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Green Synthesis of Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles and its Application in the Degradation of Methyl Red
Get PDFEnvironmental pollution is a threat to human health, with methyl red dye used in printing and textile dyeing being a notable pollutant that can cause eye, skin, and digestive system irritation. This study investigates the degradation of methyl red dye using nanoparticles of Nickel Oxide (NiO NPs) as photocatalysts. NiO NPs were synthesised at room temperature through thermal decomposition using antioxidant-rich extracts from strawberries (Fragaria ananassa), grapes (Vitis vinifera), and grapefruits (Citrus paradisi). Characterisation of the NiO NPs was performed using FTIR, UV-Vis spectroscopy and SEM. FTIR spectra confirmed the formation of NiO NPs with peaks between 577 – 585 cm–1. UV-Vis spectroscopy showed absorption wavelengths between 322-326 nm for the synthesised NiO NPs and a blue shift to 422-470 nm during methyl red degradation. This study presents a sustainable method for synthesising NiO nanoparticles and demonstrates their effectiveness in environmental remediation, specifically for the removal of pollutant dyes.
Determination of Nutritional Composition and organoleptic Properties of African Locust Beans Wrapped with Different Packaging Materials
Get PDFAfrican Locust beans is a popular condiment used as taste and flavor enhancer in soup and dishes in Africa. It is one of the major sources of plant protein in African diet but packaging materials used to extend its shelf life has different effects on the products. This study therefore examined the nutritional composition and organoleptic properties of African locust beans processed and separately wrapped with plastic container, nylon and dry banana leaves and allowed to ferment for 5days. Proximate analysis and Mineral content were determined using standard methods while the sensory attributes were assessed using a 9-point Hedonic scale. The results showed that African locust bean packaged with different packaging materials for moisture content ranged between 31.27% and 36.13%, Ash content (3.46% and 4.62%), protein content (17.90 and 30.21%), carbohydrate content (17.92% and 25.32%), fat content (5.76% and 10.60%) and crude fibre content (7.92% and 10.4%). Result of mineral analysis showed that African locust bean packaged with dry banana leaf had the highest values for Sodium, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium and Zinc while the sample packaged with plastic container had the highest values for potassium and manganese. However, Vitamin A content was higher in sample packaged with plastic container. Locust beans wrapped with plastic container was mostly preferred based on sensory attributes. Findings from this study showed that locust beans wrapped with plastic containers should be encouraged due to its high protein content and general acceptability in order to alleviate protein deficiency and its associated diseases in Africa
Iodometric Determination Of The Vitamin C Contents Of Selected Citrus Fruits Sold In Lafia Metropolis
Get PDFThis study aimed at determination of vitamin C content of five citrus fruits sold in Lafia metropolis using iodometric method of titration. Vitamin C concentrations of the juices and fibers from the five citrus fruits were compared. The results obtained indicated that orange juice had the highest vitamin C concentration of 53.5 mg/100L followed by grapefruit (51.30 mg/100L), lemon (36.3mg/100L), tangerine (30.40 mg/100L) and lime (24.70 mg/100L). Similar trend was also followed in the vitamin C contents of citrus fruit fibers with the order: orange (2.80 mg/10g) > grapefruit (2.60 mg/10g) > lemon (1.00 mg/10g) > tangerine (0.70 mg/10g) > lime (0.20 mg/10g). The results clearly showed that the juice of studied citrus fruits had higher contents of vitamin C than their fibers. The orange is highly rich in vitamin C content followed by grapefruit while lime was of the lowest concentration in both the juice and fiber. Lemon and tangerine had moderate concentrations of vitamin C in both their juices and fibers. This analysis provides essential insights into the nutritional variability of the different citrus fruits, aiding consumers in making informed dietary decision and potentially offering valuable information for the food industry
Empowering Communities with the Mental Health Gap Action Programme in Nasarawa State, Nigeria (2019-2021)
Get PDFA 14% global burden of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders exists, of which 75% of the people affected in low-income countries do not have access to treatment. An assessment of the short-term results of the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) using a cross-sectional retrospective study in Nasarawa State (2019-2021) utilized secondary data (total sampling technique) from 10 communities in 3 focal Local Government Areas. Ten Mental Health interventions utilized by mhGAP included community-based efforts by community and religious leaders, local government teams, media conducting meetings and home visits, thus increasing awareness and number of referrals to focal Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) for care and treatment. This also helped dispel rumor and misconceptions on the causes of mental ill health. PHCs were strengthened by capacity building activities (step down mental health disorder trainings resulting in an increase of 40% in knowledge and skills of health care workers at PHCs and General Hospitals), re-activation of the Drug Revolving Fund and data management for mental health. With continued supportive supervision of healthcare workers at PHCs and communities, 29 Mental Health Self Help Groups were formed with 567 registered clients enrolled into care and treatment at the health facilities. Depression was the commonest mental health disorder diagnosed (42%), least was epilepsy (4%). This decentralized healthcare community based mental health model showed increased access and utilization (743 mental disorders diagnosed, 200 fully recovered) of mental health services. 
Utiliisation of Crumb Rubber as Partial Replacement for Sand to Produce Lightweight Concrete
Get PDFThe development of crumb rubber concrete for lightweight concrete production has gained significant attention in recent years due to its potential environmental and structural benefits. Disposal of condemned tyre continues to constitute serious problem to the environment, hence there is need for further research on effective use of crumb rubber in concrete. The crumb rubber possess the capability as a sustainable and environmentally friendly material. This study therefore, focuses on developing crumb rubber concrete for practical use in light weight concrete construction. Concrete mix design was done, followed by processing of crumb rubber concrete in the laboratory and the performance of the concrete was evaluated. This process included three stages namely; selecting effective rubber particle size, designing and adjusting concrete mixes, and testing recommended mixes for practical applications. The compressive strength, tensile strength and flexural strength were measured. The results showed that within the crumb rubber size range used (0.075–5.00 mm), increasing the rubber particle size decreases the compressive strength. Compared to conventional concrete, the presence of 16% rubber as sand volume replacement decreased the 7-day/28-day strength ratio by values that ranged between 9% and 20%
Antibacterial Effect of Gongronema latifolium Leaf Extract on Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Skin of Human Subjects in Lafia Metropolis
Get PDFAntibiotics have been critical in the fight against infectious diseases. However, plants have also been used to treat diseases due to presence of some chemical compounds (active ingredients) that possess medicinal properties. This study investigated the antibacterial effect of Gongronema latifolium (amaranth globe) leaf extract on staphylococcus aureus isolates from the skin of human subjects in Lafia metropolis, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Aqueous and ethanol leaf extracts of G. latifolium were screened for antibacterial activity against S. aureus isolates using the agar disk diffusion method. A total of forty specimens were collected and S. aureus was isolated using standard biochemical methods. Hospital isolates had the highest lowest percentage sensitivities of 85.71% and 0.00% from 300 mg/mL ethanol and 200 mg/mL aqueous extracts respectively. Also, restaurant isolates had the highest percentage and lowest sensitivities of 83.33% and 0.00% from 300 mg/mL ethanol and 200 mg/mL aqueous extracts respectively. Both extracts showed significant differences observed in their concentration effects against S. aureus isolates from restaurant subjects (p<0.05). MIC was 75 mg/mL for the aqueous extract against isolates obtained from both sources and that for the concentration ranges of 300-9.375 mg/mL and 200-6.25 mg/mL ethanol extract was observed to be 37.5 mg/mL and 50 mg/mL respectively. The result of the study showed that both extracts of G. latifolium have an inhibitory effect proportional to concentration on the test organism S. aureus isolates obtained from both subjects. Hence, ethanol extract of G. latifolium may potentially control skin respiratory and enteric infections caused by S. aureus
REAL-TIME IDENTIFICATION OF MAIZE PLANT AND WEEDS USING MACHINE LEARNING MODEL IMPLEMENTED VIA YOLO v5
No full textAgriculture is as old as the existence of humanity. Early humans engaged in fruit gathering and hunting for food. Agriculture has improved over the years and the need for effective agricultural practices has become a growing concern for farmers. Maize is a staple food in many countries and serves as a primary source of carbohydrates. It is versatile and used for human consumption, animal feed, and industrial applications. Weeds are one of the major obstacles faced in crop production. Weeds compete with plants for nutrients, space and sunlight, affecting the quality of crop yield. This paper aims to use machine learning to train a model to identify weeds and maize plants on the farmland. This research focuses on implementing a real-time detection system using the YOLOv5 (You Only Look Once version 5) deep learning model. The Machine learning model was developed using a training set of about 3000 images of maize plants obtained from the farmland. The obtained data were annotated via makesense.ai and the labelled dataset was divided into training and testing sets. An overall accuracy of over 90 per cent was achieved with the implemented model and a mAP value of 0.95, demonstrating the efficacy of our approach for identifying and differentiating a maize plant from the weeds
Physicochemical Properties of Oil Extracted from Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) Seeds
Get PDFPumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) is a member of the family Cucurbitaceae and its fruit parts are edible. This study evaluated the physicochemical properties of extracted oil from the seed of pumpkin. The results revealed a percentage yield of 41.08 ± 2.33, refractive index of 1.47 ± 0.18, relative density of 0.09 ± 0.02 g/cm3; saponification value of 184.60 ±1.67 mg/KOH/g, Acid value of 2.64 ±1.31 mgKOH/g, iodine value of 80.27±2.09 g of I2/100 g, and peroxide value of 11.0 ±1.0 mEq/Kg. The result shows that pumpkin seed oil may find application either in food industry as food addictive as it may pose a good quality shelf life or energy generation as biofuels
Cytological Studies of Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) Cultivars grown in Lafia, Nasarawa State-Nigeria
No full textAbstract
The study was carried out to investigate the cytological relatedness of five different tomato cultivars. Ten (10) seeds from each tomato lines were grown at room temperature in Petri dishes. The germinated Root tips were collected and treated using 0.04 8-hydroxyl quinolone for 2 h. Then, the root tips were fixed using 3:1 (v/v) ratio of alcohol: glacial acetic acid for 24 h. The root tips were hydrolyzed in 1.0 N HCl for 20 min at room temperature. These root tips were placed on slides, stained using 2% aceto-orcein stain and then mounted on Olympus CX40 microscope at X100mg. Photomicrographs were taken. Karyotype analyses were carried out using Karyotype software, and the ideograms were drawn. Different karyotype parameters were measured and mentioned. The result revealed that the chromosomes number of all the genotypes were the same (2n=24) except for cirea with 2n=26 number of chromosomes. The highest total form index (TF %), symmetric index (Syi) and the lowest karyotype asymmetric index (ASK), Mona f1 is the most symmetric while boomerang f1 is the most asymmetric. Further studies can be carryout on cirea cultivar to ascertain the variability caused of 2n = 26. It’s also recommended that hybridization should be carryout between cirea cultivar and other cultivars having 2n =24 for future genetic improvement
PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION AMONG HIV PATIENTS INBENUE SOUTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT, NIGERIA
Get PDFHepatitis B infection seriously threatens global public health, especially in developing nations. Despite severalefforts on ascertaining the true prevalence of HBV, it tenaciously varies across different locations and subpopulations, particularly among those at risk of infection such as the HIV-infected population. This study aimed atdetermining the sero-prevalence of HIV-HBV co-infection in Benue South Senatorial District, Nigeria. This crosssectional study was conducted in four anti-retroviral therapy (ART) specialized clinics between May 1, andSeptember 2023 using pretested questionnaires, after obtained ethical approval and informed consent.Bloodsamples of participants were screened using HBsAg testing kitsand the results were interpreted according to themanufacturer’s instructions. The screening for HIV-HBV co-infection showed a sero-prevalence of 25/457 (5.47%).The distribution based on clinic location was 12(48%) GH Otukpo, 8(32%) GH Oju, 2(8%) GH Ugbokpo and3(12%) SMH Okpoga. The distribution also revealed that most cases were in the age group 40-49 and the femalegender.The prevalence showed that only 3/25 (12.0%) reported a history of sexually transmitted diseases other thanHIV while 2/25 (8.0%) had a history of multiple sex partners. Most co-infected cases 23/25(92.0%) had no historyof same-sex relationships and 23/25(92.0%) had recent history of unprotected sex. In Nigeria, hepatitis B infectionremains a significant public health problem. Notable preventive strategies include abstinence from sex, avoidanceof multiple sex partners, strict adherence to safe sex, and avoiding contact with infected body fluids. Otherstrategies such as averting mother-to-infant hepatitis B transmission, scale-up of screening programs and extensivevaccination programs are eminently recommended in the course of HBV control