Drought Occurrence Pattern in Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia

Drought is characterized using parameters including duration, severity, intensity and spatial coverage. Drought frequency and trend can also be used as additional parameters to further characterize drought occurrences. In this study, drought occurrence was examined using Standard Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) as an assessment tool. Based on the SPEI results, spatial and temporal patterns were inspected both at district and regional levels. In doing so, monthly climate data collected on selected stations, from the Dutch national weather service known as the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), was used to assess the drought trends and characterize the study area in terms of drought duration, severity, intensity, frequency, spatial extent as well as drought trend. The analysis results indicated that most districts in the southern and eastern zones experienced more intense droughts than the rest of the study area. It was also found that the average drought return period in the study area ranged between 2.02 at 3-month, 6-month and 24-month time scales to 2.13 years at 12-month time scale. A statistically significant increasing drought trend was also revealed at all-time scales. Generally, the study has revealed an increasing trend of drought occurrence and spatially variable drought duration, severity, intensity and frequency in the study area. The short return period and increasing drought trends indicate the need for urgent drought management intervention.Keywords: Drought characterization, Drought Intensity, Trend, Spatial Distribution

Phenotypic Intraspecific Variability among Some Accessions of Drumstick (Moringa Oleifera Lam.)

Phenotypic characterization of plant species is the basis for selection, conservation as well as improvement. Moringa oleifera (Lam.) is commonly grown as multi-purpose medicinal and leafy vegetable crop in Nigeria. This study evaluated phenotypic intraspecific variations among 40 accessions of M. oleifera collected from different agro-ecological zones. A total of 30 morphometric traits involving qualitative and quantitative vegetative, floral, fruit/pod and seed traits, seed set and germination percentages were combined for the analyses. Descriptive statistics, variance analysis, correlation coefficient, principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to evaluate the intraspecific variability. The accessions showed marked differences in floral, fruit pod and seed characters analyzed. Accessions edN037 (71 days), osN024 (73 days), ogN028 (74 days), oyN003 (75 days) and abN059 (76 days) were identified as early maturing accessions. Correlation coefficients r ≥ 0.70 were high and significant for reproductive characters. The PCA and CA generated similar results. The first five principal component axes explained 61.40% of the total variation with PC1 (23.92%) and PC2 (14.19%) contributing 38.11% of the total variation. The CA showed that the degree of intraspecific similarity was high (66.82%) based on Euclidean similarity index. Nevertheless, four clusters were formed indicating intraspecific phenotypic dissimilarity among the 40 accessions especially with the separation of accessions that were collected from similar environments. The phenotypic variations could be explored for utilization, conservation and for future genetic improvement by selection of accessions with promising agronomic characters

Rate of autolytic changes in different unfixed tissues at different time interval

Aim and Background: Fixation hardens tissues and stabilizes the protein skeleton of the cell by giving the cell some structural support to resist deformation or crushing which may occur in the tissue processing sequence. Since fixation is essential for optimum tissue preparation for sectioning, it is worthwhile to study the autolytic changes in tissues which may affect this stage of specimen handling. Method: A healthy six-month old Wister rat was anaesthetized with chloroform, killed and dissected to aseptically harvest the brain, lung and liver. These organs were cut into 10 sections, each of 2×2×3mm, transferred into sterile universal containers from where sections were removed and fixed in 10% formal saline at a two hour intervals from 0 hours to 18 hours. Haematoxylin and Eosin and Gram’s Iodine stain were used to stain all the sections obtained from tissue blocks, Periodic acid Schiff’s (PAS) for the section of liver tissue, Verhoff elastic fibre stain for lungs section and Bielschowsky’s stain for brain tissue section. Results: Putrefaction in the brain was noticeable within 8 hours, in the liver it started at the 14th hour while putrefaction was absent in the lungs. Conclusion: Optimal staining reaction in brain and liver tissues would be unrewarding if the tissue is not fixed within 4 hours while the lung biopsy must be fixed within 6 hours. Keywords: Putrefaction; Autolysis; Fixation; Tissu

Managing Residential Density Development in Akure Through E-land Pricing System

One of the major challenges of Akure in the past two decades is the uncoordinated residential density development. This paper examined this haphazard development by mapping out the housing density mix in selected residential neighbourhoods in the city with a view to developing an e-land pricing model for its effective land management therein. The study identified three residential estates in Akure as representatives of the three broad densities (high, medium, low) in the residential zones using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Primary data were generated from the administration of structured questionnaire that captured information on socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, location of buildings, plot sizes, coverage and prices among others. From the research findings, a high level of unregulated pricing was obvious particularly in the private sector that controls vast areas of the city land. The closer a private landed property to the city centre or a government housing scheme, the higher the price irrespective of the plot size. Sudden increase in income of residents is a determinant of the willingness to purchase land at high prices. To address this trend this study has developed an e-land pricing interface to regulate the residential density choice in the city. The model was tested to successfully predict specific areas for density development given certain variables such as regular income of land buyers, price of land, plot sizes among others. An administrative structure that can ensure management of the proposed e-land pricing reform measure was specified for effective density mix in the city. Keywords: Residential, density development, housing, e-land pricing, Akure.  DOI: 10.7176/JEES/9-7-04 Publication date:July 31st 201

Integrated Geology and Geochemical analysis of Eruku Basement Complex, Southwestern Nigeria

Eruku, located within Osi which is part of the southwestern  Nigerian Basement Complex plays host to principal exposures of Precambrian – Paleozoic crystalline rocks in the region. Detailed geological mapping revealed the area to comprise essentially of migmatite – banded gneiss complex and diorites and minor rock types that include pegmatite and quartz veins with associated superficial stream deposits occurring proximally along channels in the vicinity. While efforts have been committed to regional  mapping, petrography and geochemistry of rocks in the region, little attention was paid to detail delineations and integrating the observed associated stream sediments. This study employs  detailed geological mapping, granulometric analysis and the use of XRF and ICP – MS to establish the geology and geochemical properties of the rocks and surrounding deposits in the area. Migmatitic rocks predominates the southwestern and part of the northwest, while the granite gneisses with some occurrence of diorite are mainly confined to the northeastern part of the study area. Granulometry of the sediments revealed a predominantly medium – coarse grained, poorly sorted leptokurtic sands,  indicating products of in-situ weathering of host rocks.  Geochemical analysis supports a strong correlation between the rocks and the sediments. The study is useful as guide to regional mapping and is applicable in geochemical prospecting of  minerals.Keywords: Basement complex, migmatite – gneiss complex,  stream sediments, granulometric analysis, elemental abundance, southwestern Nigeri

SIMPLE SEQUENCE REPEATS (SSR) ANALYSIS OF GENETIC INTRASPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS OF MORINGA OLEIFERA POPULATIONS FROM NIGERIA

Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) is a multi-purpose economic plant whose commercial demand is on the increase in Africa. To meet this demand, it is significant to step up collections and diversity studies adaptable to higher productivity and utilization. The present study focuses on recently collected landraces/accessions of six populations of M. oleifera from different eco-geographical locations within Nigeria. A total of 70 accessions were evaluated for genetic intraspecific diversity using 20 SSR markers. Among the 20 SSR markers screened, 10 primer pairs (forward and reverse) were selected based on clear amplification products and reproducible scorable bands. Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA), Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to evaluate the genetic intraspecific diversity. A total number of 74 alleles with a range of 4 to 15 were detected among the 70 accessions. On the average, 7.4 alleles per locus were amplified in each accession. Allele frequency varied from 0.214 to 0.671 with a mean of 0.477; gene diversity from 0.487 to 0.885 with a mean of 0.669 while the average PIC value was 0.633. The observed and expected heterozygosity varied from 0.00 to 0.50 with a mean of 0.972 and from 0.00 to 0.250 with a mean of 0.567, respectively. AMOVA shows that 8 % of the genetic diversity was attributed to differences among the populations while 92 % of the variation (significant at p = 0.001) was due to differences within populations. Allelic patterns across the six populations aligned with the AMOVA result. The results of PCoA and CA identified high intraspecific similarities with few exceptions. Similarity coefficients (SC) of CA ranged from 0.53 to 1.00 and delineated the 70 accessions into seven groups. All accessions are distinguishable from each other at SC 1.00 except (soN066 and taN085) and (anN045 and anN047). The genetic relationships highlighted are significant for conservation, cultivation and genetic improvement of M. oleifera in view of the species socio-economic relevance to the people of Nigeria and Africa in genera

Processing rodent brain tissues: review of basic anatomical techniques for scientists with minimal knowledge of neuroanatomy

An understanding of brain structure, how to harvest rodent brain samples and the various histological procedures to follow is imperative in conducting researches in neuroscience especially for beginners. The general brain aversion bias and complexity of studying the brain, poses a real challenge in identifying and understanding its anatomy either grossly or microscopically. Therefore, this review attempts to provide a basic explanation for researchers with little knowledge of neuroanatomy but are interested in processing brain tissues ranging from opening the skull of the rodents, harvesting freshly perfused or unperfused brain, weighing of the brain and identifying various landmarks on the brainstem, cerebellum, and cerebrum. This review further provides a clue to the various anatomical landmarks in the brain and the functional role each structure identified in such landmarks play. Since most of the brain cytoarchitecture is viewed microscopically, knowing the appropriate staining techniques that clearly show the desired brain cell or region in question is important in determining various neuropathologies as well as in conducting various pilot studies on the brain. This review therefore provides a solid foundation for researchers who are not too familiar with the brain but need to conduct various studies on it.Keywords: brain, histological procedures, anatomical landmarks, staining techniques, cytoarchitecture, fixatio

Disaster preparedness level in hazard laden environment: A case study of tertiary institution students in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria

Objective: The aim was to assess disaster preparedness of tertiary institution students in Osogbo, Osun State.Materials and methods: A cross sectional study carried out among 360 tertiary institution students using a semi structured self-administered  questionnaire.Results: Extreme heat, extreme cold and overcrowding are the hazards commonly exposed to by the students. While some respondents reported  availability of safety equipment in their school, majority do not either have access to it or know how to operate these equipment. About two thirds  (62.5%) are aware of disaster impact while only about one third (33.3%) are highly prepared for it. Bivariate analysis shows that religion (p=0.032), marital  status (p=0.027) and family type (P=0.008) were significantly associated with their awareness level while only program of study (P=0.013) was significantly  associated with preparedness level.Conclusion: Tertiary institution students in Osogbo are exposed to various hazards and majority are not well prepared for it

Health needs and health seeking behaviour of Internally Displaced Persons in Dalori camp, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

Objectives: In recent years, thousands of people have been displaced due to conflict and have been forced to live in crowded camps. The study assessed the common health problems, health needs and healthseeking behaviours of internally displaced persons in Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to study 240 randomly selected respondents using an interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques.Results: The prevalence of communicable disease outbreak was 59.2% and common health problems of the IDPs were malaria (97.9%), cold and catarrh (65.8%), heart diseases (56.7%), and diarrhoea (53.3%). Findings also revealed that access of IDPs to potable water, insecticide-treated nets (ITN), blankets and health care facility, as well as waste disposal, were generally poor. A large proportion of the respondents reported overcrowding (45.8%), inconducive housing (94.6%), dirty environment (54.6%) and poor food distribution (90%) in the camp. Furthermore, factors that predicted poor health among the IDPs include: educational status (OR: 0.397, p = 0.010), poor water supply (OR: 0.343, p = 0.006), hand washing (OR: 7.064, p = 0.004), and overcrowding (OR: 0.055, p = 0.001).Conclusion: This study concluded that ccommon health problems among the IDPs were malaria, cold and catarrh, heart diseases and diarrhoea and their health needs include lack of access to potable water and inadequate health care services.Keywords: Health-seeking behaviour , Health – need, Internally Displaced Persons, Nigeri

SIMPLE SEQUENCE REPEATS (SSR) ANALYSIS OF GENETIC INTRASPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS OF MORINGA OLEIFERA POPULATIONS FROM NIGERIA

Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) is a multi-purpose economic plant whose commercial demand is on the increase in Africa. To meet this demand, it is significant to step up collections and diversity studies adaptable to higher productivity and utilization. The present study focuses on recently collected landraces/accessions of six populations of M. oleifera from different eco-geographical locations within Nigeria. A total of 70 accessions were evaluated for genetic intraspecific diversity using 20 SSR markers. Among the 20 SSR markers screened, 10 primer pairs (forward and reverse) were selected based on clear amplification products and reproducible scorable bands. Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA), Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to evaluate the genetic intraspecific diversity. A total number of 74 alleles with a range of 4 to 15 were detected among the 70 accessions. On the average, 7.4 alleles per locus were amplified in each accession. Allele frequency varied from 0.214 to 0.671 with a mean of 0.477; gene diversity from 0.487 to 0.885 with a mean of 0.669 while the average PIC value was 0.633. The observed and expected heterozygosity varied from 0.00 to 0.50 with a mean of 0.972 and from 0.00 to 0.250 with a mean of 0.567, respectively. AMOVA shows that 8 % of the genetic diversity was attributed to differences among the populations while 92 % of the variation (significant at p = 0.001) was due to differences within populations. Allelic patterns across the six populations aligned with the AMOVA result. The results of PCoA and CA identified high intraspecific similarities with few exceptions. Similarity coefficients (SC) of CA ranged from 0.53 to 1.00 and delineated the 70 accessions into seven groups. All accessions are distinguishable from each other at SC 1.00 except (soN066 and taN085) and (anN045 and anN047). The genetic relationships highlighted are significant for conservation, cultivation and genetic improvement of M. oleifera in view of the species socio-economic relevance to the people of Nigeria and Africa in general