Potency of Arati-Obd+ Organic Fertilizer on Plant-Parasitic and Free-Living Nematodes in Peppermint (Mentha Piperita L.) Field

Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) is one of the most economical aromatic and medicinal crops useful in pharmaceutical and agro-allied industries globally. It is among the neglected crops currently receiving attention by organic agriculture experts in Nigeria. In view of the potential threat Plant-Parasitic Nematodes (PPN) pose to the crop, a study was conducted to appraise the effects of Arati-OBD+ organic fertilizer in the control of associated phytonematodes in a field in Abeokuta. Responses of Free-Living Nematodes (FLN) to the organic fertilizer were also recorded. The fertilizer was applied at 0 tha-1, 5 tha-1 or 10 tha-1, laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Five core soil samples were collected randomly from the rhizosphere at depth of 0-30 cm, once every month for the period of three months per plot. Soil samples per plot were bulked to form a composite sample from which 250 g sub-samples were obtained and assayed for nematode presence, type and numbers of each found. Results indicated that 11 genera of PPN were found in the organic peppermint tested. They included Helicotylenchus, Rotylenchus, Rotylenchulus, Meloidogyne, Longidorus, Aphelenchus, Radopholus, Tylenchulus, Ditylenchus, Hoplolaimus, Pratylenchus and some free-living nematodes. These nematodes varied significantly (P 0.05) across treatments. Application of Arati-OBD+ at 5 tha-1 and 10 tha-1 significantly (P 0.05) suppressed PPN compared with untreated (control) plots. Ditylenchus, Tylenchulus, Meloidogyne, Radopholus and Aphelenchus decreased by up to 100% (total control), Helicotylenchus by 73 - 50% and Rotylenchus by 60 - 33% in the treated plots while the FLN increased by as much as 18 - 47% in the soil following application 5 – 10 tha-1

Perceived Benefits of Improved Practices in Pre Harvest Tomato Production among Farmers in Afijio Local Government Area, Oyo State

This study was designed to investigate the perceived benefits of improved practices in pre-harvest tomato production among farmers in Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo State. Multistage sampling techniques were used to select respondents in the study area, with the aid of structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential (PPMC) statistics were used to analyze the data. Majority of the respondents (88.5%) perceived that it has lots of benefits. Also, 82.7% perceived that improved practices minimize post-harvest losses on a medium scale.  Furthermore, 85.6% perceived that improved practices minimize disease infestation on a medium scale, while 84.6% perceive it protects tomato from decaying. Also, 76.9% of the respondents perceive that improve practices helps to retain nutritional content of tomato on a medium scale.  Also, the category of the respondents that had high awareness considered the improved practices to be highly beneficial to them.  The study further concluded that the benefits derived by minority of the respondents influenced most of the respondents to have favorable perception to derivable benefits embedded in improved practices of tomato in the study area.  In addition, the result also revealed significant relationship between awareness and perceived benefits of improved practices in pre-harvest tomato production (r=0.280, p=0.004).  The study therefore recommended that the extension agents should properly train the farmers on the benefits and use of these improved practices. Adequate information should be made available to the tomato farmers on the most recent developments in tomato farming and production (pre harvest and post-harvest). The government should be able to provide adequate and glitch free loan to the farmers to enable them utilize the information and training

The Use of Hybrid System of Classification for the retrieval and modification of Mechanical Products

ABSTRACT With people becoming more individualistic i

Incidence and reasons for leave against medical advice among orthopedic and trauma patients at the university college hospital Ibadan

Background: Leave against medical advice (LAMA) of hospitalized patients is an adverse clinical event in which a patient chooses to leave the hospital before it is medically advisable to do so and it negatively affects the treatment outcome. Because of this, the study was designed to determine the incidence of and indications for LAMA among orthopedic patients who presented at the accident and emergency department of the university college hospital, Ibadan.Methods: This was a prospective hospital-based study determining the incidence of LAMA among orthopedic patients who presented at the accident and emergency department of the university college hospital, Ibadan between September 2019 and March 2020.Results: A total of 289 patients with orthopedic conditions presented within the study period and about 12.46% of these LAMA. The male to female ratio observed in this study is 2:1. The age range was between 8 and 93 years. Trauma from motorbike and motor vehicle accidents accounted for over 80% of the etiology. The most important factor influencing LAMA is financial constraints (63.9%) and LAMA was signed mostly by the patients (25%).Conclusions: LAMA among orthopedic patients in Ibadan is mostly due to financial reasons, therefore, factors that will reduce the cost of management such as the accessibility to health insurance schemes will significantly reduce the incidence of LAMA among orthopedic patients in Nigeria.

Microalbuminuria, Other Markers of Nephropathy and Biochemical Derangements in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Relationships and Determinants

Background: Microalbuminuria is an early indicator of Diabetic nephropathy and cerebrovascular disease.Objective: To evaluate relationships between microalbuminuria and other predictors of morbidity and mortality in type 2 DM.Methods: Fifty type 2 diabetic subjects were recruited each for three groups separated by disease durations. Thirty non-diabetic subjects were recruited to control each group. Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) was estimated. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum creatinine, urea, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high- and low density lipoprotein (HDL, LDL) were measured.Results: The diabetics with longest disease duration of >10 years were the oldest (65.86±1.71), had highest systolic BP (147.12±3.39mmHg) and least BMI (27.20±0.71Kg/m2); they had poorest lipid control (TC:5.54±0.26mmol/L),though with the least TG (0.97±0.09mmol/L); they also had the most severe microalbuminuria (33.63±8.03g/L) and ACR (65.85±10.38mg/gm). Patients with diabetes of 5-10 years had the poorest glycaemic control:FPG- 7.82±0.47mmol/L; HbA1c-13.09±0.74%). Significant negative correlations exist between microalbuminuria,HBA1c(r=-2.28, p=0.028) and serum creatinine(r=-2.11,p=0.042) in patients with 5-10 years disease; a positive correlation between the ACR and TC(r=1.00,p<0.01) in those with >10 years disease. In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of microalbuminuria were disease duration (OR 2.2, p< 0.001); HBA1c (OR 7.3, p=0.02); LDL/HDL ratio (OR 13.4, p< 0.001).Conclusion: The severity and progression of albuminuria are associated with longer duration of diabetes and poor glycaemic control. Significant relationships exist between ACR and HBA1c, TC, HDL-C, TG, creatinine. Disease duration, ethnicity, HBA1c, TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL/HDL ratio are independent predictors of albuminuria.Keywords: diabetes, microalbuminuria, albumin-to-creatinine ratio, dyslipidaemia, nephropathy, cardiovascular diseaseFunding: None declare

Depositional Environments and Geochemical Assessments of the Bende Ameki Formation Potential as Petroleum Source Rocks in the Ogbunike Quarry, South-Eastern Nigeria

This paper focuses on investigating the paleoenvironments and hydrocarbon generation potentials of the outcropping Eocene Bende-Ameki Formation at Ogbunike quarry, Anambra Basin southeastern Nigeria, which is the Niger Delta Agbada Formation subsurface equivalent. The fine to coarse sandstones interbedded with parallel laminated grey, coaly shales, and bioturbated claystones were the dominant rock facies. The shales contain Ammobaculities, Ammontium, lenticulina, and Reophax benthic foraminifera of brackish to outer shelf environments. The rock sequence and biofacies associations indicate a fluvial, shoreface to delta environments. The marine and continental paleoenvironments are supported by the concentration and association of redox-sensitive trace elements such as vanadium and nickel of oxic to dysoxic paleoconditions. The twenty shales have a range of TOC from 0.39 - 8.81 wt% (mean 2.2 2 wt%), suggesting a good to very good source rocks. The organic richness is highest within the depth of 2 – 6 m across the quarry. Their genetic potential (S1+S2) ranges from 0.22 - 27.35 (mean 2.8 kgHC/ton) of rock, and hydrogen index from 26 to 292 mgHC/gTOC with a mean of 67.3 mgHC/gTOC. This, however, indicates dominance of Type III gas prone kerogen of terrestrial origin. The oxygenated water column characterized by the presence of benthonic scavengers may not preserve lipidenriched organic constituents of anoxic paleoenvironments which could account for the rare Type II oil and gas prone kerogen in the source rock. The thermal history inferred from the Tmax between 401°C - 424°C suggests that the source rocks are immature at the present stratigraphic level

Geochemical Appraisal of Termite-Reworked Clay Soils from Basement Complex Terrain: Implications as Landfill Liners

The geochemical and mineralogical assessment was prompted by the considerable presence of Termitaria overburden on the Basement Complex outcrops in southwest Nigeria with the goal of determining their suitability as landfill liners. The X-Ray Fluorescene (XRF) and X-Ray Diffraction techniques were used to examine ten soil samples. Major oxides and mineralogical values were analysed to determine the effectiveness of soil engineering. Weathering indices and silica/sesquioxide ratios were also measured. The results of the mineralogical investigation showed that kaolinite clay mineral predominated, which is indicative of non-swelling qualities. The outcomes demonstrated that the soil is a true laterite as well as a lateritic soil. Fair carrying capacity was shown by the stability and shear resistance values of 47.15% and 48.11%, respectively. The weathering indices show severe weathering, high clay fraction, strong plasticity, and low hydraulic conductivity with an average of 95% and 0.59 weight percent, respectively. Additionally, the repackaging of the clay soils by termite activity produced greater interlocking and water film resistance. These characteristics make soils an excellent material for landfill liners due to their improved density and bearing capacity, resilience to chemical attack, and reconstructed structure. Keywords: Landfill liners. Termitaria, Kaolinite, Mineralogy and Geochemical Properties DOI: 10.7176/JEES/13-8-03 Publication date:October 31st 202

Determinants of Contraceptive Options among Postpartum Women Attending Selected Health Care Facilities in Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Differences in availability and choices of contraceptive methods among postpartum women have been found to influence their quality of life as the fertility rate is very high, and the contraceptive usage rate persistently remains low in Nigeria. Objectives: This study assessed the determinants of contraceptive options among postpartum women in Nigeria. Methods: Two Local Governments were randomly selected from the four Local Governments. Within these two local governments, five health facilities were selected. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the 240 respondents, while a structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Results: Findings from the study indicated that 81.7% of the respondents have planned to have their current baby, and about 65.4% of the women have resumed sexual activities since delivery. Of those who have resumed sexual activities, the majority, 91.1% did so 6 weeks after delivery. Some form of contraceptive usage was prominent among 59.2% of the respondents, as the most common contraceptive method used was withdrawal (24.8%). Contraceptive prevalence was slightly lower for urban respondents than rural respondents, although the relationship was not significant. Also, there was a statistically significant relationship between the current use of contraceptives and resumption of sexual activities since delivery (p = .001), resumption of menstruation (p = .001), and information received about postpartum family planning (p = 0.013). Conclusion: Findings from this study emphasize the urgent need for enhanced accessibility and availability of contraceptive methods, with a parallel emphasis on targeted interventions and effective communication strategies to promote contraceptive uptake and family planning. Addressing these determinants is vital in improving postpartum women's overall quality of life in the study area

Prevalence and Causes of Eye Diseases amongst Students in South-Western Nigeria

Background/Purpose: To assess the prevalence and identify the causes of eye diseases among students in Ilesa east local government area, in south-western Nigeria, so that prevention strategies could be mapped out. Methods: A cross-sectional survey that utilised a multi-stage random sampling method to select 1144 primary and secondary students comprising 504 males and 640 females. Their ages ranged from 4 to 24 years. Majority (97.8%) were below 18 years of age. Results: A total of 177 (15.5%) of the school children were found to have eye diseases. These included conjunctival diseases (8%) constituted mainly by allergic/vernal conjunctivitis (7.4%), refractive error (5.8%), lid disorders (0.6%), squint (0.3%), corneal scarring (0.3%) and cataract (0.2%). Conclusion: Eye diseases are common amongst school children. Health education will go a long way in the prevention of ocular diseases amongst school children. Wearing of corrective glasses should be emphasised for children with refractive error. Eye examination for all new intakes into both public and private primary and secondary schools is advocated. This will allow for early detection and prompt treatment of eye diseases in the young, which will go a long way in reducing ocular morbidity and unnecessary blindness.Introduction/Objectif : Evaluer la fr\ue9quence et identifier les causes des maladies de l'oeil parmi des \ue9tudiants dans la zone gouvernmentale locale, l'Est d'Ilesa, dans le sud-ouest du Nig\ue9ria, pour pouvoir \ue9laborer des strat\ue9gies de pr\ue9vention. M\ue9thode : Une \ue9tude d'un groupe repr\ue9sentatif de la population \ue0 travers l'utilisation d'une m\ue9thode d'\ue9chantillonage au hasard afin de choisir 1144 \ue9l\ue8ves primaires et \ue9tudiants des \ue9coles secondaires y compris 504 du sexe masculin et 640 du sexe f\ue9minin. Leur tranche d'\ue2ge de 4 au 24 ans. Majorit\ue9 97,8% \ue9taient moins de 18 ans. R\ue9sultats : Un total de 177 soit 15,5% des \ue9l\ue8ves sont not\ue9s d'avoir des maladies des yeux. A savoir ; maladies conjunctivites, 7,4%, erreur de r\ue9fraction 5,8%, troubles paupi\ue8re 0,6%, yeux louches 0,3% scarring de la corn\ue9e 0,3% et la cataracte 0.2%. Conclusion: Maladies des yeux sont ordinaires parmi des \ue9l\ue8ves, enseignement m\ue9dical va aider la pr\ue9vention des maladies oculaire parmi des \ue9l\ue8ves. On doit mettre l'accent sur le fait de porter des lunettes corrective pour des enfants avec des erreurs de r\ue9fraction. L'examen des yeux pour tous les \ue9l\ue8ves qui commencent des \ue9tudes dans des \ue9coles publiques primaire et secondaire est conseill\ue9. Ceci va permettre une d\ue9tection pr\ue9coce et traitement urgent des cas des maladies des yeux chez des jeunes, ce qui va reduire la morbidit\ue9 oculaire et une c\ue9cit\ue9 \ue9vitable