Publications by authors named "Essien J"

Background: Being aware of the possibility of becoming pregnant shortly after childbirth before the resumption of the menstrual period is often overlooked but remains a significant contributor to unintended pregnancies and may lead to maternal and neonatal comorbidities. Exploring the extent of awareness and associated factors could help tailor more interventions toward reducing the rates of short-interval unplanned pregnancies.

Objective: This study explores the extent to which Ghanaian women are aware of the possibility of becoming pregnant shortly after childbirth before the resumption of the menstrual period and its associated factors.

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: Efforts to increase the availability of Medication Assisted Treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) may be futile if patients lack motivation for recovery and are unwilling to seek treatment. : In this cross-sectional, online survey, we used the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) to assess how participants at risk of AUD or OUD react to their perceived threat and assess their response to pharmacotherapy as a potential treatment. EPPM constructs were assessed using the Risk Based Diagnosis Scale.

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Protoplast fusion is one of the most reliable methods of introducing desirable traits into industrially-promising fungal strains. It harnesses the entire genomic repertoire of fusing microorganisms by routing the natural barrier and genetic incompatibility between them. In the present study, the axenic culture of a thermo-halotolerant strain of Aspergillus candidus (Asp-C) produced an anti-leukemic L-asparaginase (L-ASNase) while a xylan-degrading strain of Aspergillus sydowii (Asp-S) produced the acrylamide-reduction type.

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The axenic culture of (Asp-C) produced an anti-leukemic L-asparaginase while (Asp-S) produced the acrylamide-reduction type. Upon mutagenesis by atmospheric and room-temperature plasma (ARTP), their individual L-asparaginase activities improved 2.3-folds in each of IleThrAsp-C-180-K and ValAsp-S-180-E stable mutants.

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strain UCCM 00009 produced a mixture of gelatinase and keratinase to facilitate feather degradation but concomitant production of prodigiosin could make waste feather valorization biotechnologically more attractive. This article describes prodigiosin fermentation through co-valorization of waste feather and waste frying peanut oil by UCCM 00009 for anticancer, antioxidant, and esthetic applications. The stochastic conditions for waste feather degradation (WFD), modeled by multi-objective particle swarm-embedded-neural network optimization (ANN-PSO), revealed a gelatinase/keratinase ratio of 1.

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Bacterial alkaline peptidases, especially from Bacillus species, occupy the frontline in global enzyme market, albeit with poor production economics. Here, we report the deployment of response surface methodology approximations to optimize fermentation parameters for enhanced yield of alkaline peptidase by the non-Bacillus bacterium; Stenotrophomonas acidaminiphila. Shake flask production under optimized conditions was scaled up in a 5-L bench-scale bioreactor.

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A strain of , isolated from fermenting bean-processing wastewater, produced alkaline protease in pretreated cassava waste-stream, but with low yield. Strain improvement by alternate combinatorial random mutagenesis and bioprocess optimization using comparative statistical and neural network methods enhanced yield by 17.8-fold in mutant kGy-04-UV-25.

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Municipal landfill leachates are a source of toxic heavy metals that have been shown to have a detrimental effect on human health and the environment. This study aimed to assess heavy metal contamination in leachates, surface water, and sediments from non-sanitary landfills in Uyo, Nigeria, and to identify potential health and environmental effects of leachate contamination. Over the wet and dry seasons, surface water and sediment samples were collected from an impacted freshwater ecosystem, and leachates samples from six monitoring wells.

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Early discharge after child delivery although indispensable, but maybe precluded by several factors. The effect of these factors on prolonged length of stay (LOS) after vaginal delivery has been sparsely investigated in Ghana. This limits understanding of potential leading indicators to inform intervention efforts and optimize health care delivery.

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Ultisols are acidic soils found in humid climates and are known for poor fertility. Crude oil impacted ultisols, therefore, require special treatment measures to account for nutrient loss during treatment. In this paper, we report the utilization of a food waste, aqueous extracts of waterleaf (), as a plant-derived surfactant to wash simulated crude oil-contaminated soils.

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Despite a reported decline in Ghana's birth rate (BR), the pattern of ecological percent decrease in BR as corresponding to the percent increase in family planning acceptor rate (FPAR) in Ghana is not clear. This study explicitly explored and compared the pattern of birth and FPAR in Ghana from 2004-2015. National FPAR and BR data were retrieved from Ghana Health Service and World Bank.

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Sequential optimization of bioprocess nutritional conditions for production of glutaminase-near-free L-asparaginase by UCCM 00117 was conducted under shake flask laboratory conditions. Catalytic and anti-cancer activities of the poly-peptide were evaluated using standard in vitro biochemical methods. Medium nutrients were selected by one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) approach while Plackett-Burman design (PBD) screened potential factors for optimization.

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Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and an incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCRs) assessment model, the bioaccumulation and cancer risk of 16 USEPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in leafy vegetables (Vernonia amygdalina and Lasianthera africanum) grown in soils within an automobile repair complex environment in Uyo, Nigeria was studied. The total PAHs concentrations recorded for soils ranged from 0.02 to 1.

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Trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb) concentrations in benthic sediments were analyzed through multi-step fractionation scheme to assess the levels and sources of contamination in estuarine, riverine and freshwater ecosystems in Niger Delta (Nigeria). The degree of contamination was assessed using the individual contamination factors (ICF) and global contamination factor (GCF). Multivariate statistical approaches including principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis and correlation test were employed to evaluate the interrelationships and associated sources of contamination.

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In this study, the levels of 16 USEPA-prioritized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were quantified in various environmental matrices in Ikpa River Basin and nearby dumpsites using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The levels of the contaminants were further subjected to models to estimate possible sources and potential risks. The results obtained revealed that nearby dumpsites could be the major source of contamination of the Ikpa River Basin.

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The levels of some emerging organic pollutants (EOPs) including endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals and personal care products were quantified in surface water of a freshwater ecosystem, the Ikpa River Basin, Nigeria using liquid chromatography/high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In addition, leachates and storm water samples collected from nearby dumpsites were also analysed to assess the effect on water quality. Seventeen compounds were detected at the nanogramme-per-litre levels and the ecological risks of selected compounds assessed based on predicted no-effect concentrations derived from comparison of toxicity data recorded for green algae, fish and invertebrate with the maximum measured environmental concentrations, to obtain risk quotients.

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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface microlayer (SML) and subsurface water (SSW) of Lagos Lagoon were investigated using gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD) technique to ascertain their occurrence and spatial distribution, origin, enrichment, and carcinogenicity. Total PAH (ΣPAH) concentrations ranged from 9.10 to 16.

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This paper presents a community engagement model designed to advance social justice and equity for African American birth outcomes through the combined techniques of Photovoice and Appreciative Inquiry. In response to the persistent racial disparities in birth outcomes, Save 100 Babies© was constructed as a 2-day summit where the emphasis was placed on individual and community assets rather than deficits. The engagement was designed to create a level of readiness among individuals working within and outside the field of Maternal and Child Health to envision strategies to attain equitable birth outcomes.

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Nigerian women comprise the fastest growing group of persons with AIDS in Africa. Antiretroviral therapy has transformed the course of HIV/AIDS to a treatable, chronic illness worldwide. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the efficacy of a group intervention using motivational interviewing (MI) to promote adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and use of risk reduction behaviors (RRB) among HIV-infected women in Nigeria.

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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading bacteria were isolated from aviation fuel contaminated soil at Inua Eyet Ikot in Ibeno, Nigeria. PAH-degrading bacteria in the contaminated soil were isolated by enrichment culture technique. Isolates with high PAH degrading potential characterized by their extensive growth on PAH-supplemented minimal salt medium were screened for their naphthalene, phenanthrene and chrysene degradability.

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The effect of crude oil on the growth of legumes (Calopogonium muconoides and Centrosema pubescens) and fate of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in wetland ultisol was investigated using standard cultural techniques. The results revealed observable effects of oil on soil physico-chemistry, plant growth and nodulation as well as on densities of heterotrophic, hydrocarbonoclastic and nitrogen fixing bacteria. The effects however varied with different levels (0.

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The distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in epipelic and benthic sediments from Iko River estuary mangrove ecosystem has been investigated. Total PAHs ranged from 6.10 to 35.

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This study examined the burden of Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cr and V in patches of asphyxiated mangrove swamp areas within Qua Iboe Estuary mangrove ecosystem by sediments and surface water analysis; in order to establish natural background levels of these metals and to assess anthropogenic influences on them. The analysis shows that the mean concentrations (mg/kg, dw) of Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cr and V in sediments from asphyxiated and healthy mangrove ecosystems of Qua Iboe vary from 36.3-179.

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