Physical properties, correlation and regression analyses of potable water in Ilorin, Nigeria

Water is said to be wholesome if it is fit to use for drinking, cooking, food preparation or washing without any potential danger to human health. This research aimed to determine the potability of water from borehole, sachet and river in Ilorin, Nigeria using physical parameters, assess the correlation between the parameters and carry out regression analysis of the parameters. Water samples were randomly collected from the three Local Government Areas (LGA) in Ilorin to assess physical properties and carry out correlation and regression analyses. Temperature of water samples were between 29 ⁰C – 31.4 ⁰C while pH ranged between 6.42 and 7.90. Correlation coefficient was +0.989 while regression analysis estimated optimal temperature of 30 ⁰C for pH of 7.03. The physical parameters of water in the study area fell within recommended range. There was strong direct relationship between the physical parameters studied. Further studies could consider investigating other physical and chemical parameters involving larger number of samples. Keywords: Potable water, physical parameters, correlation, regression, Ilori

Serological Survey of Antibodies against Brucella Organisms in One Humped Camel (Camelus dromedarius) Herds in the Lake Chad Area of Borno State, North Eastern Nigeria

Sero-prevalence of brucellosis in the one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) was carried out in the Lake Chad area of Borno state. A total of two hundred and fifty four (254) sera samples collected from adult camels in herds located in the Lake Chad Area of Borno state, North easternNigeria, were tested using Rose Bengal Plate test (RBPT) and Microtitre Serum Agglutination Test (MSAT). Twenty four samples (9.4%) were positive by both RBPT and MSAT, out of which 10 (3.9%) and 14 (5.5%) were males andfemale respectively. There was no statistically significant association between sex and positive serological reaction (P>0.05

Gene expression patterns in the hippocampus and amygdala of endogenous depression and chronic stress models

The etiology of depression is still poorly understood, but two major causative hypotheses have been put forth: the monoamine deficiency and the stress hypotheses of depression. We evaluate these hypotheses using animal models of endogenous depression and chronic stress. The endogenously depressed rat and its control strain were developed by bidirectional selective breeding from the Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rat, an accepted model of major depressive disorder (MDD). The WKY More Immobile (WMI) substrain shows high immobility/despair-like behavior in the forced swim test (FST), while the control substrain, WKY Less Immobile (WLI), shows no depressive behavior in the FST. Chronic stress responses were investigated by using Brown Norway, Fischer 344, Lewis and WKY, genetically and behaviorally distinct strains of rats. Animals were either not stressed (NS) or exposed to chronic restraint stress (CRS). Genome-wide microarray analyses identified differentially expressed genes in hippocampi and amygdalae of the endogenous depression and the chronic stress models. No significant difference was observed in the expression of monoaminergic transmission-related genes in either model. Furthermore, very few genes showed overlapping changes in the WMI vs WLI and CRS vs NS comparisons, strongly suggesting divergence between endogenous depressive behavior- and chronic stress-related molecular mechanisms. Taken together, these results posit that although chronic stress may induce depressive behavior, its molecular underpinnings differ from those of endogenous depression in animals and possibly in humans, suggesting the need for different treatments. The identification of novel endogenous depression-related and chronic stress response genes suggests that unexplored molecular mechanisms could be targeted for the development of novel therapeutic agents

Prevalence of Brucella Antibodies in Migratory Fulani Cattle Herds in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Brucellosis is a major cause of economic losses such as abortion, infertility, low conception rate and low survival rate of neonates in the livestock industry and zoonoses of great public health significance. The prevalence of Brucellaantibodies in migratory Fulani cattle in Kaduna State was determined using the Milk Ring Test (MRT), Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and Microtitre Serum Agglutination Test (MSAT). This study determined the prevalence and thesources of transmission to local livestock populations and humans. A total of 2,799 serum and 2,149 milk samples from 93 Fulani cattle herds in 15 out of 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state were tested; in addition to application of structured questionnaire on the herdsmen. The prevalence rates obtained were 1.4%, 7.1% and 1.0% for MRT, RBPT and MSAT respectively. A control programme involving improved management, animalmovement restrictions and public health education is suggested

Studies on the antimicrobial effects of Acacia nilotica and Vitex doniana on the thermophilic Campylobacter species

No Abstract Available Ghana Jnl agric. Sci, Vol.36 2003: 143-14

Survey for bovine trichomoniasis in cattle at Slaughter in the Sokoto metropolitan abattoir Sokoto state Nigeria

No Abstract

Semen bacterial flora of Rhode Island Breeder cocks in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria

The semen used in this study was collected from 77 Rhode Island Breeder cocks reared in battery cages under intensive management from a private farm in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria using the back massage procedure, 27 of the 77 semen samples (35.1%) contained bacterial isolates. None of the samples grew fungi. Bacteria isolates obtained from the semen include: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus faecalis, Proteus species and Klebsiella species. Seventy of the semen samples were negative for brucellosis but seven samples exhibited Brucella specie agglutinins using tube agglutination test and the level of antibody titres are 61.5, 82.0 and 102.5 iu/ml respectively. The pressence of Brucella agglutinin detected in this study is significant since brucellosis is of public health and economic significance. In addition, the presence of bacteria contaminants in semen should be viewed with seriousness. As a consequence, routine control of bacteria in collected semen seems desirable. This study sought to identify the bacterial flora and pathogens in semen collected from cocks and see how they may be effectively reduced or destroyed in the interest of the efficient collection, preservation and delivery of highly fertile semen artificially. Areas for further investigations were highlighted.Keywords: Cocks, Semen. Bacterial flora, Artificial Insemination, Rhode Island Breeder