A survey of ecto and intestinal parasites of Tilapia Zillii (Gervias) in Tiga lake, Kano, northern Nigeria

One thousand eight hundred specimens of Tilapia zillii (Gervias) from Tiga Lake, Kano, Northern Nigeria were examined using hand lens and microscope between July, 2007 and June 2008 for parasites , 782 (53.4%) of these were infected. Parasites recovered were, Clinostomum spp. 74 4.1%) Procamellanus spp. 111 (6.1%), and Protozoa Cyst 198 (11.0%). Adult fishes were more infected than the juvenile, females were significantly more infected (

Assessment of Students Performances in Biology: Implication for Measurements and Evaluation of Learning

Scienceeducation is believed to be a vital tool for individual and societal development at large. The persistent low levels of students' achievement in sciences at the various public examinations in Nigeria have continued to draw the attention of major stakeholders in education. This study examined academic achievement of Senior Secondary School students in biology and gender difference in students' achievement was examined. Ex-post facto design of descriptive research was adopted for the study. A proforma was used to collect data from a sample of two hundred (200) students, selected using stratified random sampling procedure from the Science secondary schools in Kano state Nigeria. The data collected were the students' performances in biology achievement tests. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and independent-sample t-test. Overall results showed that the test internal consistency reliability is low and unsatisfactory; the students performed below average (M=47.02, SD=16.493 (47%). Similarly, gender difference exists in biology performance with another significant difference between performance of urban and rural school students. The study concludes that, biology test used in Kano state qualifying examinations to assess students potential ability in biology is not a reliable measurement tool and that, academic performance of students in biology is unsatisfactory and evidence of differential performance between gender and schools locations. The implication for measurements and evaluation of learning as well as recommendations has been discussed

Growth performance and nutrient utilization of African catfish (clarias gariepinus) fed varying dietary levels of processed cassava leaves

Four isocarloric and isonitrogenous diets were formulated to contain 0%, 33.3%, 66.7% and 100% cassava leaves to replace equal weight of maize meal. All the four treatment diets were fed to catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fingerlings in replicate for 16 weeks. The best growth response was obtained in fish fed 66.7% cassava leaves inclusion. Fish fed 100% cassava leaves had the lowest growth response. All the treatment diets showed that growth due to increasing dietary cassava leaves were significant (

Incidence of piscine parasites on the gills and gastrointestinal tract of clarias gariepinus (teugels) at bagauda fish farm, Kkano

The aim of this work is to investigate piscine parasites of gills and intestinal tract of Clarias gariepinus. Six hundred and forty five (645) specimens of specie were examined fortnightly for a period of one year from November, 2006 to October, 2007. One hundred and fourteen (114) and one hundred and ninety nine (199) were infested fish samples from gills and gastrointestinal tract respectively. Parasites recovered during the survey include two species from gills identified as Ergasilus sarsi ((24.60%) a crustacean (copepod), and one protozoan (myxosporean) named Henneguya sp (11.82%). However, parasites recovered from the GIT composed of four different specie of Cestodes (35.53%) comprising of Anomataenia sp, Bothriocephalus aegypticus, polyonchobothrium polypetri and polychobothrium sp, two species from nematodes (28.13%), with Procaamallinus laevionchus and unidentified specie. All these parasites were located in the intestinal lumen of the specie with the exception of Anomataenia and Procaamallinus species dominating the stomach region only. Females samples had higher incidence rate 235 (75.5%) than males 78 (24.9%), there was no significant difference (P>0.05) in infestation rate. Incidence of infestation among the three sized classes showed adults were mostly infested (69.03%) followed by sub adults (26.82%) with juveniles (4.2%) being the least parasitized. There was significant difference in incidence rate (

A survey of ectoparasites on the gills, skin and fins of oreochromis Niloticus at Bagauda fish farm, Kano, Nigeria

Six hundred and two specimens of Oreochromis niloticus from Bagauda fish farm, Kano were examined for ectoparasites. Nine hundred and fifty six ectoparasites were found on two hundred and fourteen (35.6%) specimens. Piscine parasites recovered were protozoa and trematodes namely, Ichthyophthirius spp, Myxobolus spp, Clinostomum spp and Euclinostomum spp. Gill infestation was maintained to be higher throughout the year, than that on the skin and fins, and it was found to be statistically different by DMRT at 5% level of probability. Generally trematodes had higher frequency than protozoa in both the seasons (25.58%, 36.33% and 4.30%, 11.00% respectively). Frequency of protozoa infestation is higher in wet Season 11.00% than in dry season 4.30% so is the case with the trematodes, 36.33% in wet season and 25.5% in dry season

The Distribution and Load Duration Curves of Selected Pollutants in River Ekulu Enugu urban, Nigeria

The study investigated the seasonal distribution and load duration curves of selected pollutants in River Ekulu, Enugu urban,  Nigeria. Selected water quality parameters such as turbidity, total suspended solid, iron, magnesium, phosphate, and total coliform were analyzed using standard methods. Data were collected between October 2015 and September, 2016. Stream flow measurement was undertaken for 12 calendar months using the Velocity-Area Method. The result shows very high concentration of the selected pollutants in River Ekulu when compared with the WHO maximum permissible Limit. Turbidity recorded mean value of 84.6NTU. Average concentration of 143.6mg/l, 1.2mg/l, 4.2mg/l, 3.1mg/l and 142.2CFU/100ml were recorded for TSS, Fe, Mg, PO43-and TCC respectively. Results of load duration curve show that the actual load of these pollutants exceeds their permissible limits. Deterministic relationship between flow and pollutant distributions at 0.05 level of significance shows high level of correlation. Turbidity, TSS, Fe, Mg, PO43- and TCC yielded coefficient of determination values of 0.92, 0.93, 0.90, 0.97, 0.98 and 0.77 respectively.  High values of Turbidity, TSS, iron, magnesium, phosphate and TCC observed from the study especially at flow peak are indications of expanding/unplanned residential and commercial land uses. The high concentration of these pollutants could be deleterious to human health if the water from the River is continuously consumed without proper treatment. The study, therefore, recommends proper waste management practices. There is also need to enact and enforce laws on effluent treatments at slaughter houses before discharge into water bodies. Keywords: Flow duration curve, pollutant load, urbanization, water, quality DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/64-05 Publication date: April 30th 202

Pyrethroid resistance in the Sudan Savannah Region in Nigeria: a study of the resistance profile and resistance mechanism of Anopheles populations from Hadejia Town in Jigawa State

Insecticide-based control measures are key strategies against malaria vectors, and pyrethroid is the only recommended class of insecticide for public health use. The work aimed at determining the pyrethroid resistance in Anopheline mosquitoes and the frequency of the knockdown resistance (kdr) gene determinant. Larval samples were collected from two sites in Hadejia Town, Jigawa State in April 2020 and November/December 2020, and reared to adulthood in Bayero University Kano Biochemistry's insectary. Samples were identified by morphological and molecular techniques. Three to five-day-old adult mosquitoes were exposed to standard concentrations of 0.75% permethrin and 0.05% deltamethrin according to WHO criteria. Kdr mutations were investigated using PCR. Results of morphological identification showed an abundance (100%) of the Anopheles gambiae complex. However, molecular identification showed varying percentages of An. gambiae s.s (15% and 35%), An. coluzzii (80% and 45%), and An. arabiensis (5% and 20%) each for agricultural and industrial sites, respectively. The result also revealed relatively higher KT50 and KT50 in the agricultural site and was relatively higher with permethrin based on the KT50. Higher insecticide resistance of Anopheles mosquitoes observed in the agricultural site suggests that the practice may affect resistance development. The frequency of negative (homozygous) L1014F kdr mutation genotype was 70% in the resistant (alive) mosquito population and 50% in the susceptible (dead) mosquito population. The frequency of kdr mutation for agricultural and industrial sites was 35% and 15%, respectively. This finding suggests that the kdr gene determinant may not be the only mechanism involved in the resistance of the Anopheline mosquito to pyrethroid

Determination of elemental constituents for three herbal plants that are traditionally used to cure cancer

Elemental constituents of fresh leaves of the three herbal plants used traditionally for treatment of cancer namely: Guera Senegalense, Boswellia and Mangifera Indica were analyzed. Results show that all the three samples contain the highest amounts of calcium in parts per million (Guiera Senegalensis 5991 ppm, Boswellia 9413 ppm and Mangifera Indica 2405 ppm) as compared to other constituents. Further studies reveal that presence of calcium in appreciable amount within the metabolic system of human being helps to reduce the risk of cancer and related ailments. Other benefits of calcium in man include strengthening bones and teeth.Keywords: Herbal Medicine, Cancer, Constituents, Carcinoge

Determination of gross alpha and beta radioactivity concentration along Jakara waste water canal, Kano Metropolis, Kano State, Nigeria

This research undertook an assessment of the radioactivity level along the Jakara waste water canal. Six soil samples and five water samples were taken for gross alpha and beta activity concentration using the gas–flow–proportional counter (IN20). Results for gross alpha activity concentration for the soil samples range from 4.597E-03 Bq/g to 1.425E-02 Bq/g, while that of gross beta activity for soil has the range from 3.341E+01 Bq/g to 8.092E+01 Bq/g. In the same vein, results for gross alpha activity concentration for the water samples have the range from 6.035E-03 Bq/L to 1.433E+00 Bq/L while the value for the gross beta activity concentration ranges from 5.038E+00 Bq/L to 2.853E+01 Bq/L for the same water samples. These results show that the alpha and beta activity concentration in the analysed samples are higher than the minimum permissible concentration by World Health Organisation (WHO, 2003). This may pose health risk because the waste water is used by people to irrigate vegetables along the waste water canal. Keywords: Background Radiation, Activity Concentration, Gross Alpha, Gross Bet

Occurrence of Hepatitis C Virus infection in type 2 diabetic patients attending Plateau state specialist hospital Jos Nigeria

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