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Soil health is vital for ecosystem functioning, agriculture, and human well-being, yet heavy metal contamination poses significant risks to environmental and public health. This review examines various methods for removing heavy metals from contaminated soils, focusing on physical, chemical, and biological remediation techniques. Sources of contamination, including industrial activities, mining, and improper waste disposal, are discussed, alongside the environmental and health impacts of heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury. Physical techniques such as soil washing and excavation effectively reduce contamination but generate secondary waste and incur high costs. Chemical methods, including soil stabilization and chemical leaching, immobilize or extract metals but may risk recontamination. Biological approaches like phytoremediation and bioremediation leverage natural processes for eco-friendly remediation, though they often require longer timescales for significant results. Emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology and biochar application, show promise for enhancing remediation efficacy. However, challenges remain, including economic constraints, regulatory inconsistencies, and the need for sustainable, long-term solutions. Future directions include integrating various remediation techniques, developing eco-friendly technologies, and emphasizing long-term monitoring to ensure the effectiveness of remediation efforts. This comprehensive overview aims to inform future research and policy development to address heavy metal contamination sustainably.

The study focused on assessment of socioeconomic determinants of maize production among smallholder farmers in Nasarawa State. A multistage sampling technique was used for the selection of 171 small holder farmers for the study. A well-structured questionnaire containing both open and closed ended questions was used to collect the data for the study descriptive statistics such as percentage and frequencies and multiple regression analysis were used to achieve the objectives of the study. The socioeconomic result of the smallholder maize farmers in showed that the majority (36.3%) of the farmers were within the age range of 31-40 years of age and were mostly 76.6%) male farmers with the majority married and literate. Also, a greater number (66.1%) were members of association, 71.3% had farming experience between the range of 16-20 years with household size of 4-6, cultivating average farm size of 2-3 acres, had good contact with extension agents though only 4.1% had access to credit facility. The result of the multiple regression analysis showed that farm size, educational status and household size have positive significant effect on the output of maize at 1% and 10% level of significance respectively. The maize production technologies adopted by the majority (88.4%) of the farmers were herbicides and improved variety while the major constraints were high cost of labour, high cost of inputs and poor credit facility. The federal Government should create an enabling environment that guarantees available farmland to farmers since farm size is a critical determinant to maize production.

The paper presents findings of a study carried out to examine the effects of public sector governance on service delivery in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs- MoFA, Uganda. The primary objective of the study were to establish how public accountability and transparency mechanisms influence service delivery in Foreign Service. A cross-sectional research design, adopting both qualitative and quantitative approaches of data collection and analysis was used. The findings revealed that public accountability and transparency are positively correlated with service delivery in the Foreign Service. The other finding is that the social and financial accountability systems in MoFA are weak. The paper concludes that there is urgent need to improve effective and sustainable service delivery in the Foreign Service. Accordingly, the paper recommends that MoFA should ensure that every Foreign Service officer is fully accountable for their actions at work; management should be just in all its actions regarding its officers; and MoFA should modernize its communication system. The paper identifies some areas of future investigation.

Dental caries remains one of the most prevalent oral health issues worldwide, primarily caused by bacterial activity within the oral cavity. This study investigates the antibacterial activities of clove oil bud against bacteria associated with dental caries. The clove buds were collected, identified, and processed for ethanol extraction of bioactive compounds. Also, 30 samples of dental caries were obtained using swab sticks and cultured on nutrient agar, MacConkey agar, and Mannitol salt agar, then incubated for 24 hours and identified using biochemical tests and molecular analysis. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of alkaloids (5.033%), saponins (3.50%), flavonoids (0.407%), phenols (0.4545%), tannins (5.227%), and glycosides (2.1285%) in the ethanol extract, while the clove oil contained saponins (8.70%) and a small amount of glycosides (0.0375%). The extracted compounds underwent Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, which identified key constituents such as eugenol, Caryophyllene oxide, and 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid. The characterization of the clove oil revealed a density of 0.86 g/cm³, viscosity of 113.59 mm²/s, refractive index of ≥36% Brix, saponification value of 39.19 mg KOH, iodine value of 21.488 g/ml, peroxide value of 13.4 mEq/kg, and a free fatty acid content of 1.37%. Biochemical tests on the bacterial isolates from dental caries samples identified several species, including Actinomyces spp., Streptococcus spp., Lactococcus spp., Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, Staphylococcus aureus strain CIB, Bifidobacterium spp., Veillonella spp., and Bacillus subtilis. Antimicrobial activity assay shows that clove oil exhibited significant inhibition of microbial growth at higher concentrations: B.subtilis had inhibition zones of 12 mm at 100 mg/ml, 6 mm at 50 mg/ml, and 2 mm at 25 mg/ml. Similarly, Lacticaseibacillus agile 1365 showed inhibition zones of 14 mm at 100 mg/ml, 8 mm at 50 mg/ml, and 3 mm at 25 mg/ml. S.aureus strain B3A22 had inhibition zones of 10 mm at 100 mg/ml and 6 mm at 50 mg/ml. In contrast, L. paracasei showed minimal inhibition, indicating lower susceptibility to clove oil. On the other hand, the result also illustrates that clove extract was more effective at lower concentrations compared to clove oil. B.subtilis had inhibition zones of 14 mm at 100 mg/ml, 8 mm at 50 mg/ml, and 5 mm at 25 mg/ml. L.paracasei demonstrated inhibition zones of 16 mm at 100 mg/ml, 11 mm at 50 mg/ml, and 8 mm at 25 mg/ml. S.aureus strain B3A22 had inhibition zones of 10 mm at 100 mg/ml and 6 mm at 50 mg/ml. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of clove oil was found to be 25 mg/ml for B.subtilis, 100 mg/ml for L.paracasei, 25 mg/ml for L.agile 1365, and 25 mg/ml for both S.aureus strain CIB and strain B3A22 respectively. In comparison, clove extract demonstrated lower MIC values: 12.5 mg/ml for B.subtilis, 12.5 mg/ml for L.paracasei, 12.5 mg/ml for L.agile 1365, 25 mg/ml for S.aureus strain CIB, and 25 mg/ml for S.aureus strain B3A22. The Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of clove oil was 50 mg/ml for B.subtilis, for L.paracasei, 25 mg/ml for L.agile 1365, 50 mg/ml for S.aureus strain CIB, and 100 mg/ml for S.aureus strain B3A22. In contrast, clove extract showed an MBC of 25 mg/ml for B.subtilis, 50 mg/ml for L.paracasei, 25 mg/ml for L.agile 1365, 50 mg/ml for S.aureus strain CIB, and 25 mg/ml for S.aureus strain B3A22. These results underscore the significant antibacterial activity of clove extract, particularly due to its higher potency at lower concentrations compared to clove oil, supporting its potential use in developing alternative treatments for dental caries.