Effect of Sida corymbosa leaf extract on the activity of serum liver enzymes of alloxan-induced diabetic albino wistar rats

This study was designed to investigate the effect of Sida corymbosa (SC) leaf extract on serum liver enzymes activity in alloxan induced diabetic albino wistar rats. A total of 30 albino wistar rats each weighing 100g were assembled and divided into 3 groups (A-C) consisting of 10 rats. Group A received SCtreatment, B received ethanol treatment while group C served as the control group. 400mg/kg of aqueous extract of SC leaf was administered orally to the rats in group A but group B received ethanol while group C received only water for 7 days. Blood samples were collected into plain containers for estimation of biochemical parameters (ALT, AST and ALP) respectively. Serum ALP, ALT and AST were analyzed using standard methods. There was a significant decrease in the mean serum activities of ALT, AST, and ALP respectively after SC administration when compared with the control group (P=0.001, 0.000, and 0.001 respectively). Again, the result showed a significant decrease in the mean weight of the albino ratspost SC administration (P=0.000). This study revealed the  deleterious effect of of SC use on the liver. Therefore, care should be taken in the use of SC in prevention and management of liver diseases especially at high therapeutic dosage level

Assessment and Management Strategies for the Receding Watersheds of Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria

The conditions of the watersheds of Ebonyi State has become a concern for individuals, communities, governments, donor agencies and private and public businesses as everybody depends on its resources. A study was therefore conducted within 2011 to 2012, to identify the dimensions and level of environmental degradation at the watershed sites with a view to developing management strategies for them. The study involved global positioning, reconnaissance survey and evaluation. The assessments of the sites identified were based on technical judgments, using the environmental baseline data collection and secondary information methods. A total of 39 degraded watersheds were identified, and which environmental assessment was carried out on. The results indicated that erosion, siltation and deforestation were the major environmental degradations, and cutting across almost the entire watersheds.  Previous restoration measures were reviewed and recommendations for future conservation strategies were highlighted. Key words: Receding watersheds, Degradation, Environmental assessment, Management, Ebonyi state

Comparative Efficacy of Neem Seed Extract with Carbofuran in the Management of African Rice Gall Midge, Orseolia oryzivora Harris and Gagne (Diptera: Cecidomyppdae)

African rice gall midge (AfRGM) Orseolia oryzivora Harris and Gagné is one of the major insect pests of rice in Africa. The dominant pest control strategy in the tropical rice over the past few decades has been in the use of synthetic insecticide. Unfortunately synthetic insecticides have not given the desired results in the management of African rice gall midge, in addition to the side effects of synthetic insecticides on the environment. In order to alleviate the growing public concerns regarding the effects of synthetic pesticides on human health and environmental impact, much attention has been given to botanicals pesticides in the recent decades. Consequently, this study was conducted to determine the efficacy of neem seed extracts in the management of AfRGM compare to carbofuran during 2006/ 2007 farming seasons at two eco-sites in Nigeria. Moreover the effect of the treatments on grain yields was carried out to determine its efficiency. Results showed that the plots treated with neem seed kernel extracts significantly (P < 0.001) reduced AfRGM damage compared to untreated check, and was not statistically different from those plots treated with synthetic pesticide across the levels and seasons. The highest infestation was recorded in the untreated control plots throughout the experimental periods. There was also significant (P < 0.05) increase in number of productive tillers in the treated plots, which significantly increased rice grain yield than in the control plots. The results therefore suggest that the application of neem seed extracts could serve as a suitable alternative to synthetic insecticides in the management of AfRGM. More so the extract has the potential to increase rice grain yield without the disruption of the agro-ecosystem. Keyword: Plant extract, Carbofuran, Orseolia oryzivora control, grain yield

Review of the Fertility Status of the Wetlands of the Lower Anambra River Basin for Sustainable Crop Production.

The Wetlands of the Lower Anambra River Basin have been subjected to continuous crop production for a long time without adequate fertility restoration strategies. There was therefore the need to re-evaluate the soils health for sustainable crop production. Soil samples were   collected from the different zones of the study area and used to evaluate the soils texture, and physico- chemical properties. The results revealed that bulk density ranged from 1.3gcm-3 to 1.74gcm-3 with a mean value of 1.50gcm-1, while the hydraulic conductivity values ranged from 48.0 to 120.0 cm/hr with a mean value of 72.7cm/hr.  The moisture content of the soils was as high as 47.72 to 59.11%.  The soils were generally strongly acidic, ranging from pH 3.39 to 4.94. The organic matter status was generally low, ranging from 0.7 to 2.53 %. The Cation exchange capacity (CEC) was also generally low. The soils suffer multi-nutrient deficiencies. Total N was generally low in all the zones <0.15%, with a range of 0.042 to 0.14%. The available phosphorus in most of the soils were low (<15.0mg kg ), the exchangeable K had a range of 0.077 to 0.246 Cmol/kg. The exchangeable Ca had a range of 1.60 to 5.20 Cmol/kg, low to medium level, while Mg and Na had ranges of 0.80 to 3.20 Cmol/kg and 0.044 to 0.139 Cmol/kg respectively. It was concluded that the soils require conventional to minimum tillage, use of organic manures, judicious use of organic residues, liming, Bio-fertilizers and NPK fertilizers in other to sustain the soil for intensive crop production. Keywords: Soil fertility; Wetlands; Anambra river basin; Crop production

Effect of Abiotic Factors on the Incidence of African Rice Gall Midge, Orseolia oryzivora and its Parasitism by Platygaster diplosisae and Aprostocetus procerae

African rice gall midge (AfRGM), Orseolia oryzivora is one of the most damaging insect pests of lowland rice in Nigeria in the recent time, and could result in total crop failure in endemic areas. Of all the control measures adopted so far biological control is the most promising. Two parasitoids (Platygaster diplosisae, Hym: Platygastridae and Aprostocetus procerae, Hym: Eulophidae) have been identified with the potential to suppressed AfRGM population. In the current study, we evaluated the effect of abiotic factors (rainfall, relative humidity and temperature) in two eco-sites for two years on the incidence of AfRGM, and on the efficiency of the two parasotioids in the management of AfRGM. The incidence of AfRGM was significantly influenced by abiotic factors (rainfall, relative humidity and temperature). The percentage infestation increased with increase in rainfall and relative humidity. The trend was similar at both locations with the highest infestation recorded in October, and decreased in November. At both locations, percentage tiller infestation was greater in the rainy season of 2006 with more frequent rains than in 2007, with highest infestation recorded at Edozhigi in both years. Percentage parasitisms by the two parasitoids were found to have significant correlation with the abiotic factors. Heavy rains and high humidity significantly reduced the efficiency of the two parasitoids. On the contrast, the population and efficiency of the parasitoids were observed to increase with reducing rainfall, RH, but increasing temperature thus increasing the efficiency of the parasitoids later in the season with up to 70% parasitism when combined, with P. diplosisae dominating the field. The results suggest that abiotic factors played significant role on the incidence of AfRGM and the efficiency of these parasitoids and should be considered in the adoption of these parasitoids as bio-control agents of AfRGM. Keywords: Orseolia oryzivora, Platygaster diplosisae, Aprostocetus procerae, abiotic factor

Microstrip dual-band bandpass filter using U-shaped resonators

Coupled resonators are widely used in the design of filters with dual-passband responses. In this paper, we present a dual-band bandpass filter using only couplings between adjacent resonators without cross-couplings. The dual-band bandpass filter with centre frequencies of 1747MHz and 1879MHz respectively is designed and fabricated using microstrip U-shaped resonators. Using the coupled resonator pair as a dual-band cluster, a miniaturised structure is achieved as compared to the conventional topology. The measured responses agree closely with the simulations

GIS-Based Assessment of Smallholder Farmers’ Perception of Climate Change Impacts and Their Adaptation Strategies for Maize Production in Anambra State, Nigeria

The production of Zea mays (otherwise called maize or corn), which is an important staple food crop in Nigeria, is limited by the impacts of climate change; thus, posing food insecurity in the country. The primary purpose of this study is to assess the perception of smallholders’ maize farmers on climate variability; and, their climate change adaptations practices in Anambra State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique and structure questionnaires were applied to this study. Collected data were analyzed using both descriptive/ inferential statistics, together with a simple technique of geographic information system (GIS). The results show that, approximately 57.2% of climate variability negatively impacts on maize production in the study area. Basically flooding (ׯ = 2.02 ± 1.166), erratic rainfall (ׯ = 2.02 ± 0.816), and decrease in crop yield by strange pests and diseases (ׯ = 1.59 ± 0.896) affect maize production. The well-informed farmers practice some climate change adaptations techniques such as: planting of grasses to prevent erosion, and, use of improved maize seeds to withstand environmental stress. In conclusion, the lower the standard deviation values, the more knowledgeable the farmers were about issues of climate variability and on climate change adaptations practices; and, vice-versa

Thermal Effect of Cylindrical Heat Sink on Heat Management in LED Applications

© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Light Emitting Diode (LED) applications are increasingly used in various microelectronic devices due to their efficient light generation. The miniaturisation of the LED and its integration into compact devices within the weight limit have resulted in excessive heat generation, and inefficient management of this heat could lead to the failure of the entire system. Passive and/or active heat sinks are used for dissipating heat from the system to the environment to improve performance. An ANSYS design modeller and transient thermal conditions were utilised in this study to design and simulate the LED system. The modeller performs its function by utilising the Finite Element Method (FEM) technique. The LED system considered in this work consists of a chip, thermal interface material, and a cylindrical heat sink. The thickness of the Cylindrical Heat Sink (CHS) fins used in the investigation is between 2 mm and 6 mm, whilst ensuring the mass of heat sinks is not more than 100 g. The input power of the LED chip is between 4.55 W and 25.75 W, as required by some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). A mesh dependency study was carried out to ensure the results were synonymous with what can be obtained practically. The simulation results suggest that the power ratings did not affect the thermal resistance of the CHS. In addition, the thermal resistance increased with the increased thickness of the CHS fin. The efficiencies of the heat sink were found to increase with an increased thickness of the cylindrical fin and the accuracy between the calculated and simulated thermal efficiency ranges from 84.33% to 98.80%. Evidently, the CHS fin of 6 mm thickness is more efficient than the other CHS fins, as depicted in this study.Peer reviewe