Tradeoffs between agricultural production and ecosystem services: A case study in Zhangye, Northwest China.

Humans have increasingly intervened in the nature to advance socioeconomic development at the expense of ecosystem services. Tradeoffs between ecosystem services and socioeconomic development are inevitable and should be considered in sustainable ecosystem management. This is no exception in Zhangye where intensive agricultural activities have significantly affected its ecological conditions.

Performance of kids produced by three breeds of goat fed diets supplemented with graded levels of turmeric powder.

Inclusion of some plants especially spices in the diets of farm animals have been researched upon extensively for parameters like growth, blood chemistry, and feed utilization among others. In contrary, the use of turmeric as feed additive for ruminant production is so low, while its effects on reproduction (especially during pregnancy) in ruminants are not available due to little/no information on its properties, processing, and inclusion rate. Thus, a study was conducted to evaluate pre- and post-weaning performances of kids produced by three breeds of goat fed diets supplemented with graded levels of turmeric powder intensively in southwestern Nigeria.

Cytoarchitecture of the Hippocampal Formation in the African Giant Rat (Cricetomys gambianus, Waterhouse).

The African Giant Rat, AGR is an indigenous nocturnal rodent noted for its unique olfactory and cognitive abilities. They have been deployed more recently in the detection of landmines and diagnosis of tuberculosis - two scourges that have had a tremendous negative impact on the African landscape. This olfactory-aided cognition has been linked to the hippocampus.

Histochemical and immunohistochemical detection of pathogenic leptospires serovars in tissues of some captive wildlife from a University zoo in Nigeria.

The detection and documentation of pathogenic Leptospira serovars in wild captive and zoological garden animals are scarce in literature from Nigeria. The knowledge of the prevalence of prevalence of pathogenic Leptospira serovars in these animals as a zoonotic risk to workers, zoo visitors and the general public is essential. This investigation was carried out on archival kidney and liver samples of captive and Zoological Garden animals (66) of an institutional facility, submitted for necropsy to the Department of Veterinary Pathology between the periods of 2010-2015.

Helminthiasis among School-Age Children and Hygiene Conditions of Selected Schools in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria.

The burden of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) infections in Nigeria is enormous with serious public health significance. This study, therefore, assessed helminthiasis among school-age children and the hygiene conditions of schools in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria between December 2015 and April 2016 from four randomly selected primary schools. Stool samples were collected from 200 primary school pupils including 80 males (40%) and 120 females (60%) between five and 16 years, using clean sample bottles and a standard parasitology examination technique at the central laboratory at the Federal University, Lafia.

Biosynthesis and characterization of magnesium oxide and manganese dioxide nanoparticles using L. extract and its inhibitory effect on strain RS-2.

Bacterial brown stripe (BBS) is one of the most economically important diseases of rice caused by (Ao). In order to ensure food security and safe consumption, the use of non-chemical approach is necessary. In this study, MgO and MnO were synthesized using chamomile flower extract.

Radon and Thoron; Radioactive Gases Lurking in Earthen Houses in Rural Kenya.

In this paper, documented studies on radon and thoron concentrations in earthen dwellings and U and Th concentrations in soil in Kenya are reviewed. High concentrations of the isotopes were recorded in the earthen dwellings despite being generally well ventilated. Mrima Hill in the Coast region recorded the highest thoron levels with a mean of 652 Bq m.

Demethylation and desulfonation of textile industry dye, Thiazole Yellow G by LAG.

Filamentous fungi perform tremendously in adsorption of dyes from polluted environment. In this study, LAG decolorized thiazole yellow G dye within 5 days. Scale up studies done revealed that maximum decolorization (98%) was achieved at a concentration (10 mg L), temperature (35 °C) and pH 6.

Evaluation of some quality parameters of cassava starch and soy protein isolate matrices during deep fat frying in soybean oil.

Snack industry is recently focused on the production of snacks with minimal oil content and enhanced quality attributes which prompted the need to study the changes in snack matrices produced from cassava starch processed from three varieties of cassava roots (TMS-950289, TME-419, and TMS-30572) and soy protein isolate blends fried in soybean oil. Effect of frying temperature (170-180°C), frying time (2-4 min), soy protein isolate inclusion level (5%-15%) on proximate composition, color changes, expansion, texture, and sensory attributes of the snacks was investigated. Optimization of process variables was carried out based on a factorial design (2 level by 3 factor) in the Design Expert version 6.

Assessment of air pollution and health hazard associated with sawmill and municipal waste burning in Abeokuta Metropolis, Nigeria.

Indiscriminate disposal and open burning of sawmill and municipal solid wastes constitute hazards to the quality of the immediate environment and human health. This study assessed the levels of pollutants emitted by burning sawmill and municipal wastes, and their potential hazards. Nine selected sawmills and 6 municipal solid-waste dumps in Abeokuta metropolis were investigated.

Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using different plant extracts and their antibacterial activity against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae.

The synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles with the use of plant extract is a promising alternative to the conventional chemical method. This work aimed to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) using plant extract of chamomile flower (Matricaria chamomilla L.), olive leave (Olea europaea) and red tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum M.

Comparative effect of slow and rapid freezing on sperm functional attributes and oxidative stress parameters of goat spermatozoa cryopreserved with tiger nut milk extender.

Comparative effect of slow and rapid freezing on sperm functional attributes and oxidative stress parameters of goat spermatozoa cryopreserved with tiger nut milk (TNM) extender was examined in this study. Pooled semen samples obtained from West African Dwarf (WAD) goat bucks were diluted with Tris-based extenders containing different levels of TNM (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 ml/100 ml extender). The diluted semen samples were subjected to slow and rapid freezing for a period of 7 days and thereafter evaluated for sperm functional attributes (percentage motility, acrosome integrity, membrane integrity, abnormality and livability) and oxidative stress (malondialdehyde [MDA] concentration and acrosin activity) parameters.

Data for the description of fungal diseases and agronomic parameters of Mango ginger ( Roxb.).

This data article contains data, related to fungal diseases of Mango ginger ( Roxb.), that were collected at Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta. Pictures described leaf spot, leaf blight and rhizome rot diseases, and associated fungi and fungus-like organisms were listed.

Screening for gum-producing Lactic acid bacteria in Oil palm () and raphia palm ( sap from South-West Nigeria.

Lactic acid bacteria have wide applications in food processing. Lactic acid bacteria produced exopolysaccharides (EPS) which could be used as possible replacer for commercial stabilizer and thickeners produced by nonfood grade bacteria. Seventy-two samples of Oil and Raphia palm sap were collected in eighteen locations across South-Western Nigeria and screened for exopolysaccharide production in 6% sucrose agar using streaked plate method.

The antinutritional and vitamin composition of high-quality yam flour as affected by yam specie, pretreatment, and drying method.

Fresh yams are not shelf stable due to its high susceptibility to physiological deterioration; hence, its conversion into a more stable product like flour can stimulate its industrial application as a substitute to wheat flour. The influence of yam species, pretreatment, and drying method on the antinutritional factor and vitamin composition of high-quality yam flour (HQYF) was determined. Four different yam species were pretreated with 0.

Role of type IV secretion system genes in virulence of rice bacterial brown stripe pathogen Acidovorax oryzae strain RS-2.

Type IV secretion system (T4SS) is a specialized nanomachine that is utilized for the pathogenicity of gram-negative bacteria. However, the role of T4SS genes in virulence of rice bacterial brown stripe pathogen Acidovorax oryzae (Ao) strain RS-2 is not clear, which contains T4SS gene cluster based on genome-wide analysis. Here we compared the virulence-related phenotypes between the wild-type strain RS-2 and nine T4SS mutants, which were constructed in this study.

Dataset on the evaluation of antimicrobial activity and optical properties of green synthesized silver and its allied bimetallic nanoparticles.

The pursuit for bioremediation has led to alternative route for the synthesis of nanoparticles and their hybrids. Data in this article display optical properties and progress in the formation of silver and silver/nickel bimetallic nanoparticles using eco-friendly reducing agent (Akinsiku et al. 2018).

Effect of dietary supplement from mono-culture fermentation of seeds by on hematology and markers linked to hypercholesterolemia in rat model.

Mono-culture fermentation by could promote the healthiness of immune systems and cholesterol levels. Hence, we examined the effect of diet from mono-culture fermentation of seeds by (MCF-MORS) on hematological parameters and fundamental indicators of hypercholesterolemia in rat. The animals were divided into six groups (=6).

Elemental enrichment of sediments in an unprotected shallow groundwater of Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria.

Sediments quality is a good indicator of pollution in a water body where various elements were concentrated. Limited information is available on sediments from hand-dug wells. The present study evaluates sediment samples collected from groundwater of Lagos and Ogun States, Southwest Nigeria.

Evaluation of soil hydraulic properties under different non-agricultural land use patterns in a basement complex area using multivariate statistical analysis.

The knowledge about effects of different land use patterns on soil hydraulic properties is essential for best land management practices. This study examined hydraulic properties under different non-agricultural land uses in parts of Abeokuta, Southwest Nigeria. Fifteen clusters surface soil samples at a depth of 0-20 cm were collected from five sites on the same geological setting under the following land uses: grassland (control), dumpsite (DS), animal waste site (AWS), quarry site (QS), and block making site (BMS).

Microbiological assessment of maize ogi cofermented with pigeon pea.

Maize was cofermented with pigeon pea for production and evaluated for microbiological qualities. White maize and pigeon pea were mixed at ratios of 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, and 50:50, respectively, with 100:0 serving as the control. Mixtures were cofermented for 96 h at 27 ± 2°C, and microbiological and sensory qualities analyzed were carried out using analysis of variance.

Influence of drying temperature and storage period on the quality of cherry and plum tomato powder.

The quality changes of cherry and plum tomatoes dried at different temperatures (60, 65 and 70°C) milled into powder and stored for 8 weeks were assessed in this study. The ascorbic acid and lycopene content of the tomato powders were significantly different with values that ranged from 5.10 to 7.

Data showing the effects of temperature and time variances on nano-additives treatment of mild steel during machining.

The effects of temperature and time variances on nano-additives treatment of mild steel during machining was presented in this study. Mild steel of 150 kg mass containing 0.56% carbon was charged into the furnace at melting and pouring temperature of 1539 and 1545 °C respectively.

Physical, chemical, and sensory properties of biscuits prepared from flour blends of unripe cooking banana, pigeon pea, and sweet potato.

Biscuits were produced from 14 flour blends of cooking banana (UBF), pigeon pea (PPF), and sweet potato (SPF). The physical properties, nutrient composition, and sensory characteristics of the biscuits were evaluated using standard methods. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance, and mean values were separated using Duncan's multiple range test.