Impact of Hypoproteic Diet on Liver Function and Thrombopoiesis in New Zealand White Rabbits

f liver disease. The relationship between hypoproteic diet, liver function and subsequently thrombopoiesis has not been fully documented; hence, this study sets out to determine it in normal rabbits. The broad objective of this work is to determine the relationship between a hypoproteic diet, liver function and thrombocyte indices in normal rabbits. Twenty New Zealand White Rabbits weighing 950-1050g were used. They were assigned into two groups (A and B) of ten rabbits each and fed with rabbit chow containing 30% protein for a period of four weeks. Group A animals were changed to a 4% protein feed while group B animals were maintained on 30% protein feed. Blood samples were obtained from the marginal ear vein of the Rabbits after the period of acclimatization (4 weeks) and analyzed for baseline data and twice at eight weeks intervals post- acclimatization. The samples were taken into 2ml EDTA tubes and 5ml plain tubes for the determination of platelet counts, AST, alanine transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphate (ALP), plateletcrit (PCT), platelet distribution width (PDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), Total Protein estimation, Albumin estimation and thrombopoietin assay using standard protocols. It was observed that Platelet counts, MPV, Total protein and Albumin levels were significantly lower (P ≤ 0.05) in the rabbits fed hypoproteic diet compared to the rabbits of the control group while AST, ALT, ALP and thrombopoietin levels were significantly increased (P ≤ 0.05) in the rabbits fed hypoproteic diet compared to the rabbits of the control group. The PCT values were decreased in the experimental group compared to the control group but were not statistically significant (P ≥ 0.05). These findings suggest that hypoproteic diet impaires liver function and induce platelet destruction leading to low platelet count and alteration of platelets indices

EVALUATION OF SOME INFLAMMATORY AND MUSCLE MARKERS IN PREMENOPAUSAL AND POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Background: Menopause is associated with an array of metabolic changes which results into the appearance of inflammatory conditions. Objectives: The study evaluated the levels of some inflammatory markers; C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and uric acid. The muscle markers evaluated were creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate transaminase (AST) as well as body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (Bp) in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Method: The study is a case-controlled study involving 50 premenopausal and 50 postmenopausal women in Nnewi metropolis. In both study groups, anthropometric measurements including body mass index (Kg/m2) and blood pressure (mmHg) were carried out. Serum levels of uric acid, creatine kinase, C-reactive protein, aspartate transaminase, rheumatoid factor and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were measured using appropriate techniques. Results: The result showed significant increase (p<0.05) in the mean serum levels of uric acid (μmol/L), CRP (mg/L), ESR mm/hr, and AST IU/L but no significant change was observed in creatine kinase in post menopausal women. A significant positive relationship was observed between CRP and BMI (r = 0.562; p<0.01), CRP and ESR (r = 0.553; p<0.01). The prevalence of positive rheumatoid factor among postmenopausal women was determined as 16%. Conclusion: The study concluded that in postmenopausal women, there is significant increase in the levels of CRP, ESR and uric acid. There is also a significant positive relationship between CRP, ESR and BMI indicating that the degree of changes in metabolites and obesity might have a role in the mediation of inflammation in post menopausal women

Effects of Solo and Pair Programming Instructional Strategies on Students’ Academic Achievement in Visual-Basic.Net Computer Programming Language

This study assesses the relative effectiveness of solo and pair programming instructional strategies on students’ academic achievement in the Visual-Basic.Net Computer Programming Language. Two research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. The sample comprised 68 subjects distributed over the three treatment groups (27 solo programmers, 24 pair programmers, and 17 conventional programmers) from three hundred computer science students of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Yaba, Lagos State, Nigeria. The Visual-Basic.Net Achievement Test (VAT) was used to collect data for both the pre- and post-tests. The VAT test was administered to all 68 subjects in the three groups, first as pre-test and after treatment as post-test. Mean and standard deviations were used to answer the two research questions while ANCOVA and multiple comparisons were used in testing the three null hypotheses. The results of the analyses indicate that: (i) the experimental groups performed better than the control group, (ii) the treatment appeared to be more effective among male students than their female counterparts, (iii) the main effects of treatment and gender as well as the interaction effects of treatment and gender were not statistically significant

Assessment of Haematological Parameters and Iron Profile of Commercial Cyclists in Ekiti State, Nigeria

No Abstract

Energy output-input analysis

Energy inputs and yield relationship in cassava production was investigated to establish correlation between inputs and outputs in cassava production in Nigeria. Production data of energy inputs and crop yields were collected from 54 cassava farms in twelve cassava producing villages through site visits, interaction with the farmers and physical measurements for three production seasons (2013-2016). The data were analyzed statistically. Amount of inputs per hectare were calculated and multiplied by coefficients of energy equivalents. Total energy inputs in cassava production were 36482.8 MJ ha-1 while average output of cassava tubers was 32022.6 kg ha-1 . Energy use ratio, energy productivity and specific energy of the surveyed farms were 4.9, 0.9 kg MJ-1 and 1.1 MJ kg-1 respectively. Shares of direct and indirect energy inputs were 5.7% and 94.2% respectively. Human labor, fertilizer, cassava stem, machinery and fuel had positive effects on output. Fertilizer, cassava stem and machinery variables were significant at 0.1%, 1% and 5% significant levels respectively. R-squared was 0.93 and Durbin Watson statistic indicates no autocorrelation at 5% significant level, indicating that variables in the model were not dependent on each other and that changes in the value of one variable did not have any meaningful effect on other variables. All the variables contributed independently to the output

Effects of Calcitriol Supplementation on the Hematological Parameters of Sleep Deprived Wistar Rats

The present study investigates the hematologic effect of Calcitriol on rats undergoing sleep deprivation. Male Wistar rats were treated with Calcitriol 120 ng/kg and subjected to sleep deprivation for four successive days. Twenty four hour after last injection, animals were sacrificed and blood was collected for haematological analysis. A four-day sleep restriction caused a decline in total white cell count and increased mean cell hemoglobin and mean cell volume. Furthermore, red blood cell count, packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration and mean cell hemoglobin concentration also declined in sleep deprived rats. Peripheral blood cell examination revealed that these effects were mild in rats treated with calcitriol. Our findings showed that a four-day paradoxical sleep restriction altered the biochemical integrity of erythrocytes. The observed immunosuppressive effects of sleep deprivation were reversed by exogenous vitamin D supplement, calcitriol. However, only the functional haemoglobin component of red cells was enhanced by a high dose of calcitriol which appears unbeneficial for other units of the erythroid-forming processes. It is therefore possible that the erythrocytic enhancing power of calcitriol is dose dependent and we suggest that lower doses (<120ng/kg) may be required to produce beneficial effects on erythropoiesis

Biochar, soil properties, and crop yield.

Among agricultural soil amendment that can enhance crop productivity and soil sustainability is biochar. Hence, two-year field experiments were conducted on a sandy loam Alfisol at Owo, southwest Nigeria, to evaluate the effects of biochar produced from hardwood on soil physical and chemical characteristics, erosion potential, and cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott) yield. (e study was a 2 × 4 factorial experiment with two years (2017 and 2018) and four biochar levels (0 (control), 10, 20, and 30 t ha− 1 ). (e treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results indicated that biochar application significantly in both years improved yield of cocoyam and soil physical (bulk density, porosity, moisture content, mean weight diameter (MWD) of soil aggregates, dispersion ratio, and infiltration rate) and chemical (soil organic matter, pH, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and CEC) properties and erosion resistance. Soil characteristics and cocoyam yield improved with level of biochar from 0–30 t ha− 1 . When 2018 is compared with 2017 in terms of soil loss, in the amended plots, 2018 reduced soil loss by 7.4, 20, and 73.5%, respectively, for 10, 20, and 30 t ha− 1 biochar, whereas there was an increase of 2.7% in soil loss in the control plot in 2018 compared with 2017. (therefore, an application rate of 30 t ha− 1 biochar is considered as suitable for severely degraded soil because this application rate efficiently improves cocoyam yield and soil properties and reduces soil loss

Baseline fertility status of a gravelly Alfisol in a derived savannah agro-ecological zone of Nigeria

Farmers have not tested their soils for nutrient status and therefore are unaware of the fertility status of their soils. Therefore, a baseline fertility survey of 50 hectares of land of a gravelly Alfisol in the Teaching and Research Farm of Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria was carried out with a view to identifying soil health constraints and site-specific sustainable land management practices for optimizing crop production. Standard field protocols and laboratory analytical procedures were employed for all sample parameters measured. Results show that the soil textural classes vary from sand to loamy sand, exchangeable acidity, Ca, Mg, K, and Na and the effective cation exchange capacity has the surface and subsurface soil values of 0.0–0.92 and 0.00–0.89 cmol kg−1 , 1.6–7.7 and 2.0–5.8 cmol kg−1 , 1.2–11.5 and 0.7–8.0 cmol kg−1 , 0.09–0.33 and 0.09–0.43 cmol kg−1 , 0.0–0.16 and 0.04–0.16 cmol kg−1 , 7.2–12.10 and 0.9–12.5 cmol kg−1 , respectively. P values lie in the ranges of 2.5–68.9 mg kg−1 and 2.0–37.7 mg kg−1 in the surface and subsurface soils, respectively, organic C values were 0.86–2.81% and 0.68–3.49%, respectively, in the surface and subsurface soils while the values of N were 0.12–0.61% in the surface and 0.11–0.56% subsurface soils. Land evaluation shows that the soils of the project site are very fragile and poor in native fertility. Compound fertilizers low in nitrogen contents but high in phosphorus and potassium are recommended for gravelly Alfisol in a derived savannah ecological zone of the Kwara State, Nigeria to avoid a nutrient imbalance that may create artificial deficiencies of otherwise adequate nutrient elements

Response of quality, yield and growth of amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus) and soil chemical properties on application of organic and inorganic nutrients

Poultry manure (PM) is limited by large quantity required for large scale vegetable production, to avert this problem, integrating inorganic (urea) with organic (PM) fertilizers is recently been advocated. Hence, two field experiments were carried out in years 2016 and 2017 at Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria to evaluate the effects of sole and integrated applications of poultry manure (PM) and urea fertilizer (UF) on soil chemical properties, growth, yield and quality of green Amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus). The study was laid out in 2 × 4 × 4 factorial experiment with two years (2016 and 2017), four levels of PM (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N/ha) and four levels of UF (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N/ha) application. The sixteen treatment combinations were arranged in a randomized complete block design having four replications. Results showed that UF and PM alone or their integration improved soil organic matter (OM), N, P, K, Ca, Mg (urea alone did not increase OM, P and K significantly), yield and growth indices, minerals (urea alone only increased leaf N), moisture, fibre, protein, dry matter, ash and reduced fat content of Amaranthus leaves compared with the control. Although fresh plant weight /plot (yield), plant height, leaf N and moisture contents of Amaranthus increased up to 120 kg N/ha, for both sole UF and PM (yield was 280 kg in 2016 and 310 kg in 2017 for PM while yield for UF was 250 kg in 2016 and 247 kg in 2017, plant height was 0.75 m in 2016 and 0.81 in 2017 for PM while UF was 0.67 m in 2016 and 0.65 m in 2017, Leaf N was 2.98% in 2016 and 3.41% in 2017 for PM while UF was 2.50% in 2016 and 2.44% in 2017, moisture content was 87.60% in 2016 and 90.20% in 2017 for PM and 86.4% in 2016 and 89.60% in 2017 for UF), soil and leaf K, Ca and Mg, ash, protein, dry matter and fibre were increased only up to 80 kg N/ha for PM and 40 kg N/ha for UF. This levels (80 kg N/ha for PM and 40 kg N/ha for UF) correspond to the optimum level for the production of quality Amaranthus in the agro ecological zone or similar soil elsewhere. For improving the overall quality, integrating UF at 40 kg N/ha with PM at 80 kg N/ha is recommended. Key words : Amaranthus hybridus, leaf quality, mineral composition, poultry manure, soil chemical properties, urea fertilize

Effects of Different Rates of Poultry Manure and Split Applications of Urea Fertilizer on Soil Chemical Properties, Growth, and Yield of Maize

During integrated nutrient management involving poultry manure (PM) and urea fertilizer (UF) for maize (Zea mays L.), it is necessary to investigate the best time to apply UF that will optimize soil chemical properties, growth, and yield of maize. Hence, studies were carried out to investigate the effect of different rates of PM and single and split applications (SA) of UF on soil chemical properties, growth, and yield of maize. *e treatment involved three levels of PM (0.0, 4.0, and 8.0 t·ha−1 ) and four sets of periods of UF: (i) 0 kg N ha-1 (control), (ii) 120 kg N ha-1 applied at planting (AP), (iii) two SA of 120 kg N ha−1 (90 kg N ha-1 applied AP + 30 kg N ha-1 at thirty days after planting (DAP)), and (iv) three SA of 120 kg N ha-1 (60 kg N ha-1 applied AP + 30 kg N ha-1 thirty DAP + 30 kg N ha-1 at tasseling). *e 12 treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. PM and UF alone and integrating UF with PM improved soil chemical properties, growth, and yield of maize compared with the control. SA of UF three times (60 + 30 + 30) had the most improved soil chemical properties, growth, and yield of maize. Results also showed that maize yielded higher under UF integrated with PM compared with their sole forms. Application of 60 + 30+30 with 8 t ha−1 PM (60 + 30+30 + 8 t ha−1 PM) or with 4 t ha−1 PM treatments showed the highest growth and yield of maize, but due to the bulkiness, handling challenges, and cost of PM, 60 + 30+30 + 4 t ha−1 PM is recommended. *erefore, for better growth and yield of maize, after the initial application of PM, UF application should be split-applied in accordance with plant growth and the pattern of uptake to avoid losses by leaching and therefore ensured that N level in the soil is high at the critical stage of N demand