The Role of Private Extension Agencies in Agricultural Development of Kaduna State, Nigeria: A Case Study of Leventis Foundation Agricultural Training School

The study was conducted to study the contributions of Leventis Foundation Agricultural Training School (LFATS) Dogon Dawa to the advancement of agricultural development in Kaduna State of Nigeria.  Participants and non-participants of the school were selected using multistage sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential statistical tools were used to analyze data. Farming in the study area was found to be gender specific. However, the participants were more educated, with less farming experience than the non participants. Livestock production and bee keeping; crop production and agro-forestry; and farm product processing and utilization were ranked as areas in which the participants have been adequately trained.   T-test results revealed that there was a significant difference between the yields of the participants and that of the non-participants. These results helped to establish that being trained by LFATS could help farmers in ensuring that higher yields are obtained from their agricultural enterprises. Thus, this study concludes that LFATS is playing an important role in agricultural advancement and youth empowerment in Kaduna state through the skills acquired in its training programmes and recommends that other governmental and non governmental agencies could embark on such. Keywords: Private Extension, Agricultural Development, Leventis Foundatio

Do wildflower strips enhance pest control in organic cabbage?

Within this project we assess whether wildflower strips and companion plants increase the control of cabbage pests Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), Mamestra brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Pieris rapae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) by (1) naturally occurring parasitoids and predators and (2) mass‐releasedn Trichogramma brassciae (Bezdenko) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) parasitoids. Two organic cabbage fields were used for this study: adjacent to each field a wildflower strip was sown and companion plants (Centaurea cyanus L. (Asteraceae)) intermixed within the crop. Within each field ~15,000 M. brassicae eggs were placed out to determine the parasitism rates by mass‐released T. brassicae and to assess the levels of egg predation. Over 1,000 lepidopteran larvae were collected and screened for hymenopteran and tachinid parasitoid DNA using a multiplex PCR assay. Invertebrate generalist predators (n=1,063) were collected for DNA‐based gut content analysis. The wildflower strip had a significant positive effect on M. brassicae egg parasitism rates as rates increased 5‐fold in the vicinity to the strip. Moreover, companion plants enhanced invertebrate predation on M. brassicae eggs. Both, the release of T. brassicae and the use of companion plants, however, did not significantly increase egg parasitism rates. The infestation of plants by caterpillars increased with distance to the wildflower strip and there was a trend of decreasing larval parasitism rates with distance to the strip. Currently the invertebrate predators are being molecularly analysed to assess predation on unparasitized and parasitized lepidopteran pests

Teaching the Hardware Implementation of Cybesecurity Encryption Algorithms on FPGA Using Hands-On Projects

Cybersecurity is an important concept in today’s age of information and is of major interest to keep information secure, helping to protect sensitive information in the presence of untrusted third-parties. This has presented the need for an implemented hardware variant of secure algorithms with small footprint to help add protection while reducing processing time/overhead on a standard processor. In this work we present two hands-on projects that are designed specifically to teach these two concepts using project-based learning techniques in an innovative cooperative learning environment. The learning environment served to combine both student-peer learning and jigsaw strategies. The technical contents of the first project teach students the process and methodologies of designing and testing the hardware implementation of a block cipher encryption, the Advanced Encryption Standard, on a field-programmable gate array. The second project builds on the first by introducing the hardware implementation of hash message authentication codes through the Whirlpool hash function in three different operating modes. The objective of this work is to present an innovative teaching environment for these hands-on encryption algorithm-based projects using cooperative learning rather than a traditional mode of lecturing with given homework assignments. This environment encouraged students to think thoroughly, out-of-the-box, gain problem-solving skills, and improve their communication of technical concepts to peers through the delivery of student-led lectures. The assessment of student learning is accomplished by a mixture of presentations with peer evaluations, instructor evaluations, and thorough grading of project reports. End-of-course evaluations were positive regarding the learning environment and technical skills gained by students. For this work one assigned hands-on project for students working in groups resulted in unique per-group implementations, where in the second project, this led to different project perspectives and additions beyond a standard assigned project, enhanced by student-peer teaching. Students effectively learned and comprehended many different implementations of a widely used encryption and authentication algorithm via our modified teaching techniques

ASSESSMENT OF HIV/AIDS PERCEPTION AND PREVENTIVE PRACTICES AMONG RURAL YOUTHS IN NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

The research was conducted in Nasarawa State of Nigeria. All rural youths in the state were the target population. A multi stage sampling procedure was adopted in selecting the sampled respondents. A total of 295 respondents were used for the study. Data were collected through the use of interview schedule and questionnaire and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used based on the stated objectives. The findings of the study showed that most (38.31%) of the respondents were within the age group of 21 -25 years. Majority (70.17%) of the respondents were males and single (60%) with secondary school education as the highest qualification. With regards to occupation, most (40.68%) of the respondents were farmers and students respectively. Results on the knowledge of HIV/AIDS by the respondents indicate that majority (50.85%) believed that the disease was a deadly, showing that they were knowledgeable about the deadly nature of the disease. Majority (90.45%) of the respondents ranked abstinence (not having sex before marriage) as the first among the preventive practices they have adopted. The effect of female-male differential in adoption of preventive practices among the sexes was examined by comparing the mean adoption index of the respondents. While the males had a mean adoption index of 0.5844, the females had 0.6203 showing that there was no significant difference in the adoption indices between males and females implying that no particular sex adopted more than the other in the study area. The results of the regression analysis show that sex, marital status, occupation and religion did not have significant effect on the adoption of preventive practices among the respondents. However, education and age were found to be significant. The study therefore, recommends that there is the need for more enlightenment campaigns at different levels including government and nongovernmental bodies’ especially religious groups to further sensitize the youth on HIV/AIDS preventive practices. Key words: HIV/AIDS, Perception, Preventive practices, Rural youths, Nasarawa state

Effect of Aqueous Fruit Extract of Cucumis Sativus on Some Biochemical Parameters in Streptozotocin Induced-Diabetic Rats

Diabetes mellitus is among the major global public health problems and its prevalence is currently increasing at an alarming rate. The research was carried out to evaluate the effect of aqueous fruit extract of Cucumis sativus on blood glucose, total protein, total bilirubin, cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), urea, creatinine levels as well as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) and electrolytes (Na+, Cl- and HCO3-) levels on normal and streptozotocin induced-diabetic rat. The aqueous fruit extract was administered orally at a dose of 400mg/kg body weight to both normal and streptozotocin induced-diabetic rat. Twenty adult male rats were divided into four groups of five rats each, two groups were made diabetic and the other two groups were non-diabetic. One of the diabetic groups were administered with the aqueous fruit extract and the second served as diabetic control. The streptozotocin was administered intraperitoneal at a dose of 55mg/kg per body weight. The administration of the aqueous fruit extract lasted for 28 days. Effect of aqueous fruit extract on blood glucose, total protein, total bilirubin, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, urea, creatinine, and electrolytes (Na+, Cl- and HCO3-) levels were analysed. The toxic effect of the aqueous fruit extract was determined using biochemical enzymes markers. The photochemical screening of the aqueous fruit extract showed the presences of Alkaloids, Balsam, Cyanogenic glycosides, Flavonoids, Saponins, Resins and Carbohydrate. Administration with the fruit extract showed significant (P<0.05) reduction on the serum blood glucose level and other biochemical parameters analyzed. The extract possesses no toxic effect as indicated by lowered AST and ALP levels and may be used for the management of diabetes mellitus. Keywords: Cucumis sativus, Phytochemicals, Diabetic Mellitus, Liver enzymes, hypoglycemic activity. DOI: 10.7176/JNSR12-2-04 Publication date: January 31st 202

Effect of Cobalt, Nickel, and Selenium/Tungsten Deficiency on Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Chemically Defined Soluble Organic Compounds

Trace elements (TEs) are vital for anaerobic digestion (AD), due to their role as cofactors in many key enzymes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of specific TE deficiencies on mixed microbial communities during AD of soluble polymer-free substrates, thus focusing on AD after hydrolysis. Three mesophilic (37 degrees C) continuous stirred-tank biogas reactors were depleted either of Co, Ni, or a combination of Se and W, respectively, by discontinuing their supplementation. Ni and Se/W depletion led to changes in methane kinetics, linked to progressive volatile fatty acid (VFA) accumulation, eventually resulting in process failure. No significant changes occurred in the Co-depleted reactor, indicating that the amount of Co present in the substrate in absence of supplementation was sufficient to maintain process stability. Archaeal communities remained fairly stable independent of TE concentrations, while bacterial communities gradually changed with VFA accumulation in Ni- and Se-/W-depleted reactors. Despite this, the communities remained relatively similar between these two reactors, suggesting that the major shifts in composition likely occurred due to the accumulating VFAs. Overall, the results indicate that Ni and Se/W depletion primarily lead to slower metabolic activities of methanogenic archaea and their syntrophic partners, which then has a ripple effect throughout the microbial community due to a gradual accumulation of intermediate fermentation products

Risk factors for Anopheles mosquitoes in rural and urban areas of Blantyre District, southern Malawi

BackgroundAlthough urban malaria transmission is low and seasonal, it remains a major public health problem. This study aimed at demonstrating the presence of Anopheles mosquitoes and their potential to transmit malaria in urban settings.MethodsTwo cross-sectional surveys were carried out in Blantyre District, Malawi, during the dry and wet seasons of 2008 and 2010, respectively. A map of Blantyre was divided into a grid of 400 cells, of which 60 cells were randomly selected. Five households located within 100 m from the centre of each selected cell were enrolled, a standard questionnaire was administered, and indoor resting mosquitoes were sampled.ResultsIn 2008 and 2010, a total of 960 and 1045 mosquitoes were collected,  respectively. Anopheles funestus comprised 9.9% (n = 95) and 10.3% (n = 108) during the two surveys, respectively. Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) was rarely detected during the second survey (n = 6; 0.6%). Molecular identification was performed on samples collected during the first survey, and An. funestus sensu stricto (s.s.) was the only sibling species detected. All the Anopheles mosquitoes were collected from households located in rural areas of Blantyre and none from urban areas. In univariate analysis, the presence of open eaves was associated with increased Anopheles prevalence, both during the dry (incidence rate ratio, IRR = 4.3; 95% CI 2.4 – 7.6) and wet (IRR = 2.47; 95% CI 1.7 – 3.59) seasons.  Chances of detecting Anopheles spp. decreased with increasing altitude (IRR = 0.996; 95% CI 0.995 – 0.997) and during the dry season, but increased during the wet season (IRR = 1.0017; 95% CI 1.0012 – 1.0023). These factors remained significant following a multiple Poisson regression analysis. No association was found between insecticide-treated bednet ownership and the number of Anopheles mosquitoes detected.ConclusionsThe presence of An. funestus s.s and An. gambiae s.l. in the periphery of Blantyre city was an indication that malaria transmission was potentially taking place in these areas

Замена электродвигателя ПЭН турбоприводом на Кемеровской ТЭЦ

В данной работе рассматривается возможность замены электродвигателя ПЭН турбоприводом на Кемеровской ТЭЦ, с установкой турбопривода на существующий фундамент. Целью работы является оценка возможности увеличения отпуска электроэнергии от станции в результате уменьшения затрат на собственные нужды и повышение маневренности ТЭЦ.In this paper we consider the possibility of replacing the turbine drive motor PEN to Kemerovo CHP , with the installation of turbine drive on the existing foundation. The aim is to assess the possibility of increasing the supply of electric power from the plant by reducing the costs of their own needs and improving maneuverability CHP

Race, Ethnicity, and Prosecution in Cook County, Illinois

The analyses reveal few differences in outcomes across racial/ ethnic groups in Cook County. When looking at case approval, dispositions, and charge reductions for all felony offenses combined, differences in the probability of specific outcomes by race/ethnicity are relatively small after accounting for other case factors such as offense severity or number of charges. For many decision points, differences in the probability of specific outcomes range from just 0 percentage points to 4 percentage points across racial/ethnic groups. When looking at specific offense types – person, weapons, property, drugs – differences in the probability of case approval, dispositions, and charge reductions across racial/ethnic groups remain relatively small. Differences in outcomes, however, are more pronounced when examining the use of alternative prosecution and the imposition of custodial sentences. For drug offenses, Black defendants are less likely than White defendants to be referred to an alternative prosecution program (e.g., deferred prosecution, drug court) – differences in the probability of entering an alternative prosecution are roughly 8 percentage points lower for Black defendants than for White defendants. In contrast, differences in the probability of entering an alternative prosecution program are just 2 percentage points lower for Hispanic defendants than for White defendants. In turn, for all offense types, Black defendants are more likely than White defendants to receive a custodial sentence following conviction – differences between Black and White defendants in the probability of custodial sentence range from 6 percentage points for property offenses to 21 percentage points for drug offenses. Again, the probability of receiving a custodial sentence following conviction is more similar for Hispanic and White defendants. Despite these findings, there are limitations to the analyses that prevent drawing strong conclusions. First, the analyses are unable to account for differences in defendant eligibility for alternative prosecution programs, defendant interest in such programs, economic or geographic barriers to participation in alternative prosecution programs – factors that may explain differences in outcomes across groups. Second, the analyses are unable to account for differences in defendant criminal history – a factor that affects both eligibility for alternative prosecution and the imposition of custodial sentences. Differences in criminal history across racial/ethnic groups likely explain much of the difference in custodial sentences across these groups; as such, these results should be viewed very cautiously. There are additional findings to consider beyond differences across racial/ethnic groups. For example, the no probable cause rates and dismissal rates for felony drug cases both appear to be high: roughly 11% of felony drug cases receive a finding of no probable cause and 32% are dismissed (nolle pros). Felony drug cases are unique since they are direct filed by law enforcement and do not go through felony review; thus, after case initiation or at preliminary hearing is the first opportunity a prosecutor has to review a case, which explains some of the higher rates. Relative to other offense types, however, the rates appear high even after accounting for the proportion of person, weapons, and property cases rejected at felony review. The findings suggest opportunities to conserve resources and reduce the burden on defendants by examining how felony drug cases enter the system and how long it takes to dismiss such cases