Effect of Processing Methods on Nutritive and Antinutritive Properties of Seeds of Brachystegia eurycoma and Detarium microcarpum from Nigeria

Proximate analysis of the seeds of Brachystegia eurycoma and Detrarium microcarpum were carried out on both the dehulled and undehulled samples of the flour. The protein content of the seeds are quite low 9.1;7.2 and 11.4;8.2 for undehulled and dehulled Brachystegia eurycoma and Detarium microcarpum, respectively. Crude fibre is less than 3% in each, while ash was less than 5% each per 100gm dry weight of sample. Detarium microcarpum has a higher crude fat composition 18.5±0.03, 15.5±0.02 while Brachystegia eurycoma 15.5±0.04, 14.0±0.01 for the undehulled and dehulled samples respectively. Moisture content is higher in dehulled samples 14.3±0.01 and 16.7±0.03 for both seed types. The available carbohydrate is equally higher in the dehulled samples 59.0±0.01 and 57.0±0.01, respectively for both seeds. The sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium contents were less than 1% each, with calcium having the highest concentration, followed by phosphorous. The phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, saponins and flavonoids. Brachystegia eurcoma showed no presence of tannin. The findings are of nutritional relevance since these seeds are used for soup thickening by many homes in the southeastern Nigeria

Determinants of smallholder vegetable farmers’ access to formal credit in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria

Access to formal credit is one of the major problems hindering agricultural productivity among smallholder farmers who apparently, are the major producers of food in the country. This study examines the socioeconomic factors influencing smallholder vegetable farmers’ access to formal credit in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area, Abia State; specifically, seeks to describe the socio economic characteristics of smallholder vegetable farmers, examine the level of credit access among beneficiaries and identify constraints faced by smallholder vegetable farmers. The study used primary data collected from one-hundred vegetable farmers across 10 purposively selected communities through the aid of structured questionnaires and oral interviews. The study employed descriptive statistics such as mean and percentage and a probit model as analytical tools. Results indicated that education and the level of farm experience at 10% level of significance had positive and significant influence on vegetable farmers’ access to formal credit in the study area. Further analysis showed farmers were constrained with high interest rates, short repayment period and lack of collateral among others. The study recommends reduction in the interest rates of loans given by formal institutions and an extended repayment period as well as the need for a timely disbursement of fund. There is also need for policy aimed at provision of free and affordable education to enable farmers’ access and process information on credit in the study area.Keywords: Smallholder farmers, vegetables, production, and credi

Solid Wastes Composition and Generation in Selected Hotels at Aba and Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

A comparative study on solid wastes composition and generation in selected hotels in Umuahia and Aba metropolis of Abia state was conducted with a single factor experiment in randomized complete block design to determine the types and quantities of municipal solid waste generated at specific location in the two municipalities with three replications in both locations. The result shows Food/putrescible waste and glass/bottles are generated significantly higher than any other wastes types with mean values (73.44kg, 59.89kg 58.77kg, 54.61kg) and respectively in Aba and Umuahia city followed by plastic and polybags with significant low in inert and textile waste with mean value of (14.4kg, 22.03kg) and (13.12kg, 17.28kg) in Umuahia and Aba respectively. The study recommend that waste should be sorted out into their various components at source before disposal and emphasis should be laid on reuse for waste reduction, reuse and recycling of waste to mitigate the problem of waste in our cities.Keywords: Aba, Comparative Study, Hotels, Solid waste, waste compositio

The Woes of Scientific Realism

This paper investigated the disagreement between Realists and Anti-realists on the observable and unobservable distinction in scientific practice. Whilethe realists maintain that machines and gadgets can simulate the human act of perception there-by making all realities under the screen of science observable, the anti-realists or the instrumentalists insist that what cannot be observed with the human senses even if detected with gadgets are not observable. This paper contended against the realist position which says that machines can simulate the human activity of perception. Hence the distinction between what is observable and unobservable is shown to be indisputable

An Assessment of Land Reform Policy Processes in Sierra Leone: A Network Based Approach

A predominantly agrarian country where land is one of the most important productive assets, land reform remains one of the most important but contentious policy issues in Sierra Leone. Despite several failed attempts to reform the country’s current land property rights and administrative arrangements, an assessment of these failed policy formulation policy processes have not been undertaken. In this paper, we use data collected during an elite network survey conducted in Sierra Leone in 2018 to quantitatively evaluate the recent land reform policy efforts that culminated into the 2015 National Land Policy. Specifically, we combine a belief formation model and a legislative decision-making model to quantify the knowledge-based power of the various stakeholders within the policy formulation process and the extent to which this power influences the policy beliefs of policy makers and other key stakeholders in the process formulation process. Our results indicate that the main policy beliefs, as it relates to reform or maintaining the current status quo, do not significantly change as a result of the exchange of expert information. This is because key stakeholders largely rely on their own control and only update their policy beliefs to a very limited extent after communications. Our results also indicate that the policy network structure in Sierra Leone facilitates consensus building, a process that might lead to increased ownership of policy programs by local stakeholders

Examining the Relationship between Federal Government of Nigeria’s Revenue and Expenditure Profiles

This paper examines the relationship between federal government of Nigeria’s revenue and expenditure profile for the period 1970 to 2011. With the aid of E-view statistical package - version 7.0, granger causality tests were carried out on a time series data and to avert the emergence of spurious results, unit root tests were conducted. Other econometric advances of co- integration test and descriptive statistics were deployed to ascertain the order of co- integration and the level of relationships. Outcome of study provides us with mixed results. First, there is a significant unidirectional causal movement from expenditures to revenues for 4 of the 8 revenue–expenditure pairs. This represents an average level of adherence to the Spend -Revenue hypothesis. Second, a significant bidirectional causal effect exists between 4 of the 8 receipt –expenditure pairs. This also indicates that Revenue –Expenditure relationship at the federal level of government in Nigeria finds prevalence in the fiscal synchronization hypothesis. It was ascertained that, ratio of Nigeria’s oil revenue to her federally collected revenue stood at 81%., while that of non –oil accounted for 19% of the total. That is a clear manifestation of her age’s long dependence on crude oil exports. It was equally noted that, the ratio of federal government’s retained revenue to her federally collected revenue stood at about 39%. A functional classification of the expenditure profile reveals that outlays on recurrent expenditure accounted for about 68% of total expenditure, while the remaining balance of 32 % went to capital expenditure. That is certainly not good enough for a nation that is aspiring to grow. A further classification of the expenditure profile indicates that outlays on Administrative services accounted for 33% of the total, economic services 22%, Social and community services 15% and transfers 30%. The indications are rife that, the administration sector and external debt service transfers attracted more than their fare share of public expenditure to the detriment of the economic and social / community welfare sectors. The implication is that directly productive activities such as agriculture, industry and commerce, construction, transport and communication, education, health services and environmental development were relatively underfunded as compared to defense, internal security, general administration and external debt servicing. From the foregoing analysis, it has become imperative that changes must occur in the expenditure structure of federal government of Nigeria, in order to enhance the effectiveness of her fiscal policy instruments and to achieve set goals and objectives. There is therefore the need for a policy shift from the present protective-sectors-dominance to productive- sectors –dominance. The study recommends that as government plans, budgets and implements her expenditure decisions; she should be mindful of her overall level of revenue accruals; set priorities for its allocation and to ensure quality within each of the expenditure categories. These calls for fiscal planning whose primary goals should be to forecast and to take cognizance of resource constraints and the linkages it spurs within the larger economy Keywords: Total Revenue, Retained Revenue, Recurrent Expenditure, Capital Expenditure, Total Expenditure, Fiscal Deficits

Birth weight in relation to health and disease in later life: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

BACKGROUND: Birth weight, a marker of the intrauterine environment, has been extensively studied in epidemiological research in relation to subsequent health and disease. Although numerous meta-analyses have been published examining the association between birth weight and subsequent health-related outcomes, the epidemiological credibility of these associations has not been thoroughly assessed. The objective of this study is to map the diverse health outcomes associated with birth weight and evaluate the credibility and presence of biases in the reported associations. METHODS: An umbrella review was performed to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies investigating the association between birth weight and subsequent health outcomes and traits. For each association, we estimated the summary effect size by random-effects and fixed-effects models, the 95 % confidence interval, and the 95 % prediction interval. We also assessed the between-study heterogeneity, evidence for small-study effects and excess significance bias. We further applied standardized methodological criteria to evaluate the epidemiological credibility of the statistically significant associations. RESULTS: Thirty-nine articles including 78 associations between birth weight and diverse outcomes met the eligibility criteria. A wide range of health outcomes has been studied, ranging from anthropometry and metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular risk factors, various cancers, respiratory diseases and allergies, musculoskeletal traits and perinatal outcomes. Forty-seven of 78 associations presented a nominally significant summary effect and 21 associations remained statistically significant at P < 1 × 10(-6). Thirty associations presented large or very large between-study heterogeneity. Evidence for small-study effects and excess significance bias was present in 13 and 16 associations, respectively. One association with low birth weight (increased risk for all-cause mortality), two dose-response associations with birth weight (higher bone mineral concentration in hip and lower risk for mortality from cardiovascular diseases per 1 kg increase in birth weight) and one association with small-for-gestational age infants with normal birth weight (increased risk for childhood stunting) presented convincing evidence. Eleven additional associations had highly suggestive evidence. CONCLUSIONS: The range of outcomes convincingly associated with birth weight might be narrower than originally described under the "fetal origin hypothesis" of disease. There is weak evidence that birth weight constitutes an effective public health intervention marker

Cholera outbreak in Andoni Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria; January 2015: the role of hand washing with soap

Background: In January 2015, an outbreak of cholera occurred in Andoni, Rivers State. We investigated to identify risk factors for infection and institute control measures.Methods: An un-matched case-control study with 62 cases and 62 neighborhood controls was conducted. A case was defined as an individual aged 5 years or more with three or more episodes of loose watery stool with or without vomiting residing in Andoni from 11th-18th January 2015. A control was a person without history of loose watery stool and vomiting, but residing in Andoni. A Semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on demographic characteristics, clinical information and risk factors. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis was performed using Epi-info version 7. Twenty-one stool samples and 6 water samples from open wells and ponds were analyzed.Result: Median ages for cases and controls were 8.5 (range; 2– 65) and 18 (2–70) years respectively. Females were 32(51.6%) of cases and 36 (56.5%) of controls. The cases and controls did not differ in age and sex. Cases were less likely than controls to wash hands with soap after using the toilet (OR:0.4, Cl:0.17–0.96) and to drink from tap water (OR:0.09, 95% CI:0.01–0.69). Hand washing with soap and water remained protective of the disease after controlling for potential confounders. Eleven (52.4%) of the clinical samples and 6 (100%) of the water samples yielded vibrio cholera non O1/O139.Conclusion: Unhygienic hand washing practices was identified as a risk factor for cholera infection. The source of the outbreak possibly resulted from contaminated wells and ponds. We provided community health education on personal hygiene, with emphasis on hand washing with soap, and recommended super chlorination of wells

A comparative analysis of the mutagenicity of platinum-containing chemotherapeutic agents reveals direct and indirect mutagenic mechanisms.

Platinum-based drugs are a mainstay of cancer chemotherapy. However, their mutagenic effect can increase tumour heterogeneity, contribute to the evolution of treatment resistance and also induce secondary malignancies. We coupled whole genome sequencing with phenotypic investigations on two cell line models to compare the magnitude and examine the mechanism of mutagenicity of cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin. Cisplatin induced significantly more base substitution mutations than carboplatin or oxaliplatin when used at equitoxic concentrations on human TK6 or chicken DT40 cells, and also induced the highest number of short insertions and deletions. The analysis of base substitution spectra revealed that all three tested platinum drugs elicit both a direct mutagenic effect at purine dinucleotides, and an indirect effect of accelerating endogenous mutagenic processes, whereas the direct mutagenic effect appeared to correlate with the level of DNA damage caused as assessed through histone H2AX phosphorylation and single-cell agarose gel electrophoresis, the indirect mutagenic effects were equal. The different mutagenicity and DNA-damaging effect of equitoxic platinum drug treatments suggest that DNA damage independent mechanisms significantly contribute to their cytotoxicity. Thus, the comparatively high mutagenicity of cisplatin should be taken into account in the design of chemotherapeutic regimens

Knowledge and practice of injection safety among nurses at university of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Calabar, Nigeria: implications for nursing education

Exposure to blood borne viruses, by health care workers has been on the increase with nurses mostly affected. These exposures constitute serious challenges in the health care setting as they are common causes of illness and mortality among health care workers including hospitalized patients. Practice of standard precautions has been shown to reduce the risk of exposure to blood and body fluids. Over the years, injection safety has become an integral part of infection control in view of many diseases that are transmitted through unsafe injection practices. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge and practice of injection safety among nurses in UCTH, Calabar using a descriptive research design. The specific objectives were to assess the level of knowledge of nurses about injection safety, assess injection safety practices and ascertain the barriers to injection safety practices among nurses in UCTH. Purposive sampling was used to select one hundred and ninety one (191) nurses across the wards in UCTH Calabar. A checklist containing 37 items was used to elicit information. Frequency and percentages were used for descriptive data while the hypothesis was tested using Chi square (X2) analysis at 0.05 level of significance. Result revealed that 59.7% of the respondents had good knowledge of injection safety and 66.0% had good practice of injection safety while 6.8% had poor practice. Barriers to injection safety practices included inadequate supply of injection safety material, none display of injection safety guidelines. Statistical analysis revealed a significant relationship between level of knowledge and practice of injection safety among nurses (P = 112.8 &lt; 0.05). Recommendations: health care administrators and nurse leaders should display injection safety guidelines, supply injection safety materials and ensure that more nurses are recruited into the workforce.Keywords: Injection Safety, Nurses, Knowledge and practic