Effects of lipid on growth and feed utilization of Heterobranchus longifilis fingerlings

A study was carried out to examine the effect of lipid level on growth and feed utilization of Heterobranchus longifilis. Fingerlings of H. longifilis (28 days old (0.7 ~c 0.05g) were fed three formulated diets with three levels of lipid (7.00%, 12.5% and 18.0% of dry matter) at one level of protein (35.0% crude protein dry matter (OM) basis) for eight weeks. Weight gain (g) and specific growth rate (SGR, % day-1) values indicated that fish fed diets with 7.0% and 12.5% lipid exhibited higher growth performance. Lowest growth was recorded for fish fed diet with 18.0% lipid. Feed intake (FI, g fish-1) was also significantly (P < 0.05) affected by dietary lipids and tended to decrease with increasing lipid levels. Fish that showed the highest FI were those that were fed the 7% and 12.5% lipid diets. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) values indicated that diets containing 12.5% and 18% lipid were more efficiently utilized. No significant differences in muscle composition were observed among fish fed the different diets. There was a linear relationship (P<0.05) between dietary lipid level and liver lipid. Hepatosomatic index (HIS) increased with dietary lipid level. The results indicated that H. longifilis fingerlings performed best with the diets containing 7.0% and 12.5% lipid when protein concentration was 35.0% and, reduced growth and increased body fat were evident when dietary energy increased from 19.06 to 20.54 kJg-1

Challenges Facing Sustainable Real Estate Marketing and Practice in Emerging Economy: Case Study of Nigeria

The challenges facing estate surveying and valuation practice across the world are enormous, and the future of the profession is being questioned, especially in Nigeria. There are pressures for practitioners to secure instructions and at same time meet increasingly complex and stringent standards of professional practice. This study provides a perspective of issues confronting the profession across the globe relying on a review of literature, while data on the Nigerian situation were obtained through the primary source. Three thousand Estate Surveyors and Valuers across the country were surveyed using the internet-based SurveyMonkey software. The analysis indicated that “topping up”, “gazumping”, “gazundering”, low level of salaries and misdemeanors by the ever-increasing number of charlatans are major challenges facing the profession. In addition, majority of practitioners confessed to involvement in mounting of multiple signboards, collection of double fees, and soliciting for jobs with financial inducements. It was therefore recommended that prosecution of erring members, encouragement of non-professionals to attend formal training, and establishment of a college for such training, enforcement of professional standards, and adoption of proactive stance on laws that are inimical to sustainable real estate practice to ensure an enduring professional practice

Neigbourhood Effects of Sustainable Industrial Land Use on Property Values: Case Study of Agbara, Ogun State, Nigeria

The study aims at examining the effect of sustainable industrial land use on residential property values using Agbara industrial village, Nigeria as a case study. Two sets of structured questionnaires were administered differently to 500 inhabitants of Agbara Village and Housing Estate, and the 16 identified large manufacturing industries operating in the area. However, 452 copies of the returned questionnaire were used for this study. The actual sampled inhabitants were obtained through simple random sampling technique. Data collected were presented in tables of frequencies and percentage while trend analysis of rental values in Agbara was computed for the period 1997 to 2008. The study revealed positive change in property rental values due to the industrial concerns in the community. Both government and private businessmen are therefore, advised to site their manufacturing industries in the rural areas to improve such places. It is also recommended that developers should seize the opportunity of high demand for housing in industrial zones and invest in residential developments

Use of screened fish retail table to improve the hygiene of fish sold in local markets

Screened retail table was designed to improve the hygiene of fish sold in our local markets. Investigation was carried out on the microbiological population on Tilapia fish. Overall value obtained from plate counts show that fish were more infested outside the table. The sensory values are 4, 13, and 6 for on-sport open table and screened respectively, also microbial load range between 7x10-5 to 88 x 10-5 cfu/g for open table where 3x 10-10 - 33 x 10-10 for screened table. This shows that fresh fish on open retail table in our markets were prone to deterioration

Thermal conductivity and impact properties of iron ore tailings filled epoxy composites

Iron ore tailings which is the waste material derived from the beneficiation of iron ore was dispersed in epoxy as micro scale particle fillers. The effect of particle size and particle loading on the thermal conductivity and impact properties of the composites were then investigated experimentally. A comparison of the experimental results for the former to results obtained from existing theoretical models was also done. It was discovered that the impact resistance increased with increasing volume content of iron ore tailings from 20 vol. % with a maximum toughness of 0.098 kJm-2 recorded for composite with 300 µm at 30 vol. %. Thermal conductivity of epoxy improved with decreasing particle size while the Maxwell, Lewis and Nelson and parallel models gave reasonable predictions for epoxy filled with 212 µm at 10 vol. % and 20 vol. % contents; with least variations of 0.18 % and 1.26 %, respectively. Keywords: Composite, Epoxy, Impact, Iron ore tailings, Particle size, Particle loading, Thermal conductivit

ROLES OF BROADCAST MEDIA FOR INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY IN OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING: NIGERIA AS A CASE STUDY

Broadcast media involve the transmission of information, ideas and opinions through the usage of electronic devices. The Open and Distance Learning (ODL) is becoming more and more relevant and accepted as a form of global education. Radio broadcasting was introduced in Nigeria during the colonial age in 1932. Since then, it has been used for social, political and mass education. This paper examines the roles of broadcast media for educational delivery in ODL using Nigeria as a case study. It further examines the concept of ODL, broadcasting delivered through the usage of information and communication technology tools and the constraints in the use of broadcast media as an ODL educational delivery

Influence of dietary palm oil on growth and carcass composition of Heterobranchus longifilis

Supplies of marine fish oil (FO) are limited and continued growth in aquaculture production dictates that substitutes must be found that do not compromise fish health and growth. This study investigated the suitability of palm oil (PO) as a replacement for FO (cod liver oil) in diets of H longifilis. Triplicate groups of H longifilis fingerlings were fed five practical-type diets in which the added lipid was either 100% FO and 0% PO; 75% FO and 25% PO; 50% FO and 50% PO; 25% FO and 75% PO; or 0% FO and 100% PO for 8 weeks. There were no significant effects of diet on growth rate or feed conversion ratio. Lipid deposition was highest in the liver of fish fed 100% PO. No significant differences were observed between dietary treatments for moisture, protein and ash content in H. longifilis fingerlings. This study suggests that PO can be used successfully as a substitute for cod liver oil in diets for H. longifilis

Intestinal intussusception due to concurrent infections with Hymenolepis nana and Dentostomella translucida in an African giant rat (cricetomys gambianus). A case report

A rare case of intestinal intussusception due to multiple worm infections (Hymenolepis nana and Dentostomella translucida) was observed in an African giant rat (Cricetomys gambianus, Waterhouse, 1840). The condition was observed as an incidental finding before an experimental dissection of the animals in the Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria. The rat was anorexic and depressed with rough hair coat, and died before the commencement of the experiment. Grossly, the intussusception was 7 cm in length and 27 cm caudal to the stomach and 81cm to the ileo-caecal junction. The affected part of the small intestine was moderately distended with worms and the associated mesenteric blood vessels were engorged. Microscopically, worms (H. nana and D. translucida) were observed in the lumen of the intestine with severe cellular infiltration mostly eosinophils, neutrophils and macrophages. Eggs of both worms, at different stages of development and a focus of attachment of the worms were observed on the intestinal mucosa. The zoonotic implications of these worms were discussed especially H. nana. This report appears to be the first reported case of intestinal intussusception due to multiple helminth infections in an African giant rat. KEYWORDS: Hymenolepis nana, Dentostomella translucida, Intestinal intussusception, African giant rat

An anatomical perspective: does the male greater cane rat (Thryonomys swinderianus) have a scrotum?

We evaluated the anatomy of the “scrotal” skin pouch in an attempt to answer the question of whether (or not) there exist true scrotum in the greater cane rat (Thryonomys swinderianus). The “scrotal” skin folds from ten (10) matured male cane rats were morphologically and morphometrically studied with samples routinely processed for histology. Grossly, the pouch has features like fine hair on thin skin and longitudinal raphae typical of scrotum in other species. The histoarchitecture of the “scrotal” skin in the cane rat follows the normal scrotal pattern and the arrangements of the cutaneous strata, hair follicles and glands were similar in animals with perineal staining and those without perineal stain. The cane rat scrotal skin, though different in conformation from the scrotum of other mammalian species, has all the properties of a true scrotum thereby establishing the presence of scrotum in the greater cane rat.Keywords: Scrotum, Greater cane rat, Skin Pouch, Perineal stainin

Anticonvulsant, antiamnesic and anxiolytic activities of methanol leaf extract of Bambusa vulgaris (Poaceae) in mice

Background: Previous findings have shown that epilepsy can precipitate amnesia and anxiety, among other neuropsychiatric disorders. Bambusa vulgaris is used in African traditional medicine against convulsion, amnesia and anxiety but there is scanty scientific basis for these ethnomedicinal claims. Hence, this study investigated the anticonvulsant, antiamnesic and anti-anxiety effects of Bambusa vulgaris in mice. Methods: The acute oral ingestion of Bambusa vulgaris (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) was investigated using pentylenetetrazole-, and strychnine-induced convulsion; antiamnesic using scopolamine-, and diazepam-induced amnesic models while the anxiolytic effect was assessed using elevated plus maze models. The phytochemical analysis was carried out using standard methods. Results: The extract at all the doses used significantly (p&lt;0.05) elongated the death latency while at 400 mg/kg the onset of clonic and tonic convulsions were significantly (p&lt;0.05) prolonged in pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsion model. The extract at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg offered 60, 80 and 100% protection respectively in pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsion test. The extract showed no significant (p&gt;0.05) effect on strychnine-induced convulsion model ruling out the involvement of strychnine-sensitive glycine receptor in the anticonvulsant effect of the extract. The extract at all the tested doses significantly (p&lt;0.05) in a dose dependent fashion ameliorated the amnesia induced by scopolamine and diazepam suggesting antiamnesic effect. Bambusa vulgaris at all the tested doses significantly (p&lt;0.05) in a dose dependent pattern increased the percentage open arm entries and percentage open arm duration on the open arm of the elevated plus maze as well as reduced the anxiety indices of the experimental mice consistent with anxiolytic effect. The phytochemical quantification of the extract showed abundance of tannins and corroborated by the findings from the Fourier transform infrared spectra of the extract. Conclusion: This study therefore concluded that Bambusa vulgaris may possess anticonvulsant, antiamnesic and anxiolytic effects and provided scientific proof for its traditional use. Keywords: Bambusa vulgaris, anticonvulsant, antiamnesic, anxiolytic, tannin, Fourier Transform-Infra Red spectr