Evaluation Of The Job Performance Of Extension Professionals In Abia State Of Nigeria

The study was design to assess the job performance of extension professionals in Abia state agricultural development programme (ADP). The study also highlighted the relationship between selected personal characteristics and job performance variables of extension professionals in Abia state ADP. A sample of ninety six (96) randomly selected respondents provided information used for the study. Percentages, mean scores and Pearson correlation coefficient were the statistical tools employed in analyzing the data. The findings show that the job performance of each of the extension agents (EAs), block extension agents (BEAs) and block extension supervisors (BESs) was rated slightly above average. Level of formal education of EAs was significantly associated with job performance. The extension experience of BEAs and BESs was a strong predicator of job performance. The study recommends that policies should be designed to improve the level of formal education of EAs through greater participation of EAs in inservice training courses. Extension professionals who are more experienced in extension work should be retained and encouraged in their bid to ensure effective extension contact with farming groups.Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences Vol. 5 (1) 2007: pp. 93-10

Assessment of the Extent of Adoption of Sweetpotato Production Technology by Farmers in the Southeast Agro-Ecological Zone of Nigeria

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L) Lam) is one of the most important staple carbohydrate foods in Sub-Saharan Africa, reputed for its capacity to tolerate marginal environments and high energy-fixing efficiency to produce high dry matter at a short period of time. It arrived Nigeria between 1694 and 1698 and, through the research and extension efforts of National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, and other collaborating institutions, has been disseminated to farmers in Nigeria. Using the multistage sampling technique, and a structured interview schedule as instrument for data collection, this study assessed the extent of adoption of sweetpotato production technology by farmers in the Souteast agro-ecological zone of Nigeria. The findings showed 79.63% of the farmers were aware of the technology, while 20.37% were not. Majority of the farmers had adopted all the sweetpotato production practices except plant spacing. The constraints to increased adoption of the technology were scarcity of land, difficulty in integrating sweetpotato production technology into existing production system, low consumer preference associated with sweetpotato products, lack of market, unavailability of sweetpotato vines, high cost of available sweetpotato vines and unavailability of inorganic fertilizer. Others included high cost of available inorganic fertilizer, unavailability of agro-chemicals, high cost of available agr-chemicals, lack of contact with important sources of information on sweetpotato production, lack of adequate technical knowledge about recommended sweetpotato farm practices, and problems of pests and diseases. The study recommended the development of less complex technologies by research, increased use of contract out-growers to multiply planting materials and increased farmer-participation in farmers/social organizations

Sonographic assessment of the normal limits of the spleen in healthy school children in South-East Nigeria

Background/Objective: Ultrasonogrphy is a good modality for the  detection of splenomegaly even when it is not clinically palpable. The objective of this study was to establish the normal values of splenic length in healthy school children in South.East, Nigeria and to correlate them with body indices.Materials and Methods: This is a cross.sectional prospective study of 1315 children (633 boys and 682 girls) between the ages of 5 and 17 years. The splenic length was measured between the most superiomedial and the most inferiolateral margins, at the level of the hilum. Only the spleens that had normal shape and echotexture were measured. The mean splenic length and the 5th and 95th percentiles were determined for each age. The length was correlated with the sex, age, weight (WT), height, body mass index (BMI) and body surface area (BSA) of the subjects. A regression model for prediction of spleen dimension from age and body habitus was computed.Results: There was a significant correlation between splenic length and age, P < 0.001. Males had statistically significant longer spleen length than females. The splenic length correlated best with BSA, followed by body WT and least with BMI.Conclusions: This study noted racial variation between the established Nigerian values and results from other countries of the world. For the first time, a baseline value for splenic size for the Nigerian Children of various ages has been established with a regression model for predicting the splenic sizes.Key words: Children, echotexture, Nigeria, sonography, spleen,  splenomegaly, ultrasonograph

Chlamydial Infection, Plasma Peroxidation and Obesity in Tubal Infertility

Background: Genital tract infections and obesity are both sources of oxidative stress. Alterations in immune and antioxidant parameters may arise from this or from an indeterminate autoimmune mechanism.Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association of Chlamydial infection, obesity and oxidative response with tubal infertility in Nigerian women.Methods: It was a case-control study of 40 women with tubal infertility and 32 fertile women, respectively, recruited from the Infertility and Family Planning Clinics respectively, of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Anthropometric indices were measured in each subject and endocervical swabs were taken to screen for current genital tract infection.Antioxidant, hormonal and immunologic analysis were performed on serum.Results: None of the subjects had current genital tract infections. Chlamydia trachomatis IgG positivity was significantly higher in infertile than in fertile subjects [OR 4.33; 95%CI (0.078-0.681)]. No significant variations were observed in the anthropometric indices, antioxidant parameters and hormones between infertile and the fertile women. Bodymass index correlated positively with oxidative stress in infertile subjects. Waist and hip circumferences correlated negatively with oestradiol in women with tubal infertility.Conclusion: Chlamydial infection is associated with tubal factor infertility, however, obesity seems to increase oxidative stress and reduce fertility potential in women with tubal factor infertility.Key words: Tubal infertility, obesity, oxidative stress, Chlamydi

Sub acute and chronic effects of Carica Papaya on the kidney of rats

This study investigates the sub-acute and chronic effects of Carica papaya on the kidney of growing Sprague Dawley rats. A total 40 growing rats (95.0 ± 10.0 grams) within the ages of 7 ± 1weeks were involved in the study. They were divided into eight groups of 5 rats each: A (control; n = 5), B (n = 10), C (n = 10) and D (n = 10). Group A1 and A2 served as the acute and chronic control respectively. Group B1, C1 and D1 served as the subacute test while group B2, C2 and D2 served as the chronic test. The rats received varied doses of powdered Carica papaya seed (6, 8, 10grams). Group A1, B1, C1 and D1 were fed for 3 weeks while Group A2, B2, C2 and D2 were fed for 6 weeks. At the end of each stage, animals were sacrificed and the kidneys were harvested for histological study. The results showed histological distortions in the liver parenchymal architecture in a dose and duration dependent manner. Our findings suggest therefore, that Carica papaya seeds have nephrotoxic potentials and as such, the need for further studies cannot be overemphasized.Key words: Carica papaya seed, Herb, Sub-acute, Chronic, Nephrotoxic

Economic Efficiency of Processed Hibiscus Sabdanriffa (Roselle) Drink in Imo State, Nigeria

The study developed a model to evaluate efficiencies of Zobo drink processors in Imo State using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Data were collected from 163 Zobo drink processors across 36 markets in the study area and was analyzed under the constant returns to scale (CRTS) and variable returns to scale (VRTS) assumptions. Result showed that Zobo processing was highly profitable with about 44.34% net margin on total revenue generated. Mean economic efficiency scores estimated from the DEA frontier for both CRTS and VRTS were 0.537 and 0.683. Sex, educational level and alternative to income were most statistically significant factors. It was recommended that more male involvements are encouraged in Zobo drink; educated individuals particularly unemployed are advised to engage and create a cliché for themselves through the use of more innovative processing and packaging activities and adopting cost-minimizing input mixes of best-practice to enable them become fully efficient

Quality research in healthcare: are researchers getting enough statistical support?

BACKGROUND: Reviews of peer-reviewed health studies have highlighted problems with their methodological quality. As published health studies form the basis of many clinical decisions including evaluation and provisions of health services, this has scientific and ethical implications. The lack of involvement of methodologists (defined as statisticians or quantitative epidemiologists) has been suggested as one key reason for this problem and this has been linked to the lack of access to methodologists. This issue was highlighted several years ago and it was suggested that more investments were needed from health care organisations and Universities to alleviate this problem. METHODS: To assess the current level of methodological support available for health researchers in England, we surveyed the 25 National Health Services Trusts in England, that are the major recipients of the Department of Health's research and development (R&D) support funding. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The survey shows that the earmarking of resources to provide appropriate methodological support to health researchers in these organisations is not widespread. Neither the level of R&D support funding received nor the volume of research undertaken by these organisations showed any association with the amount they spent in providing a central resource for methodological support for their researchers. CONCLUSION: The promotion and delivery of high quality health research requires that organisations hosting health research and their academic partners put in place funding and systems to provide appropriate methodological support to ensure valid research findings. If resources are limited, health researchers may have to rely on short courses and/or a limited number of advisory sessions which may not always produce satisfactory results

Left ventricular assist device implantation in high risk destination therapy patients: an alternative surgical approach

Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) for Destination Therapy (DT) is an established therapy for end stage heart failure patients who are not transplant candidates. Many DT patients requiring LVADs have had prior open heart surgery, the majority of whom had prior sternotomy. In addition, DT patients tend to be older and more likely to have more significant co-morbidities than their Bridge-To-Transplant (BTT) counterparts. As such, placement of an implantable LVAD in DT patients can be technically hazardous and potentially prone to more perioperative complications. The purpose of this report is to describe an alternative implantation approach for the implantation of the Heartmate II™ LVAD in high risk DT patients

Comparison of Karydakis versus midline excision for treatment of pilonidal sinus disease

Pilonidal sinus disease is associated with a high rate of recurrence and complications. The Karydakis (KAR) method, whereby an asymmetric subcutaneous flap obliterates the anal crease, has been shown to be effective in adults. The goal of this study is to assess the efficacy of the KAR procedure in the operative treatment of children with pilonidal sinus disease compared to those treated via a midline excision (ME). Sixty-eight cases of pediatric pilonidal sinus excision were reviewed over the past 10 years. Data abstracted included surgical approach, complication rate and recurrence rate. Student’s t -test or the Chi square test was used for statistical analysis, with P <0.05 being considered significant. An ME was performed in 44 patients; the KAR method was used in 24 patients. Mean age at diagnosis was 14.4±4.2 years for the ME group compared to 15.7±4.3 years for the KAR patients ( P =0.18). Mean operative time was significantly longer with the KAR method (58.7±25.6 min) compared to 46.3±18.6 for the primary ME ( P =0.04). Despite the increased operative dissection, there was no difference ( P =0.42) in early post-operative complication rates between groups (25% in the KAR group compared to 34.8% in the ME group). Initial drainage of an abscess had no significant effect upon the recurrence/complication rate in either group. Recurrence rate alone was lower in patients operated on via the KAR approach 0% versus 11.0% using the ME ( P =0.153). Recurrence and complication rates were lower for those patients with a pilonidal sinus treated by the KAR method compared to the ME, but the results did not reach significance. In conclusion, this study does show a potential benefit for children treated with the KAR method for pilonidal sinus. This study mimics the data obtained in adult patients and suggests that a larger study is likely to achieve significance.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47167/1/383_2005_Article_1543.pd

Bioaccumulation and Toxicity of Organic Chemicals in Terrestrial Invertebrates

Terrestrial invertebrates are key components in ecosystems, with crucial roles in soil structure, functioning, and ecosystem services. The present chapter covers how terrestrial invertebrates are impacted by organic chemicals, focusing on up-to-date information regarding bioavailability, exposure routes and general concepts on bioaccumulation, toxicity, and existing models. Terrestrial invertebrates are exposed to organic chemicals through different routes, which are dependent on both the organismal traits and nature of exposure, including chemical properties and media characteristics. Bioaccumulation and toxicity data for several groups of organic chemicals are presented and discussed, attempting to cover plant protection products (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and molluscicides), veterinary and human pharmaceuticals, polycyclic aromatic compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls, flame retardants, and personal care products. Chemical mixtures are also discussed bearing in mind that chemicals appear simultaneously in the environment. The biomagnification of organic chemicals is considered in light of the consumption of terrestrial invertebrates as novel feed and food sources. This chapter highlights how science has contributed with data from the last 5 years, providing evidence on bioavailability, bioaccumulation, and toxicity derived from exposure to organic chemicals, including insights into the main challenges and shortcomings to extrapolate results to real exposure scenarios