Policy Interventions and Economic Benefits for a Market Driven Oil Palm Industry

ABSTRACT In effective policies, Governance structures and management system relating to environmental and social (access to markets and fair prices) performance are perhaps one of the major problems to sustainable oil palm development at various levels; from Governments, international institutions and industry bodies down to individual oil palm companies. The role of the Government is regulatory and to create suitable investment climate. It is a common occurrence for Governments to be involved in the economies of their countries depending on their systems of governance. A state may wish to correct market failures of macro-economic inequity or undesirable outcomes that a pure market-driven system can sometimes produce. The paper examines policy interventions (reforms) and economic benefits for a market driven oil palm sector in Nigeria. It observes that the output market was previously controlled by monopoly marketing board; market liberalization in 1986. It also observes that there are issues of policy uncertainty which undermined the impetus for reform. Also highlighted are the benefits of Government interventions in Agriculture. The kinds of intervention to be taken to have a stable institutional development and regulatory framework needed for the palm oil industry to operate efficiently and for competition to proceed effectively are considered

Heamatological and Histopathological Assay of Red Sokoto Bucks Fed Varying Levels of Energy and Protein Feeds

An experiment was conducted to determine the haematological, biochemical and histopathological indices of goats fed energy (molasses) and protein (Groundnut cake) in a mixed ration. The dietary treatments compared were T1 (0% molasses and 40% GNC), T2 (10% molasses and 30% GNC), T3 (20% molasses and 20% GNC), T4 (30% molasses and 10% GNC), and T5 (50% molasses and 0% GNC). The animals were allotted to five (5) dietary treatments in a complete randomized block design with four animals per treatment. The results reveal significantly (p<0.05) higher values for Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF), Non-fibre carbohydrates and Energy content of the diets (394.00 g kg-1 DM, 341.00 g kg-1 DM and 2668.70 kcal/kg).  Packed cell volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (Hb) and Red blood cell count (RBC) were significantly (P<0.05) higher for T4. White blood cell differentials and lymphocytes significantly higher (P>0.05) among treatments. Neutrophils was observed to be highest for T5 compared to other treatment groups. All the parameters studied for serum biochemical indices were significantly (P<0.05) different among treatments except for Sodium (Na2+, K2+, Total Bilirubin, Triglycerol and High Density lipoprotein). Histopathology of the kidney revealed that T1 shows no damage, T2 showed mild necrosis while T3 showed moderate necrosis, atrophy congestion and degeneration of the convoluted tubules. T4 showed severe necrosis, congestion, atrophy degeneration of the convoluted tubules. The result of the micrograph also showed severe congestion, necrosis and degeneration of convoluted tubules. The histopathology of the liver for T1 reveals no expanded portal zones with portal fibrosis with fewer pyknotic nuclei in hepatocytes and lymphocytes infiltration while T2 and T3 were characterized with infiltration by inflammatory cells with multifocal areas of necrosis. The photomicrograph of the liver also reveals severe vescular degeneration of the hepatocytes for T4 and T5. The effect of molasses was also observed on spleen as the level of molasses increase from T1 to T5. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that feeding high energy (40% molasses) and protein (0% GNC) level of inclusion has negative effect on the kidney, liver and spleen

Adsorptive and Photocatalytic Properties of Green Synthesized ZnO and ZnO/NiFe2O4 Nanocomposites for Tannery Wastewater Treatment

This study investigated adsorptive and catalytic behaviour of ZnO and ZnO/NiFe2O4 nanocomposites for the removal and degradation of organic pollutants in tannery wastewater. ZnO and ZnO/NiFe2O4 nanomaterials were synthesized via a green method using Zn, Fe and Ni salts precursor and leaves extract of Anacardium occidentale (linn.). Subsequently, the synthesized samples were characterized by different analytical tools. The adsorptive and catalytic performance of the prepared nanomaterial were assessed using reduction in Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) in tannery wastewater as indicator parameters. High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscope (HRSEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis of ZnO and ZnO/NiFe2O4 confirmed the formation of hexagonal wurtzite nanoparticle and cubic spinel phase with an average crystallite sizes in the range of 13- 28 nm and 30.44 – 42.53 nm respectively. XRD analysis confirmed no change in the polymorph of ZnO upon the addition NiFe2O4. XPS spectrum showed the existence of the elements in the following oxidation state (+2) for Zn, (+1, +2) for Ni and (+2 and +3) for Fe. BET analysis revealed order of the specific surface area of ZnO/NiFe2O4 (44.61 m2/g) > NiFe2O4 (40.39 m2/g) > ZnO (8.91 m2 /g). The adsorptive and photocatalytic results revealed that 3% ZnO/NiFe2O4 exhibits higher efficiency compared to ZnO and NiFe2O4 nanoparticles alone and in the order of 3% ZnO/NiFe2O4 > NiFe2O4 > ZnO. The study revealed that the prepared nanomaterial behaved better as photocatalyst than as nanoadsorbent. Keywords: Adsorption, photocatalytic technology; ZnO; ZnO/NiFe2O4, tannery wastewate

Persistence of Ebola virus RNA in some body fluids of Ebola virus disease (EVD) survivors – the Nigerian experience

Introduction: Ebola virus (EBOV) has been shown to persist in some body fluids of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) survivors with implication for future transmission particularly in Nigeria where EVD was experienced for the first time in 2014. Thus, this paper was aimed at providing information on the duration of persistence of EBOV in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Ten consenting EVD survivors were enrolled. Baseline specimens; urine and semen (males), urine and high vaginal swab (HVS) (females) were obtained within one month after discharge from the Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) and subsequently every fortnight. Samples were analyzed using quantitative Real-Star Filovirus Screen RT-PCR kit 1.0 at the National Reference Laboratory in Lagos.Results: Ten EVD survivors comprising 4 (40%) males and 6 (60%) females with age ranges of 28 to >33 years (mean age: 33.0 ± 6.9 years) were evaluated. EBOV RNA was not detected in the urine of all the participants and HVS from the females. However, EBOV RNA was detected in the semen of all 4 (100%) male participants at baseline, and at 2 months after discharge from the ETC. Two men were still positive for EBOV RNA 4 months after discharge from the ETC despite persistent negative vireamia. Conclusions: Our data confirm that a negative viremia in the convalescent period is not predictive of the absence of the virus in semen. Despite an early clearance of the virus from the urine and HVS, there was persistence of EBOV RNA in semen of male survivors 4 months after recovery

International Study of the Epidemiology of Paediatric Trauma : PAPSA Research Study

Objectives: Trauma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The literature on paediatric trauma epidemiology in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited. This study aims to gather epidemiological data on paediatric trauma. Methods: This is a multicentre prospective cohort study of paediatric trauma admissions, over 1 month, from 15 paediatric surgery centres in 11 countries. Epidemiology, mechanism of injury, injuries sustained, management, morbidity and mortality data were recorded. Statistical analysis compared LMICs and high-income countries (HICs). Results: There were 1377 paediatric trauma admissions over 31 days; 1295 admissions across ten LMIC centres and 84 admissions across five HIC centres. Median number of admissions per centre was 15 in HICs and 43 in LMICs. Mean age was 7 years, and 62% were boys. Common mechanisms included road traffic accidents (41%), falls (41%) and interpersonal violence (11%). Frequent injuries were lacerations, fractures, head injuries and burns. Intra-abdominal and intra-thoracic injuries accounted for 3 and 2% of injuries. The mechanisms and injuries sustained differed significantly between HICs and LMICs. Median length of stay was 1 day and 19% required an operative intervention; this did not differ significantly between HICs and LMICs. No mortality and morbidity was reported from HICs. In LMICs, in-hospital morbidity was 4.0% and mortality was 0.8%. Conclusion: The spectrum of paediatric trauma varies significantly, with different injury mechanisms and patterns in LMICs. Healthcare structure, access to paediatric surgery and trauma prevention strategies may account for these differences. Trauma registries are needed in LMICs for future research and to inform local policy

Chemical oxygen demand removal from electroplating wastewater by purified and polymer functionalized carbon nanotubes adsorbents

This study investigated the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) from electroplating industry wastewater via batch adsorption by purified and polymers functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as nano-adsorbents. Bimetallic Fe-Co supported on CaCO3 was utilized to produce multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) via the catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) technique. This was subsequently followed by the purification of the as-prepared MWCNTs by a mixture of HNO3 and H2SO4 in order to remove the support and metal particles. The purified MWCNTs was further functionalized using known mass of the following polymers: Amino polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyhydroxylbutyrate (PHB) and amino polyethylene glycol with polyhydroxylbutyrate (PEG-PHB). The purified (P-CNTs) and functionalized CNTs coded PEG-CNTs; PHB-CNTs, and PEG-PHB-CNTs were characterized by HRSEM, HRTEM-EDS, BET, XRD and XPS. The electroplating wastewater was subjected to physicochemical characterization before and after treatment with various prepared nano-adsorbents using standard methods. The adsorption process under the influence of contact time, adsorbent dosage and temperature was measured using the chemical oxygen demand (COD) as indicator parameter. The HRSEM/XRD/BET confirmed that the purified and polymer functionalized CNTs were homogeneously dispersed; highly graphitic in nature with fewer impurities and of high surface area (>145 m2/g). The order of maximum COD removal by the nano-adsorbents at equilibrium time of 70 min are as follows: PEG-CNTs (99.68%) > PHB-CNTs (97.89%) > P-CNTs (96.34%) > PEG/PHB-CNTs (95.42%). Equilibrium sorption data were better described by Freudlich isotherm with the correlation coefficient (R2>0.92) than Langmuir isotherm. The adsorption kinetics for COD removal from electroplating wastewater fitted well to the pseudo-second-order model with rate constant in the range of 4 × 10−5–1 × 10−4 (g mg−1 min−1). Thermodynamics analysis of the adsorption process revealed that the enthalpy (ΔH°) of the reaction was positive and endothermic in nature. The Gibbs free energy (ΔG°) was negative which showed the feasibility and spontaneity of adsorption process. The findings from this study support the potential use of PEG-functionalised CNTs as a nanoadsorbent to purify electroplating wastewater than others prepared sorbents

Heavy metals in shell fishes of Ojo River, Lagos State, Nigeria

The research examined the accumulations of six heavy metals including chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and copper (Cu) in water as well as in three male and female species of crab (Cardisoma armatum, Callinectes danae, Callinectes ornatus) sampled from Ojo River in Lagos State of Nigeria. Physico-chemical parameters of the water samples from the River and heavy metal concentrations in the crab species obtained also from the River were examined using standard methods. The results showed that total dissolved solute (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), salinity, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand varied significantly along the River course, with TDS and EC being relatively high. Heavy metals detected in the crabs were Fe, Cu and Zn, with Cu being the highest in the species examined. The species C. ornatus presented the highest content of Cu followed by C. armatum and C. danae. The content of heavy metals (mg kg–1) among the crab species showed that Cu (23.47±0.10) > Zn (19.06±0.01) > Fe (16.85±0.01) in all the species except in C. armatum where Fe (1.26±0.44) was > Zn (1.19±0.02). Furthermore, Pb, Cd and Cr were not found in the crabs and this could be associated with the fact that the area consists mainly of residential houses, farms and a few industries. Notably, the content of the heavy metals was larger in the female than the male crabs. This study reported different levels of heavy metal accumulation in male and female species of crabs. Also, the shell fishes from Ojo River might be considered safe for consumption, but the need for continuous monitoring to prevent bioaccumulation is recommended

Impact of different nitrogen amendments on the biodegradation of 14C-phenanthrene by endophytic fungal strains in liquid culture

In this study, the biodegradation of phenanthrene was investigated in newly isolated endophytic fungal strains, Fusarium sp. (KTS01), Trichoderma harzianum (LAN03), Fusarium oxysporum (KTS02), Fusarium oxysporum (LAN04), and Clonostachys rosea (KTS05). This was performed under different carbon:nitrogen ratios (10:1, 20:1, and 30:1) using different nitrogen sources (urea and malt extract and ammonium nitrate) over a 30 d incubation period in both static and agitated liquid media. The kinetics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) mineralisation to CO2 (lag phases, fastest rates, and overall extents) were measured for all of the fungal strains and nutrient conditions using 14C-phenanthrene. All fungal strains were able to biodegrade 14C-phenanthrene to 14CO2 under the different nutrient amendments. However, 14C-phenanthrene mineralisation varied for most of the fungal strains in static and agitated culture conditions. Greater extents of mineralisation were found in fungal cultures (strains KTS05 and KTS01) with C:N ratio of 10:1 in both static and agitated conditions, while the fungal strains (KTS05 and LAN03) showed the greatest phenanthrene mineralisation after N source amendments, particularly with malt extract. In addition, the phenanthrene mineralisation increased with higher C:N ratios for Clonostachys rosea (KTS05) only. Consequently, the results reported here provide a promising potential for the endophytic fungal strains and the importance of nutrients amendments for the enhanced degradation of PAHs contaminated environments

Studies on asymptomatic malaria, prevention and treatment seeking behaviours in Abeokuta, south-west Nigeria

Recurrent cycles of fevers and chills are obvious symptoms for malaria disease usually necessitating treatment. However, some Plasmodium infections could be without symptoms, leading to late diagnosis and delayed treatment- seeking behaviours. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria infections, and document associated prevention and treatment-seeking behaviours among literates in Abeokuta. A cross-sectional study design involving 309 attendees at the 2016 World Malaria Day Celebration event held at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta was conducted. Finger-prick blood samples were collected for Plasmodium parasite detection by malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) and anthropometric indices such as weight, height and age were also collected to estimate Body-Mass-Index. An already pre-tested questionnaire was also used to collect information on malaria prevention and treatment-seeking behaviours. Data were analysed in SPSS 20.0 software. Results revealed that the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria was 7.4% (23/309), with no significant association between sex, febrile illness and Body Mass Index (p>0.05). Participants aged 15-25 years were more infected with malaria than other age groups. Only 58.3% of the participants have heard of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) and about 78% do not have mosquito bed-net. Self-diagnosis for the disease was more common (60.8%) among the participants, compared to other measures; seeking laboratory test (26.5%) and clinical diagnosis (9.1%). A good proportion of the participants (73.1%) rely on Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) drugs for treating malaria, although few others still rely on non-ACT drugs (17.8%), chloroquine (1.9%) and herbs (1.6%). Findings show existence of asymptomatic malaria. Also, access to and utilization of malaria prevention and control commodities is poor among the literates. There is thus a need to intensify efforts in addressing these concerns as we move towards eliminating the disease.Keywords: Asymptomatic malaria; World Malaria Day; prevalence; Abeokuta; Nigeri

Epidemiological evaluation of onchocerciasis along Ogun River System, southwest Nigeria

Background & objective: Epidemiological studies were carried out to assess the prevalence and communitymicrofilarial load (CMFL) of onchocerciasis after repeated annual treatment with ivermectin along Ogun riverSystem, southwest Nigeria.Method: Skin snips were taken from consented participants in 11 selected communities along the River system.The microfilarial load of the community was estimated.Results: The prevalence and CMFL varied significantly in the communities (p <0.05). The prevalence ofonchocerciasis ranged from 19.1 to 45.6%, while the CMFL ranged from 0.11 to 1.03 microfilariae per skinsnip. The CMFL recorded was <5 microfilariae per skin snip, i.e. recognized by WHO as threshold value incertifying the communities to be free of onchocerciasis as public health problem, thus, signifying the possibilityof onchocerciasis elimination in the study area.Conclusion: Efforts should therefore be intensified to achieve improved ivermectin coverage and compliance inannual ivermectin treatment in order to completely eliminate onchocerciasis as a public health problem in thestudied communities