DOES ASSET OWNERSHIP REDUCE CHRONIC POVERTY?

Assets play an important role in the understanding of chronic poverty. This study was conducted in southern Nigeria to quantitatively assess the poverty level of households with respect to ownership of assets. Using the multistage sampling technique, primary data were obtained from 150 households with the aid of questionnaire. Data were subjected to analyses using the Foster Greer Thorbecke weighted poverty index and stochastic dominance analysis. Results indicate that poverty incidence, depth and severity was lower for households who own certain assets as land, houses, cars, motorcycles and sewing machines. The δ-value of the difference in the two sub-groups’ poverty incidences is significant (P < 0.01). Findings reveal that asset portfolio of majority of households was substantially low as more than 70 percent owned assets valued less than N100,000. Results of stochastic dominance analysis reveal that there was first order stochastic dominance. Result underscores the need to focus on poverty reduction policies that will increase the asset portfolio of rural households who are mostly dependent in farming for their income and food supplie

HEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF ALLOXAN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS TREATED WITH ETHANOL EXTRACTS AND FRACTIONS OF NAUCLEA LAFILOIA LEAF

Hematological parameters which have been implicated in diabetes mellitus were investigated in this study. N-hexane, ethyl acetate, butanol and methanol fractions of the ethanolic leaf extract of Nauclea latifolia were orally administered once daily for 2 weeks to diabetic rats. The levels of RBC, Hb, HCT, MCV, MCH, MCHC, PLT, PCT, MPV, PDW, WBC, lymphocyte and granulocyte were evaluated in blood. There was significant reduction (P < 0.05) in RBC and HCT levels in the treatment groups of ethyl acetate fraction (250 mg/kg) and ethanol extract (250 mg/kg) with significant increases (P < 0.05) in their MCV and MCH levels when compared with the diabetic control group. Significant increases (P < 0.05) in PLT levels of the treatment groups of ethanol extracts, n-hexane fractions and ethyl acetate fraction (100 mg/kg); PCT levels of ethanol extracts group and MPV levels of ethyl acetate fractions treatment groups was high. The treatment groups of glibenclamide, butanol, methanol, n-hexane, ethyl acetate fractions and ethanol extract (250 mg/kg) showed significant reduction (P < 0.05) in their WBC and lymphocyte levels while significant increase (P < 0.05) in granulocyte levels was noted in the treatment group of ethanol extract (100 mg/kg) when compared with diabetic control group. In conclusion, the ethanol extract proved to have anti-infective property. Some fractions, showed capabilities to boost the immune system

Nutritional knowledge and practice of pre-school feeding: A comparative study among mothers in slum and urban areas of Calabar, Nigeria

In many developing countries, malnutrition has remained one of the leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality. This is particularly important for vulnerable groups, including preschool toddlers who require adequate nutrition for physical and mental stability to face the new challenge of initiation into academic life. This study was aimed at assessing and comparing knowledge and practice of preschool feeding among mothers in urban and slum areas in Calabar, Nigeria using cross-sectional study design with researcher-administered structured questionnaire. One hundred and twenty (120) subjects were surveyed, with mean maternal age of 26.5 ± 3.4 years. Subjects in slum compared with urban areas had lower levels of education (primary level: 33.3% vs. 15.0%) (p<0.05). Thirty two (32) subjects (27.1%) had inadequate nutritional knowledge of preschool feeding. Poor knowledge of body building foods was significantly commoner among slum compared with urban subjects (43.1% vs. 18.3%, p=0.00). Also, poor knowledge of adequacy of diet was significantly commoner among slum compared with urban subjects (68.9% vs. 50.0%, p=0.04). Bread and tea (51, 42.5%), Eba and soup (37, 30.8%) and rice (27, 22.5%), were the most commonly consumed breakfast, lunch and dinner, respectively. Nutritional health education and further research including the use of qualitative methods for better understanding of the reasons for dietary pattern is recommended

Poverty and Gender Inequality in Asset Ownership among Households in Southern Nigeria

Whereas gender equality is a basic human right, and closing the gender gap is key to achieving many development objectives, development stakeholders concerned with achieving gender equality are often constrained by inadequate information to justify channeling limited resources toward closing the gender gap. This study was conducted to fill this lacuna by providing information on gender inequality in the ownership of certain assets among households. With the aid of structured questionnaire, data were obtained from 60 households using the multistage sampling technique. Results of analysis were presented using histograms. Results show considerable gender differentiation in the ownership of land, home, business and savings. The degree of gender differentiation in the ownership of consumer durables reveal that women in most households own appliances associated with domestic labour whereas men have a near monopoly in the ownership of transport vehicles, refrigerators and media sets. Result also indicates that poultry was owned by women in majority of the households. Result shows a high degree of gender disparity with respect to the share of male and female homeowners. Because access to land is crucial for the livelihoods of the rural poor, policies to ensure that women who form the bulk of the rural poor have secure access to land and other vital resources should be encouraged. Policy options that will encourage women own occupier homes should also be formulated

Quantum information entropy of heavy mesons in the presence of a point-like defect

Using Schr\"{o}dinger's formalism, we investigate the quantum eigenstates of the heavy mesons trapped by a point-like defect and by Cornell's potential. One implements this defect to the model considering a spherical metric profile coupled to it. Furthermore, the Nikiforov-Uvarov method is applied to theory to study the quantum eigenstates of the heavy mesons. To calculate the quantum information entropy (QIE), one considers the wave functions that describe the charmonium and bottomonium states. To explore the QIE, we use the well-known Shannon's entropy formulated at the position and reciprocal space. The analysis of the QIE gives us relevant information about how the quantum information change with the variation of the point-like defect. Consequently, considering the Bialynicki-Birula and Mycielski (BBM) relation, we show how this defect influences the quarkonium position and momentum uncertainty measures.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabl

Quantum information entropy of a particle trapped by the Aharonov-Bohm-type effect

In this research article, we use the Shannon's formalism to investigate the quantum information entropy of a particle trapped by the Aharonov-Bohm-type effect. For quantum information study, it is necessary to investigate the eigenstates of the quantum system, i. e., the wave functions and energies of the quantum states. We assumed that the particle is in principle, confined in a cylindrical box in the presence of an Aharonov-Bohm-type effect due to dislocation defect. Analysis of the quantum information entropy, reveals that the dislocation influences the eigenstates and, consequently, the quantum information of the system.Comment: 15 pages, 2 captioned figures. Title changed. Enhanced version to appear in Physica Script

Isolation of a pentacyclic triterpenoid from the antiplasmodial bioactive fraction of Nauclea latifolia (Sm) roots

Purpose: To research the antiplasmodial property of aqueous extract, fractions, and residue of Nauclea latifolia roots and to isolate the components responsible for the antiplasmodial activity.Methods: Roots of N. latifolia were macerated with distilled water; the extract was obtained, successively partitioned with ethyl acetate and butanol. The extract, fractions, and the residue obtained were evaluated for their in vivo antiplasmodial activity and compared with amodiaquine and artesunate. The residue (which exhibited the best therapeutic index) was subjected to column and thin layer chromatography to isolate its components. Purification led to the isolation of betulinic acid, which was characterized with the aid of spectroscopic techniques (1H, 13C NMR, and EI-MS).Results: The residue significantly inhibited parasite growth from 42.8 % (D2) to 77.6 % (D5). Therefore, residue exhibited the highest therapeutic index against Plasmodium berghei in the three in vivo antiplasmodial (prophylactic, suppressive, and curative) models and it compared favourably with amodiaquine (80.5 %) and artesunate (85.9 %). The major component of the residue was betulinic acid.Conclusion: The results validate the antiplasmodial claims of the roots of N. latifolia in folkloric medicine, and demonstrated that the isolate has a high therapeutic index in this regard. Further investigations, however, are required to determine the clinical efficacy and safety of the compound/isolate

Prevalence of Hypertension in Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria: Rural versus Urban Communities Study

Recent studies have shown an increasing trend in the prevalence of hypertension in rural communities compared to that of the urban communities. This study was therefore carried out to determine the prevalence of hypertension and its predictors (if any) in both urban and rural communities of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. Subjects and Method. This was a cross-sectional study of urban and rural communities of Akwa Ibom State for the prevalence of hypertension and its predictors. Two urban cities and two rural communities were randomly selected from the three senatorial districts of the state. Hypertension was defined based on the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of Hypertension. Results. Nine hundred and seventy-eight (978) participants were recruited from rural areas and five hundred and ninety (590) from urban centers. The rural populace had higher systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure than the urban populace ( < 0.001, < 0.002, < 0.001, resp.). The prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in the rural populace than in the urban populace [44.3% (95% CI 41.1-47.4%) versus 28.6% (95% CI 24.9-32.3%)]. Age, BMI, and proteinuria were independent predictors of hypertension occurrence. Conclusion. There is an epidemiologic change in the prevalence of hypertension in the rural communities of Nigeria

Prevalence of Hypertension in Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria: Rural versus Urban Communities Study

Recent studies have shown an increasing trend in the prevalence of hypertension in rural communities compared to that of the urban communities. This study was therefore carried out to determine the prevalence of hypertension and its predictors (if any) in both urban and rural communities of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. Subjects and Method. This was a cross-sectional study of urban and rural communities of Akwa Ibom State for the prevalence of hypertension and its predictors. Two urban cities and two rural communities were randomly selected from the three senatorial districts of the state. Hypertension was defined based on the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of Hypertension. Results. Nine hundred and seventy-eight (978) participants were recruited from rural areas and five hundred and ninety (590) from urban centers. The rural populace had higher systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure than the urban populace (P<0.001, < 0.002, < 0.001, resp.). The prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in the rural populace than in the urban populace [44.3% (95% CI 41.1–47.4%) versus 28.6% (95% CI 24.9–32.3%)]. Age, BMI, and proteinuria were independent predictors of hypertension occurrence. Conclusion. There is an epidemiologic change in the prevalence of hypertension in the rural communities of Nigeria

Analysis of upland farm households’ vulnerability to climate variability in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Analysis of upland farm households’ vulnerability - Gabriel, Edet, *Valerie, Glory, Godwin, Clement, Nkoyo, E. Bassey and Obot Analysis of upland farm households’ vulnerability to climate variability in the Niger Delta, Nigeria The study analysed the vulnerability of upland farm households to climate variability in the Niger Delta. Three states - Akwa Ibom, Ondo and Rivers were selected from the nine states that make up the Niger Delta region. A total of 120 respondents from upland communities of the Niger delta were used for analysis. Household questionnaire and vulnerability questionnaire using Cost Route method were the instruments used for data collection and analysed using Vulnerability Profile and Vulner-ability / Risk Framework. The results of the analysis show that both male and female headed house-holds in all the upland communities were vulnerable to flooding, windstorm, erosion and drying up of streams. Important factors that made households vulnerable to climate hazards were low agricultural output and income, non-availability of irrigation facilities, insufficient farm labour and lack of storage facilities. Technical capacities of household members were assessed using both science-based knowledge as well as indigenous knowledge of climate change as indicators to adaptation to climate variability. It was assumed that the adaptive capacity of households could be enhanced by the number of persons with either science-based knowledge or indigenous knowledge across the re-gion. Expenditure on carbohydrate was higher across the region during disaster time, followed by expenditure in protein, vitamin/minerals and fat and oil and other classes of food, implying that more carbohydrate food is consumed during disaster period than any other class of food. Certain geo-graphical factors such as distance to coastline and population have direct impact on climate variability in the Niger Delta Region. Recommendations include establishment of emergency evacuation systems, income opportunities and support programmes as well as capacity building on climate change knowledge, enterprise development and management. Key words: Farm households, Nigeria, poverty, rural areas, smallholder farmer