Determinants of Agricultural Labour Productivity in the West African Sub-Region, 1970-2004

This paper examined the patterns and determinants of agricultural labour productivity among countries in West African sub-region over the period 1970 – 2004. The study was based on panel data extracted from FAOSTAT, the online statistical database of the Food and Agriculture Organisation as well as the database of United Nations Statistics Division and the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopaedia CD-ROM. The data were analyzed by a combination of descriptive and regression methods. The study revealed that eight (8) of the sixteen (16) West African countries (Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Niger, Senegal and Togo) had average labour productivities that were lower during the 2000-2004 period than the average they stated with during the 1970s. The West-African average labour productivity ranged between 484.72 and 536.52 from 1970 to 2004. Regression analyses revealed that agricultural labour productivity among countries in the sub-region would rise with increase in literacy rates, increase in capital formation (savings), increase in rates of fertilizer and tractor use as well as increase in proportion of agricultural land put under irrigation (p<0.01). However, periods of military rule and civilian dictatorship (one party state) were identified as being associated with significantly lower agricultural labour productivity in the sub-region. It is recommended that Governments in West Africa should intensify their efforts in providing basic education to their people as well as providing support for increased private sector participation in the procurement and distribution of critical inputs like fertilizer, tractors services, etc. &nbsp

Comparison of Power Output from Solar PV Panels with Reflectors and Solar Tracker

In this paper, performance enhancement of solar Photo Voltaic (PV) panels has been experimented utilizing diffused reflectors and solar-tracker in other to determine the one with higher power output. An intelligent solar tracker and diffused reflector augmented systems were designed, developed and installed to compare the power output that can be generated from each of them when standing alone; and which system will achieve higher power output so as to reduce the number of PV panels required at any given time especially when cost is a major factor. For this comparative study, experimental readings were simultaneously taken from the panel, with sun tracker and the panel with diffuse reflectors aligned at 23.50 with the horizontal. Experimental results indicate appreciable increase in the overall power output of the solar panels. It is discovered that the power output of the panel with reflectors was higher from about 11 am till 2 pm, while the panel with tracking was higher at other times. The average power output of the system for a day is about the same. Looking at the cost of fabrication and the complexity of the tracking system, the reflector system is the better option. Keywords: Diffuse Reflectors, Performance enhancement, Power output, Solar PV panels, Tracking system

RISK SURVEILLANCE OF MULTIDRUG RESISTANT PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA IN WATER AND PLASMID RELATEDNESS WITH CLINICAL STRAINS IN ABEOKUTA, SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

Pseudomonas aeruginosa as an opportunistic pathogen has been a subject of investigation due its intrinsic drug resistance.ª¤?ª¤? Its frequent presence in drinking, domestic and recreational water highlights its significance to public health.ª¤?ª¤? This study was aimed at risk surveillance of multidrug resistant environmental P. aeruginosa in water and their plasmid relatedness with clinical strains in Abeokuta, southwestern Nigeria.ª¤?ª¤? A total of forty-one (41) strains with prevalence: well water (29.3%); swimming pool (22.0%) hospital storage tank (19.5%); tap water (14.6%); sachet water (12.2%); and bottled water (2.4%) respectively were isolated from two hundred and eighty eight (288) water samples and were compared with 43 clinical strains from wound (37.3%), blood (11.6%), ear swab (20.9%)ª¤? and urine (20.9%)ª¤? and eye swab (9.3%).ª¤?ª¤?ª¤?ª¤? Both environmental and clinical strains were all multidrug resistant, though with different plasmid profile.ª¤? Plasmid with molecular weight size of 2010bp was detected in only 1 (2.5%) out of the 41 environmental strains as against 9 (20.93%) of the 43 clinical strains having between 22520-23130bp molecular weight.ª¤? All strains harboring plasmid were resistant to varied types of more than seven drugs out of the eleven tested (gentamycin 10ª¤?g, erythromycin 15ª¤?g, ampicillin 10ª¤?g, augmentin 10ª¤?g, cotrimoxazole 25ª¤?g, tetracycline 30ª¤?g, streptomycin 10ª¤?g, ciprofloxacin 5ª¤?g, cloxacillin 5ª¤?g, amoxicillin 25ª¤?g, and cefuroxime 30ª¤?g). ª¤?Strains without plasmid were also multidrug resistant.ª¤? This finding would be important in the control of multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in Nigeria

RANDOM AMPLIFIED POLYMORHIC DNA TYPING OF MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT CLINICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL Pseudomonas aeruginosa STRAINS FROM ABEOKUTA, NIGERIA.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a multidrug-resistant organism is responsible for most opportunistic infections. Genetic relatedness between clinical and environmental strains has always been limited to hospital settings.ª¤? This study utilized RAPD-PCR typing method to evaluate genetic relatedness between multidrug-resistantª¤? P. aeruginosa strains from diverse water samples (bottled water, tap water, sachet water, well water, hospital storage tank, and swimming pool water) and clinical strains (wound, blood, urine, eye and ear swab) collected from different locations in Abeokuta, Nigeria.ª¤?ª¤?ª¤? Polymorphic DNA bands with sizes ranging between 250 and 3000bp were generated from both clinical and environmental strains.ª¤? Within each population, both clinical and environmental strains were divided phylogenetically into two groups of Pc1 and Pc2 at 55% and Ps1 and Ps2 at 70% respectively.ª¤?ª¤?ª¤? Genetic similarities between clinical and environmental strains yielded a total of 7 unique fingerprints.ª¤?ª¤? Cluster 2 (51.2%) had the largest number of strains in which strains from wound, blood and ear, clustered with strains from hospital storage tank, tap water, swimming pool water, sachet water and well water.ª¤? ª¤?ª¤?These fingerprints proof genetic relatedness between clinical and environmental strains in Abeokuta, southwest Nigeria which is of public health significance, particularly, for immunocompromisedª¤?individuals.ª¤?ª¤

Effect of Methanol extract of Musca domestica larva on some Enzymes and Haematological parameters in Trypanosoma brucei brucei - infected rats

This study investigated the effect of methanol extract of Musca domestica (400mg/kg body weight) on some biomarker enzymes and haematological parameters in Trypanosoma brucei  brucei - infected rats. Twenty albino rats were intraperitoneally infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei and were grouped into five (5) groups of four (4) rats each. Group1 was set up as infected not treated (0.2ml normal saline/kg body weight), group 2 was treated with diaminazene aceturate (standard drug), group 3 as prophylactic treated (treatment for 72 hours before inoculation of parasite), group 4 as early treatment with the extract (treatment commenced after the sight of parasite) and group 5 as the control (uninfected untreated) group. Results shows significant (p<0.05) decrease in liver AST and ALT activities with concomitant increase in serum activities of the infected untreated rats when compared with the early treated, prophylactic treated, standard treated and normal control. Serum ALP activity of the infected not treated group was significantly (p<0.05) higher when compared to the control group and other experimental groups. No significant (p>0.05) difference in the liver ALP activities of the extract treated infected groups with standard drug treated group However, serum and liver GGT activities of the uninfected untreated (control) was significantly lower (p<0.05) than all the other experimental groups. Haematological studies shows significant decrease (p<0.05) in packed cell volume (PCV) , haemoglobin concentration (Hb) and red blood cell count (RBC) of infected not treated when compared to infected prophylactic treated and infected early treated. There was likewise significant increase in white blood cell count (WBC) of infected not treated compared to infected prophylactic treated and infected early treated. Findings from this study showed that methanol extract of Musca domestica larva has trypanocidal properties thereby ameliorating the T. brucei induced biochemical changes in rats.Key words: Musca domestica larva, Haematology, Trypanosomiasis, Enzymes, Methanol, Extract

Availability and Utilization of Emergency Obstetric Care Services in Three Communities in Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria

Maternal mortality ratios often reflect on the quality and availability of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) services. Ten health facilities in Kaduna State were assessed to determine their capacity to provide EmOC. Each community had the recommended number of both primary and secondary health facilities per population. All secondary health facilities had 24-hour services staffed by at least one doctor and one nurse/midwife per shift, and were able to perform most signal functions of EmOC in the three months preceding the survey. However, no primary health centres (PHC) were open 24 hours, and their performance of EmOC in the three months preceding the survey was near zero. Thus the presence of functional secondary hospitals is not enough to reduce maternal mortality in communities where women have to overcome numerous barriers to reach a hospital. If shortages of personnel, equipment and supplies in PHCs were resolved, 24-hour services could lead to a sharp reduction in maternal and infant mortality among rural women in northern Nigeria (Afr. J. Reprod. Health 2010; 14[3]: 83-88).Key words: Emergency obstetric care, primary health care, maternal mortality, rural communities, northern Nigeria

Prevalence of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen among hepatitis B surface antigen-negative blood donors in Ilorin, Nigeria: A cross-sectional study

Background: Post-transfusion hepatitis occurs even with stringent donor selection criteria and screening for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) in HBsAg-negative blood donors.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which 200 HBsAg-negative blood donors were recruited. Screening for viral markers was done using both a rapid test kit and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for anti-HBc IgM. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of anti-HBc IgM was done by “capture” enzyme immunoassay using DIA.PRO HBc IgM test kits. The other viral markers were investigated using one step cassette style HBV tests. SPSS version 16 was used for data analysis. A P-value of 0.05 or less was considered significant.Results: There were 190 male (95%) and 10 female (5%) blood donors, with a mean age of 31.7 ± 7.9 years. The prevalence of anti-HBc IgM was 4%. The other viral markers (HBeAg, anti-HBeAg, anti-HBs and total anti-HBc) had a prevalence of 1.5%, 23%, 2.5%, and 32.5%, respectively.Conclusions: The prevalence of anti-HBc IgM in this study was high, and this supports the fact that screening blood donors for HBsAg alone is not sufficient to prevent transmission of HBV

Development of a Simulation Model for Fault Diagnosis of a Diesel Fuelled Engine

Several researchers including Antonic, [1,2,3] have worked on diesel engine in the area of fault diagnosis using various base data (vibration, voltage, temperature, and so on) measured from the diesel engine. However, little attention has been paid to data obtained from diesel engine exhaust gases

Intestinal ameliorative effects of traditional Ogi-tutu, Vernonia amygdalina and Psidium guajava in mice infected with Vibrio cholera.

Background: Cholera, a severe acute watery diarrhea caused by Vibrio cholerae is endemic in Nigeria with most cases occurring in the rural areas. In South West Nigeria, some individuals resort to alternative treatments such as Ogi-tutu, Psidium guajava and Vernonia amygdalina during infections. The effectiveness of these alternatives in the prevention and treatment of V. cholerae infection requires experimental investigation. Objective: This study was designed to investigate the ameliorative effects of Ogi-tutu, Vernonia amygdalina and Psidium guajava on intestinal histopathology of experimental mice infected with V. cholerae. Methods: Preliminary investigation of in vitro vibriocidal activities of these alternatives were carried out using agar cup diffusion assay. For ameliorative effects, adult mice were inoculated with 100 \u3bcl (106 cells) of Vibrio cholerae and dosed at 0 h (immediate prevention) and 4 h (treatment of infection) and their intestines were histopathologically evaluated. Results: The histopathological changes were the same irrespective of the treated groups, but the lesions varied in extent and severity. The ameliorative effects in decreasing order were V. amygdalina > P. guajava > Ogi-tutu. Conclusion: V. amygdalina gave the best ameliorative effects in the prevention and treatment of V. cholerae infection

Community-level Distribution of Misoprostol to Prevent Postpartum Hemorrhage at Home Births in Northern Nigeria

In Nigeria, most deaths due to postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) occur in the absence of skilled birth attendants. A study using community mobilization and the training of community drug keepers to increase access to  misoprostol for PPH prevention was conducted in five communities around Zaria in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Community-oriented resource persons (CORPs) and traditional birth attendants (TBAs) recruited and counseled pregnant women on bleeding after delivery, the importance of delivery at a health facility, and the role of misoprostol. Drug keepers stored and dispensed misoprostol during a woman’s third trimester of pregnancy. TBAs and CORPs enrolled 1,875 women from January through December 2009. These results are based on 1,577 completed postpartum interviews. Almost all women delivered at home (95%) and skilled attendance at delivery was low (7%). The availability of misoprostol protected 83% of women who delivered at home against PPH who otherwise would not have been protected. Policymakers working in similar contexts should consider utilizing commuity-level distribution models to reach women with this life-saving intervention. Afr J Reprod Health 2014; 18[2]: 166-175).Keywords: misoprostol, community-level distribution, Nigeria, maternal mortality Au Nigeria, la plupart des décès dus à une hémorragie du post-partum (HPP) se produisent en l'absence d'accoucheuses qualifiées. Une étude à travers la mobilisation communautaire et la formation des gardiens de drogues dans la communauté pour améliorer l'accès à misoprostol pour la prévention de l'HPP a été menée dans cinq communautés à l’alentour de Zaria dans l'État de Kaduna, au Nigeria. Les experts orientés vers les communautés (EOVC) et les accoucheuses traditionnelles (AT) ont été recrutés et ont conseillés aux femmes enceintes sur les saignements après l'accouchement, l'importance de l’accouchement dans un établissement de santé, et le rôle de misoprostol. Les gardiens de médicaments ont stocké et distribué misoprostol au cours du troisième trimestre de la grossesse de la femme. Les et les accoucheuses traditionnelles et les EOVC ont inscrit 1875 femmes de janvier à décembre 2009. Ces résultats sont basés sur 1 577 entrevues post-partum déjà terminées. Presque toutes les femmes ont accouché à domicile (95%) et l'assistance à l’accouchement par le personnel qualifié était faible (7%). La disponibilité de misoprostol a protégé 83% des femmes qui ont accouché à domicile contre l’HPP qui, autrement, n'auraient pas été protégées. Les décideurs qui travaillent dans des contextes similaires devraient envisager d'utiliser des modèles de distribution au niveau de la communauté pour atteindre les femmes à travers cette intervention de sauvetage. Afr J Reprod Health 2014; 18[2]: 166-175).Mots clés: misoprostol, distribution au niveau de la communauté, Nigeria, mortalité maternelle