Impact of Solid Waste Management on Ado Ekiti Property Values

This paper seeks to assess the implication of the dangers posed by haphazard disposal of solid waste on the built environment cum property values by examining its impact on the inhabitants, the building structures as well as the neighborhood with particular reference to Ado Ekiti Nigeria. A review of literature which is hinged on the framework of healthy city concept is used as a standard for quality. Closed and open ended questions were administered on randomly sampled 298 residents of Ado Ekiti randomly and analyzed using simple descriptive analysis. Findings show that values of buildings as well as the physiological well-being of individuals cannot be considered in isolation without considering the building and the environment in which they live vis a vis their waste disposal methods. The study recommends rigorous public enlightenment, re introduction of hygiene studies from primary education, enforcement of environmental and waste disposal protection laws with corresponding policy statements to help achieve the Healthy City Concept of the United Nations. Keywords: building structure, solid waste, property, values.

Cow Dung Ash (CDA) as Partial Replacement of Cementing Material in the Production of Concrete

This research project presents the result on the study for the use of Cow Dung Ash (CDA) as partial replacement in production of concrete. The experiments were designed to study the effects of adding Cow Dung Ash (CDA) in various percentages by weight (10%, 20% and 30%) of cement and cure for the periods of 7, 14, 21 and 28, days respectively before testing for the Compressive strengths. It also involves determination of setting time, Bulk Density, and Workability of Cow Dung Ash in various percentages by mixing with Portland cement. The Compressive test results are 21.33 N/mm3, 21.11 N/mm3, 11.11 N/mm3 and 6.00 N/mm3 for 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% replacement of cement with CDA respectively at 28 days. The Workability results gives 40mm, 48mm, 80mm and 100mm respectively for 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% replacement of cement with CDA. Among the main conclusions, it should be highlighted that the initial and final setting time increases as the percentage of Cow Dung Ash is added, (CDA) has an advantage that offers lightness of weight and low thermal conductivity, Cow Dung Ash requires more quantity of water as the percentage increases in the concrete therefore it has a serious limitation that must be understood before it is put to use. Cow Dung Ash concrete is recommended for use only when a ten percentage (10%) of Cow Dung Ash is added. While the concrete is suitable for use on certain floor and wall that will not be subjected to heavy load or structures that are of temporary use (CDA) concrete is not to be use in a water accumulated area or for structures that are related to water

Work-Family Conflicts among Female Staff of Higher Institutions in Nigeria

The responsibilities of a typical African woman in family upkeep are enormous, ranging from house chores, cooking to child-care and so on. Striking a balance and maintaining harmony between work and family have always been a great challenge for women in general. This paper examines factors that conflict between official responsibilities and family demand among female staff of higher institution of learning in Nigeria. Structured questionnaires were administered to selected female staff of higher institutions across the country. Hierarchical sampling technique was used to select female staff from a university, a polytechnic, and a college of education in six states of the country (one state per geopolitical zone in the country). Simple percentage and bar charts were used to present the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents. The mean responses for each factor were ranked and the first four ranked factors are discussed. All Cronbach’s alpha coefficients exceed 0.800 thresholds, validating all factors considered. Long working hours, inadequate working facilities and inadequate pay are major factors that cause conflicts between work and family among the respondents. Stress, mental fatigue and psychological burnout/disorder are the major effects observed while resuming and closing work at convenience is the major mechanism being used by women in tertiary institutions. Other highly ranked mechanisms are: using house keeper/help, using childcare centre closer to workplace, and help from colleagues in carrying out official assignments. Keywords: Work, Family, Conflicts, Female, Tertiary, Institution. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-27-09 Publication date:September 30th 202

Investigation of No2/No, So2, Co and Volatile Organic Compounds Emission from Solid Waste in Ogbomoso

Emissions from burning of solid waste have been a major source of air pollutions in Ogbomoso Township in the last few years. This research work estimate the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO2/NO), carbon(II)oxide, sulphur (iv) oxide and volatile organic compounds from solid waste in Ogbomoso as a measure of control using the emission factors approach. Determination of the solid waste generation potential using per capita approach was combined with the appropriate emission factors for the estimation. On the average, nylon has the least generation potential with 8.85% while solid (glass, metal, tin and sand) has the highest with 44.825%. These generation potentials increased from 44,073 tonnes/annum in the year 2002 to 63,822.88 tonnes/annum in the year 2011 with the population of 242,167 to 350,627 per capita respectively. However, results obtained from nitrogen oxides (NO2/NO), carbon (II) oxide, sulphur (iv) oxide and volatile organic compounds emissions rate shows an increased trend of 132.22 to 191.47, 1851.3 to 2680.6, 19.3 to 27.1 and 947.58 to 1372.19 tonnes/annum respectively in the year 2002 to 2011. The emission rate of NO/NO2, SO2, CO and volatile organic compounds must be controlled because of their adverse effect on the environment. The controlled could be by converting them for energy production owing to the high calorific value of the solid waste in Ogbomoso. Another controlled technique that can be employed in addition to conversion for energy production is by burning the waste in an incinerator since the solid waste consist of high percentage of combustible materials. Keywords: Emission factor, Solid wast

The High Dependency Unit in the Management of Critically Ill Obstetric Patients in Low Resource Countries

The care of the obstetric population requiring critical care at the intensive care unit is associated with challenges that have made the establishment of obstetric high dependency units (HDU) a priority in the developed, unlike low resource countries.The objective was to evaluate the need to establish obstetric HDUs in low-resource countries.The study was a retrospective descriptive study of obstetric patients admitted in the intensive care unit of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital from 1st January 2010 to30th June 2013. Those that were suitable for management at HDUs were compared with those who needed ICU care. The statistical analysis was with SPSS version 20 with p-values, x2, and odds ratio; p-value <0.05 was considered significant.All the 52 patients were postpartum; 16(30.8%) were suitable for HDU care. Of the HDU eligible patients, 11(68.8%) were of low social class, 12(75%) were booked, 11(68.8%) had no further complication at ICU and mortality was 1(6.25%). Compared to those who needed ICU care, there were no statistical significance in maternal age, parity, duration of ICU admission and total cost of ICU care. There were more cases with statistical significance of organ involvement (p<0.001), severity of Glasgow coma score at admission (p<0.001), further complications at ICU (p<0.001) and maternal mortality (p<0.001) among those needing ICU care compared tothose needing HDU care.In conclusion, the establishment of the HDU will reduce cost and the burden on the few ICUs in low-resource countries without increasing maternal mortality

Assessment of selected agroclimatic indices on maize yield forecasting under climate change in Nigeria

This study investigates the relationship between climate, agroclimatic indices, and maize yield in Nigeria, focusing on diverse agroecological zones. Climate change is poised to significantly impact agricultural output. Analysis of historical data reveals varying sensitivities to weather changes in Nigeria's agroecological regions. Regional climate impact assessments typically use annual statistical models, which may not capture sub-seasonal weather variations and often assume a constant relationship between crops and weather. Crop yield anomalies were created to remove non-weather-related influences from a time series dataset. Also, agroclimatic indices were incorporated into forecasting models as inputs to offer more relevant information for estimating crop output. The research demonstrates the critical role of climate factors such as rainfall in March and minimum temperatures in shaping maize yield in Nigeria. By expanding the scope to include a broader range of climate-related elements, this study has illustrated how incorporating agroclimatic indices into crop yield forecasting models can enhance forecast accuracy and reliability. The study reveals that different agroecological zones may face varied outcomes with regions in the south recording more negative maize yield anomalies as oppose to the north. The research underscores the complexity of the relationship between climate, agroclimatic indices, and crop yield in Nigeria. It provides essential insights for policymakers, farmers, and researchers to make informed decisions and develop strategies for ensuring food security and agricultural sustainability in the midst of a changing climate in Nigeria

Performance of West African Dwarf nursing does and kids fed graded levels of palm kernel cake as replacement for formulated concentrates

A sixteen-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the replacement value of formulated concentrate (FC) supplemented with palm kernel cake (PKC) using Pennisetum purpureum as a basal diet for nursing West African Dwarf (WAD) goats. Parameters assessed were dry matter intake, average initial live weight, average live weight change of the does and suckled kids. Fifteen lactating WAD goats and suckling kids were randomly allocated to five concentrate supplement groups of FC: PKC ratio, namely, diet 1 (100:0), diet 2 (75:25), diet 3 (50:50), diet 4 (25:75), and diet 5 (0:100) respectively in a completely randomized design (CRD). Each treatment had three replicates of one nursing doe and a suckling kid. The replacement of FC supplemented with PKC had a significant (P 0.05) effect was observed in their total DM intake. The levels of replacement of FC by PKC indicated a significant (P<0.05) effect on the average feed intake, average live weight of nursing does and suckled kids. The results concluded that 50% fraction replacement of FC by PKC perfectly enhanced better performance

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Exploitation of petiole, nodal segment, bulbil and tuber anatomy for species identification in Dioscorea Linn. species from Oyo and Ekiti states- southwestern Nigeria

Herb sellers and Traditional Medical Practitioners often substitute D. hirtiflora, cultivars of D. bulbifera and D. dumetorum with closely related cultivars within species during herbal preparations. This practice, which may be as a result of mis-identification, may be very injurious to users of herbal products. The present study investigated anatomical characters of three wild and edible species of Dioscorea used in ethnomedicine in Southwestern Nigeria with a view to aiding species identification. Thin sections of the median petiole and nodal segments were prepared using free hand sectioning. Bulbils and tubers stored in 50% ethanol were sectioned at 5 μm with the aid of a sledge microtome. Sections were stained in Safranin O solution for 2-10 min while sections from bulbils of D. hirtiflora were counter stained with toluidine for 1 min and mounted with glycerol. All slides were examined under the light microscope at x100 and x400 magnifications and photos were taken using digital camera mounted on Zenith Ultra-500 A light microscope. Petiole and nodal segments anatomy showed six and nine vascular bundles, respectively in D. hirtiflora, whereas eight and eleven bundles were observed in D. dumetorum and D. bulbifera. Petioles of D. hirtiflora and D. dumetorum were profusely surrounded with stellate and simple unicellular trichomes. Parenchyma cells in wild D. dumetorum were beaded, while they were not in the edible cultivar. Generally, scattered vascular bundles, layers of collenchymas cells, and dilated parenchyma cells filled with tannins were observed in the bulbils/tubers of all species. Anatomical characters in the selected Dioscorea species are taxonomically significant for species identification and could serve as diagnostic taxonomic tools for their standardization.Keywords: Anatomy, Dioscorea spp., Identification, Medicinal applicatio

Sources of Agricultural Information Used by Arable Crop Farmers in Isale Osun Farm Settlement, Osogbo Local Government Area of Osun State

The study ascertained the sources of agricultural information used by arable crop farmers in Isale Osun farm settlement, Osogbo local government area of Osun State. Data were collected from 80 respondents through the use of structured interview schedule and analyzed using percentages, mean scores and bivalent correlation analysis. The findings revealed that farmers received their agricultural information mostly through mediated and professional inter-personal channels/methods. The findings further showed that radio (x = 3.40) and fellow farmers (x = 3.40) were the most perceived appropriate channels for disseminating agricultural information as reported by the farmers. However, the result of the study showed that extension agents (x = 3.37), radio (x = 3.34) and television (x = 3.16) were the most reliable channels for communicating agricultural information to farmers. The results of the bivalent correlation analysis showed positive significant relationships between educational attainment and use of professional information sources; farmers’ age and use of various information sources as well as household size and use of professional mass media sources (