Impact of Capital Market Development on the Nigerian Economy: A Post-SAP Analysis

This paper addresses the impact of capital market development on economic growth and development since the liberalization policy in 1986 to 2010 in Nigeria. It employs Ordinary Least Square (OLS) and Johansen CO-integration estimation techniques. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was used as measure for economic growth while the capital market development are represented with Market Capitalization (MCAP), Total Value of Transaction (TVT), Total New Issues (TNI), All-Share Index (ALSI) and Total Listing on the NSE (TLT). The result of the study shows that capital market development has not impacted positively on Nigeria economic growth and development due to the relative small size of the market despite its development as a result of the liberalization policy. Thus, it recommends that policies that would encourage domestic as well as foreign investors to participate in the market should be formulated

Assessment of Cr, Cd and Pb levels in tobacco leaves and selected cigarette samples from Ilorin Metropolis Kwara State, Nigeria

The levels of Cr, Cd and Pb in tobacco leaves and some cigarette samples from Ilorin metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria were collected and analyzed after wet digestion with a freshly prepared 65% HNO3 and 35% HCl using atomic absorption spectrophotometry Model No PM 8251 single pen recorder. The results obtained reveal the presence of Cr and Cd in all samples including tobacco leaves. However, Pb was not found in all the samples within the limit of determination. The concentration ranges of Cr and Cd in the samples are 60-100 μg/g and 4-20 μg/g respectively, which was found to be lower than the WHO standard.Keywords: Cigarettes, Tobacco, Heavy metals, Digestio

Outcome of traumatic brain injury in the intensive care unit: a five-year review

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major challenge in the intensive care unit (ICU) with a high mortality. In a recent study, severe TBI accounted for 14.3% of all ICU admissions with a mortality of 54.0%.Methodology: This was a retrospective, case-control study of all cases of TBI admitted into the ICU during the study period. Data retrieved included socio-demographic parameters, causes of TBI, blood transfusion, length of stay and ICU outcome in terms of mortality.Result: One hundred and eighty-two (182) TBI patients were admitted into the ICU, with a mean age of 34 ± 18.92 years. The male:female ratio was 3:1, but females had a better outcome with a p-value of 0.026. Patients who stayed between 1 and 7 days were > 4 times more likely to die in the ICU compared with those who stayed for more than 7 days. In addition, TBI patients who had blood transfusion had a better outcome (p = 0.004). Also, TBI patients who received ventilatory support had higher mortality compared with those who did no, (p = 0.006).Conclusion: Patients with traumatic brain injury admitted to the intensive care unit have a high mortality. A review of the present line of management and strict compliance with guidelines of management may perhaps improve outcome.Keywords: ICU, outcome, traumatic brain injur

Anti-mitotic and anti-proliferation potentials of aqueous and methanolic extracts of fermented Citrullus vulgaris (ogiri-egusi) seeds

There is a growing scientific evidence of the health-enhancing benefits of fermented food and beverages, especially in cancer prevention and  treatment. Ogiri-egusi is an indigenously fermented condiment consumed in some West African countries, and prepared mainly from natural fermentation of melon (Citrullus vulgaris) seeds. The condiment has been previously reported to possess anti-oxidative and anti hyperlipid emic properties. In this study, different concentrations of ogiri-egusi extracts were exposed to actively dividing cells from Allium cepa meristematic roots and Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the antimitotic and antiproliferative investigations, respectively. There was a statistically significant reduction in mitotic activities of the treated A. cepa meristematic cells compared to the untreated cells. The mitotic index (MI) of the untreated cells was 28.38 ± 4.58. At a concentration of 1.0 mg/ml, the extracts induced a reduction in the MI to 6.02 ± 2.74 and 4.94 ± 0.61 in the aqueous and methanolic extracts- treated cells, respectively. Some chromosomal aberrations were also observed. In addition, proliferation in yeast cells was significantly inhibited at all the concentrations of the aqueous extract examined as well as at the highest concentration of the methanolic extract. These results provide useful insights to the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of fermented Citrullus vulgaris. Keywords: Fermented Citrullus vulgaris, Allium cepa, antiproliferation, cytotoxicity, genotoxicit

Assessment of some heavy metals concentrations in soil and groundwater around refuse dumpsite in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria

This study reports the determination of some heavy metals’ concentration in soil and groundwater around refuse dumpsites in five locations in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria. Five samples were collected from each soil and ground water locations and analysed for heavy metals(Cd, Co, Pb, Cr, Zn, Mn and Ni)using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The soil samples were obtained in triplicates at 25cm depth intervals whereas the water samples were obtained from hand dug wells less than 10 m deep. The range of the values of heavy metal concentrations obtained in water is Co (0.01-0.04), Pb (0.01-0.02), Cr (0.02-0.05), Zn (0.40-0.70), Mn (0.02-0.05) and Ni (0.02-0.05), but Cadmium was not detected. The concentrations of Pb and Ni in ground water obtained from Arapaja, Aleshinloye and Alafara were higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) and Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) limits. The results obtained showed that the concentrations of Cd, Co, Pb, Ni and Cr in soil exceeded the WHO and SON permissible limits. However, Zn and Mn were below the limit. Keywords: Heavy metals, Dumpsite, Groundwater, Soil samples, Concentrations

Shaping forest safety net with forest management and conservation in Gambari Forest Reserveoyo State Nigeria

There had been massive conversion of Forest Reserves into agricultural land without any meaningful effort by the authorities to halt the trend. The study evaluated the safety net roles of forests in relation to forest management and conservation in Oyo State Nigeria. The study was specifically conducted at Gambari Forest Reserve area of Oyo State. Purposive sampling method was employed in choosing the study area due to the high forest regeneration potential in Oyo state. Two hundred copies of a structured questionnaire were administered and retrieved. Both qualitative and quantitative (statistics) methods (such as Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT), Gross Margin and Somer’s D models) were used for the analysis. The results showed that forests had the capacity of improving the livelihood of the poor particularly those that ventured into forest income-generating activities. For instance, the poverty gap indices were conventionally measured to be 73% but reduced to about 66% with a drop of about 7% when forest income was included in the econometric analysis. Similarly, the inclusion of forest income reduced poverty severity measure from 69% (without forest resources income) to about 51%, a drop of 18%. Also, the study revealed that forest protection rate (49.4% timber, 21.3% non-timber) was appreciable among other factors while clearing of environment improved the management of non-timber (48%) than timber (24.5). Further, management of NTFPs had the capacity of improving peoples' welfare unlike timber forest products Forest management mechanisms related to timber products favoured forest conservation at the expense of surrounding communities’ welfare (poverty and income). Therefore, given the high dependence level of rural communities on forests and its attendant effects on the resources, balancing forest preservation and management mechanisms were recommended for creating a sustainable forest conservation model for rural communities.Keywords: Safety net; poverty; rural household, forest management; conservation strategies; forest related enterpris

Assessment of Vegetation Structure of the African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) Habitat in Kainji Lake National Park, Nigeria

The study assessed the relative abundance and vegetation structure of African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) including plant parameters: frequency, diameter at breast height (dbh), tree height, diversity, evenness, richness, Margalef, dominance in Kainji Lake National Park. Point – Centered Quarter method was used for woody species enumeration. A total of twenty-eight (28) randomly sampled plots of 150m by 100m given 112 points per plot were established in the study area. The abundance and distribution, tree frequencies, heights, dbh and plant biodiversity indices were calculated using the Paleontological Statistics Software (PAST) for scientific data analysis. The results revealed that relative abundance of African buffalo in both morning and evening of dry and wet seasons in various habitats of the Park were 13.33 ± 4.41 and 11.33 ± 4.40 respectively. The study showed the highest mean value of 21.75 ± 6.94 representing 87 individuals in dry season compared to wet season with mean value of 15.25 ± 5.11 representing 61 individuals. A total of 91 woody plant species and 29 tree families were recorded in African buffalo habitats representing 80, 77, 68 and 59 tree species respectively. The highest average girth size of tree species was class between >10cm -50cm with 59.14 ± 4.06 and the highest mean tree height was height class of >3 - 10m with 91.43 ± 5.44. There were significant differences at (p<0.05) between the values of dbh, tree height, diversity, richness and evenness of plant species recorded in different habitats studied in the Park

Acidic leaching of iron from Kaoje Goethite ore by hydrochloric acid: Kinetics modelling

Considering the recent focus of the Nigeria Government to grow and develop the nation’s economy through the solid minerals sector reform, this study has been devoted to the kinetics of a Nigerian goethite ore by hydrochloric acid leaching for improved iron and steel industries applications. This study was performed in three different phases. In the first phase, acidic leaching of iron from a goethite ore was examined and the influence of the operating variables including: HCl concentration, leaching temperature, stirring speed and particle sizes was examined experimentally. The optimum condition was found to be HCl concentration of 1.81M, temperature of 80°C, 200 rpm stirring speed and particle size 0.09 μm for iron in the range of investigated parameters. Under those conditions, the highest iron recovery was obtained to be 95.67 %. In the second phase, the dissolution kinetics of iron was evaluated by the shrinking core models. The finding reveals that diffusion through the fluid was the leaching kinetics rate controlling step of the iron. The activation energy (Ea) was found to be 14.54 kJmol-1 for iron. Equation representing the leaching kinetic of iron was achieved to be 1−2/3α - (1 − x)2/3 = 0.7272 × e−38.29/8.314×T × t. The final stage of the experiment was carried out by characterizing the leached residues by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the result showed majorly the presence of rutile (TiO2), anglesite (PbSO4), and traces of iron-silicate face like pyrite (FeS), quartz (SiO2). Keywords: kinetics modelling, leaching, low-grade, recovery, shrinking cor

Botanical and Cytological Studies of <i>Monodora tenuifolia</i> Benth.

This study investigated branching pattern, ecology of occurrence, palynology, cytology and phenology of Monodora tenuifolia using standard techniques. The branching pattern determines the shape of the canopy, which may be irregular when growing in the shade, or round when growing in the open. The pollens are tetrads, 10.15 µm in diameter, with pollen fertility of 92.24% (determined by using Cotton Blue in Lactophenol) and pollen tube germinability of 65.83%. Two simultaneous cytokineses were studied and the events of meiotic cell division were observed to synchronize. The chromosomes were well paired at pachynema as associations of regular bivalents, paired of ring 11 or rod 11, though univalents were occasionally observed. Monodora tenuifolia has the chromosome number equal to 2n = 16, showing a karyotypic formular of 1 acro (large) + 2 submet (medium) + 2 met (medium) + 2 acro (medium) + 1 met (small) chromosome in the 2B Stebbins category. The results indicate that the tetrad pollen grain of Monodora tenuifolia is an advantage, since up to four pollen tubes could be seen developing from the some pollen grains, while the karyotype is asymmetrical

Botanical and Cytological Studies of <i>Monodora tenuifolia</i> Benth.

This study investigated branching pattern, ecology of occurrence, palynology, cytology and phenology of <i>Monodora tenuifolia </i>using standard techniques. The branching pattern determines the shape of the canopy, which may be irregular when growing in the shade, or round when growing in the open. The pollens are tetrads, 10.15 µm in diameter, with pollen fertility of 92.24% (determined by using Cotton Blue in Lactophenol) and pollen tube germinability of 65.83%. Two simultaneous cytokineses were studied and the events of meiotic cell division were observed to synchronize. The chromosomes were well paired at pachynema as associations of regular bivalents, paired of ring 11 or rod 11, though univalents were occasionally observed. <i>Monodora tenuifolia </i>has the chromosome number equal to 2n = 16, showing a karyotypic formular of 1 acro (large) + 2 submet (medium) + 2 met (medium) + 2 acro (medium) + 1 met (small) chromosome in the 2B Stebbins category. The results indicate that the tetrad pollen grain of <i>Monodora tenuifolia</i> is an advantage, since up to four pollen tubes could be seen developing from the some pollen grains, while the karyotype is asymmetrical