<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>The qualitative assessment of putative bacterial pathogens on the surfaces of canned drinks sold in Benin metropolis was evaluated in this study. Standard bacteriological culture-based techniques employing the use of selective and differential media (Oxoid) such as <italic>Bacillus cereus</italic> agar, mannitol Salt agar, <italic>Pseudomonas</italic> cetrimide agar, bile esculin agar and MacConkey agar were used for isolation and identification of bacteria from swabbed surfaces of canned drinks. Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique was used for antibacterial susceptibility testing. The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index was deduced from the antibiogram characterization to evaluate the public health importance of the bacterial isolates. Refrigerated samples had 25% contamination while 75% were not contaminated and about 15.39% contamination was observed for non-refrigerated samples (stored in crates or cartons) compared to the counterpart 84.61%. The bacterial species include <italic>Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus</italic> sp. and <italic>Enterococcus</italic> sp. The bacteria were found to be sensitive to ciprofloxacin (92.5%) and gentamicin (90.1%) and least susceptible to cefixime (23.1%) and vancomycin (26.4%). They were found to be multi-resistant because they have an MAR index above the tolerable permissible limit (0.2) for common antibiotics usually used for their eradication. It is important to ensure that the surfaces of canned drinks must be rinsed with water before consumption.</abstract>

Qualitative Detection and Isolation of Bacteria from Surfaces of Canned Drinks Sold in Ugbor, Benin City

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>In this treatise, we examined the activities of researchers of Nigeria descent in the frontier areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology, with a focus on green nanotechnology. The exploration of literature published by scholars were reviewed and compartmentalized on the basis of applications of the nanomaterials. It can be concluded that the level of activities in this area is expanding owing to the emergence of more published works since the beginning of 2010. However, in comparison with research outputs from other developing African countries such as South Africa and Egypt, activities in green nanotechnology are still at low ebb in Nigeria. Issues that are contributory to the slow pace were identified and appropriate solutions in terms of improved funding of education, enactment of national policy on nanotechnology, curriculum development, international cooperation as well as human resource development among others were discussed.</abstract>

Green Nanotechnology in Nigeria: The Research Landscape, Challenges and Prospects

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Changes in thermodynamic parameters as a result of modifying agents on dye uptake of cotton fabric using malachite green (MG) dye was investigated in this study. Five modifying agents {Acetic acid (CH3COOH), hydrated Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3.10H2O), Sodium Chloride (NaCl), Ammonium sulphate ((NH4)2SO4) and Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)} were used on cotton fabric. The equilibrium exhaustions (%E) were determined before and after modification of the cotton fabric at different concentrations which were 88.24%, 80%, 77.14%, 65.10% and 30.88% for CH3COOH, NaCl, (NH4)2SO4, Na2CO3.10H2O and H2O2 respectively. The results also showed a correlation between the standard affinity(-Δμθ) of dye on cotton fabric and the equilibrium exhaustion. The values of entropy (ΔSθ) and enthalpy (ΔHθ) change revealed the feasibility (spontaneity) and exothermic nature of the reaction. The optimum parameters were attained in acidic solution (CH3COOH) at the highest temperature (70 °C) of dyeing as it showed the highest % efficiency of 88.24%. This work established that modification of cotton fabric with modifying agents is one of the best route to improve the affinity between dye and fabric as it reduces stress, amount of dyes wasted in dyeing, time required to achieve satisfactory results leading to a cost effective environmental friendly approach in the field of cotton dyeing.</abstract>

Effects of Modifying Agents on the Dyeability of Cotton Fabric using Malachite Green Dye

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Synthetic flocculants in water treatment have been reported to be detrimental to both human health and the environment. Thus, there is a constant search for bio-flocculants that is safe and addresses the effects of synthetic polymers. This study was aimed at isolating bacteria with bio-flocculating potential, their molecular identification and phylogenetic relatedness, and the optimization of their flocculating abilities from an open water (Asa River) in Ilorin Kwara State. The effect of carbon source (glucose, lactose and starch), cations (FeSO4, KCl and CaCl2) and pH (2 to 12) was evaluated on the bio-flocculating activities of the isolates using kaolin clay. The seven (7) novel (new strains) isolates with their respective accession number from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) after molecular confirmation are <italic>Pseudomonas otitidis MTK01 (MK263227), Aeromonas caviea MTK02 (MK263228), Providencia alcalifaciens MTK03 (MK263229), Providencia sp. MTK05 (MK263230), Alcaligenes sp. MTK06 (MK263231), Klebsiella pneumoniae MTK07 (MK263232)</italic> and <italic>Klebsiella sp. MTK08 (MK263233)</italic> while <italic>Raoultella ornithinolytica MTK04</italic> was also identified. Phylogenetic tree of relatedness showed close kin of the isolates to established bacteria sequence deposited at the NCBI GenBank. Although the flocculating rate of each isolates varied with different parameters that was used in the study, glucose was the most supportive followed by lactose and starch, CaCl2 was most supportive cation followed by KCl and FeSO4 while pH 12, 6, 8, 10, 2 and 4 were the order of decreasing flocculating rate of the medium. This study has reported the presence of eight (8) bio-flocculating bacteria (out of which 7 are new strains of bacteria) in an open water which has been further optimized for effective flocculating rate and thus provides an ecofriendly and harmless flocculants source that can be employed in water treatment procedures.</abstract>

Screening for Bio-flocculant Producing Bacterial Strains from Asa River in Ilorin Kwara State

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Flocculants are chemicals that mediate flocculation process, by aggregating colloids from suspension to form floc. Chemical flocculants are hazardous to the environment, which inform the search for safer and eco-friendly alternatives from microorganisms. Bacterial strains were isolated from water and sediment samples collected from Sodwana Bay, South Africa, and physiological properties of the bacterial strains were observed. Flocculation test using kaolin clay suspension was done on all isolates and the ones that showed flocculating activity were identified molecularly using 16 rRNA gene sequence analysis. Forty marine bacteria isolates were gotten from sediments and water samples collected from Sodwana Bay. Most of the isolates exhibited a range of colony pigmentation (pink, creamy, yellow, and white). After purification of individual isolates, they were screened for their potential to produce bioflocculant. The result revealed that isolates marked SOD3, SOD10, SOD12, SOD26, SOD27, SOD28, SOD32, SOD33 and SOD34 produced bioflocculants as shown by the flocculating activities from their crude extract. All these isolates showed good flocculation of kaolin clay suspension above 60% (flocculating activity) except SOD12. These bioflocculant producing isolates were identified as <italic>Pseudoalteromonas sp</italic>, <italic>Alcaligenes faecalis</italic>, <italic>Bacillus subtilis</italic>, <italic>Bacillus cereus</italic>, <italic>Bacillus stratosphericus</italic>. The results showed Sodwana Bay, South Africa as a reservoir of bacteria with potential to produce flocculants. However, further studies on the optimisation of culture conditions for bioflocculant production, extraction, characterisation and application of isolates is on the way to underscore the biotechnological importance of these microbes as producers of substitutes to harmful chemical flocculants commonly used in water and wastewater treatment.</abstract>

Screening for Bioflocculant-Producing Bacteria from the Marine Environment of Sodwana Bay, South Africa

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Phytochemical constituents of plants extracts have been well investigated as leads for drug discovery and development. However, aside their immense medicinal properties, their safety is also of paramount importance, therefore evaluating the toxicity of plants extracts and their phytochemicals is an important aspect of quality measures to meet the requirements for consumption.This study was done to identify the volatile phytochemical compounds present in n-hexane extract of <italic>Uvaria chamae</italic> stems (UCSH) with the aid of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and to evaluate the effects of this non-polar extract on DNA using diphenylamine (DPA) and agarose gel electrophoresis assays, also to investigate the haematological parameters using an auto Haematology Analyzer.The GC-MS analysis of UCSH identified some compounds which include; squalene, lupeol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, and Benzyl benzoate with excellent medicinal properties. Genotoxicity assays results showed significant reductions in DNA fragmentation in liver and testis cells of mice as against the DNA biomarker and vehicle control group. Haematological results showed significant increase in white blood cells (WBC), red blood cell (RBC), platelets (PLT) and lymphocytes (LYMP) but significant reduction in mean corpuscular - volume (MCV), haemoglobin (MCH), and haemoglobin concentration (MCHC).The present study showed that the phytochemicals present in the n-Hexane extract of <italic>Uvaria chamae</italic> stems may play protective role in the genomic DNA of liver and testis tissues and also may induce hematological changes which may enhance the immune system.</abstract>

Haematological and Genotoxicity Evaluations of Phytochemical Compounds from n-Hexane Extract of <italic>Uvaria chamae</italic> Stem on Selected Organs in Mice

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Radio communication systems are crucial for information transmission, but they face challenges like interference and fading, which significantly impact network efficiency. Understanding propagation-related issues is crucial for optimizing networks. This study examined the influence of tropospheric parameters on the Received Signal Strength (RSS) of the Globacom communication system in Rivers State. Four tropospheric variables (air temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, and wind speed) are collected from the River State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) Environmental and Climatic Observatory Program. The results of the correlation analysis indicated a direct linear correlation between air temperature and RSS. In contrast, wind speed displayed an indirect relationship, while the remaining parameters demonstrated an inverse linear relationship. Multiple linear regression (MLR) and multiple linear perceptron (MLP) models were developed to accurately predict the impacts of tropospheric parameters on RSS. A supervised-learning three-layered MLP feed-forward neural network was employed, consisting of 10 distinct MLP NN models. The Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) learning algorithm was used in training and validating the MLP NN models. The MLP 4-40-1 model showed an exceptional understanding of the non-linear relationship between the tropospheric parameters and RSS. The MLR model exhibited a weaker correlation coefficient of 0.2164, while the MLP demonstrated a stronger correlation coefficient of 0.7942. Additionally, the MLP 4-40-1 model outperformed the MLR model in terms of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), achieving an accuracy of 0.2480 RMSE and 12.9963% MAPE, while the MLR model had 1.6880 RMSE and 27.3787% MAPE. These findings highlight the efficiency of the MLP 4-40-1 model in estimating the exact relationship between the tropospheric parameters and the signal strength of the mobile network in Rivers State. The study provides valuable insights into optimizing network design and emphasizes the significance of including tropospheric parameters in enhancing mobile communication performance.
</abstract>

Investigating the Impacts of Tropospheric Parameters on Received Signal Strength of the Mobile Communication System

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Phytochemicals that are naturally occurring in plants are known to be potentially bioactive, having anti-oxidative, antimicrobial and enzyme inhibiting potentials. This study investigated the antimicrobial, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of the methanol and dichloromethane extracts of the leaf and stem <italic>Sorindeia warneckei</italic>. The plant extract showed the presence of saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, glycosides, coumarins, steroids, alkaloids, anthraquinones and reducing sugars. The antioxidant potential was evaluated using DPPH radical scavenging assay while the antidiabetic activity was evaluated using an in-vitro α-amylase inhibitory assay. The DPPH free radical scavenging activity was expressed in % inhibition with L Ascorbic acid as standard showing IC50 0.69μg/ml with methanol extract while dichloromethane leaf extract having the highest activity at 0.45μg/ml. The α-amylase assay showed that the extracts exhibited potent alpha amylase inhibitory activity in a dose dependent manner with the leaf methanol extract having an IC50 of 2.33µg/L. The antimicrobial screening using the agar diffusion and agar dilution methods against the bacteria isolates <italic>Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhirimurium, Escherichia coli</italic> and <italic>Streptococcus mutans</italic> and the fungal isolates <italic>Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus</italic> and <italic>Rhizopus oligosporus</italic> showed a good positive result. Preliminary investigation reveals that <italic>Sorindeia warneckei,</italic> contain bioactive compounds that possess promising pharmaceutical potentials that could be exploited.
</abstract>

Preliminarily investigation on the In-vitro Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Activities of <italic>Sorindeia warneckei</italic> Extracts

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
This study investigated some physicochemical and engineering properties of dried egg powder concerning to its bulk handling with the view to promote its usage. The egg was deshelled to have whole egg, egg white and yolk; oven-dried in convective air at 60 °C (± 1 °C), milled and screened with a sieve size with a mesh size of 500 µm. The physicochemical and engineering properties analyses were carried out using standard procedures. The moisture contents ranged from 2.64 to 2.69%, loose and packed bulk densities ranged between 0.45 g/ml and 0.66g/ml (loose), 0.57 g/ml and 0.71g/ml, (packed). The least gelation concentration (LGC) of egg white and whole egg powder occurred at 10%, and, 12% respectively with egg yolk having poor LGC. The density ratio of egg white, whole egg and egg yolk powder were 92%, 76% and 77%, respectively. Egg white, whole egg and egg yolk powder samples had 7.80, 23.43 and 22.12% porosity, respectively The foaming stability of egg white, whole egg and egg yolk powder are 25.05, 28.41 and 26.01, respectively Similarly, the Carr index and Hausner ratio of dried egg white, whole egg and egg yolk powder are 24.48, 7.29 and 22.80; 1.18, 1.35 and 1.32, respectively indicating the egg powder samples were free-flowing. The emulsifying activity index of egg white, whole egg and dried egg powder are 3.84, 1.78 and 5.96, respectively while emulsifying stability index of the same samples are 503.30, 57.83 and 37.87, respectively. The colour intensity determined for egg white, whole egg and egg yolk powder was 61.75, 41,15 and 52.45, respectively Also, the thermal properties of the samples measured using differential scanning calorimeter ranged between 79.3 ⁰C - 92.8 ⁰C, 106.4 ⁰C - 121.2 ⁰C, 106.2 ⁰C - 122.8 ⁰C, 56.75 J/g - 278.6 J/g, 21.4 ⁰C - 94.743.5 ⁰C, 10.95 J/(gK) - 20.28 J/(gK), 0.50 w/m⁰C - 0.70 5 w/m⁰C, and 0.090 m2/s - 0.094 m2/s for onset temperature, peak temperature, end temperature, enthalpy, temperature range, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity respectively. The study therefore, provides engineering data about process design, control and bulk handling to extend the usage of dried egg powder samples in food process industries.
</abstract>

Studies on some engineering properties of dried egg powder reference to its bulk handling

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Despite the widespread use of omeprazole (OME), there are still concerns about its long-term safety and tolerability, especially with long-term or indiscriminate use. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of 90 days sub-chronic administration of OME on haematological, biochemical, antioxidant, reproductive and histopathological parameters in male and female rats. Forty-eight (48) Wistar rats of both sexes were divided into 4 groups of 6 male and 6 female animals each. Group I received 10 mL/kg normal saline, while Groups II – IV received 0.12 mg/kg, 0.57 mg/kg, 2.85 mg/kg of OME respectively for 90 days. At the end of 90 days, 5 mL blood sample was collected, and vital organs were harvested for relevant analyses. In this study, OME did not elicit any significant (P&gt;0.05) change in the body weight or weight of vital organs, but elicited a significant (P&lt;0.05) reduction in sperm count at the supratherapeutic dose (2.85 mg/kg). The supratherapeutic dose of OME produced significant increase in cholesterol (P&lt;0.0001) and LDL (P&lt;0.0001) in female rats. OME did not generally produce a significant change in haematological parameters. OME elicited a significant decrease in CAT (P&lt;0.05) in female and combined animals. Additionally, histopathological presentations of vital organs were generally non-abnormal. From this study, it can be concluded that long term administration of OME is generally safe and tolerable, especially at lower doses. Findings from this study suggest that OME may potentially induce changes in sperm characteristics (in relation to male rats), hepatoxicity, hypercholesteremia, hyperlipidemia and thrombocytosis over a long duration, at higher doses and especially in female animals.
</abstract>

Effect of 90 Days Sub-chronic Administration of Omeprazole (A Proton Pump Inhibitor) on Haematological, Biochemical, Antioxidant, Reproductive and Histopathological Parameters in Male and Female Rats

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Primordial radionuclides are, among others, sources of radiation exposure to man. In this study, dust from some 24 nursery and primary schools in Ife Central and Ife East Local Government Areas (LGA) of Osun State were collected and analysed for 238U, 232Th, and 40K using CsI scintillation detector connected to a Universal Radiation Spectrum Analyser (URSA II) for spectrum analysis. From the specific activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K, absorbed dose rates and radiological parameters were calculated. The mean activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in Bq/kg were found to be (45±2, 46±2), (56±5,60±5) and (669±76, 744±86) respectively for Ife Central and Ife East LGAs, however, the difference between the data sets from the two communities were not statistically significant. The total mean ± S.D (standard deviation) calculated over the whole study area were as follows; 238U= 45±11; 232Th=58±15 and 40K=702±196. The values of these radionuclides’ activities were higher than the world averages of 33, 45, and 420 for 238U, 232Th, and 40K respectively set by UNSCEAR. The mean absorbed dose rate in the air (in nGy/h) for Ife Central was 85±7 while for Ife East was 92±8. Both values were higher than the world average of 55 nGy/h. Also, the excess lifetime cancer risk was 1.66 × 10-3 for Ife Central and 1.8 × 10-3 for Ife East LGAs. Generally, Ife East LGA has higher activity concentrations than Ife Central LGA although the difference is not statistically significant.
</abstract>

Assessment of radiation dose level and excess lifetime cancer risk associated with dust samples collected from selected nursery and primary schools in Ife Central and Ife East, Osun State, Nigeria.

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The application of robotics continues to advance and lends itself to various disciplines. Previous work has shown how Markov decision processes can be integrated in an algorithm to handle pipeline inspection. This has been extended to building models and addressing the errors in the model from the data collected. This paper made use of data collected by simulated robots in a pipeline environment, to build an ensemble. Five models were explored and analysed viz: Linear model, Generalised linear model, K-nearest neighbour, Neural network, and Random Forests models. The models were used to explore the responses acquired from the pipeline corrosion data. The performance of each of the ensembles are evaluated based on the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Adjusted R2 and Mean Absolute Error. Model evaluation show that although the averaging ensemble has a better fit (34.56%) than the stacking ensembles (17.22% and 16.98% respectively) considered, it also has the higher RMSE,(81.90) than the stacking models ( 40.91 and 38.53 respectively) forcing the decision maker to make a trade-off between fit and precision.
</abstract>

Ensemble Algorithm for Simulated Corrosion Data-tentative

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>The ingestion of aluminum from food containers such as cookware, cans, utensils and wrappings and its subsequent release into the environment is a growing public health concern. Aluminum is widely used in manufacturing cookware due to its malleability, high heat conductivity, light weight, durability, availability and affordability. This paper therefore gives a review of most relevant literatures on the benefits and risks of the various types of aluminum cookware in use, the composition and the public health effects of aluminum ingestion. Studies that reported the leaching of aluminum from cookware into food and environmental effects of aluminum leaching were also reviewed. In the developing countries, aluminum cookwares are produced from scrap metals and has been reported to leach harmful substances including heavy metals such as: nickel, arsenic, copper, cadmium, lead, and aluminum into cooked food. Several factors have been reported to increase the rate of leaching of metals from aluminum cookwares. Exposure to metals from aluminum cookware and the public health effects have not been well studied, hence, our recommendation for more studies to elucidate the health effect of this practice. This review also presents measures that can limit exposure to the risks that may arise from the use of aluminum cookware.</abstract>

Production Usage, and Potential Public Health Effects of Aluminum Cookware: A Review

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Tiger nut is a plant generally underutilized in many parts of the world where it grows mostly as a weed. It is loved by children and many adults for its milky sugary taste, without most consumers being aware of its nutritional and health benefits. The level of awareness on the importance of this wonderful and greatly enriched plant is indeed very low. This review is aimed at expounding some of the advanced scientific researches which authenticated the folk reports on the therapeutic potential of the plant. Research findings which present potential application of this wonderful plant in food industry, pharmaceutical formulation, agricultural production and biofuel generation are also elucidated.</abstract>

Tiger Nut as A Functional Food, Pharmacological and Industrial Agent: A Mini Review

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>The volume of pharmaceuticals discharged into the environment increases daily as a consequence of human life. In the present study, the seasonal variation of ibuprofen in sediment, biota, water, and their exposure risk were investigated in River Owena and Ogbese, Nigeria. The high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS/MS) was used to analyze the samples after clean up and pre-concentration by solid-phase extraction. The mean concentration of IBU in the samples spanned a range of 1.75 - 2.75 μg/g in sediment, 0.01 – 15.00 μg/g in fish, and 0.00002 – 0.005 μg/ml in water. The measurement of IBU in the sediment and water was significantly elevated in the dry season than the wet season, whereas the opposite was the case in biota. There was a significant interaction between season, media, and rivers with respect to IBU occurrence in the sampled rivers. The calculated bio-water accumulation factor (BWAF) was as high as 750,000 μg/g in fish, proving IBU is extremely bio-accumulative. The ecotoxicological risk assessment for average and worst possible outcome showed that the risk quotient (RQ) for IBU present in the water was sufficient to cause toxicity to fish in both freshwater bodies. The potential bioavailability of IBU to aquatic fauna for prolonged periods spanning several months can result in its circling back into the food web afterward. The baseline info provided by this study in these freshwaters may provide valuable information for the implementation of safety limits for the management of IBU influx into the environment.</abstract>

Seasonal Occurrence of Ibuprofen in Sediment, Water, and Biota in River Owena and Ogbese, and its Ecological Risk Assessment

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