Re-Six decades of infectious bursal disease in poultry: The journey so far and challenges ahead

The initial version of the article published in Volume 19 (September 2021) contained an error in the issue number written on the first page. The correct issue number is 19(3) and not 19(2) as earlier published

The veterinary perspective of COVID-19

Coronaviridae is a family of RNA viruses responsible for two previous epidemics of viral pneumonia and related illnesses: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2002 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2012. The current COVID-19 pandemic is caused by a new member of the family Coronaviridae, named SARS-CoV-2 which emerged in December, 2019 in Wuhan, China. Infected persons present with severe respiratory illness including pneumonia. There have been reports of confirmed cases in different animal species that became infected with SARS-CoV-2, suggesting possible reverse zoonosis. In this review, we discussed the origin, biology, genome organization, replication and virus entry into host cells, immune mechanisms, epidemiological trends, prevention and control strategies employed in combating the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: COVID-19, Epidemiological trend, Pandemic, SARS-CoV-

A survey of fish fauna distribution and abundance in Gwaigwaye Reservoir Katsina State, Nigeria

The study on a survey of fish fauna distributions and abundance in Gwaigwaye Reservoir, Katsina State was carried out from May 2013 to April 2014 to establish physical, chemical, and biological parameters (fish) of Gwaigwaye reservoir. Four sampling stations were selected. Some physico-chemical parameters were also determine to assess the level of pollution of the reservoir using standard methods and procedures which were correlated with the different fish species to determine fish abundance and distributions. Analysis of variance indicates no significant difference in fish fauna distribution and abundance among the four stations (P>0.05). The result indicated Fish fauna percentage composition were Tilapia zilli (17.32%), Clarias gariepinus (16.17%), Oreochromis niloticus (15.27%), Lates niloticus (13.80%), Bagrus. bayad (12.91%), Momyrus senegalensis (9.90%), Labeo senegalensis (7.41%) and Synodontis clarias (7.28%)

Fiscal Deficit And Economic Growth, Nigeria Experience

This study examines impact of fiscal deficit on the growth of Nigerian economy using co-integration and error correction. Secondary data were gathered from various sources such as; the Central Bank of Nigeria statistical bulletin, economic and financial review monthly and annual reports and statement of accounts for various years. The time series property of the data employed, are first to be investigated. This is then followed by testing for co-integrated variables. From the unit root test, the results clearly indicate that the variables are integrated of the same order at first difference. Also, from the multivariate co-integration test, within the Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) the results indicate that there are, at most, two co-integrating vectors. This implies that there exists a stable long-run relationship between economic growth and budgeting components. From the study, it was discovered that deficit budget is one of the indicators of macroeconomic instability and significantly discourage human capital accumulation. However, recommendations are made based on the findings among which are that government should set its priorities right, be more committed to budget implementation and to pay more attention to capital expenditure geared towards growth

Retrieval and Representation of Nucleotide Sequence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cystathionine Gamma-Lyase (CYS3) Gene in Five Formats

Educational programmes all over the world are facing increasing pressure to integrate information technology in the curriculum. Knowledge of bioinformatics is at infancy in Nigeria it is therefore imperative to develop and build the capacity for high-throughput determination and  computational analysis of the nucleotide base sequences of the genomes of organisms. The present communication navigated the ENTREZ Web page and downloaded sequences of Cystathionine gamma- lyase gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The sequence is then represented in the five best known database formats namely Plain, FASTA, EMBL, GCG and Genebank thereby making it more visible and available for other research applications such as comparative genomic analysis, evolutionary studies, searching for and identification of regulatory elements and scanning for mutations. The present study highlights data retrieval and representation. Data retrieval is important as it provides the opportunity to engage in data mining for discovery, a convenient alternative to traditional wet  laboratories, providing biological insights, and proficiency to access and use the vast repository of computational and webbased resources which are the most available information in the world today.Keywords: Nucleotide, Database, Genome, GenBank

Poly-3-hydroxyalkanoates production potential of Bacillus cereus C113 isolated from cassava dumpsite using some carbon sources

Poly-3-hydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biopolymers accumulated as intracellular energy reserves by bacteria under nutrient limiting growth conditions and suitable for plastic production. We report findings from the use of a bacterium isolated from a cassava dumpsite for PHAs production. Isolate C113 was screened for PHAs production using the viable colony and Sudan Black B staining methods and further identified by 16SrRNA sequencing. Its PHA synthase gene, PhaR, was also partially amplified and sequenced. PHAs production was achieved over 96-hour incubation, extracted by NaClO/chloroform method and analysed by FT-IR. Isolate C113 was positive for PHA production in all carbon sources and was identified as a strain of Bacillus cereus. It showed highest biomass accumulation in glucose and starch. It achieved PHAs production of 4.85 % dry cell weight (DCW) in glucose, 33.03 %DCW in glycerol and 6.05 %DCW in sugarcane molasses at 24 hours while 10.58 %DCW was produced in starch at 96 hours. FT-IR spectra showed peaks corresponding to P3HB and P3HB3HV and reveal conformational changes of mcl-PHA and scl-PHA in crystalline and amorphous phases. The 16SrRNA (KY855372.1) and PhaR (MF947451.1) sequences have been accessioned in NCBIGenBank. The results show that Bacillus cereus C113 demonstrated capacity to utilize a variety of carbon sources for PHAs production

Kinetics of Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Paunch Manure and Sugarcane Peels using Cow Dung as Inoculum

Anaerobic co-digestion offers a prospective medium for transforming organic solid wastes into fuel, thereby providing an extra source of energy. This study investigates the kinetics of anaerobic co-digestion of paunch manure and sugarcane peels using cow dung as inoculum for biogas production. Anaerobic assay setup was in 3 digesters of 4 replicates with a total of 12 replicate batch digesters under mesophilic temperature range (30-35°C) for a retention time of 30 days. Cumulative biogas production for all digesters were measured and fitted to some selected models. The modified Gompertz equation was tested for its fitness. The kinetic parameters viz., biogas yield potential (P), maximum biogas production rate (Rm) and the duration of lag phase (λ) were recorded for each case as the digester with 0g sugarcane peels (control) produced maximum biogas of (83.14 (mL/g VS)) and the kinetic parameters P, Rm and λ were 89.0018 ml (g VS-1), 4.7089 ml (g VS d)-1, 0.8734 days respectively. It was observed that biogas production potential was inversely proportional to the substrate concentration of sugarcane peels in the digesters, the highest concentration of sugarcane peels (1.8g SP) recorded the lowest quantity of biogas with 37.9075 mL/g VS, 1.4547 g VS-1, 1.0891 days. Therefore, sugarcane peels should be co-digested with other substrates. The experimental kinetic data in-line with the Gompertz Model, Modified Gompertz Model Equation

Prognosis of diabetes complications and efficacy of Guiera senegalensis aqueous leaf extract in streptozotocin induced-diabetic rats

Diabetes epidemics pose a serious health care problems and a huge burden on the economy of both developed and developing nations. Precise prognosis and the discovery of cost effective drugs for its management would serve as catalyst to economic recovery. This study is aimed at evaluating the prognosis of diabetes complications and the efficacy of Guiera senegalensis aqueous leaf extract in streptozotocin (STZ) induced-diabetic rats. Twelve (12) adult male Wistar rats were used in this study. Diabetes was induced by administration of 60 mg/kg of streptozotocin. Diabetic rats were treated orally with the aid of a gavage 500 mg/kg of aqueous extract of Guiera senegalensis for 21 days. Fasting blood glucose and body weight were monitored at intervals of 7 days. Some antioxidant enzymes, lipid profile and indices of renal function were assayed after the 21st day. Post administration of 60 mg/kg of STZ produced significant (P<0.05) increases in fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, Na+, and K+ levels. Body weight, catalase and HDLcholesterol levels were reduced. Related biochemical indices (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, LDL cholesterol, urea, creatinine, Cl− and bicarbonate) were similarly modulated by STZ but the effects were not significant relative tothe normal control. Administration of extract of Guiera senegalensis reverses the effects of STZ on these parameters. Although they were not completely brought back to normal in some cases. These findings are indications that Guiera senegalensis has the capacity to attenuate some complications of diabetes mellitus and could be considered as a potent anti-diabetic plant.Keywords: Attenuate, catalyst, epidemics, gavage, prognosis, streptozotoci

Relationship between serum Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and cardiovascular risk factors in diabetic patients in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is associated with hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia and oxidative stress. Oxidative damage, indicated by elevated levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA), plays a vital role in development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in diabetic patients. Serum Malondialdehyde (MDA) has been used as a biomarker of lipid peroxidation and has served as an indicator of free radical damage. Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate serum Malondialdehydelevels and investigate its relationship to Cardiovascular risk factors in diabetic patients in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Methods: We assessed serum Malondialdehyde levels and lipid profile in 139 men and women with type 2 diabetes in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, Nigeria, a cross-sectional study. The subjects consisted of 36 males (26 %) of mean aged 53±0.1 SD and 103 females (74 %) of mean aged 52±0,2SEM. Diabetes mellitus status was confirmed biochemically according to World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for classification of diabetes mellitus. Concentrations of serum MDA was measured using the method of Draper and Hardley. Data for selected clinical/demographic variables were obtained from fasting blood samples and an interviewer-assisted questionnaire. Results: The mean serum MDA and TG concentration were higher in diabetic individuals than in control subjects (2.1±0.1vs 0.7±0.0 (p=0.01)); (1.5±0.1vs1.1±0.0 (p=0.01)) respectively. There is no statically significant difference in the mean values of serum TC, HDL, LDL, and TC:HDL in diabetic patients and controls (p>0.05). There were no correlations between serum MDA and lipids (TC, TG, HDL, LDL,TC:HDL), FBG, HBA1c,BMI, BP and Duration of Diabetes in diabetic patients (p>0.05) Conclusion: There are increases in free radical activity and lipid peroxidation in individuals with type 2 diabetic mellitus. In addition, MDA associate independently with cardiovascular disease

Sb2Te3 crystal a potential absorber material for broadband photodetector: a first-principles study

Antimony telluride (Sb2Te3), a layered semiconductor material, is considered a promising absorbing material for a high-performance optoelectronic device within broadband wavelengths because of remarkable features like strong optical absorbance and the narrow direct band gap. In this work, based on the first-principles approach, we investigate in detail the structural, electronic and optical properties of the hexagonal Sb2Te3 compound. The structural and electronic properties were computed using the first-principles approach, treating exchange–correlation potential with generalized gradient approximation (GGA) within density functional theory (DFT). Furthermore, for accurate prediction of the band gap, we go beyond DFT and calculated band structure using GW correction. The optical properties, namely, imaginary and real parts of complex dielectric function, absorption coefficient, refractive index, reflectivity, extinction coefficient, electron energy loss function and optical conductivity are performed by quasi-particle many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) via Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE). The computed structural parameters are in good agreement with available experimental data. The obtained quasi-particle (GW) correction band structure show the semiconducting character of Sb2Te3 material with a direct band gap Eg of 0.221 eV, in agreement with previously reported value (Eg = 0.210 eV) while the projected density of states indicates (PDOS) that the p-orbital of Sb and Te atoms are responsible for material properties near the Fermi level. To our knowledge, our first reported calculations of optical properties, with the inclusion of electron-hole effects are consistent with available experimental measurements. Consistencies of our findings with experimental data validate the effectiveness of electron-hole interaction for theoretical investigation of optical properties