Breed differences in growth parameters of broiler chickens

Broilers been essentially a meat type of chicken, coupled with its fast growth rate has been evaluated for factors that may affect its growth, which include but not limited to sex, breed and feeding. This study was carried out to evaluate breed differences in growth parameters of four different broiler breeds. The experimental units were derived from four commercial broiler breeds namely Arbor Acre®, Cobb®, Marshall® and Ross®. Each breed had 76 chicks totaling 304 across the four breeds. On arrival, each chick was tagged using a coloured leg tag, by breed and identification number, and the initial weight of the chicks were taken. Each of the breeds were thereafter randomly selected and assigned to four experimental plots as replicates of the same treatment, ensuring that each replicate had exact number of birds per breed. The broiler birds were reared for a period of 10 weeks and their weight taken and recorded at weekly intervals. All statistical analyses were conducted using boxplot, descriptive and general linear models of Minitab® 17. At the end of the experiment and after exploratory analysis to check for normality and outliers, a total of 217 birds were used in the final analyses. Except for the Marshall breed that had a highly significantly (P<0.01) lower initial weight, final weight, total weight gain and average daily gain, the other three breeds had fairly similar weight. However, there was no significant (P>0.05) difference in mean initial weight across the four replicates. While breed alone accounted for 37.81% of the total variation in initial weight, it only accounted for 30.31%, 30.07% and 30.07% respectively for final weight, total weight gain and average daily gain. The effect of breed on initial weight, total weight gain and average daily gain was only significant (P<0.01) in Marshall, while the other three breeds were not statistically different (P>0.05). It can be deduced from this study that performance in terms of growth parameters for most of the commercially available breeds studied are similar with the exception of Marshall breed which had significantly (P<0.05) lowest values

On the Use of Data Mining Techniques for Crime Profiling

Crime is today a salient fact, an integral part of the risks we face in everyday life. The concern about national andinternational security has increased significantly since the incident of September 11th, 2001 attacks. However, informationoverload thwarts the effective and efficient analysis of criminal activities. Application of data mining in the context of lawenforcement and intelligence analysis holds the promise of solving such problems. The benefit of data mining for policeseems tremendous, yet only a few limited applications are documented. Data mining can be used to model crime detectionproblems. Any research that can help in solving crimes faster will pay for itself. This paper gives reviews current trends inprofiling crime using data mining techniques. We proposed the use of clustering algorithm as a data mining approach to helpdetect the crimes patterns and speed up the process of solving crime.Key words: Crime, profiling, data mining, criminals, attacks and detectio

Impact of Different Fine Aggregates on the Compressive Strength of Hollow Sandcrete Blocks

Sandcrete blocks are walling materials that are made of fine aggregates and cement. Though, sandcrete blocks are being used as building materials in many parts of Nigeria, it has been discovered that many of the blocks produced do not conform to the minimum compressive strength requirement for such blocks. This study, therefore, examined the effect of using four (4) different fine aggregates (quarry dust, river sand, shocking sand and plastering sand) with binder to aggregate mix ratios of 1:6 and 1:4 on the compressive strength of sandcrete blocks. Specific gravity and particle size distribution analyses were conducted on the fine aggregates to determine their properties while water absorption capacity and compressive strength tests were carried out on the hollow sandcrete blocks. Five samples from each aggregate of size 450 mm x 225 mm x 225 mm were moulded and subjected to compressive strength tests. The water absorption capacity results revealed that shocking sand has the highest capacity to absorb water with a value of 8.69 %. River sand, with a value of 6.67 % has the lowest water absorption capacity. The 28th day compressive strength test results of 1.31 N/mm2, 1.10 N/mm2, 0.78 N/mm2 and 0.50 N/mm2 for the sandcrete blocks produced from quarry dust, river sand, shocking sand and plastering sand respectively, with mix ratio 1:6, did not meet the minimum requirement of 2.5 N/mm2 specified by NIS 87:2007 for non-load bearing walls. However, with mix ratio of 1:4, the compressive strength of 2.52 N/mm2 and 2.50 N/mm2 for sandcrete blocks made with quarry dust and river sand respectively met this minimum requirement. It was concluded that only quarry dust and sharp sand at mix ratio 1:4 are suitable in the production of sandcrete blocks

VARIATION IN SOIL PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES IN THREE LAND USE TYPES OF OGUN RIVER WATERSHED

Conversion of watershed to other Land Use Types (LUTs) has implications on soil nutrients. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of three LUTs on soil physico-chemical properties of Ogun River watershed. The Ogun River watershed was stratified into Guinea Savannah (GS), Rainforest (RF) and Swamp Forest (SF) Ecological Zones (EZs). Three LUTs: Natural Forest (NF), Disturbed Forest (DF) and Farmland (FL) were purposively selected in GS: GSNF, GSDF, GSFL; RF: RFNF, RFDF, RFFL and SF: SFNF, SFDF, SFFL, respectively. Five out of sixteen plots laid along the transects lines were randomly selected in each of LUTs in the three ecological zones for soil sampling. In each of the selected plots, 5 soil samples were collected at the four corners and centre of the plot at two depths: 0-15 cm, 15-30 cm. Physico-chemical properties of soil samples were determined following standard procedures. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for differences in Physico-chemical variables of Ogun River soil samples using 3 x 3 x 2 factorial experiments. There were significant differences in Physico-chemical properties among land use types, Ecological zones and between soil depths of Ogun River watershed (P < 0.05). Soil Cation Exchange Capacity ranged from 2.37±0.01 (GSFL) to 8.50±0.04 (GSNF); Total Nitrogen increased from 0.88±0.01 (RFFL) to 4.79±0.05 (GSNF) while Soil Organic Matter ranged from 1.48±0.01 (GSFL) to 13.12±0.21 (GSNF).  It was found that continuous changes in land vegetative cover Ogun River watershed through human activities negatively affected soil physico-chemical properties. Therefore, other anthropogenic activities that will intercept nutrient cycling in the watershed ecosystem must be discouraged

Chemical constituents and antimicrobial properties of Phyllanthus amarus (Schum & Thonn)

The chemical composition of the leave extracts of Phyllanthus amarus (Schum and Thonn) of the family Euphorbiaceae from Nigeria was analyzed by GC-MS. The extracts were also examined for their potential to inhibit the growth of clinical isolates following standard procedure. The major compounds identified in the hexane extract are a flavonoid, flavone 4’,5,7-triethoxy-3,3’,6- trimethoxy (20.23%) and a triterpenoid 17-(1,5-Dimethylhexyl)-6-hydroxy-5-methylestr-9-en-3-yl acetate (19.02%) while bufalin (18.71%) and tetratetracontane (12.91%) were the major compounds detected in the methanol extract. Steroidal triterpenoids are the major compounds present in the extracts as it accounted for 47% of the total detectable content in the hexane extract and 52% in the methanol extract. The steroidal triterpenoids which exist primarily as acetate in the hexane extract include cycloeucalenyl acetate, ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3-ol acetate, macdougallin, 17-(1,5-Dimethylhexyl)-6-hydroxy-5-methylestr-9-en-3-yl acetate, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol while the methanol extract contains 6,7-epoxypregn-4-ene-9,11,18-triol-3,20-dione, 11,18-diacetate, bufalin, olean-13(18)-ene, methyl ursolate, barringenol R1 and 7,8- epoxylanostan-11-ol,3-acetoxy. Hexane extract of the plant exhibited antifungal activity on Candida albicans while methanol extract revealed significant antibacterial activity on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus at all concentrations of the extract between 12.5 and 100 mg/mL, the activity being comparable to the standard antibacterial drug, Oxacillin. The leaves of Phyllanthus amarus is a potential source of steroidal triterpenoids which could serve as biomarker for the plant species. The extracts of the plant may also serve as a natural source of antimicrobial agents for the treatment of some microbial infections.Keywords: Phyllathus amarus, antimicrobial, phytochemicals, leaf extract

Effect of experimental Trypanosoma congolense infection on serum profiles of lipid and cholesterol in pack donkeys

The effect of experimental Trypanosoma congolense (T. congolense) infection on serum concentrations of lipids in donkeys was investigated. To establish the infection, four apparently healthy pack donkeys were, each, intravenously inoculated with blood (1 ml) from an infected donor donkey containing 1 x 106 T. congolense organisms. Following this, 5 ml of blood was collected from each of the experimental animals, starting from day zero and then every other day throughout the experimental period and used for haematological and serum biochemical analyses. Levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) in the serum were measured over a 28-day experimental period, using commercial test kits. The infection with T. congolense caused significant (P<0.05) decreases in serum concentrations of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in the experimental animals. Decreases were also observed in the serum concentrations of triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol but were not significant (P>0.05). With the indispensable roles of lipids as integral parts of cell membrane structures and in other metabolic processes in the mammalian hosts, it could be inferred that T. congolense infection-induced alterations in serum concentrations of lipids might be contributory pathophysiological mechanisms of some of the reported disorders in trypanosome-infected animals.Keywords: Donkey, Cholesterol, Triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterolTrypanosoma congolens

Acidic leaching of iron from Kaoje Goethite ore by hydrochloric acid: Kinetics modelling

Considering the recent focus of the Nigeria Government to grow and develop the nation’s economy through the solid minerals sector reform, this study has been devoted to the kinetics of a Nigerian goethite ore by hydrochloric acid leaching for improved iron and steel industries applications. This study was performed in three different phases. In the first phase, acidic leaching of iron from a goethite ore was examined and the influence of the operating variables including: HCl concentration, leaching temperature, stirring speed and particle sizes was examined experimentally. The optimum condition was found to be HCl concentration of 1.81M, temperature of 80°C, 200 rpm stirring speed and particle size 0.09 μm for iron in the range of investigated parameters. Under those conditions, the highest iron recovery was obtained to be 95.67 %. In the second phase, the dissolution kinetics of iron was evaluated by the shrinking core models. The finding reveals that diffusion through the fluid was the leaching kinetics rate controlling step of the iron. The activation energy (Ea) was found to be 14.54 kJmol-1 for iron. Equation representing the leaching kinetic of iron was achieved to be 1−2/3α - (1 − x)2/3 = 0.7272 × e−38.29/8.314×T × t. The final stage of the experiment was carried out by characterizing the leached residues by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the result showed majorly the presence of rutile (TiO2), anglesite (PbSO4), and traces of iron-silicate face like pyrite (FeS), quartz (SiO2). Keywords: kinetics modelling, leaching, low-grade, recovery, shrinking cor

Suitability of cow horn as filler in an epoxy composite

This study focuses on assessment of cow horn as filler in an epoxy composite. A particle-reinforced composite was developed using horn particles (HP) and epoxy resin with filler of varying percentage weight (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%. 25%, 30%, 35%, 40 %) at particle sizes of 100 and 150 μm. The composites were developed by hand lay-up technique with varying process parameters. The properties of the developed composites were examined through tensile, flexural and impact tests. The results showed that the tensile properties of the polymers reduced with theincorporation of the cow horn as filler. But at higher curing temperature, a better strength was achieved. Meanwhile, the flexural and impact properties of the polymers increased with the incorporation of the fiber in no particular order. The composite materials with particle size of 100 μm with curing temperature of 80oC exhibited higher tensile (37.58 MPa) and impact properties (74 J) than the lower particles. Generally, the cow horn was found to be a good potential filler in the composite if prepared using higher curing temperature as exhibited through its mechanical properties.Keywords: Composite materials, Cow horn, Epoxy resin, Filler and Strengt

Role of sequential semen samples in infertile men candidates for assisted reproduction: A prospective study

Objective: To study the beneficial effect of repeated sequential ejaculation in infertile men who are candidates for assisted reproduction.Materials and methods: The study included a total of 237 infertile males attending our infertility and IVF center from January 2016 till December 2017. All patients were asked to provide two semen samples (1–3 h apart) after an abstinence period of 3–7 days. The two consecutive semen samples were analyzed according to the 2010 WHO criteria for semen analysis and their parameters were compared.Results: The mean age for our study group was 35.7 years (20–56 year). Of the 237 subjects, 157 showed oligoasthenozoospermia on their initial semen sample while the remaining 80 were azoospermic. A statistically significant difference was detected between the 2 sequential semen samples regarding all semen parameters except grade A motility. Despite the significant decrease in seminal volume by sequential sampling, there was a statistically significant increase in sperm concentration in the second ejaculate compared to the first (6.2 ± 0.61 versus 3.4 ± 0.52 million/mL, respectively, p = 0.016). The mean normal sperm morphology also demonstrated a significant increase (2.1 ± 1.8–5.1 ± 2.6%, p < 0.002). Mean progressive sperm motility increased from 1.13 ± 0.31 to 1.7 ± 0.31% (p = 0.010) on repeated sampling. Also, we were able to retrieve viable sperm in 15% of the azoospermic patients whom were known to be azoospermic on previous occasions.Conclusions: Obtaining consecutive semen samples leads to improvements in the quality of many semen parameters (sperm concentration, motility and morphology) which may be of special importance for management of infertile couples especially those attempting assisted reproductive techniques

Tocilizumab in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial

Background: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of tocilizumab in adult patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 with both hypoxia and systemic inflammation. Methods: This randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]), is assessing several possible treatments in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in the UK. Those trial participants with hypoxia (oxygen saturation <92% on air or requiring oxygen therapy) and evidence of systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein ≥75 mg/L) were eligible for random assignment in a 1:1 ratio to usual standard of care alone versus usual standard of care plus tocilizumab at a dose of 400 mg–800 mg (depending on weight) given intravenously. A second dose could be given 12–24 h later if the patient's condition had not improved. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality, assessed in the intention-to-treat population. The trial is registered with ISRCTN (50189673) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04381936). Findings: Between April 23, 2020, and Jan 24, 2021, 4116 adults of 21 550 patients enrolled into the RECOVERY trial were included in the assessment of tocilizumab, including 3385 (82%) patients receiving systemic corticosteroids. Overall, 621 (31%) of the 2022 patients allocated tocilizumab and 729 (35%) of the 2094 patients allocated to usual care died within 28 days (rate ratio 0·85; 95% CI 0·76–0·94; p=0·0028). Consistent results were seen in all prespecified subgroups of patients, including those receiving systemic corticosteroids. Patients allocated to tocilizumab were more likely to be discharged from hospital within 28 days (57% vs 50%; rate ratio 1·22; 1·12–1·33; p<0·0001). Among those not receiving invasive mechanical ventilation at baseline, patients allocated tocilizumab were less likely to reach the composite endpoint of invasive mechanical ventilation or death (35% vs 42%; risk ratio 0·84; 95% CI 0·77–0·92; p<0·0001). Interpretation: In hospitalised COVID-19 patients with hypoxia and systemic inflammation, tocilizumab improved survival and other clinical outcomes. These benefits were seen regardless of the amount of respiratory support and were additional to the benefits of systemic corticosteroids. Funding: UK Research and Innovation (Medical Research Council) and National Institute of Health Research