PGD Project

This study investigated impediments to solid waste management in Benin Metropolis. Impediments are those factors that hinder solid waste management, it was aimed at ascertaining the relationship between segregation, storage, collection, transportation, and disposal stage of solid waste as it affects solid waste management. Seven (7) research questions guided the study, alongside one hypothesis and tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The descriptive survey research design was used in the study. The study population comprised one hundred and sixteen (116) registered solid waste management companies operating within
the three Local Government Areas that constitute Benin Metropolis. Sample sizes of seventy (70) registered solid waste management companies, representing sixty percent (60%) of the population, were selected using the multi-stage sampling technique (stratified, proportional and simple random sampling techniques). Data were collected using two research instruments: a structure questionnaire and a checklist. The structured questionnaire and the checklist were validated by the researcher’s chief and co supervisor ant three others. The questionnaire reliability was determined through the test-retest method and analyzed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation, yielding a reliability coefficient of 0.73. However, the checklist was not subjected to reliability test. Descriptive statistics (frequency counts, percentages, means, and standard deviations) were employed to analyze the research questions, while inferential statistics (ANOVA) was used to test the hypothesis

Several probability models have been introduced in literature to model data sets arising from different real-world scenarios. Such applications are found in the field of engineering, biological sciences, finance, demography, actuarial sciences, agricultural sciences, etc. In this study, we develop a hybrid statistical model which is a composition of the inverse Burr and Topp-Leone distribution. We refer to this model as the inverse Burr Topp-Leone (IBTL) distribution. Basic statistical properties of the IBTL distribution are derived. The method of maximum likelihood estimation is employed to obtain the unknown parameters of the IBTL distribution. A Monte Carlo simulation study is carried out to investigate the asymptotic behavior of the maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters of the IBTL distribution. Finally, two real data sets comprising of the germination rate of oil palm seeds are adapted to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed IBTL distribution in real-life data fittings. For the purpose of model comparison, we considered some existing unit-interval distributions. Result obtained from the analysis revealed that the IBTL distribution outperformed the competitor distributions and thus, becomes a useful alternative to other existing unit-interval distributions in real-life data fittings.

Background: Ear infections, particularly acute otitis media, are commonly encountered in clinical practice, often requiring antibiotic therapy. While aerobic bacteria have been extensively studied in these infections, anaerobic bacteria play a significant role that is sometimes overlooked. This study aimed to identify anaerobic bacterial isolates from patients with ear infections and determine their susceptibility profile to commonly used antibiotics. Methods: The study evaluated forty three patients from the Ear, Nose and Throat clinic of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin city over a period of two months. Clinical and demographic data of the patients were also collected which included age, gender, alcohol history, smoking history, medical history, among others. Ear swab specimens were collected and processed for anaerobic culture. Isolates were identified using standard microbiological techniques, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the standard agar disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration method. Results: A total of 76.47% of our study participants were female, and 23.53% were male. Participants aged 16-25 had the highest ear infection occurrence (38.24%). Pseudomonas spp, a facultative anaerobe, dominated the ear infections (47.06%) compared to other organisms isolated, which was more sensitive to Azithromycin(87.5%). Conclusion:.Patients aged 16-25 were more susceptible to ear infections. This study highlights the presence of anaerobic bacteria in ear infections and their varying susceptibility profiles to commonly used antibiotics. Understanding the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of anaerobic isolates is crucial for guiding appropriate antibiotic therapy, especially in cases of treatment failure or recurrent infections

Fermented foods are known to contain active components such as probiotics and antioxidants. Probiotics are living microbes which when taken in sufficient amounts confer health benefits. Due to lactose intolerance in some individuals and the high fat content of dairy foods, other means of obtaining probiotics have been explored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the probiotic potential of some bacteria isolated from Nigerian fermented foods. Samples of fufu, ogi, tuwo, palm-wine, ogogoro, iru,
ogiri and ugba were purchased from New Benin Market in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Enumeration and isolation of bacterial and lactic acid bacteria were carried out using nutrient agar and De Man, Rogosa and Sharpe agar, using pour plate technique. Cultural, morphological and biochemical tests were employed to identify the bacteria isolated. The bacterial isolates were subjected to acidic pH of 3 and bile salt concentration of 0.3%. The antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates were determined using
the disc diffusion method. The antibacterial activity of the isolates were tested against three test pathogens, Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp. and Klebsiella sp. using the agar well diffusion technique Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. The mean heterotrophic bacterial counts of Nigerian fermented foods ranged from 5.00±0.28 (ogiri) - 8.70±0.42×107 cfu/g (iru), while the lactic acid bacterial countsranged from 0.80±0.28 (iru) – 5.00±0.42×104 cfu/g. Bacillus sp,, Citrobacter sp., Lactobacillus sp.1,
Lactobacillus fermentum2 and Streptococcus sp.2 were isolated from ogi, Bacillus subtilis3 and Streptococcus sp.1 were isolated from the ugba, Klebsiella pneumonia were isolated from fufu, Lactobacillus fermentum1 were isolated from tuwo, Bacillus subtilis1 were isolated from iru, Lactobacillus sp.2 were isolated from palm-wine while Bacillus subtilis2 were isolated from ogiri-egusi and Escherichia coli isolated from ogogoro. The result of the acid tolerance tests revealed that percentage survivability ranged from 55.60% (Streptococcus sp.1) – 200.00% (Citrobacter sp.1). Percentage survival of bacterial isolates to bile salt concentration of 0.3% ranged from 147.80% (Streptococcus sp.2) – 462.50% (Escherichia coli). The antibiotic resistance index ranged from 2 (Streptococcus sp. and Bacillus subtilis3) –8 (Escherichia coli). The antibacterial activity of the isolates ranged from 2mm-10mm with Escherichia coli and Citrobacter species having no activity against any of the test pathogens. Bacillus subtilis E2 passed all the test criteria, so it can be recommended as a potential probiotics, while Escherichia coli was suspected to be a contaminant due to observed antibiotics resistance. To avoid contaminants in fermented foods, proper hygienic measures, production
procedures, storage and cooking should be ensured.

The potential of calcined agrowastes particularly chicken eggshells (CES) impregnated with ripe plantain peels (RPP) as a suitable catalyst for the conversion of waste cooking oil to biodiesel (FAME) by trans-esterification was investigated. The catalyst derived from these agro-wastes was synthesized by dry impregnation using physical mixing. The free fatty acid (FFA) content of waste cooking oil used for transesterification was measured to be 0.131%. The reaction conditions with methanol to oil molar ratio of 6:1, reaction time of 90 minutes, catalyst loading of 2% oil weight and a temperature of 60°C was kept constant while the catalyst’s design mixing ratios of ‘RPP: CES’ was varied. The FT-IR, XRD and elemental analysis by XRF revealed the catalytic action of these materials (RPP and CES) is a result of their metallic content (K+ and Ca 2+ ) and their microstructural formation change is noticeable when calcined at above 700°C. The experiment was carried out by the trans-esterification of the oil using each of the different designed catalyst samples to investigate the influence of their different mixing ratios on biodiesel yield. The results of the chart plots using Microsoft Excel 2010 showed that the optimum biodiesel yield consistent with ASTM D-6751 and EN 14214 standards was 75.04 % and the catalyst mixing ratio of 1:3 by mass was the optimal design ratio

This study investigated school-community relationship and students’ academic performance in public senior secondary schools in Edo State. Seven research questions guided the study. Research questions 1 and 2 were answered while questions 3-7 were hypothesized and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study was a descriptive survey that adopted the correlation design. The population of the study comprised all the 313 public senior secondary schools in Edo State. The Multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted to select the sample size of 110 schools representing 35% of the population. A set of questionnaire titled ‘School-community relationship Questionnaire (SCRQ1) and a Checklist, titled ‘Student Academic Performance Checklist’ (SAPC) were used for the study. The reliability of the instruments was determined using Cronbach Alpha statistical tool and a reliability coefficient of 0.89 was obtained. The instruments were validated by the researcher’s supervisors. Questions one was answered using Mean and question 2 was answered using simple percentage, while Pearson r was used to test hypothesis 1 and Fisher’s Z statistics was used to test hypotheses 2-5. The findings revealed that the level of school-community relationship in public senior secondary schools in Edo State was moderate; students’ academic performance was high. There was a significant relationship between school-community relationship and students’ academic performance xv in public secondary schools in Edo State. The study further revealed that there was no significant difference in the relationship between school- community relationship and students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Edo State based on school location, principals’ sex, work experience and qualification. It was therefore recommended, among others that the relationship between the school and the communities be improved by encouraging more participation of members of the community in school activities and awareness should be created to make them see the school as their own and hence safeguard the properties against vandalism and theft which could hinder effective teaching and learning activities leading to improved academic performance in the school. Seminars and workshops should be organized for principals as drivers of school- community relationship to expose them to modern trends of interpersonal relationship

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the interaction between Beta Cleanser Bitters and two antibiotics, ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin. Method: Commercial brands of Ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin and Beta Cleanser Bitters were purchased and evaluated for the physiochemical properties. The interaction between the antibiotics and Beta Cleanser Bitters were evaluated using the disintegration time test and dissolution studies. Further interactions studies were carried out using absorbance inference studies and FTIR studies. Results: The presence of Beta Cleanser Bitters showed no contrasting effects on the disintegration times of the two drugs. For ciprofloxacin in the presence of Beta Cleanser Bitters, the dissolution drug release remained relatively stable and no significant difference while for amoxicillin there was a decrease in drug release in the presence of the bitters. FTIR analysis revealed similarity in spectra, suggesting minimal chemical interactions between amoxicillin and Beta Cleanser Bitters and for Ciprofloxacin, revealed difference in spectra, indicating an interaction. Conclusion: The study suggests that Beta Cleanser Bitters may exert some influence on the dissolution and disintegration behavior of ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin, though chemical interactions appear to be limited

Schiff bases are synthesized through condensation reactions between primary amines and aldehydes or ketones. They have been identified as promising lead compounds for drug design and development. The study aims to synthesize, characterize, and assess the physicochemical and pharmacological properties of Schiff base derivatives. Para-aminophenol (3.0 g) was reacted with benzaldehyde (3.0 g), 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (3.2 g), 3-OH-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (4 g), methylene-dioxybenzaldehyde (4 g), 4- chlorobenzaldehyde (4 g), 4-nitrobenzaldehyde (4 g), 3,4-dimethyl-aminobenzaldehyde (4 g), and cinnamaldehyde (3.3 g). The reaction was microwaved at 140 W (20 % intensity) after 3-5 drops of glacial acetic acid for 5 minutes. The mixture was cooled to room temperature, then filtered and recrystallized using either methanol or ethanol to produce samples BS1 to BS8. The reaction was monitored via TLC. Elemental composition was confirmed with spectroscopic analysis. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the agar diffusion method, toxicity was determined following the Lorke method, and analgesic properties were assessed using the hot plate model. In silico analyses were also performed on all products to determine their potential protein-ligand binding interactions. Antimicrobial screening indicated that BS1, BS2, BS5, BS6, and BS8 exhibited moderate inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. BS3 showed zones of inhibition for E. coli and S. aureus, 14 mm and 13 mm, respectively. The MIC was determined to be 62.5 µg/ml, while the MBC for BS1 and BS2 was 125 µg/ml. Acute toxicity studies revealed an LD₅₀ of 316 to 1265 mg/kg. Analgesic evaluation demonstrated promising activity when compared to pethidine. In silico analyses showed BS3 and BS7 favorable binding affinities with cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and COX-2 enzymes (-8.62 and -8.49 kcal/mol, respectively). The findings suggest that these derivatives have potential therapeutic applications, particularly as analgesics and antimicrobial agents, with further optimization of their structural efficiency, pharmacological efficacy, pharmacokinetic parameters, and safety

The experiment is aimed at carrying out a toxicological study on rats given different doses of both aqueous and methanol extract of Acalypha Wilkesiana and to determine the degree of toxicity on some organs of the rats fed with both aqueous and methanol extract of Acalypha Wilkesiana. A total of seventy five male albino rats were used for the whole of the experiments. For Acute toxicity study phase one of the studies alone was carried out. For sub-acute toxicity study: The rats were placed into 4 different groups and group 1 served as the control group that was fed with pellets and water, the other groups that’s group 2 to 4 was divided into 2 sub-groups (group 2A aqueous and 2B methanol), and was given different doses of plant extracts. For 28 days, to mark the end of our sub-acute toxicological study, liver and kidney function biomarkers, electrolytes, lipid profile assays were investigated. For the acute toxicity study, it was observed that there was no visible sign of toxicity or death observed in all
the animals administered with the aqueous and methanol extract of Acalypha Wilkesiana

Globally, mental health disorders are a major public health issue, affecting people across all age groups. Approximately 970 million people were living with a mental disorder in 2019, with anxiety and depression being the most common conditions (World Health Organization 2022). The objective of the study was to examine the impact of community-based mental health programmes on youth development in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Hence the study ascertained the causes of mental health challenges among youth in the study area, explored the community-based mental health programs, determined how community-based mental health programs influence youth development, identified ways to improve the mental health and explored the role of social workers in community-based mental health programs in the Oredo Local Government Area. The study adopted the mixed-method type of research, also known as triangulation. This design allows to triangulate data by using multiple sources of information to confirm or validate each other’s. The study population included residents of Oredo LGA 18 years and above without prejudice to ethnic nationality, social status, or educational qualifications. LGA counsellors, health workers, and community heads in the LGA also form part of the Oredo LGA. The sample size for this was determined using an appropriate mathematical model for sample size and the multi-stage, otherwise known as area sampling, procedure in selecting respondents for the study. The structured questionnaire and In-Depth Interview (IDI) were used in data collection. The analysis and discussion were based on the data from the field using descriptive statistics and content analysis respectively. The findings from the study revealed that there were different causes of mental health challenges in the study area. The causes could be linked to spiritual, physical, or social and psychological triggers. These triggers included spiritual factors, such as the belief in the possession of evil spirits, and psychological factors, like frequent exposure to stressful and traumatic events. The findings further identified social triggers such as family history, poverty, and drug abuse as leading causes of mental health challenges in the study area. The findings revealed that existing mental health programs, like the school-based mental health program, were very effective. It was, however, discovered that the existing mental health xi program in the study area was not participatory. That is, the community members were not drafted as partners in the process towards addressing the mental health crisis. The services was also not easily accessible thereby limiting their benefits to those who needed them most. The study therefore recommends appropriate implementation of community-based mental health programmes that are participatory. That is, the type that engage the host community in the design, formulation, and implementation of mental health programs in the study area. The programme should be designed in such a way that it engage local leaders, community members, and youth themselves.