INFLUENCE OF EXTRACTION METHODS ON THE HEPATOTOXICITY OF AZADIRACHTA INDICA BARK EXTRACT ON ALBINO RATS

The influence of extraction methods: Cold aqueous (CA) hot aqueous (HA) and alcoholic extraction (AE) methods on the hepatotoxic effect of Azadirachta indica bark extract (ABC) was investigated using albino rats. A total of forty eight rats were divided into three groups of sixteen rats equally for the extraction methods. Each group was subdivided into four rats to represent control, low, medium and high doses of the extract. The control group received no extract while the other groups were administered the various concentrations (doses) intraperitoneally twice daily for seven (7) days before they were all sacrificed under light chloroform and used for the analysis. Parameters determined include glucose, cholesterol and triglycerol. Also alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Aspartate amino transferase (AST) and alanine amino transferase (ALP) activities were determined. The result shows that glucose levels decreased from 85.75+2.85 to 65.00+12.05 in high concentration of C.A. Similar decreases were obtained from HA and AE extraction methods. Cholesterol levels also decreased from 111,63+1.02 to 53.75+0.90 in the high concentration CA, and similarly decreased in HA and AE extraction methods. Also triglycerol levels decreased from 66.49+0.95 to 21.02+0.30 in the high concentration of CA, and also decreased respectively in both HA and AE extraction methods. Similarly, the activities of the enzymes decreased in all the extraction methods, and for the different concentrations over the control except for the activities of ALP which increased generally in CA method. This implies that ABE using HA and AE methods in non hepatotoxic while there is possibility of hepatotoxicity of the obstructive type if CA extraction method is used

Allocative Efficiency among Fadama Fluted Pumkin Farmers in Imo State, Nigeria

The study investigated the allocative efficiency among Fadama Fluted pumpkin farmers in Imo State, Nigeria. It specifically sought to analyze the Farmers’ socio-economic profile; estimate their allocative efficiency as well as its determinants. A multistage random sample of 120 Fadama Fluted Pumpkin farmers drawn from the three agricultural zones of the state was employed. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-economic characteristics and other relevant variables. Allocative efficiency was deduced from the quotient between economic efficiency and technical efficiency scores and regressed against farm specific factors. The t-test statistic was employed in testing determinants of allocative efficiency. The descriptive statistical results showed that majority of the farmers are active small holders and literate with many years of farming experience. The enterprise was female dominated while household was large. The maximum likelihood estimation of the translog model revealed that allocative efficiency was influenced by education, farming experience, extension contact, credit access and household size. Given the mean allocative efficiency of 0.62, about 51.67% of the respondents are frontier farmers. Also, the average Fadama Fluted pumpkin farmer would require a cost savings of 37.37% in order to attain the status of the most allocative efficient producer. As more opportunities exist for improvement of allocative efficiency by the Fadama Farmers, the need to intensify the current family planning programme in Nigeria as well as eliminate extended bureaucratic processes associated with credit access cannot be over emphasized.Fadama, Fluted Pumpkin, Allocative Efficiency

Economic Efficiency Of Fadama Telfairia Production In Imo State Nigeria: A Translog Profit Function Approach

The study delved into economic efficiency analysis of Fadama Telfairia farmers in Imo State, Nigeria. Specifically, it identified the production systems; estimated the economic efficiency and their determinants. A multistage random sampling technique was adopted in the selection of 40 Fadama Telfairia farmers from each of the three agricultural zones of the State. A well-structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio - economic characteristics and other relevant variables. Descriptive statistics, which subsume frequencies, means and percentages, were used in the analysis of data on socio – economic characteristics cum production systems. Economic efficiency was analyzed using Translog stochastic profit function. The Maximum Likelihood Estimation Technique was employed in estimating the function while t-test statistic was employed in testing their determinants. With respect to production systems, majority (63.33%) of Fadama Telfairia farmers practised mixed vegetable production while 36.67% adopted sole Fadama Telfairia cropping system. The profit level was influenced by fertilizer price, wage rate and farm size while efficiency was found to be influenced by age, farming experience, membership of cooperative societies, farm and household sizes. The mean economic efficiency was 0.57 and as such, the average Fadama Telfairia would require a cost saving of 42% in order to attain the profit status of the most economically efficient farmer in the sample. Given the fact that ample opportunity exists for improvement in their efficiency, introduction of birth control policies and reviews of Land Use Act of 1990 are among policy options suggested by the study.economic efficiency, Fadama, stochastic frontier, translog

Work Impacts on Health: Their Implications and Management Techniques

Adverse conditions in workplaces that impact negatively on the health of workers are legion.  They include Biological, Chemical, Electrical and Mechanical Hazards; as well as Physical Hazards like noise; particulate emissions; thermal stress; poor illumination; pressure and vibration, among others.  These have a couple of fundamental implications. Several exposed workers suffer accidental injuries, occupational diseases, deformity or death.  Management suffers lost-work-time occasioned by absence of incapacitated workers; as well as avoidable financial losses through medical expenses, occasional litigations instituted by families of industrial accident victims, and through the payment of required compensations.  Further implications are that the above conditions make it mandatory that management must protect their employees from the consequences of these Occupational Health Hazards (OHH) by running a comprehensive Occupational Health Services (OHS) programme in their establishments.  The degree of effectiveness of such services rests principally on the flawless adherence of both employers and employees to all industrial legislations that deal with the protection of the health, safety and welfare of workers. Keywords Ergonomic-Stress-Vectors (ESV)   -              Monitoring Threshold-Limit-Values (TLVs)      -              Fixed Guard

Factors and options for improved frequency regulation: Case study of utility scale solar in Nigeria

This paper presents the structure, tuning, and evaluation of a model for power system frequency response in Nigeria. We demonstrate that a 100MW utility scale solar farm is unlikely to degrade frequency performance, and we quantify the effect of several possible interventions to improve frequency regulation. The Nigerian system already experiences wide frequency variations due to steel mill loads and load rejection during storms, and this often necessitates manual intervention and load management. The model is one of several employed in grid-integration evaluations of proposed large utility-scale solar farms. The model is intended to support ongoing discussions on how grid code and market policies should specify ancillary services supplied by participants

Decision Support System Using Decision Tree and Neural Networks

Decision making in a complex and dynamically changing environment of the present day demands a new techniques of computational intelligence for building equally an adaptive, hybrid intelligent decision support system. In this paper, a Decision Tree-Neuro Based model was developed to handle loan granting decision support system and clinical decision support system(Eye Disease Diagnosis) which are two important decision problems that requires delicate care. The system uses an integration of Decision Tree and Artificial Neural Networks with a hybrid of Decision Tree algorithm and Multilayer Feed-forward Neural Network with backpropagation learning algorithm to build up the proposed model. Different representative cases of loan applications and eye disease diagnosis were considered based on the guidelines of different banks in Nigeria and according to patient complaint, symptoms and physical eye examinations to validate the model. Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (OO-AD) methodology was used in the development of the system, and an object-oriented programming language was used with a MATLAB engine to implement the models and classes designed in the system. The system developed, gives 88% success rate and eliminate the opacity of an ordinary neural networks system. Keywords: Decision Tree-Neuro Based Model, Backpropagation Learning Algorithm, Object-Oriented Analysis and Design, MATLAB Embedded Engine, Loan Granting, Eye Diseases Diagnosis

Effects of “Lesser Known” Leafy Vegetables (Vitex doniana and Corchorus oletorius) on the Oxidative Stress Indices of Albino Rats

Aim: To evaluate the effects of two “lesser known” leafy vegetables- Vitex doniana and Corchorus oletorius on the oxidative indices of Albino Rats. Study Design: Forty eight rats, mean body weighty 351.83±1.39g were grouped into four to represent a control, and three diet groups. Dried powdered form of the vegetables was mixed with the normal rat chow in the ratio of 1:4 and pelleted before feeding to the rats. Feeding lasted for a total of three (3) months. The first analysis was done within two weeks, and thereafter repeated every two weeks throughout the study. Place and Duration of Study: The research work was done at Biochemistry laboratory of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri and National Root Crop Research Institute, Umuahia. The study lasted for a period of three months and two weeks (104 days). Methodology: Clean uninfected leaves of the samples were selected and sun dried to constant weight before grinding with a milling machine. The resulting powdered form was used to formulate the experimental diet with the normal rat chow in the ratio of 1:4 as shown in the text. Enzyme activities were determined according to standard methods as referenced in the text. Malonyladehyde and vitamin C contents were also determined Results: Values of malonyladehyde, Vitamin C and activities of catalase significantly (P≥0.05) increased when the sample vegetables were administered to the rats as compared with the control which received no vegetables. However, the activities of peroxidase decreased also significantly as compared with the control. However, only the increase in the values of indices determined were sustained throughout the period of study. Conclusion: The studied vegetables may possess antioxidant components which may play important role in the management of diseases associated with oxidative stres

Antifungal Activities of Some Leaf Extracts on Seed-borne Fungi of African Yam Bean Seeds, Seed Germination and Seedling Emergence

The efficacy of leaf extracts of basil ( Ocimum basilicum ), bitter leaf ( Vernonia amygdalina ), lemon grass ( Cymbopogen citratus ), neem ( Azadirachta indica ) and paw-paw ( Carica papaya ) on major seed-borne fungi: Aspergillus niger , Aspergillus flavus , Botryodiplodia theobromae and Fusarium moniliforme of African yam bean ( Sphenostylis stenocarpa ) seeds, and on seed germination and seedling emergence were studied in vitro and in vivo. All the plants leaf extracts (crude and aqueous) significantly (P 64 0.05) reduced the incidence of seed-borne fungi tested and increased seed germination and seedling emergence except lemon grass leaf extract when compared with the untreated control. Neem extract was the most effective while lemon grass extract was the least. Crude extracts from all the plant leaves tested increased seed germination and seedling emergence of African yam bean seeds and gave significant (P 64 0.05) reduction of mycelial growth of all the fungi tested when compared with their aqueous extracts. Leaf extracts of neem, basil, bitter leaf and paw-paw, which are cheap and environmentally safe, are promising for protecting African yam bean seeds against major seed-borne fungi and in the improvement of the crop. @ JASE