Profitability, Inputs Elasticities And Resource-Use Efficiency In Small Scale Cowpea Production In Niger State, Nigeria

The study examined profitability, inputs elasticities and resource-use efficiency in small scale cowpea production in Niger State, Nigeria. The primary data for the study were obtained using structured questionnaire administered to one hundred randomly sampled farmers fromtwo Local Government Areas. Descriptive statistics, gross margin, net farm income, gross ratio, operation ratio and return on capital investment and production function using regression model were used to analyze the data. The result showed that estimated gross margin; net farm income; gross ratio; operating ratio; and return on capital investment gives an estimated values of N28,063.63 per hectare, N25,550.50 per hectare, 0.46, 0.30 and 1.46 respectively.The regression model estimated revealed that double log (Cobb Douglass) as the lead equation with the value of coefficient of determination (R2) 0.765, indicated that 76.5% of the variation in output of cowpea production was explained by the inputs included inregression model. The F-ratio estimated as 16.369 was significant at 1% level of probability. The result also showed that land (X1), labour (X2) and fertilizer (X5) were significant at 1%, level of probability while Seed (X3) was significant at level of probability. Elasticity of production (return to scale) estimated as 14.383 implies that the production is characterizedby increasing return to scale Estimated efficiency ratio( r) shows that the resources used were not efficiently utilized. It was therefore recommended that farm inputs, especially improved seeds and agrochemicals, should be supplied to farmers at the right time and at cost that is within their reach. Also extension agents should be provided to disseminate research findings to cowpea farmers on modern technology

Simulation of Transient Equilibrium Decay Using Analogue Circuit

Abstract unavailable.Key words: analogue, simulation, transient, operational amplifiers, amplitude scalin

On farm evaluation of the effect of crystallizer and soil conditioners on maize growth and yield in Niger State

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of crystallizer and soil conditioners on maize growth and yield. Five locations were used. The farmers’ practice of growing maize was compared side by side with technology of crystallizer and boost extra application. The effects of the applied treatments to maize increase the growth and yield parameter of maize. With the recommended practice field maize vigour on the average for all locations 3 and for farmers practice field on the average was 5 , implying normal vigour and weak vigour respectively. Maize height at maturity on the average for all locations with recommended practice was 262.2 cm and farmers practice field was 228.1 cm. maize yield and it’s component showed a positive respond to all the treatments in terms of percentage increase effect of application as follows height at maturity 13.1, days to 50% tasselling 1.1 and grain yield (kg/ha) 25.6, implying significant increase in height and yield of maize. It is recommended that both farmers and farm managers alike should adopt the application of crystallizers and soil conditioners using recommended practices to ensure proper growth and to obtain optimum yield from maize

On Farm Evaluation of the Effect of Crystallizer and Soil Conditioners on Maize Growth and Yield in Niger State

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of crystallizer and soil conditioners on maize growth and yield. Five locations were used. The farmers’ practice of growing maize was compared side by side with technology of crystallizer and boost extra application. The effects of the applied treatments to maize increase the growth and yield parameter of maize. With the recommended practice field maize vigour on the average for all locations 3 and for farmers practice field on the average was 5 , implying normal vigour and weak vigour respectively. Maize height at maturity on the average for all locations with recommended practice was 262.2 cm and farmers practice field was 228.1 cm. maize yield and it’s component showed a positive respond to all the treatments in terms of percentage increase effect of application as follows height at maturity 13.1, days to 50% tasselling 1.1 and grain yield (kg/ha) 25.6, implying significant increase in height and yield of maize. It is recommended that both farmers and farm managers alike should adopt the application of crystallizers and soil conditioners using recommended practices to ensure proper growth and to obtain optimum yield from maize.Keywords: Crystallizer, Soil conditioners, Maize growth and YieldJournal of Agriculture and Social Research (JASR) Vol. 11, No. 1, 201

Modeling of the Temporal Patterns of Fluoxetine Prescriptions and Suicide Rates in the United States

BACKGROUND: To study the potential association of antidepressant use and suicide at a population level, we analyzed the associations between suicide rates and dispensing of the prototypic SSRI antidepressant fluoxetine in the United States during the period 1960–2002. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Sources of data included Centers of Disease Control and US Census Bureau age-adjusted suicide rates since 1960 and numbers of fluoxetine sales in the US, since its introduction in 1988. We conducted statistical analysis of age-adjusted population data and prescription numbers. Suicide rates fluctuated between 12.2 and 13.7 per 100,000 for the entire population from the early 1960s until 1988. Since then, suicide rates have gradually declined, with the lowest value of 10.4 per 100,000 in 2000. This steady decline is significantly associated with increased numbers of fluoxetine prescriptions dispensed from 2,469,000 in 1988 to 33,320,000 in 2002 (r(s) = −0.92; p < 0.001). Mathematical modeling of what suicide rates would have been during the 1988–2002 period based on pre-1988 data indicates that since the introduction of fluoxetine in 1988 through 2002 there has been a cumulative decrease in expected suicide mortality of 33,600 individuals (posterior median, 95% Bayesian credible interval 22,400–45,000). CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of SSRIs in 1988 has been temporally associated with a substantial reduction in the number of suicides. This effect may have been more apparent in the female population, whom we postulate might have particularly benefited from SSRI treatment. While these types of data cannot lead to conclusions on causality, we suggest here that in the context of untreated depression being the major cause of suicide, antidepressant treatment could have had a contributory role in the reduction of suicide rates in the period 1988–2002

Management of singlet and triplet excitons for efficient white organic light-emitting devices

Lighting accounts for approximately 22 per cent of the electricity consumed in buildings in the United States, with 40 per cent of that amount consumed by inefficient (similar to 15 lm W-1) incandescent lamps(1,2). This has generated increased interest in the use of white electroluminescent organic light-emitting devices, owing to their potential for significantly improved efficiency over incandescent sources combined with low-cost, high-throughput manufacturability. The most impressive characteristics of such devices reported to date have been achieved in all-phosphor-doped devices, which have the potential for 100 per cent internal quantum efficiency(2): the phosphorescent molecules harness the triplet excitons that constitute three-quarters of the bound electron-hole pairs that form during charge injection, and which (unlike the remaining singlet excitons) would otherwise recombine non-radiatively. Here we introduce a different device concept that exploits a blue fluorescent molecule in exchange for a phosphorescent dopant, in combination with green and red phosphor dopants, to yield high power efficiency and stable colour balance, while maintaining the potential for unity internal quantum efficiency. Two distinct modes of energy transfer within this device serve to channel nearly all of the triplet energy to the phosphorescent dopants, retaining the singlet energy exclusively on the blue fluorescent dopant. Additionally, eliminating the exchange energy loss to the blue fluorophore allows for roughly 20 per cent increased power efficiency compared to a fully phosphorescent device. Our device challenges incandescent sources by exhibiting total external quantum and power efficiencies that peak at 18.7 +/- 0.5 per cent and 37.6 +/- 0.6 lm W-1, respectively, decreasing to 18.4 +/- 0.5 per cent and 23.8 +/- 0.5 lm W-1 at a high luminance of 500 cd m(-2).Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/62889/1/nature04645.pd

Atherosclerosis profile and incidence of cardiovascular events: a population-based survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Atherosclerosis is a chronic progressive disease often presenting as clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. This study evaluated the characteristics of individuals with a diagnosis of atherosclerosis and estimated the incidence of CVD events to assist in the early identification of high-risk individuals.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Respondents to the US SHIELD baseline survey were followed for 2 years to observe incident self-reported CVD. Respondents had subclinical atherosclerosis if they reported a diagnosis of narrow or blocked arteries/carotid artery disease without a past clinical CVD event (heart attack, stroke or revascularization). Characteristics of those with atherosclerosis and incident CVD were compared with those who did not report atherosclerosis at baseline but had CVD in the following 2 years using chi-square tests. Logistic regression model identified characteristics associated with atherosclerosis and incident events.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 17,640 respondents, 488 (2.8%) reported having subclinical atherosclerosis at baseline. Subclinical atherosclerosis was associated with age, male gender, dyslipidemia, circulation problems, hypertension, past smoker, and a cholesterol test in past year (OR = 2.2) [all p < 0.05]. Incident CVD was twice as high in respondents with subclinical atherosclerosis (25.8%) as in those without atherosclerosis or clinical CVD (12.2%). In individuals with subclinical atherosclerosis, men (RR = 1.77, p = 0.050) and individuals with circulation problems (RR = 2.36, p = 0.003) were at greatest risk of experiencing CVD events in the next 2 years.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Self-report of subclinical atherosclerosis identified an extremely high-risk group with a >25% risk of a CVD event in the next 2 years. These characteristics may be useful for identifying individuals for more aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic efforts.</p

Analysis of Canadian and Irish forage, oats and commercially available equine concentrate feed for pathogenic fungi and mycotoxins

Respiratory infections, recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) are major causes of poor performance in horses. Fungi and mycotoxins are now recognised as a major cause of these conditions. The most notable fungi are Aspergillus and Fusarium. Fungal spores can originate from forage, bedding and feed and, in turn, these fungal spores can produce a series of mycotoxins as secondary metabolites