Measurement of farm level efficiency of home gardens in Uyo, Nigeria: A stochastic production frontier approach

To investigate the farm level efficiency of home vegetable gardens in Uyo, a stochastic production function which incorporates a model for the technical inefficiency effects was used. Using farm-level data from 80 home gardeners obtained through structured questionnaire, the parameters were estimated simultaneously with those of the model of inefficiency effect. Variables included in the model for the efficiency effects were land, family labour, fertilizer, hired labour, manure and capital. Asymptotic parameter estimates were evaluated to describe efficiency determinants using the maximum likelihood estimation technique. Results reveal that the most important resource inputs were family labour, land, manure and hired labour and were significant at (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, P < 0.10). Results further reveal a mean technical efficiency of 0.80 suggesting that output from home gardening could be raised by 20 percent using resources and technology available

Perceived Impact Of Malaria On The Productivity Of Rice Farmers In Ini Local Government Area Of Akwa Ibom State

Health and nutritional status affect the capacity to learn, which in turn determines productivity and economic growth. This paper employs a cross-sectional set of data from 120 rice farmers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. These data were collected with the aid of questionnaire using simple random sampling technique. Descriptive statistical tools were used for data analysis. Findings reveal that local, religious, and cultural beliefs; poverty status, literacy level and ignorance of diagnosis were factors that influenced the treatment of malaria in the study area. The study shows that the farmers were not using the insecticide-treated bed nets (ITBNs) as a measure of malaria control. Results further reveal that as perceived by the farmers, malaria frequently disrupts land clearing and weeding operations on the farm. Keywords: Perceived impact, Malaria, Productivity, Rice FarmersGlobal Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol. 7 (1) 2008: pp. 35-3

Regulation of eosinophilia and allergic airway inflammation by the glycan-binding protein galectin-1

Galectin-1 (Gal-1), a glycan-binding protein with broad antiinflammatory activities, functions as a proresolving mediator in autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disorders. However, its role in allergic airway inflammation has not yet been elucidated. We evaluated the effects of Gal-1 on eosinophil function and its role in a mouse model of allergic asthma. Allergen exposure resulted in airway recruitment of Gal-1-expressing inflammatory cells, including eosinophils, as well as increased Gal-1 in extracellular spaces in the lungs. In vitro, extracellular Gal-1 exerted divergent effects on eosinophils that were N-glycan- And dose-dependent. At concentrations ≤0.25 μM, Gal-1 increased eosinophil adhesion to vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, caused redistribution of integrin CD49d to the periphery and cell clustering, but inhibited ERK(1/2) activation and eotaxin-1-induced migration. Exposure to concentrations ≥1 μM resulted in ERK(1/2)- dependent apoptosis and disruption of the F- Actin cytoskeleton. At lower concentrations, Gal-1 did not alter expression of adhesion molecules (CD49d, CD18, CD11a, CD11b, L-selectin) or of the chemokine receptor CCR3, but decreased CD49d and CCR3 was observed in eosinophils treated with higher concentrations of this lectin. In vivo, allergen-challenged Gal-1-deficient mice exhibited increased recruitment of eosinophils and CD3+ T lymphocytes in the airways as well as elevated peripheral blood and bone marrow eosinophils relative to corresponding WT mice. Further, these mice had an increased propensity to develop airway hyperresponsiveness and displayed significantly elevated levels of TNF-α in lung tissue. This study suggests that Gal-1 can limit eosinophil recruitment to allergic airways and suppresses airway inflammation by inhibiting cell migration and promoting eosinophil apoptosis.Fil: Ge, Xiao Na. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Ha, Sung Gil. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Greenberg, Yana G.. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Rao, Amrita. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Bastan, Idil. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Blidner, Ada Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Rao, Savita P.. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrián. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Sriramarao, P.. University of Minnesota; Estados Unido

Benzyl­aminium perchlorate–18-crown-6 (1/1)

In the title compound, C7H10N+·ClO4 −·C20H24O6, the proton­ated benzyl­amine cation forms a rotator–stator complex with the 18-crown-6 (1,4,7,10,13,16-hexa­oxacyclo­octa­deca­ne) mol­ecule via N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The cations are associated via weak C—H⋯π inter­actions, forming chains parallel to [011], while the perclorate anions are located between these chains

THE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN DYNAMIC WALKING STABILITY AND PERCEPTION-MOTOR ABILITIES OF HUMANS

External perturbations can challenge a person’s walking stability, and people will autonomously make a series of responses to regain the balance of walking, which includes two periods: perturbation-perception (reaction time, RT) and posture-adjustment (motion time, MT). The purpose of this paper was to investigate the correlations between the dynamic walking stability and perception-motor abilities. During the 30 level walking trials preformed by sixteen healthy participants, perturbations were applied at random. The fall probability (FP) during the walking with perturbations was calculated to evaluate the dynamic walking stability of each participant. Furthermore, the ground reaction force (GRF) of each participant during walking with perturbations was recorded and analyzed. The experimental results show that the RT had a significant positive-correlation with FP, while MT had no correlation with FP