and seven faults were mapped on the onshore seismic sections that indicated faulted anticlines, listric fault, growth fault, synthetic and antithetic fault were closely observed. While three horizons were mapped on the offshore seismic section that indicates back-to-back structures. The structural maps showed that the major structures accommodating the Hydrocarbon in both fields are fault assisted closure, four way closures and growth faults. The trapping mechanisms were identified to be fault dependent. The root-mean-square (RMS) amplitude surface maps reveal sections with bright spot anomalies. The amplitude anomalies served as direct hydrocarbon indicators (DHIs). Seismic-to-well ties shows the top of the Hydrocarbon bearing sand unit lie on top of the well on the seismic section in the field
Corrective Removal of Pollutant from Contaminated Crude Oil Using Green Synthesized Activated Carbon Nanotubes
Get PDFThe expanding global economy led to a continuous rise in transportation and the use of crude oil. The crude oil spill has been deemed a significant threat to both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. This paper aim to synthesize Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and evaluate their potentials for removing crude oil spills. The research focuses on two parameters: adsorbent dosage and contact time. It investigated the adsorption of crude oil utilizing synthesized carbon nanotubes (CNT) derived from coconut shell. The investigation was conducted using batch adsorption, with the adsorbent dosage and contact time being varied as factors. The carbon nanotubes (CNT) that were synthesized were examined using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (Uv-Vis), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) methods. The results revealed that the produced carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were within the nanoscale and have a high ratio of surface area to mass, indicating exceptional crystallinity. The morphological alteration greatly enhanced the hydrophobic nature of the adsorbent, resulting in the synthesis of a carbon nanotube (CNT) with dramatically improved crude oil adsorption capacity, reaching a maximum of 4855.8 mg/g. The experimental findings revealed a direct relationship between the quantity of adsorbent used and the percentage of crude oil that was eliminated. Likewise, a greater duration of contact resulted in a higher percentage of crude oil being removed. Carbon nanotubes synthesized, offer an excellent structure for effectively purifying contaminated crude oil
Production and characterization of keratinase enzymes from Alcaligenes faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from decayed fish scales
Get PDFKeratinases are enzymes that catalyze the degradation of keratin, a resilient protein found in various biological materials such aseathers, hair, and fish scales. Two isolates identified from previous work as Alcaligenes faecalis (SCA A1) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (FSA A2) was used for keratinase production. The enzyme produced were purified using dialysis, ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography and the purified enzyme was characterized and used to check for keratin substrate specificity. Fermentation studies revealed that A. faecalis (SCA A1) displayed optimal growth at pH 9.5 and 10.5, particularly at higher temperatures (48°C, 58°C, and 68°C) when using Mackerel fish scales as the substrate. In contrast, P. aeruginosa (FSA A2) demonstrated better growth at pH 7.5 and 8.5, with the highest growth observed at 28°C and 38°C using both Mackerel and Elephant fish scales. Enzyme activity profiles showed that A. faecalis exhibited higher activity with Mackerel scales (65.7 U/ml), while P. aeruginosa showed greater activity using Elephant scales (68.1 U/ml). Purification of the keratinase enzymes from both isolates resulted in a 7-fold increase in specific activity, reaching 35.16 U/mg for A. faecalis and 37.80 U/mg for P. aeruginosa. Characterization of the purified enzymes revealed that both exhibited optimal activity at 70°C, with P. aeruginosa displaying slightly higher activity. The enzymes also shows good activity over a wide pH range, with optima at pH 7.3 and 6.3 for A. faecalis and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Substrate specificity analysis indicated that both enzymes had the highest activity towards Mackerel fish scales, followed by Casein, Human Hair, Chicken feathers, and Elephant fish scales. These findings highlight the potential of A. faecalis and P. aeruginosa for the biodegradation of fish scale waste, offering a sustainable solution for waste management and the production of valuable bioproducts. These results suggest that these keratinolytic bacteria could be utilized in the development of bioremediation strategies for fish processing waste. Additionally, the keratinase enzymes produced by these isolates could be utilized in various industrial applications, such as the production of animal feed supplements, leather processing, and the development of cosmetic and pharmaceutical products
A Comparison between Regression and Ratio Estimators using Auxiliary Information: A Case Study of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Nigeria
Get PDFThis study investigated the use of separate and combined stratified random sampling to estimate population mean scores for two important courses in Statistics using their pre-requisites, by comparing two estimators (ratio and regression). For Probability Distribution, the separate ratio estimator emerged as the optimal choice, providing a mean score estimate of 31.66 with a variance of 6612.18. This indicates that using the pre-requisites course score as auxiliary information improved the estimation accuracy compared to the combined ratio estimator. In contrast, Statistical Inference, the combined ratio estimator proved to be more effective, yielding a mean score estimate of 33.99 with a variance of 84.54. The separate regression estimator was also evaluated, demonstrating its suitability for Probability Distribution with a mean score estimate of 32.18 and a variance of 7.22. However, for Statistical Inference, the combined regression estimator offered a more precise estimate (32.99) with a lower variance (17.59). The findings highlight the effectiveness of auxiliary information when selecting estimation methods in stratified sampling
Estimating the Variability of Tropospheric Radio Refractivity and Field Strength over Enugu, South-East Nigeria
Get PDFThe field strength variability (FSV) assessment highlights the significant impact of atmospheric conditions on radio signal propagation. A diurnal variation in radio refractivity is the primary driver of FSV, with local topography and environmental factors also playing important roles. This study investigated the variation of tropospheric radio refractivity and field strength in Enugu, South-East Nigeria. Through a comprehensive measurement of temperature, humidity and pressure obtained from the network of Vantage Pro 2 automatic weather station installed at the study location for a period of six months (January 2024 to June 2024). Using the International Telecommunication Model (ITU-R model), radio refractivity was computed from the collected weather parameters, and subsequently the field strength. The results showed that, radio refractivity displayed diurnal variability with high values in the morning and late evening while low values were observed in the day time. Furthermore, the analysis of the results revealed that, during the months of January, February and March, more pronounced daily variations with lower minimum values between 292N to 332N were observed at about 13:00 hours local time and higher values between 300N to 350N in the morning (0:00 - 6:00) and evening (15:00 - 23:00).Moreover, the analysis of field strength variability showed that the months of January, February, and March (dry season) were marked by higher field strength values. In particular, January recorded the highest field strength value (7.4 dB). On the other hand, the months of April, May, and June (wet season) exhibited lower field strength values, with the lowest value (1.9 dB) observed in May. The results indicate a strong seasonal impact on field strength
Exploring the Prospects of Different Activated Charcoal Systems as Low-Cost Materials for Upgrading Groundnut Oil into Biodiesel
Get PDFThe escalations in fuel consumption associated with rapid growth in human population and industrialization has accounted for consistent interest in search for alternative fuel sources. Valorization of biomass feedstock for fuels and chemicals production is one of those approaches given priority. In line with this global perspective, the current study investigated the prospects of different modified charcoal catalysts (i.e. H-C, Na-C and Cr – C) for biodiesel production from groundnut oil. One important noticeable feature was the possible creation of adequate surface for reactants adsorption-desorption over the developed catalysts. Specifically, the catalyst H-C formed from H2SO4 modification of charcoal was very active and yielded up to 95.70% methyl esters (i.e. biodiesel) and was stable for several reaction cycles. The overall activity of the catalysts followed the trend H-C> Na-C> Cr – C. Similarly, the produced biodiesel exhibited properties that were in good agreement with those reported in international databases for fuel specifications