Trends of Productivity of Water in Rainfed Crops in Ilorin South, Kwara State, Nigeria

In sub- Sahara, rain fed agriculture is the dominant source of food production. It is likely going to remain so for the next foreseeable future. However, yield from rain fed agriculture are often very low. But there is enormous opportunity to raise crop yield of rain fed agriculture especially by focusing on the aspect of increase productivity of water, formulate and adopt appropriate adequate option for increasing productivity of water in rain fed agriculture. The paper therefore, assessed the trend of productivity of water (PW) for each of the crop during the cropping season. Evapotranspiration occasioned by either mid cropping season, dry spell or early cessation of rainfall and low rainfall utilization are primary drive of production of water (PW) in rain fed agriculture in the area. Other factors that are usually put forward by agricultural stake holders in the region include poor soil nutrient and lack of proper crop management. These are secondary and could be considered as spill over effects from these primary drives of productivity of water (PW).Keywords: Cessation, crop yield, onset, productivity of water, water crop requirement

The roles of environmental pollutants in the pathogenesis and prevalence of diabetes: a review

Diabetes is on the rise worldwide with a growing suspicion of association between environmental pollutants and diabetes. This paper reviewed the roles of environmental pollutants in the pathogenesis and increasing incidence of diabetes. Relevant information was retrieved from reliable sources in the internet using Google search engine. The review found that studies have established environmental pollutants aid in the pathogenesis of diabetes by causing blood vessel rupture and insulin resistance. Toxic chemicals in pollutants may destroy or cause mutation in pancreatic β-cells, disrupting its insulin production. People are therefore advised to live far away from polluted or industrial environment.Keywords: Diabetes, Pathogenesis, Pancreas, Mutation, Insulin, Blood vesse

Assessment of the Relationship between Increase in Height of Cassava Growth Rate and Agro-Climatic Parameters in Ilorin Area of Kwara State, Nigeria

Cassava is primarily produced for food in its various forms and Nigeria has been recognized as the largest producer of the crop in the world. Despite the impacts of various weather parameters on crop production, Cassava can still withstand harsh conditions making it a key crop for protecting small holder farming against climate change. This paper therefore examined the relationship between increase in height of Cassava growth rate and agro climatic parameters. The agro climatic indices appraised were Rainfall, Relative humidity, Temperature and wind speed. Interrelationship between these agro climatic variables and increase in the height of growth rate of Cassava was computed using regression analysis. It was discovered that the four agro climatic variables had relationship with one another at either 95% significant level or 99% level. It was also reveal that there is 75% at 95% significant level in the rate of increase in height and yield of Cassava which was accounted for by relative humidity. It was therefore concluded that increase in the height rate and yield of Cassava due to relative humidity was as a result of combined effects of the three others climatic parameters. Keywords: Cassava, Growth rate, Agro climatic parameter

Pesticides and Fertilizers Use in Parts of Rivers Niger and Kaduna Catchments, North Central, Nigeria

Pesticides and fertilizers use in parts of Rivers Niger and Kaduna catchments, north central, Nigeria was investigated. Contamination of the rivers and their resources due to unsustainable use of pesticides and fertilizers by local farmers are a major problem in the study area. Also, data from the study of pesticides and fertilizer use remain scanty and therefore needed. The objective is to find the opportunity for all stakeholders to improve on the overall environmental performance. Extensive field survey was conducted using various participatory appraisals techniques involving key stakeholders in the area. Collated data were analysed using descriptive statistical methods (frequency percentage). The results of findings identify unsustainable use of fertilizers and pesticides by farmers in the study area. It further shows respondents in the study area applied high rate of fertilizers and pesticides during farming activities which obviously improved crop yield but in turn lead to water quality degradation. Virtually, majority of the farmers have little or no measures towards ensuring protection of water and biota from the potential danger of pesticides and fertilizers use in the study area. These attitudes discovered could lead to water quality degradation, biodiversity disruption and subsequent negative impact on economic development in the study area. In view of the above, it is recommended that visible and effective environmental management policies in respect of agrochemicals use in the study area be put in place to guarantee cleaner and healthier environment for all

Spatial Analysis of Water Quality in Parts of Rivers Niger and Kaduna Catchments, North Central, Nigeria

It is understood that human activities have continue to alter the physico-chemical patterns of water and it’s resources, which has resulted into poor water quality in the study area. As comprehensive distribution of water quality parameters in the study area is of great interest, there exist a golden opportunity to consider a study with GIS aided spatial coverage beyond laboratory analytical dimensions. Thus, a total of thirty two (32) samples of water and sediment were collected during rainy and dry season for physico-chemical analysis. Water samples collected were analysed in situ for seven (7) parameters using HANNA multiparameter analyser and eight (8) other parameters were analysed in the analytical laboratory following standard methods. The finding revealed a significant number of parameters analysed were beyond regulatory limits. It is hence recommended that visible policies aimed at ensuring good water quality in the study area are critical for sustainability

Fatigue Behaviour of Medium Carbon Steel of Different Grain Structures

This paper investigated the effect of heat treatment operations on the fatigue resistance of low carbon steel. Specimens after preparation for fatigue testing were subjected to annealing, normalizing and quenching heat treatment. Results show that the annealed specimen had the largest number of cycles to failure, indicating a high fatigue resistance. The microstructure of the specimens was examined in other to corroborate the obtained property with the microstructure. When compared with the untreated specimen, the annealed specimen (with optimum fatigue resistance) shows a large grains size of pearlite which was distributed across the entire surface of the microstructure. Generally, it was found that the size and distribution of specimens’ grains affect the resistance of the low carbon steel to fatigue failure. Keywords: fatigue, low carbon steel, heat treatment, microstructur

Prevalence of osteoarthritis in lower middle- and low-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Evidence from the Global Burden of Disease studies suggests that osteoarthritis (OA) is a significant cause of disability globally; however, it is less clear how much of this burden exists in low-income and lower middle-income countries. This study aims to determine the prevalence of OA in people living in low-income and lower middle-income countries. Four electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Web of Science) were systematically searched from inception to October 2018 for population-based studies. We included studies reporting the prevalence of OA among people aged 15 years and over in low-income and lower middle-income countries. The prevalence estimates were pooled across studies using random effects meta-analysis. Our study was registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42018112870.The search identified 7414 articles, of which 356 articles were selected for full text assessment. 34 studies were eligible and included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of OA was 16·05% (95% confidence interval (CI) 12·55-19·89), with studies demonstrating a substantial degree of heterogeneity (I2 = 99·50%). The pooled prevalence of OA was 16.4% (CI 11·60-21.78%) in South Asia, 15.7% (CI 5·31-30·25%) in East Asia and Pacific, and 14.2% (CI 7·95-21·89%) in Sub Saharan Africa. The meta-regression analysis showed that publication year, study sample size, risk of bias score and country-income categories were significantly associated with the variations in the prevalence estimates. The prevalence of OA is high in low-income and lower middle-income countries, with almost one in six of the study participants reported to have OA. With the changing population demographics and the shift to the emergence of non-communicable diseases, targeted public health strategies are urgently needed to address this growing epidemic in the aging population

Farmer participatory varietal selection in pearl millet: Experience across some states of Northern Nigeria

Farmers participation in the process of on-farm research does not only enrich the speed up of information gathering, but also result in large scale adoption of the product of research. A small farmer deals with a variable environment and has multiple production objectives that will affect his or her choice of crops and selection of genotypes. In areas where farmers are unfamiliar with available improved varieties, there is need of conducting effective variety evaluations with farmers. The usefulness of the participatory approach for identifying cultivars for harsh environments, which are difficult to replicate in research stations, has been recognized by the crop breeders. Participatory plant breeding/selection has shown success in identifying more number of preferred varieties by farmers in shorter time (than the conventional system), in accelerating their dissemination and increasing cultivar diversity. This paper describes how plant breeders and farmers worked together to test and selected farmers preferred pearl millet varieties; PE05684 and PE05532 from a diverse pearl millet accessions in a participatory varietal selection program conducted across some states of Northern Nigeria

APOE E4 is associated with impaired self-declared cognition but not disease risk or age of onset in Nigerians with Parkinson's disease

The relationship between APOE polymorphisms and Parkinson's disease (PD) in black Africans has not been previously investigated. We evaluated the association between APOE polymorphic variability and self-declared cognition in 1100 Nigerians with PD and 1097 age-matched healthy controls. Cognition in PD was assessed using the single item cognition question (item 1.1) of the MDS-UPDRS. APOE genotype and allele frequencies did not differ between PD and controls (p > 0.05). No allelic or genotypic association was observed between APOE and age at onset of PD. In PD, APOE ε4/ε4 conferred a two-fold risk of cognitive impairment compared to one or no ε4 (HR: 2.09 (95% CI: 1.13-3.89; p = 0.02)), while APOE ε2 was associated with modest protection against cognitive impairment (HR: 0.41 (95% CI 0.19-0.99, p = 0.02)). Of 773 PD with motor phenotype and APOE characterized, tremor-dominant (TD) phenotype predominated significantly in ε2 carriers (87/135, 64.4%) compared to 22.2% in persons with postural instability/gait difficulty (PIGD) (30/135) and 13.3% in indeterminate (ID) (18/135, 13.3%) (p = 0.037). Although the frequency of the TD phenotype was highest in homozygous ε2 carriers (85.7%), the distribution of motor phenotypes across the six genotypes did not differ significantly (p = 0.18). Altogether, our findings support previous studies in other ethnicities, implying a role for APOE ε4 and ε2 as risk and protective factors, respectively, for cognitive impairment in PD