Consumption of leafy vegetables in rural households in Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, Nigeria

Problem of low consumption of vegetables by all in order to alleviate   nutrition-related diseases is still unresolved. This study investigated the pattern of consumption of leafy vegetables among the inhabitants of Ijebu-Igbo enclave in Ogun State, Nigeria. The instrument of data  collection was interview schedule used to collect information from 175 respondents sampled through simple random sampling technique from five quarters in the locality. The head of the household was interviewed and question items ranged from socio-economic characteristics of  respondents to handling of and type of leafy vegetables consumed, and awareness of the importance of consumption of these vegetables.  Consumption of leafy vegetables which was the dependent variable wasmeasured on an eight point scale. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The descriptive statistics involved frequency tallies, percentages and averages while the inferential statistics used was chi-square analysis ( X 2). The results showed that most (74.9%) of the respondents were literate, having secondary education and above, mostly (69.1%) females, married (56%) and predominantly Christians (74. 3%). They were mostly (37%) traders and (22%) farmers. The level of vegetable consumption was low, an average of 1.57 times weekly in the study area with ‘Ugwu’ being most preferred over other vegetables which were celosia, waterleaf, amaranthus and okra leaf. Only 35.4% of the respondents consumed vegetables adequately but not properly handled or prepared. This is only 31.4% of the recommended intake of 5 times daily. Only 9.1% of them adopted the most appropriate method of preparation and handling of vegetables for maximum absorption of nutrients but the closest method to the recommended method was adopted by most (42%). The results of the hypotheses testing at 95% confidence level showed a significant relationship between marital status (x2=0.26), religion  (x2=0.94), awareness level (x2=0.96) and consumption level. The study, therefore, recommended a more strategic awareness-raising campaign and nutrition education to agricultural extension and rural development agencies in order to influence people’s behaviour in making vegetables consumption a lifestyle in the study area.Key words: consumption, leafy vegetable, rural househol

The Performance of a Cross-flow Turbine as a Function of Flowrates and Guide Vane Angles

This study looked at the effects of flow rates and guide vane angles on the performance of a cross flow turbine, which can be used to generate energy and hydraulic power with low head and low flow rates of water. A fluid dynamic analysis was performed on the cross-flow turbine with the aid of finite element techniques. The simulation was solved after validating the convergence of the provided model and its boundary conditions, with the outputs being the velocity profiles of the flow in the rotor and the pressure distribution on the rotor surface during its rotations. Experimental evaluation of the cross-flow turbine guide vane positions at a flow rate of 0.8, 0.6, and 0.5 m3/s was conducted, and it was discovered that a maximum turbine speed of 482 rpm and a generator speed of 1920 rpm were produced at the rotor shaft at a flow rate of 0.8 m3/s with a head of 25 m, and this data was validated by the results produced from the simulation. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2022-03-01-06 Full Text: PD

Farmers’ Notion of Climate Change and Response to Rainfall Variability in a Nigerian Coastal Settlement of Oron

The study investigated farmers’ notion of climate change and their response to rainfall variability in Oron, a Coastal settlement in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study is to determine farmer’s notion of climate and their response to climate variability. The farmers’ perception of climate change  is necessary for preparedness and planning purposes in an agrarian community in order to boost farm productivity. Through the use of structured questionnaires, data for the study was obtained from 400 farmers’ in 17 randomly sampled villages in Oron. The data was complemented by information obtained through focus group discussion, participatory rural appraisal, direct field observations and in-depth interviews of key informants. To aid the analysis, data on some climatic variables from 2003 to 2013 were obtained from the study area and analysed to show the behavior of annual precipitation, wet  and dry seasons precipitation and to compare results with the farmers’ notion of climate change. In the same vein, the number of drought years occurring in the study area was calculated using Shewale and Kumar (2005) method. The study reveals that (i)  most of the farmers’ were unaware of the concept of climate change, even though they have considerable knowledge of major changes taking place in their environment (ii)  The farmers have general feeling of uncertainty about the best time to plant crops due to the unpredictability of rainfall and the difficulties in planning farming activities  (iii) the number of extreme rain event per year in the study area does not appear to be increasing, indicating that farming has not become more vulnerable to such phenomena. All the farmers indicated the need for  planting early maturing seed and changing the timing of planting, as a response strategies to mitigate the effect of climate variability in the study area. The study, thus concludes that unless urgent steps are taken to educate the farmers’ about their notion of climate variability and the possible pathways to adaptation, the coastal settlement  is vulnerable to food insecurity. Keywords: Climate change; Farmers notion; Rainfall variability; Coastal settlement

Optimization of Deep-Fat Frying of Plantain Chips (Ipekere) using Response Surface Methodology

Deep-fat frying of plantain chips (ipekere) was investigated with the aim of predicting optimum operating conditions for plantain chips to minimize oil content in order to produce healthy products. The effect of frying temperature and time on moisture content, oil content, breaking force and colour difference of plantain chips was evaluated. Response surface methodology was used to analyze the results of the central composite design of the frying processes for the responses as a result of variation in the levels of frying temperature (150 – 190oC) and frying time (2 – 4 min). Response surface regression analysis shows that responses were significantly (p<0.05) correlated with frying temperature and time. Regression model was developed for the investigation of the effect of frying temperature and time on the responses. The polynomial regression models were validated with statistical tool whose values of coefficients of determination (R2) were 0.995, 0.982, 0.971 and 0.996 for moisture content, oil content, breaking force and colour difference, respectively. The optimum values of moisture content, oil content, breaking force and colour difference were 3.73%, 1.18%, 17.66 N and 65.53, respectively, at frying temperature of 183oC and frying time of 3 min. Therefore, frying conditions had a significant effect on the quality attributes of chips produced from plantain. Keywords: plantain chips, deep-fat frying, regression models, texture and colou

EFFECT OF CLASS SIZE ON THE LEARNING OF MOTOR SKILL AMONG SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IFE CENTRAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

The effect of class size on the learning of motor skill among selected secondary school students of Ife Central Local Government of Area of Osun state, Nigeria was examined. The study was experimental in nature and it involved pre-test and post-test using a novel skill (push pass in hockey). Three secondary schools where the game of hockey was neither taught nor played were purposively selected for the study. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling method with sex as the stratum. Participants for the study comprised 56 male and female students age 11-15 years that were not familiar with the skill. Three classes were drawn from the three schools. A small class size was drawn from School A with eight participants. In school B, a medium class size of 16 participants was drawn. The large class size of 32 participants was drawn from School C. Each of the classes had equal number of male and female participants. Push pass in hockey was measured at pre-test and post-test. Skill training took place after the pre-test measures. Mean and standard deviation were the descriptive analysis while t-test was the inferential statistic used for the data. The results of the analysis show that participants in medium class performed significantly better than participants in the large (t= 2.81: 46 p˂0.05) and small (t= 3.44: 22 p< 0.05) classes in the learning of motor skill. Females in medium class size also performed significantly better than those in large class size (t= 4.13: 22 p<0.05) and those in small class size (t= 4.15:10 p<0.05). Gender is a significant factor in such learning.  Article visualizations

Cytoplasmic Distribution of HIV-1 Tat Sensitizes Jurkat T Cells to Sulphamethoxazole-Hydroxylamine Induced Toxicity

Background: One medication commonly used by HIV-1-infected individuals is the antimicrobial sulphamethoxazole (SMX), which is used in the treatment and prophylaxis of pneumocystis pneumonia. However, SMX is responsible for a very high incidence of hypersensitivity adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the HIV-1 population. While the pathophysiology of ADRs in general is unknown, sulphamethoxazole-mediated ADRs have been linked to its reactive metabolite sulphamethoxazole-hydroxylamine (SMX-HA). Our previous work has shown that increased expression of the HIV-1 Tat protein in T cells correlated with increased apoptosis after incubation with SMX-HA. In this study we sought to determine the region of the Tat protein responsible for this effect and the mechanism by which Tat contributed to SMX-HA mediated apoptosis. Methods: We established Jurkat T and Cos 7 cell lines that stably expressed full-length Tat (Tat101) and deletion mutants (Tat86, Tat72, Tat48 and Tat∆). These cell lines were then incubated with SMX-HA and assayed for cell viability and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We further used confocal microscopy to assess the intracellular distribution of the Tat proteins and to determine if changes in the expression and/or localization of key cytoskeleton proteins contributed to Tat-mediated apoptosis after SMX-HA treatment. Results: Deletion of regions of Tat that lead to increased cytoplasmic accumulation significantly contributed to increased cell death in the presence of SMX-HA. The increased cell death did not require induction of ROS. Quantitative analysis also showed that the Tat-expressing cell lines had significantly lower levels of β-actin and α-tubulin present both before and after treatment with SMX-HA. Increased cytoplasmic localization of Tat correlated with greater disturbances in the distribution of actin filaments. Conclusion: The presence of cytoplasmic Tat in T and epithelial cell lines increases their sensitivity to SMX-HA induced cell death, an effect mediated by the first 48 amino acids of TAT

Modelling of Moisture Loss and Oil Uptake During Deep-Fat Frying of Plantain (Dodo)

In this study, model was developed to predict moisture loss and oil uptake during deep-fat frying of plantain (dodo). Plantain samples were sliced and fried at different frying temperatures (150, 160, 170, 180 and 190 °C) in a deep fryer for periods varying from 2 to 4 min. Moisture and fat analyses were determined based on the AOAC standard method. Mathematical model was developed from fundamental law of mass diffusion with the aim of predicting moisture loss and oil uptake rate during DFF of dodo. The model was solved numerically using explicit Finite Difference Technique (FDT). Computer codes were written in MATLAB environment for moisture loss and oil uptake in the slices at different frying conditions. The predicted results were compared with experimental data and good agreement was obtained. The correlation coefficients between the predicted and experimental values of moisture and oil transfer models ranged from 0.988 to 0.994 and 0.958 to 0.978, respectively. The results show that the model is consistent and it may be used to predict moisture loss and oil uptake during deep-fat fried of dodo

Idiopathic pericardial effusion in 2 year old labrador managed with ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis: Case report

A two-year old, 38kg-wt male Labrador was presented for management because of progressive exercise intolerance. At presentation, rectal temperature was 38.5°C, pulse rate was 135 beats per minute (but weak). There was ascites along with oedema of the extremities. The heart sound was muffled and pulsus paradoxus was very mild. The patient was well hydrated. Thoracic radiography revealed a globoid shaped heart occupying most of the equatorial thoracic volume; there was loss of details of cardiac silhouette and there was dorsal deviation of trachea at carina. Ultrasonography revealed a distinct epicardium, pericardium and a very wide anechoic space in between. Blood picture was within normal findings. Idiopathic chronic pericardial effusion was diagnosed. Ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis was carried out using a 16 gauge over the needle catheter attached to a 3-way stopcock and a 20mls syringe; about 65mls of clear effusate was aspirated. Laboratory analysis of the effusate revealed that it was a transudate. The patient was placed on 3mg/kg furosemide, twice daily for 5 days and the patient returned to gradual exercise during hospitalization. Oedema of the extremities and ascities decreased, the appetite improved and the dog became more active. Thoracic radiography fourth week post pericardiocentesis revealed a normal cardiac silhouette. The cause of pericardial effusion was not known

Bilateral perineal hernia with bladder retroflexion in a 13-year-old intact Jack-Russel Dog: Case report

A 13-year-old male Jack-Russel was presented to the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Sokoto because of a swollen perineum. Physical and laboratory examinations revealed normal parameters, however a bilateral protrusion was noticed at the perineum suggestive of a bilateral perineal hernia. Contrast radiography revealed a hernia sac with intestinal segments on the left, urinary bladder and prostate on the right. Standard obturator muscle transpositional herniorhaphy was successfully performed.Keywords: Bilateral Perineal Hernia, Bladder Retroflexion, Cystic Kidney, Canine

HIV-1 tat Expression and Sulphamethoxazole Hydroxylamine Mediated Oxidative Stress Alter the Disulfide Proteome in Jurkat T Cells

Background Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a significant problem for HIV patients, with the risk of developing ADRs increasing as the infection progresses to AIDS. However, the pathophysiology underlying ADRs remains unknown. Sulphamethoxazole (SMX) via its active metabolite SMX-hydroxlyamine, when used prophylactically for pneumocystis pneumonia in HIV-positive individuals, is responsible for a high incidence of ADRs. We previously demonstrated that the HIV infection and, more specifically, that the HIV-1 Tat protein can exacerbate SMX-HA-mediated ADRs. In the current study, Jurkat T cell lines expressing Tat and its deletion mutants were used to determine the effect of Tat on the thiol proteome in the presence and absence of SMX-HA revealing drug-dependent changes in the disulfide proteome in HIV infected cells. Protein lysates from HIV infected Jurkat T cells and Jurkat T cells stably transfected with HIV Tat and Tat deletion mutants were subjected to quantitative slot blot analysis, western blot analysis and redox 2 dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis to analyze the effects of SMX-HA on the thiol proteome. Results Redox 2D gel electrophoresis demonstrated that untreated, Tat-expressing cells contain a number of proteins with oxidized thiols. The most prominent of these protein thiols was identified as peroxiredoxin. The untreated, Tat-expressing cell lines had lower levels of peroxiredoxin compared to the parental Jurkat E6.1 T cell line. Conversely, incubation with SMX-HA led to a 2- to 3-fold increase in thiol protein oxidation as well as a significant reduction in the level of peroxiredoxin in all the cell lines, particularly in the Tat-expressing cell lines. Conclusion SMX-HA is an oxidant capable of inducing the oxidation of reactive protein cysteine thiols, the majority of which formed intermolecular protein bonds. The HIV Tat-expressing cell lines showed greater levels of oxidative stress than the Jurkat E6.1 cell line when treated with SMX-HA. Therefore, the combination of HIV Tat and SMX-HA appears to alter the activity of cellular proteins required for redox homeostasis and thereby accentuate the cytopathic effects associated with HIV infection of T cells that sets the stage for the initiation of an ADR