An Investigation on the Rate of Crime in Sokoto State Using Principal Component Analysis

Principal component analysis is a data analysis tools that is used to reduce the dimensionality of a large number of interrelated variables, while retaining as much of the information as possible. In this paper, PCA technique has been applied to know the number of principal components to be retained on the seven variables obtained from Criminal Investigation Department Sokoto State Police Headquarters Sokoto. Data analysis was carried out using NCSS and GESS 2007 Software. From the results, three Principal components have been retained using the Scree plot and Loading plot indicating that correlation exist between crimes against persons and crime against properties

Inhibition of paracetamol-induced oxidative stress in rats by extracts of lemongrass (Cymbropogon citratus) and green tea (Camellia sinensis) in rats

The water extract of green tea and lemongrass were investigated for their antioxidant effects in Wistar albino rats. Control and Test groups of rats were administered with paracetamol (2 g/kg) on the 10th dayof the experiment while the test groups were pre-treated with 100 mg/kg body weight of green tea and lemongrass for 10 days. The effect of the extracts on serum levels of malondialdehyde, catalase activityand vitamin C were measured in paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Further, the effects of the extract on cholesterol and phospholipids were estimated. Cholesterol/phospholipids ratio was computed. The extracts of green tea and lemongrass produced significant (

Paspalum notatum Grass-waste-based Adsorbent for Rhodamine B Removal from Polluted Water

The potential of Paspalum notatum grass waste to adsorb Rhodamine B dye from aqueous phase is reported in this research. The grass waste was activated and characterized through various techniques to analyze the chemical (FTIR), morphological (SEMEDX), and thermal (TGA) changes incorporated through the activation process. The pollutant removal efficiency of the raw and modified adsorbents was studied by varying different process parameters in a batch process. The maximum capacity of adsorption which was observed for grass waste and activated grass waste was 54 mg g–1 and 72.4 mg g–1 respectively. Among the various kinetic models, the pseudo-second order model gives the best regression results. However, the intraparticle diffusion-adsorption model showed that the diffusion within pores controlled the adsorption rate. Thermodynamic analysis of this process revealed that Rhodamine B adsorption was endothermic and spontaneous in nature. The results of this study show that grass waste has the potential to be used as an adsorbent for the treatment of colored water. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Development and Performance Evaluation of a Rubber and Canvas Strip Fingers Defeathering Machine

Human labour requirement in poultry products processing has continued to increase and more demanding, especially defeathering which is faced with faced challenges such as lacerations and hygiene in handling. To solve these challenges, mechanical defeathering proffered a solution, which further posed a problem of equipment cost and efficiency of operation. This paper investigated a developed a low-cost axial-loading (horizontal) defeathering with dual fingers for small and medium-scale poultry processors. This study reported the development of a defeathering machine which comprises of an axial defeathering drum with strip fingers, which flaps on the carcass to pluck off feathers in motion. The machine is electrically powered with a defeathering power requirement of 0.304 kW and at a power rating of 0.269 kW. The performance evaluation carried out with a broiler, cockerel and layer birds at a soaking temperature of 80 degree Celsius for an average time of 1 minutes showed that the efficiency and the effectiveness of the machine varies with respect to the quality of cleaned carcass produced. It was also observed that it takes the machine about 60 seconds to completely defeather a broiler of 2.4 kg weight, 70 seconds to defeather an old layer breed of bird of about 1.2 kg weight and 105 seconds to defeather a 1.3 kg weight of local chicken. However, test carried out on local birds showed that the machine was less effective defeathering local chicken at low temperature, because of the toughness of the skin. Comparatively, canvass (leather) fingers have the highest defeathering efficiency while rubber strip fingers produced the least defeathering efficiency. Therefore, canvas (leather) strip finger performed better than rubber strip fingers

Heavy Metals Accumulation and Phytoremediation Ability of Onion (Allium cepa) and Garlic (Allium sativum) Grown on Contaminated Soils from Challawa Industrial Estate, Kano, Nigeria

This work was designed to assess and compare the heavy metals accumulation and phytoremediation ability of some allium species (Garlic; Allium sativum and Onion; Allium cepa) grown on two different soils (contaminated and Control soils) using standard methods. Heavy metals (of Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) Concentrations (mg/Kg) were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS Model: 210VGP). Plants growth and biomass production were assessed. Biological concentration factors (BCF) and translocation factors (TF) were calculated. The mean levels of elements obtained ranged widely from 0.55 mg/Kg Ni to 1830.64 mg/Kg Fe. The results showed that onion accumulated higher concentrations of all the heavy metals compared to garlic with exception of Zn. However, the differences in heavy metal concentrations where significant only in Cr and Mn. Phytoremediation efficiency indices (BCF and TF) showed a similar trend for both onion and garlic. The mean BCF values of Pb, Cr, Zn, Mn and Fe in onion were generally high > 1. Ni and Pb had their mean TF values greater than 1. Thus, onion can be used as potential phytoextraction plant. The similarities in most of these metal accumulation trends, BCF and TF between onion and garlic might be due to their being similar species with similar physiological features and from the same family

Weed Persistence, Crop Resistance and Phytotonic Effects of Herbicides in Maize (Zea mays) Production Under Different Weed Control Method and Poultry Manure in Kano State Nigeria

The research is financed by centre for dry land Agriculture Bayero University Kano for providing financial support and the management of Agronomy Department Bayero University, for providing technical support throughout the duration of the study (Sponsoring information). Abstract Results of experiment conducted during rainy season of 2016 and 2017 at teaching and research farm of Bayero university Kano, Livestock development centre Dangora with two different pre-emergence herbicides and two post-emergence herbicides all applied at two different rates, (S-Metolachlor 290 g/l + Atrazine 370 g/l at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 followed by Nicosulfuron at 100 g a.i.ha-1, S-Metolachlor 290 g/l + Atrazine 370 g/l 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 followed by Bentazone at 2.5 kg a.i. ha-1, Metolachlor 375 g/l + Terbuthylazine 125 g/l + Mesotrione 37.5 g/l at 2.5 kg a.i ha-1 followed by Nicosulfuron at 100 g a.i. ha-1, Metolachlor 375 g/l + Terbuthylazine 125 g/l + Mesotrione 37.5 g/l at 2.5 kg a.i ha-1 followed by Bentazone at 2.5 kg a.i. ha-1, Two hoe weeded at 3 and 6 WAS and weedy check) three levels of poultry manure (0, 4, and 8 t ha-1) and NPK at the rate of 120kg N, 60kg P and 60kg K ha-1 and three maize varieties (SAMMAZ 15, SAMMAZ 21 and SAMMAZ 35). The experiments was laid out in a split-split plot design with variety allocated to the main plot, poultry manure to the sub-plot and weed control method to the sub-sub plot, and was replicated three times. The result from the study showed that two hoe weeding at 3 and 6WAS and Application of 3Maizeforce at 2.5 kg a.i. ha-1 followed by Bentazone at 2.5 kg a.i. ha-1, significantly revealed higher crop resistance index with medium persistence index of the weeds indicating broad spectrum effect in controlling the weeds, the said treatments were best herbicides for maize production. Furthermore the said treatment is recommended for weed control that can improve maize grain yield. Keywords: Weed Occurrence level, Weed persistence index, Crop resistance index and Phytotonic effect. DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/10-10-03 Publication date:May 31st 202

Growth performance, duodenal morphology and the caecal microbial population in female broiler chickens fed glycine-fortified low protein diets under heat stress conditions

This study was undertaken to examine the effect of feeding glycine (Gly)-fortified low protein (LP) diets on the growth performance, duodenal morphology and caecal microbial populations of broiler chickens raised under unheated, cyclic or constant heat stress environmental conditions. 2. From d 1 to 21 (starter phase), an equivalent number of birds were fed either a normal protein (NP) diet or a LP diet fortified with Gly. From d 22 to 42 (grower phase), an equivalent number of birds from each starter diet were distributed to one of the following dietary groups: (i) an NP diet during the starter and grower phases (NPNP), (ii) an NP diet during the starter phase and a LP diet during the grower phase (NPLP), (iii) an LP diet during the starter phase and an NP diet during the grower phase (LPNP) or (iv) LP diets during both phases (LPLP). 3. Commencing from d 22, an equivalent number of birds from each dietary group were exposed to (i) 23 ± 1°C throughout (unheated), (ii) 34 ± 1°C for 7 h each day from 10:00 to 17:00 (cyclic heat) or (iii) 34 ± 1°C throughout (constant heat). 4. Feeding the LP diet during the starter phase resulted in feed intake (FI), weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratios (FCR) and energy efficiency ratios (EER) similar to those for the NP diet. The birds fed the LP diet had a significantly higher protein efficiency ratio (PER) compared with the birds fed the NP diet. 5. During the grower phase, there were significant diet × temperature interactions for F, WG, FCR, PER, EER, villus height, crypt depth and caecal Clostridia. The birds fed the NPLP and LPLP diets had lower FI, WG and EER, higher FCR, shorter villus height and crypt depth and higher caecal Clostridia compared with the birds fed LPNP and NPNP diets under constant heat stress. However, feeding birds the NPLP and LPLP diets resulted in FI, WG, EER, FCR, morphology parameters and caecal Clostridia equivalent to the birds fed LPNP and NPNP diets, as well as improved PER, under unheated and cyclic heat stress conditions. 6. In conclusion, our results indicate that Gly-fortified LP diets can be fed to broilers under normal and acute heat stress environmental conditions without any adverse effects on performance. However, the use of such LP diets can be detrimental to broilers under chronic heat stress conditions

Time dynamics of background noise in geoelectrical and geochemical signals: an application in a seismic area of Southern Italy

We analyse geoelectrical and geochemical time series jointly measured by means of a multiparametric automatic station close to an anomalous fluid emission in Val d’Agri (Basilicata, Italy). The investigated area is located on Southern Apennine chain that in past and recent years was interested by destructive earthquakes. After a complete pre-processing of time series, we analyse the fluctuations triggered by the seasonal cycles and focus our attention on the possible link between geoelectrical and geochemical signals. In order to extract quantitative dynamical information from experimental time series, we detect scaling laws in power spectra that are typical fingerprints of fractional Brownian processes. After this analysis, the problem of the identification of extreme events in the time series has been approached. We consider significant anomalous patterns only when more consecutive values are above/below a fixed threshold in almost two of the time series jointly measured. We give the first preliminary results about the comparison between anomalous patterns detected in geoelectrical and geochemical parameters and the local seismic activity and, finally, analyse the implications with the earthquake prediction problem

Identifying and prioritising services in European terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems

Ecosystems are multifunctional and provide humanity with a broad array of vital services. Effective management of services requires an improved evidence base, identifying the role of ecosystems in delivering multiple services, which can assist policy-makers in maintaining them. Here, information from the literature and scientific experts was used to systematically document the importance of services and identify trends in their use and status over time for the main terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems in Europe. The results from this review show that intensively managed ecosystems contribute mostly to vital provisioning services (e.g. agro-ecosystems provide food via crops and livestock, and forests provide wood), while semi-natural ecosystems (e.g. grasslands and mountains) are key contributors of genetic resources and cultural services (e.g. aesthetic values and sense of place). The most recent European trends in human use of services show increases in demand for crops from agro-ecosystems, timber from forests, water flow regulation from rivers, wetlands and mountains, and recreation and ecotourism in most ecosystems, but decreases in livestock production, freshwater capture fisheries, wild foods and virtually all services associated with ecosystems which have considerably decreased in area (e.g. semi-natural grasslands). The condition of the majority of services show either a degraded or mixed status across Europe with the exception of recent enhancements in timber production in forests and mountains, freshwater provision, water/erosion/natural hazard regulation and recreation/ecotourism in mountains, and climate regulation in forests. Key gaps in knowledge were evident for certain services across all ecosystems, including the provision of biochemicals and natural medicines, genetic resources and the regulating services of seed dispersal, pest/disease regulation and invasion resistance

Readout of GEM Detectors Using the Medipix2 CMOS Pixel Chip

We have operated a Medipix2 CMOS readout chip, with amplifying, shaping and charge discriminating front-end electronics integrated on the pixel-level, as a highly segmented direct charge collecting anode in a three-stage gas electron multiplier (Triple-GEM) to detect the ionization from $^{55}$Fe X-rays and electrons from $^{106}$Ru. The device allows to perform moderate energy spectroscopy measurements (20 % FWHM at 5.9 keV $X$-rays) using only digital readout and two discriminator thresholds. Being a truly 2D-detector, it allows to observe individual clusters of minimum ionizing charged particles in $Ar/CO_2$ (70:30) and $He/CO_2$ (70:30) mixtures and to achieve excellent spatial resolution for position reconstruction of primary clusters down to $\sim 50 \mu m$, based on the binary centroid determination method.Comment: 18 pages, 14 pictures. submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research