Lafia Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research
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Generating Mortality Rate Intensity for Life Insurance Applications through Novel Method of Successive Differencing Under the Parsimonious Generalised Makeham’s Framework
Get PDFDeveloping and implementing age dependent mortality rates in functional forms have presented critical modelling problems for life insurance and annuity firms thereby creating serious research gaps. A recurring problem with the existing life tables is that their underlying generating functions are not capable of showing any evidence that mortality at 10 declines. This observed irregularity in the age pattern of mortality is the prime motivation in the search for analytical functions which fully capture the observed variations of mortality with age. To fill the gaps identified, the study aims to develop specific life table function under the Generalised Makeham’s framework. The objectives of this study are to (i) compute the mortality rate intensities (ii) compute the curve of deaths densities (iii) compute the probability of deaths and then compare the common domain of definition of these measures. From the method of successive differencing employed to model, the male ageing parameter value fall within the globally accepted interval for the. This method is superior to the method of maximum likelihood estimation which mostly violates the permissible interval of validity. Computational evidence from our analysis proves that under the Generalised Makeham’s law, the mortality rate intensity declines at
Green Synthesis of Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles and its Application in the Degradation of Methyl Red
Get PDFEnvironmental pollution is a threat to human health, with methyl red dye used in printing and textile dyeing being a notable pollutant that can cause eye, skin, and digestive system irritation. This study investigates the degradation of methyl red dye using nanoparticles of Nickel Oxide (NiO NPs) as photocatalysts. NiO NPs were synthesised at room temperature through thermal decomposition using antioxidant-rich extracts from strawberries (Fragaria ananassa), grapes (Vitis vinifera), and grapefruits (Citrus paradisi). Characterisation of the NiO NPs was performed using FTIR, UV-Vis spectroscopy and SEM. FTIR spectra confirmed the formation of NiO NPs with peaks between 577 – 585 cm–1. UV-Vis spectroscopy showed absorption wavelengths between 322-326 nm for the synthesised NiO NPs and a blue shift to 422-470 nm during methyl red degradation. This study presents a sustainable method for synthesising NiO nanoparticles and demonstrates their effectiveness in environmental remediation, specifically for the removal of pollutant dyes.
Alpha-Spin-Mediated Growth Factors Improvement for Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) Varieties in Jauro Yinu, Ardo-Kola LGA, Taraba State
No full textThe study was conducted to investigate the improvement achieved through the treatment of two tomato varieties (ANSAL and Dan-Zaria) with Alpha-Spin® nanoparticles in a screenhouse at Jauro Yinu in Ardo-Kola LGA, Taraba State, Nigeria. Seeds were exposed to the Alpha-Spin® nanoparticles® for durations of 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes before planting, using a Randomized Complete Block Design with a control group. The results of data collected and analyzed using GENSTAT statistical software showed that Alpha-Spin® treatments did not affect germination time (which was 7 days after planting for ANSAL and 3 days for Dan-Zaria in all exposures) or plant height (Dan-Zaria: 148.33 cm). However, it significantly improved other growth parameters, including stem girth (Dan-Zaria: 19.33 mm), number of branches (Dan-Zaria: 11), flowering time (27 days after transplanting for Dan-Zaria and 31 days for ANSAL with 15 minutes exposure), and number of flower clusters (ANSAL: 37). Overall, Dan-Zaria exhibited better growth than ANSAL in most of the growth parameters. These results indicate that exposure to Alphaspin® nanoparticles enhanced the growth parameters like stem girth, number of branches per plant, and days to 50% growth) in tomato varieties, making it a recommended treatment for trait improvement in tomato breeding programs.
Entomological Collections and Identifications of Mosquito Faunas in Selected Area Councils of Nigeria Federal Capital Territory
Get PDFMosquito survey and identification are foundational elements of an effective vector management plan. The present study therefore aimed to collect and identify various mosquito species in some selected Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria. Larval of various species of mosquitoes were collected and identified in difference breeding sites across selected Area councils in the FCT. The collected larvae were raised to adult stage and were further identified using morphological key. Data obtained were analysed using SPSS version 27.0 and p-value was set at 95%. Samples were collected from Abuja Municipal, Gwagwalada and Bwari area councils. The study identified Anopheles funestus, 150(9.8%), as the least mosquito species collected and Culex quinquefasciatus, 307 (20.1) was the most abundance species in the study areas. Mosquito species co-exist in various breeding sites with Anopheles species mostly associated with temporary breeding. The study provides a baseline data concerning mosquito vector population and composition in the FCT. This information thus informs the public and vector management officials about the risks and the need to scale-up preventive measures against human-vector contact
The Health Economics of Life Expectancy: Counting the Days before the Individual’s Roll Call
Get PDFFor a life office, the potential deviations from the mortality assumptions applied in premium setting at the time of incepting contracts represents serious threats to its financial performance when underwriting life insurance policies including annuities. Furthermore, in view of the uncertainties associated with the complete expectation of life evolving from the inadequately modelled life expectancy as a form of mortality risk indicator, this study explores the CMI’s generalized Makeham’s mortality law which would be advantageous to compute complete life expectancies. When continuous parsimonious parametric mortality intensities are Makehamized, then the limiting value of the continuous whole life annuity function is construed to mean the complete life expectancy which is expressed in line with special functions such as incomplete upper gamma function for a homogeneous insured population. In this study, the objective are to (i) construct actuarial estimation of individual’s time remaining through single life parameterization from GM(1,2) (ii) construct closed form expressions for complete life expectancy using the properties of the special functions as applicable in classical mortality dynamics. To circumvent the need for any rigorous numerical procedures, the advanced technique of the Gradshteyn and Ryzhik’s analytic integral is applied in computing the complete life expectancies. From our results, it is apparent that ex(male)< ex(female). Specifically, within the interval 111<x<119 for women, there is a sharp decrease in complete life expectancies whereas for men within the interval 75<x<119, life expectancies sharply decrease confirming earlier exposure of men to mortality risk
Prevalence of Candida Species Among Unmarried Women Attending Lafia Primary Health Care Centers
Get PDFoai:lafiascijournals.org.ng:article/159One of the several normal-flora of an individual’s vaginal, oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract and mucosal membrane are Candida species. Candida have been associated with diverse diseases including life threatening invasive, superficial and hematogenic infections. This study determined the prevalence of Candida species amongst unmarried women attending Lafia Primary Health Care Centers. Forty high vagina swabs were collected from unmarried women. Isolation and identification of Candida species were performed according to standard procedures using Sabouraud Dextrose Agar, Gram staining and Germ tube test. 13 (32.5%) were positive for five different Candida species. C. albicans was the most prevalent (38.46%; 5/13) species while non-albicans Candida [C. glabrata (23.07%; 3/13), C. tropicalis (6.89%; 2/13), C. parapsilosis (3.44%; 1/13) and C. krusei (6.89%; 2/13)] accounted for 61.54% (8/13) of the total positive cases. Women aged 15-18 years and 23-26 years had the lowest and highest prevalence rates of 14.28% (1/7) and 42.10% (8/19) respectively. Candidiasis is a threat to global health and should be taken with all seriousness. The high candidiasis prevalence observed herein portrays a concern and calls for a continuous study of unmarried women attending Primary Healthcare Centers in Lafia. Furthermore, there should be an improvement in creating awareness of the opportunistic pathogenic characteristic of Candida species as normal flora and the effect they cause when there are hormonal imbalances caused by drug abuse, pregnancy, and poor dieting. The practice of good hygiene should be observed to prevent the spread of the infection
Effect of Chemical Modifications on the Adsorptive Ability of Palm Kernel Fiber for Indigo Blue Dye
Get PDFThis research work investigated the potentials of unmodified Palm Kernel Fibers and its modified forms for the adsorption of Indigo blue dye from aqueous solutions using batch adsorption procedures. Characterization of the fibers were done with the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FTIR. Adsorption result showed that maximum uptake of 38.3, 31.0, 33.5 and 14.5 mg/g were respectively obtained for Bleached (BPKF), Acetylated (APKF), Mercerized (MPKF) and Unmodified Palm Kernel Fibers (UPKF) adsorbents at an optimum time of 3 hours. The sorption kinetic obeyed pseudo second order with the bleached adsorbent (BPKF) having the best fit, and at a certain time limit, intra-particle diffusion controlled the process. Data collected from effect of initial concentration experiments were better fit to the Freundlich isotherm. The result from the thermodynamics of the process showed an endothermic process. Increasing adsorbent dosages led to corresponding increase in the quantity of the indigo dye adsorbed by the different adsorbents. This work revealed the potentials of modified palm kernel fibers over the unmodified fiber for effective removal of Indigo blue dye from wastewater
Estimation of Reference Evapotranspiration Using Penman-Monteith Equation and Time Series Model in some Selected States in Northern Nigeria
Get PDFBased on the problem of climate change which greatly affect agriculture and water management in Northern Nigeria, this study estimated reference evapotranspiration using Penman-Monteith equation and time series models in some selected states in Northern Nigeria. The study covered 16 states in Northern Nigeria which were selected using purposive sampling techniques. The materials used for the study consist of secondary data of daily mean records of air temperature, wind speed, solar radiation, and relative humidity from 1st January 1984 to December 2022. From the data, the daily reference Evapotranspiration were computed using Penman-Monteith equation. Based on this, daily and mean annual reference evapotranspiration was obtained. From the result obtained on the daily and annual mean reference evapotranspiration, the time series models were plotted. The time series models plotted consist of daily reference evapotranspiration against time and mean annual reference evapotranspiration against time. The time series plots provided random, nonlinear trend plot which is aperiodic. The plot of the mean and variance of reference evapotranspiration of states against latitudinal trend showed that R2 >0.60, which indicated that the mean and variance of reference evapotranspiration has a strong relationship with latitudinal trend of the states and thus can be used for predictive purpose. This latitudinal trend behavior of the mean and variance of reference evapotranspiration is further supported using spatial distribution map of Northern Nigeria which showed that the lowest mean reference evapotranspiration is location within FCT-Abuja and Jos while the highest mean reference evapotranspiration is located within Sokoto, Kebbi and Gusau
Characterization of Fungal Contaminants in Fermented Locust Beans in Kwara State: Implications for Food Safety
No full textFermented locust bean seeds are utilized for seasoning in various traditional dishes. Its production is mostly under unhygienic conditions by majorly illiterate women who care less about microbial contamination of the final product. Consumption of any contaminated food can cause health complications in humans. DNA extraction offers a distinct method for identifying organisms. This study aimed at isolating the mycoflora associated with fermented locust bean seeds collected from 3 villages in Kwara State, Nigeria using both morphological and molecular techniques. Morphologically, isolate A was yellowish – green, B was black; C was initially white, but turned to brown later, while D was cottony and white in colour. DNA of each of the isolates was extracted using Zymo Fungal/Bacteria DNA Miniprep Kit. PCR amplification of the ITS regions of the isolates was carried out using primer pair; ITS1 and ITS4. The products were then sequenced and the results after BLAST search revealed that Isolate A is Aspergillus flavus, B is A. niger, C is Rhizopus arrhizus and D is Mucor indicus. The fermented locust bean seeds from Madi village had the highest fungal count (7.2 X 103 cfu/ml), while that from Ogundele village had the lowest (1.4 X 103 cfu/ml). The presence of Aspergillus niger and A. flavus (mycotoxigenic fungi) in this study poses a significant public health risk. Therefore, it is important to encourage the villagers involved in fermented locust bean production and storage in these villages to be more hygienic.
Assessment of Waste Management Practices among Residents of Benue South
Get PDFThis study aims to assess waste management practices among residents of Benue South employing a descriptive cross-sectional approach. This involves investigating the sources and types of waste generated, the disposal methods used, residents’ perceptions of current waste management practices, and the problems associated with these practices. Through a multi-stage sampling technique, a total of 440 residents were randomly selected and assessed using self and interviewer-administered questionnaires. The major types of household waste generated included food residues, agricultural waste, vegetables, ash, plastics, papers, and urine/excreta. Poor waste management practices were prevalent; 87% of residents engaging in open dumping and 88.6% resorting to burning. The primary challenges identified were lack of waste collection services, lack of funding, lack of environmental awareness, and ineffective enforcement of waste management regulations. The study revealed that the current waste management practices were not satisfactory, as majority of respondents reported encountering environmental problems, such as odors and leachate pollution. The study identified gender-specific differences in awareness, knowledge, and attitude towards waste management practices. Education, income, and age were found to significantly impact awareness, knowledge, and attitude in waste management. Based on the results of the study, it is recommended that the local government should provide more adequate waste collection services, create awareness campaigns to educate the public on the importance of proper waste management, and strengthen the enforcement of existing waste management regulations. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the waste management practices in Benue South