Potentials of Sludge from Drinking Water Treatment Plant for Use as Source of Soil Nutrients for Reclamation of Degraded Land

The residuals from Gubi drinking water treatment plant are usually discharged directly into the nearby streams without any form of treatment. The decomposition of the organic materials contained in the untreated sludge has caused the production of malodorous gases and unsightly condition in the area. The disposal of this sludge in an environmentally friendly manner is therefore not only desirable but necessary. The aim of this investigation was to assess the feasibility of utilizing the residuals from Gubi water treatment plant as a source of nutrients for reclamation of degraded lands especially those arising from mining activities. The study was carried out at Gubi water treatment plant located in the vicinity of Gubi Dam water reservoir.Ten sludge samples were collected from each of the three clerifiers. Important sludge properties that are known to aid nutrients status of soil were analyzed using standard laboratory procedures. The means of various soil quality parameters recorded in the WTRs were 6.8, 20.06g/kg, 34.90g/kg, 1.65g/kg, 2.30g/kg, 13.45mg/kg, 2.50Cmol/kg, 2.10Cmol/kg and 28Cmol/kg for pH, Organic C, Organic Matter, K, Total N, Olsen P, Ca, Mg and CEC respectively. The means of all the parameters analysed falls within the ranges considered good for vegetation growth. The heavy metals concentrations recorded in the residual were 1.8mg/kg, 0.1mg/kg, 2mg/kg, 29mg/kg, 66mg/kg, 15mg/kg, 8.7mg/kg, 6.2mg/kg and 0.03mg/kg for As, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, Cr and Hg respectively. The concentrations of all the metals did not exceed the acceptable threshold limits recommended by regulatory authorities. Considering the enormous amount of plant nutrients and absence of excessive toxic metals in Gubi WTRs, it is safe to conclude that the residual can be use as a source of soil nutrients for reclamation of degraded land. Key words: Sludge, Soil Nutrients, Degraded Land, Reclamatio

Effect of Dietary Replacement of Maize with Yam and Irish potato peel meals on the Growth and Economic Performance of Growing Rabbits

An eight-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding yam and irish potato peel meals on the growth performance and economic analysis of cross-bred (Dutch x New Zealand white) growing rabbits aged between five to seven weeks. Thirty rabbits were randomly allocated to six dietary treatments with five rabbits per treatment. Diets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 contained 100% maize, 50% maize and 50% yam peel meal, 50% maize and 50% irish potato peel meal, 50% yam peel meal and 50% irish potato peel meal, 100% yam peel meal and 100% irish potato peel meal, respectively. The response showed that the growth parameters were not significantly (P>0.05) different among the treatment groups except mean final body weight which was significantly (P>0.05) different. The mean final body weight of rabbits fed T3 diet (50% maize and 50% irish potato peel meal) was significantly (P< 0.05) higher than those fed T2 (50% maize and 50% yam peel meal) and T6 (100% irish potato peel meal) diets, but were similar (P>0.05) to other diets. However, the lowest mean final body weight was obtained in rabbits fed T6 (100% irish potato peel meal) diet. The cost per kg feed decreased progressively as the levels of yam and irish potato peel meals increased in the diets. The cost per kg gain also declined from  ₦ 249.59 in T1 (100% maize) to ₦ 181.95 in T4 (50% yam peel meal and 50% irish potato peel meal), which showed the best cost per kg weight gain. The study demonstrated that the yam and irish potato peel meals can replace maize up to 100% as energy source for growing rabbits without adverse effect on performance.Keywords: Growth Performance, Yam and Irish Potato peel meals, Economic Analysi

Forecasting performance of mixed data sampling (MIDAS) regressions, autoregressive distributed lag (ADL) model and hybrid of GARCH-MIDAS model: a comparative study

This paper considers the Comparison of forecasting performance between Mixed Data sampling (MIDAS) Regressions model, Autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) Model and hybrid of GARCH-MIDAS. The data employed for this study was secondary type in nature for all the variables and it is obtained from the publications of Central Bank of Nigerian bulletin, National Bureau of Statistics and World Bank Statistics Database dated, January, 2005 to Dec, 2019. The result of unit root test shows that all variables are stationary at level and after first differences at 5% level of significant. From the results we found that F-statistics 1.895554 is inside the regions defined as the lower and upper bound (3.62 and 4.16) at 5% level of significant, this implies that there’s no long-run relationship between dependent variable (NSE) and independent Variable (CC). using forecasting evaluations with shows that that GARCH-MIDAS has a least value of RMSE and MAPE than ARDL and MIDAS model (1823.531 and 3.976542) is least than for MIDAS and Ardl models (2372.846, 4.765421 and 2134.732, 5.952348). Finally, we can conclude that GARCH- MIDAS model outperform MIDAS and ARDL models of Nigeria Stock Exchange

Immunomodulatory Effects of Neem (Azadirachta indica) Leaf Aqueous Extracts in Cockerels Vaccinated and Experimentally Infected with Infectious Bursal Disease Virus

The aim of the present work was to study the immunomodulatory potentials of aqueous extract of Neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf in cockerels vaccinated and/ or infected with infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). Four hundred and eighty (480) day old cockerels were used and allocated into 8 groups. The birds were grouped as vaccinated/ unvaccinated, challenged/ unchallenged, neem leaf treated/ untreated groups. The IBD vaccines (intermediate plus strain) were given at 14 and 28 days of age while the experimental infection using very virulent IBD virus (vvIBDV) was inoculated at 35 days of age and the extracts were given from day old to 6 week old.Serum samples were collected on first day and on weekly intervals while post challenge, onset of the disease, clinical signs and mortality rate were recorded. The results obtained showed higher antibody titre, faster seroconversion, mild clinical sign and very low mortality in the neem leaf treated groups. These results indicated that the neem leaf aqueous extract has immunomodulatory potentials by increasing the antibody titre post vaccination and the ability to prevent mortality

SOME ABSTRACT PROPERTIES OF SEMIGROUPS APPEARING IN SUPERCONFORMAL THEORIES

A new type of semigroups which appears while dealing with $N=1$ superconformal symmetry in superstring theories is considered. The ideal series having unusual abstract properties is constructed. Various idealisers are introduced and studied. The ideal quasicharacter is defined. Green's relations are found and their connection with the ideal quasicharacter is established.Comment: 11 page

A Research Agenda for Helminth Diseases of Humans: Intervention for Control and Elimination

Recognising the burden helminth infections impose on human populations, and particularly the poor, major intervention programmes have been launched to control onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases, schistosomiasis, and cysticercosis. The Disease Reference Group on Helminth Infections (DRG4), established in 2009 by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), was given the mandate to review helminthiases research and identify research priorities and gaps. A summary of current helminth control initiatives is presented and available tools are described. Most of these programmes are highly dependent on mass drug administration (MDA) of anthelmintic drugs (donated or available at low cost) and require annual or biannual treatment of large numbers of at-risk populations, over prolonged periods of time. The continuation of prolonged MDA with a limited number of anthelmintics greatly increases the probability that drug resistance will develop, which would raise serious problems for continuation of control and the achievement of elimination. Most initiatives have focussed on a single type of helminth infection, but recognition of co-endemicity and polyparasitism is leading to more integration of control. An understanding of the implications of control integration for implementation, treatment coverage, combination of pharmaceuticals, and monitoring is needed. To achieve the goals of morbidity reduction or elimination of infection, novel tools need to be developed, including more efficacious drugs, vaccines, and/or antivectorial agents, new diagnostics for infection and assessment of drug efficacy, and markers for possible anthelmintic resistance. In addition, there is a need for the development of new formulations of some existing anthelmintics (e.g., paediatric formulations). To achieve ultimate elimination of helminth parasites, treatments for the above mentioned helminthiases, and for taeniasis and food-borne trematodiases, will need to be integrated with monitoring, education, sanitation, access to health services, and where appropriate, vector control or reduction of the parasite reservoir in alternative hosts. Based on an analysis of current knowledge gaps and identification of priorities, a research and development agenda for intervention tools considered necessary for control and elimination of human helminthiases is presented, and the challenges to be confronted are discussed

Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents’ growth and development

Optimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being1–6. Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was <1.1 kg m–2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have amplified

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p&lt;0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p&lt;0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Rising rural body-mass index is the main driver of the global obesity epidemic in adults

Body-mass index (BMI) has increased steadily in most countries in parallel with a rise in the proportion of the population who live in cities. This has led to a widely reported view that urbanization is one of the most important drivers of the global rise in obesity. Here we use 2,009 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in more than 112 million adults, to report national, regional and global trends in mean BMI segregated by place of residence (a rural or urban area) from 1985 to 2017. We show that, contrary to the dominant paradigm, more than 55% of the global rise in mean BMI from 1985 to 2017—and more than 80% in some low- and middle-income regions—was due to increases in BMI in rural areas. This large contribution stems from the fact that, with the exception of women in sub-Saharan Africa, BMI is increasing at the same rate or faster in rural areas than in cities in low- and middle-income regions. These trends have in turn resulted in a closing—and in some countries reversal—of the gap in BMI between urban and rural areas in low- and middle-income countries, especially for women. In high-income and industrialized countries, we noted a persistently higher rural BMI, especially for women. There is an urgent need for an integrated approach to rural nutrition that enhances financial and physical access to healthy foods, to avoid replacing the rural undernutrition disadvantage in poor countries with a more general malnutrition disadvantage that entails excessive consumption of low-quality calories