Effect of Palm Bunch Ash on Soil pH And Growth of Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus L)

A field experiment to assess the effect Palm Bunch Ash (PBA), at various levels (0, 2, 4t/ha) on the pH of soil and growth of Cucumis sativus at the Teaching and Research Farm, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, was conducted. Soil samples (0 – 15cm) before and after application, from the experimental plots were collected, and analyzed with standard methods for pH and nutrients. Also, Palm Bunch Ash (PBA) sub-sampled, and analyzed with standard methods for pH used for the experiment. A total of 9 treatments were used with A0 (Control), A2 and A4, where A represents PBA, and the subscripts 0, 2 and 4 represent the treatment levels. The experiment was a 1x3 factorial in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 3 replicates. 18 seeds of cucumber (2 per hole) from NSPRI, Rumueme, Port Harcourt were planted on each treatment plot of 2 x 2m at a plant spacing of 45 × 45cm. Thereafter, it was thinned to one (1) per hole after emergence. This implies that, there were a total number of 10,000 plants per hectare. Growth parameters include shoot height (cm), 3, 6 and 9WAP, and Number of leaves, 3, 6 and 9WAP. Data generated from field were subjected to one-way ANOVA test using the Minitab package and the means were separated using Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference at 95% probability. The results revealed that pH increased (p<0.05) as the amendment level increased in the treated soil with the highest 6.00 of 4t/ha. Also, there was significant effect (p<0.05) on growth, as the PBA level increased in the treated soil with the highest values  13.97cm recorded in 2t/ha, and 48.13cm and 77.90cm recorded in 4t/ha for 3, 6, and 9WAP. Similarly, for number of leaves, the highest values were recorded in 4t/ha, also for 3, 6, and 9WAP.  Hence, PBA is recommended as good amendments for acid soil neutralizer and nutrient buffer and supplier to the soil and ultimately to plants

HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATION IN MAIZE (Zea mays L.) GRAIN GROWN ON DIFFERENT DUMPSITE SOILS

This study was carried out at the Botanical Garden of the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, in Rivers State University (RSU), Port Harcourt, Nigeria with the aim of investigating heavy metal accumulation in maize grain grown on different dumpsite soils. Soils used were collected from three different locations with the control; Njemanze Dumpsite, Mile One Flyover Dumpsite and Chinda by Iwofe Dumpsite and analyzed for the presence of the following heavy metals; Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Silver (Ag), Lead (Pb) and Mercury (Hg). Soil from Rivers State University Botanical Garden was used as control soil. The soils were analysed using the American Public Health Association (APHA 3111C) method to determine the heavy metal concentration level. The seeds of maize were sown into polybags containing the different soils and the maize plants were allowed to grow to maturity. The result showed the presence of heavy metals in all soil samples with Mile One Flyover Dumpsite having the highest concentrations (Cd; 46.771, Cr; 61.885, Ag 18.629, Pb; 354.386, Hg; 170.474) and RSU (Control soil) had the least concentrations (Cd; <0.001, Cr; 12.295, Ag; <0.001, Pb; <0.001, Hg; <0.0005) of the metals. The heavy metals in the maize grains of the matured maize plants were analysed. The result showed the maize grains of the plants in the soil from Mile One Flyover Dumpsite had high concentrations while the control soil from Rivers State University had low concentrations except Cr that was slightly high when compared to WHO standard

Trends in Prevalence of Advanced HIV Disease at Antiretroviral Therapy Enrollment - 10 Countries, 2004-2015.

Monitoring prevalence of advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease (i.e., CD4+ T-cell count <200 cells/μL) among persons starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) is important to understand ART program outcomes, inform HIV prevention strategy, and forecast need for adjunctive therapies.*,†,§ To assess trends in prevalence of advanced disease at ART initiation in 10 high-burden countries during 2004-2015, records of 694,138 ART enrollees aged ≥15 years from 797 ART facilities were analyzed. Availability of national electronic medical record systems allowed up-to-date evaluation of trends in Haiti (2004-2015), Mozambique (2004-2014), and Namibia (2004-2012), where prevalence of advanced disease at ART initiation declined from 75% to 34% (p<0.001), 73% to 37% (p<0.001), and 80% to 41% (p<0.001), respectively. Significant declines in prevalence of advanced disease during 2004-2011 were observed in Nigeria, Swaziland, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. The encouraging declines in prevalence of advanced disease at ART enrollment are likely due to scale-up of testing and treatment services and ART-eligibility guidelines encouraging earlier ART initiation. However, in 2015, approximately a third of new ART patients still initiated ART with advanced HIV disease. To reduce prevalence of advanced disease at ART initiation, adoption of World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended "treat-all" guidelines and strategies to facilitate earlier HIV testing and treatment are needed to reduce HIV-related mortality and HIV incidence

Acceptability of a microfinance-based empowerment intervention for transgender and cisgender women sex workers in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Introduction: Cisgender and transgender woman sex workers (CWSWs and TWSWs, respectively) are key populations in Malaysia with higher HIV‐prevalence than that of the general population. Given the impact economic instability can have on HIV transmission in these populations, novel HIV prevention interventions that reduce poverty may reduce HIV incidence and improve linkage and retention to care for those already living with HIV. We examine the feasibility of a microfinance‐based HIV prevention intervention among CWSW and TWSWs in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Methods: We conducted 35 in‐depth interviews to examine the acceptability of a microfinance‐based HIV prevention intervention, focusing on: (1) participants’ readiness to engage in other occupations and the types of jobs in which they were interested in; (2) their level of interest in the components of the potential intervention, including training on financial literacy and vocational education; and (3) possible barriers and facilitators to the successful completion of the intervention. Using grounded theory as a framework of analysis, transcripts were analysed through Nvivo 11. Results: Participants were on average 41 years old, slightly less than half (48%) were married, and more than half (52%) identified as Muslim. Participants express high motivation to seek employment in other professions as they perceived sex work as not a “proper job” with opportunities for career growth but rather as a short‐term option offering an unstable form of income. Participants wanted to develop their own small enterprise. Most participants expressed a high level of interest in microfinance intervention and training to enable them to enter a new profession. Possible barriers to intervention participation included time, stigma, and a lack of resources. Conclusion: Findings indicate that a microfinance intervention is acceptable and desirable for CWSWs and TWSWs in urban Malaysian contexts as participants reported that they were ready to engage in alternative forms of income generation

A survey of tuberculosis infection control practices at the NIH/NIAID/DAIDS-supported clinical trial sites in low and middle income countries

BACKGROUND: Health care associated transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) is well described. A previous survey of infection control (IC) practices at clinical research sites in low and middle income countries (LMIC) funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) conducting HIV research identified issues with respiratory IC practices. A guideline for TB IC based on international recommendations was developed and promulgated. This paper reports on adherence to the guideline at sites conducting or planning to conduct TB studies with the intention of supporting improvement. METHODS: A survey was developed that assessed IC activities in three domains: facility level measures, administrative control measures and environmental measures. An external site monitor visited each site in 2013–2014, to complete the audit. A central review committee evaluated the site-level survey and results were tabulated. Fisher’s exact test was performed to determine whether there were significant differences in practices at sites that had IC officers versus sites that did not have IC officers. Significance was assessed at p</=.05 RESULTS: Seven of thirty-three sites surveyed (22 %) had all the evaluated tuberculosis IC (TB IC) elements in place. Sixty-one percent of sites had an IC officer tasked with developing and maintaining TB IC standard operating procedures. Twenty-two (71 %) sites promptly identified and segregated individuals with TB symptoms. Thirty (93 %) sites had a separate waiting area for patients, and 26 (81 %) collected sputum within a specific well-ventilated area that was separate from the general waiting area. Sites with an IC officer were more likely to have standard operating procedures covering TB IC practices (p = 0.02) and monitor those policies (p = 0.02) and perform regular surveillance of healthcare workers (p = 0.02). The presence of an IC officer had a positive impact on performance in most of the TB IC domains surveyed including having adequate ventilation (p = 0.02) and a separate area for sputum collection (p = 0.02) CONCLUSIONS: Specific and targeted support of TB IC activities in the clinical research environment is needed and is likely to have a positive and sustained impact on preventing the transmission of TB to both health care workers and vulnerable HIV-infected research participants. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-016-1579-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Antiretroviral therapy enrollment characteristics and outcomes among HIV-infected adolescents and young adults compared with older adults--seven African countries, 2004-2013.

Although scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) since 2005 has contributed to declines of about 30% in the global annual number of human immunodeficiency (HIV)-related deaths and declines in global HIV incidence, estimated annual HIV-related deaths among adolescents have increased by about 50% and estimated adolescent HIV incidence has been relatively stable. In 2012, an estimated 2,500 (40%) of all 6,300 daily new HIV infections occurred among persons aged 15-24 years. Difficulty enrolling adolescents and young adults in ART and high rates of loss to follow-up (LTFU) after ART initiation might be contributing to mortality and HIV incidence in this age group, but data are limited. To evaluate age-related ART retention challenges, data from retrospective cohort studies conducted in seven African countries among 16,421 patients, aged ≥15 years at enrollment, who initiated ART during 2004-2012 were analyzed. ART enrollment and outcome data were compared among three groups defined by age at enrollment: adolescents and young adults (aged 15-24 years), middle-aged adults (aged 25-49 years), and older adults (aged ≥50 years). Enrollees aged 15-24 years were predominantly female (81%-92%), commonly pregnant (3%-32% of females), unmarried (54%-73%), and, in four countries with employment data, unemployed (53%-86%). In comparison, older adults were more likely to be male (p<0.001), employed (p<0.001), and married, (p<0.05 in five countries). Compared with older adults, adolescents and young adults had higher LTFU rates in all seven countries, reaching statistical significance in three countries in crude and multivariable analyses. Evidence-based interventions to reduce LTFU for adolescent and young adult ART enrollees could help reduce mortality and HIV incidence in this age group

Factors Influencing Job Satisfaction of Educational Media Technologists in Different Work Setting in Nigeria

This study examines the factors that influence job satisfaction amongst the practitioners of educational media technology in different work settings. The study focused on six occupational areas ranging from Business and Industry to medical, armed services and education. The guided Interview technique was used as instrument to evaluate job satisfaction among the target group. Mean and Standard deviation was the statistical computation employed by the researcher to determine the extremely satisfied group and those that are dissatisfied. The findings indicate that quite a good number of the target population express satisfaction in their job

Factors Influencing Job Satisfaction of Educational Media Technologists in Different Work Setting in Nigeria

This study examines the factors that influence job satisfaction amongst the practitioners of educational media technology in different work settings. The study focused on six occupational areas ranging from Business and Industry to medical, armed services and education. The guided Interview technique was used as instrument to evaluate job satisfaction among the target group. Mean and Standard deviation was the statistical computation employed by the researcher to determine the extremely satisfied group and those that are dissatisfied. The findings indicate that quite a good number of the target population express satisfaction in their job

Achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) through the quality of human populations in Nigeria

No Abstract. SOPHIA: An African Journal of Philosphy and Public Affairs Vol. 9 (2) 2007: pp. 37-4