Coleopteran Fauna Of Agroecosystems In Awka, Nigeria

A study was carried out to investigate the coleopteran fauna of two agroecosystems (cultivated farmland and fallow plot at the Permanent Site of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka) for a twelve-month period using the pitfall technque. Eight pitfall traps made up o plastic containers with mouth diameters of 9.80 cm and 6.20 cm deep were set monthly at random in the two sampling sites. The traps, which were filed to one-third with 5 % formalin, serving a preservative, were inspected every twenty-four hours and the insects caught sorted and counted under a dissecting microscope. Species of Coleoptera obtained from the cultivated plot were Macrocheilus labrosus, Hyparpalus sp., Carpophilus fumatus, Podagrica uniforma, Tetragonothorax sp., Chlaenius sp., Pheropsophus parallus, Silidas apicalis, Tenebroides mauritanicus, Heteroderes sp., and Heterorynchus licas while only Hyparpalus sp., and Mylabris sp., were obtained from the fallow plot. The result of Fisher\'s Least Significance Difference (F-LSD) test shows that the pitfall catchesof Coleopterans from the two sampling sites were significantly different at p-value of 00053 and mean difference of 2.500. The heterogeneity of the coleopteran species at the cultivated plot was traced to cultivation. The role of certain coleopteran families as faunal indicators was highlighted Other factors, which influenced the Coleopteran species at the farmlands were also discussed. Keywords: Coleoptera, Fauna, Agroecosystems, Pitfall trapsAnimal Research International Vol. 4 (2) 2007 pp. 647-64

The Application of Real Estate as Loan Collateral in Nigeria’s Banking Sector

The recent reforms in Nigeria’s banking sector have underscored the need for due diligence in lending. The study investigates the application of real estate as loan security to establish the extent and process of its use by commercial banks in Nigeria. Questionnaire survey was used to elicit response from a sample of commercial banks selected randomly. The findings demonstrate that real estate is the most widely used collateral instrument and banks follow due process in its application as collateral. However, the use is hindered by documentation and foreclosure problems. The findings are consistent with literature that real estate plays a significant role in secured lending, especially in developing countries. Overall, the borrower’s title to the collateral, the nature and quality of the title as well as the value of the real estate are important considerations when banks apply real estate as loan collateral. Thus, real estate, and especially property values, land titles and records are significant factors in contemporary Nigeria’s bank lending and with the greater emphasis on the security of credit, real estate is likely to assume even more vital role. Key words: Bank lending, Banking sector, Collateral, Real estate, Secured credit transaction

Credit Risk Mitigation with Real Estate Collaterals in Nigeria’s Commercial Banks

The practice of posting collaterals to mitigate credit risk is commonplace in bank lending. Real estate is an important collateral instrument especially in developing countries. This study investigated credit risk mitigation with real estate collaterals by commercial banks in Nigeria to establish if real estate is a reliable collateral instrument, the role of real estate valuation and the key issues the banks consider in the process. Response was elicited from a sample of commercial banks in a cross-sectional survey with a structured questionnaire. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics. Findings indicate that real estate is a very reliable collateral instrument and that its valuation is a significant aspect of the risk mitigation process. The reliability of valuation opinion is the most important expectation of the banks from the valuers and the banks are satisfied with valuation advice provided by valuation firms. The banks consider the reputation of the borrower the most important factor to mitigate credit risk with real estate collateral and the quality of borrower’s title to the real estate the most important aspect of the collateral instrument for risk mitigation. Overall, the findings suggest negligence and inadequate due diligence on the part of the banks in the process of credit risk mitigation with real estate collaterals. There is need for adequate documentation of real estate titles and transactions for more efficient risk mitigation practice. Key words: Bank lending, Credit risk mitigation, Collateral, Nigeria; Real estate, Secured lendin

EFFECT OF TRIMETHOPRIM-SULFAMETHOXAZOLE PROPHYLAXIS ON FEACAL CARRIAGE RATES OF RESISTANT ISOLATES OF ESCHERICHIA COLI IN HIV-INFECTED ADULT PATIENTS IN LAGOS.

Background: The daily use of Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) prophylaxis reduces morbidity and mortality among patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but its impact on increasing antimicrobial resistance rates has been of public health concern, globally. This study investigated the effect of daily TMP-SMX prophylaxis on feacal carriage rates of resistant isolates of Escherichia coli in HIV-infected adult patients in Lagos. Methods: A total of 550 HIV-infected patients with CD4-cell counts of less than 350 cells/mm3 who were eligible for TMP-SMX prophylaxis and attending Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria, were recruited for this study. Stool/rectal swab samples were aseptically collected from the patients and processed using standard methods for culture and sensitivity. Results: There was a baseline Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole resistance rate of 54% which increased to 77.9% in first 3 months, rising to 96.1% by 6 months and all isolates were resistant by the 9th month. There was also evidence of cross-resistance to other antibiotics with significance in association with TMP-SMX resistance (

EFFECT OF TRIMETHOPRIM-SULFAMETHOXAZOLE PROPHYLAXIS ON FAECAL CARRIAGE RATES OF RESISTANT ISOLATES OF ESCHERICHIA COLI IN HIV-INFECTED ADULT PATIENTS IN LAGOS.

Background: The daily use of Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) prophylaxis reduces morbidity and mortality among patients infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) but its impact on increasing antimicrobial resistance rates has been of public concern globally. This study investigated the effect of daily TMP-SMX prophylaxis on faecal carriage rates of resistant isolates of Escherichia coli in HIV-infected adult patients in Lagos. Methods: A total of 550 HIV-infected patients with CD4-cell count of less than 350 cell/mm3 and were eligible for TMP-SMX prophylaxis attending Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria, were recruited. Stool/rectal swab samples were aseptically collected from the patients and processed using standard methods for culture and sensitivity. Results: There was a baseline Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole resistance rate of 54% which increased to 77.9% in first 3 months, rising to 96.1% by 6 months and all isolates were resistant by the 9th month. There was also evidence of crossresistance to other antibiotics with significant association with TMP-SMX resistance (

Prognostic values of adiponectin and leptin in assessment of osteoarthritis in menopausal HIV women in Nauth Nnewi Nigeria

Background: Human immune deficiency virus (HIV) has progressively been implicated with development of inflammatory disease including osteoarthritis. This study evaluated serum levels of adiponectin and leptin in women living with HIV with/without osteoarthritis who have been placed on highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) in NAUTH, Nnewi, Nigeria. Methods: Eighty eight participants aged between 18 and 65 years attending HAART unit of NAUTH, Nnewi were randomly selected and grouped thus: Group A (premenopausal HIV seropositive women with osteoarthritis), group B (postmenopausal HIV seropositive women with osteoarthritis), group C (premenopausal HIV seropositive women) and group D (postmenopausal HIV seropositive women). Five milliliters of blood sample collected from each of participants for determination of adiponectin and leptin using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Results: Adiponectin level was significantly higher in postmenopausal HIV seropositive women with osteoarthritis compared with pre and postmenopausal HIV seropositive women without osteoarthritis (p<0.05 respectively). Similarly, leptin level was significantly higher in pre and post-menopausal HIV seropositive women with osteoartritis compared with their counterparts without osteoarthritis (p<0.05 respectively). A positive significant correlation was observed between Leptin and age in premenopausal HIV seropositive women with osteoarthritis. Also, a significant negative correlation was observed between adiponectin, age in pre and postmenopausal HIV seropositive women without osteoarthritis. Conclusions: The significant increases in adiponectin and leptin levels in pre and postmenopausal HIV seropositive women can be linked to severe inflammatory reaction due to osteoarthritis which might have been aggravated by combined effects of menopause and HIV infection

Human Body Burden of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Antibiotics Susceptibility Pattern and Presence of Extended Spectrum β-lactamase and Carbapenemase encoding Genes in Lagos State, Nigeria

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, frequently associated with a wide range of community and nosocomial infections, is notorious for being resistant to several classes of antibiotics with only a handful of antibiotics still effective. This study determined the human body burden of P. aeruginosa as well as antibiotics susceptibility pattern and presence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase encoding genes in Lagos state, Nigeria using standard methods. Out of 103 bacterial cultures collected, 31 P. aeruginosa isolates were obtained, mostly originating from wound and urine samples. High rates of antibiotics resistance were observed to fluoroquinolone and cephalosporins with 24 (77.4%) resistant to ciprofloxacin, 19 (61.3) to cefotaxime, and 18 (58.1%) to ceftriaxone as well as amoxicillin clavulanic acid. However, resistance to ceftazidime and meropenem were low with only 6 (19.4%) and 5 (16.1%) resistant isolates respectively. ESBL production was detected in 10 (32.3%) of the isolates with ESBL genes detected in 6 (60%) of the 10 isolates. Ceftazidime and meropenem are viable therapeutic options for P. aeruginosa infections. Selection and dissemination of ESBL producing P. aeruginosa must be curtailed to prevent the loss of efficacy in currently available viable therapeutic options

Models of classroom assessment for course-based research experiences

Course-based research pedagogy involves positioning students as contributors to authentic research projects as part of an engaging educational experience that promotes their learning and persistence in science. To develop a model for assessing and grading students engaged in this type of learning experience, the assessment aims and practices of a community of experienced course-based research instructors were collected and analyzed. This approach defines four aims of course-based research assessment—(1) Assessing Laboratory Work and Scientific Thinking; (2) Evaluating Mastery of Concepts, Quantitative Thinking and Skills; (3) Appraising Forms of Scientific Communication; and (4) Metacognition of Learning—along with a set of practices for each aim. These aims and practices of assessment were then integrated with previously developed models of course-based research instruction to reveal an assessment program in which instructors provide extensive feedback to support productive student engagement in research while grading those aspects of research that are necessary for the student to succeed. Assessment conducted in this way delicately balances the need to facilitate students’ ongoing research with the requirement of a final grade without undercutting the important aims of a CRE education

Motivated Attention to Social and Nonsocial Reward Images: Examining Relations with Externalizing Risk in Children

Children that exhibit issues with externalizing behaviors often experience maladaptive outcomes in later life. Externalizing problems during middle childhood (e.g., 6-10 years old) are linked to issues with emotion regulation, which are, in turn, caused by disrupted attention and emotion reactivity to reward. Externalizing problems during this period have also been linked diminished processing of social reward stimuli, suggesting externalizing risk in children may be reflected in contrasting patterns in processing of non-social and social rewards. However, research comparing how differences in affective processing of specific reward content (i.e. social versus non-social) patterns relate to externalizing behavior within normative development is scarce. The following three studies aim to examine neural correlates of affective processing to social and non-social reward stimuli and their relation to externalizing problems in children using a novel, developmentally appropriate image set. The first study (Chapter 2) explores neural processing of different reward categories using event-related potentials (ERPs) in children aged 6-10 years old. Larger ERP responses were associated with early salience processing to object-based (non-social) and intrapersonal reward (social) stimuli. However, larger responses in ERPs associated with sustained processing to these same stimuli categories were associated with greater self-regulation deficits. Gender differences in processing emerged, such that boys showed greater sustained processing to object-based rewards (non-social) than girls. The second study (Chapter 3) examined whether relations children’s ERP responses differed by gender. Greater externalizing problems in boys were associated with greater, indiscriminate processing of stimuli during early stages in neural processing. In contrast, greater externalizing problems in girls were associated with greater sustained processing of both object-based reward and neutral stimuli. The final study (Chapter 4) sought to determine whether ERP responses to distinct forms of social and non-social reward stimuli moderated relations between temperamental traits associated with heightened positive/reward sensitivity (i.e., surgency) and externalizing problems in children. High surgency traits (e.g., impulsivity) in children were associated with greater parent-report of externalizing problems. High surgency was also associated with greater sustained processing of object reward stimuli (non-social) and interpersonal reward stimuli (social). However, these sustained processing patterns did not moderate the relationship between temperament and externalizing problems. Instead, greater externalizing problems were related to greater processing of intrapersonal (social) compared to object-based reward stimuli in high surgency children during early stages in neural processing. Collectively, these results suggest an outsized role for stimulus identity and temporal organization in evaluating early markers for externalizing behavior problems in middle childhood

Pharmacological Activities of Compounds of Leaves and Roots of Imperata Cylindrica with Its Antimicrobial and Structural Elucidation

The  pharmaceutical constituents and structural elucidation of total phenols on the leaves and roots of imperata cylindrica plant were carried out to ascertain the active constituents that are responsible for its use as an astringent, febrifuge, diuretic, tonic and styptic action and its use  for teething problems in infancy and others. The phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoid, tannins, saponnins, steroids, terpenes and glycosides on the plant. The quantitative analysis of the phytochemicals present in the 4g of crude drug was determined using  Van-Burden & Robinson 1981 method for Tannins,  Obadoni & Ochuko 2001 method for Saponin,  Harbone 1993 method for Alkaloids, Bohm &Kocipal Abyazan 1994 method for Flavonoids and Salkowske method for Terpenoids. Result showed that the crude drug contained Tannin (5.7%), Flavonoids (10.3%), Alkaloids (5.4%), Saponins (2.25%) and Terpenoids (43.3%).  The antibacterial and antifungal activity screening showed strong inhibitory effect against test organism. E. coli, staphylococcus epidermis,  Kleibsiella Pneumonia, pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pyogenes,  Asperigillus niger, Asperigellus flavus, Candida albican, Fusarium Oxysparum , Candida parapsilosis. Preparative thin layer chromatography and thin layer chromatography techniques were used to separate compounds from the extract which was subjected to structural elucidation using spectroscopic instruments such as GC-MS, UV-VIS AND FTIR. The spectral analyses suggested the presence of 1,6-anhydro-Heptanoic acid, 1,6-dichloro-cyclohexaneacetic acid, 1,6-anhydro-5-Hexenoic acid, 5-Hexenoic acid and cyclohexaneacetic acid. Fatty acid ethyl ester is known for its antibacterial, antifungal and also anti-inflammatory properties which would be effective in the management of bacterial and fungal infections. These results confirm the ethnomedicinal use of imperata cylindrica