Genetic diversity studies of bacteria isolated from Clarias gariepinus along Yewa river in Nigeria using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) techniques and their antibiotic resistance profile

Pathogenic bacteria are responsible for heavy mortality in both wild and cultured fish. Molecular characterization was carried out using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNAPolymerase Chain Reaction technique (RAPD-PCR), sensitivity to antibiotics of bacteria in Clarias gariepinus post juveniles sampled. Bacteria were isolated from the gut, gills and skin of the fish. Identification was done using the conventional culture-based method. Thirty bacteria isolates were selected and the DNAs were extracted using CTAB method, PCR amplification of the isolates was carried out using RAPD primer and five primers were used. Data collected were subjected to descriptive (mean and standard deviation) statistics. There were 63 polymorphic and 14 monomorphic markers generated from the five RAPD markers. The primers generated 77 alleles altogether. Out of the 10 antibiotics used, Cephalexin recorded the highest inhibition zone (33 mm) on one sample, Gentamicin on second sample had (30 mm). The least inhibition zone was recorded in Cotrimoxazole on the second sample with (8 mm), 70.5 % bacteria strains were susceptible to Gentamicin while two samples displayed 100 % resistance to all the antibiotics. This study concluded that there are pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria species in C. gariepinus which could be zoonotic.Keywords: bacteria isolates, genetic diversity, RAPD-PCR, DNA extraction, sensitivity, Clarias gariepinus Polymorphism, Antiboiti

E-Governance and E- Participation: Panaceas for Effective Mobilization of Manpower and Resources in Selected Local Governments in Ogun State

E-governance and e-participation are important stages in the advancement of government processes. They both offer great opportunities as well as new challenges especially in Nigeria with emphasis on selected local governments in Ogun State. E-governance is a new phenomenon in African countries and Nigeria is fast aligning into it, with the aim of addressing many challenges attached to development in Nigeria. Ado-Odo/Ota, Sagamu, Yewa South, Abeokuta South and Ijebu Ode local governments function primarily along the traditional colonial administrative system. . This study considers sectoral aggregation of local government systems such as personnel, community development or relations, Infrastructural needs, spatial environment, etc. Structured and unstructured interviews will be conducted and questionnaires were administered in order to gather data in areas of education, health, recreation, electricity, water supply, empowerment, waste management, traffic control and security. The formulated hypotheses were subjected to statistical validation using multivariate regression analysis. This methodological approach enabled us ascertain whether there exists any significance relationship between eGovernance and effective mobilization of manpower and resources considering the selected local government areas for this study. Judgmental sampling procedures were adequately utilized in the selected local governments which are Ado_Odo/Ota, Sagamu, Yewa South, Ijebu Ode and Abeokuta South. These were based on the distinguishing characteristics of selected sample observations required for this study

Influence of inoculation method and spawn level on biological efficiency of Pleurotus ostreatus

Pleurotus ostreatus, an edible mushroom cultivated worldwide and appreciated due to its exotic taste and nutritional value. Spawning rate and method of spawn application are crucial factors influencing mushroom growth and yield. The objective of this work was to determine the effect of spawn quantity and spawning techniques on the growth and yield of P. ostreatus. It investigated the use of different spawning methods (on-spot, top and bottom, mixin and layering) and spawn levels (3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13%) on the mushroom. The results obtained showed that as the spawn level increased, growth and yield parameters also increased. The highest number of fruits (11.33), fruit weight (65.69g), widest pileus (657cm.) and longest stipe (5.53cm) were observed at 13% spawn level and least in others. The densest mycelia were obtained as from 9% spawn levels; the mean fruit weight was highest (7.56g) at 9%. Significantly shortest days to substrate colonization and primodia initiation were observed at 13% spawn level and the longest at 3%. The results for spawning methods indicated highest biological efficiency (62.57%) when spawn was applied at both ends of the bag while the least was on the on-spot application. Days to substrate colonization and initiation of the mushroom primodia were shorter significantly at p< 0.05. This findings implied that when sufficient amount of spawn is added to a fruiting substrate and applied bi-directionally, the mycelium grows faster and has more energy available for fruiting body formation, hence the increased yield and better biological efficiency.Keywords: Spawning method, spawn level, Pleurotus ostreatus, biological efficienc

Evaluation of yield and yield related traits of exotic grain amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) accessions

Amaranth grain yield varies widely in response to environment, weather conditions, species, genotype and production techniques. With appropriate varieties, yields of grain amaranth can be improved. The objective of this study was to assess the extent of yield variability in exotic grain amaranth accessions between locations. Field trials involving 28 accessions as treatments were conducted at two locations namely the Vegetable Research Farm of the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Idi-Ishin Ibadan and the Teaching & Research Farm of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso. The two locations are in Oyo State, South-West, Nigeria, with Ibadan typifying Forest-Savanna transition zone and Ogbomoso Derived Savanna zone. The field trials were undertaken from August to December 2013. The 28 accessions were replicated three times in a randomized complete block design in each location. Data were collected on growth and yield parameters; inflorescence length, inflorescence weight, 1000-grain weight, grain production efficiency, and grain yield. Variability existed among the accessions of grain amaranth. There were significant (p < 0.05) differences in grain yield of the accessions. Accessions 74-43, RRC1351, RRC399, RRC8 and RRC551 (all of which are Amaranthus Caudatus spp.) produced higher grain yields in both locations compared to the rest of the accessions. The top high-yielding accessions included RRC1351 (1.9 t ha−1), RRC399 (1.8 t ha−1), 74-43 (1.7 t ha−1), RRC8 (1.4 t ha−1) and RRC551 (1.3 t ha−1). Yield of grain amaranth was significantly lower in the more humid Ibadan than the less humid Ogbomoso.Keywords: grain production efficiency, inflorescence length, weight and locatio

Prevalence of ticks on indigenous breed of hunting dogs in Ogun State, Nigeria

Ticks are haematophagous arthropods that are important vectors of diseases of animals and humans, many of which are zoonotic, thus predisposing humans, including hunters to risk. The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of tick infestation among hunting dogs with the aim of determining the danger which the presence of ticks portends, bearing in mind that hunting dogs are kept by the duo of rural and urban dwellers. A total of one hundred and nine (109) hunting dogs were sampled from nineteen (19) different locations in the State. The age, weight and sex of the dogs were noted and recorded as variables. The dogs were thoroughly examined for ticks and other ectoparasites which were collected into properly labelled plastic containers and were transported to the laboratory for identification. Chi-square test was used to compare the prevalence of tick infestation between recorded variables. Significance level was set at p = 0.05 or less. The overall prevalence of tick infestation in the 109 hunting dogs was 56%. The tick prevalence in the male dogs (66.7%) and that in the female dogs (51.9%) was not significantly (p> 0.05) different. Also, tick prevalence in young dogs (53.8%) and adult dogs (62.1%) was not significantly (p>0.05) different. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of tick infestation from urban and rural locations (p<0.05). Of the 352 ticks harvested from the hunting dogs, Rhipicepalus sanguineus constituted 68.2%, Haemaphysalis leachi leachi, 30.6%; and Ambylomma variegatum, 1.21%. The education of the hunters and other persons in close contact with dogs is required for the control of ectoparasites.Keywords: Hunting dogs, Indigenous, Nigeria, Prevalence, Tick

Heat and Mass Transfer for Soret and Dufour’s Effect on Mixed Convection Boundary Layer Flow over a Stretching Vertical Surface in a Porous Medium Filled with a Viscoelastic Fluid in the Presence of Magnetic field

Thermal-diffusion and diffusion-thermo effects on combined heat and mass transfer on mixed convection boundary layer flow over a stretching vertical surface in a porous medium filled with a viscoelastic fluid in the presence of magnetic field is investigated. The partial differential equations governing the problem have been transformed by a similarity transformation into a system of ordinary differential equations which are solved numerically by using the shooting method with sixth-order of Runge-Kutta technique which are compared with Homotopy Adomian’s Decomposition Method (HAM) for special case when magnetic field parameter is zero For fluids of medium molecular weight (H2, air), profiles of the dimensionless velocity, temperature and concentration distributions are shown graphically for various values of parameters embedded in the flow model. Finally, numerical values of physical quantities, such as the local skin friction coefficient, the local Nusselt number and the local Sherwood number are presented in tabular form

Hypogonadism among obese type 2 diabetic men in South-Western Nigeria

Background: Studies have shown that hypogonadism is closely related to the development of Type 2 Diabetes. This study aimed to assess  hypogonadism among type 2 diabetic and obese male patients in Southwest Nigeria.Methods: One hundred and twenty men consisting of thirty obese diabetics, thirty non-obese diabetics, thirty obese non-diabetics and thirty non-obese non-diabetics, were included in the study. Participants were interviewed to obtain data on biodata, reproductive characteristics, and  anthropometry. Venous Blood was collected for the determination of fasting plasma Glucose, glycated haemoglobin, and reproductive hormonal levels.Results: The prevalence of hypogonadism in this study was 20.8%. The mean age of all the participants was 43.39 ± 5.21, most men being in the 40-44 years age group. In this age group, over a third (40%) of the men had low testosterone. Out of the 60 participants who were diabetic, 18 (30%) had low testosterone, two-third of whom (66.7%) were obese. Mean testosterone was significantly lower in obese diabetics when compared with non-obese diabetics. The mean testosterone and FSH were significantly lower in obese non-diabetics as well. Both diabetic and non-diabetic groups had significantly higher estrogen in the obese participants, than in the non-obese.Conclusion: In conclusion, hypogonadism is a common finding among diabetic men, and it occurs in higher frequency with coexisting obesity. Hence, a holistic approach in the treatment of male patients with hypogonadism, type 2 diabetics and obesity should be considered, in order to safeguard their reproductive health. Key Words: Hypogonadism, obesity, FSH, LH, testosterone, Nigeria

Some Physiological Responses of Clarias gariepinus Fed Graded Levels of Cirina forda Larvae Based Diets

The study examined the growth performance, hematological and digestive enzymes of Clarias gariepinus juveniles fed Cirina forda meal (CFM) based diets in the laboratory for a period of 10weeks. Five iso-nitrogenous (30%) experimental diets were formulated at various levels of CFM inclusion levels of 0% (control), 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%, designated as diets Q, A10, B20, C30, D40 and E50 respectively. Fish fed the CFM based diets showed mean weight gain (MWG), specific growth rate (SGR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) comparable to the control diet. There was significant differences in the digestive enzyme activities of the fish as the CFM level in the experimental diets increased. Protease and maltase activities significantly increased, with diet C30 recording the highest maltase activity (4.37) while the cellulase and glucanase activities of the fish significantly (P0.05) between the PCV and RBC of the blood of the fish fed the various diets. Highest RBC (2.75 x106/µL) was obtained in fish fed the control diet while the lowest (2.55 x106/µL) was recorded in the fish fed diet E50. The White Blood Cell count and the Neutrophils of the fish fed the trial diets were not significantly higher (P>0.05) than those of the fish fed the control diets. From the results of this experiment, it is concluded that up to 50% inclusion level of Cirina forda meal in the diet of Clarias gariepinus was tolerable for good growth and physiological well-being of the fish

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