Development of lake macroinvertebrate-based multimetric index for monitoring ecological health in North Central Nigeria.

The use of organisms like macroinvertebrates in developing bioassessment tools, such as multimetric indices (MMIs), is gaining global recognition in monitoring the health status of lakes. The transition from traditional methods of physico-chemical parameters is due to the financial and time costs involved in their analysis while failing to provide accurate early warning signals on ecosystem conditions. Currently, there is scanty information on the use of MMIs in the conservation and management of lakes in Nigeria.

Enhanced microbial degradation of PET and PS microplastics under natural conditions in mangrove environment.

In-situ bioremediation of mangrove soil contaminated with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS) microplastics was investigated using indigenous microbial consortium with adequate capacity to degrade the plastics. Eight (8) bacteria were isolated from plastic/microplastic-inundated mangrove soil and screened for the ability to degrade PET and PS microplastics. Optical density at 600 nm and colony forming unit counts were measured to evaluate the growth response of the microbes in the presence of PS and PET microplastics at different times of exposure.

Development of a high throughput and low cost model for the study of semi-dry biofilms.

The persistence of microorganisms as biofilms on dry surfaces resistant to the usual terminal cleaning methods may pose an additional risk of transmission of infections. In this study, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) dry biofilm model (DBM) was adapted into a microtiter plate format (Model 1) and replicated to create a novel model that replicates conditions commonly encountered in the healthcare environment (Model 2). Biofilms of grown in the two models were comparable to the biofilms of the CDC DBM in terms of recovered log CFU well.

A study of the fish fauna of Tagwai Lake Minna, Nigeria, in relation to gear selectivity.

The fish fauna of Tagwai Lake Minna, Nigeria, was studied from July to September, 2010. Sampling was carried out during the day using different gears. A total of 1,669 specimens were sampled made up of 8 species in 7 genera and 6 families.

Prevalence of congenital malaria in minna, north central Nigeria.

The study was designed to determine the true prevalence of congenital, cord, and placental malaria in General Hospital Minna, North Central Nigeria. Peripheral blood smears of near-term pregnant women, as well as the placental, cord, and peripheral blood smears of their newborn babies, were examined for malaria parasites, using the Giemsa staining technique. Out of 152 pregnant women screened, 21 (13.

Seasonal trends in epidemiological and entomological profiles of malaria transmission in North Central Nigeria.

The influence of seasonal changes on epidemiological and entomological indices of malaria transmission in North Central Nigeria was elucidated in a series of studies carried out between January 2004 and December 2009. The climate in the study area was divided into three seasonal periods namely, rainy (May-October), dry (December-March) and transitional (April and November), during which larval and adult anopheline mosquito collections were carried out and assessed for densities, sporozoite infection and parity rates and potentials for malaria transmission. The results indicated that the climate in the study area was clearly seasonal, with close similarities in the patterns of distribution of the climatic factors in the study sites.