Survey on Non-Timber Forest Products in Bauchi South Senatorial Districts, Bauchi State, Nigeria

A survey on Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in Bauchi South Senatorial Districts (Alkaleri, Bauchi, Tafawa Balewa and Toro Areas) of Bauchi State, Nigeria was reviewed in 2013. The aim was to identify the common tree species in the areas, the plant parts used (roots, barks, stems, leaves, fruits, etc) and to identify their uses, methods of used and end produce. Data were collected through the use of structured questionnaires, supplemented with verbal interview and observation. A total of 300 Questionnaires were randomly administered in the study local government areas. All data collected from the survey areas were subjected to simple descriptive statistics. A total of 58 useful species of plant origins was recorded as having various applications in the lives of the rural dwellers in the area. The result showed that NTFPs in Bauchi South Senatorial Districts of Bauchi State has varying use categories such as Medicine (33.0%), Food/fruits (16.0%), Oil & Spice/condiments (8.0%), Carving, crafting & implement (12.8%), Environmental protection/amelioration(10.8), Proteins/bush meats (7.6%) while Other uses[Fodder, tannin, rope, gum, utensil, dye, etc. (11.8%)]. The study also revealed that, the people in the area collect these resources frequently and sell them as a means of earning a living. There is need for forest policy to include the production of NTFPs and local agro-forestry schemes should be developed within national forests to allow for the production of bush meats, rattan, bamboo, traditional medicines, honey and other forest food.Key Words: NTFPs Non-timber forest products, Bauchi South Senatorial Districts, Bauchi, Tafawa Balewa, Toro, Alkaleri, Area

Hepatitis C Virus in Arab World: A State of Concern

Hepatitis C virus has been considered to be one of the most important devastating causes of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatic cellular carcinoma. The prevalence of such virus varies greatly over the world. Arab world has a unique geography and consists over nineteen countries who share the same heritage and customs and do speak the same language. In this area, the epidemiology of hepatitis C is not well understandable. Hepatitis C virus was found to be endemic in Arabia. The serostatus of such virus was found to be variable among these countries with uniform patterns of genotypes. Such prevalence varies tremendously according to the risk factors involved. Blood and blood products, haemodialysis, intravenous, and percutaneous drug users, and occupational, habitual, and social behavior were found to be the important factors involved. Hepatitis C will have major social, economic, and even political burdens on such young and dynamic societies. Thus, strategies and clear policy of intervention are urgently needed to combat the consequences of HCV both regionally and at state level of each country

Activation of Water by Pentavalent Actinide Dioxide Cations: Characteristic Curium Revealed by a Reactivity Turn after Americium.

Swapping of an oxygen atom of water with that of a pentavalent actinide dioxide cation, AnO2+ also called an "actinyl", requires activation of an An-O bond. It was previously found that such oxo exchange in the gas phase occurs for the first two actinyls, PaO2+ and UO2+, but not the next two, NpO2+ and PuO2+. The An-O bond dissociation energies (BDEs) decrease from PaO2+ to PuO2+, such that the observation of a parallel decrease in the An-O bond reactivity is intriguing. To elucidate oxo exchange, we here extend experimental studies to AmO2+, americyl(V), and CmO2+, curyl(V), which were produced in remarkable abundance by electrospray ionization of Am3+ and Cm3+ solutions. Like other AnO2+, americyl(V) and curyl(V) adsorb up to four H2O molecules to form tetrahydrates AnO2(H2O)4+ with the actinide hexacoordinated by oxygen atoms. It was found that AmO2+ does not oxo-exchange, whereas CmO2+ does, establishing a "turn" to increasing the reactivity from americyl to curyl, which validates computational predictions. Because oxo exchange occurs via conversion of an actinyl(V) hydrate, AnO2(H2O)+, to an actinide(V) hydroxide, AnO(OH)2+, it reflects the propensity for actinyl(V) hydrolysis: PaO2+ hydrolyzes and oxo-exchanges most easily, despite the fact that it has the highest BDE of all AnO2+. A reexamination of the computational results for actinyl(V) oxo exchange reveals distinctive properties and chemistry of curyl(V) species, particularly CmO(OH)2+

Alpha Diversity and Species Status of Uneven Forests in Eco-Zones of Taraba State, Nigeria

Alpha diversity indices quantify the uncertainty in predicting the species identity of an individual. Quantitative indices on species composition and distribution are vital to understanding the trend and species status of an ecosystem for conservation management. However, among the forest ecosystems in Taraba state, Bakin Dutse and Wasaji uneven forests are one of the least studied areas, especially in terms of tree species status. This research work aims at assessing alpha diversity and species status of selected uneven forests in Taraba state, Nigeria; to provide baseline knowledge for conservation management. In total, 102 tree species from 74 genera and 41 families were present. Wasaji forest had the highest number (51) of tree species with a diversity index of 3.01, followed by Ngel-Nyaki uneven forest which had 32 tree species, and Bakin Dutse forest had 19 species. The tree species were evenly distributed in Wasaji forest (0.631) and Bakin dutse (0.625). The study area is rich in tree species. Strict policies should be maintained, this could improve the growth and productivity of forest ecosystems of the study area. The tree growth variables had an optimum tree stand density in all the natural forests. If effective conservation efforts are made, the lower tree diameter class would grow into mature trees and eventually replace those at the upper tree diameter class in the forests, which showed an inverse J-shape diameter distribution

Consciência Política e Participação dos Representantes da Sociedade Civil no Conselho Municipal de Assistência Social de Vitória (ES)

Os conselhos gestores, instituições participativos incluídas no arcabouço jurídico do Estado Brasileiro pela Constituição Federal de 1988, tornaram-se o principal instrumento de alinhamento entre interesses diretos da sociedade civil e do poder público. Criaram-se, assim, novas relações de gestão compartilhada entre sociedade e Estado, que requerem a consolidação de atores sociais que estejam dispostos a trabalhar em prol da democracia deliberativa. Partindo dessas considerações busca- se, neste trabalho, compreender como se configura a consciência política e a participação dos conselheiros titulares e suplentes representantes da sociedade civil no Conselho Municipal de Assistência Social de Vitória (ES). A discussão se baseia no modelo de consciência política para compreensão da participação em ações coletivas de Sandoval (2001). Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, cujos dados foram obtidos por meio da análise de documentos, observação não participante às plenárias e entrevistas semiestruturadas com 8 conselheiros titulares e suplentes representantes da sociedade civil do Conselho, submetidos à análise de conteúdo (BARDIN, 2004). Os resultados revelaram configurações diferentes de consciência política entre os três segmentos representativos da sociedade civil no conselho: representantes dos usuários demonstraram-se mais propensos a sentimentos envolvendo a Identidade Coletiva, Eficácia Política e sentimentos de Justiça e Injustiça. Representantes de entidades mostraram-se mais ligados a sentimentos de Identidade Coletiva, Interesses Antagônicos e Adversários e Eficácia Política. Representantes dos trabalhadores da área demonstraram sentimentos ligados a Eficácia Política e Sentimentos de Justiça e Injustiça. Conclui-se que diferentes consciências políticas interferem na participação dos representantes: representantes de trabalhadores participam de maneira limitada às plenárias, comissões temáticas e em ONGs. Representantes de usuários participam de maneira mais abrangente em movimentos sociais, associações de bairros e junto à administração pública, cobrando ações de interesse social. E representantes de entidades participam de movimentos sociais, de ações junto ao poder público e em movimentos que envolvem os assistidos pelas entidades

Rapid methods of landslide hazard mapping : Fiji case study

A landslide hazard probability map can help planners (1) prepare for, and/or mitigate against, the effects of landsliding on communities and infrastructure, and (2) avoid or minimise the risks associated with new developments. The aims of the project were to establish, by means of studies in a few test areas, a generic method by which remote sensing and data analysis using a geographic information system (GIS) could provide a provisional landslide hazard zonation map. The provision of basic hazard information is an underpinning theme of the UN’s International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). It is an essential requirement for disaster preparedness and mitigation planning. This report forms part of BGS project 92/7 (R5554) ‘Rapid assessment of landslip hazards’ Carried out under the ODA/BGS Technology Development and Research Programme as part of the British Government’s provision of aid to developing countries. It provides a detailed technical account of work undertaken in a test area in Viti Levu in collaboration with Fiji Mineral Resources Department. The study represents a demonstration of a methodology that is applicable to many developing countries. The underlying principle is that relationships between past landsliding events, interpreted from remote sensing, and factors such as the geology, relief, soils etc provide the basis for modelling where future landslides are most likely to occur. This is achieved using a GIS by ‘weighting’ each class of each variable (e.g. each lithology ‘class’ of the variable ‘geology’) according to the proportion of landslides occurring within it compared to the regional average. Combinations of variables, produced by summing the weights in individual classes, provide ‘models’ of landslide probability. The approach is empirical but has the advantage of potentially being able to provide regional scale hazard maps over large areas quickly and cheaply; this is unlikely to be achieved using conventional ground-based geotechnical methods. In Fiji, landslides are usually triggered by intense rain storms commonly associated with tropical cyclones. However, the regional distribution of landslides has not been mapped nor is it known how far geology and landscape influence the location and severity of landsliding events. The report discusses the remote sensing and GIS methodology, and describes the results of the pilot study over an area of 713 km2 in south east Viti Levu. The landslide model uses geology, elevation, slope angle, slope aspect, soil type, and forest cover as inputs. The resulting provisional landslide hazard zonation map, divided into high, medium and low zones of landslide hazard probability, suggests that whilst rainfall is the immediate cause, others controls do exert a significant influence. It is recommended that consideration be given in Fiji to implementing the techniques as part of a national strategic plan for landslide hazard zonation mapping

Biología y morfología del Agraulis vanillae (Linn) como enemigo de la maracuyá (Passiflora Edulis) var. (Flavicarpa D.)

Debido a las características de la plaga como factor limitante en el cultivo del Maracuyá (Passiflora edulis. var. flavicarpa) del Agraulis vanillae, L. Lepidóptera Nymphalidae, en la Costa Atlántica, se estudiaron sus hábitos y ciclos de vida para tratar de facilitar su control. El ciclo biológico en el campo dio un mínimo de 32 días y un máximo de 40, con un promedio de 36 días El Agraulis vanillae L. en las condiciones ambientales de la Costa Atlántica presentó ciclos de vida similares a las condiciones del Valle del Cauca. La plaga estudiada no demostró preferencia por hojas o flores, ni su alimentación con algunas de ellas particularmente le causó influencia en sus hábitos o duración del ciclo de vida La época propicia para su control, es cuando los huevos han eclosionado, y las larvas nacidas, se encuentran comiendo la superficie de la hoja por estar más débiles y expuestos a la aplicación y efecto del insecticida. Sin embargo, numerosos parásitos fueron observados llegando en algunos casos a limitar el carácter lesivo de la plaga

Decline of Spectacled Eiders Nesting in Western Alaska

Spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri) populations in western Alaska are now less than 4% of the numbers estimated in the early 1970s. In 1992, an estimated 1721 nesting pairs remained on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Causes of this rapid and continuing decline of -14% per year are undocumented. Many aspects of spectacled eider biology remain unknown, including their marine foraging habitats, food items, migratory movements, and population ecology. A review of some biological characteristics and possible threats to the species suggests the importance of quantifying potential impacts from parasites and disease, subsistence harvest, predation during brood rearing, and alteration of Bering Sea food resources. Factors causing the population decline of spectacled eiders must be determined and appropriate actions taken to reverse the trend.Key words: Alaska, declining species, Somateria fischeri, spectacled eider, waterfowl, Yukon-Kuskokwim DeltaLes populations d'eider à lunettes (Somateria fischeri) de l'Alaska occidental s'élèvent maintenant à moins de 4 p. cent du total estimé au début des années 70. En 1992, on a estimé à 1721 le nombre de paires nicheuses qui restaient dans le delta du Yukon-Kuskokwim. Les causes de ce déclin rapide et continu de -14 p. cent par an ne sont pas documentées. Bien des aspects de la biologie de l'eider à lunettes restent inconnus, y compris l'habitat marin où il trouve sa nourriture, ses aliments, ses déplacements migratoires et l'écologie de la population. Un examen de certaines caractéristiques biologiques et des menaces dont l'espèce pourrait faire l'objet suggère l'importance qu'il y a à quantifier les retombées potentielles des parasites et des maladies, des récoltes destinées à assurer la subsistance, de la prédation durant l'élevage de la couvée et des changements dans les ressources alimentaires de la mer de Béring. Il faut déterminer les facteurs responsables du déclin de la population de l'eider à lunettes et prendre les mesures qui s'imposent pour renverser la tendance.Mots clés : Alaska, espèce en déclin, Somateria fischeri, eider à lunettes, oiseau aquatique, delta du Yukon-Kuskokwi