Potentials of Moringa oleifera Leaf Extracts as Biostimulant on the Field Performance of Sweetcorn

The potentials of Moringa oleifera Leaf Extract (MLE) as a bio-stimulant have been established in some vegetable crops.  A field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti in 2015 cropping season to study the effects of MLE as bio-stimulant on the performance of two varieties of sweet corn. Treatment consisted of two forms of MLE (dry and fresh), three times of application which are 2 weeks after planting (WAP), 2 and 4 WAP, 2, 4 and 6 WAP and a control. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates.  Application of MLE significantly increased plant height; stem girth, number of leaves, cob weight, cob length, kernel row and cob girth of sweet corn. The highest yield in terms of cob weight was observed to be 16.8% and 16.3% higher than the control for dry and fresh methods respectively. The highest cob weight which was 21.15% higher than the control was observed when application was done once. Furthermore, the yellow variety had higher cob weight than white variety with about 2.55%. It is concluded that application of MLE can be used to improve the productivity of sweet corn. Keywords: Sweetcorn, Maize, leaf extract, Moringa olifera, biostimulan

Investment in Education for The Nigerian Economic Development

This study examines investment in education for economic development of Nigeria. Education has been recognized globally as a veritable and strategic venture pivotal to economic transformation of any nation. The study made use of secondary data sourced from Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC) and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and an Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression method was used to analyze the data obtained to show the relationship between enrolments and funding. The result shows that the education sector contribute significantly to economic development as measured by the Gross Domestic Product although the sector is still underfunded most especially the basic and senior secondary levels in view of geometric increase in yearly enrollments and poor infrastructural facilities. The study recommends that the government at all levels should invest more in education and also collaborate with private sector through Private Public Partnership (PPP) initiative to accumulate the much needed funding that will pave way for technological development. It will also guide against brain-drains and significantly alleviate overdependence on aids from the developed nations and educational organizations

DETERMINATION OF AFLATOXIN LEVELS IN COMMERCIAL POULTRY FEEDS SOLD IN SOME PARTS OF SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Aflatoxin contamination of animal feeds is common and widely spread especially in the tropics due to        ubiquity of the producing fungi. This study was carried out to identify and quantify common moulds and        aflatoxin levels in commercial poultry feeds sold in four states of South Western, Nigeria. Twenty sam-        ples of poultry feeds, 5 from each state (Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Oyo) were bought from retailers. The        feed   samples   were   analysed   microbiologically   for   moulds   and   total   aflatoxins   using   Enzyme-linked                                                                              4            4         Immunosorbent   Assay   (ELISA).   Mould   count   ranged   between   1  x   10 and   8   x   10 cfu/g.   Common        moulds   isolated   were   Aspergillus   flavus,   A.  parasiticus,  A.   terreus,   A.  niger,  A.  oryzae,  Rhizopus        oryzae,  and Penicillium notatum.  Total aflatoxin levels ranged between 13.5 and 270 ug/kg. Maize        was the main ingredient in all feeds examined. This study highlights the need for routine surveillance.         Feed millers are encouraged to add fungal growth inhibitors or toxin binders to their feeds.&nbsp

Effects of Neem Aqueous Extract (Azadirachta indica) against Aphids and Aphid-borne Virus in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp)

Pests and diseases are among the major factors limiting plant growth and yields. Pests are known vectors of pathogens including viruses. Proper management of plant pests is an indirect means of controlling viral diseases in plants. This study aimed at comparing the potential of neem extract and a synthetic insecticide (lambda cyhalothrin) for the management of aphids and Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV) in five different cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) genotypes and to determine the residual effects of the insecticide in the cowpea grains. The experimental field was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replicates. Treatments included; spraying of cowpea plots with aqueous neem extract and lambda cyhalothrin (LC) twice at foliage stage, once at flowering and podding stages. Control plots were left unsprayed. Data were obtained on growth and yields of cowpea genotypes as well as the pest and virus disease traits. Results of the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that variations attributable to genotypes were significant (p ≤ 0.01) for cowpea yields and virus disease traits. Treatments applied influenced the occurrence of pests and virus diseases. Neem extract reduced aphid infestations and virus diseases as much as the insecticide. Ife BPC accumulated a very high level of LC (1.14 ppm) in its grain when compared with the maximum residue level (MRL) for lambda cyalothrin in cowpea seeds. The study concludes that the use of eco-friendly bio-pesticide such as neem aqueous extract is effective for the management of aphids and aphid-borne virus in cowpea fields. Keywords: Aphids; aqueous extract; cowpea; neem; pesticide; viru

Iron deficiency anaemia among apparently healthy pre-school children in Lagos, Nigeria

Background: Iron deficiency, and specifically iron deficiency anaemia, remains one of the most severe and important nutritional deficiencies in the world today.Objective: To estimate the prevalence and associated factors for iron deficiency anaemia among pre-school children in Lagos.Methodology: The study was conducted from December 2009 to February 2010 at the outpatient clinics of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos. Serum iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation and serum ferritin were assayed in subjects. The primary outcome measured was iron deficiency anaemia established based on the following criteria: hemoglobin <11.0 g/dl1 plus 2 or more of the following: MCV <70fl, transferrin saturation <10% or serum ferritin <15ng/ dL. Statistical analysis included Pearson Chi square analysis and logistic regression analysis.Results: A total of 87 apparently healthy subjects were recruited. Only one subject had iron depletion and this child belonged to the ≤ 2 years age category. None of the recruited subjects had iron deficiency without anaemia. Nine of the study subjects (10.11%) had iron deficiency anaemia. The prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia was significantly higher among younger age group than in the older age group (19.1% Vs 2.1%, p = 0.022). The prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia was significantly higher among subjects with weight-for-age, and weight-for-height Z scores below two standard scores (83.3% and 75.0% respectively, p = <0.001 and 0.001 respectively).Conclusion: The overall prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia among study subjects was 10.11%. Iron deficiency anaemia was more common in children aged two years and below. Weight-for-age and weight-for-height Z scores below minus two standard scores were strongly associated with iron deficiency anaemia.Keywords: iron deficiency anaemia, iron depletion, iron deficienc

South African trends in medical aid coverage and stated healthcare-seeking preferences : 2004–14

Using population-weighted general household surveys (GHS) covering the years 2004–14, this study examines trends in medical aid coverage and healthcare facility utilisation across a spectrum of socio-demographic variables. As there are few obvious patterns in the raw health variables' time series, the analysis relies upon both parametric and nonparametric regression analysis to smooth the time series in order to outline a few general trends. Over time, medical aid coverage and the general population's ‘preference’ for public health care decreased by 0.2% and 0.1% per year, respectively. Moreover, the probability that an individual, who is covered by a medical aid scheme, states their willingness to use public health care decreased by 44%.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cdsa202019-02-20hj2017Economic

Radiological assessment of natural radionuclide contents in soils from Omala, Kogi State, Nigeria.

High purity germanium detector (HPGe) was employed to assess radionuclide contents of 238U, 40K and 232Th in soils obtained from Omala, Kogi State, Nigeria. The activities measured vary from 9.0 to 82.2, 12.3 to 114.86 and below detector limit (BDL) and 349.0 Bq Kg-1 in 238U, 232Th and 40K respectively. Highest activities for the three radionuclides were consistently obtained from soil samples got from Igaliwu. The measured activities were engaged to estimate the absorbed dose, annual outdoor effective dose and gamma index. It was observed from the absorbed dose, annual equivalent dose and the gamma index estimated that soils from Igaliwu, Ijeke-ogene and Bagana were found to be higher than the recommended safe limit for normal background. This suggests that those living or using the soil for construction purposes are exposed to high radiation burden from natural radionuclides

Knowledge and Adherence to COVID-19 Preventive Measures: A Continental Review

Background: The burden of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been on the rise since it was first reported in December 2019. COVID-19 has devastated global economy, public health, social interaction, and has claimed millions of lives globally within a few months. Due to the severe effect of some of the instituted guidelines on citizens and the economy, some of the policies in place to curtail the spread were receded. Hence, the present review aims to assess existing literature on the knowledge and adherence of Africans toward the COVID-19 preventive measures. Methods: Studies focused on Africans’ knowledge and adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures were selected using Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed databases. Preprints that have not been peer-reviewed, reviews, and non-COVID-19 studies were excluded. Results: All selected studies showed a satisfactory knowledge of respondents about COVID-19 but poor level of adherence to the preventive measures. Good knowledge and satisfactory level of adherence was common mostly among the clinical health workers, highly educated, and those with higher professional qualification, while poor knowledge and poor practice was observed mostly among rural dwellers, people of poor educational background, and those unable to read and write. Conclusion: This review identified a relatively good knowledge about COVID-19 from all the studies, however, the level of adherence to preventive measures was poor. We recommend that the populace adhere to the laid guidelines to ensure the spread of the virus is curbed while also enhancing the eradication of the pandemic. Keywords: COVID-19, adherence, knowledge, preventive measures, Afric

Genetic Variations, Heritability and Genetic Advance Studies among Okra Accessions grown in different Agro-ecological Zones in Nigeria

Some level of variation within crop varieties is highly important for its improvement with the aids of good plant breeding methods. A field research experiment was carried out with the aim to estimate genetic variation and heritability in the okra accessions grown in different agro-ecological zones in Nigeria. Twenty okra accessions were obtained from various locations in different agro-ecological zones of Nigeria. Twenty okra accessions were evaluated between April to August 2018 at Ekiti State University Teaching and Research Farm, Ekiti State. These twenty okra accessions constituted the treatment, which was lied out in a RCBD in a three replicates. The result were highly significant (p<0.01) for all the traits studied. Magnitude of the phenotypic coefficient of variances were slightly higher than genotypic coefficient of variances in this study which showed that environment did not much influence the estimates of genetic performance. The coefficient of phenotypic and genotypic variances were high in the traits studied. Heritability estimates ranges from 75.04% for days to 50% flowering to 98.85% for weight of 100 seeds. High heritability with high genetic advance were observed for all the studied traits indicating that they are governed by additive gene action and this could be improved through simple selection except days to 50% flowering with the lowest heritability value coupled with the lowest genetic advance value lesser than 10%