Environmental Management and Toxicology

The global rising consciousness for environmentally friendly products has increased since the advent of COVID-19 pandemic. In developing economies such as Nigeria there are still constraints as to adoption and integration of green orientation and approaches. The study investigated the effect of green marketing strategies on consumer purchasing decision in the fast-movingconsumer-goods (FMCG) industry in Nigeria based on insights gathered from consumers in selected areas of Lagos State. The study adopted a quantitative research approach based on survey research design to gather primary data from a sample of 400 respondents selected via judgmental and convenience sampling technique. The data was collected through a structured questionnaire and was analysed using descriptive statistics. The results of data analysis indicated that consumers do not experience cognitive dissonance/dissatisfaction with green FMCG products of their preferred organization. Also, when evaluating FMCG products for purchase purposes green pricing significantly influences consumers purchase decision. In addition, consumers do not experience cognitive dissonance/dissatisfaction with green FMCG promotion of their preferred organization. Finally, consumers consider purchasing environmentally friendly products because their distribution channels allow for returning empty containers for recycling and reusage. The study concluded that green marketing has a significant positive effect of on consumer purchasing decision in the FMCG industry in Nigeria. With respect to the outcomes and the conclusion of this study, it was proffered that green marketing should be seen and considered as a contemporary strategic marketing technique and tool, hence organizations and management should continue to develop ways that can improve their application of green orientation in all areas of their business and marketing.

Rapid population growth and increasing food demand have led to a significant rise in organic waste generation, which has had a negative impact on the environment. However, these wastes can be utilized as substrates for anaerobic digestion (AD) biogas production, providing a sustainable and environmentally friendly waste management solution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutrient composition, biogas potential, and electricity generation capacity of root and tuber waste as a feedstock for biogas production. Waste samples were collected from various restaurants in Malumfashi. The nutrient composition of the waste samples was analyzed using standardized AOAC methods, and the biogas potential was estimated using the Baserga model equations. The results revealed that the waste samples had a total solid content of 94.70%, a volatile solid content of 87.60%, a crude protein content of 0.10%, a nitrogen-free extract of 5.1%, a crude fiber content of 5.04%, a crude fat content of 7.1%, and an ash content of 5.3%. The estimated biogas yield from complete degradation of fresh organic matter from roots and tubers was 501m 3 /ton, with a methane content of 52%. Based on the calorific value of biogas and the efficiency of electrical conversion, the estimated electrical potential was determined to be 1072 kWh/ton. The study recommends the utilization of root and tuber waste as a valuable resource for biogas generation and renewable energy production. Additionally, further research should be conducted to determine the specific biogas production outputs of root and tuber wastes.

Anthracnose disease in chillies is a serious problem for farmers. So far, synthetic fungicides have been used as solution for the treatment of this disease. However, the side effects of synthetic fungicides to  public health and environment raised awareness on  alternative fungicides derived from natural resources. This paper aims to review plants that  are  potential as an alternative to fungicides for chili plantation, fabrication of test solutions, in vitro and in vivo fungicide test. Many plants  were investigated as alternatives to plant-based fungicide. The utilization of leaves as samples including rhizomes, roots, tubers, weevils, seeds, fruit, flowers and  other parts of the plant. The extract fabrication method used as a fungicide test include: maceration method, gradual fractionation method, and decoction method. The maceration method is the method most widely used to extract fungicidal active compounds from plants. Some studies that carried out in vitro tests were unable...

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Water pollution issues and clean water needs have forced developing countries, such as Malaysia. Relating to clean water demand for covering human activities, water quality index determine several water parameter that presents pollution problem in water. As a water source, clean water in river is a critical concern. River water quality is according to natural process and anthropogenic activities. River water is potential to be contaminated by industrial, domestic and agricultural activities. Thus, in this study, water quality and availability in Manik Urai, Durian and Geh rivers were reviewed. Each pollutants was investigated, for instance BOD, COD, DO, SS, and pH. Range of river water flow was also examined. Total water demand was mentioned. In addition, the impacts of drought in 1990-2016 were assessed. However, review resulted that climate change has severe impact in water supply system.

Methods: Intact and abraded rabbit skins were tested for erythema and oedema under shade and under sun exposure. Draize Primary Irritation Index (PII) was used to calculate skin irritation of each cosmetic. Cosmetic ingredients were analysed from the labels. Results & Discussion: Only Dove cream caused no skin irritation except for an abraded skin under sun exposure for five consecutive days. It has been identified that application of cosmetics on abraded skin under sunny condition worsens the irritation. Cosmetic labels revealed that most ingredients used in all products were those restricted chemicals due to their adverse health effects. Conclusion: This study has concluded that use of cosmetics under sunshine and also on abraded skin increases skin irritation. Hence, those users who have abraded skin are advised not to apply those cosmetics on continuous basis specifically under sun exposure.

The aim of this study was to determine the pattern of, and the factors that influence fuelwood supply to Gombe urban area. The specific objectives were to analyze the daily and seasonal supply of fuelwood into the town, examine the factors that influence the usage of fuelwood as well as the participants in the fuelwood business. The study adopted mix-method research design. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 150 respondents. The instruments used for data collection included Global Positioning System (GPS) and structured interview guide. The results of data analyzed revealed that the mean quantity of fuelwood supply in the dry season was 210 tons while supply in the rainy season was 122 tons. Thus, the prices of fuelwood were found to be higher in the wet season than in the dry season due to shortage of supply. Furthermore, fuelwood business in the study area was dominated by men, a situation that was traceable to socio-cultural factors. Interaction with fuelwood cutters and transporters indicated that fuelwood cutting which started a long time ago has been on the increase. Stakeholders in fuelwood business (forest guards, community leaders, union leaders etc.) expressed worries about decline in the density of trees with the negative environmental consequences. End users were of the opinion that family size, fuelwood availability and price, socio-cultural and safety considerations were among factors that influence use of fuelwood. In order to halt the reckless felling of trees and the attendant environmental degradation, urgent interventions are required from government and non-governmental organization to find alternative sources of domestic energy. This should focus on intensified efforts towards the supply of environmental friendly cooking stoves at affordable prices.

Water pollution issues and clean water needs have forced developing countries, such as Malaysia. Relating to clean water demand for covering human activities, water quality index determine several water parameter that presents pollution problem in water. As a water source, clean water in river is a critical concern. River water quality is according to natural process and anthropogenic activities. River water is potential to be contaminated by industrial, domestic and agricultural activities. Thus, in this study, water quality and availability in Manik Urai, Durian and Geh rivers were reviewed. Each pollutants was investigated, for instance BOD, COD, DO, SS, and pH. Range of river water flow was also examined. Total water demand was mentioned. In addition, the impacts of drought in 1990-2016 were assessed. However, review resulted that climate change has severe impact in water supply system.

The adulteration of the environment by hazardous waste, such as heavy metals, nuclear wastes, hydrocarbons, pesticides and greenhouse gases is the major serious problem which need to be reduced. Common remediation technique such as physical, chemical and biological process are being applied. Chemical process can transform and change organic contaminant of interest which is not sufficient to clean the environment, while physical technique requires additional equipment. Thus, bioremediation exist as green approach to eliminate the hazardous waste in the environment. In this review, bioremediation is comprehensively presented. Remediation process types, challenges, limitations, mechanisms, and future suggestion has been elaborated to develop bioremediation technology for future prospect.

Anthracnose disease in chillies is a serious problem for farmers. So far, synthetic fungicides have been used as solution for the treatment of this disease. However, the side effects of synthetic fungicides to  public health and environment raised awareness on  alternative fungicides derived from natural resources. This paper aims to review plants that  are  potential as an alternative to fungicides for chili plantation, fabrication of test solutions, in vitro and in vivo fungicide test. Many plants  were investigated as alternatives to plant-based fungicide. The utilization of leaves as samples including rhizomes, roots, tubers, weevils, seeds, fruit, flowers and  other parts of the plant. The extract fabrication method used as a fungicide test include: maceration method, gradual fractionation method, and decoction method. The maceration method is the method most widely used to extract fungicidal active compounds from plants. Some studies that carried out in vitro tests were unable...

The toxicological effects of three commonly used pesticides in Iran on the fries of Caspian kutum (Rutilus kutum, Kamensky, 1901) were investigated through determining 50.00% lethal concentration (LC50) 96-hr and cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition. The LC50 96-hr of carbaryl, glyphosate, and malathion were equal to 11.69, 6.64, and 0.97 mg L-1 , respectively, that were considered as harmful (10.00-100 mg L-1), toxic (1.00-10.00 mg L-1) and very toxic (< 1.00 mg L-1) compounds for this species. The exposure of fries to sub-lethal concentrations of the pesticides over 15 days indicated that the average of ChE activity in the head and trunk were 1086.89 ± 124.34 and 627.36 ± 99.60 mU min-1 per mg protein, respectively, with a significant difference relative to each other. There was a significant difference between fry exposed to all three pesticides and the control group in cholinesterase inhibition. The fries exposed to carbaryl (890.12 ± 28.08 mU min-1 per mg protein) and glyphosate (891.77 ± 31.61 mU min-1 per mg protein) showed lower ChE inhibition than those exposed to malathion (790.00 ± 58.14 mU min-1 per mg protein).

The quest for alternative methods is driven by the need to provide expertise in real time in biological fields such as medicine, pathogenic bacteria and viruses identification, food protection, and quality control. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) are examples of traditional methods that have some limitations and lengthy procedures. Biosensors are the most appealing option because they provide easy, dependable, fast, and selective detection systems compared to conventional methods. This review provides an overview of electrochemical genosensor based biosensor diagnostic system for infectious diseases detection as well as their applications, demonstrating their utility as a fast and responsive tool for detecting pathogenic bacteria, viruses, GMOs, and human diseases.

Knowing the concentration of elements in children’s classroom dust and the associated ecological and health risks is essential in preventing and controlling possible elemental poisoning. Dust samples were collected from 37 nursery and kindergarten classrooms across three local government areas in Abeokuta, Nigeria, and assessed for elemental concentrations using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrophotometry. The hazard and the cancer risk indexes were estimated using the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and health risks posed to children. The highest mean concentrations (mg/kg) of Ca, Fe, K, and Ti ranged between 4034.22–15995.09, 1758.95–2409.62, 5146.66–8996.75, and 730.96–1140.38, respectively. About 33.33% of the monitored metals displayed Igeo values within the moderately polluted and extremely polluted categories in Abeokuta South and North. All the monitored locations were strongly polluted with Ca, Fe, K and Ti, including arsenic at Abeokuta South. Metals with high pollution (Cf &...

Activated Carbon is an essential substance for many industrial activities. For instance, bleaching agent (in sugar factory) and for water filtration. Most of the Activated Carbon for industrial activities is being imported from other countries. However, there is no sufficient amount of production to satisfy the need in our country and the demand for Activated Carbon in the market is high. So, to satisfy the demand the Activated Carbon is being produced using solid waste Rice Husk. The purpose of this project is the preparation of Activated Carbon using a suitable rice husk. The Activated Carbon produced from Pyrolysis of rice husk was chemically activated with activating agent sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The chemically activated carbons were characterized by measuring yield percentage and bulk densities. The activated carbon produced from rice husk at different activating temperature of 650oC, 700oC and 800oC exhibit a yield percentage of 48.2%, 47.65% and 45.95% respectively and corre...

Rapid population growth and increasing food demand have led to a significant rise in organic waste generation, which has had a negative impact on the environment. However, these wastes can be utilized as substrates for anaerobic digestion (AD) biogas production, providing a sustainable and environmentally friendly waste management solution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutrient composition, biogas potential, and electricity generation capacity of root and tuber waste as a feedstock for biogas production. Waste samples were collected from various restaurants in Malumfashi. The nutrient composition of the waste samples was analyzed using standardized AOAC methods, and the biogas potential was estimated using the Baserga model equations. The results revealed that the waste samples had a total solid content of 94.70%, a volatile solid content of 87.60%, a crude protein content of 0.10%, a nitrogen-free extract of 5.1%, a crude fiber content of 5.04%, a crude fat content of 7.1%, and an ash content of 5.3%. The estimated biogas yield from complete degradation of fresh organic matter from roots and tubers was 501m 3 /ton, with a methane content of 52%. Based on the calorific value of biogas and the efficiency of electrical conversion, the estimated electrical potential was determined to be 1072 kWh/ton. The study recommends the utilization of root and tuber waste as a valuable resource for biogas generation and renewable energy production. Additionally, further research should be conducted to determine the specific biogas production outputs of root and tuber wastes.

In most instances, there exists an inaccuracy in interpretation of adsorption/reduction of substances using linear technique as it can only provide an approximate value of the measured parameter; the specific adsorption rate. This paper provides for the first-time modelling of the effect of nZVI/BC, nZVI and Biochar (BC) on the adsorption/reduction of nitrobenzene as modelled using Pseudo-1st order (PFO), Pseudo-2nd Order (PSO), Elovich and Avrami models. Pseudo-1st Order was the best model for nZVIBCg, whereas Pseudo-2nd Order was the best model for nZVI and BC on Nitrobenzene (NB) removal based on statistical dependencies that were used such as root-mean-squire error (RMSE), bias factor (BF), Akaike information criterion (AICc) and the adjusted coefficient of determination. Justifiably from the results, coupling nZVI and BC together will help in reducing more of NB than when individual compounds are used.

C iprofloxacin (15 mg/kg body weight), amoxycillin (50 mg/kg body weight) and ampicillin (80 mg/kg b. wt.) administered orally to male sharptooth catfish Glorias gariepimts 3 times, every 72 hours intervals. Plasma samples were taken for three successive days after the last dose the most important results were : t) Plasma glucose levels were significantly elevated in fish administered ciprofloxacin and amoxycillin at the 3 days studied and ampicillin at the 3 rd day. In contrast, hypoglycemia observed in the first two days in plasma of C. gariepinus administered ampicillin. 2) Significant hyperproteinaemia was observed in fish groups administered bertfer etpfefkweaein and amoxycillin antibiotics during the three days studied. Ampicillin showed a significant highest value at the second day, while the values at both 1 st and 3 rd days showed significant lower values. 3) Administration of the three antibiotics significantly raised the plasma urea in the three days studied except the 2 nd and 3 rd days in fish administrated amoxycillin and ampicillin respectively. Also, increased plasma concentrations of uric acid and creatinine in C. gariepinus administered the three antibiotics at the three days studied were recorded. 4) The AST and ALT activities in C. gariepinus administered both ciprofloxacin and amoxycillin antibiotics showed significant higher values at the 3 rd day. The slope of rise of AST and ALT activities in both ciprofloxacin and amoxycillin were greater than that of ampicillin that is approximately similar to the control group. So, ciprofloxacin, amoxycillin followed 382 Esam H. Rizkalla et al. by ampicillin are effective on the liver functions in a decreasing order. This observation is clear in ALT than AST, which indicates that ALT is more sensitive to antibiotic administration. 5) Analysis of ALP activity in all groups of C. gahepinus administered with the three antibiotics in the three periods studied showed significant higher values. The administration of antibiotic may considered as stress factor in the fish even when it used in the prophylactic dose. Glucose and ALT, AST and ALP can used to evaluate the stress condition in fish especially in the farm condition.

Atrazine is the second most widely used herbicide in Nigeria, an excellent polluter of surface and ground sources of water; it finds its way into the water bodies through percolation and surface run-off during rainy and dry season farming. The chemical has some effects on the ecosystem especially in aquatic habitats. different concentrations of atrazine have been prepared (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 mg/l) and each treatment was replicated four times. a total number of twenty-five basins were used. Five test organisms (Clarias garipienus) were used in each basin. During 96-hour exposure, physicochemical parameters, morphological changes and abnormal behavior in the fish were observed. The research also considers biochemical changes in the kidney, liver and gills where the activities of cretinine, Urea, AST, ALT and Total bilirubin was assayed using colorimetric method. Based on the results obtained in this study, atrazine is found to be toxic to Clarias gariepinus. The result of the biochemic...

In the current article, we showcase various growth models like Von Bertalanffy, Baranyi-Roberts, Morgan-Mercer-Flodin (MMF), modified Richards, modified Gompertz, modified Logistics and Huang in the fitting and analysis of the COVID-19 epidemic trend as of 15 July 2020 in Indonesia in the form of the total number of SARS-CoV-2 infections. The MMF model was proved as the suitable model with the highest adjusted R2 value and lowest RMSE value. The Accuracy and Bias Factors values were near to unity (1.0). The parameters obtained from the MMF model consist of maximum growth rate (µm) (log) of 0.025 (95% CI from 0.020 to 0.028), curve constant () that affects the inflection point of 0.770 (95% CI from 0.691 to 0.849), lower asymptote value () of 0.297 (95% CI from 0.229 to 0.365) and maximal total number of cases (ymax) of 4,634,469 (95% CI from 1,967,886 to 15,417,005). The MMF forecast that the total number of cases in Indonesia on the coming 15th of August and 15th of Septembe...

To improve cell vitality, sufficient oxygen supply is an important factor. A deficiency in oxygen is called Hypoxia and can influence for example tumor growth or inflammatory processes. Hypoxia assays are usually performed with the help of animal or static human cell culture models. The main disadvantage of these methods is that the results are hardly transferable to the human physiology. Microfluidic 3D cell cultivation systems for perfused hypoxia assays may overcome this issue since they can mimic theHereby presented is the developed hard- and software requiered to control the oxygen content within this microfluidic system. This system forms a closed-loop control system which is parameterized and evaluated.

Soil, vegetation and atmospheric pollution have been a serious problem in recent years in Lafia, especially among the communities living along the major highways due to increase in industrialization and vehicular movements. The level of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn) in Neem tree leaves, bark and soil along major roads in Lafia were determined using digestion and atomic absorption spectrophotometer methods. The leaves, trunk bark and soil samples were collected along Makurdi road (Tudun Kauri), Jos road (National Supply), Nasarawa state polytechnic site and Obi road (Maraba Akunza). The aim was to assess the level of the metals in the samples. The mean concentration of metals in the various locations along roads varied between Pb (0.028 to 0.570 mg/kg), Zn (0.061 to 1.326 mg/kg), Ni (0.028 to 0.261 mg/kg), Cr (0.013 to 0.201 mg/kg). Samples from Makurdi road (Tudun Kauri) indicated higher level of Zn, while sample from Jos road indicated the highest level of Pb. Levels of Cr and Ni in the various locations were obtained in minute quantities and were largely undetected in most of the samples. However, levels of all the metals obtained from the various locations along the major roads were below the WHO/FDA maximum permissible levels of heavy metals in plants. The Neem plant (Azadirachta indica) could be a good bioindicator of Pb and Zn.

Acute high-dose alcohol consumption can lead to oxidative stress, which can cause harm to organs. In this study we aim to determine whether administering boric acid (BA) can protect certain organs (liver, kidney, and brain) from the damaging effects of alcohol by reducing oxidative stress. We used 50 and 100 mg/kg of BA. Thirty-two Sprague Dawley (12-14-weekold) male rats in our study were separated into four groups (n=8); control, ethanol, ethanol+50 mg/kg BA, and ethanol+100 mg/kg BA groups. Acute ethanol was given to rats by gavage at 8 g/kg. BA doses were given by gavage 30 min before ethanol administration. Alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) measurements were made in blood samples. The total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), OSI (oxidative stress index) (TOS/TAS), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were measured to determine the oxidative stress induced by high-dose acute ethanol in the liver, kidney, and brain tissue, and the antioxidant effects of BA doses. According to our biochemical results, acute high-dose ethanol increases oxidative stress in liver, kidney, and brain tissues, while BA reduces the damage in tissues with its antioxidant effect. For the histopathological examinations, hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed. As a result, we found that the effect of alcohol-induced oxidative stress on liver, kidney, and brain tissues was different, and that giving boric acid reduces the increased oxidative stress in tissues due to its antioxidant effect. It was found that 100mg/kg BA administration had a higher antioxidant effect than in the 50mg/kg group.

In most instances, there exists an inaccuracy in interpretation of adsorption/reduction of substances using linear technique as it can only provide an approximate value of the measured parameter; the specific adsorption rate. This paper provides for the first-time modelling of the effect of nZVI/BC, nZVI and Biochar (BC) on the adsorption/reduction of nitrobenzene as modelled using Pseudo-1st order (PFO), Pseudo-2nd Order (PSO), Elovich and Avrami models. Pseudo-1st Order was the best model for nZVIBCg, whereas Pseudo-2nd Order was the best model for nZVI and BC on Nitrobenzene (NB) removal based on statistical dependencies that were used such as root-mean-squire error (RMSE), bias factor (BF), Akaike information criterion (AICc) and the adjusted coefficient of determination. Justifiably from the results, coupling nZVI and BC together will help in reducing more of NB than when individual compounds are used.

iazinon is widely and effectively used in agriculture as well as in domestic and aquaculture aspects. As a result of its widespread application, its ecotoxicity study is needed to determine its effects on the aquatic organisms and its potential impact as an environmental contaminant. In this study, the half lethal concentration (LC 50) of diazinon for Clarias gariepinus was calculated. Diazinon toxicity was evaluated through acute and chronic exposures of fish to 1/2 and 1/10 the calculated LC 50 for 1w & 6 w respectively. Results showed that the LC 50 /96h was 5.98 ppm. The effects of both acute and chronic exposures revealed clinical abnormalities in the form of nervous and respiratory disorders manifested by erratic swimming and/or circling, rapid opercular movements and abnormal skin pigmentation that appeared in the form of skin fading. A significant increase in cortisol, glucose, AST & ALT activities, urea, uric acid, creatinine and serum Ca ++ levels were recorded. Furthermore, diazinon exposures were associated with an inhibition of cholinesterase activity, a decrease in total protein concentration in serum with a reduction in both albumin and globulin. This study declared that diazinon is an extremely toxic organophosphate pesticide for C. gariepinus, its improper application often results in contamination of the environment and consequently in deleterious health effects. So, strict precautions should be followed.

The concept of green marketing mix is as well as the conventional marketing mix refers to the satisfaction of customer needs, wants, and desires related to the maintenance and preservation of the environment. Consumers interest in environmental care creates opportunities for companies to apply green marketing and to increase sales. Green marketing becomes an alternative strategy helps the company's image, adds value to the company's business, even consumers demand green choices and will to pay higher prices. The marketing strategy includes the company's external and internal factors. The marketing mix strategy is the basic idea and generic function of marketing which consists of product, price, place, and promotion elements to shape the occurrence of sales. Developing the concept of green marketing mix (green marketing mix) is inseparable from the traditional 4P concepts (product, price, place, promotion), except a number of additional component are closely related to the intent of green marketing itself and other very influential things. The implementation of a green marketing strategy requires a fundamental, comprehensive and integrated approach in all functional aspects of marketing, including the overall marketing mix, such as product design, pricing, location and promotion.

iazinon is widely and effectively used in agriculture as well as in domestic and aquaculture aspects. As a result of its widespread application, its ecotoxicity study is needed to determine its effects on the aquatic organisms and its potential impact as an environmental contaminant. In this study, the half lethal concentration (LC 50) of diazinon for Clarias gariepinus was calculated. Diazinon toxicity was evaluated through acute and chronic exposures of fish to 1/2 and 1/10 the calculated LC 50 for 1w & 6 w respectively. Results showed that the LC 50 /96h was 5.98 ppm. The effects of both acute and chronic exposures revealed clinical abnormalities in the form of nervous and respiratory disorders manifested by erratic swimming and/or circling, rapid opercular movements and abnormal skin pigmentation that appeared in the form of skin fading. A significant increase in cortisol, glucose, AST & ALT activities, urea, uric acid, creatinine and serum Ca ++ levels were recorded. Furthermore, diazinon exposures were associated with an inhibition of cholinesterase activity, a decrease in total protein concentration in serum with a reduction in both albumin and globulin. This study declared that diazinon is an extremely toxic organophosphate pesticide for C. gariepinus, its improper application often results in contamination of the environment and consequently in deleterious health effects. So, strict precautions should be followed.

As a result of the fact that several research do not carry out statistical diagnostics on the nonlinear model that was employed, the data could not be random. Because these systems rely on random data, this is a necessity for all parametric statistical assessment procedures. The Wald-Wolfowitz runs test was done on the modified logistics that were employed in the fitting of the growth curve of immobilized Pseudomonas putida on phenol. This test was carried out in order to determine whether or not the logistical changes had any effect on the growth curve. This test was carried out so that it could be determined whether or not the adjustments made to the logistical processes were successful. The runs test showed that there was a total of eight runs, which contradicts the expectation that there would only be seven runs due to the unpredictability of the circumstance. The assumption was based on the fact that there would only be seven runs. Since the p-value was larger than 0.05, the null hypothesis is not rejected; this suggests that there is no convincing evidence of the non-randomness of the residuals; rather, the residuals represent noise in the data. As a consequence of the findings of Grubb's test, which indicate that there is no outlier, it is not necessary to reanalyze the data because the modified logistics model used in the fitting of the growth curve of immobilized Pseudomonas putida on phenol was adequate enough. This means that the reanalysis would be unnecessary.

Physical, chemical or biological data mathematical simulation may assist the investigator to describe a phenomenon found based on physical, chemical or biological mechanisms. The model may also be used to forecast or predict future behavior, simulate a hypothetical event or feedback, and better tests can be planned. Molybdenum reduction to the insoluble molybdenum blue by bacteria is an emerging tool for bioremediation of molybdenum pollutant worldwide. In this study, the molybdenum reduction rate by the bacterium Pantoea sp. strain HMY-P4 was studied for its inhibitory kinetics characteristics using sodium molybdate as a substrate. Modeling kinetics showed that molybdenum reduction could be explained by several models such as Monod, Haldane, Hans-Levenspiel, Luong, Teissier, Aiba and Yano with Aiba as the best model as judged using error function analysis such as bias and accuracy factors (BF and AF), root mean square error (RMSE), adjusted coefficient of determination (adjR 2), and corrected Akaike Information Criterion (AICc). The calculated values for the Aiba constants qmax (the maximum specific substrate degradation rate (h −1), Ks (concentration of substrate at the half maximal degradation rate (mg/L) or saturation constant and Ki (inhibition constant (mg/L)) were 0.060 (95% CI, 0.024 to 0.096), 0.302 (95% CI, 0.381 to 0.222) and 0.953 (95% CI, 0.568 to 1.338), respectively. These model parameters indicate a good tolerance of the bacterium against high concentration of toxic molybdenum making the bacterium useful for bioremediation works.

Activated charcoal for oral medicinal purposes: Is it really activated? Dear Editor, ctivated charcoal is commonly used as oral medication to lower cholesterol level, (Neuvonen et al.,1989), treat poisonings (Olson, 2010) and reduce intestinal gas (Hall et al.,1981). In general, activated charcol is not toxic and safe to be used in oral administration as it is not digested in human gastrointestinal tract (Olson, 2010). Activated charcoal can be manufactured from a variety of carbonaceous materials such as woods, coal and agricultural by-products. There are two ways to activate the carbonaceous precursors into activated charcoal, namely physical activation and chemical activation. For medicinal applications, physical activation is preferable because it involves the use of inert, non-toxic oxidizing gases (such as steam or CO 2) instead of toxic chemical agents (such as ZnCl 2 and KOH) in chemical activation that may in some way compromise the safety of the product. In physical activation, the precursor is carbonized at 300-500°C in air or N 2 atmosphere prior to pyrolysis at high temperature (800-1000°C). The former is to create rudimentary pores on the material surface, while the latter enhances the textural properties by increasing the pore volume and specific surface area of the resultant activated charcoal (Marsh and Rodriguez-Reinoso, 2006). Figure 1 visualizes the pore development in the physical activation process. The image was taken using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM, model SUPRA 35VP) at 2500 magnification. By definition, activated charcoal is a carbon material with unique surface and textural properties, where the carbon content is usually more than 80% and the specific surface area is between 700 and 2000 m 2 /g (Ming-Twang et al., 2015). Activation procedure releases the volatiles-hydrogen, sulphur, nitrogen and oxygen, resulting a graphitic structure carbon-rich material (Marsh and Rodriguez-Reinoso, 20064, Ming-Twang et al., 2015). The fact that activated charcoal is good at capturing toxins and cholesterol from being absorbed into the body through blood vessels is undeniable (Olson, 2010; Neuvonen et al.,1989; Hall et al.,1981). This is usually being perceived as the charcoal has been 'activated' that enables it to perform its duties.

Voltammetric determination of human papillomavirus 16 DNA by using interdigitated electrodes modified with titanium dioxide nanoparticles ABSTRACT A gene sensor for rapid detection of the Human Papillomavirus 16 (HPV 16) which is associated with the appearance of cervical cancer was developed. The assay is based on voltammetric determination of HPV 16 DNA by using interdigitated electrodes modified with titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (NPs) were used to modify a semiconductor-based interdigitated electrode (IDE). The surface of the NPs was then functionalized with a commercial 24-mer oligomer DNA probe for HPV 16 that was modified at the 5′ end with a carboxyl group. If the probe interacts with the HPV 16 ssDNA, the current, best measured at a working voltage of 1.0 V, increases. The gene sensor has has a ∼ 0.1 fM limit of detection which is comparable to other sensors. The dielectric voltammetry analysis was carried out from 0 V to 1 V. The electrochemical sensitivity of the IDE is 2.5 × 10⁻⁵ μA•μM⁻¹•cm⁻². Graphical abstract Schematic of an interdigitated electrode (IDE) modified with titanium dioxide nanoparticles for voltammetric determination of HPV 16 DNA by using an appropriate DNA probe.

The SARS CoV pandemic has a tremendous impact on both developed and developing countries. To mitigate against community transmission of SARS CoV in Southern Bhutan and Central Bangladesh, the development and application of appropriate technologies was undertaken. As an appropriate mitigation, hand washing station was constructed by a simple system. The system was operated using a foot pedal to limit cross contamination by direct hand contact, hand sanitizer utilization and disinfection application in Central Bangladesh. The study highlighted a local innovation in constrained environments to provide public health solutions for preventing the spread of SARS CoV. The innovation and mitigation measures can be replicated in other resource challenged regions of the world as mitigations steps to limit community transmission of SARS CoV .

In the quest for novel bioactive metabolites, which can also be used as therapeutic agents, Adiantum philippense (A. philippense), an ethnomedically important fern, has become a fascinating herb. In this study, the predictive mathematical modelling of A. philippense crude extract was tested against Shigella flexneri, a common food pathogen for its phytochemical constituents, antagonistic ability, and effect on bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation was calculated. Various kinetics models such as Von Bertalanffy, Baranyi-Roberts, modified Schnute, Modified Richards, Modified Gompertz, Modified Logistics and latest Huang were used to get values for the above kinetic constants or parameters. modified Gompertz of the entire model was found to be the best model with the highest adjusted R2 value and lowest RMSE value. The accuracy and bias factors values were close to unity (1.0). The maximum specific growth rate (mmax (h-1) for S. flexneri treatment with A. philippense extract was sig...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate about the glucose, glycogen content in liver and muscle in fresh water fish Cirrhinus mrigala exposed to nitrite toxicity. Plasma glucose level of Cirrhinus mrigala exposed to sublethal toxicity (28.31) of nitrite exhibited a significant increase throughout the study period (Table 20 and Fig. 19). The significant increase in plasma glucose level was directly proportional to the exposure period showing a minimum percent increase of 3.

Background. Rabbit skin model was used to test skin irritation of the most commonly used cosmetic products in Jimma town, southwestern Ethiopia. The most commonly used cosmetics were Dove, Glysolid, College, Top Society, Fair and Lovely, Nivea, Lux, Magic fruit world, Solea, Body talk, Kris, Holly, Victoria, and Sweet Heart.Methods. Intact and abraded rabbit skins were tested for erythema and edema under shade and under sun exposure. Draize Primary Irritation Index (PII) was used to calculate skin irritation of each cosmetic. Cosmetic ingredients were analyzed from the labels.Results and Discussion. Only Dove cream caused no skin irritation except for an abraded skin under sun exposure for five consecutive days. It has been identified that application of cosmetics on abraded skin under sunny condition worsens the irritation. Cosmetic labels revealed that most ingredients used in all products were those restricted chemicals due to their adverse health effects.Conclusion. This study h...

The use of agricultural by-products as a fish meal is an attempt to minimize the cost of fish production to aquaculturist and to also create a more environmentally friendly practice. Due to high demand of Tilapia fish, efforts to improve its growth performance is highly needed. The application of linearization technique by natural logarithm transformation, even though standard, is inaccurate and can just provide an estimated value for the single parameter measured; the specific growth rate. In this paper, for the first time we used various kinetics models such as Von Bertalanffy, Baranyi-Roberts, modified Schnute, modified Richards, modified Gompertz, modified Logistics and most recent Huang were used to get values for the above constants or parameters from Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus growth on fed diets formulated from local ingredients in cages. At the end of the modelling exercise, Baranyi-Roberts model proved to be the finest model with the highest adjusted R2 value and l...

The influence of sub lethal concentrations of Zinc (4.8 and 9.6 mg/l)and the experimental organochlorine pesticide Tak (1.5 and 3 mg/l)individually and in mixture on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)for fifteen days were investigated .The results revealed a significant increase ((P0.05)in liver residual Zinc and Tak than muscle tissue of Oreochromis niloticus , accompanied by a disturbance in fish physiological status with significant increase, in serum glucose level , cortisol hormone ,cholesterol , triglycerides , urea , creatinine , AST and ALT activities. The results also demonstrated synergistic effect of Zinc and Tak on Oreochromis niloticus fish exposed to the different studied sub lethal concentrations for 15 days.

Activated charcoal for oral medicinal purposes: Is it really activated? Dear Editor, ctivated charcoal is commonly used as oral medication to lower cholesterol level, (Neuvonen et al.,1989), treat poisonings (Olson, 2010) and reduce intestinal gas (Hall et al.,1981). In general, activated charcol is not toxic and safe to be used in oral administration as it is not digested in human gastrointestinal tract (Olson, 2010). Activated charcoal can be manufactured from a variety of carbonaceous materials such as woods, coal and agricultural by-products. There are two ways to activate the carbonaceous precursors into activated charcoal, namely physical activation and chemical activation. For medicinal applications, physical activation is preferable because it involves the use of inert, non-toxic oxidizing gases (such as steam or CO 2) instead of toxic chemical agents (such as ZnCl 2 and KOH) in chemical activation that may in some way compromise the safety of the product. In physical activation, the precursor is carbonized at 300-500°C in air or N 2 atmosphere prior to pyrolysis at high temperature (800-1000°C). The former is to create rudimentary pores on the material surface, while the latter enhances the textural properties by increasing the pore volume and specific surface area of the resultant activated charcoal (Marsh and Rodriguez-Reinoso, 2006). Figure 1 visualizes the pore development in the physical activation process. The image was taken using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM, model SUPRA 35VP) at 2500 magnification. By definition, activated charcoal is a carbon material with unique surface and textural properties, where the carbon content is usually more than 80% and the specific surface area is between 700 and 2000 m 2 /g (Ming-Twang et al., 2015). Activation procedure releases the volatiles-hydrogen, sulphur, nitrogen and oxygen, resulting a graphitic structure carbon-rich material (Marsh and Rodriguez-Reinoso, 20064, Ming-Twang et al., 2015). The fact that activated charcoal is good at capturing toxins and cholesterol from being absorbed into the body through blood vessels is undeniable (Olson, 2010; Neuvonen et al.,1989; Hall et al.,1981). This is usually being perceived as the charcoal has been 'activated' that enables it to perform its duties.

Pollution in the environment is deteriorating the ecology due to human activities in a large array of industrial and agricultural sectors. Bioassay of polluted waters using bioluminescent bacterium has been touted as one of the most economical, rapid and sensitive tests. The growth of the bacterium on seawater medium exhibited a typical sigmoidal profile. To extract important growth parameters useful for further modelling exercise, various primary growth models were utilized in this study such as Modified Logistic, modified Gompertz, modified Richards, modified Schnute, Baranyi-Roberts, von Bertalanffy, Huang and the Buchanan three-phase model. The best performance was Huang model with the lowest value for RMSE, AICc and the highest value for adjusted R2. The AF and BF values were also excellent for the model with their values were the closest to 1.0. The Huang parameters, which include A or Y0 (bacterial growth lower asymptote), m (maximum specific bacterial growth rate),  (l...

The study&#39;s full title was &quot;The Effect of Application Intervals of Different Types of Insecticides in Controlling Fruit Fly (Bactrocera sp.) Pests on Production of Curly Red Chili (Capsicum annum L.).&quot; From July 2021 to October 2021, it was conducted in the dormitory area of the Riau Islamic University. The goal of this study was to ascertain how different vegetable insecticide kinds interacted with treatment intervals to control fruit fly pests and curly red chili plant production. This study employed a two-factor, entirely randomized design. The first factor was a combination of four different doses of pesticides, including isoprocarb 2 g/l, betel leaf extract 100 cc/l, neem leaf extract 100 cc/l, and lime leaf extract 100 cc/l. The application time interval, which has four levels—3 days, 6 days, 9 days, and 12 days—is the second element. 48 experimental units were created by combining 16 treatment combinations, each of which had three replications. There were 192 pl...

Activated charcoal for oral medicinal purposes: Is it really activated? Dear Editor, ctivated charcoal is commonly used as oral medication to lower cholesterol level, (Neuvonen et al.,1989), treat poisonings (Olson, 2010) and reduce intestinal gas (Hall et al.,1981). In general, activated charcol is not toxic and safe to be used in oral administration as it is not digested in human gastrointestinal tract (Olson, 2010). Activated charcoal can be manufactured from a variety of carbonaceous materials such as woods, coal and agricultural by-products. There are two ways to activate the carbonaceous precursors into activated charcoal, namely physical activation and chemical activation. For medicinal applications, physical activation is preferable because it involves the use of inert, non-toxic oxidizing gases (such as steam or CO 2) instead of toxic chemical agents (such as ZnCl 2 and KOH) in chemical activation that may in some way compromise the safety of the product. In physical activation, the precursor is carbonized at 300-500°C in air or N 2 atmosphere prior to pyrolysis at high temperature (800-1000°C). The former is to create rudimentary pores on the material surface, while the latter enhances the textural properties by increasing the pore volume and specific surface area of the resultant activated charcoal (Marsh and Rodriguez-Reinoso, 2006). Figure 1 visualizes the pore development in the physical activation process. The image was taken using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM, model SUPRA 35VP) at 2500 magnification. By definition, activated charcoal is a carbon material with unique surface and textural properties, where the carbon content is usually more than 80% and the specific surface area is between 700 and 2000 m 2 /g (Ming-Twang et al., 2015). Activation procedure releases the volatiles-hydrogen, sulphur, nitrogen and oxygen, resulting a graphitic structure carbon-rich material (Marsh and Rodriguez-Reinoso, 20064, Ming-Twang et al., 2015). The fact that activated charcoal is good at capturing toxins and cholesterol from being absorbed into the body through blood vessels is undeniable (Olson, 2010; Neuvonen et al.,1989; Hall et al.,1981). This is usually being perceived as the charcoal has been 'activated' that enables it to perform its duties.

Caffeine is a purine alkaloid naturally found in many species of plant and can be degraded by bacteria. Prolong caffeine consumption is well-known to have serious adverse effects. The used of linearization technique using natural logarithm transformation, though standard, is erroneous and can just give an estimated value for the sole parameter measured; the specific growth rate. In this paper, for the first time we present different kinetics models such as Von Bertalanffy, Baranyi-Roberts, modified Schnute, modified Richards, modified Gompertz, modified Logistics and most recent Huang were used to get values for the above constants or parameters from Caulobacter crescentus bacterium growth on caffeine. Huang model was found to be the best model with the highest adjusted R2 value with the lowest RMSE value. The Accuracy and Bias Factors values were close to unity (1.0). The Huang parameters such as Ymax (bacterial growth upper asymptote), λ (lag time),  µmax (maximum specific bacte...

The issues of global warming and greenhouse gasses have raised the concern of the people and led to integrate ambitious of using bioenergy in many countries. In this paper, the issues of conventional energy are stated, and the different types of conventional energy resources are discussed including coal, petroleum and natural gas. The process of pulverized coal combustion (PCC) to generate electricity is also studied and discussed in this paper to have a better understanding of the process and the emission of greenhouse gas released from the use of coal to generate conventional energy. The reason of soil contamination and air pollution caused by the refinery process of petroleum is also discussed in this paper and several study cases of the social economic impact caused by the production of natural gas in development countries. Furthermore, the used of bioenergy and different type of bioenergy resource are discussed including biogas, algae biofuel, and biodiesel. The process of alga...

In this paper, Methyltrioctylammonium Chloride modified Aluminiumisopropoxide researched asadsorbent for the removal of Methylene Blue (MB) dye from waste water through a novel and efficientadsorption process under ultrasonication. Ultrasonic irradiations remarkably boosted the adsorption ratecomparative to conventional shaking while maintaining the same adsorption capacity. In addition, theeffects of initial MB concentration, Adsorbent dosage, pH, reaction time and temperature on the adsorptionwere studied. It was found that the isotherm data had a good correlation with the Langmuir isothermthrough analysing the experimental data by various models. The results showed thatMethyltrioctylammonium chloride modified Aluminiumisopropoxide was four times effective for theadsorption of MB dye under ultrasonication.

The biochar of the Pequi peel represents a sustainable alternative in the process of treating effluents through adsorption system. This study investigates the adsorption capacity in a fixed bed column of the activated biochar from pequi peel (ABPP) to remove the components. The biochar was obtained by pyrolysis, which was activated with zinc Chloride - ZnCl₂. Through the Thomas model, it was found that the concentration of Paracetamol of 5 mg L-1 obtained 3.21 mg g-1 of drug adsorption, which was higher than the adsorption obtained with the concentrations of 10 mg L-1 (3.02 mg g-1) and 20 mg L1 (1.22 mg g-1). Methylene blue was tested with a concentration of 3 mg L-1, adsorbing 8.07 mg g-1. The data fit the Thomas model with an R² higher than 0.90. The capacity of ABPP to adsorb methylene blue and Paracetamol was satisfactory, with adsorbing significant.

Anthracnose disease in chillies is a serious problem for farmers. So far, synthetic fungicides have been used as solution for the treatment of this disease. However, the side effects of synthetic fungicides to  public health and environment raised awareness on  alternative fungicides derived from natural resources. This paper aims to review plants that  are  potential as an alternative to fungicides for chili plantation, fabrication of test solutions, in vitro and in vivo fungicide test. Many plants  were investigated as alternatives to plant-based fungicide. The utilization of leaves as samples including rhizomes, roots, tubers, weevils, seeds, fruit, flowers and  other parts of the plant. The extract fabrication method used as a fungicide test include: maceration method, gradual fractionation method, and decoction method. The maceration method is the method most widely used to extract fungicidal active compounds from plants. Some studies that carried out in vitro tests were unable...

Wearing surgical face masks for a long time has a number of physiologic and psychological consequences, as well as the potential to reduce work efficiency. Physical side effects of long-term usage of surgical masks include headaches, trouble breathing, acne, skin breakdown, rashes, and reduced memory. It also obstructs eyesight, communication, and thermal balance. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of bacteria growth and type of bacteria morphology present on the face mask. Serial dilutions were used to calculate the concentration of microorganisms. As it would usually be impossible to actually count the number of microorganisms in a sample, the sample was diluted and plated to get a reasonable number of colonies to count. Since the dilution factor was known, the number of microorganisms Log CFU per mL was calculated. The CFU count results clarify the growth curve pattern of bacteria formed on agar plate surfaces and revealed some details of bacterial life...

Cholesteric liquid crystals are consisted of nematic layers, with a small rotation of the director as we pass from one to the other. This rotation produces a helical structure and the distance to perform one full rotation of the director is known as the pitch length. The pitch length characterizes the cholesteric mesophase and, for this reason, in the present article, we propose a computational method to determinate this parameter with high precision. We use the texture of the cholesteric phases obtained via polarizing light microscopy and an Object Pascal language to write our program.