A Study on Gender Involvement in Environmental Protection in Pedro Village, Lagos

Women around the world play distinct roles in protecting the environment; plants and animals in forests, dry lands, wetlands and in agriculture. This study examined women involvement in environmental protection in Pedro village, a rural riverine area in Iwaya-Yaba, Lagos. A total of 120 women dwelling in Pedro village, Lagos were used for the study. Primary data were generated from a structured questionnaire survey of the women. Focus group discussion and participatory observations were also used as basic data gathering tools. Data collected were summarized and computed using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentages). Results of this study showed that women have some knowledge in protecting the environment and natural resources. They participated in environmental protection significantly through agricultural activities, drainage management, waste disposal, flood management and water resource management. It was recommended that enlightenment campaigns, workshops and seminars should be organized on regular basis to educate the women and the general public on the importance of and how to improve on environmental protection. Women should also be encouraged to be part of any committee on environmental protection projects, programmes, and policies to address gender imbalances in decision making. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2014.v3n7p2

Air and noise pollution effects on air quality in peacock paint industry, Ikot Ekan, Etinan, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Eight sampling locations in the study area were assessed for some air pollutants, level of noise pollution and some meteorological parameters. Portable handheld air monitor was used to measure air pollutants, a sound level meter and anemometer for level of noise and meteorological parameters respectively. Results showed that the highest concentrations of Nitrogen dioxide, Sulphur dioxide, Hydrogen Sulphide and Suspended particulate matter were recorded in indoor II while those for Carbon monoxide and Chloride were recorded in outdoor I. The outdoor locations recorded higher mean noise level and temperature (76.1 dB (A), 30.05°C) than the indoor locations (70.95 dB (A), 27.03°C). On the other hand, the indoor locations recorded higher mean relative humidity (62.8%) than the outdoor locations (48.25%). Significant difference (P<0.05) was observed only in the mean concentration of Chloride in the two environments. The mean concentrations of NO2, SO2, H2S, CO and Cl2 were above the permissible limit of Federal Environmental Protection Agency thus posing environmental risks. Appropriate vehicle emission management should be considered; air and noise pollution control agencies should intervene to reduce the risks associate with these pollutants and improve the air quality of the study area

Exclusive breastfeeding and its relevance to infant teething

Objective: To determine the relevance of exclusive breast-feeding practice, in the development of healthy oral tissue among teething infants. Method: A cross sectional study design of children aged 6-36 months was carried out in 14 wards of Jos North Local Government Area. A multistage sampling technique was adopted in selecting 1081 mothers who qualified and were interviewed using structured interviewer questionnaire on their knowledge and perception on common complaints during teething in children. The index children were examined for number and type of teeth erupted using mouth mirror under natural light. Result: One thousand and eighty-one mothers and their babies were interviewed and examined; out these 16.5%, 38.7% and 44.8% babies were of age groups 6-12, 13-24 and 25-36 months respectively; 50.2% were female and 49.8% were male. Of the babies examined 62.4% were exclusively breast-fed. There was a significant association between maternal educational status and knowledge of teething complaints. Three hundred and twenty-six (30.1%) babies had cough during their teething period, 349 (32.3%) experienced drooling of saliva, and 352 (32.6%) were observed to bite objects during teething. The high percentage of babies that were exclusively breast-fed but did not experience these symptoms were found to be statistically significant (p = 0.00). Seven hundred and forty-two (68.6%) babies had diarrhoea during teething; out of these 459(42.5%) were exclusively breast-fed and it was however not found to be statistically significant (p = 0.55). Conclusion: This study draws attention to the relatively poor anecdotal evidence related to symptoms associated with the teething process. The result has also demonstrated that exclusive breast-feeding is not only able to reduce the symptoms ascribed to teething, but also promote the development of a healthy oral tissue

The Anti-Nutritional and Proximate Composition of Rain Tree (Samanea saman) Pod Samples

The anti-nutritional and proximate composition of pods of Samanea saman were determined. About 600g of wholesome, cleaned and dried pods were divided into two portions: one portion was ground as whole pod meal while the other portion was deseeded and ground as seedless meal. The removed seeds were ground separately as a sample to obtain three samples namely: whole pod, pulp and seed samples. Triplicate data obtained were subjected to One-Way ANOVA using SPSS software of version 21. Mean values and Fisher’s least significant difference (LSD) were determined for the separation of the means at (p≤0.05). The whole pod had 1.49mg/100g oxalate, 1.97mg/100g hydrogen cyanide, 0.71mg/100g tannins, 27.07mg/100g saponins, 0.51mg/100g flavonoids and 1.71mg/100g alkaloids, which were significantly(p≤0.05) different from that of pulp (1.89mg/100g oxalate, 1.51mg/100g hydrogen cyanide, 0.86mg/100g tannins, 28.46mg/100g saponins, 1.00mg/100g flavonoids and 1.41mg/100g alkaloids) and seed samples (1.39mg/100g oxalate, 1.61mg100g hydrogen cyanide, 0.56mg/100g tannins, 26.51mg/100g saponins, 0.49mg/100g flavonoids and 1.86mg/100g alkaloids). The moisture contents were pulp (19.30%), whole pod (15.50%) and seed (9.20%). Ash content were whole pod (4.70%), pulp (2.90%) and seed (2.60%); Ether extract of whole pod, pulp and seed were 3.31%, 2.52% and 2.66% respectively. The crude proteins were whole pod (13.21%), pulp (10.98%) and seed (21.55%); crude fibre of the plant were whole pod (15.95%), pulp (6.77%) and seed (8.47%). The whole pod had 47.33% carbohydrate which was significantly (p≤0.05) lower than the carbohydrate of pulp (57.53%) and seed (55.52%). The utilization of the pods of S. samana is a significant source of bioactive that if harnessed in the formulation of nutraceutical beverage could offer a whole lot of health benefit to the users

Microbial Loads of Ogiri-Ahuekere Condiment Produced from Groundnut Seed (Arachis hypogaea Linn)

Microbial loads of ogiri-ahuekere condiment produced from groundnut seeds were examined. The groundnut seeds were sun-dried for 8 hours, dehulled and boiled for 8 hours using kerosene stove. The cooked cotyledons were milled manually into a paste and wrapped in small portions (30g) with blanched plantain leaves. The wrapped samples were fermented in a container for 1-10 day(s) while the unfermented cooked groundnut paste was used as a control. The freshly prepared samples of ogiri-ahuekere were used for microbial analysis and this action was carried out under sterile aseptic conditions. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out using ANOVA method with application of SPSS version 20. The significant difference between the mean values was determined by Tukey’s test at 95% level of confidence. There was no growth in unfermented sample for TCC and TFMC while there was growth for TBC. There was significant increases in TCC which ranged from` 0.67-6.47 x 107 cfu/g, TBC (0.83-8.60 x 107 cfu/g) and TFMC (0.30 – 4.90 x 107 cfu/g). The results obtained from the study have shown the prevalence of bacteria throughout the period of fermentation in an increasing population

Left ventricular function and cardiac valvar annular dimensions among children with sickle cell anemia compared to those with hemoglobin AA type in Enugu, Nigeria

BackgroundEnumerating the relationship between cardiac structures, function and chamber sizes in children with sickle cell anemia would help in delineating some cardiovascular abnormalities which will aid the Pediatric cardiologist and the cardiac surgeons in a number of decision-making situations.ObjectivesThe objectives of this study are to assess the dimension of cardiac structures and left ventricular function in children with sickle cell anemia in steady state and controls using echocardiography.MethodsA cross-sectional prospective study that assessed cardiac structures and left ventricular function among fifty-one children with sickle cell anemia (HBSS) and compared with fifty children with HB AA type serving as controls.ResultsA significant high proportion of children with sickle cell anemia had abnormal Valvar dimension and left ventricular function above two standard deviations (2-SD) from the mean of the standard population compared to the control group, showing a statistically significant difference (χ2 = 10.42, p= 0.001). All the mean annular valves diameter, left ventricular internal dimension in systole and diastole, inter-sinus distance diameter and sinu-tubular junction diameter are higher in children with sickle cell anemia than controls and this is statistically significant. (p<0.005). ConclusionThis result shows that children with sickle cell anemia have increased valvar size diameter compared with those with normal hemoglobin type. A significantly higher proportion of respondents in type SS group had abnormal left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction when compared with those in type AA grou

Effect of Filler Carbonizing Temperature on the Mechanical Properties of Natural Rubber Composites

Abstract: The effect of carbonization temperature on the mechanical properties of groundnut shell filled natural rubber composite was studied. Samples of groundnut shell were carbonized at varying temperature (100,200,300,400,500,600,700 o C) for three hours each and they were ground and passed through 150µm sieve. Another sample was ground without carbonization and filtered as well. The compound mixes were cured using efficient vulcanization system. Mechanical properties of the composites were measured as a function of filler type and loading in comparison with N330 carbon black filled natural rubber composite. It was found that some mechanical properties such as tensile strength, modulus, hardness and abrasion resistance increase with filler carbonization temperatures and loading while other properties such as compression set, Flex fatigue and elongation decreases with filler carbonization temperature and loading. The percentage swelling in Benzene, Toluene and Xylene also decreases with carbonization

An overview of the production and prospect of polyhydroxyalkanote (PHA)-based biofuels: Opportunities and limitations

The significant challenges faced with the use of fossil fuel and its depleting effect have led to discovering several means of generating alternative fuels known as biofuels. Based on the renewable substrates used for biofuel production, different generations of biofuels have emerged. From these generations, microbial-based substrates, one of which is poly- hydroxyalkanoate (PHA), are still relevant, as they do not compete with other valuable resources, such as food and farmland, vital to human survival. Currently, PHAs are used for many applications, most notably as bioplastics, drug delivery molecules, medical suture, food and feeds, and, recently, biofuel. The method used for converting PHA to biofuel had involved heating the PHA with sulphuric acid and methanol, which breaks the polymer up into its various constituent monomers and then transforms them into methyl esters. When comparing the manufacturing process, its chemical configurations and energy carrier role, PHA-based biofuels are predominantly biodiesel. As a renewable fuel, this fuel source’s improvement may add to the sustainable energy and fuel additive market’s growth. Con- sequently, this article reviews the advantages and limitations of PHA-based biofuel produc- tion, its physicochemical parameters, and the commercial use prospect

Analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities of ethanol extract of Annona senegalensis leaves in experimental animal models

Background: This study was carried out to establish the analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects of the ethanol extract of Anonna senegalensis leaves in experimental animals.Methods: The analgesic activity was measured using the abdominal constriction and tail flick tests. The anti-inflammatory activity was performed using xylene and egg-albumen paw induced tests, while the antipyretic activity was measured using brewer’s yeast and 2, 4 dinitrophenol induced pyrexia tests, respectively.Results: The leaf extract at all doses used exhibited significant (p<0.05) analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities.Conclusions: Results show that ethanol leaf extract of Anonna senegalensis possess therapeutic potential against pains and feverish conditions, supporting the claims of its this plant as remedy for similar ailments

Taking up the cudgels against gay rights? Trends and trajectories in African Christian theologies on homosexuality

Against the background of the HIV epidemic and the intense public controversy on homosexuality in African societies, this article investigates the discourses of academic African Christian theologians on homosexuality. Distinguishing some major strands in African theology, that is, inculturation, liberation, women’s and reconstruction theology, the article examines how the central concepts of culture, liberation, justice, and human rights function in these discourses. On the basis of a qualitative analysis of a large number of publications, the article shows that stances of African theologians are varying from silence and rejection to acceptance. Although many African theologians have taken up the cudgels against gay rights, some “dissident voices” break the taboo and develop more inclusive concepts of African identity and African Christianity