African eyes on Bristol European Green Capital 2015

This article was published in the second issue of the Bristol Cable, and illustrates preliminary data collection and analysis by the researcher, of environmental equality and sustainability in Bristol 2015

Socioeconomic impacts of Households’ Vulnerability during COVID-19 Pandemic in South Africa: Application of Tobit and Probit Models

Coronavirus is a public health issue with socioeconomic and livelihood dimensions. The World Health Organization declared the current novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020, and a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. The South African government has implemented different strategies, ranging from total lockdown in certain locations and provision of palliatives in some provinces across the country. This study, therefore, investigated the correlates of vulnerability and responsiveness to the adverse impacts of COVID-19 in South Africa. The study utilized primary data collected among 477 respondents. Descriptive statistical tools, Tobit and Probit regression models, were used to analyze the data. The study found different levels of vulnerability (low, medium, and high) and responsiveness among households, including stocking up of food items, remote working, reliance on palliatives, and social grant provision, among others. Some of the correlates of responsiveness to the COVID-19 pandemic include being employed, the type of community, and the income of respondents. The study, therefore, recommends increased investments in welfare programmes (safety nets, palliative measures and economic stimulus packages) as well as capacity building of households through education to reduce vulnerability. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2022-03-04-02 Full Text: PD

A fractional cointegration VAR analysis of Islamic stocks: A global perspective

In this study, we analyse the behaviour of Islamic stocks from a global perspective covering an array of regional Islamic stock markets. Both the fractional integration and fractional cointegration techniques are employed. Thus, we are able to establish whether Islamic stocks are individually integrated with a fractional order on the one hand and whether they are fractionally cointegrated on the other hand. We find that all the regional Islamic stock markets exhibit long memory but are mean reverting regardless of the choice of fractional integration technique and data sample. Second, using the fractional cointegration VAR (FCVAR) approach of Johansen and Nielsen (2012), we find that all the regional stock markets are cointegrated with a fractional order and this behaviour may be influenced by global economic conditions. Further analyses suggest that ignoring the fractional integration property of Islamic stocks when modelling their long run behaviour may lead to wrong conclusions. Also, the economic significance test conducted indicates that Islamic financial markets offer risk hedging characteristics and the results are robust to alternative data frequencies

Intraspecific reproductive variabilities in Capsicum frutescens (L.) in Nigeria

Natural intraspecific and interspecific crosses among Capsicum species are very high, resulting in intermediary forms which are complex to categorize. It is likely that through these crosses, new species or varieties may have arisen. The present study evaluated intraspecific reproductive variablities among eight accessions of C. fructesens. Each accession was planted in 10-litre plastic buckets arranged in single lines of inter- and intra-row (70 cm x 50 cm) and filled with loamy soil in five replicates at the Department of Pure and Applied Botany Screen House, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (Latitude 7°9'N, longitude 30°21'E), Nigeria. Quantitative and qualitative reproductive characters were evaluated through measurements and visual observation, respectively. Means were separated using the Duncan's Multiple Range Test at p ˂ 0.05 (Statistical Analysis Systems version 9.2). The wide variation in the flower position, corolla colour, corolla spot colour, anthocyanin spots, fruit colour at intermediate and maturity, fruit set, days to flowering and fruiting, number of seeds per fruit and locules between AS002 and other accessions revealed that AS002 was significantly different. The study, therefore, suggests AS002 to be a new species in Nigeria, suspected to be C. baccatum, and also the best among the accessions for breeding purposes

Prostaglandin levels and semen quality in male partners of infertile couples in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

The study revealed a high percentage of men with sub-normal semen .Range of PGF2á in the subjects was 0.15-11.05µg/ml with a mean of 2.77± 0.23 µg/ml while that of PGE was 21.8- 652.0 µg/ml with a mean of 248.79± 13.88 µg/ml. Among men with normal semen profile, mean PGF2á and PGE levels are 2.1± 0.32 µg/ml and 325.1± 28.3 µg/ml respectively while that in semen of men with subnormal semen are 3.0± 0.28 µg/ml and 225.1 ± 15.1µg/ml respectively. Despite the wide range of PG values in all the groups, significant differences(P<0.05) were found to exist between the PG values of men in the normal and sub normal semen groups. Significant differences were also found when they were grouped according to sperm count alone. However, differences observed when in the grouping according to other individual semen characteristics are not significant. Conclusion: The wide range of PG values obtained in all the groups make it difficult to make far reaching conclusions as to the relationship between PG levels and semen quality. Further research is desirable in establishing the role of PGs in sperm function

Intraspecific reproductive variabilities in capsicum frutescens (L.) in Nigeria

Natural intraspecific and interspecific crosses among Capsicum species are very high, resulting in intermediary forms which are complex to categorize. It is likely that through these crosses, new species or varieties may have arisen. The present study evaluated intraspecific reproductive variablities among eight accessions of C. fructesens. Each accession was planted in 10-litre plastic buckets arranged in single lines of inter- and intra-row (70 cm x 50 cm) and filled with loamy soil in five replicates at the Department of Pure and Applied Botany Screen House, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (Latitude 7°9'N, longitude 30°21'E), Nigeria. Quantitative and qualitative reproductive characters were evaluated through measurements and visual observation, respectively. Means were separated using the Duncan's Multiple Range Test at p ˂ 0.05 (Statistical Analysis Systems version 9.2). The wide variation in the flower position, corolla colour, corolla spot colour, anthocyanin spots, fruit colour at intermediate and maturity, fruit set, days to flowering and fruiting, number of seeds per fruit and locules between AS002 and other accessions revealed that AS002 was significantly different. The study, therefore, suggests AS002 to be a new species in Nigeria, suspected to be C. baccatum, and also the best among the accessions for breeding purposes

An Extremely Indolent T-cell Leukemia: An 18-year Follow-Up.

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is a rare malignancy that comprises about 2% of all mature lymphoid neoplasms. Patients usually present with prominent peripheral blood lymphocytosis, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, lymphadenopathy, B symptoms, and occasionally with skin lesions.¹ The disease follows an aggressive clinical course with rapid progression and typically has a median survival of less than 1 year. In some cases, the disease is indolent for a period of time before becoming aggressive.² In 2002, 7 years after initial diagnosis in 1995, the case discussed herein was reported as a rare, indolent form of T-PLL.³ We now present 11 additional years of follow-up of this case, during which time the patient remained asymptomatic with respect to his lymphoid neoplasm

Chest X-ray findings in HIV- infected Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HAART) - naïve patients

Introduction: Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection frequently present with a wide spectrum of pulmonary and cardiaccomplications from the virus, opportunistic infections and neoplasms that may be associated with a high mortality rate. Diseases of the respiratorytract account for about half of deaths from AIDS, while cardiac diseases account for more than a quarter of deaths from AIDS. This study aimed atdetermining the prevalence of pulmonary and cardiac diseases using a chest radiograph in HAART-naïve HIV-infected patients. Methods: Thisstudy was conducted at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) HIV clinic between September 2010 and August 2011 amongst allregistered HAART-naïve HIV/AIDS patients. Patients had posterior-anterior chest radiographs done in full inspiration. Participants were asked andaided to fill the structured questionnaires to obtain demographic data. Results: Out of a total of one hundred and two recruited for the study, 54 (52.94%) had a normal chest radiograph, while 48 (47.06%) had abnormal chest radiograph .The abnormal findings included, 27.45% who hadbronchopneumonia, 6.86% cardiomegaly, 5.88% pulmonary tuberculosis, 5.88% radiological features of congestive cardiac failure, and 0.98%bronchitis. Conclusion: It appears that more than half of HAART–naïve HIV-infected patients have normal chest radiographs. Bronchopneumonia(27.5%) is the commonest pulmonary abnormality associated with HIV infection, while the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis is 5.88%.Key words: Chest X-ray, HIV-infected, HAART-naïve

SEROPREVALENCE OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII AND NEOSPORA CANINUM IN URBAN AND RURAL DOGS FROM SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Background: Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are protozoans infecting a wide range of mammals; the etiologic agents of Toxoplasmosis and Neosporosis respectively, This study investigated the prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in dogs from southwestern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A total of 233 serum samples were obtained from both urban and rural areas of Oyo state, Nigeria and tested by the western blotting technique for specific IgG to T. gondii and N. caninum. Results: The seroprevalence obtained for T. gondii was 19% (44/233) and 2.1% (5/233) for N. caninum in the dogs examined. Overall, the prevalence of antibodies to T. gondii was more significant than for N. caninum (P< 0.0001). T. gondii infection was also found to be more significant in roaming than in caged dogs (P< 0.05). There was no significant association of other factors (age, breed, history of rabies vaccination, use of dog and the level of education of owner) with the prevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum infection. Conclusion: This report revealed that T. gondii infection is more common than N. caninum infection in Nigerian dogs, it suggests that improper housing and feeding of dogs could increase the risk of exposure to T. gondii infection. This is the first study to investigate the seroprevalence of N. caninum antibodies in Nigerian dogs and T. gondii antibodies in dogs in southwestern Nigeria

A novel model for solar radiation prediction

Energy for fulfilling basic community/individual needs has come to constitute the first article of expectation in all contemporary societies. The exploitation of renewables notably solar in electricity generation has brought relief to the fulfilment of energy demand especially among susceptible communities. In this paper yearly minimum solar radiation of Kano (12.05°N; 08.2°E; altitude 472.5 m; 3 air density 1.1705 kg/m3) for 46 years is used to generate a prediction model that fits the data using autoregressive moving average (ARMA) and a new model termed autoregressive moving average process (ARMAP). Comparison between the ARMA and ARMAP models showed a tremendous improve in the sum of square error reduction between the actual data and the forecasted data by 47%