Description of soft sediment deformational structure of the Campano-Maastrichtian Gombe formation of the Northern Benue Trough, N.E. Nigeria

Several soft sediment deformational structures were identified during fieldwork survey carried out on exposures of Gombe Formation in the Gongola sub–basin of the Northern Benue Trough at Gombe and environs. These soft sediment deformational structures includes: simple internal cusps, which occur wide spread across a single bed or  intermittently across several beds, and slump structures that are represented by complex recumbent folds and concave upwards structures. These structures are proxy to syn-depositional energy operating within the depositional environment and this current research aims to evaluate their trigger mechanism. These deformational structures are commonly hosted in the mouth-bar deltaic sequences of the Gombe Formation. The deltaic setting is usually a locus for high sediment influx and accumulation. This may have generated high quantum of depositional energy which was probably responsible for the development of the syn-depositional soft sediment depositional structures in the Gombe Formation during Campano-Maastrichtian times. KEYWORDS: Gombe, Sandstone, Gongola Basin, soft sediment Benue trough

AN ANALYSIS OF THE MARKETING OF ONION IN MONGUNO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

This paper determined the profitability, marketing channel and marketing efficiency of onion marketing in Monguno Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria. Data were collected using well-structured questionnaires from 45 respondents selected using random sampling technique. The market analyses were done using descriptive statistics, gross margin, marketing margin and market efficiency formulae. The study revealed that onion marketing was profitable. The with a gross margin of N 2,888.00 and N 3,130.00 for wholesalers and retailers return on naira invested was 0.32% for wholesaler and 0.34% for retailer, which when compared to the cost of capital in the economy, showed that the marketers can generate enough capital to meet the obligation of repaying any loan could borrow in the course of their marketing activities. The marketing margin obtained was 32% for wholesalers and 33.3% for retailers. The marketing efficiency was 42% and 44.8% for wholesalers and retailers respectively. The problems of onion marketing in the study area include inadequate storage facilities, lack of adequate transport facilities, and lack of capital which affect the profits realized by the marketers. It was recommended that transport facilities should be provided marketing loans and credit made available to marketers and adequate and conventional storage facilities made available in the market by the government to prevent spoilages. Keywords: onion, gross-margin, marketing margin, marketing efficiency

Sedimentology and paleoenvironmental studies on the Chad formation of Bornu basin, north-eastern Nigeria

This study deals with sedimentology and Paleoenvironmental studies of the Chad Formation in the Bornu Basin. The sandstones which build up this formation are fine, medium to coarse grained sands which are dominantlypoorly sorted. The skewness ranges from positive to very positive while the kurtosis varies from very platykurtic to very leptokurtic. The bivariate plots of standard deviation vs. mean, standard deviation vs. skewness, standarddeviation vs. first percentile, mean vs. first percentile and log probability plots have conclusively define the depositional environment of the arenaceous samples of the Chad Formation as fluvial in origin. The paleocurrent analysis indicates a trend in the northwestern direction which implies that the sediments forming the Chad Formation were derived from the southwest

Resource Use Efficiency in Maize Production among Small-scale Farmers in Biu Local Government Area, Borno State Nigeria

This study was conducted to determine efficiency of resource use in Maize Production among Small-scale Farmers in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected through multi-stage random sampling, where 60 respondents were sampled. Analytical tools used include descriptive statistics, budgetary techniques using Gross Margin analysis and Regression Analysis. Results of the socio­economic characteristics from the data collected showed that majority of the respondents (67%) were males and only 36% were females. Majority of the respondents (75%), were youth aged between 21-40 years, while only 3% were above 50 years of age. Maize production is profitable in the study area with Gross Margin of N28, 1741.00 per ha and a Total variable Cost of N12, 001.20 per ha. Semi-log function was the lead equation chosen with R² 0.81 ie 81 % of the changes in output is attributed to changes in the independent variables. Fertilizer and quantity of seed has coefficient of 0.426 and 1.336 and significant at 5% and 1% respectively. The result also indicates that size of the farm, labour, fertilizer and seed were excessively utilized with resource efficiency level of 0.01, 0.07, 0.23 and 0.10 respectively. Major problems of the farmers in the study area include, lack of finance, high cost of inputs, transportation problem and the problems of pest and diseases. In conclusion, from the findings in the study area, maize production can be improved if resources like chemicals, labor and farm size are adequately utilized. Based on the findings, seminars or workshops should be organized to enlighten farmers on the proper use of resources and the importance of record keeping was suggested to ensure increased production, Key words: Resource use, Profitability, Maize Production, Small-scale farmers, Borno Stat

Rare earth elements and stable sulphur (δ34s) isotope of baryte mineralization in Liji Area, Northern Benue trough, northeastern Nigeria

The Liji area lithologically consists of inliers of granite and pegmatite members of the Pan-African granitoids surrounded by Cretaceous sedimentary deposits of Bima, Yolde, Pindiga and Gombe Formations. Epigenetic fracture-filling baryte mineralization hosted by granite, pegmatite and Bima Sandstone were delineated, sampled and analyzed for rare-earth elements (REEs) and stable sulphur isotope geochemistry. The REEs of the distal (unaltered) rocks indicated normal values (26.15-36.81 ppm) before mineralization was marked by enrichment of light rare-earth elements (LREEs) (27.94 ppm) relative to the heavy rare-earth elements (HREEs) (5.34 ppm) and negative Eu anomalies typical of calc-alkaline granites of Pan-African age. The baryte separates were marked by enriched LREEs and depleted HREEs with pronounced positive Eu anomalies indicating the invasion and consequent deposition of baryte-rich hydrothermal fluid under oxidizing conditions in the N-S and E-W striking fractures. Stable sulphur isotope of the baryte gives values that ranged from 18.3 - 19.8o/oo CDT indicating that the source of sulphur is from ocean water and not from magmatic, fresh water and connate water sources from the nearby granite, pegmatite and sandstone. Keywords: Baryte, Mineralization, Hydrothermal, Liji, REE, Sulphur-Isotope

Renal tuberculosis: an incidental finding in type II diabetes

Renal tuberculosis constitutes 14% to 41% of cases of extrapulmonary TB and with HIV pandemic; its prevalence is expected to increase. Case report: We report a case of a 51 year old diabetic/hypertensive female admitted via the A&E with complaints of vomiting and generalized malaise. She had hyponatraemia of 119mmol/l, creatinine 687µmol/L, and urea 28mmol/L. Her kidneys were normal sized and echogenic on ultrasound examination. She was treated for hyponatraemia with normal saline and discharged. She reported at the clinic 2 weeks later with complaints of fever, back pain and right sided neck swelling. Neck ultrasound revealed cystic mass in the lower part of the sternomastoid muscle, Xrays were normal, Urinary AFB done on four urine specimen collected over days was negative and Mantoux test was reactive. Spinal examination was unremarkable except for presence of tenderness at the T6 to T7 vertebrae. A diagnosis of extra pulmonary TB involving the cervical lymph nodes and spine was made and she was commenced on quadruple anti TB drugs which resulted in improvement of her renal function. Conclusion: The diagnosis of renal tuberculosis is usually difficult due to low yield of laboratory tests such as urine microscopy for AFB. High index of suspicion is often required in most patients

Trypanosomiasis in a migrating herd of cattle in Kaduna State Nigeria

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and impact of Trypanosomiasis on a herd of migrating/pastoral cattle. A herd of 50 white Fulani cattle migrating from a suburban area of Abuja to Afaka in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria, were examined and screened for Trypanosomiasis on request. The animals showed clinical symptoms of lacrimation, emaciation, depression, lethargy and enlarged superficial lymphnodes which were reportedly not present before the trek. 40 of the animals were screened by parasitological means (hematocrit, buffy coat methods and thin and thick blood smears). 15 out of the 40 animals sampled were positive for trypanosomes (37.5% prevalence). Trypanosoma congolense was the only Trypanosoma species identified. Trypanosomiasis was observed in the herd examined and laboratory examination corroborated the observed clinical signs. The results, as well as the role of migration and transhumance pastoralism in disease occurrence are discussed.Keywords: Trypanosomiasis, trypanosomes, cattle, Fulani, migration, Nigeri

Effect of processing (sprouting and fermentation) of five local varieties of sorghum on some biochemical parameters

The effect of processing (combined sprouting and fermentation) on chemical composition, tannin content, in vitro protein digestibility and mineral element composition of five local varieties were studied. The five varieties studied were: "chakalari white, chakalari red, yafimoro, tumbuna and mire". The parameters were assayed using standard methods (proximate analysis, tannin content, in-vitro protein digestibility and mineral element composition). The results for tannin content showed that processing decreased tannin content between the ranges of 2.08%-14.58% for the five cultivars. As for mineral composition, there was a general decrease in percentage mineral composition of most varieties when comparison was made between raw and processed samples. Processing increased protein digestibility which ranged between 93.78%-95.68% as compared to the unprocessed samples. These result hence showed that processing (combined sprouting and fermentation) decreases the tannin content of sorghum, increases in-vitro protein digestibility and decreases mineral element composition of sorghum

Antipsychotics-related hyperprolactinaemia among patients with schizophrenia in Maiduguri

Background: Hyperprolactinaemia among patients on antipsychotic medications is generally overlooked due to lack of outwardly visible symptoms, patient resistance to reporting because the symptoms are perceived as shameful, or to clinician’s insufficient knowledge. Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the patterns and correlates of hyperprolactinemia among patients with schizophrenia on antipsychotic medications. Setting: The study was conducted in a psychiatric facility in Maiduguri, Northeastern Nigeria. Methods: A total of 209 patients with schizophrenia were evaluated through a cross-sectional design and assayed for serum prolactin with ELISA Kits. Frequencies and percentages were tabulated for categorical variables. Variables with significant associations with hyperprolactinaemia on chi-square (p  0.05) were subjected to logistic regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of hyperprolactinaemia was 45.9% in all patients on antipsychotic medication. The prevalence because of the use of typical and atypical antipsychotics was 51.5% and 25.0%, respectively. Hyperprolactinaemia was significantly associated with typical antipsychotics (β = 0314, p = 0.002), high overall drug dosage (β = 2.340, p = 0.003), high-dose typical antipsychotics (β = 3.228, p = 0.000), twice daily dosing frequency (β = 2.751, p = 0.001) and polypharmacy (β = 1.828, p = 0.0024). Conclusion: The findings support that patients on typical, high-dose antipsychotic medications and polypharmacy have a high prevalence of hyperprolactinaemia. As hyperprolactinaemia is often undetectable, screening and patient psycho-education on the significance of the signs and symptoms of hyperprolactinaemia is required for necessary clinical intervention. Contribution: The study provides evidence for the rational use of antipsychotic medications in sub-Saharan Africa