Assessment of the Outreach Performance of Special Programme on Food Security in Abia State, Nigeria

This study assessed the performance of Special Programme on Food Security with respect to outreach of micro-credit service. The study covered the first phase of the programme in Abia State, the study area. One hundred and twenty participants of the programme were purposively selected from the three programme sites of SPFS. The respondents were made up of 60 micro-credit beneficiaries and 60 non-beneficiaries. Two sets of structured questionnaire were used for data collection. The data collected were analysed with simple statistical tools such as percentages, frequency distribution and means. Multiple regression analysis and outreach indicators were used in data analysis. The results indicate that SPFS operators used laid down criteria in selecting loan beneficiaries. Four variables namely level of education, skill acquisition in off farm activities, farm size, and loan transaction costs produced significant influence on the amount of loan demanded. R2 value of 0.529 indicates that the explanatory variables in the model explain 52.9% of the total variation in the amount of loan demanded. The outreach level of the programme in the State in the first phase was 0.052% of the target population. Similarly, women loan beneficiaries constituted 30% of the total number of beneficiaries in the programme. The number of loan beneficiaries across the State is evenly spread indicating fairness in the allocation of financial resource. Constraints encountered by the programme are limited amount of funding and some administrative bottlenecks. It is therefore recommended that more funds should be made available for more people to benefit from the programme.Key Word: Outreach, Performance, Micro finance, SPF

N-octane diffusivity enhancement via carbon dioxide in silica slit-shaped nanopores – a molecular dynamics simulation

Equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to study the competitive adsorption and diffusion of mixtures containing n-octane and carbon dioxide confined in slit-shaped silica pores of width 1.9 nm. Atomic density profiles substantiate strong interactions between CO2 molecules and the protonated pore walls. Non-monotonic change in n-octane self-diffusion coefficients as a function of CO2 loading was observed. CO2 preferential adsorption to the pore surface is likely to attenuate the surface adsorption of n-octane, lower the activation energy for n-octane diffusivity, and consequently enhance n-octane mobility at low CO2 loading. This observation was confirmed by conducting test simulations for pure n-octane confined in narrower pores. At high CO2 loading, n-octane diffusivity is hindered by molecular crowding. Thus, n-octane diffusivity displays a maximum. In contrast, within the concentration range considered here, the self-diffusion coefficient predicted for CO2 exhibits a monotonic increase with loading, which is attributed to a combination of effects including the saturation of the adsorption capacity of the silica surface. Test simulations suggest that the results are strongly dependent on the pore morphology, and in particular on the presence of edges that can preferentially adsorb CO2 molecules and therefore affect the distribution of these molecules equally on the pore surface, which appears to be required to provide the effective enhancement of n-octane diffusivity

Utilization of poultry waste as feed and supplementary feed for fish growth

This research work was carried out to evaluate poultry waste as a potential feed for fish growth. The poultry droppings were collected for analysis. The parameter determined to ascertain the potential of this poultry waste were proximate analysis (Moisture, dry matter, ash, crude protein, fat, crude fibre and carbohydrate contents) and mineral nutrient composition (calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, copper, zinc, iron and manganese). The proximate analysis determined estimated moisture content to be 9.62±0.02%, dry matter 90.38±0.03%, ash content: 28.83±0.29%, crude protein: 21.34±0.16%, fat content: 2.61±0.13%, crude fibre:16.09±0.04, and carbohydrate: 21.53±0.03. The minerals nutrient composition for metals analysed is as follows; calcium: 2349.9±56.57mg/kg, potassium: 6239±572.76mg/kg. Magnesium: 1075.0±141.42mg/kg, sodium: 292.3±10.61mg/kg, copper: 104.8±7.07mg/kg, zinc: 395.0±7.07mg/kg, iron: 519.7±7.07mg/kg and manganese: 257.5±10.61mg/kg. However, based on the result for proximate analysis of the poultry waste analysed and mineral nutrients estimated compared with the mineral nutrient requirement of fish the results were not adequate for direct use as feed for fish. Thus the poultry droppings could only serve as feed or supplement for the conventional fish feeds use for fish to give excellent growth rate.Keywords: Poultry Waste, Feed, Fish, Proximate, Minerals, Parameters, poultry dropping

Synthesis of climate change effects on water sources for aquaculture

The effect of climate change on the aquatic environment has been well documented with results detailing increase in green house gases and global temperature. Water quantity and quality for aquaculture is also affected by this global phenomenon. Increasing global temperatures affects many sectors in an ecosystem. Water use in aquaculture can be in-situ or ex-situ. Groundwater is expected to be recharged if climate change leads to increased rainfall and runoff but empirical evidence suggests otherwise. The sustainability of groundwater for aquaculture is therefore threatened. Increased temperatures of surface waters can affect water quality and suitability for use in aquaculture with attendant biofouling and growth of thermophilic algae. Rainwater is affected by human activities and pollution as well as materials used for its collection. It is usually low in pH and will need to be buffered. The use of water from any source as well as the use of water bodies for aquaculture must be done with regular analysis of parameters since climate change is an ongoing process

Sources of Information on Climate Change among Arable Crop Farmers, Edo State, Nigeria

The study assessed the sources of information on climate change among arable crop farmers in Edo state, Nigeria using appropriate standard methods. Result revealed that, 42.4% of the respondents were below the mean age (45 years). Majority of them (58.8%) were males and 64.0% 69% were married, Majority (58.3%) of the total population of the study have secondary education. Majority (36.7%) had farming as their source of labour. Friends, relations and fellow farmers were the most frequent sources of information on climate change among the respondents. The study showed that of all the socio-economic characteristics examined, ues of information sources is significantly related to house hold size (r = 0.000, P< 0.05) but not significant related to Age (r = 0.479, P< 0.05), level of education (r = 0.329, P< 0.05), income (r = -0.080, P< 0.05), labour (r = 0.296, P< 0.05) , sex (r = 0.353, P< 0.05) marital status (r = 0.125, P< 0.05), It is recommended that, Extension providers should intensify the provision of extension services by insuring increased interaction between arable crop farmers and extension agents to complement indigenous knowledge from fellow farmers and friends and relation

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State

Context: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a cause of chronic liver disease, causing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and pregnant women are not spared. Perinatal transmission is a significant way that the disease is spread from mother to children who will eventually become adults and chronic carriers. This study sought to determine the burden of the disease among pregnant women.Aims: To estimate the prevalence and investigate possible factors associated with HBV infection among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in DASH, Lafia.Settings and Design: A hospital‑based descriptive cross‑sectional survey conducted at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of DASH, Lafia, NasarawaMethods and Material: Around 200 pregnant women who attended the ANC clinic were consecutively enrolled, their venous blood samples collected, and hepatitis B profile was carried out using commercially available rapid chromatographic kits Statistical Analysis Used: Data were collected by trained data collectors using a proforma, then entered into a predesigned program in the Epi‑info version 3.5.4 (CDC, Atlanta, Georgia, USA) and analyzed.Results: The seroprevalence of HBV infection was high (8%) and there were no statistically significant associations between the infection and the investigated sociodemographic and other risk factors.Conclusions: The study showed that HBV is hyperendemic in this region, and antenatal screening for this virus is desirable to avert its sequelae in both mothers and their newborn babies. Key words: Antenatal; hepatitis B virus; Lafia

Effect of Curing Age on the Prospect of Used Plastics to Enhance Engineering Properties of Road Pavements within a Development and Property Agency Estate in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

This study investigated the effect of curing age on the possibility of using plastic powder to enhance the engineering properties of subgrade for road pavements. The soil samples utilized for the study were collected from four distinct locations within the Edo Development and Property Agency estate in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria using appropriate standard methods. They were stored in airtight polythene bags and taken to the University of Benin Geotechnical Laboratory for testing. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics sourced from recycled soft drink and bottled water containers were pulverized and added to the soil in various proportions of 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% by weight of the soil. The resulting mix was subjected to various tests such as Atterberg limits, compaction and California Bearing Ratio (CBR). The results showed that the addition of the PET plastic powder led to substantial transformation in the soil’s properties. There was a reduction in the liquid limit, plastic limit and plasticity index, as the proportion of the plastic powder increased. The maximum dry density (MDD) and the optimum moisture content (OMC) was also seen to increase and decrease correspondingly as the proportion of the plastic powder was increased in the soil. The results also showed that as proportion of the plastic powder in the soil was increased, the CBR of the soil also increased. This increase in the soil strength was also observed as the curing age of the CBR samples increased from 0 to 14 days. This shows that a combination of extended curing periods and a larger proportion of plastic powder can significantly improve the load-bearing capacity and saturation resistance of the soil. This study underscores the considerable potential of plastic powder stabilization in elevating the engineering properties of subgrade materials, thereby conferring notable benefits to the domain of road pavement construction

Histology of Liver of Claria gariepinus Fingerlings Fed with Spent Sorghum from Locally Fermented Drink (Burukutu)

High fiber content, increased presence of carbohydrates, anti-nutritional factors can have adverse effects on the digestive system of fish and therefore on fitness, health and production capacity. A 70-day study was conducted to evaluate the histological alteration of the liver of Clarias gariepinus fed with spent sorghum. Ten isonitrogenous diets were formulated. Spent sorghum was added to the diet to replace maize at graded levels; 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 70%, 80%, 90% and 100%. Total of 360 fish (8.330±0.00g) were randomly assigned to the five treatment diets. Each treatment contained 10 fish per bowls and each treatment was triplicated in a completely randomized design (CRD). Fish were fed twice daily at 5% body weight in equal proportions. At the end of the feeding trials, the liver of the fish were taken for histological analysis. The histological results of the liver showed that some treatments showed cytoplasm with irregular arrangement and dislocated nucleus; slight haemorrhage in the hepatic parenchyma with peribular capsule indistinct between hepatocytes and enlarged hepatocytes which is not a dietary treatment related

Improving postpartum care delivery and uptake by implementing context-specific interventions in four countries in Africa: a realist evaluation of the Missed Opportunities in Maternal and Infant Health (MOMI) project.

Postpartum care (PPC) has remained relatively neglected in many interventions designed to improve maternal and neonatal health in sub-Saharan Africa. The Missed Opportunities in Maternal and Infant Health project developed and implemented a context-specific package of health system strengthening and demand generation in four African countries, aiming to improve access and quality of PPC. A realist evaluation was conducted to enable nuanced understanding of the influence of different contextual factors on both the implementation and impacts of the interventions. Mixed methods were used to collect data and test hypothesised context-mechanism-outcome configurations: 16 case studies (including interviews, observations, monitoring data on key healthcare processes and outcomes), monitoring data for all study health facilities and communities, document analysis and participatory evaluation workshops. After evaluation in individual countries, a cross-country analysis was conducted that led to the development of four middle-range theories. Community health workers (CHWs) were key assets in shifting demand for PPC by 'bridging' communities and facilities. Because they were chosen from the community they served, they gained trust from the community and an intrinsic sense of responsibility. Furthermore, if a critical mass of women seek postpartum healthcare as a result of the CHWs bridging function, a 'buzz' for change is created, leading eventually to the acceptability and perceived value of attending for PPC that outweighs the costs of attending the health facility. On the supply side, rigid vertical hierarchies and defined roles for health facility workers (HFWs) impede integration of maternal and infant health services. Additionally, HFWs fear being judged negatively which overrides the self-efficacy that could potentially be gained from PPC training. Instead the main driver of HFWs' motivation to provide comprehensive PPC is dependent on accountability systems for delivering PPC created by other programmes. The realist evaluation offers insights into some of the contextual factors that can be pivotal in enabling the community-level and service-level interventions to be effective

Booster vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 induces potent immune responses in people with HIV

BACKGROUND: People with HIV on antiretroviral therapy with good CD4 T cell counts make effective immune responses following vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. There are few data on longer term responses and the impact of a booster dose. METHODS: Adults with HIV were enrolled into a single arm open label study. Two doses of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 were followed twelve months later by a third heterologous vaccine dose. Participants had undetectable viraemia on ART and CD4 counts >350 cells/µl. Immune responses to the ancestral strain and variants of concern were measured by anti-spike IgG ELISA, MesoScale Discovery (MSD) anti-spike platform, ACE-2 inhibition, Activation Induced Marker (AIM) assay and T cell proliferation. FINDINGS: 54 participants received two doses of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19. 43 received a third dose (42 with BNT162b2; 1 with mRNA-1273) one year after the first dose. After the third dose, total anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG titres (MSD), ACE-2 inhibition and IgG ELISA results were significantly higher compared to Day 182 titres (P < 0.0001 for all three). SARS-CoV-2 specific CD4+ T cell responses measured by AIM against SARS-CoV-2 S1 and S2 peptide pools were significantly increased after a third vaccine compared to 6 months after a first dose, with significant increases in proliferative CD4 + and CD8+ T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 S1 and S2 after boosting. Responses to Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants were boosted, although to a lesser extent for Omicron. CONCLUSIONS: In PWH receiving a third vaccine dose, there were significant increases in B and T cell immunity, including to known VOCs