Nutrient Status and Ameliorating Effects of MORINGA Leaves or Poultry Droppings on Soil Ph and Garden Egg Yield

Sustainable production of crops on tropical soils requires soil amendment to remediate soil acidity status and raise fertility level. Industrial lime and inorganic fertilizers are either not available or too expensive to buy. This study was carried out with the objective of investigating the effects of two organic manures, Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) leaves and poultry droppings, on soil acidity amelioration and increased fertility for sustained production of garden egg (Solanum aethiopicum L.). The field trials were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farms of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, and the Faculty of Agriculture, Cross River University of Technology, Obubra in 2009 and 2010. Two varieties of African garden egg (Gilo and Kumba) and two organic manure sources (Moringa leaves litter or poultry droppings) were factorially combined. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Treatments were applied at the rates of 0, 5, 10 and 20 t ha-1 Moringa leaves and 5, 10 and 15 t ha-1 poultry droppings.  The results obtained showed that all rates of the manure reduced the soil pH within 30 days after incorporation in both years and locations. At 60 days after application, and up to 140 days after incorporation, all manure rates increased the soil pH in both locations and years. The highest increase occurred with 15 t ha-1 poultry droppings at 140 days after incorporation. With no manure application, there was a steady decrease in pH up to the harvest time. All manure rates significantly (P<0.05) increased the yield of the garden egg varieties over when no manure was used. Poultry droppings at 15 t ha-1 produced the highest fruit yield in both years and locations. The crop yields were significantly (t<0.05) higher in Makurdi than Obubra in both years. Yield for 2010 was significantly higher than 2009 in both locations. Moringa leaves at 20 t ha-1 or poultry dropping at the rate of 15 t ha-1 may be used to remediate soil pH and improve fertility for sustainable production of garden egg in the Guinea savanna or the Rainforest agro-ecologies. Keywords; Garden egg, Moringa, poultry droppings, soil acidity remediatio

ESTABLISHING THE RATES OF DEFORESTATION USING GIS AND REMOTE SENSING TOOLS IN SHENDAM DISTRICT, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

This study presents an estimate of deforestation rates in Shendam district, geographically located at latitude   8º53′43.88″N and longitude 9º27′13.41″S, in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. The study was carried out using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools/ Remote Sensing Applications and field observation to establish the rates and extend of forest resources depletion within the study area. The Center for Remote Sensing, Jos, Plateau State, generated the  Land use Cover Data for the years, 1994, 2004, 2014,using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) at 30m Resolution. The  results from (1994-2014) shows 173.3 hectares of forest lost and (2004-2014) shows 128.3 hectares of  forest cover  lost annually. In1994, the vegetation cover of the study area was characterized by forest (39.3%), shrubs (31.9%), farmlands (20.8%) and built-up area had (8.0%) which implies that there was less farming activity in the study area at that time. In 2014, however, forest cover decreased to 11.2%, shrubs reduced to 25.6% farmlands increased to 38.1%, while built-up area rose to 25.1%. This indicates an increase in human settlement and farming activities in shendam district. The following recommendations were offered: Afforestation policy should be reviewed to strengthened  forest management and Social investment programmes should be introduced to empower the less privileged. The policy of cut one-plant five trees initiative should be embraced for the purpose of environmental sustainability in Shendam District. KEYWORDS:  Deforestation, GIS and Remote Sensing, Settlement, Sustainabilit

HIV subtype and drug resistance patterns among drug naïve persons in Jos, Nigeria

To determine HIV-1 subtypes and antiretroviral drug resistance mutations for 16 infected, pregnant women in Jos, Nigeria, part of pol (1040 bp) was amplified from patient PBMC DNA, sequenced andanalyzed. Eight of the samples were subtype G, three were CRF02_AG and 2 were unique recombinant forms (URF) between G and CRF02_AG. The remaining consisted of 3 different strains: one was subtypeC, and the other 2 were unrelated URF. Nearly full-length genome sequences were completed for 6 of the strains: 4 subtype G and 2 CRF02_AG. In the 14 drug-naïve subjects, no primary resistance-associated mutations were found, but secondary mutations were identified in 7 different codons of the gene coding for protease: PR K20I, M36I, L63A/P/V, V82I, L10M/I and I93L. In addition, the K238R mutation was identified in the reverse transcriptase gene of 3 viruses. The PR K20I and M36I mutations occurred in all of the strains, and the L10M and V82I mutations occurred only in subtype G. The mutation, I93L, was carried by subtype C viruses. Two of the women that had prior niverapine treatment, had primary resistance-associated mutations, RT M184V and K103N, archived in their proviral DNA several months after treatment cessation. The study reports a predominance of clade G and CRF02_AG, and provides many more examples of nearly full-length genome sequences for subtype G viruses from Nigeria. The ubiquitous presence of PI secondary resistance-associated mutations, as well as primary resistanceassociatedmutations in 2 previously treated women, underscores the need to ensure adherence compliance to treatment

Treatment compliance and retention in care among out-patient clients in a tertiary health institution in plateau state North Central Nigeria

Background: Compliance with prescribed treatment and retention in care are key components in the management of chronic diseases which is vital in averting the long term complications that could arise from such conditions. Failure to comply with treatment recommendations is often associated with poor retention in care. In view of this, this study was conducted to determine the level of treatment compliance and retention in care among patients with hypertension and diabetes in Jos University Teaching Hospital.Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted among 290 eligible respondents between September and November 2017 using quantitative method of data collection. SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis with adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval used as point and interval estimates while p-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: The mean age of the respondents was 54.5±13.1 years with 43.8% of the respondents found to have satisfactorily complied with prescribed treatment while 117 (40.3%) were uninterruptedly retained in care within the last 6 months' clinic appointments  prior to the study.Conclusions: This study has demonstrated the levels of compliance with treatment and retention in care bringing to bear the need to provide structured interventions targeted at attaining improvement in compliance with treatment and retention in care among individuals on long term care

New Insights Into the Anticonvulsant Effects of Essential Oil From Melissa officinalis L. (Lemon Balm)

Melissa officinalis L. is used in traditional European and Iranian folk medicines to treat a plethora of neurological diseases including epilepsy. We utilized the in vitro and in vivo models of epilepsy to probe the anticonvulsant potentials of essential oil from M. officinalis (MO) to gain insight into the scientific basis for its applications in traditional medicine for the management of convulsive disorders. MO was evaluated for effects on maximal electroshock (MES) and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) -induced seizures in mice, on 4–aminopyridine (4-AP)-brain slice model of epilepsy and sustained repetitive firing of current clamped neurons; and its ameliorative effects were examined on seizure severity, anxiety, depression, cognitive dysfunction, oxidative stress and neuronal cell loss in PTZ-kindled rats. MO reversibly blocked spontaneous ictal-like discharges in the 4-AP-brain slice model of epilepsy and secondary spikes from sustained repetitive firing, suggesting anticonvulsant effects and voltage-gated sodium channel blockade. MO protected mice from PTZ– and MES–induced seizures and mortality, and ameliorated seizure severity, fear-avoidance, depressive-like behavior, cognitive deficits, oxidative stress and neuronal cell loss in PTZ–kindled rats. The findings warrant further study for the potential use of MO and/or its constituent(s) as adjunctive therapy for epileptic patients

Perceptions of working conditions amongst health workers in state-owned facilities in northeastern Nigeria

Background: The health care sector depends to a large extent on human labor. Poor worker motivation can greatly affect health outcomes and patient safety. There is little information on the health workers\u2032 perceptions of working conditions in resource-poor settings. Method: Three state-owned facilities in each state were selected by simple random sampling technique. The selected facilities were visited on weekdays between 9 and 10 a.m. A self-administered structured questionnaire was given to all health care workers on duty in the facility at the time of visit. Results: A total of 299 questionnaires were returned. The response rate was 85.43%. Two hundred four (68.2%) workers experienced general satisfaction with their current jobs. The relationships between general job satisfaction and presence of conflict at work ( P = 0.001), freedom of expression ( P > 0.001), managerial support for staff welfare ( P > 0.001), managerial support for staff career development ( P > 0.001), availability of tools and consumables in the workplace ( P > 0.001) and progress towards personal professional goals ( P = 0.001) were statistically significant. Conclusion: The level of general job satisfaction was high. Though salaries were important, presence of conflict at work, freedom of expression, managerial support for staff welfare, managerial support for staff career development, availability of tools and consumables in the workplace and progress towards personal professional goals appear to play a role in worker motivation

Anti-trypanosomal Activity of Bufonidae (Toad) Venom Crude Extract on Trypanosoma brucei brucei in Swiss Mice

Trypanosomiasis afflicts about 6 ~ 7 million people globally and to a large extent impedes livestock production in Africa. Naturally, trypanosomal parasites undergo genetic mutation and have developed resistance over a wide range of therapies. The utilization of animals and plants products has presented therapeutic potential for identifying novel anti-trypanosomal drugs. This study evaluated toad venom for anti-trypanosomal potency invivo in Swiss mice. Toads were collected from July to August 2019. The acute oral toxicity and biochemical characterization of the toad venom were determined. The experimental mice were administered various doses (130 mg/kg, 173 mg/kg and 217 mg/kg) of the toad venom crude extract and 0.75 mg/mL of Diamizan Plus standard drug for the treatment of trypanosomiasis, once daily for 3 days. The in-vivo anti-trypanosomal activity was evaluated by a curative test, after infecting the mice with Trypanosoma brucei brucei. The pre-patent period was 72 hours before treatment commenced. The overall results showed that trypanosomal load was highest in the control group while the group treated with Diamizan drug had the least trypanosomal load. As such, the mean trypanosomal load in relation to treatments showed a very high significant difference (P0.05) across treatment groups. The over 50% reduction in the trypanosomal load in the 130 mg/kg group in comparison with the control group brings to bare the anti-trypanosomal potency of the toad venom. The anti-trypanosomal activity demonstrated by the toad venom has provided basis for development of new therapeutic agents from different toad species. The study recommends further studies (both in-vivo and invitro) followed by the characterization of the active compounds present in the toad venom responsible for the anti-tyrpanosomal activity observed alongside the management and conservation of these species

Childhood acute appendicitis: Is routine appendicectomy advised?

Acute appendicitis is a common occurrence in children. The current trend is to perform appendicectomy once acute appendicitis is diagnosed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the types of pathology seen in appendices removed for acute appendicitis and correlate them with clinical features. The clinical, operative and histological records of 302 children who had appendicectomy at the Jos University Teaching Hospital from 1995-2003 were retrospectively reviewed. There were 123 (40.7%) boys and 179 (59.3%) girls (m: f = 1: 1.5). Their ages ranged from 2-15 years (median: 12 years). The main symptoms and signs at presentation were right lower quadrant abdominal pain, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, right quadrant tenderness, guarding and rigidity. Clinical impressions included simple acute appendicitis in 260 and perforated appendicitis in 42 patients. Of the 302 children who had clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis, only 144 (47.7%) were confirmed at histology. Lymphoid hyperplasia was the most common pathology seen in the appendix specimens. The clinical impressions of acute appendicitis made by the surgeon agreed with pathologists′ report in 63.9% and disagreed in 36.1% of cases. Negative appendicectomy rate was 52.3%. Although appendicectomy is the most commonly performed emergency abdominal surgery in children, the procedure is still associated with a high negative appendicectomy rate