Does Foreign Direct Investments Impact Agricultural Output in Nigeria? An Error Correction Modelling Approach

This study measures the impact of foreign direct investment on agricultural output in Nigeria. It opines that foreign direct investment is one of the viable techniques of financing development in developing countries. To achieve our objective, the study used times series data spanning a period of 34 years for several variables from credible sources. The method of analysis used was Error correction model. The study found an insignificantly positive effect of foreign direct investment on agricultural output in the short-run but found a significant effect on agricultural output in the long-run. Furthermore, the study found a significant effect of employment, exchange rate, and interest rates on agricultural output in the long-run. It is recommended that deliberate polices must be quickly enacted to reduce interest rates for farm purposes, encourage labour availability in agriculture and stabilize exchange rates within the Nigerian economy. These way foreign investors will be encouraged to import their capital for agricultural production activities now which will be a guarantee for a significant impact of foreign direct investment on agricultural output in the long run

EFFECT OF TREATED SEWAGE SLUDGE ON THE QUALITY OF OKRA FRUIT

Treated sewage sludge (Defective) has been identified to increase heavy metals in the soil which are in turn transferred to plants. In view of this, the study is aimed at assessing the effects of treated sewage sludge on the quality parameters of okra fruits. The randomized block design was employed in raising okra plants with three treatments (0t/ha, 10t/ha, and 20t/ha sewage sludge amendment) over a land area of 56.3m2. Soil analysis was used to determine the level of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the soil. After 2months, the okra fruits were harvested by cutting the pods off, slicing, oven drying, milling, and labeled correctly prior to laboratory analysis. The heavy metal content in the okra fruit were analysed using atomic absorption spectrometer. The parameters analyzed were Cd, Pb, Cu, Fe, and Zn. The concentration of the selected heavy metals was subjected to descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The transfer factor was also determined. Most soils in the okra field was sand. Study found out that the soil was deficient in phosphorus and potassium. Bioaccumulation of heavy metals were not found in the okra fruit since Cu, Zn and Fe have transfer factors of less than 1. In addition, transfer factor order in okra fruit were Zn>Cu>Fe>Cd>Pb. The study revealed that the application of sewage sludge at 10t/ha and 20t/ha resulted in high uptake of Zn and Fe whereas cadmium and lead were not detected. The study concluded that consumption of the okra fruit grown on 10t/ha and 20t/ha were very safe since Cu, Fe, and Zn in the okra fruit were less than desirable limit as recommended by FAO and WHO. There is need to determine hazard quotient, the health risk index, morbidity status the enrichment factor and degree of contamination in okra fruit. Effect of sewage sludge at different application rates between 25t/ha and 60t/ha be seriously investigated so as to determine the optimal level of heavy metal in the okra frui

D-Glucosamine-based supramolecular hydrogels to improve wound healing

A simple supramolecular hydrogel based on d-glucosamine, a naturally occurring aminosaccharide, promises new biomaterials for applications such as wound healing. © The Royal Society of Chemistry.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Does Foreign Direct Investments Impact Agricultural Output in Nigeria? An Error Correction Modelling Approach

This study measures the impact of foreign direct investment on agricultural output in Nigeria. It opines that foreign direct investment is one of the viable techniques of financing development in developing countries. To achieve our objective, the study used times series data spanning a period of 34 years for several variables from credible sources. The method of analysis used was Error correction model. The study found an insignificantly positive effect of foreign direct investment on agricultural output in the short-run but found a significant effect on agricultural output in the long-run. Furthermore, the study found a significant effect of employment, exchange rate, and interest rates on agricultural output in the long-run. It is recommended that deliberate polices must be quickly enacted to reduce interest rates for farm purposes, encourage labour availability in agriculture and stabilize exchange rates within the Nigerian economy. These way foreign investors will be encouraged to import their capital for agricultural production activities now which will be a guarantee for a significant impact of foreign direct investment on agricultural output in the long run

Central Nervous System Activity of the Methanol Extract of \u3cem\u3eFicus platyphylla\u3c/em\u3e Stem Bark

The central nervous system (CNS) activity of the methanolic extract of Ficus platyphylla stem bark was studied on locomotor activity, pentobarbital sleeping time, exploratory behaviour, amphetamine-induced hyperactivity, apomorphine-induced stereotypy, active-avoidance and performance on tread mills (rota-rod), using mice and rats. The results revealed that the extract significantly reduced the locomotor and exploratory activities in mice, prolonged pentobarbital sleeping time in rats, attenuated amphetamine-induced hyperactivity and apomorphine-induced stereotypy in mice, dose-dependently. The extract significantly suppressed the active-avoidance response in rats, with no significant effect on motor co-ordination as determined by the performance on rota-rod. The results suggest that the extract may possess sedative principles with potential neuroleptic properties

Effect of the Aqueous Extract of \u3cem\u3eChrysanthellum indicum\u3c/em\u3e on Calcium Mobilization and Activation of Rat Portal Vein

The effects of the aqueous extract of Chrysanthellum indicum (CI) on calcium activation and mobilization were studied using the rat portal vein. The extract caused a concentration-dependent contraction of the portal vein. KCl (80 mM), norepinephrine (NA, 10−6 M) and CI (4 mg/ml) evoked sustained contraction of the portal vein. In Ca-free medium (with EGTA) the contractions evoked by these agents were reduced significantly. The times-to-peak of KCl, NA and CI were similar -in normal PSS, but in Ca-free medium the times-to-peak for KCl and CI were greatly increased. The contractions induced by CI were not inhibited by chlorpropamide and prazosin, but were blocked by verapamil. The data obtained suggest that the aqueous extract of CI utilizes extracellular calcium pools to bring about contractile response and this effect might be mediated through the activation of potential-sensitive channels

Postsynaptic Dopamine (D2)-mediated Behavioural Effects of High Acute Doses of Artemisinin in Rodents

Artemisinin or qinghaosu is the active principle of quinghao (Artemisia annua L.) developed from Chinese traditional medicine, which is now widely used around the world against falciparum malaria. Behavioural effects of high acute doses of artemisinin were studied on spontaneous motor activity (SMA), exploratory behavior, apomorphine-induced stereotype behavior and pentobarbital sleeping time in mice and rats in order to provide additional evidence on its safety profile on the central nervous system (CNS). Effects of the drug on bromocriptine-induced hyperactivity in short term reserpinised mice were also evaluated. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of artemisinin at doses of 50 and 100mg/kg, significantly (P\u3c0.05) reduced the SMA in mice, prolonged the pentobarbital sleeping time in rats, and attenuated the apomorphine-induced stereotypy in mice. Mice pretreated with reserpine, showed a significant decrease in locomotor activity compared to the saline-treated group. Bromocriptine, a D2 receptor agonist, induced locomotor activity in mice pretreated with reserpine which was attenuated by artemisinin. The results suggest that artemisinin possesses sedative property, which may be mediated via postsynaptic dopamine (D2) receptor in the CNS

Characteristics and mechanical properties of acrylolpamidronate-treated strontium containing bioactive bone cement

The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of surface treatment on the mechanical properties of strontium-containing hydroxyapatite (Sr-HA) bioactive bone cement. Previously we developed an injectable bioactive cement (SrHAC) system composed of Sr-HA powders and bisphenol A diglycidylether dimethacrylate (Bis-GMA). In this study, the Sr-HA powder was subjected to surface treatment using acrylolpamidronate, a bisphosphonate derivative, which has a polymerizable group, to improve the interface between inorganic filler and organic matrix by binding Sr-HA and copolymerizing into the matrix. After surface treatment, the compression strength, bending strength, and stiffness of the resulting composites were defined by using a material testing machine (NITS) according to ISO 5833. The fracture surface of the bone cement specimen was observed with a scanning electron microscope. In vitro cytotoxicity of surface-treated SrHAC was also studied using a tetrazolium-based cell viability assay (MTS/pms) on human osteoblast-like cells, the SaOS-2 cell line. Cells were seeded at a density of 10(4)/ml, and allowed to grow in an incubator for 48 h at 37 degrees C. Results indicated that after surface treatment, the compression strength and stiffness significantly improved by 22.68 and 14.51\%, respectively. The bending strength and stiffness of the bioactive bone cement also showed 19.06 and 8.91 \% improvements via three-point bending test. The fracture surface micromorphology after compression and bending revealed that the bonding between the resin to surface-treated filler considerably improved. The cell viability indicated that the treated particles were nontoxic and did not inhibit cell growth. This study demonstrated a new surface chemistry route to enhance the covalent bonds between inorganic fillers and polymer matrix for improving the mechanical properties of bone cement. This method not only improves the overall mechanical performance but also increases osteoblastic activity. (C) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Chemical composition, crystal size and lattice structural changes after incorporation of strontium into biomimetic apatite

Recently, strontium (Sr) as ranelate compound has become increasingly popular in the treatment of osteoporosis. However, the lattice structure of bone crystal after Sr incorporation is yet to be extensively reported. In this study, we synthesized strontium-substituted hydroxyapatite (Sr-HA) with different Sr content (0.3\%, 1.5\% and 15\% Sr-HA in mole ratio) to simulate bone crystals incorporated with Sr. The changes in chemical composition and lattice structure of apetite after synthetic incorporation of Sr were evaluated to gain insight into bone crystal changes after incorporation of Sr. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed that 0.3\% and 1.5\% Sr-HA HPO42- exhibited single phase spectrum, which was similar to that of HA. However, 15\% Sr-HA induced the incorporation of HPO42- and more Co-3(2-), the crystallinity reduced dramatically. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that the crystal length and width of 0.3\% and 1.5\% Sr-HA increased slightly. Meanwhile, the length and width distribution were broadened and the aspect ratio decreased from 10.68 +/- 4.00 to 7.28 +/- 2.80. The crystal size and crystallinity of 15\% Sr-HA dropped rapidly, which may suggest that the fundamental crystal structure is changed. The findings from this work indicate that current clinical dosage which usually results in Sr incorporation of below 1.5\% may not change chemical composition and lattice structure of bone, while it will broaden the bone crystal size distribution and strengthen the bone. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved