Modelling effects of water stress on the productivity of irrigated wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) in a semiarid condition of Northeastern Nigeria

Lake Chad region is currently experiencing trending issues. Climate change is among the major influencers of these issues that require inevitable consideration for a sustainable ecosystem. Various crop models have been developed and employed in various environmental conditions and management practices, which are cheaper and easier than field experiments. Therefore, crop models could be used to simulate various water management strategies and suggest suitable options. In this work, the FAO AquaCrop model has been evaluated to simulate deficit irrigation (DI) scenarios for wheat crops using data generated from a field experiment. The model simulated grain yield (GY), biomass yield (BMY), biomass production (BMP) and canopy cover (CC) adequately during its calibration and validation. However, its performance in simulating water productivity (WP) and actual crop evapotranspiration (ETa) was low with average r2, NRMSE, model efficiency (EF) and Willmot Index of agreement (d) of 0.58, 11.0 %, -1.40 and 0.69 respectively. The study of DI scenarios using the model revealed that the application of DI throughout the growth stages of the crop could significantly affect GY and WP. The highest GY and WP of 5.3 t/ha and 1.50 kg/m3 were respectively obtained at the application of full irrigation (T100). Increasing DI beyond 20 % depressed both GY and WP significantly. However, increasing the irrigation interval from seven to ten days did not affect GY, thereby improving WP from 1.28 kg/m3 to 1.38 kg/m3. Therefore, applying an 80 % irrigation requirement throughout the wheat growing season at 10-day intervals could save 25 % of irrigation water, a valuable strategy to improve irrigation water use without significant yield reduction. Furthermore, irrigation-related scientists and managers can use the validated model to decide the current and future irrigation water management for similar wheat varieties in similar environmental conditions

Microwave assisted biodiesel production from Lagenaria vulgaris seed oil using amberlyst 15 ion exchange resin and eggshell as catalysts

The study involves the extraction of oil from the seeds of lagenaria vulgaris (Calabash) using soxhlet apparatus. The physicochemical properties of the calabash seeds oil analyzed were; crude oil yield (37.8%), density of oil (0.925g/cm3), acid value of oil (5.6mgKOH/g) and saponification value (190.1mgKOH/g).Catalytic transesterification was carried out using the oil produced in a microwave to yield biodiesel. A comparative analysis of the biodiesel produced from the extracted oil using two different catalysts; Amberlyst 15 ion exchange resin and calcium oxide (waste eggshell) was carried out. The biodiesel production was conducted under different catalyst concentrations, different temperature range and different time (minutes). The best yield of 95.07% was achieved with treated waste eggshell at 600C, 5% catalyst to oil ratio and 40% methanol to oil volume ratio after 40 minutes. Biodiesel characterization showed; specific gravity (0.890g/cm3), acid value (0.7mgKOH/g), API gravity (27.5g/cm3), kinematic viscosity (5.6mm2/s), cloud point (3.50C), pour point (-30C), copper strip corrosion test (1b), flash point (1380C), cetane/diesel index (35.1). The result shows that the biodiesel quality parameters were within the acceptable limits set by ASTM, although blends and additives maybe needed to improve performance.Keywords: Biodiesel, Transesterification, Amberlyst 15, Eggshel

PRENATAL AND POSTNATAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMPARATIVE ANATOMY OF THE MANDIBLE OF THREE BREEDS OF SHEEP: A GROSS STUDY

This study aims to evaluate and compare the development of the mandible and gross anatomy in three breeds of sheep. A total of 180 and 720 prenatal and postnatal samples were used respectively, their skulls were macerated and mandibles detached. In prenatal life, the mental and mandibular foramina were rudimentary in the late 1st trimester and 2nd trimester and developed in the 3rd trimester. The alveolus and mandibular canal differentiated in the 3rd trimesters respectively. In the postnatal life, the ventral border was convexed in Uda but flat in Balami and Yankasa breeds. The angular part of the ramus was thin in Uda and thick in Balami and Yankasa. The mandibular tuberosity was absent in Balami and Yankasa but present in Uda. There was a small accessory foramen caudal to the mental foramen just below the first premolar teeth in the Uda and Yankasa. The labial surface was wide and rough in Balami and Uda but smooth in Yankasa. The medial surface was flat in the young postnatal and convexed in the adult postnatal. It was brought to a conclusion that the mandible in the Nigerian breeds undergoes various morphological changes from prenatal and postnatal ages with peculiar differentiating features

Characteristics of Different Type of Coarse Aggregate on Properties of High Performance Concrete

The weakest links of conventional cement concrete is often occurred at the transition zone around coarse aggregate particles and the bulk of the compressive load is also borne by the cement paste. However, in special concrete such as High Strength Concrete (HSC) and High Performance Concrete (HPC) where, the water/cement ratio is low and high content of cement constitute their characteristics, the bulk compressive load is borne by the aggregate. Therefore, the failure in such concrete is mostly through the aggregate. This study discussed the characteristics of different type of coarse aggregate with distinct size range, 20-14mm and 10-5mm on properties of high performance concrete. In this project, investigation such as Slump test and Unit weight were carried out on fresh properties, and also compressive strength and water absorption on hardened properties, in which, readings were taken at curing days of 7 days, 14 days, and 28 days. The water to cement ratio used is 0.35, 1% super plasticizer of  Conplast SP-430 were added, and the dosage of meta kaolin added was  0%, 7.5% and 15%. The HPC mix, grade M40concrete is designed as per ACI method. The result of the study indicated that the compressive strength increases with an increase in percentage of Metakaolin between 0% to 15% replacements. Basalt-mixed concrete gives higher compressive strength, followed by gneiss-mixed concrete, then granite-mixed concrete. It was also discovered that larger aggregate sizes (20mm-14mm) gives high compressive strength than smaller sizes (5mm-10mm). Therefore for optimum performance up to 15% replacement of Metakaolin can be used with 20mm-14mm sizes of basalt aggregate

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: Prevalence Among Clinical Radiographers in Teaching Hospitals in North-Western Nigeria

  Background:  The components and activities within the scope of radiography practice pose high risks of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) to radiographers in the course of performing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of WMSDs and identify the possible causes among radiographers within the study locality. Methods: A validated self-administered questionnaire was distributed to all registered and licensed radiographers working in teaching hospitals within the region. The questionnaire contained 21 questions, divided into 3 sections; “A” captured demographic data; “B” captured educational qualifications and work experience; and “C” captured the prevalence, possible causes and responses to WRMSDs. Results: The respondents were basically within the age range of 21 – 30 years (66.6%), with most of them being male. Most radiographers had clinical working experience between 1 to 10 years, and worked  between 6-8 hours and above daily, with a case load of 30 patients and above. The reported case of WRMSD was 93.3%. The major identified causes of WRMSDs were maintaining of prolonged static position (20%), and frequent bending and twisting (16.7%). This study showed no statistically significant correlation between gender and WRMSDs. Conclusion: There was remarkable evidence of WRMSDs among the practicing clinical radiographers within the North-Western Nigeria.   &nbsp

Descriptive characterization of suspected yellow fever cases in Kano state, Nigeria, 2015-2018

Introduction: Yellow fever remains a serious public health problem globally with an estimated 200, 000 cases annually despite the availability of an effective vaccine for more than 70 years. Nigeria had an outbreak of Yellow fever in 2017 after more than 2 decades of silence. We described the epidemiological characteristic of yellow fever in Kano State from 2015 to 2018. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of suspected cases of yellow fever in Kano state from January 2015 to December 2018. A suspected yellow fever case was defined as any person residing in Kano state with sudden onset of fever, with jaundice appearing within two weeks of the onset of the first symptoms from the year 2015 to 2018. We calculated incidences, frequencies and proportions using Microsoft excel 2016 and health mapper version 4.3. Results: A total of 107 patients with suspected yellow fever were reported in the state between 2015 and 2018. The median age of the suspected cases was 13years (range 2-120years) and age group 15-44years had the highest number of cases. More males were affected 69 (64%) with rural local governments having the highest number of patients. Generally, the disease occurred all year round with peaks occurring the wet season mostly in June, July and August. The annual incidence increased from 1.7/1,000,000 populations in 2015 to 2.2/1,000,000 populations in 2016, remained at 2.2/1,000,000 populations in 2017 and slightly decreased to 2.1/1000,000 population in 2018. No mortality was recorded during the reporting period. Majority (99.1%) of the suspected patients had never received yellow fever vaccine. Conclusion: The study revealed no change in the incidence rate of suspected Yellow Fever cases in Kano State. Majority of the suspected cases are in the rural areas where immunization coverage was very low. Routine immunization has to be strengthened to address the problem. The findings were reported to the Kano state Ministry of Health for appropriate action

Estrogen receptor modulatory effects of germinated brown rice bioactives in the uterus of rats through the regulation of estrogen-induced genes

PURPOSE: The expression of genes regulated by estrogen in the uterus was studied in ovariectomized (OVX) rats treated with germinated brown rice (GBR) bioactives, and compared to Remifemin or estrogen at different doses to identify the regulation of these genes in the uterus and their molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Rats were treated orally with GBR bioactives (phenolics), acylated steryl glucosides (ASG), γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), and γ-oryzanol (ORZ) at 100 and 200 mg/kg, Remifemin (REM) at 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg, or estrogen (EST) at 0.2 mg/kg. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted from the uterus, and messenger (m)RNA expression of selected genes encoding estrogen receptor-beta (ER-β), calcium-binding protein (CaBP9k), complement protein (C3), heat shock protein 70 kDa (HSP70), and interleukin (IL)-4 receptor were quantified. Similarly, serum steroid hormone concentration was monitored at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatments. ER-β antibody binding to the uterus sections was also studied using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The group treated with EST (0.2 mg/kg) upregulated ER-β, C3, and IL-4 receptor genes compared to other groups (P0.05) in the progesterone levels in the OVX untreated group compared to the sham and other treated groups. There was a significant increase at 8 weeks in the level of FSH (P0.05) in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) between the OVX untreated group and other groups. The sham and GBR phenolics treated group showed ER-β reactivity at the glandular epithelium, while the group treated with EST showed immunoreactivity at the glandular, luminal, and stromal epithelium. CONCLUSION: GBR phenolics moderately regulate the expression of ER-β, HSP70, and IL-4 receptor genes, and gave a positive immunoreaction to ER-β antigen in the uterus. ASG regulates the expression of CaBP9k and IL-4 receptor genes, and ORZ regulates the expression of the CaBP9k gene, while GABA at 100 mg/kg regulates the expression of the HSP70 gene. GBR and its bioactives might have an effect on estrogen-regulated genes in the uterus of rats

The effect of methanolic crude extract of ocimum gratisimum leaves on insulin resistance and glut-4 gene expression in monosodium glutamate induced obese rats

Obesity is a complex chronic global disease affecting people worldwide across all ages, sexes, ethnicities and nationalities. It is accompanied by remodeling of adipocyte, insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes. The present study was aimed to determine the effect of methanolic crude extract of Ocimum gratisimum leaves on insulin resistance and GLUT-4 gene expression in Monosodium induced obese Rats. Phytochemical screening of the crude extract of Ocimum gratisimum leaves was carried out before the grouping of animals. The study was conducted using thirty 30 male Wistar rats weighing between 100.0 – 150.0 g. The animals were divided into five groups of six each; Normal control (NC) rats, Obese control (DC) rats, Obese rats treated with Ocimum gratissimum (OG) 100 mg/kg B.W (OG-100), Obese rats treated with OG 200 mg/kg B.W (OG-200), Obese rats treated with orlistat 50 mg/kg B.W (OR-50). Obesity was induced by oral administration of 8 mg/g MSG for 7 days and animals were treated with respective doses orally for 1 week. The phytochemical screening of the crude extract of Ocimum gratisimum leaves revealed the presence of saponins, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides and the results obtained after induction of obesity with MSG showed significant (P<0.05) increase in weight of the rats. After 1 week of treatment with the extract, the weight, non-fasting blood glucose (NFBG) and HOMA-IR level of the rats decreased significantly (P<0.05) when compared to obese control rats. In addition, the level of serum insulin was increased significantly in all groups while fold expression of GLUT-4 gene was increased significantly (P<0.05) in OG-200 only. In conclusion, the use of methanolic crude extract of Ocimum gratissimum leaves can be a therapy in the treatment of obesity due to its significant hypoglycemic, anti hyperlipidemic and insulin resistance lowering properties

Embryonic Development and Comparative Anatomy of the Mandible

Objective: This study was designed to determine the ossification time and pattern of the mandible. Methodology: Three hundred and fifty (350) wasted fetuses consisting of 70 Balami, 140 each of Uda and Yankasa breeds whose crown vertebral rump length ranged from 3.0-15 cm were used. The fetuses were processed using the Alizarin technique and the mandible was dissected from the head for stereography. Result: The result revealed that the first part of the mandible to develop was the body and mental foramina at the 42nd–44th days of gestation while the coronoid process, rami, and condyloid process develop later at different time points. In addition, the mandibular foramina remained undeveloped in all age groups. Interestingly, the mandibular canal began ossification earlier in the Yankasa breed compared to other breeds. It was shown to arise from a cartilaginous tissue at the medial and lateral surfaces of the body and dorsally remained opened and undifferentiated from the teeth alveoli of the lower jaws in the 7 age groups. Conclusion: It was therefore concluded that the mandible arises from three ossification centres at the body, rami, and coronoid process. These segments develop at different time intervals in the three breeds of sheep with Yankasa mandible ossifying and progressing faster than in Balami and Uda.   Doi: 10.28991/SciMedJ-2021-0301-3 Full Text: PD

Pattern of Pelvic Ultrasound Request and Findings in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi

Background: Pelvic ultrasonography involves the evaluation of pelvic organs and structures. It is valuable in the diagnosis of pathological conditions which are likely causes of pelvic pain.Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the pattern of pelvic ultrasound request and findings in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in the radiology department of ATBUTH. A total of 1,320 ultrasonography records of patients for pelvic examination were reviewed from January 2016 to February 2017,and tabulated according to age, sex, clinical indication and ultrasound findings. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 to determine the mean, frequency and percentages. Pearson’s correlation was used to determine the relationship between clinical indication and ultrasound findings.Results: The age group of 21-30 years and 31- 40 years had the highest frequency (n = 627, 47.5 %) and (n = 321, 24.3%), respectively. Gender distribution were 1158 (87.7 %), for females and 162 (12.3 %) for males. Pelvic pain had the highest indication, 72.3% (n = 955), followed by PID, 9.2% (n = 121), then BPH, 3.4% (n=45) and, ovarian cyst, 2.7 % (n = 36). Conclusion: The highest indication and findings are pelvic pain and pelvic inflammatory diseases, among females while benign prostatic hypertrophy was the highest in males