An Innovative Pick and Place Robotic Arm System Using an Atmega328 Microcontroller with Escalating Stability

It is well known that the pick and place mechanism can take the role of human arms, particularly in industrial settings, and that it is more accurate and faster at performing jobs. The mechanism created in this study is an inexpensive device controlled by sensors that can propel items swiftly. The proposed system simulates the behavior of a human in accomplishing a specific industrial job with increased stability than the existing designs. Ultrasonic sensors were used to sense anything for picking and positioning in industries, together with servo motors, an Atmega328 Arduino microprocessor, and light steel iron for the frames. The system's stability as derived from the theoretical equations is verified using Matlab software. The elevated stability was achieved utilizing a step input signal that is a type zero system.  The observability, controllability, polar plot, and bode were also established. The phase difference for the bode plot is 173 degrees, and the system rise time is 1.01 seconds. The findings demonstrate the device's escalated stability and dependability, which will increase productivity and lower production costs when used by the industry. The device can be usefully utilized in an environment that is life-threatening to human beings. The limitation of the proposed system is that it is stationary and can be used only to move an object along a conveyor belt; it is not mobile. Nevertheless, it outperforms current ones economically. It is more affordable, exceedingly dependable, repeatable, and steady

Role of Aqueous Crude Leaf Extract of Senecio Biafrae Combined With Zinc on Testicular Function of Adult Male Sprague Dawley Rats

Objective: To determine the role of aqueous crude leaf extract of Seneciobiafrae (SB) combined with Zinc (Zn) on Testicular function of Adult Male Sprague dawley Rats. Materials and methods: Twenty-four adult males praguedawley Rats weighing 180-200g, aged 10-12 weeks, were randomized into four groups (A,B,C,D) of six rats each (n = 6) and were given 2mls of distilled water; 500 mg/kg of SB ; 500 mg/kg of SB and 0.5 mg/kg Znsulfate; 500 mg/kg of SB and 1mg/kg of Zn. The administration was done daily via gastric gavage for 28 days. Parameterstested include: testicular histology, sperm parameters, haematological parameters and Testosterone assay. Results: There was observed no significant (p > 0.05) increased in testis, epididymal, seminal vesicle, vas deference and prostate gland weight of animals across the group receiving the Seneciobiafrae extract combine with Zn. Testis and serum testosterone levels, sperm count, percentage of sperm viability and motility was higher in the rats administered a combination of Seneciobiafrae extract and Zn compared with controls (p < 0.05). Conversely the percentage of abnormal sperm morphology was decreased (p < 0.05). Histological analysis showed normal spermatogenesis, better association and high density of spermatogenic cells and lumen contains full mature spermatozoa. Conclusion: Aqueous extract of Seneciobiafrae combined with Zn, potentially enhance testicular function including steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis in male rats

COVID-19 pandemic and the African economy: The spillover effects

The quick transformation of a health challenge caused by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China sometime in 2019 to a financial and economic crisis is intriguing. What is more disturbing is the speed at which lives are being lost and the spillover effects that are impacting the world economy and indeed African economies at this age and time with the advancement in technology and medical expertise? The spread of the pandemic is swift because of its crippling impact on the lives of citizens and the economies of nations. The paper adopted content analysis as a methodology in the study. And the study reveals how the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic has infected over 150 countries of the world and has had serious spillover effects on the economies of many African countries and responses to the pandemic are varied by various countries on the continent to contain the virus, to save lives and safeguard their economies.&nbsp

Prevalence and Economic Losses Due to Bovine Tuberculosis in Cattle Slaughtered at Bodija Municipal Abattoir, Ibadan, Nigeria

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is a zoonotic disease responsible for considerable economic losses; with consequent negative impact on both public health and the livestock industry. However, the burden of this disease and associated economic losses remain un-investigated among slaughtered cattle in Ibadan, the hub of livestock activities in south-western Nigeria. A cross sectional study was conducted over a three-month period to determine the prevalence and economic losses due to BTB among slaughtered cattle at the Bodija Municipal Abattoir, Ibadan, in south-western Nigeria. Individual slaughtered cattle were purposively inspected for the presence of tuberculous lesions, and representative sample of affected organs and associated lymph nodes from the BTB suspected animals were taken. The suspected lesions were processed based on Becton Dickinson digestion and decontamination procedure and the losses due to BTB were estimated mathematically, using a formula. The BTB prevalence of 9.3 % (38/408) was obtained with a significant statistical association (P ≤ 0.05) of the disease with the breeds of cattle slaughtered. Out of the 46 visceral organs condemned: 29 (63 %) were lungs, 12 (26.1 %) livers, 4 (8.7 %) hearts and 1 (2.2 %) kidney. The total estimated annual economic loss (direct and indirect) due to BTB was estimated as Nigerian naria NGN 703,980,070 (EUR 1,725,441.4). This study revealed BTB as endemic and a major cause of concern considering its ill-health and economic effects on both humans and the livestock industry. Efforts are therefore required: to control this disease along the beef value chain in order to safeguard human and livestock health; as well as to limit the economic losses associated with its prevalence

Revisiting the predictive prowess of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) in stock market volatility: GEPU or NEPU?

We employ the Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) variant of the Mixed Data Sampling (MIDAS) [GARCH-MIDAS] model to revisit the forecasting prowess of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) in the predictability of stock market volatility. We show that both the global economic policy uncertainty (GEPU) and its domestic dimension, namely the Nigerian Economic Policy Uncertainty (NEPU), discourage future investment in the stock market. However, compared to NEPU, we show results that give credence to the relatively higher effect of GEPU on the volatility dynamics of the stock market. We also show the comparative out-of-sample forecasts of the NEPU and GEPU to be episodic in the predictability of volatility in the stock market. The fact that our results are robust across multiple forecast horizons is an indication that events that form the premise upon which a particular dimension of the EPU is measured matter in their forecasting prowess