Constraints to fertilizer use in Nigeria

Fertilizer consumption rates in Nigeria remains among the lowest in the world despite decades of aggressive subsidization. The extension service in Nigeria has a double-edged impact on fertilizer use in the country; not only can their activities increase farmers’ demand for fertilizer, but also the organizational framework of the service, Agricultural Development Programs, is the major source of fertilizer for farmers. To provide insights on the reasons for the low fertilizer use in Nigeria, this paper presents an analysis of the extension service as well as some perspectives of village extension agents. We find that the reach of the extension service is severely limited by low staff. The main technology transmitted is the use of improved seeds. Fertilizer technology is seldom transmitted and very rarely is irrigation taught. Furthermore, extension agents are found to have gaps in their knowledge of fertilizer technology. Extension agents routinely distribute agricultural inputs and many see their advisory role as secondary to this function. Extension agents identified the primary constraint to fertilizer use in Nigeria as the physical absence of the product at the time that it is needed, rather than lack of affordability or farmers’ lack of knowledge about the benefits or the use of fertilizer.Agricultural growth and technologies, Extension, Fertilizer, Subsidies,

Moses Receipt of Jethro and Its Biblical Lessons for Christians Towards Good Manners

This is a discourse about the encounter between Moses and Jethro when the latter visited him at Rephidim as recorded in Exodus 18:1-12. It reveals some vital issues in relation to good manners necessary for human relationship at all levels particularly among Christians. It contains aspects of godly attitude and responsibilities of Christians to one another and unbelievers in a bid to make them understand something about the Christian life based on love, respect, acceptance, care, and good treatment as reflected in Jesus’ culture. It is believed by this trend Christians will teach and encourage themselves toward good manners. Likewise, they will influence others to develop interest in Christ and embrace Christianity as Moses did with Jethro leading to his love, appreciation, faith, and worship of God. Consequently, it calls on Christians to learn from Moses who in spite of his exalted position among others, humbled himself, came out, bowed, greeted, and embraced Jethro, a foreigner in his (Moses) inherent conduct and as a model to his people in the practice of faith

The Christian God is Not a God

This is a study based on God’s revelation of His name to Moses in Exodus 3:13-15. It is termed in this paper as Nomenclatorial Revelation. The essence is to make a correction of the inappropriate ascription of an indefinite article ‘a’ to God instead of the definite article ‘the’ that correctly expresses His Name and what Christianity believes about Him. Different methods of analysis, philosophical, historical, sociological, and theological were employed in the treatment of materials relating to grammatical, religious, biblical, linguistic sources and so on.  Evidences abound and agree on the uniqueness of God. It was shown that expression of an indefinite article such as ‘a’ to God is a misrepresentation which equates Him with the idols, principalities and powers. Moreover, the research further shows that in reality, God warns against such by declaring that He should be known and addressed throughout all generations as “ ‘I AM WHO I AM,’… ‘The LORD, ...” (Ex.3:14-15) Therefore, Christians are asked to truly and consistently portray God in His Nomenclatorial Revelation in speech and theoretically as it befits His Lordship in every form and expressions such as the Saviour and not a Saviour. They should also allow it have a positive impact on their conduct to one another and to other people as well as to make it serve to improve on their service, reverence, and commitment to God

In Silico Identification of Protein Targets for Drug-like Compounds from Epicarp Extract of Cola rostrata K. Shum

Fruit epicarp has been found to contain several bioactive compounds which are useful for herbal treatment of several ailments and diseases. The phytochemicals present in C. rostrata epicarp as well as their potential to bind to human proteins and modify their function have not been investigated. This study, therefore, identified the top protein targets of drug-like components of C. rostrata epicarp extract in humans as well as the disease conditions associated with the targets. The identities of constituents of methanol and n-hexane fractions of absolute ethanol extract of C. rostrata epicarp were determined via GCMS analysis. Druglikeness (adherence to Lipinski, Ghose, Veber, Egan, and Muegge filters) and the protein targets of drug-like constituents were determined using SwissADME and SwissTargetPrediction web tools. GCMS analyses revealed the presence of 49 compounds in the n-hexane and methanol fractions. Corynan-16-carboxylic acid, 16,17-didehydro-9,17-dimethoxy-, methyl ester, (16E)-, a yohimbine derivative, was abundant (13.33%) in the methanol fraction. The n-hexane fraction was rich in odd-chain fatty acids and phytosterols. Four drug-like compounds were identified in the fractions: (1) Azelaic acid, monoethyl ester; (2) 3-(2-Methoxymethoxyethylidene)-2,2 dimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptane; (3) Cyclododecanol, 1-aminomethyl-, and (4) Corynan-16-carboxylic acid, 16,17-didehydro-9,17-dimethoxy-, methyl ester, (16E)-. The predicted top protein targets of the drug-like compounds include carbonic anhydrase II, protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B, sphingosine kinase 1, maltase-glucoamylase, adenosine A2b receptor, P2X purinoceptor 7, MAP kinase p38 alpha, δ-opioid receptor, and alpha-2 adrenergic receptors. Findings show that C. rostrata epicarp contains drug-like phytochemicals with potential against cancer, diabetes, pain and inflammatory diseases, and the extract could have aphrodisiac potential

Biosynthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in the African catfish Clarias gariepinus: Molecular cloning and functional characterisation of fatty acyl desaturase (fads2) and elongase (elovl2) cDNAs7

Fish differ in their capacity for endogenous synthesis of long-chain (C20-24) polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) from dietary C18 precursors (α-linolenic and linoleic acids). Understanding this capacity is of benefit to fish feed formulation. This, together with the importance of fish as the primary source of omega-3 LC-PUFA in the human diet has necessitated the rigorous study of the biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in the LC-PUFA biosynthesis pathway in fish species. Studies have shown the potential of a species for LC-PUFA biosynthesis is associated with the complement and function of fatty acyl desaturase (fads) and elongase of very long chain fatty acid (elovl) gene it possesses. The present study therefore aimed to investigate these genes in the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), the most commercially important farmed fish species in Sub-Saharan Africa. A fads2 and an elovl2 cDNA were cloned containing open reading frames (ORF) of 1338 base pair (bp) and 864 bp specifying proteins of 445 and 287 amino acids, respectively. Functional characterisation by heterologous expression in yeast showed that the Fads2 was bifunctional with ∆5∆6 activities catalysing the desaturation of both 18:3n-3 and 20:4n-3 and their corresponding n-6 fatty acids, 18:2n-6 and 20:3n-6. The Elovl2 showed activity towards C18, C20 and C22 PUFA with highest activity towards C20 and C22 PUFA. Tissue expression analysis showed a typical freshwater species expression pattern; higher expression in the liver compared to brain and all other tissues with the exception of elovl5 which showed highest expression in the intestine. Consistent with feeding studies of typical freshwater fish species that show their essential fatty acid requirement can be satisfied by dietary C18 PUFA, the present study confirms that the LC-PUFA biosynthesis pathway is active in the African catfish C. gariepinus

Evaluation of methods and marker systems in genomic selection of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

Background Genomic selection (GS) uses genome-wide markers as an attempt to accelerate genetic gain in breeding programs of both animals and plants. This approach is particularly useful for perennial crops such as oil palm, which have long breeding cycles, and for which the optimal method for GS is still under debate. In this study, we evaluated the effect of different marker systems and modeling methods for implementing GS in an introgressed dura family derived from a Deli dura x Nigerian dura (Deli x Nigerian) with 112 individuals. This family is an important breeding source for developing new mother palms for superior oil yield and bunch characters. The traits of interest selected for this study were fruit-to-bunch (F/B), shell-to-fruit (S/F), kernel-to-fruit (K/F), mesocarp-to-fruit (M/F), oil per palm (O/P) and oil-to-dry mesocarp (O/DM). The marker systems evaluated were simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). RR-BLUP, Bayesian A, B, Cπ, LASSO, Ridge Regression and two machine learning methods (SVM and Random Forest) were used to evaluate GS accuracy of the traits. Results The kinship coefficient between individuals in this family ranged from 0.35 to 0.62. S/F and O/DM had the highest genomic heritability, whereas F/B and O/P had the lowest. The accuracies using 135 SSRs were low, with accuracies of the traits around 0.20. The average accuracy of machine learning methods was 0.24, as compared to 0.20 achieved by other methods. The trait with the highest mean accuracy was F/B (0.28), while the lowest were both M/F and O/P (0.18). By using whole genomic SNPs, the accuracies for all traits, especially for O/DM (0.43), S/F (0.39) and M/F (0.30) were improved. The average accuracy of machine learning methods was 0.32, compared to 0.31 achieved by other methods. Conclusion Due to high genomic resolution, the use of whole-genome SNPs improved the efficiency of GS dramatically for oil palm and is recommended for dura breeding programs. Machine learning slightly outperformed other methods, but required parameters optimization for GS implementation

Modelling And Simulation Of Hydrogen Production Plant for Minimum Carbon Dioxide Emission

Abstract The use of coal as a source of energy for hydrogen production is desirable because it is widely available, inexpensive, and guarantees long-term availability compared to natural gas. In this study, modeling and simulation of a hydrogen production plant from coal gasification was carried out. The study also optimized process variables affecting hydrogen production for minimum carbon dioxide emissions. Modeling and simulation of a hydrogen plant was carried out using ASPEN One Suites Ver. 11 software, while optimization of process variables was done using response surface methodology (RSM). Central Composite Design (CCD) was used to design the process variables such as carbon ratio (0.715-0.75), gasification temperature (1023.15  –1223.15 K), and pressure (1-3 MPa). The independent variables for hydrogen generation and carbon dioxide emissions (CO2e-) were correlated using a quadratic model The coal gasification parameters were optimized numerically using the desirability function to maximize the hydrogen produced and minimize the CO2e-. The results reveal that gasification temperature has a greater effect on maximizing hydrogen production and carbon dioxide emission (CO2e-) reduction. Results also showed the optimal conditions for minimizing the cost and maximizing the hydrogen production: a gasification temperature of 1223.15 K, an oxygen to coal ratio of 0.715, and a gasification pressure of 1 MPa.   Keywords: Hydrogen production, optimization, ASPEN, gasification, RSM, Coal Energy

Kinetic Models for Drying Techniques—Food Materials

Drying operations can help in reducing the moisture content of food materials for avoidance of microbial growth and deterioration, for shelf life elongation, to minimize packaging and improving storage for easy transportation. Thin-layer drying of materials is necessary to understand the fundamental transport mechanism and a prerequisite to successfully simulate or scale up the whole process for optimization or control of the operating conditions. Re- searchers have shown that to rely solely on experimental drying practices without mathematical considerations for the drying kinetics, can significantly affect the efficiency of dryers, increase the cost of production, and reduce the quality of the dried product. An effective model is necessary for the process design, optimization, energy integration and control; hence, the use of mathematical models in finding the drying kinetics of agricultural products is very important. The statistical criteria in use for the evaluation of the best model(s) has it that coefficient of determination (R2) has to be close to unity while the rest statistical measures will have values tending to zero. In this work, the essence of drying using thin-layer, general approaches to modeling for food drying mechanisms thin layer drying models and optimization of the drying processes have been discussed

In Silico Identification of Protein Targets for Drug-like Compounds from Epicarp Extract of Cola rostrata K. Shum

Fruit epicarp has been found to contain several bioactive compounds which are useful for herbal treatment of several ailments and diseases. The phytochemicals present in C. rostrata epicarp as well as their potential to bind to human proteins and modify their function have not been investigated. This study, therefore, identified the top protein targets of drug-like components of C. rostrata epicarp extract in humans as well as the disease conditions associated with the targets. The identities of constituents of methanol and n-hexane fractions of absolute ethanol extract of C. rostrata epicarp were determined via GCMS analysis. Druglikeness (adherence to Lipinski, Ghose, Veber, Egan, and Muegge filters) and the protein targets of drug-like constituents were determined using SwissADME and SwissTargetPrediction web tools. GCMS analyses revealed the presence of 49 compounds in the n-hexane and methanol fractions. Corynan-16-carboxylic acid, 16,17-didehydro-9,17-dimethoxy-, methyl ester, (16E)-, a yohimbine derivative, was abundant (13.33%) in the methanol fraction. The n-hexane fraction was rich in odd-chain fatty acids and phytosterols. Four drug-like compounds were identified in the fractions: (1) Azelaic acid, monoethyl ester; (2) 3-(2-Methoxymethoxyethylidene)-2,2 dimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptane; (3) Cyclododecanol, 1-aminomethyl-, and (4) Corynan-16-carboxylic acid, 16,17-didehydro-9,17-dimethoxy-, methyl ester, (16E)-. The predicted top protein targets of the drug-like compounds include carbonic anhydrase II, protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B, sphingosine kinase 1, maltase-glucoamylase, adenosine A2b receptor, P2X purinoceptor 7, MAP kinase p38 alpha, δ-opioid receptor, and alpha-2 adrenergic receptors. Findings show that C. rostrata epicarp contains drug-like phytochemicals with potential against cancer, diabetes, pain and inflammatory diseases, and the extract could have aphrodisiac potential

Cola rostrata K. Schum. constituents induce cytotoxicity through reactive oxygen species generation and mitochondrial membrane depolarisation

Aim: While the traditional use of Cola rostrata in treating illnesses and diseases has not been reported, the presence of cytotoxic principles has been reported in phylogenetically and biogeographically related species within the Cola genus. This study, therefore, evaluated the cytotoxic potential of extracts of the plant, and the associated cellular and molecular mechanisms. Methods: Activity-based fractionation of the extracts was carried out and cytotoxicity was assessed in the human cervical cancer cell line, HeLa, and the transformed human lung cell line, MRC5-SV2, using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay complemented with brightfield imaging. The 2ʼ,7ʼ-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) assay was used to assess induction of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), while flow cytometry of 5,5ʼ,6,6ʼ-tetrachloro-1,1ʼ,3,3ʼ-tetraethyl-imidacarbocyanine iodide (JC-1)-stained cells assessed the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (∆ΨM). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was carried out on an active fraction. Results: Extracts of the fruit epicarp and leaf were cytotoxic against the cell lines. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for the 48 h cytotoxicity of the ethanol extract of the epicarp against HeLa and MRC5-SV2 cells were 48.0 μg/mL ± 12.1 μg/mL and 40.4 μg/mL ± 7.2 μg/mL, respectively, while fractions from second-level partitioning of the hexane fraction of the leaf extract elicited cytotoxicity with IC50 values ranging from 12.8 μg/mL ± 1.0 μg/mL to 39.6 μg/mL ± 7.2 μg/mL in both cell lines, following 48 h treatment. GC-MS revealed the presence of seventeen compounds in a hexane fraction of the leaf extract, including even- and odd-chain fatty acids, the most abundant of which were n-hexadecanoic acid, decanoic acid 10-(2-hexylcyclopropyl); and octadecanoic acid. The mechanisms of cytotoxicity of most active fractions involved generation of ROS and mitochondrial membrane depolarisation. Conclusions: The findings show that C. rostrata is rich in cytotoxic phytochemicals which could be isolated for developing new anti-cancer agents