DETERMINANTS OF UTILIZATION AND PARTICIPATION IN THE COLLECTION AND SALES OF FOREST PLANT LEAVES IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Determinants of participation in the collection and sales of forest plant leaves in Ogun state were investigated. Multistage sampling procedure was employed to select three hundred (300) respondents for the study. A structure questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, logit regression and budgetary analysis. The logit regression analysis results showed that the likelihood of utilization of the forest plant leaves is significantly determined by nature of the respondents occupation (farming and NTFPs) and their household size while the likelihood of participation in the collection and sales of forest plant leaves is significantly determined by nearness to the forest plant leaves, income realized from the leaves and gender. Sales of leaves were profitable with an average net profit of N14,179.17/month/respondent. Enlighten programs on forest plant leaves activities as means of livelihood and alleviation of poverty should be embarked upon for rural folks. &nbsp

EVALUATION OF BIOGAS POTENTIALS OF Cymbopogon citratus AS ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IN NIGERIA

This research explored the potentials of Cymbopogon citratus (Lemon Grass) for biogas production as a cost effective alternative energy source in Nigeria. The Cymbopogon citratus was crushed to small sizes between 20 to 50mm and pre-fermented for 40 days in a PVC drum. Six (6) kg of the pre-fermented Cymbopogon citratus was mixed with water in ratio 1:1 w/v to form slurry and digested for 30 days. The floating drum gas collection system was used to collect the gas after it was passed through water and lime respectively for scrubbing. A total of 0.125m3 (6.95x10-4 m3/kg/day) and 0.0897m3 (4.98x10-4 m3/kg/day) of biogas was produced from the Cymbopogon citratus before and after scrubbing respectively. The gas produced was used for cooking test. The scrubbed gas had higher cooking rates for both water and rice respectively (0.12L/min and 0.0052L/min) while the cooking rates for unscrubbed gas were 0.079L/min and 0.0036L/min respectively. During this period, daily ambient temperatures of the research environment varied from 310C to 420C while the digester temperature fluctuated between 28oC and 36.70C. The pH of the medium fluctuated optimally between 6.5 and 7.8. The research demonstrated that Biogas could be produced from Cymbopogon citratus in quantity and quality comparative with those in literatures

Socio- Economic Contributions and Marketing of Charcoal in Igbo-Ora, Oyo State

Charcoal is a major forest product that serves as vital source of livelihood for large proportion of the poor and middle-class people living in or close to the forest in most tropical countries. This study specifically examines the socio-demographic properties, profitability and market structure in the study areas. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 120 charcoal businesses, which was split on market chain whether they were producers, wholesalers or retailers. 40 copies of questionnaires were administered on each market chain. Descriptive statistical tools, profitability analysis, gross margin and Gini coefficient were used to analyze the data collected. Profitability analysis showed that the producers, wholesalers and retailers incurred ₦15,100.00, ₦55,675.00 and ₦1,715.00 respectively as total cost but earned ₦52,675.00, ₦78,750.00 and ₦2,312.50 respectively as revenue implying that each earned ₦37,575.00, ₦23,075.00 and ₦597.50 respectively as gross profit. Also, benefit cost ratio was recorded to be 3.49, 1.41 and 1.35 respectively. Gini-Coefficient of 0.4932 obtained in this study showed that the market is tilting away from equality, also among the market participants, and prices were determined at the production level of the chain, although the business was lucrative. It is therefore recommended that government should create structural frameworks that allows for planting of more trees by charcoal producers in other to ensure maximum sustainability of the resource, more so, policies that checkmate charcoal producers should be implemented by the Forestry governing body as most exploit woods unsustainably. Keywords: Market chain, Profitability, Sustainability, Charcoal, Benefit Cost Ratio, Marketin

Improving biodiesel yield of animal waste fats by combination of a pre-treatment technique and microwave technology Renewable Energy

Recently, due to its low cost there has been increased attention on Animal Waste Fats (AWFs) as a feedstock for biodiesel production. Advanced microwave technology has also been reported by many researchers to enhance the transesterification in biodiesel production. However, esterification of free fatty acids in the feedstock reported here has not attracted so much attention. AWFs come with its challenges namely, high free fatty acid (FFA) content and high water content. This study utilizes AWFs (tallow) containing very large amount of FFA; (25wt.%, 18 wt.%, and 9.4 wt.% FFA/AWFs) as feedstock for fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) production. A simple thermal pre-treatment technique followed microwave assisted esterification with methanol (MeOH) was conducted in a batch process to reduce the FFA content to as low as 1wt.% FFA, which is then suitable for the alkaline transesterification process. The pre-treatment of AWFs at 88°C to first reduce water and decrease viscosity, followed by an operating microwave power of 70W producing a power density 1.147mW/m3, achieved a 15% increase in reduction of FFA over 30W microwave power and conventional thermal method. Under optimum conditions, using 2.0 wt.wt% sulphuric acid catalyst/AWFs and 1:6 molar ratio AWF/MeOH, the FFA conversion of 93wt. % was achieved. The results indicated that the pre-treatment and microwave application provided a faster route to high FFA reduction of AWFs during esterification process. The proposed technology is promising for the potential scale up industrial application

MORPHOMETRIC AND MERISTIC STUDY OF ETHMALOSA FIMBRIATA (BOWDICH) FROM BRACKISH WATER AND MARINE ENVIRONMENT

A study of Ethmalosa fimbriata (Bowdich) from Lagos lagoon (brackish water) and Lagos coast (marine environment) using meristic and morphometric characteristics was carried out. Length frequency distribution method was used to separate the sample fish to three age groups. One year old specimens from both the brackish water and marine environments were compared. The total lengths ranged from 9.9cm to 16.0cm. Variations were also studied for one year, two years and three year old specimens in the marine environments. Among the meristic and morphometric characters investigated dorsal rays, anal rays, left gill rakers and right gill rakers showed some differences that were statistically different among the three age groups.  It is therefore concluded that E. fimbriata strains from brackish water and marine environment are genetically inseparable, since environmental factors such as salinity have effect on the migratory habit of the fish.Â

EXPLORING SOURSOP KERNEL AS A SUSTAINABLE BIOFUEL: ANALYZING PHYSICAL AND SOLID FLOW PROPERTIES FOR FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT

  Soursop kernel is an oil-bearing seed containing about 25% non-edible oil per 100 g sample making it a potential feedstock for biofuel production. However, exploring the full potential of the oil requires data to design and fabricate appropriate machines for its processing. So, this necessitates a thorough examination of its physical and solid flow behaviour in relation to moisture contents. The experiments conducted on rewetted samples revealed that as moisture content (mc) increased from 8% to 32.5% dry basis (db), the length, width, thickness, arithmetic and geometric mean diameter, volume, surface area, sphericity, and thousand kernels weight increased from 11.40-12.06 mm, 7.04-7.92 mm, 4.58-5.34 mm, 7.69-8.44 mm, 7.12-7.49 mm, 6.5–8.13 cm3, 160.19-199.05 mm2, 0.62- 0.66 and 186.4–291 g, respectively. The true density decreased from 720 to 670 kg/m³, whereas the bulk density increased from 470 to 570 kg/m³. The angle of repose linearly increased from 25.8° to 39.2° as moisture content increased. The highest mean values for coefficients of friction were observed on mild steel surfaces (0.44 for static and 0.53 for dynamic) at 8.0% mc (db) while the lowest values were recorded on stainless steel surfaces (0.20 for static and 0.37 for dynamic) at both 32.5% and 8.0%, (mc, db). The data obtained will prove beneficial to engineers in the design and development of appropriate machines, as well as other handling and processing equipment such as oil expellers, so as to explore the full industrial application of the oil for biodiesel production and other chemical productio

Epidemiology of Untreated Psychoses in 3 Diverse Settings in the Global South: The International Research Program on Psychotic Disorders in Diverse Settings (INTREPID II).

IMPORTANCE: Less than 10% of research on psychotic disorders has been conducted in settings in the Global South, which refers broadly to the regions of Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. There is a lack of basic epidemiological data on the distribution of and risks for psychoses that can inform the development of services in many parts of the world. OBJECTIVE: To compare demographic and clinical profiles of cohorts of cases and rates of untreated psychoses (proxy for incidence) across and within 3 economically and socially diverse settings in the Global South. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) demographic and clinical profiles of cases with an untreated psychotic disorder vary across setting and (2) rates of untreated psychotic disorders vary across and within setting by clinical and demographic group. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The International Research Program on Psychotic Disorders in Diverse Settings (INTREPID II) comprises incidence, case-control, and cohort studies of untreated psychoses in catchment areas in 3 countries in the Global South: Kancheepuram District, India; Ibadan, Nigeria; and northern Trinidad. Participants were individuals with an untreated psychotic disorder. This incidence study was conducted from May 1, 2018, to July 31, 2020. In each setting, comprehensive systems were implemented to identify and assess all individuals with an untreated psychosis during a 2-year period. Data were analyzed from January 1 to May 1, 2022. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The presence of an untreated psychotic disorder, assessed using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry, which incorporate the Present State Examination. RESULTS: Identified were a total of 1038 cases, including 64 through leakage studies (Kancheepuram: 268; median [IQR] age, 42 [33-50] years; 154 women [57.5%]; 114 men [42.5%]; Ibadan: 196; median [IQR] age, 34 [26-41] years; 93 women [47.4%]; 103 men [52.6%]; Trinidad: 574; median [IQR] age, 30 [23-40] years; 235 women [40.9%]; 339 men [59.1%]). Marked variations were found across and within settings in the sex, age, and clinical profiles of cases (eg, lower percentage of men, older age at onset, longer duration of psychosis, and lower percentage of affective psychosis in Kancheepuram compared with Ibadan and Trinidad) and in rates of untreated psychosis. Age- and sex-standardized rates of untreated psychoses were approximately 3 times higher in Trinidad (59.1/100 000 person-years; 95% CI, 54.2-64.0) compared with Kancheepuram (20.7/100 000 person-years; 95% CI, 18.2-23.2) and Ibadan (14.4/100 000 person-years; 95% CI, 12.3-16.5). In Trinidad, rates were approximately 2 times higher in the African Trinidadian population (85.4/100 000 person-years; 95% CI, 76.0-94.9) compared with the Indian Trinidadian (43.9/100 000 person-years; 95% CI, 35.7-52.2) and mixed populations (50.7/100 000 person-years; 95% CI, 42.0-59.5). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This analysis adds to research that suggests that core aspects of psychosis vary by historic, economic, and social context, with far-reaching implications for understanding and treatment of psychoses globally

Expression of Msx-1 is suppressed in bisphosphonate associated osteonecrosis related jaw tissue-etiopathology considerations respecting jaw developmental biology-related unique features

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bone-destructive disease treatments include bisphosphonates and antibodies against the osteoclast differentiator, RANKL (aRANKL); however, osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a frequent side-effect. Current models fail to explain the restriction of bisphosphonate (BP)-related and denosumab (anti-RANKL antibody)-related ONJ to jaws. Msx-1 is exclusively expressed in craniofacial structures and pivotal to cranial neural crest (CNC)-derived periodontal tissue remodeling. We hypothesised that Msx-1 expression might be impaired in bisphosphonate-related ONJ. The study aim was to elucidate Msx-1 and RANKL-associated signal transduction (BMP-2/4, RANKL) in ONJ-altered and healthy periodontal tissue.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twenty ONJ and twenty non-BP exposed periodontal samples were processed for RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. An automated staining-based alkaline phosphatase-anti-alkaline phosphatase method was used to measure the stained cells:total cell-number ratio (labelling index, Bonferroni adjustment). Real-time RT-PCR was performed on ONJ-affected and healthy jaw periodontal samples (n = 20 each) to quantitatively compare Msx-1, BMP-2, RANKL, and GAPDH mRNA levels.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Semi-quantitative assessment of the ratio of stained cells showed decreased Msx-1 and RANKL and increased BMP-2/4 (all p < 0.05) expression in ONJ-adjacent periodontal tissue. ONJ tissue also exhibited decreased relative gene expression for Msx-1 (p < 0.03) and RANKL (p < 0.03) and increased BMP-2/4 expression (p < 0.02) compared to control.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results explain the sclerotic and osteopetrotic changes of periodontal tissue following BP application and substantiate clinical findings of BP-related impaired remodeling specific to periodontal tissue. RANKL suppression substantiated the clinical finding of impaired bone remodelling in BP- and aRANKL-induced ONJ-affected bone structures. Msx-1 suppression in ONJ-adjacent periodontal tissue suggested a bisphosphonate-related impairment in cellular differentiation that occurred exclusively jaw remodelling. Further research on developmental biology-related unique features of jaw bone structures will help to elucidate pathologies restricted to maxillofacial tissue.</p