Determinants of Productivity among Firms Producing Agribusiness-Based Raw Materials and Those Using Them for Production in Abia State, Nigeria

The study was designed to analyze the determinants of productivity among firms with specialization in producing and using agricultural products respectively in Abia State, Nigeria. Data were collected with structured questionnaire from 72 randomly selected firms comprising firms using and producing agricultural products respectively. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics, chi-square and multiple regression analyses models. Results show that majority (56.25%) of firms using agricultural products are experienced and acclimatized to the investment climate of the area, 68.75% and 71.42% of the firms using and producing agricultural products respectively never borrowed their start-up capital, 87.7% and 100% of the firms producing and using of agricultural products in the study area have asset worth of  N1-N10 million naira respectively and, there is a deep impression that marketing problems in conjunction with capital inadequacy (68.75%) have profoundly constrained the productivity of both firms. It further revealed that there is a significant difference between employee qualification and productivity and also a significant difference between on-job training and productivity of the firms. The multiple regression analysis showed that taxation and amount paid to employees was significant and negatively related to productivity whereas, amount invested in manpower and working condition of employees was significant and positively related to productivity. On the basis of the results, the study recommended among other factors, improved and good wages and salaries incentives to employees as a panacea for their continual stay with the firms. This will also boost their morale and enhance productivity. Keywords: productivity, firms, producing, agricultural products

Kajian Spasial Faktor Risiko Terjadinya Kejadian Luar Biasa Campak dengan Geographical Information System

Cakupan imunisasi yang tinggi bukan jaminan tidak terjadi Kejadian Luar Biasa (KLB) campak. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui faktor risiko penyebab terjadinya KLB campak di wilayah kerja Puskesmas KualinKabupaten TTS. Metode penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dan kuantitatif. Data primer dari hasil investigasi KLB campak dan wawancara dengan responden. Jumlah sampel sebanyak 204 responden yang terdiri dari 102 kasus yang diambil dengan metode total sampling dan 102 kontrol yang diambil dengan metode purposive sampling. Desain penelitian yang digunakan adalah cross sectional study dan data analisis secaraspacial menggunakan GIS. Data dianalisis menggunakan uji chi-square. Penelitian ini menunjukkan sebanyak 94,1% berumur <15 tahun, dengan persentase laki-laki sebesar 54,9%, tidak diimunisasi 93,1%, dan sebesar 67,5% penderita tidak memperoleh vitamin A. Hasil uji chi-square diperoleh umur, vitamin A, status imunisasi, status gizi, pendapatan keluarga, kepadatan hunian, penyakit infeksi dan riwayat kontak sebagai faktor risiko terjadinya KLB Campak. Faktor risiko yang bersifat sebagai protektor adalah status imunisasi, pemberian vitamin A, status gizi, tingkat kepadatan hunian dan penyakit infeksi

Usability assessment of an intraoperative planning software

Usability is a crucial aspect of medical device safety. The brand-new European Regulation requires the manufacturer to assess the usability of the new medical devices. In this study, we evaluate the usability of a new medical device intended to assist the intraoperative planning with the visualization of 3d patient-specific organ models. The usability study started from the early stage of the device design and iterated through an early formative, completed with desk-based activities, late formative, completed with a focus group, and summative phase, that comprised a user test, and questionnaire filling. The identified usability issues are mitigated, the safety of the device user interface is confirmed and the training contents are defined and confirmed. Additional information regarding the user experience is collected and analyzed to identify further improvements of the device

Molecular Characterization of Three Cultivars of Tomato (Lycopersicon Esculentum L.) in South-West Nigeria Using SSR Markers

Molecular characterisation of local tomato cultivars – Ibadan Local (IbL), Ife and JM94/46 (JM) were assessed using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Out of ten SSR primer pairs used, three primer pairs were able to differentiate amplified genomic DNA of the cultivars. Unweighted Pair Group Method Using Arithmetic Average (UPGMA) cluster analysis of the data showed a close relationship between IbL and Ife with a genetic distance (GD) of 0.067; Ife and JM had GD of 0.2 and JM and Ife had GD of 0.25

Modeling methodology for defining a priori the hydrodynamics of a dynamic suspension bioreactor. Application to human induced pluripotent stem cell culture

Three-dimensional dynamic suspension is becoming an effective cell culture method for a wide range of bioprocesses, with an increasing number of bioreactors proposed for this purpose. The complex hydrodynamics establishing within these devices affects bioprocess outcomes and efficiency, and usually expensive in vitro trial-and-error experiments are needed to properly set the working parameters. Here we propose a methodology to define a priori the hydrodynamic working parameters of a dynamic suspension bioreactor, selected as a test case because of the complex hydrodynamics characterizing its operating condition. A combination of computational and analytical approaches was applied to generate operational guideline graphs for defining a priori specific working parameters. In detail, 43 simulations were performed under pulsed flow regime to characterize advective transport within the device depending on different operative conditions, i.e., culture medium flow rate and its duty cycle, cultured particle diameter, and initial particle suspension volume. The operational guideline graphs were then used to set specific hydrodynamic working parameters for an in vitro proof-of-principle test, where human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) aggregates were cultured for 24 h within the bioreactor. The in vitro findings showed that, under the selected pulsed flow regime, sedimentation was avoided, hiPSC aggregate circularity and viability were preserved, and culture heterogeneity was reduced, thus confirming the appropriateness of the a priori method. This methodology has the potential to be adaptable to other dynamic suspension devices to support experimental studies by providing in silico-based a priori knowledge, useful to limit costs and to optimize culture bioprocesses

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INCIDENCE OF MEASLES IN TIMOR TENGAH SELATAN DISTRICT, NUSA TENGGARA TIMUR

BACKGROUND: Immunization coverage is only one of the determinants of measles incidence. High immunization is not a guaranty to avoid an extraordinary incidence of measles. This study aimed to determine factors associated with the incidence of measles in Timor Tengah Selatan district, Nusa Tenggara Timur. SUBJECT AND METHODS: This was a case control study conducted in Kualin community health center, Timor Tengah Selatan district, Nusa Tenggara Timur. 102 cases of measles were compared with 102 controls. The independent variables included age, sex, nutritional status, access to vitamin A, immunization status, house crowdedness, presence of contact, education, family income, house ventilation, and house light. The dependent variable was measles case. Odds Ratio (OR) and chi square statistic were used to show bivariate association and statistical significance. RESULTS: Poor nutritional status (OR= 29.79; p<0.001), no access to vitamin A program (OR= 39.36; p<0.001), no immunization (OR=159.46; p<0.001), crowded house (OR= 18.62; p<0.001), and presence of contact (OR=9.78; p<0.001) were found to be risk factors of measles. Age ≥15 years old (OR=0.09; p=0.010) and higher family income (OR=0.03; p<0.001) were found to be protective factors of measles. The association between sex (OR= 1.26; p=0.484), education (OR=0.83; p=0.732), existence of house ventilation (OR= 0.77; p=0.597), house light (OR=0.88; p=0.860), and the risk of measles was not statistically significant. CONCLUTION: Poor nutritional status, no access to vitamin A program, no immunization, crowded house, and presence of contact, are risk factors of measles. Age ≥15 years old and higher family income are protective factors of measles. Keywords: measles, risk factor

Physical Habitat and Fish Assemblage Relationships with Landscape Variables at Multiple Spatial Scales in Wadeable Iowa Streams

Landscapes in Iowa and other midwestern states have been profoundly altered by conversion of native prairies to agriculture. We analyzed landscape data collected at multiple spatial scales to explore relationships with reach-scale physical habitat and fish assemblage data from 93 randomly selected sites on second- through fifth-order wadeable Iowa streams. Ordination of sites by physical habitat showed significant gradients of channel shape, habitat complexity, substrate composition, and stream size. Several landscape variables were significantly associated with the physical habitat ordination. Row crop land use was associated with fine substrates and steep bank angles, whereas wetland land cover and greater sinuosity and catchment land area were associated with complex channel and bank morphology and greater residual pool volume, woody debris, and canopy cover. Thirteen landscape variables were significant predictors of physical habitat variables in multiple linear regressions, with adjusted R 2 values ranging from 0.07 to 0.74. Inclusion of landscape variables with physical habitat variables in multiple regression models predicting fish assemblage metrics and a fish index of biotic integrity resulted in negligible improvements over models based on only physical habitat variables. Physical habitat in wadeable Iowa streams is strongly associated with landscape characteristics. Results of this study and previous studies suggest that (1) landscape factors directly influence physical habitat, (2) physical habitat directly influences fish assemblages, and (3) the influence of landscape factors on fish assemblages is primarily indirect. Understanding how landscape factors, such as human land use, influence physical habitat and fish assemblages will help managers make more informed decisions for improving Iowa\u27s wadeable streams

Increased pre-therapeutic serum vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with early clinical relapse of osteosarcoma

To investigate the clinical significance of circulating angiogenic factors, especially in association with early relapse of osteosarcoma, we quantified pre-therapeutic levels of vascular endothelial growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor and placenta growth factor in the sera of 16 patients with osteosarcoma using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. After a 1-year follow-up, the serum level of angiogenic factors was analysed with respect to microvessel density of the biopsy specimen and clinical disease relapse. The serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels were positively correlated with the microvessel density with statistical significance (P=0.004; Spearman rank correlation) and also significantly higher in seven patients who developed pulmonary metastasis than the remaining nine patients without detectable disease relapse (P=0.0009; The Mann–Whitney U-test). In contrast, the serum levels of basic fibroblast growth factor or placenta growth factor failed to show significant correlation with the microvessel density or relapse of the disease. Although there was no significant correlation between serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels and the tumour volume, the serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels were significantly higher in patients with a vascular endothelial growth factor-positive tumour than those with a vascular endothelial growth factor-negative tumour. These findings suggest that the pre-therapeutic serum vascular endothelial growth factor level reflects the angiogenic property of primary tumour and may have a predictive value on early disease relapse of osteosarcoma