Determination of the chemical composition of the ripe and unripe ballnut kernel (Calophyllum inophyllum) meals

This research was carried out to evaluate the chemical composition of ripe and unripe ballnut kernel meals. The ripe and unripe samples were harvested, decorticated and the kernels oven dried at 50oC for 24 hours before milling and storage at room temperature in labelled containers. The proximate, mineral, amino acids and phytochemical composition of the ballnut kernel meals were determined. Data generated were subjected to analysis of variance procedures using SPSS 17.0 Windows computer software package with t-test as a statistical tool. The results showed that unripe ballnut kernel was superior in metabolizable energy (3707.60±2.64 kcal/kg), sodium (0.25%), potassium (0.88%), magnesium (0.29%), calcium (0.19%) and iron (107.45%) to ripe ballnut kernel meal. The phytochemicals in the two samples were phytic acids, oxalic acid, alkaloids, saponins, tannins and hydrogen cyanides. The concentration of the phytochemicals in the two samples was not significantly (P>0.05) different. The concentration of amino acids between the two samples was statistically (P>0.05) similar. From this study, it was concluded that the ripe and unripe ballnut kernel meal was similar in their composition and could therefore serve as potential animal feed resources owing to high energy level, amino acids profile as well as low fibre and other anti-nutritional factors

COBB DOUGLAS PRODUCTION FUNCTION WITH COMPOSITE ERROR TERM IN EGG LAYING ENTERPRISE IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT The study tried to estimate the profit efficiency and the relevant indices determining efficiency levels for egg-laying industry in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria utilizing Cobb-Douglas production function based on stochastic profit frontier. Sixty poultry farms were randomly selected across the six agricultural zones of the state. Primary data were collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire. Empirical results revealed the mean economic efficiency of 65.00% implying the need for increased resource use efficiency The results further showed that variable inputs such as price of feeds, price of drugs and medication were statistically significant (p<0.05) thus indicating that profit decreased with increase in input prices while fixed inputs such as capital inputs and farm size were statistically significant and had the right sign a-priori indicating that profit increased with increase in the level of its utilization. The maximum economic efficiency level attained by an individual farmer was 88.00% indicating that there was room for improvement. The study therefore suggests that policy that would enhance extension services, encourage membership in cooperative farming and enhanced good and adequate utilization of improved livestock inputs should be put in place

Linear Body Measurements and Carcass Characteristics of Rabbits Fed Orange (Citrus sinensis) Waste Meal as Alternative Fibre Source in Diet

A study was conducted to assess the effect of orange waste meal as an alternative fibre source on linear body measurements of rabbits. Twenty-four (24) weaned rabbits of cross breed and mixed sexes were used for the study. Experimental animals which weighed between 676.67g to 686.67g were allotted to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design. Results of the study showed that head length (HL), body length (BL), heart girth (HG), length of hind limb (LHL) and length of fore limb (LFL) differed (p 0.05) statistically between the treatment groups. At the end of the experimental period of ten weeks, rabbits fed diet T4 (endocarp + mesocarp) recorded higher (p 0.05) influenced by dietary treatments. Therefore, rabbits can effectively utilize orange waste meal as an alternative fibre source without adverse effects on linear body measurements and carcass characteristics

Growth and yield responses of pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) to varied poultry manure rates in Uyo, southeastern Nigeria

Field trial was carried out during the early cropping seasons of 2007 and 2008 at University of Uyo Teaching and Research Farm, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria to evaluate the effects of poultry manure rates (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 t/ha) on growth and yield of pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.). A randomized complete block design with three replicates was used. Results showed that increase in poultry manure rate resulted in increase in growth and yield of pepper up to 8 t/ha rate. It also showed decline in yield with application rate above 8t/ha. Application of 8 t/ha produced 22.75 and 23.56 t/ha of fresh pepper in 2007 and 2008, respectively while 10 t/ha produced 22.70 and 23.91 t/ha of fresh pepper in 2007 and 2008, respectively. This implies that application above 8t/ha rate will not be economical and beneficial to the farmer. Keywords: pepper, poultry manure, growth, yield

Amyloid angiopathy of the floor of the mouth: a case report and review of the literature

Amyloidosis is a rare disease characterised by the deposition of insoluble extracellular fibrillar proteins in various tissues of the body. The pattern of manifestation is organ dependent and also on whether the disease is localised or systemic, primary or secondary

Experimental Findings and Validation on Torsional Behaviour of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete Beams: A Review

Fibres have long been utilized in the construction sector to improve the mechanical qualities of structural elements such as beams, columns, and slabs. This study aims to review the torsional behaviour of various forms of fibre reinforced concrete to identify possible enhancements and the practicability of concrete structural beams. Concrete reinforced steel fibre, synthetic fibre, and hybrid fibre are examples of fibre reinforced concrete. The review found that the mixing, orientation, and volume of fibres, the size of coarse particles, the aspect ratio of fibres, and the stiffness of fibres all affect the torsional strength of fibre reinforced concrete. Nevertheless, the application of fibres to recycled self-consolidating concrete of various forms needs to be explored and studied to ascertain its feasibility to facilitate greener concrete. Thus, with the results compiled in this review paper, it was possible to delimit advances and gaps on the effect of editing reinforcement fibres in relation to the torsion of structural element

Male responsibility and maternal morbidity: a cross-sectional study in two Nigerian states

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nigeria continues to have high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality. This is partly associated with lack of adequate obstetric care, partly with high risks in pregnancy, including heavy work. We examined actionable risk factors and underlying determinants at community level in Bauchi and Cross River States of Nigeria, including several related to male responsibility in pregnancy.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>In 2009, field teams visited a stratified (urban/rural) last stage random sample of 180 enumeration areas drawn from the most recent censuses in each of Bauchi and Cross River states. A structured questionnaire administered in face-to-face interviews with women aged 15-49 years documented education, income, recent birth history, knowledge and attitudes related to safe birth, and deliveries in the last three years. Closed questions covered female genital mutilation, intimate partner violence (IPV) in the last year, IPV during the last pregnancy, work during the last pregnancy, and support during pregnancy. The outcome was complications in pregnancy and delivery (eclampsia, sepsis, bleeding) among survivors of childbirth in the last three years. We adjusted bivariate and multivariate analysis for clustering.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>The most consistent and prominent of 28 candidate risk factors and underlying determinants for non-fatal maternal morbidity was intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy (ORa 2.15, 95%CIca 1.43-3.24 in Bauchi and ORa 1.5, 95%CI 1.20-2.03 in Cross River). Other spouse-related factors in the multivariate model included not discussing pregnancy with the spouse and, independently, IPV in the last year. Shortage of food in the last week was a factor in both Bauchi (ORa 1.66, 95%CIca 1.22-2.26) and Cross River (ORa 1.32, 95%CIca 1.15-1.53). Female genital mutilation was a factor among less well to do Bauchi women (ORa 2.1, 95%CIca 1.39-3.17) and all Cross River women (ORa 1.23, 95%CIca 1.1-1.5).</p> <p>Interpretation</p> <p>Enhancing clinical protocols and skills can only benefit women in Nigeria and elsewhere. But the violence women experience throughout their lives – genital mutilation, domestic violence, and steep power gradients – is accentuated through pregnancy and childbirth, when women are most vulnerable. IPV especially in pregnancy, women's fear of husbands or partners and not discussing pregnancy are all within men's capacity to change.</p

Mapping subnational HIV mortality in six Latin American countries with incomplete vital registration systems

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a public health priority in Latin America. While the burden of HIV is historically concentrated in urban areas and high-risk groups, subnational estimates that cover multiple countries and years are missing. This paucity is partially due to incomplete vital registration (VR) systems and statistical challenges related to estimating mortality rates in areas with low numbers of HIV deaths. In this analysis, we address this gap and provide novel estimates of the HIV mortality rate and the number of HIV deaths by age group, sex, and municipality in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico. Methods: We performed an ecological study using VR data ranging from 2000 to 2017, dependent on individual country data availability. We modeled HIV mortality using a Bayesian spatially explicit mixed-effects regression model that incorporates prior information on VR completeness. We calibrated our results to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Results: All countries displayed over a 40-fold difference in HIV mortality between municipalities with the highest and lowest age-standardized HIV mortality rate in the last year of study for men, and over a 20-fold difference for women. Despite decreases in national HIV mortality in all countries—apart from Ecuador—across the period of study, we found broad variation in relative changes in HIV mortality at the municipality level and increasing relative inequality over time in all countries. In all six countries included in this analysis, 50% or more HIV deaths were concentrated in fewer than 10% of municipalities in the latest year of study. In addition, national age patterns reflected shifts in mortality to older age groups—the median age group among decedents ranged from 30 to 45 years of age at the municipality level in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico in 2017. Conclusions: Our subnational estimates of HIV mortality revealed significant spatial variation and diverging local trends in HIV mortality over time and by age. This analysis provides a framework for incorporating data and uncertainty from incomplete VR systems and can help guide more geographically precise public health intervention to support HIV-related care and reduce HIV-related deaths

Global, regional, and national sex-specific burden and control of the HIV epidemic, 1990–2019, for 204 countries and territories: the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019

Background: The sustainable development goals (SDGs) aim to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Understanding the current state of the HIV epidemic and its change over time is essential to this effort. This study assesses the current sex-specific HIV burden in 204 countries and territories and measures progress in the control of the epidemic. Methods: To estimate age-specific and sex-specific trends in 48 of 204 countries, we extended the Estimation and Projection Package Age-Sex Model to also implement the spectrum paediatric model. We used this model in cases where age and sex specific HIV-seroprevalence surveys and antenatal care-clinic sentinel surveillance data were available. For the remaining 156 of 204 locations, we developed a cohort-incidence bias adjustment to derive incidence as a function of cause-of-death data from vital registration systems. The incidence was input to a custom Spectrum model. To assess progress, we measured the percentage change in incident cases and deaths between 2010 and 2019 (threshold &gt;75% decline), the ratio of incident cases to number of people living with HIV (incidence-to-prevalence ratio threshold &lt;0·03), and the ratio of incident cases to deaths (incidence-to-mortality ratio threshold &lt;1·0). Findings: In 2019, there were 36·8 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 35·1–38·9) people living with HIV worldwide. There were 0·84 males (95% UI 0·78–0·91) per female living with HIV in 2019, 0·99 male infections (0·91–1·10) for every female infection, and 1·02 male deaths (0·95–1·10) per female death. Global progress in incident cases and deaths between 2010 and 2019 was driven by sub-Saharan Africa (with a 28·52% decrease in incident cases, 95% UI 19·58–35·43, and a 39·66% decrease in deaths, 36·49–42·36). Elsewhere, the incidence remained stable or increased, whereas deaths generally decreased. In 2019, the global incidence-to-prevalence ratio was 0·05 (95% UI 0·05–0·06) and the global incidence-to-mortality ratio was 1·94 (1·76–2·12). No regions met suggested thresholds for progress. Interpretation: Sub-Saharan Africa had both the highest HIV burden and the greatest progress between 1990 and 2019. The number of incident cases and deaths in males and females approached parity in 2019, although there remained more females with HIV than males with HIV. Globally, the HIV epidemic is far from the UNAIDS benchmarks on progress metrics. Funding: The Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Institute on Aging of the NIH

Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017) includes a comprehensive assessment of incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for 354 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. Previous GBD studies have shown how the decline of mortality rates from 1990 to 2016 has led to an increase in life expectancy, an ageing global population, and an expansion of the non-fatal burden of disease and injury. These studies have also shown how a substantial portion of the world's population experiences non-fatal health loss with considerable heterogeneity among different causes, locations, ages, and sexes. Ongoing objectives of the GBD study include increasing the level of estimation detail, improving analytical strategies, and increasing the amount of high-quality data. Methods: We estimated incidence and prevalence for 354 diseases and injuries and 3484 sequelae. We used an updated and extensive body of literature studies, survey data, surveillance data, inpatient admission records, outpatient visit records, and health insurance claims, and additionally used results from cause of death models to inform estimates using a total of 68 781 data sources. Newly available clinical data from India, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Nepal, China, Brazil, Norway, and Italy were incorporated, as well as updated claims data from the USA and new claims data from Taiwan (province of China) and Singapore. We used DisMod-MR 2.1, a Bayesian meta-regression tool, as the main method of estimation, ensuring consistency between rates of incidence, prevalence, remission, and cause of death for each condition. YLDs were estimated as the product of a prevalence estimate and a disability weight for health states of each mutually exclusive sequela, adjusted for comorbidity. We updated the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a summary development indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and total fertility rate. Additionally, we calculated differences between male and female YLDs to identify divergent trends across sexes. GBD 2017 complies with the Guidelines for Accurate and Transparent Health Estimates Reporting. Findings: Globally, for females, the causes with the greatest age-standardised prevalence were oral disorders, headache disorders, and haemoglobinopathies and haemolytic anaemias in both 1990 and 2017. For males, the causes with the greatest age-standardised prevalence were oral disorders, headache disorders, and tuberculosis including latent tuberculosis infection in both 1990 and 2017. In terms of YLDs, low back pain, headache disorders, and dietary iron deficiency were the leading Level 3 causes of YLD counts in 1990, whereas low back pain, headache disorders, and depressive disorders were the leading causes in 2017 for both sexes combined. All-cause age-standardised YLD rates decreased by 3·9% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 3·1–4·6) from 1990 to 2017; however, the all-age YLD rate increased by 7·2% (6·0–8·4) while the total sum of global YLDs increased from 562 million (421–723) to 853 million (642–1100). The increases for males and females were similar, with increases in all-age YLD rates of 7·9% (6·6–9·2) for males and 6·5% (5·4–7·7) for females. We found significant differences between males and females in terms of age-standardised prevalence estimates for multiple causes. The causes with the greatest relative differences between sexes in 2017 included substance use disorders (3018 cases [95% UI 2782–3252] per 100 000 in males vs s1400 [1279–1524] per 100 000 in females), transport injuries (3322 [3082–3583] vs 2336 [2154–2535]), and self-harm and interpersonal violence (3265 [2943–3630] vs 5643 [5057–6302]). Interpretation: Global all-cause age-standardised YLD rates have improved only slightly over a period spanning nearly three decades. However, the magnitude of the non-fatal disease burden has expanded globally, with increasing numbers of people who have a wide spectrum of conditions. A subset of conditions has remained globally pervasive since 1990, whereas other conditions have displayed more dynamic trends, with different ages, sexes, and geographies across the globe experiencing varying burdens and trends of health loss. This study emphasises how global improvements in premature mortality for select conditions have led to older populations with complex and potentially expensive diseases, yet also highlights global achievements in certain domains of disease and injury. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation