Agro–industrial Effluents And Agricultural Wastes Effects On Soil Chemical Properties And Yield Of Okro (Abelmosclus esculentus l. Moench)

The effects of agro-industrial wastes and poultry manure on soil organic matter pH and total N and on the yield of okra was carried out in the green house of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU). The agro-industrial wastes (palm oil mill effluents, cassava mill effluents, and sawdust) were applied at five levels of concentration (0,100, 200, 300 and 400 grammes per 10kg soil) and replicated three times. Soils were incubated after waste application for two weeks and then sown to Okro seeds. Soil chemical properties were analyzed six weeks after planting and results subjected to analysis of variance using a 4 x 5 factorial in completely randomized design. Significant treatment means were separated using FLSD 0.05. Organic matter, soil pH and total nitrogen increased in soils treated with poultry manure. But saw dust and cassava mill and palm oil mill effluent had no effect on total nitrogen. The industrial effluents had little effects on yield of okra, however, the use of poultry manure as an agricultural amendment, gave better boost in the yield of the okro plant than the effluents from the industrial waste.   Keywords: agro-industrial effluents, soil acidity, organic matter, okro              yield, sawdus

Electrical Resistivity of Cu and Au at High Pressure above 5 GPa: Implications for the Constant Electrical Resistivity Theory along the Melting Curve of the Simple Metals

The electrical resistivity of solid and liquid Cu and Au were measured at high pressures from 6 up to 12 GPa and temperatures & SIM;150 K above melting. The resistivity of the metals was also measured as a function of pressure at room temperature. Their resistivity decreased and increased with increasing pressure and temperature, respectively. With increasing pressure at room temperature, we observed a sharp reduction in the magnitude of resistivity at & SIM;4 GPa in both metals. In comparison with 1 atm data and relatively lower pressure data from previous studies, our measured temperature-dependent resistivity in the solid and liquid states show a similar trend. The observed melting temperatures at various fixed pressure are in reasonable agreement with previous experimental and theoretical studies. Along the melting curve, the present study found the resistivity to be constant within the range of our investigated pressure (6-12 GPa) in agreement with the theoretical prediction. Our results indicate that the invariant resistivity theory could apply to the simple metals but at higher pressure above 5 GPa. These results were discussed in terms of the saturation of the dominant nuclear screening effect caused by the increasing difference in energy level between the Fermi level and the d-band with increasing pressure

Conceptual model of client health and safety (H&S) culture

Purpose: This paper presents a conceptual six factor client H&S culture model referred to as the LIP+3C. The factors leadership, involvement, procedures, commitment, communication and competence were theorised to explain the client H&S culture construct. The postulated model is based on theory obtained from literature as well as from a Delphi research. H&S culture has been recognised as the feasible way to improve H&S performance in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach: A Delphi study as well as a synthesis of literature was conducted and resulted in a theorised conceptual model. To validate the model, a questionnaire survey with a response of 281 was conducted. Findings from the questionnaire survey were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with EQS version 6.1 software. Findings: The six factor client H&S culture model was found to be well fitting to the sample data through the confirmatory factor analysis. Consequently client H&S culture findings were that client culture could be explained by the level of leadership, involvement, procedures, commitment, communication and competence. Research limitations/implications: The size of the sample may affect the generalisability the findings in view of the complexity of the model. Practical implications: The proposed model in this study makes it possible to determine and predict the client H&S culture. The indicator variables can be used as check items for performance measurement and thus operationalize the concept of H&S culture. Originality/value: Adopting the LIP+3C culture model composed of elements that can easily be implemented and understood will contribute to improving the current H&S statu

Identifying factors of health and safety (H&S) culture for the construction industry

Construction H&S performance improvement has in recent years become a priority and thus has gained industry-wide attention (Cheung et al, 2004 and Hamalainen et al, 2009) because of the economic benefits, the need to improve construction industry image, the need for organisations to be socially responsible and the need for an improved general regard and respect for people working in the construction industry. In addition, the legislative pressure coupled with debate concerning the personal responsibility that senior managers should bear for their organisations on H&S failures (Fitzgerald, 2005) has contributed to most organisations to focus on H&S improvement. However improving H&S performance in the construction industry has also proved to be somewhat challenging partly due to the industryʼs complex nature. Despite this complexity of the industry, H&S performance improvement remains a crucial issue and its importance or need has been demonstrated in numerous studies (Smallman and John, 2001; Lee et al, 2006; ILO, 2003; and Hoonakker et al, 2005)

Assessment of Legal Information Needs and Access Problems of Lawyers in Uganda

Access to the right kind of legal information is imperative for efficient and effective performance in any judicial process. This study investigated the legal information needs and problems faced by lawyers (as main consumers of legal information) in accessing legal information. The study used a survey design in which a structured questionnaire was used to elicit the required data. It was carried out in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The study found that law reference; laws of other countries; law reports; update of court rules and judge cases constitute the most needed legal information of lawyers and attorneys in Uganda. While problems faced in accessing legal information include: inadequate information materials; limited law libraries; out dated information materials and limited time to search for the required legal information. The study concludes that to make lawyers succeed in their judicial processes, more serious and proactive ways of accessing legal information are required. Hence, recommended among others the need for legal information providers to be proactive; legal information providers to network or form consortium to ease legal information acquisition; integration of ICTs in information provision and if possible, phone text message service be dovetailed

Does Micro Finance Reduce Poverty among Women Entrepreneurs in South-South Nigeria? Evidence from Propensity Score Matching Technique

This paper examined the role of microfinance services on poverty reduction among women entrepreneurs in South-south Nigeria. A composed sample of four hundred respondents randomly selected from eight local governments in Bayelsa and Delta States made up the sample while logit model, propensity score matching and instrumental variable methods were used to achieve the study objectives. The results of the study show that access to microfinance has a positive impact on the per capita expenditure of women entrepreneurs. Also, places of residence as well as the size of households have negative impact on per capita expenditure while education level has positive impact on per capita expenditure. The authors recommend that policies should be strengthened to make access to microfinance less difficult for women. Also, government should do well to provide enabling policies that create friendly environment for the microfinance institutions operating in Nigeria so as to reduce their operation cost and by implication reduce the cost of borrowing. Key words: Microfinance, Women Entrepreneurs, Poverty reduction, Propensity Score Matchin

Constraints to Women Entrepreneurs’ Access to Microfinance in South-South Nigeria

The aim of the study is to examine the constraint factors that inhibit women entrepreneurs’ access to microfinance in South-South region of Nigeria. Using exploratory factor analysis procedure (the principal factor model), four constraint factors were extracted-Technical, economic, managerial and social factors. Technical factor include: transportation cost, lack of trust, diversion of funds, short payback period, loan targeted at certain businesses; economic factor include:  protocol before acquiring loan, high interest rate on borrowing, limited amount of loan given, provision of collateral, non-willingness of MFIs to grant loan to women entrepreneur; managerial constraint factor include: low accessibility to loan, the time lag between application and loan collection, the amount given as loan is discretionary, opening of account as condition for microcredit access, the educational level of the entrepreneur; social factors include:  distance, securing of guarantor, only people in business are being given loan, and finally, too many applications than MFIs can afford. Also, the study suggested reduction of interest rate; microfinance institutions being brought closer to the people most especially the rural entrepreneurs; relaxing the condition inherent in loan access from microfinance banks; sensitization of more women about microfinance services; giving priority to women as well as increasing the payback period of loan as ways to improve access to microfinance services by women entrepreneurs. Key words: South-South Nigeria, Constraints, Microfinance, Women Entrepreneur

Acute myocardial infarction in a resource-poor setting: a case report in Awka, Nigeria

The incidence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa. Predisposing factors to ACS in Nigeria are not completely known. The management of ACS is influenced by its timely detection and availability of medical and reperfusion intervention facilities. We thus document a case of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in 3 years that was successfully managed medically in Awka, Nigeria, albeit a debacle of resource-poor setting. The patient was a 42 year-old man who presented with retrosternal, stabbing chest pain of 4 hours duration. He has obesity, hypertension and a sedentary life style. He was in painful and respiratory distress; blood pressure was 140/80mmHg. Oxygen therapy, intravenous morphine 10mg was given. Oral Isosorbide dinitrate 20mg bd, oral Clopidogrel 300mg bd initially then 75mg daily, oral Aspirin 150mg bd, oral Simvastatin 20mg daily and oral Lisinopril 2.5mg were instituted. Resting electrocardiography showed evidence of ST elevations in the inferior leads. Cardiac enzyme markers were elevated. Following medical therapy, his condition improved. On the 3rd day he was discharged and subsequently followed up in the clinic. This case of AMI in a man who, has risk factors for AMI and, presented as the first case in three years in a Cardiology Unit in a tertiary hospital in Awka suggests that AMI is rare in this area. A resource-poor setting such as ours might still provide valuable medical therapy to ACS patients especially with prompt referrals from peripheral hospitals

Mosquito Larvicidal Constituents from Lantana Viburnoides SP Viburnoides Var Kisi (A. rich) Verdc (Verbenaceae).

\ud \ud Lantana viburnoides sp viburnoides var kisi is used in Tanzania ethnobotanically to repel mosquitoes as well as in traditional medicine for stomach ache relief. Bioassay-guided fractionation and subtraction bioassays of the dichloromethane extract of the root barks were carried out in order to identify the bioactive components for controlling Anopheles gambiae s.s. mosquito larvae. Twenty late III or early IV instar larvae of An. gambiae s.s. were exposed to various concentrations of the plant extracts, fractions, blends and pure compounds, and were assayed in the laboratory by using the protocol of WHO 1996. Mean mortalities were compared using Dunnett's test (p < 0.05) and lethal concentration calculated by Lackfit Inversel of the SAS programme. The crude extract (LC50 = 7.70 ppm in 72 h) and fractions exhibited different level of mosquito larvicidal activity with subtraction of some fractions resulting in activity enhancement. The active fractions contained furanonaphthaquinones regio-isomers (LC50 = 5.48-5.70 ppm in 72 h) and the lantadene triterpenoid camaric acid (LC50 = 6.19 ppm in 72 h) as active principles while the lupane triterpenoid betulinic acid (LC50 < 10 ppm in 72 h) was obtained from the least active fraction. Crude extracts and some fractions had higher or comparable larvicidal activity to the pure compounds. These results demonstrate that L. viburnoides sp viburnoides var kisi extracts may serve as larvicides for managing various mosquito habitats even in their semi-purified form. The isolated compounds can be used as distinct markers in the active extracts or plant materials belonging to the genus Lantana

Procjena dobi ploda u crvenih Sokoto koza (Capra hircus) pomoću ultrazvučnih mjerenja različitih pokazatelja

The ultrasonic measurements of occipitonasal length (ONL), orbital (OD), biparietal (BPD), placentome (PD) and umbilical cord (UCD) diameters of red Sokoto goat foetuses with known gestational age (GA) were obtained. The data were subjected to simple linear regression analysis. The derived age prediction equations were GA = 22.881 + 6.668ONL, GA = 26.938 + 14.300BPD, GA = 17.326 + 43.534OD, GA = 48.116 + 11.869PD, GA = 35.796 + 65.195UCD where GA is the gestational age (days), ONL - occipitonasal length, BPD - biparietal, OD - orbital, PD - placentome and UCD - umbilical cord diameters (cm). The foetal ages ranged between 57 and 124 days. The coefficient of correlation (R) between occipitonasal length (R = 0.97), biparietal (R = 0.98), orbital (R = 0.92), umbilical cord (R = 0.77) diameters and gestational age were highly significant (P<0.001). The placentome diameter had low correlation (R = 0.45) with gestational age. These results suggest that occipitonasal length, biparietal, orbital and umbilical cord diameters can be used to estimate foetal age in red Sokoto goats, while placentome diameter is not useful for age prediction in this breed.Provedena su ultrazvučna mjerenja okcipitonazalne dužine (OND), orbitalnoga promjera (OP), biparijetalnoga promjera (BPP), promjera placentoma (PP) i promjera pupčanoga tračka (PPT) plodova crvene okoto koze poznate gestacijske dobi (GD). Rezultati su bili analizirani pomoću jednostavne linearne regresije. Izvedene jednadžbe za predviđene dobi bile su GD = 22,881 + 6,668 OND, GA = 26,938 + 14,300 BPP, GA = 17,326 + 43,534 OP, GA = 48,116 + 11,869 PP, GA = 35,796 + 65,195 PPT gdje je GD gestacijska dob u danima, OND - okcipitonazalna dužina, BPP - biparijetalni promjer, OP - orbitalni promjer, PP - promjer placentoma i PPT - promjer pupčanoga tračka u cm. Dob plodova kretala se od 57 do 124 dana. Koefi cijent korelacije (R) između okcipitonazalne dužine (R = 0,97), biparijetalnoga (R = 0,98), orbitalnoga (R = 0,92), i promjera pupčanoga tračka (R = 0,77) te gestacijske dobi bio je značajno velik (P<0,001). Promjer placentoma bio je u niskoj korelacije (R = 0,45) s gestacijskom dobi. Rezultati upućuju na zaključak da se okcipitonazalna dužina, biparijetalni, orbitalni i promjer pupčanoga tračka mogu rabiti za procjenu dobi ploda u crvenih Sokoto koza, dok promjer placentoma nije od koristi za određivanje dobi plodova