Search

Purpose The purpose of this study is to deploy and expand the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) model with application to renewable energy investment by incorporating the component of tax incentives (TIN). This will serve as an additional measure in understanding the conventional energy stakeholders’ investment intention into renewable energy in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from 357 individual key conventional energy stakeholders in Nigeria using survey questionnaires. The research model was tested using structural equation modelling. Findings The results from the study revealed the applicability of the TPB in predicting the conventional energy stakeholders’ investment intention into renewable energy. The result indicates that attitude and subjective norm are significantly associated with investment intentions. Research limitations/implications The outcome implies that the integration of tax incentives can improve the predictive power of the model as the introduced variable demonstrates a significant impact on the conventional energy stakeholders’ investment intention into renewable energy. Practical implications This study extends on the well-established TPB model by integrating tax incentives in understanding investment intentions and the outcome implies a significant association of tax incentives with investment intention and moderated the influence of attitude and subjective norm over the conventional energy stakeholders’ investment intention. Originality/value TPB has been widely deployed and even extended to predict intention in numerous fields of study. Available literature presents the lack of such empirical research that focuses on investment in Nigeria and specifically regarding energy investment. The outcome highlighted the significant influence of tax incentives, thus the need for policymakers to suggest and implement various tax incentives to attract private investment into renewable energy for electricity generation that will consequently assist in achieving SDG-7 and mitigate climate change.

Water pollution is one of the major challenges in cities and industrialized areas of the world. The effluent from Gombe ternary wastewater pollutes the surrounding waters thereby constituting health threat to the populace within its vicinity. In view of the above, a bio-sorption study of zinc and lead ions from Gombe ternary wastewater using doum palm seed kernel was carried out. The wastewater was characterized and was found to contain 0.03 mg/l lead metal ion and 0.81 mg/l zinc ion. The doum palm kernel bio-sorbent was obtained after oil extraction from the seed and processed as contained in the method mentioned in this paper. The kernel residue was characterized for functional groups using FTIR, surface morphology using SEM, surface area using BET, and elemental composition using XRF. The results indicated that the doum palm kernel is harmless, and possesses functional groups on its surface, which may be substituted with the metallic ions present in the wastewater. This gives the kernel the ability to adsorb positively charged ions on its surface by simple chemisorption. This mechanism is supported by the rough surface observed in the scanning electron microscopy. Adsorption and desorption of nitrogen was made at STP and the curve indicated very high correlation of close to unity. The surface area measured by multi BET method was recorded as 13.464 m 2 /g. This value is not high enough to adsorb metals by physical adsorption.

In diversifying the economies of most oil producing countries especially in regions with arable lands, Agriculture becomes the next choice aside mineral deposits. This has led to a search for an alternative to inorganic fertilizers, the alternatives are the biofertilizers. The paper discussed the classification of the anaerobic co-digestion process based on the application of inoculants to the biodigester feedstock to speed up the digestion process and the absence of inoculants. Biodigester feedstock also looked at the various mechanisms in the digestion process which includes hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis, the pathways were illustrated with chemical equations and various microorganisms that take part in the anaerobic process were mentioned and tabulated. The types of biofertilizers, merits, and demerits, the difference between biofertilizers and organic fertilizers were comprehensively discussed. Current trends on the application of the co-digestion technique to improve the yield, nutrient, and safety of biofertilizers and also the recent progression on the technique were mentioned.

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Rafael Felipe da Costa Vieira Coorientador: Prof. Dr. Abdalla Mohamed Ibrahim Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Agrárias, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias. Defesa: Curitiba, 19/02/2021. Inclui referências Resumo: A toxoplasmose e a brucelose são doenças zoonóticas de distribuição mundial. Ambos causam aborto e infertilidade em humanos e animais. Dados limitados estão disponíveis sobre esses patógenos em Somalis e seus animais. Assim, este estudo avaliou a prevalência de anticorpos anti-Toxoplasma gondii e anti-Brucella spp. em mulheres grávidas em Mogadíscio, Somália. Amostras de soro de 307 mulheres grávidas de Mogadíscio, Somália, foram testadas para anticorpos anti-T. gondii pelo Teste de Aglutinação de Látex (LAT) e anticorpos anti-Brucella spp. pelo Teste Rosa Bengala (RBPT) e um ELISA competitivo comercial (cELISA). Um total de 159/307 (51,79%; IC 95%: 46,2-57,35%) gestantes foram sororreativas para T. gondii em diferentes estágios da gravidez. Para Brucella spp., quando RBPT e cELISA foram combinados 4/307 (1,30%; IC 95%: 0,36 - 3,30%) mulheres grávidas eram sororreativas, sendo 2/307 (0,65%; IC 95%: 0,18 - 2,34%) por RBPT e 3/307 (0,98%; IC 95%: 0,33 - 2,83%) por cELISA. Duas mulheres foram sororreativas para ambos os agentes. O presente estudo é uma evidência da existência de alta positividade de anticorpos anti-T. gondii e baixa soropositividade de anti-Brucella spp. anticorpos entre mulheres grávidas de Mogadíscio, Somália. Como a conscientização sobre esses patógenos abortivos zoonóticos nos Somalis é muito baixa, as pessoas neste país correm um grande risco para a saúde pública. Além disso, mais esforços médicos e veterinários são necessários para maximizar a taxa de investigação de toxoplasmose e brucelose em humanos e animais no país, evitando assim o reconhecimento de qualquer associação entre doenças zoonóticas e pacientes imunocomprometidos, incluindo mulheres grávidas. Portanto, é necessário promover o conceito de Saúde Única entre os profissionais multissetoriais para um desenvolvimento integrado de saúde melhor e sustentável e a implementação de estratégias eficazes de controle contra essas doenças zoonóticas transmitidas por alimentos. Abstract: Toxoplasmosis and brucellosis are zoonotic diseases of worldwide distribution. They both cause abortion and infertility in human and animals. Limited data are available about these pathogens in Somali people and their animals. Hence, this study has evaluated the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Brucella spp. antibodies in pregnant women in Mogadishu, Somalia. Serum samples from 307 pregnant women from Mogadishu, Somalia were tested for anti-T. gondii antibodies by Latex Agglutination Test (LAT) and anti-Brucella spp. antibodies by Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and a commercial competitive-ELISA (cELISA). A total of 159/307 (51.79%; 95% CI: 46.2-57.35%) pregnant women were seroreactive for T. gondii by LAT at different stages of pregnancy. For Brucella spp., when RBPT and cELISA were combined 4/307 (1.30%; 95% CI: 0.36 - 3.30%) pregnant women were seroreactive to anti-Brucella spp. antibodies, being 2/307 (0.65%; 95% CI: 0.18 - 2.34%) by RBPT and 3/307 (0.98%; 95% CI: 0.33 - 2.83%) by cELISA. Two women were seroreactive for both agents. The present study is an evidence of the existence of high seropositivity of anti-T. gondii antibodies and low seropositivity of anti- Brucella spp. antibodies among pregnant women from Mogadishu, Somalia. Since the awareness on these zoonotic abortifacient pathogens in Somalis is very low, the people in this country are at great public health risk. Additionally, more medical and veterinary efforts needed to maximize toxoplasmosis and brucellosis investigation rate in humans and animals in the country, thus preventing recognition of any association between zoonotic diseases and immunocompromised patients including pregnant women. Therefore, there is a need to promote the One Health concept among multi-sectoral professionals for better and sustainable integrated health development and implementing effective control strategies against these food-borne zoonotic diseases.

Heavy metals discharge associated with industrial activities constitute serious environmental problems, most especially water pollution. Many materials have been identified for the adsorption of these heavy metals and chitosan, a derivative of natural polymer chitin, has been identified as one of such materials. This study was carried out to investigate the removal of chromium (VI) from chromate solution using chitosan from mussel shell, obtained from Gubi dam in Bauchi Nigeria. Chemical method was used to extract the chitosan from the chitin. The chitosan had degree of deacetylation (DDA) of 60.69% and 60.66% as calculated from elemental analysis and FTIR spectra of chitosan respectively and surface area of 2.77m 2 /g. The chitosan was used for removal of Cr 6+ from dichromate-deionised water solution with initial Cr 6+ concentration of 0.62 mg of Cr 6+ per litre of water and the adsorption isotherm established. Optimum chitosan dosage was found to be 2.5 g at 28 o C with a Cr 6+ removal of 82.3%. The time required for equilibrium to be attained was 80 minutes for batch adsorption study. The Langmuir isotherm was the best fitted isotherm with an R 2 -value of 0.983.