Demand for energy among households in Ijebu Division, Ogun State, Nigeria

This study examines the influence of householdsÂ’ socio-economic characteristics on household demand for electricity, petrol, diesel, kerosene, firewood, domestic gas, and transport in commercial vehicles. Primary data obtained in a cross-section survey of 90 households selected across six communities in Ijebu-Division of Ogun State, Nigeria was used in estimating a system of energy demand equations and elasticities. The study reveals that an average household in the sample had about five members, headed by a 52 year old male that had about nine years of formal education. The mean monthly household consumption expenditure was N 15,458.63, of which about 25% was expended on the seven commodities. While the influence of education and household size on household energy use were insignificant; income (budget size), household ownership of electrical/electronic appliances and automobiles, as well as age of household heads exercised significant influence on the relative shares of some/all of the seven energy commodities in household budgets in the study area. The income effects were positive for all the energy commodities, except firewood. Demand for petrol, diesel and domestic gas were income elastic. Thus, the study concludes that improvement in income would cause increase in demand for electricity and petroleum products in the study area, but worsening real income would place greater demand on biomass fuel.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Effects of lipid-lowering agents on plasma lipid profile and apolipoprotein B in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objectives: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) accounts for about 90% of all cases of Diabetes Mellitus. Dyslipidaemia has been demonstrated to form a synergy with T2DM as risk factors for cardiovascular events. This study aimed to determine the plasma levels of Lipids and Apolipoprotein B-100 among Type 2 Diabetic patients, assess the effects of Lipid Lowering agents, and to study the relationship, if any, between these lipid parameters and glycemic control.Methods: One hundred and fifty participants consisting of fifty T2DM patients on a lipid-lowering agent, fifty newly diagnosed T2DM patients who are drug naïve (not on any anti-diabetic agent) and fifty apparently healthy non-diabetic controls were recruited for this study. Fasting blood samples were collected from all study participants for determination of Total Cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, Triglycerides(TG), High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL-C) and Apo B-100. Results: The results showed significant increases in plasma TC, LDL-C, TG and Apo B-100 with a remarkable reduction in plasma HDL-C level in the Type 2 Diabetic drug naïve group compared with the treatment and control groups. There was a significant positive  correlation observed between serum Apo B-100 and level of glycaemia in the T2DM drug naïve group.Conclusion: This study further confirms the therapeutic benefits of lipid-lowering agents in reducing Apo B-100 among T2DM patients. Furthermore, maintaining good glycaemic control reduces the risk for the development of dyslipidaemia. Keywords: T2DM, Dyslipidaemia, Cardiovascular Diseases, Apolipoprotein B-100, Nigeria

Artemether-Lumefantrine treatment combined with albendazole and ivermectin induced genotoxicity and hepatotoxicity through oxidative stress in Wistar rats

AbstractMass drug administration against malaria and parasitic worm co-infections is capable of increasing health risk. This study investigated the hepatotoxicity, genotoxicity and oxidative stress induced by combinations of Arthemether-Lumefantrine (A-L) with Albendazole (ABZ) and Ivermectin (IVR) treatments in rats. 65 rats equally distributed into 13 groups were orally gavaged human therapeutic doses (×1.0), half of the doses (×0.5) and twice the doses (×2.0) of these drugs per body weights. Blood, liver and bone marrow cells were analyzed for serum biochemistry, histopathology and micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MNPCE) respectively. Treated rats showed clinical signs of toxicity. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin and malondialdehyde (MDA) significantly increase with concomitant decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the serum. Liver histology revealed single cell hepatocellular necrosis and kupffer cell hyperplasia, multiple foci vacuolar changes in the hepatocytes, thinning of hepatic cord and congestion of the sinusoids by inflammatory cells. Also, frequency of MNPCE significantly increased in the treated rats. The findings revealed that combine treatment of A-L with ABZ and IVR mostly at ×2.0 and ×1.0 induced liver dysfunctions and somatic mutations through oxidative stress in rats. These suggest health risk in wildlife and human populations during treatments with these drug combinations

Psoroptic Mange in a Weaner Pig

Mange is a contagious skin disease affecting various groups of animals. Psoroptic mange is a severe skin condition of farm animals; it is highly contagious and is responsible for huge economic losses in many farm animals. Infestation with Psoroptes has been reported all over the world in various farm animals, but none has ever been reported in swine. A male weaner large white breed pig of age 3 months weighing 10kg was presented with skin lesions and areas of alopecia during a routine farm visit by the handlers. The alopecia was found around the thorax, abdomen and ear regions with severe pruritus, emaciation, wrinkling and thickening of the skin with heavy crust formation on abdomen and the ears, along with curling of the tongue with attending vocal loss noticed on close  observations. A tentative diagnosis of mange was made with the following differential diagnosis: Allergic dermatitis, Bacterial dermatitis, Fly bite dermatitis, Hypovitaminosis. Further confirmatory diagnosis was done by collection of deep skin scrapping from which Psoroptes mites were demonstrated and a case of psoroptic mange diagnosed. To the best of our knowledge this is the first demonstration of Psoroptic mange in pigs. The affected animal was treated using Ivermectin (1%) and Long acting Oxytetracycline (20%). This case may be the first case in which psoroptic mange was reported in pigs with effective ivermectin control. More work should be done on the prevalence and possible molecular characterization of Psoroptic mites on pigs across the globe to ascertain if there are other strains that can affect pigs. Key words: Psoroptes mite, Mange, Ivermectin, and Pig

Determinants of Loan Repayment Behaviour of Smallholder Cooperative Farmers in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria: an Application of Tobit Model

The loan repayment performances of smallholder farmers were examined along with their determinants using data from selected cooperative members in Yewa area of Ogun State, Nigeria. A multistage random sampling technique guided the selection of 110 respondents on whom data were collected using structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and multivariate regression analytical techniques. Results revealed that the average age of respondents was 44.7 years with 36.4% falling into the 20-40 years active working population. Loan distribution showed that 67.3% of respondents received cooperative credit while the remainder received loan from other sources. Only 74.0% of all loans was fully repaid at due dates. Respondents’ average credit use experience was 9 years. A negative association was found between age and repayment performance, suggesting that younger farmers were better performers. From regression results, repayment performances were positively influenced by non-farm income (p<0.05) but negatively affected by loan size (p<0.01). Rates of response were inelastic for all variables: a 100% increase in loan size caused a 27.7% decrease while corresponding increase in non-farm income resulted to a 14.5% increase in repayment performance. Decomposed elasticities revealed that a small change in each variable resulted to a relatively higher change in the elasticity of repayment intensity than it had in elasticity of probability to repay by borrowers that have started repaying. The synergy between repayment performance and non-farm income underscored the strength of livelihood strategies and diversification in boosting economic activities of rural farmers. Loan packages that recognize this synergy and educate borrowers on befitting complementary livelihood options would likely achieve less rates of default from beneficiaries. Keywords: Farm credit, repayment performance, smallholder, cooperative farmers, Nigeria

Self-medication profile of dental patients attending a North Eastern Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria

Background: Self-medication is widely practiced worldwide. Literatures abound on its use for medical ailments but there is paucity of information for dental complaints especially in Northeastern Nigeria. Hence, this study was designed to determine the prevalence of self-medication for dental problems before dental consultation and its associated factors among patients attending Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Dental and MaxillofacialOutpatient Clinic, Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria.Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study based on a structured pretested close-ended interviewer-administered questionnaire was distributed among adults visiting FTH outpatient dental clinic, Gombe, Nigeria for a period of 8 months. The questionnaire was composed of two main sections: demographic characteristics and questions assessing the behaviour of self-medication. The non-probability convenient sampling technique was used and data was stored and analysed using IBM-Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0.Results: The results showed that the prevalence of self-medication was found to be 41.5% (194/468), with a higher prevalence among females (55.1% or 107/194) than males (44.9% or 87/194). The majority (52% or101/194) of the patients were in the 2-4th decades of life. Educational status was significantly associated with self-medication. Analgesics accounted for the greatest percentage (98/164 or 59.8%) of orthodox drugs used followed by antibiotics (62/164 or 37.8%). However, with respect to individual medication consumed, paracetamol accounted for the majority (28.7%). A greater number (55/194 or 28.4%) could not remember the name of the orthodox drugs they took before consultations. Street hawkerswere the main source of these medicaments (36.6 or 71/194%). Fear of dental treatment (20.1% 39/194), ailment is simple and the need not to see a dentist (20.1% 39/194) were claimed to be the main reason for practicing self-medication with periodontitis (53.1% or 103/194), pulpitis (13.9% or 27/194) and pericoronitis (10.8% or 21/194) the main predictors.Conclusion: The prevalence of self-medications to dental problems in this study was discovered to be high with the use of both orthodox and unidentified traditional drugs. National Health Insurance Scheme should be made to cover all social group of Nigerians in order to encourage easy accessibilities of all people to wide range of medical and dental consultations, thereby discouraging the practice of self-medication. Keywords: Self-medication, Dental patients, North-eastern Nigeri

Comparative Haematological and Serum Biochemical Evaluation of Rats Fed with Hydro-ethanolic Leaves Extracts of Moringa oleifera and Telfairia occidentalis

The study was carried out to compare the effect of hydro-ethanolic leaves extract (MOLHE) and (TOLHE) of Moringa oleifera and Telfairia Occidentalis respectively on some haematogical and serum biochemical indices. A total of fifty wistar rats of both sexes (110-255g) were randomly allotted into five groups: A to E (n = 5). Group A (control) received water treatment equivalence.  Groups B and D; C and E received 200mg/kg and 300mg/kg of TOHLE; MOLHE orally for 7 and 14 days respectively. Animals in group B and D significantly increased packed cell volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (Hb) and neutrophil levels. Group C had no significant effect on haematological indices while group E treated with 300mg/kg MOLHE showed dose dependent significant increases in PCV, Hb and lymphocyte levels in comparison with the control. Animals of both extracts recorded insignificant changes in white blood cells (WBC) compared to control. Animals in groups B and C significantly (p<0.05) showed increased total protein concentration at 200mg/kg while serum total cholesterol (TC) wa

CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF BROILER CHICKENS FED DIETS OF DIFFERENTLY PROCESSED CASSAVA-SOYA BLENDS

This study was conducted to evaluate the carcass characteristics of broiler chickens fed diets of differently processed cassava-soya blends (CSB). Two differently dried blends of cassava pulp and soya beans (dry and wet heated), mixed at four (4) different ratios were subjected to two types of dehydration methods to obtain 12 types of blends. These blends were subsequently included in the diets of broiler chickens at 15% in a 2×2×3 factorial arrangement to obtain 12 dietary treatments. 360 one-day-old Cobb-500 broiler chicks used for this study were assigned to the 12 dietary treatment groups which were replicated three times with ten birds each. Eight weeks of feeding trials (starter and finisher phases) were observed. The blends were chemically analysed to determine their proximate, hydrocyanide (HCN) and trypsin inhibition unit (TIU) compositions. Carcass characteristics of the birds were evaluated at the end of the experiment. Results of the carcass characteristics shows that liver mass (2.03%) was higher (p&lt;0.05) in birds fed diets containing wet heated soya bean, compared to those fed diets containing dry heated soyabean. Dehydration by frying of CSB resulted in a higher (p&lt;0.05) dressing percentage (65.9%) and drumstick weight (10.0%). Birds fed diets containing CSB mixed in ratio 50:50 had higher liveweight (2170 g). It can be concluded that replacing 15% of maize in diets of broiler chickens with CSB of 50:50 mixing ratio resulted in higher live weight when compared to other mixing ratios. &nbsp; &nbsp

Providers\u27 and key opinion leaders\u27 attitudes, beliefs, and practices regarding emergency contraception in Nigeria: Key findings

This brief reports on a study in Nigeria to document provider attitudes, beliefs, and practices regarding emergency contraception (ECP), and to identify key opinion leaders’ opinions and insights pertaining to policy and programmatic issues in that country. Findings reveal that ECP is well known in urban Nigeria. Its provision is controlled mainly by the largely unregulated and unmonitored private sector. Government plays a distant role, thereby leaving family planning and ECP supply almost entirely in the hands of donor agencies. For wider availability and affordability of ECP products in both the private and public sectors, official policy action is required, along with increased education of potential users and providers