Analysis of Factors Influencing Improved Sorghum Production Technologies among Women Farmers in Southern Yobe, Nigeria

This study was on the challenges for improved sorghum production among women farmers in southern Yobe, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to examine the socio demographic characteristics of the respondents, determine factors influencing the adoption of improved sorghum production by respondents and make recommendations on ways to encourage improved sorghum production. Data for the study were obtained from 120 respondents selected through multistage random sampling procedure. Descriptive statistical techniques such as frequency distribution and percentages were used for the analysis. Similarly, inferential statistical technique namely logit regression analysis was used to establish relationship between socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and challenges for improved sorghum production. The study revealed that majority (91.5%) of the respondents fell within the age bracket of 50 years and below. It is also evident from the study that 65.8% of the respondents were married and 67.4% had one form of education or the other, while 71.6% had less than 1 hectare as farm land. The result further showed that farm size, age of respondents, educational level, cost of technology, extension contact, access to credit and expected benefit from use of improved production technologies are the factors that significantly influenced improved sorghum production among women farmers in the study area. It is recommended that policies should be formulated to take advantage of the factors that positively influence women’s improved production of sorghum and to mitigate the negative ones. Key words: Challenges, Sorghum production, Women farmers, Yobe, Technolog

Analysis of Adoption of Improved Maize Production Technology among Farmers in Southern Borno, Nigeria

This study assesses the adoption of Improved Maize Production Technology among farmers in Southern Borno, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to analyze the relationship between socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and their adoption of improved maize technology and to determine innovation utilization and its effect on farmer’s production. Data for the study were obtained from 360 respondents selected through multi-stage sampling procedure. Both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used to analyze the data. Gross margin was used to measure the profit of farm enterprises (effect of farmer’s production) before and after utilizing the agricultural innovation, while Regression analysis (OLS) was used to establish relationship between socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and adoption of agricultural innovation. The result of the profitability analysis revealed that the gross margin per hectare of respondents before adoption of agricultural innovation was ?59, 009.44, while the gross margin per hectare of respondents after adoption of agricultural innovation stood at ?76, 003.43, translating to 29% increase in gross margin of the respondents. Level of education (P< 0.01), and gender (P< 0.01) were the most important factors that influenced adoption of agricultural innovation among farmers in the study area. Farm size (P< 0.01), age of respondents (P < 0.01), extension contact (P < 0.01), radio ownership (P< 0.01) and cosmopoliteness (P < 0.05) were also important in influencing adoption of agricultural innovation by farmers in the study area. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that farmers should be given more easy access to credit. In light of this, there is need to link farmers to sources of credit given its importance in the utilization of improved agricultural technology. Key words: Adoption, Farmers, Technology, Southern Borno, Improved Maize

Growth Response of African Giant Land Snails (Archachatina marginata) to Varying Dietary Levels of Moringa Oleifera Leaf Meal

The effects of varying dietary levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on growth performance of Archachatina marginata snails was investigated using 180 A. marginata snailets weighing between 20.05-21.45g (P>0.05). The snails were randomly divided into six treatments (30 snailets each) and three replicates per treatment (10 snailets each) in a completely randomized design (CRD). The treatments were assigned to one of six caloric (2.78 - 3.13 Mcal/kg ME) and nitrogenous (23.82 - 24.05 % crude protein, CP) diets containing 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% MOLM, respectively. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum to the snails throughout the 10 weeks experimental period.  The response parameters evaluated were body weight (BWT), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), daily protein intake (DPI), protein efficiency ratio (PER), shell length (SL) and width (SW), carcass yield (CY) and cost of feed per kg weight gain (CPWG). Results showed that dietary inclusion of Moringa oleifera leaf meal had significant (P<0.05) effects on FI, BWT, BWG, SL and SW, FCR, PI, PER and CPWG. Body weight, BWG and PER were significantly (P<0.05) increased as the level of MOLM in the diets increased from 0 to 20 %, beyond which there was significant (P<0.05) reduction in growth performance. There was significant (P<0.05) reduction in CPWG with increases in MOLM inclusion level. There was significant (P<0.05) reduction in live weight, weight of edible portion and dressing percentage as the level of MOLM in the diets increased beyond 20%. It was concluded that up to 20% MOLM can be included in the diet of growing snails without any adverse effect on growth performance and carcass yield of the snails. Keywords: Moringa oleifera leaf meal, Archachatina marginata, diet, growth performance, carcass yield.

Design, fabrication and performance evaluation of a portable hand-held refractometer

Refractometer is a simple optical instrument that measures the amount of light refracted in a liquid. It measures on a "Brix" scale and the Brix level determines the flavor and quality of fruits and vegetables. The fabricated refractometer has built-in temperature compensations for Brix measurements and it is only valid for fruit juices solutions The refractometer is equipped with a thermometer and there is a means of circulating water through the refractometer to maintain a given temperature The designed refractometer consists of a light source, filtered to a single wavelength, which is directed towards the prism-sample interface by a converging lens. This creates a range of incidence angles, some of which will be completely reflected. A Charge-coupled Device (CCD) sensor precisely measures the intensity of the reflected light and determines the exact angle at which light begins to be completely reflected. The fabricated refractomter consists of six main parts which include focus adjustment, calibration screw, daylight plate, eye piece, rubber grip and main prism assembly. Actual tests were conducted using samples of orange, pineapple and cashew juices at certain levels of pH values. The average percentage Brix values of orange, cashew and pineapple juices are 7.88%, 10.84% and 6.91% respectively. It was observed that cashew juice has highest percentage Brix followed by orange and pineapple juices. This implies that cashew juice can deteriorate faster than the other two juices. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the effect of temperature and pH used for the experiment show that F-calculated (4.248) is greater than F-table (3.35) at 5% probability level; therefore, the pH of fruit juice has an effect on its brix value. It appears that the rate of pH or temperature sensitivity of the fabricated refractometer used could not be the actual or maximum rate for the experimentKeywords: Design, Fabrication, Portable, Refractometer, pH, Temperatur

Organ weights and biochemical indices of broiler chickens fed diets containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A study was conducted to evaluate the organ weights and biochemical indices of broiler chickens fed diets containing varying levels of  Saccharomyces cerevisiae. One hundred and twenty (120) broiler birds were used for the experiment. The birds were weighed and randomly allocated into four treatment groups. Each treatment was replicated three times with 10 birds per replicate. Treatment 1 served as the control and  did not contain any S. cerevisiae supplement, while treatments 2, 3 and 4 contained 0.7, 1.2 and 1.7 g/kg of S. cerevisiae supplement, respectively. The experiment lasted for eight weeks. At the end of the feeding trial (day 56), two birds were randomly picked from each replication for carcass evaluation and another two birds were randomly selected from each pen and 5mlblood was collected f from the wing vein using sterile disposable syringe for biochemical analysis. The result of this study showed that there were no significant (p > 0.05) differences among treatments in kidney, spleen and pancreas weights while significant (p < 0.05) differences among treatments existed in the heart, gizzard and liver weights. The study also revealed that there were no significant (p > 0.05) differences among treatments in total protein, globulin and high density lipoprotein levels while albumin, total cholesterol, glucose and triglyceride were significantly (p < 0.05) affected. In T3 highest heart weight (0.33 % of live weight) and lowest  blood cholesterol concentration (91.77 mg/dl) were recorded and therefore T3 was recommended. Low blood cholesterol enhances broiler production. Key words: albumin, cholesterol, kidney, liver, yeas

Obstetric hemorrhage and adverse maternal outcomes: experience of a private teaching hospital in Southwestern Nigeria

Background: Obstetric hemorrhage (OH) has remained the leading cause of maternal mortality, despite concerted National efforts. This audit was conducted to determine its contribution to Adverse Maternal Outcomes and determinants of survival at a private Teaching Hospital, which had provided comprehensive essential obstetric care for 3 years.Methods: A retrospective review of all Severe Maternal Outcomes (SMO) due to OH using the Near-Miss approach.Results: There were 682 deliveries, 101 (14.8%) were SMOs; composed of 97 Maternal Near Misses (MNM) and 4 Maternal Deaths (MD). OH accounted for 37/101(36.6%) of the total SMO and 33/97 (34.0%) of the total MNM observed. All MD were due to Obstetric hemorrhage, n=4(100%), with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 3.3%. Coagulopathy (CFR=25%) and ruptured uterus (CFR=20%) were major causes of MD. Most of the MNM 19/33 (57.6%) and MD 3/4 (75%) were unbooked referrals; with MD more likely when a referred patient lived >5km from the hospital (OR=3.53). Significantly more MD (p=0.021, OR= 1.36, CI=1.005-1.850), were associated with deviations from standard management protocol.Conclusion: Obstetric Hemorrhage, caused most of the Adverse Maternal Outcomes. Survival however depended on the quality of antenatal care, pre-referral care and adherence to standard management protocol for definitive care.Keywords: Pregnancy, hemorrhage, maternal, near-miss, NigeriaAfr J Health Sci. 2016; 29(2):105-11

Growth performance and nutrient digestibility of West African Dwarf Sheep fed high roughage diet containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A twelve-week study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary inclusion of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on growth performance and nutrient digestibility of West African dwarf (WAD) sheep. A total of 12 lambs (6 rams and 6 ewes) were randomly allotted to three treatment diets as follows: treatment I was a high roughage diet with no inclusion of S. cerevisiae; treatment II was a high roughage diet with 0.75 g of S. cerevisiae per kg of diet; treatment III was a high roughage diet with 1.5 g of S. cerevisiae per kg of diet. The chemical composition of the high roughage diet is as follows: dry matter (89.20%), organic matter (85.87%), crude protein (13.21%), crude fibre (16.40%), ether extract (3.30%), ash (4.33%), nitrogen free extract (51.96%), neutral detergent fibre (45.25%) and acid detergent fibre (26.62%). Each group was made up of four replicates with one sheep serving as a replicate. There were significant (p < 0.05) differences among treatments in average daily feed intake (ADFI), and average daily weight gain (ADWG) while final body weight (FBW) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were not significantly (p > 0.05) affected. There were significant (p < 0.05) differences among treatments in dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) digestibility coefficients values. Based on these results addition of 1.5 g of S. cerevisiae per kg of diet is recommended.Keywords: yeast, ruminant, protein, faeces, fibr

The global retinoblastoma outcome study : a prospective, cluster-based analysis of 4064 patients from 149 countries

DATA SHARING : The study data will become available online once all analyses are complete.BACKGROUND : Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular cancer worldwide. There is some evidence to suggest that major differences exist in treatment outcomes for children with retinoblastoma from different regions, but these differences have not been assessed on a global scale. We aimed to report 3-year outcomes for children with retinoblastoma globally and to investigate factors associated with survival. METHODS : We did a prospective cluster-based analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed between Jan 1, 2017, and Dec 31, 2017, then treated and followed up for 3 years. Patients were recruited from 260 specialised treatment centres worldwide. Data were obtained from participating centres on primary and additional treatments, duration of follow-up, metastasis, eye globe salvage, and survival outcome. We analysed time to death and time to enucleation with Cox regression models. FINDINGS : The cohort included 4064 children from 149 countries. The median age at diagnosis was 23·2 months (IQR 11·0–36·5). Extraocular tumour spread (cT4 of the cTNMH classification) at diagnosis was reported in five (0·8%) of 636 children from high-income countries, 55 (5·4%) of 1027 children from upper-middle-income countries, 342 (19·7%) of 1738 children from lower-middle-income countries, and 196 (42·9%) of 457 children from low-income countries. Enucleation surgery was available for all children and intravenous chemotherapy was available for 4014 (98·8%) of 4064 children. The 3-year survival rate was 99·5% (95% CI 98·8–100·0) for children from high-income countries, 91·2% (89·5–93·0) for children from upper-middle-income countries, 80·3% (78·3–82·3) for children from lower-middle-income countries, and 57·3% (52·1-63·0) for children from low-income countries. On analysis, independent factors for worse survival were residence in low-income countries compared to high-income countries (hazard ratio 16·67; 95% CI 4·76–50·00), cT4 advanced tumour compared to cT1 (8·98; 4·44–18·18), and older age at diagnosis in children up to 3 years (1·38 per year; 1·23–1·56). For children aged 3–7 years, the mortality risk decreased slightly (p=0·0104 for the change in slope). INTERPRETATION : This study, estimated to include approximately half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017, shows profound inequity in survival of children depending on the national income level of their country of residence. In high-income countries, death from retinoblastoma is rare, whereas in low-income countries estimated 3-year survival is just over 50%. Although essential treatments are available in nearly all countries, early diagnosis and treatment in low-income countries are key to improving survival outcomes.The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust and the Wellcome Trust.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/homeam2023Paediatrics and Child Healt

Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level

Importance: Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale. Objectives: To report the retinoblastoma stage at diagnosis in patients across the world during a single year, to investigate associations between clinical variables and national income level, and to investigate risk factors for advanced disease at diagnosis. Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 278 retinoblastoma treatment centers were recruited from June 2017 through December 2018 to participate in a cross-sectional analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed in 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age at presentation, proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, and tumor stage and metastasis. Results: The cohort included 4351 new patients from 153 countries; the median age at diagnosis was 30.5 (interquartile range, 18.3-45.9) months, and 1976 patients (45.4) were female. Most patients (n = 3685 84.7%) were from low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Globally, the most common indication for referral was leukocoria (n = 2638 62.8%), followed by strabismus (n = 429 10.2%) and proptosis (n = 309 7.4%). Patients from high-income countries (HICs) were diagnosed at a median age of 14.1 months, with 656 of 666 (98.5%) patients having intraocular retinoblastoma and 2 (0.3%) having metastasis. Patients from low-income countries were diagnosed at a median age of 30.5 months, with 256 of 521 (49.1%) having extraocular retinoblastoma and 94 of 498 (18.9%) having metastasis. Lower national income level was associated with older presentation age, higher proportion of locally advanced disease and distant metastasis, and smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma. Advanced disease at diagnosis was more common in LMICs even after adjusting for age (odds ratio for low-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 17.92 95% CI, 12.94-24.80, and for lower-middle-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 5.74 95% CI, 4.30-7.68). Conclusions and Relevance: This study is estimated to have included more than half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017. Children from LMICs, where the main global retinoblastoma burden lies, presented at an older age with more advanced disease and demonstrated a smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, likely because many do not reach a childbearing age. Given that retinoblastoma is curable, these data are concerning and mandate intervention at national and international levels. Further studies are needed to investigate factors, other than age at presentation, that may be associated with advanced disease in LMICs. © 2020 American Medical Association. All rights reserved