Farmers perception of problems in the cultivation of selected leaf vegetables in South Western Nigeria

The development of alternative strategies for sustainable pests’ management in vegetable production (using insecticides of plant origin) is particularly important in a country like Nigeria where synthetic insecticides are not readily available and farmer s are poorly equipped to handle them. This research was conducted to unravel farmers’ perception of insect pest activities as a constraint to vegetable production and to ascertain the most important pests and indigenous methods of control (using plant extracts). Baseline surveys were conducted using well structured questionnaire on farmers’ plots in farming communities of Akure North and South Local Government Areas of Ondo State. Results from the study affirmed, that all the farmers had the problem of pests on their farms. They have ranked Podagrica sjostedti, P. uniforma, Sylepta derogata, Dsydercus superstitiosus, and Zonocerous variegata as the most important insect pests of the selected leaf vegetables: Amaranthus hybridus, Celosia argentea, and Corchorus olitorius. The results further indicated that 76% of the farmers were aware of the use of indigenous methods of control (using different plant extracts) for the control of pests. The study showed that there was no significant association between education and the use of plant extracts. However, age, sex, and farming experience influenced the use of the plant extracts for insect pest control on the respondents’ farm

Geotechnical and Geochemical Properties of Lateritic Profile on Migmatite-Gneiss along Ogbomosho-Ilorin Highway, Southwestern Nigeria

Lateritic soils are very important in the construction industries and activities as construction material and foundation support for engineering structures in the tropical regions. This research tends to focus on the influence of position of horizon within the laterite soil profile and the resultant geotechnical and geochemical properties of soils developed over migmatite gneiss rock and also examine their suitability as construction and /or foundation material. A total of twenty three (23) soil samples and two rock samples were obtained from 8 different locations along Ogbomosho – Ilorin Highway, Southwestern Nigeria and considered under this study. The area is underlain by Basement Complex rock and migmatite gneiss is the most widely spread rock type. The laboratory test carried out includes specific gravity, grain size analysis, Atterberg limits (liquid limit, plastic limit, plasticity index and linear shrinkage), Standard proctor test, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), and Shear test. Geochemical analysis for major oxides and thin sectioning of rocks for petrological analysis was also carried out. The oxides are SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, K2O, Na2O, TiO2, CaO and MnO while SiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3 constitute about 70-80 % of the soils chemical composition. Petrology reveal strongly foliated rock that composed of mafic mineral such as biotite, hornblende, and felsic mineral consisting of quartz and feldspar. Quartz, biotite and feldspar constitute about 77% of the minerals with quartz having 40% of the total mineral composition. The position of the horizon within the soil profile was found to have varying influence on the plasticity, moisture density relationship, CBR, and shear strength. This study showed that the influence of the parent rock on engineering properties and the position of the horizon within the lateritic profile determine the engineering properties and behaviour of residual soils. Keywords: Assessment, Laterite Soil, Migmatite-gneiss, Ogbomosho-Ilorin Highway, Southwestern Nigeri

Quality Assessment of Surface and Groundwater Sources in Lugbe, Abuja, North-Central Nigeria

Lugbe is one of the satellite towns in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. It is situated between latitudes 08º55´N to 09º00´N and longitudes 07º19´E to 07º26´E covering an area of about 50 km2.  The area is underlain by crystalline rocks of Precambrian age mainly the older granite and the Migmatite-gneiss. Groundwater and surface water samples were collected and analyzed for their physical, chemical and microbial parameters. Results of the analyses indicate that the physical parameters falls within the acceptable limit except pH which ranged from 5.8 and 6.9 indicating slightly acidic environment. Concentrations of the chemical parameters analyzed are within the permissible limits except copper and lead whose concentration in few locations where found to be higher than the WHO and NSDWQ recommended limits for safe drinking water. The water is poor bacteriologically as total coliform and E.coli were determined in both the surface and groundwater samples which is an indication of faecal contamination. The dominant water type from Piper diagram and Schoeller plot is Ca-Mg-Cl-SO4. Due the poor quality of surface and groundwater sources in Lugbe, treatment of the water before domestic usage is recommended. The observed anomalies in the water sources are finger-prints of anthropogenic contamination due to upsurge in population and urbanization without proper sanitary measures as well as rock-water interaction mechanism. Keyword: Quality Assessment, Surface water, Groundwater, Lugbe, Abuja, North-Central Nigeri

Occurrence of Fluoride and some Heavy Metals in Groundwater from Shallow Aquifers Near Ogbomosho, North-central Nigeria

Groundwater is one of the most important natural resources that when contaminated by either natural or anthropogenic means is difficult and expensive to clean-up. Fluorosis is a disease affecting the bone and teeth of humans due to excessive intake of fluoride either through water or food. Heavy metal pollution is a burning environmental issue due their toxic, persistent and bio-accumulative nature. The present study evaluates the presence of fluoride and some heavy metals in groundwater from shallow aquifers around Ogbomosho, north-central Nigeria and the result of investigation confirmed their enrichment. The fluoride concentration ranged between 1.35mg/l to 2.75mg/l with a mean value of 2.18mg/l as against the recommended value of 1.50mg/l. This is an indication that continuous use of water from this area may result to colouration of the teeth and deformation of the bone among the people especially children since they are the most vulnerable. High fluoride content in groundwater can be attributed to the continuous water-rock interaction during the process of percolation with fluoride-bearing country rocks under arid, low precipitation, and high evapotranspiration conditions. The study has established that the fluoride-rich groundwater as well as heavy metal contamination in the area may have emanated from geochemical processes of dissolution and weathering of the granite aquifers in the area. The heavy metal enrichment is in the order of: Ni > Mn > Cr > Cd > Fe > Cu > Zn. These findings suggest that the enrichment of the groundwater system is geogenic and related to the local geology of the area. It is recommended that people living in the coarse grained porphyritic biotite granite dominated area should discontinue the use of groundwater for domestic and drinking purposes in order not to experience fluorosis in future. Environmentally friendly techniques such as phyto-remediation and bio-remediation should be employed to monitor and control fluoride and heavy metal content in the groundwater system. Keywords: Groundwater Quality, Fluorosis, Heavy metals contamination, Shallow Aquifers Ogbomosho and North-central Nigeri

HISTOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF ARTEETHERTM ON THE LIVER OF WISTAR RATS

ArteetherTM is among the recent drugs that are used to combat choroquine-resistant malarial parasites. This study examined the effects of arteetherTM on enzyme biomarkers of the liver, serum protein concentrations, and liver morphology. Twenty (20) adult albino Wistar rats weighing 200 – 250 g were randomly divided into four groups (A, B, C and D) of five animals each, and used in this study. Group A rats were given intramuscular (i. m.) arteetherTM (3 mg/kg b. w.) daily for 3 days. Group B rats received i. m. arteetherTM (6 mg/kg b. w.) daily for 3 days. Group C rats were given i. m. arteetherTM (3 mg/kg b. w.) daily for 3 days. The same dose was repeated at two-weekly intervals for 4 further weeks, while group D rats which received normal saline (0.9 % w/ v, 3 ml/kg b.w.), served as controls. At the end of the experiment, the body weights of the animals were determined and recorded. Serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (ASP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total protein (TP) and albumin were assayed, and histological studies were performed. Results obtained show no significant difference (

Twelve-month observational study of children with cancer in 41 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction Childhood cancer is a leading cause of death. It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted childhood cancer mortality. In this study, we aimed to establish all-cause mortality rates for childhood cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the factors associated with mortality. Methods Prospective cohort study in 109 institutions in 41 countries. Inclusion criteria: children <18 years who were newly diagnosed with or undergoing active treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumour, glioma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma. Of 2327 cases, 2118 patients were included in the study. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality at 30 days, 90 days and 12 months. Results All-cause mortality was 3.4% (n=71/2084) at 30-day follow-up, 5.7% (n=113/1969) at 90-day follow-up and 13.0% (n=206/1581) at 12-month follow-up. The median time from diagnosis to multidisciplinary team (MDT) plan was longest in low-income countries (7 days, IQR 3-11). Multivariable analysis revealed several factors associated with 12-month mortality, including low-income (OR 6.99 (95% CI 2.49 to 19.68); p<0.001), lower middle income (OR 3.32 (95% CI 1.96 to 5.61); p<0.001) and upper middle income (OR 3.49 (95% CI 2.02 to 6.03); p<0.001) country status and chemotherapy (OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.86); p=0.008) and immunotherapy (OR 0.27 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.91); p=0.035) within 30 days from MDT plan. Multivariable analysis revealed laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 5.33 (95% CI 1.19 to 23.84); p=0.029) was associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusions Children with cancer are more likely to die within 30 days if infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, timely treatment reduced odds of death. This report provides crucial information to balance the benefits of providing anticancer therapy against the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with cancer