8 research outputs found
The Influence of Colour and Thickness of Nylon Mulch on Soil Temperature, Moisture, Percent Germination and Some Growth Parameters of Cucumber (cucumis sativus L.) Seedlings
No full textHeat, moisture and oxygen are important factors that has controlled seed germination, thus A 2 ×4 factorial greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the influence of colour and thickness of nylon mulch on soil temperature, moisture, percent germination and selected growth indicators of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings in a completely randomized design (CRD), where the treatments; nylon colour (white and black) and thicknesses (0, 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 mm) were replicated three times. The analysis of variance showed that the white nylon thickness had positive significant (P ≤ 0.05) influence on soil temperature, soil moisture, plant height and number of leaves, while black nylon thickness had positive significant (P ≤ 0.05) influence on soil moisture and plant height and a negative significant (P ≤ 0.01) influence on percent germination, it was also discovered that 1.5 mm thickness of the white nylon contributed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) to the parameters measured, therefore, white nylon of 1.5 mm thickness could be recommended as mulch material for cucumber production in a sandy clay soil
Polymorphism of IGF-1 Promoter and the UTR Regions of Nigerian Locally Adapted Chickens
No full textGrowth traits which are controlled by many genes are important economic traits in the poultry industry. The insulin-like growth factor gene (IGF-I) is a candidate gene for growth, body composition and metabolism, skeletal characteristics and growth of adipose tissue and fat deposition in chickens. The promoter and the untranslated region (UTR) of Insulin growth factor I gene was investigated to identify single nucleotide polymorphism, their genetic diversity and evolutionary relationship among six locally adapted strains of chicken in Nigerian. In this study, blood samples were collected and a specific primer pair was designed for amplifying a fragment of IGF-1 gene using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products were sequenced while nucleotide sequences generated were edited and aligned using Mega v6.0 software. Nucleotide polymorphisms within each strain were detected using DNAsp v5 software. A total of eight SNPs were identified across the populations studied which were different already published SNPs associated with growth rate in chicken. Naked Neck chicken showed the highest genetic diversity from others with the highest number of polymorphic site, haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity while the least were observed in Frizzle Feathered chicken. The phylogenic tree showed that small genetic differentiation exists among the chicken populations in this region. We reported the first genetic data from the promoter and the UTR regions of IGF-I gene in Nigerian native chickens and established baseline information regarding variation in insulin growth factor I which should inform continued investigations into production potentials of these chickens and formulation of appropriate selection and breeding programs Keywords: SNPs, Genetic diversity, IGF-1, Chicke
Assesment of C- Reactive Proteins and Markers of Oxidative Stress in Patients with Chronic Kidney Failure
No full textIMPACT OF TILLAGE PRACTICES ON PROPERTIES OF SOIL, EVAPOTRANSPIRATION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF COWPEA IN NIGERIA
No full textBackground: Tillage is one of the major threats to soil health which often results into soil physical degradation if not properly managed. Zero tillage is an alternative option from both economic and environmental protection of our soil resources points of view. Objective. To evaluate responses of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) yield and evapotranspiration to different tillage practices. Methodology. The study was conducted in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Osun State, Nigeria using a replicated randomized complete block design with treatments consisting of Zero-tillage (ZT), Reduced tillage (RT), Conventional tillage + Mulch (CT + ML) and Conventional tillage (CT). Results. Soil penetration resistance (SPR) increased with the degree of soil manipulation during tillage practices. Penetration resistance (PR) across 15-30 cm in 2019 alone resulted in higher PR of 2.26 MPa for RT compared to 0.71, 0.72 and 0.79 MPa for ZT, CT + (ML and CT), respectively, approximately 218 %, 213 % and 186 % greater in RT than ZT, CT + ML and CT respectively. Implications. Cowpea production on sandy loam soil can be optimized with Zero tillage. Conclusion. Over a period of two years, ZT practice had the highest profit margin of $ 573, among the practices
Haemoparasite Prevalence, Genetic Diversity of TLR2B Gene and Relationship with Haematological Parameters in Chicken
No full textHaemoparasite constitute a major challenge in native chicken production in Africa. This study determines the genetic diversity and the effect of TLR2B gene polymorphism on haemoparasite and haematology of the chickens based on genotype and sex. 600 chickens of 25 weeks old consisting of Naked neck (NN), Normal feather (NF), and the Frizzle feather (FF) reared in battery cage-system were sampled for blood and analyzed for haematology, parasite occurrence and load, polymerase chain reaction, and gene sequencing. Polymorphisms were detected and their effect on haematology was determined. Results showed the occurrence of Plasmodium gallinacieum, Trypanosoma brucei, and Leucocytozoon schoutedeni with NF having the highest occurrence followed by NN and FF chicken genotype. There was a significant (P <0.05) effect of genotype and sex on haematology. Seven of the eight polymorphism detected were singleton and found only in NF while parsimonious 656GA was detected in all the chicken genotypes with no relationship with haematology and haemoparasite. NF had the highest nucleotide (0.00114) and haplotype diversity (0.584). The study revealed the occurrence of genetic variation in TLR2B gene, haematology, and haemoparasite in FUNAAB Alpha chickens which could provide baseline information in future breeding programmes of the chicken for the tropical environment
Nigerian Journal of Banking and Financial Issues (NJBFI): THE IMPACT OF SUSTAINABILITY ACCOUNTING ON THE COMMITMENT TO CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF LISTED OIL AND GAS COMPANIES IN NIGERIA
No full textThis study examines the impact of sustainability accounting on the commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of listed oil and gas companies in Nigeria. The purpose of this research is to establish the influence of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) provisions on the commitment to corporate social responsibility among listed oil and gas firms in Nigeria. An ex post facto research design was employed while data was sourced from the annual reports of 7 listed oil and gas firms in Nigeria for a period of 6 years (2017 – 2022). The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis while the hypotheses were tested using multiple regression analysis with the aid of E-views Statistical Package. The empirical results revealed that compliance to Global reporting Initiative (GRI) social provision has a negative but significant effect on commitment to CSR, compliance to GRI governance provision has a positive but significant effect on commitment to CSR and compliance to GRI environmental provision has a positive but insignificant effect on commitment to CSR. It is recommended that standard setters develop guidelines to meet local context, country differences and it is suggested that future research should consider other sectors, regions and factors that can influence CSR practices
Emergence and spread of two SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest in Nigeria.
No full textIdentifying the dissemination patterns and impacts of a virus of economic or health importance during a pandemic is crucial, as it informs the public on policies for containment in order to reduce the spread of the virus. In this study, we integrated genomic and travel data to investigate the emergence and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.318 and B.1.525 (Eta) variants of interest in Nigeria and the wider Africa region. By integrating travel data and phylogeographic reconstructions, we find that these two variants that arose during the second wave in Nigeria emerged from within Africa, with the B.1.525 from Nigeria, and then spread to other parts of the world. Data from this study show how regional connectivity of Nigeria drove the spread of these variants of interest to surrounding countries and those connected by air-traffic. Our findings demonstrate the power of genomic analysis when combined with mobility and epidemiological data to identify the drivers of transmission, as bidirectional transmission within and between African nations are grossly underestimated as seen in our import risk index estimates
