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The global climate has experienced tremendous change, notably since the industrial revolution. Beginning from 1880 all through to 2012, the average global temperature increased by 0.85°C. This subtle increase primarily from anthropogenic contribution has had devastating effects on crop (grains) yields. Specifically, between 1981 and 2002, major crops like wheat, and maize, among others, have suffered substantial yield declines of about forty megatons annually, due to a hotter atmosphere. With the oceans equally warming faster and snow and ice sheets on a dramatic decrease, global average sea levels climbed by 19 cm from 1901 to 2010. While climate change is a global phenomenon with varying degrees of consequential implications for different world regions, Africa South of the Sahara with a negligible contribution to global warming has seen a few of the worst impacts of climate change in recent years. Temperatures in Africa have risen by at least 0.5°C in the last 50 to 100 years. As IPPC 5th Assessment concluded, Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change (Lisa 2020). Of about 2.1 billion people in the world that require access to drinking and safe water services that are well-managed, more than eleven million of this population live in Madagascar (World Health Organisation (WHO) 2017/Liberty supports WaterAid 2015). However, the precarious state of the global climate calls for serious and well-coordinated action from state and multilateral actors with the capacity to help the world’s poorest, specifically in Africa, to either mitigate or develop credible adaptation measures. This paper, therefore, provides a comprehensive literature review on UNDP Climate Change Adaptation policies for “Supporting Developing Countries to Advance National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)”, using Sub-Saharan Africa as a case study. The findings of the review suggest the adoption of an evidence-based policymaking approach as a way of influencing the adoption of NAPs by developing countries.

This research investigated the role of silica on palm kernel shell (PKS) as friction lining materials in automotive brake pad production. The friction materials were crushed, milled and sieved into four different particle sizes of 100, 150, 200 and 350 µm. The formulations weight percentages employed included Resin (20%), steel slag (15%) and carbon black (5%) while palm kernel shell and silica were varied for each particle size. Individual formulation was mixed for about 10 minutes until formation of homogeneous mixture. Homogeneous formulation A, B, C and D respectively, was compacted into mould and later sintered at 150 oC for 10 minutes in electric furnace and subsequently treated to enhance quality. Produced samples were characterized and evaluated for surface hardness (SH), compressive strength (CS), flame resistance (FR), oil absorption (OA), water absorption (WA) and wear rate (WR). The particles were also characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope. The results revealed that sample D had highest SH and CS values of 105.5 Brinell hardness number (BHN) and 115.2 N/mm2 respectively with decreasing values as particle size increases. FR decreased from samples A to D, and also decreased as particle size increased. Deductively, Sample B with the sieved grade of 100 µm was the best with SH as 99.14 BHN, CS as 105.6 N/mm2, WR as 4.15%, FR as 38.98%, and WA rate as 4.26 % and CF as 0.45 and OA rate as 0.381%. Conclusively, this research developed a high quality eco-friendly PKS particle composite for the production of brake pad.

Stalk and ear rot is one of the most common fungal disease of maize. Significant crop failure and yield loss, arising from the disease, are reported annually. Maize grains infected with the pathogen pose serious threat to human and animal health, owing to mycotoxins contamination. The present study evaluated aqueous extracts from Allium sativum in the management of the disease. Four concentrations of the extracts were evaluated against the pathogen in vitro. The most promising concentrations, were applied as seed dressing agents in vivo at 5, 10 and 15-minutes duration for each concentration. Garlic extracts-dressed seeds were then transferred to F. verticilliodes infested medium and allowed to germinate and grow for 9 days. Seedlings were transplanted into sterile soils in plastic buckets thereafter. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and mean separation. The results obtained showed that peak inhibition of mycelial growth was achieved by 80% garlic extract concentration (76.29% at three days after inoculation). The in vivo study showed that the concentration of garlic extracts as well as the duration of treatment had significant effect on seed germination. Maize seeds dressed with 80% aqueous garlic extract had the least percentage germination, 43.33%, but recorded the least disease incidence and severity at 2 weeks after transplanting. It also had the best yield, fresh weight of cobs, 303.86 g, and the least percentage of kernel infection with F. verticillioides, 15.00%. Garlic extract has potential, as a bio-fungicide, in the management of stalk and ear rot disease of maize.

In recent times, a green telecommunication system that is regarded as more environmental friendly is clamoring to adequately replace the usage of Diesel Generator only (DG-only) power sources. Alternatively, the diesel generator system can combine with other power supply systems to reduce the effect of greenhouse gases emitted to the environment and to improve power supply reliability. This paper aims at establishing an optimized configuration for typically powering base transceiver stations using remarkable hybrids of Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) with optimal performance in cost consideration, emission, space management and adequate reliability in base-transceiver station area. The optimization was tested on the diverse set of hybrids of RESs for powering BTSs in Southwestern part of Nigeria using Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Electric Renewables (HOMER) micro grid Analysis Tool 3.8.7. The simulated results show that hybrid H2 made of Photovoltaic Cell (PV), Wind Turbine, Diesel Generator, Battery Storage and Converter has the lowest Total Net Present Cost (TNPC) in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States while hybrid H1 made of PV and DG emerged as the best in Ondo, Ekiti and Osun States. Hybrid H2 with desired characteristics has an average TNPC reduction of 35.01 % over the present system of Diesel Generator-only. Further results revealed precisely that TNPC responds more to change in the global horizontal irradiation than any other uncontrollable variables. These notable findings will be extremely applicable for a cost-effective and environmentally friendly powering schemes that may be efficiently implemented on BTSs in different Southwestern regions of Nigeria.

The adverse effect of the living components of the environment on plants is called biotic stress. Food insecurity, environmental degradation and global warming are some of the problems associated with loss of vegetation cover and crops death resulting from the activities of insect pests and pathogenic organisms (biotic stressors). A number of control measures exist for the management of plant biotic stress, but chemical control measures appear to be the most common in several parts of the globe. Mammalian toxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and disruption of the natural ecosystem are some of the common problems associated with chemical control of biotic stressors. It has therefore become imperative to adopt other management strategies that are environment friendly and less toxic to man and nontarget organisms. Botanicals and antagonistic fungi are two of these alternatives. They are cost effective, safe, environment friendly and sustainable. The tropic, because of its peculiar geography, ecology and economy, will benefit from this approach immensely.

Sudden Hearing loss has been rarely reported as a presenting symptom of malaria fever. It’s even more rare to have a bilateral profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss. A 19 years old female student presented with fever, body weakness, hearing loss with tinnitus. Laboratory investigations done were essentially normal except blood film for malaria parasite which showed a high concentration of the parasite in blood on both occasions. Otoacoustics emission test was passed bilaterally while auditory steady state response showed profound hearing loss bilaterally. Normal hearing was restored within 48 hrs of commencement of anti-malaria drugs and low dose steroids.

Summary A study was carried out on the processing of a locally produced ‘robo’ from melon seeds in the Abeokuta metropolis in order to identify potential hazards and critical control points associated with its production and the measures to be adopted for the control of associated hazards. Samples collected along processing lines were subjected to physical and chemical hazard analysis. The results of the analysis showed that the samples were contaminated with the following hazards: mineral matter, tramp metal, extraneous vegetable material and matter of animal origin, as well as lead, cadmium, arsenic and tin (0.33 ± 03, 1.36 ± 0.02, 0.34 ± 0.00 and 1.24 ± 0.03 mg kg−1, respectively) which were still higher than the acceptable limits (0.1 mg kg−1).

A survey aimed at collecting information on practices and constraints in the production of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) chips, a transformed cassava product obtained through fermentation anddrying of its fresh roots was carried out in 45 villages located in three geographical regions (Yaoundé, Mbalmayo, and Ebolowa) of the humid forest zone of Cameroon. A structured questionnaire to interviewfarmers was employed. Out of 225 farmers sampled, 212 (94%) relying on chips as food and source of income were women. Overall, 51% of all farmers marketed chips locally. Three distinct forms of chipssuch as broken pulp (62%), balls (25%), and pellets (13%) were cited as being locally produced by farmers. These were obtained either through air fermentation (cassava pellets), or submergedfermentation (broken pulps and balls), using starters or fermenting agents (31% of responses) or without using them (69%). Chips were mainly home-stored in jute and or/plastic bags (43% ofresponses), open or closed containers (36%), or on devices hanging over the fireplace (21% of responses) for as long as 180 days. Dark spots or discolouration occurring as a result of chips damagewere reported by the majority of respondents (82%) as frequent on cassava chips. These were related to insufficient drying (42%), the use of infected cassava roots by plant pathogenic microbes from thefields (12%), or too long drying of chips under sun light (11% of responses). To avoid dark spots and/or discolouration, 112 farmers out of a total of 185 who were aware about chips damage, practiced sundrying, and 21% of this total dried their chips over the fireplace to control chips damage. Pests and diseases problems (47% of responses), mainly related to the incidence of Stictococcus vayssiereiRichard (Homoptera: Stictococcidae) and lack of market (26%) were cited by farmers as the most important constraints in cassava chips production. From the results obtained, this study outlined thatthe potential utilization of cassava and its derived products for industrial purposes is not yet exploited in the locations investigated. Additionally, the study also raised concerns about the safety and hygiene associated with traditionally processed and stored cassava chips in the investigated areas.

The virulence and adhesive properties of 50 isolates of Candida albicans serotypes A and B collected over 6 years from 48 paediatric burn patients were examined to provide more detailed information about candidal pathogenesis in burn patients and to examine the relevance of the commonly used epithelial cell adhesion assay for determining fungal virulence. The isolates represented a fair distribution of serotypes (29 isolates were serotype A and 21 isolates were serotype B) and a total of 28 serotype-biotype combinations were found; 32% of the serotype-biotype combinations appeared only once, while 44% of the isolates showed similar biotype tests for two of three digits. Adhesion of the isolates to plastic and to buccal epithelial cells (BECs) was examined and compared after growth in a chemically defined medium. There were significant differences in the adhesion of individual isolates to plastic or BECs, but no correlation was found between biotype and adhesiveness. Serotype B isolates were found to be more adhesive to BECs (p less than 0.05) but not to plastic. There was no apparent correlation between candidal adhesiveness and site of isolation from these patients (autografts, blood, faeces, throat swabs, tracheal aspirates, wounds and intravenous catheters), although isolates from catheters were generally less adhesive to epithelial cells. Virulence in a systemic infection mouse model revealed that there were significant differences in virulence between isolates, but no correlation was found between virulence and the biotype, serotype or site of isolation. Similarly, no correlation was found between virulence and adhesiveness or cell-surface hydrophobicity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)