Growth and survival of different sex combinations of Oreochromis niloticus (L) in glass tanks

Growth performance and survival rates of three different sexes of Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings (27.5~c 0.02g); mixed-sex, all male and all female fed 35% CP at 5% body weight was carried out for 56 days in indoor rearing operations. Aquaria tanks (60x30x 30cm3) were used as rearing tanks and each treatment was replicated. All female tilapia had the best specific growth rate (2.54%/day), food conversion ratio (1.98) as well as survival rate (98%), least value was obtained in treatment containing the mixed sex tilapia. Specific growth rate (2.06%/day), Food conversion ratio (2.27) and survival rate (95% )

Exchange rate variation and fiscal balance in Nigeria: a time series analysis

Exchange rate remains one of the principal determinants of a nation’s external balance and fiscal status of most emerging economies. How better its fluctuation is managed has a long way to go with the performance of major macroeconomic variables in a country. It is behind this backdrop that this paper tries to examine the effects of exchange rate fluctuation on fiscal deficit crisis in Nigeria between 1980 and 2008. The period is so chosen as it covers the range of time that witnessed the greatest fluctuation’s in the external value of the nation’s legal tender (naira). The regression analysis reveals that exchange rate has impacted negatively on fiscal deficit over the period under consideration. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root test reveals that all the time series variables employed are non-stationary at levels; both the intercept and deterministic trend. Appropriate policies are therefore recommended on how best to reposition the economy in the face of continuing devaluation of naira

The Anti-Thyroglobulin and Anti-Thyroperoxidase Auto Antibodies Comparative Mean Titer Values In Infertile Compared To Ferlile Euthyroid Women

OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out to determine the anti-thyroglobulin and anti-thyroperoxidase serum auto-antibody levels as primary markers and their immunological correlates as indicators of the cause of infertility and the recurrent spontaneous abortion in some Euthyroid Nigerian women. DESIGN: A total of two hundred and ninety (290) Euthyroid female volunteers were recruited having filled a designed questionnaire to obtain their informed consents. Thereafter, following the Ethics group recommendations, blood samples were collected from each of the one hundred and sixty four (164) women in the control groups, a week after their menses. The control groups recruited are as follows: (46) nulligravida, (58) multiparous non-pregnant women and (60) pregnant women in their first trimester, served as the third control group. There were one hundred and twenty six (126) infertile women in the test group, made up of (34) primary infertile, (46) secondary infertile and recurrent spontaneous aborters respectively. The assays of anti-thyroglobulin and anti-microsomal (thyroid peroxidase-anti-TPO) antibodies were determined, using individual agglutination kits and the diagnostic ELISA kits (enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay) from meridian Bioscience Europe.   RESULT / OUTCOME: This study had therefore established the significant presence of anti-thyroglobulin and anti-thyroperoxidase as immune species marker in the serum of some Euthyroid Nigerian women experiencing reproductive failure compared to the women in the control group. The serum anti-thyroglobulin (Tg-Ab) and anti-microsomal (anti-thyroperoxidase (TPO- Ab) auto antibodies showed that serum anti-thyroglobulin (Tg-Ab) level was significantly higher in the women in the secondary infertile (809.65+ 3.23 U/ml ) than that of the primary infertile group with 539.59+3.79 U/ml  as well as the recurrent spontaneous aborter group with 490.00+3.20 U/ml. This are compared with the control women in the nulligravida with (42.48+3.16 U/ml), multiparous (32.02+ 2.82 U/ml)   and the pregnant (31.90+ 2.77 U/ml) groups. The anti-thyroperoxidase (TPO-Ab) mean titer of the study group was equally higher and significant (P < 0.05) compared to the women in the control group. Keywords: Anti-thyroglobulin (Tg Ab) , anti-thyroperoxidase (TPO Ab), pregnancy, primary infertility and Recurrent Spontaneous Abortions

Development and exploration of a mathematical model for transmission of monkey-pox disease in humans

In this paper, mathematical model of Monkey-Pox transmission is developed and investigated, using ordinary differential equation. We verified the feasible region of the model and showed the positivity of the solutions. We obtained the disease free equilibrium (DFE). We computed and analysed the effective basic reproduction number (R0) of the model

Production and Storage of Cassava Chips for Reconversion into Gari

Cassava chips (7% moisture level) produced from cassava root (IITA 94/0561) was stored for 6 months in high density polyethylene bag. Stored chips were coarse milled, rehydrated to 62.51% and seeded with fresh cassava mash (FCM) at levels of 5%, 10% and 20%. The resulting mash was fermented for 72 hr, with pH monitored every 24 hr, and processed to gari. Yield and swelling capacity of gari were determined. Sensory evaluation was carried out on water soaked gari and gari paste (‘eba’). While least values for pH was obtained in FCM throughout the fermentation period, there was reduction in values in all samples with increase in fermentation time from 30.01 to 33.40%. Yield of gari from the seeded chips ranged from 64.4-72.3%, while that of FCM was 18.7%. Swelling capacity of gari ranged from 2.0 - 3.0 in FCM and that seeded with 20% FCM, respectively. Sensory evaluation result revealed that gari produced from cassava chips seeded at 10% level is adequate for making ‘eba’ while that seeded at 5% level is adequate for consumption as soaked gari (p<0.05). Use of stored cassava chips with 10% FCM for gari production could be encouraged to reduce postharvest problem of cassava roots and the drudgery of gari processing. Keywords: Cassava chips, cassava mash, gari, ‘eba’, postharvest losses, storag

A descriptive survey of types, spread and characteristics of substance abuse treatment centers in Nigeria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa and the 8th most populous in the world with a population of over 154 million, does not have current data on substance abuse treatment demand and treatment facilities; however, the country has the highest one-year prevalence rate of Cannabis use (14.3%) in Africa and ranks third in Africa with respect to the one-year prevalence rate of cocaine (0.7%) and Opioids (0.7%) use. This study aimed to determine the types, spread and characteristics of the substance abuse treatment centers in Nigeria.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was a cross sectional survey of substance abuse treatment centers in Nigeria. Thirty-one units were invited and participated in filling an online questionnaire, adapted from the European <it>Treatment Unit/Program Form (June 1997 version)</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All the units completed the online questionnaire. A large proportion (48%) was located in the South-West geopolitical zone of the country. Most (58%) were run by Non-Governmental Organizations. Half of them performed internal or external evaluation of treatment process or outcome. There were a total of 1043 for all categories of paid and volunteer staff, with an average of 33 staff per unit. Most of the funding came from charitable donations (30%). No unit provided drug substitution/maintenance therapy. The units had a total residential capacity of 566 beds. New client admissions in the past one year totalled 765 (mean = 48, median = 26.5, min = 0, max = 147) and 2478 clients received services in the non-residential units in the past year. No unit provided syringe exchange services.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The study revealed a dearth of substance abuse treatment units (and of funds for the available ones) in a country with a large population size and one of the highest prevalence rates of substance abuse in Africa. The available units were not networked and lacked a directory or an evaluation framework. To provide an environment for effective monitoring, funding and continuous quality improvement, the units need to be organized into a sustainable network.</p

A Discrete – Time Mathematical Model for Homogeneous Population Density Dynamics of Single Weed Species

In this paper, the biological process is utilized to formulate a discrete-time homogeneous model for the dynamics of weed population density. Steady state solutions were obtained and analyzed them for local and global stabilities. The results revealed that our model is locally asymptotically stable but globally unstable. This result is contrary to the interesting property of the most standard biological one-dimensional discrete models, which display global stability if they are locally stable.  Although, our model equation falls within the category of population models that exhibit local stability but globally not stable. It is concluded that, the weed population may exhibit unexpected behaviours. Keywords: Biological process, Discrete-time model, Local stability, Global stability, Population densit

Exchange rate variation and fiscal balance in Nigeria: a time series analysis

Exchange rate remains one of the principal determinants of a nation’s external balance and fiscal status of most emerging economies. How better its fluctuation is managed has a long way to go with the performance of major macroeconomic variables in a country. It is behind this backdrop that this paper tries to examine the effects of exchange rate fluctuation on fiscal deficit crisis in Nigeria between 1980 and 2008. The period is so chosen as it covers the range of time that witnessed the greatest fluctuation’s in the external value of the nation’s legal tender (naira). The regression analysis reveals that exchange rate has impacted negatively on fiscal deficit over the period under consideration. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root test reveals that all the time series variables employed are non-stationary at levels; both the intercept and deterministic trend. Appropriate policies are therefore recommended on how best to reposition the economy in the face of continuing devaluation of naira

Pattern of rural-urban acquisition of pfcrt T76 allele among Nigerian children with acute uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum remains a public health problem in Nigerian children with treatment complicated by expansion of chloroquine resistant strains known to harbour a common K76T point mutation in their pfcrt alleles. Here, we report the outcome of a 2 – year (March 2000 – February 2002) molecular surveillance for pfcrtT76 in children aged 6 months – 13 years with acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria in rural and urban Lagos, Nigeria. Rural-urban pfcrtT76 acquisition of 48.7 vs. 73.7% and 67.3 vs. 74.6% due to monoclonal and polyclonal P. falciparum parasitaemia, respectively, were found in the two study years, suggesting unstable but increasing prevalence of pfcrt T76 allele acquisition in the rural area. Further analyses showed that acquisition of pfcrtT76 allele was independent of sex but occurred more in &#8804; 5 – year old children than older children in both populations. The impacts of K76T mutation in pfcrt gene and immunity on the clinical efficacy of chloroquine against acute uncomplicated malaria are discussed.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (4), pp. 361-366, 200

An Empirical Analysis of Efficiency of English Premier League (EPL) Football clubs (2005-2015) Using a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Approach

The aims of this study are in two folds; first to examine if any EPL club could maintain efficiency over the period (200