Contribution of Food Crops to Household Food Security Among Crop Farmers in Patigi Local Government Area, Kwara State, Nigeria

This study was designed to assess the contribution of the major food crops grown by farmers to household food security in Patigi Local Government Area, Kwara State. Simple random sampling was used to collect the data. The sample size were drawn from the three districts in the area, five villages from each districts and eight farmers from each village which makes a total of 120 farmers. Primary data were obtained with the use of questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using frequency and percentages. The results revealed that rice, sorghum, maize, groundnut, melon, millet, yam, cassava, beans and sweet-potatoes are the major crops grown in the area. Farmers consume more of rice (74.2%), sorghum (85%), cassava (72.5%), maize (27.5%), yam (20.8%), beans (10.8%) and sweet-potatoes (4.2%). They earn more revenue from rice (87%), sorghum (35%), melon (14.2%), yam (10.8%), maize (7.5%), groundnut (7.5%), cassava (5%) and millet (0.8). The study also showed that farmers in the study area are relatively food secure. Inputs such as fertilizer, processing and storage facilities, improved seedlings, tractor, access to credit loan etc. should be made available to encourage farmers to improve household food security and raise their living standard. In addition, efforts should be made by research institutes to generate improved technologies on farming

Modelling the impacts of land-used and climate change in Skudai river watershed

Predicting the impact of land-use, climate change and Best Management Practices (BMPs) on a watershed is imperative for effective management of aquatic ecosystems, floods, pollutant control and maintenance of water quality standard in a tropical climate. Based on the prediction, unique information can be derived that is critical to the watershed management under dynamic environmental conditions. The study seeks to evaluate how land-use and climate change influences the hydrology, sediments, and water quality of an urbanized tropical watershed in which the land-use is controlled by urban development as observed from historical and projected land covers. Therefore, the response of a tropica l watershed and its river system under climate and land-use changes were evaluated using Skudai River watershed as a case study. Seven land-use scenarios from the year 1989 to 2039 were developed using remote sensing teclmiques, and nine projected climate change scenarios were derived using dynamically downscaled model from the based projection under representative concentration pathways (RCPs) scenarios. These scenarios were integrated into the Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model to determine the impact of land-use , climate change, and pollutants control via best management practices in a tropical watershed system. The model was calibrated and validated from 2002 to 2014, and the performance coefficients showed a good correlation between simulated and observed streamflow, water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), nitrate nitrogen (N03-N), and orthophosphate (P04) concentrations. The output of the validated model under land-use changes showed that the hydrological water balance of the watershed changes with total runoff as the primary source of water loss. For streamflows and in-stream concentrations (NH3-N, N03-N, and P04) , as the streamflow increases, NH3-N and P04 concentrations increase while N03-N concentration showed low response as compared to the other two concentrations. As urban development increased from 18.2% to 49.2%, nutrient influx such as total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) loads increased from 3080 to 4560 kg/yr and from 130 to 270 kg/yr, respectively. Furthermore, TN to TP ratio changed from 8.3:1 to 7:1, an indication that the rivers are receiving excess nutrients flows which might result in eutrophication at the downstream of the watershed . The amount of sediment load produced in the watershed decreased by approximately 17.8% as a result of the changes in land-use derived from urban development. Further analysis ofthe results showed that climate change with high rainfall and increase in air temperature do not affect DO concentration and water temperature in comparison to climate change with low rainfall. Implementation of multiple detention pond BMPs in identified Critical Source Areas (CSAs) reduced pollutant loads by 14% to 27% as compared to watershed without any BMPS, independent ofclimate and landuse changes. Analysis ofBMPs using existing and future land-use is very important to ensure their effectiveness to control and maintain water quality. This study provides a basis to develop water resource management in an urban watershed and be resilient to land-use and climate changes

Pain, range of motion and activity level as correlates of dynamic balance among elderly people with musculoskeletal disorder

Background: Assessment of impairment and disability measures on dynamic balance status of elderly patients is well documented in the rehabilitation of neuromuscular disorders. Few studies however considered similar evaluation in musculoskeletal disorders.Objective: To determine the influence of pain, hip range of motion and level of activity on dynamic balance among elderly people with hip osteoarthritis (OA).Methods: Elderly patients with hip OA participated in the cross-sectional survey. The impairment measures were assessed using the visual  analogue scale and double-arm universal goniometer whilst their levels ofactivity were assessed with the Barthel Index. Participants performed Turn-180 on two trials by taking steps clockwise and anti-clockwise round a sturdy arm chair. The total number of steps taken to complete each Turn-180 was determined. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data whilst Pearson moment correlation coefficient determined the correlations of the variables at 95% confidence interval.Results: The study involved 87 participants comprising 40(46%) males and 47(54%) females. The age of the participants ranged from 60 to 74years with a mean of 65.8±4.5years. There was a positive and significant correlation (r=0.596; p<0.001) between the participants’ pain and steps taken to complete Turn-180. The participants’ hip flexibility and the level of activity were also significantly and inversely correlated with the performance of Turn-180.Conclusion: The dynamic balance of the sampled elderly patients was considerably influenced by pain, hip flexibility and level of activity, thereby putting premium on the assessment of the variables during  musculoskeletal rehabilitation of elderly patients.Keywords: Pain, Hip flexibility, Activity level, Turn-180, Dynamic balanc

Allergenicity of latex rubber products used in South African dental schools

Background. Latex sensitisation is recognised as a health problem among health care workers (HCWs) using latex products. The aim of this study was to quantify specific latex allergens in latex devices used in South African academic dental schools. The current study also compared the total protein content and the levels of specific allergens in these products.Methods. Fourteen latex examination gloves (powdered and non-powdered) and five dental rubber dams, representing 6 brands, from five dental academic institutions were analysed for latex allergens and total protein. Total protein content was determined using the BioRad DC protein assay kit and natural rubber allergen levels using a capture enyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) specific for Hev b 1, Hev b 3, Hev b 5 and Hev b 6.02.Results. Hev b 6.02 was found in higher concentrations thanother natural rubber latex (NRL) allergens in the products analysed. Hev b 5 content ranged from 0 to 9.2 ìg/g and Hev b 6.02 from 0.09 to 61.5 ìg/g of sample. Hev b 1 levels were below the detection limit (DL) for 79% of the samples (15/19). Dental dams showed higher allergen levels (median 80.91 ìg/ g) than latex gloves (median 11.34 ìg/g). Powdered rubber samples also showed higher allergen levels (median 40.54 ìg/g) than non-powdered samples (median 5.31 ìg/g). Astatistically significant correlation was observed between totalprotein and total allergen (r=0.74,

FLOW OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AMONG LAYERS OF GOVERNMENT: A CASE OF NIGERIA

The issue of fiscal federalism has for quite some time engaged the attention of scholars and policy makers in contemporary Nigeria. Several arguments have been put forward on the economic and political desirability for the practice of fiscal federalism in a country. While the political arguments are largely based on the heterogeneous characteristics of the different regions making up the country, the economic justification is usually based on the need to promote efficiency in the use of national resources. This paper examines the effect of fiscal decentralization on macroeconomic performance in Nigeria. The study employs three measures of fiscal decentralization namely revenue measure, expenditure measure and simultaneity measure to determine the extent, and the impact of fiscal decentralization on macroeconomic performance over the period 1980 to 2010. The overall objective of this study is to analyze the empirical effects of fiscal decentralization on some selected indicators of macroeconomic performance in Nigeria. The indicators include: economic growth, inflation rate, interest rate, and exchange in Nigeria. The Vector Autoregressive (VAR) estimator with lagged decentralization variables was employed using the E-views, version 7.0 to provide analytical support. The empirical findings are quite informative and offer evidence that the central objective of this study has been empirically investigated. There is, indeed, a connection between fiscal federalism and macroeconomic performance in Nigeria over the study period. The study suggests that faster economic growth may constitute additional benefit of fiscal decentralization beyond those already well recognized. This finding conforms to a strand of the literature that establishes links between fiscal decentralization, public sector efficiency and macroeconomic stability

Epidemiological Significance of the Colonization of Streptococcus Agalactiae in the Anorectum and Endocervix of Non-Parturients in Jos, Nigeria

Knowledge of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) carriage and infections in Africa is very scanty but few cases have been reported in Nigeria in particular. Streptococcus agalactiae has been reported to cause infections and diseases in non-parturients and adults ranging from bacteremia, osteomylitis, arthritis, and endocarditis to breast abscess among others, hence the necessity for this study. Fifty six non-pregnant women of different age groups and social status were screened for GBS in Plateau State Specialist Hospital using the Christie, Atkins and Munch-Petersen (CAMP) and hippurate hydrolysis tests. Two (3.6 %) of the 56 women were positive for GBS. The 2 isolates were all from the anorectum. The endocervix yielded no culture. The antibiogram showed that ampicillin is the drug of choice with all isolates (100%) sensitive to the drug. No statistically significant relationship was observed between the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the patients and GBS carriage (P>0.05). This survey shows a much lower carriage proportion than that reported in Ibadan, Nigeria from non-parturients.Key words: Streptococcus agalactiae, epidemiology, anorectum, endocervix, non-parturient

Capacity for the management of kidney failure in the International Society of Nephrology Newly Independent States and Russia:Report from the 2023 ISN Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA)

The International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA) was established to understand the status and capacity of countries to provide optimal kidney care worldwide. This report presents the current characteristics of kidney care in the ISN Newly Independent States (NIS) and Russia region. Although the median prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was higher (11.4%) than the global median (9.5%), the median CKD-related death rate (1.4%) and prevalence of treated kidney failure (KF) in the region (411 per million population [pmp]) were lower than globally (2.5% and 822.8 pmp, respectively). There is a capacity to provide an adequate frequency of hemodialysis (HD) and kidney transplantation services in all (100%) countries. Besides significant economic advancement in the region there are critical shortages of nephrologists, dietitians, transplant coordinators, social workers, palliative care physicians, and kidney supportive care nurses. Home HD remains unavailable in any country in the region. While national registries for dialysis and kidney transplantation are available in most of the countries across the ISN NIS and Russia region there are few registries for non-dialysis CKD and acute kidney injury. Whereas a national strategy for improving care for CKD patients is presented in more than half of the countries, there was no country that had a CKD specific policy in the region. Strategies that incorporate workforce training, planning, and development for all KF caregivers could help ensure sustainable kidney care delivery in the ISN NIS and Russia region

1-(Phthalimidometh­yl)pyridinium p-toluene­sulfonate

In the crystal of the title compound, C14H11N2O2 +·C7H7O3S−, the cation and anion inter­act by way of an aromatic π–π inter­action [centroid–centroid separation = 3.5783 (2) Å] and a T-stacking (C—H⋯π) inter­action between cations. The dihedral angle between the aromatic rings in the cation is 61.73 (8)°. The ionic units are aligned in a zigzag fashion in the b-axis direction

Appraisal of the Salam Islamic Mode of Financing Agribusiness and Agriculture among Rural Farmers in Bauchi State of Nigeria

The study focuses on the socio-economic characteristics of the rural farmers in order to relate the viability of an alternative ethical financing and investment in the quest for economic self-reliance and sufficiency in the study area