Tillage Methods to Determine Soil Infiltration Rates: A Case Study in Uyo, Nigeria

This study evaluated the effect of tillage methods on the infiltration rate of a sandy loam soil in Uyo. Nigeria. Tillage treatments adopted include zero –tillage, crude tillage, plough alone and plough harrow tillage. The result of the study revealed that the basic infiltration rates under zero crude, plough and plough harrow tillage in a sandy loam soil in Uyo were 18mm/hr, 20mm/hr, 21mm/hr and 24mm/hr respectively. Soil moisture content was averaged at 8.32% with a mean deviation of 0.372.The bulk density of the soil ranges from 0.611kg/m3 to 0.613kg/m3. The mean percentages of Sand, Silt and Clay from the analyzed Soil Sample were 74.43%, 13.64% and 16.69% respectively. A 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the significance difference between the average infiltration rates under the different tillage treatments. The result showed that there is a significant effect of tillage method on soil infiltration rate and soil infiltration rate under different tillage treatment followed the order plough + harrow > Plough alone > Crude tillage > Zero tillage. The study recommends that farmers in Uyo should endeavour to till their farm before planting at least with crude tillage implement as it will help to pulverize the soil surface and make it easier for irrigation and root penetration as well as root development

Coconut Coir Dust Ion Exchange Resins for Removal of Ni2+ ion from Aqueous Solution

The ability of coconut coir dust, a natural adsorbent made from dried coconut husk as a non conventional and low cost sorbent for the removal of Ni2+ from aqueous solution was examined. The adsorption capacity was found to be dependent on the contact time and initial concentration which increased along with contact time and initial ion concentration but latter decreased with 15mg/L for the three resins (coconut coir dust (CCD), carboxylated toluene resin (CTR), and sulphonated toluene resin (STR)). Maximum adsorption was obtained after a contact time of 90minutes at an initial concentration of 15mg/L. The results were analyzed by Langmuir and Flory-Huggins isotherm. The sorption process was best described by Langmuir isotherm which indicates monolayered adsorption and chemisorption. Adsorption was found to follow pseudo-second order kinetics with average rate constant of 1.3287g/mg min. Adsorbents obtained from coconut can be used as sorbent for removing metal ions from aqueous solution. Keywords: Adsorption, coir dust, ion exchange, Ni2+ions, kinetics, isotherm

The Challenges of Human Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Way Forward

The increased interaction of societies on a global dimension evidently provides for the overall need for human security especially in the African continent where the number of conflicts is still overwhelming. This paper examined the challenges of human security in Sub-Saharan Africa with a view to suggesting the way forward. Anchored on a qualitative method and with reliance on secondary sources of data, it argued that there is need to better understand the nature of the rapidly evolving large-scale challenges that can have a major impact on individuals and populations. The paper further observed that it is imperative to strengthen the mobilization of wide range of actors involved in policy formulation that affects the unfolding dangers of human security in order to curtail them. It recommended the promotion of human capacity building in African states, assistance to states in the region to tackle HIV/AIDs and other contagious diseases, promoting the active participation of communities and representatives of civil society in the planning and implementation of development programs among others and concluded that though the challenges of human security in the continent are overwhelming, a proper implementation of these measures could ensure security for the vulnerable populations in the region

Awareness and practice knowledge of ocular health safety among street sweepers in Calabar, South-South, Nigeria

Background: Street sweeping is an increasing popular outdoor occupation in major cities of Nigeria. These workers are chronically exposed to diverse occupational and environmental sources of ocular hazards, that they may not be aware of. This may impair their adoption and compliance with the requisite safety practices. This study was aimed at assessing levels of awareness, knowledge, and practice of ocular safety among street sweepers in Calabar, Southern Nigeria.Materials and Methods: The study was a cross sectional study among one hundred and fifteen (115) street sweepers in Calabar Urban Development Authority, Nigeria over a period of three months. A systematic random sampling method was used to select respondents eligible for the study and a pretested semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used to obtain data. Data obtained was analysed using statistical package for social sciences version 20 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.).Results: One hundred and fifteen (115) subjects were studied, with mean age of 41.8 ± 10.4 years, and female to male ratio of 1:0.03. Seventy percent had good knowledge of ocular health safety; while 68% were aware of the occupational hazards associated with the job. Less than a quarter (19%) of workers used personal protective devices (PPD). Only 1% of the total who used PPD wore protective goggles while at work.Conclusion: Good knowledge and a high level of awareness on ocular health safety was seen among street sweepers. However, there was poor utilization of personal protective devices especially protective goggles among the workers which will increase their risk to occupational hazards.Keywords: Ocular health safety, street sweepers, Calaba

Tillage Methods to Determine Soil Infiltration Rates: A Case Study in Uyo, Nigeria

This study evaluated the effect of tillage methods on the infiltration rate of a sandy loam soil in Uyo. Nigeria. Tillage treatments adopted include zero –tillage, crude tillage, plough alone and plough harrow tillage. The result of the study revealed that the basic infiltration rates under zero crude, plough and plough harrow tillage in a sandy loam soil in Uyo were 18mm/hr, 20mm/hr, 21mm/hr and 24mm/hr respectively. Soil moisture content was averaged at 8.32% with a mean deviation of 0.372.The bulk density of the soil ranges from 0.611kg/m3 to 0.613kg/m3. The mean percentages of Sand, Silt and Clay from the analyzed Soil Sample were 74.43%, 13.64% and 16.69% respectively. A 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the significance difference between the average infiltration rates under the different tillage treatments. The result showed that there is a significant effect of tillage method on soil infiltration rate and soil infiltration rate under different tillage treatment followed the order plough + harrow > Plough alone > Crude tillage > Zero tillage. The study recommends that farmers in Uyo should endeavour to till their farm before planting at least with crude tillage implement as it will help to pulverize the soil surface and make it easier for irrigation and root penetration as well as root development

Survey of drug use and crime in Nigerian libraries: a study of public and academic libraries in Akwa Ibom state.

Drug use is a menacing problem currently affecting every aspect of Nigeria's national life. The clandestine nature of many drug use behaviours-may provide suitable conditions for the development of relative ethnographies, and one of such is the library environment as a secret hideout for drug abuse. Considering the seclusive nature of every library complex, the present study investigated, through a survey, the possible existence and prevalence of drug use network in selected public libraries in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Participants were library users and patrons, including students, library workers and other public users. Results indicate that negligible (low) level of drug use was reported in the library with corresponding low level of related crime. There were also other indicators of drug use comparing respondents‟ reports under several demographic factors including gender, education, marital status of users, residential status of users, recent history of drug use in the library, estimated age of users, estimated financial cost of drug use as well as indices of crimes committed in the library. It was however not clear if reported crimes, which are usual day to day occurrences associated with the library, could in any way be linked to library drug use. Recommendations were made concerning the need and urgency to provide public sensitization on the dangers of drug use not only in the library but also in general, and the need to prevent its consequences through improved security measures in our academic and public facilities. Keywords: Drug use, academic and public libraries, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, investigative survey

Digestibility and nutrient intake of African Giant Land Snails (Archachatina marginata) hatchlings fed municipal organic waste with foliage and grass/legume

Snails are important kind of micro livestock in the animal industry with a wide range of economic value and significance, the study determined the digestibility and nutrient intake of African Giant Land Snails (Archachatina marginata) hatchlings fed municipal organic waste, foliage or grass/legume using Completely Randomized Design. The experiment had four (4) treatments with five (5) replicates each, the experimental diets were diet 1 (100% municipal organic waste), diet 2 (100% grasses), diet 3 (75% grasses and 25% legume) and diet 4 (100% foliage). There were 25 hatchlings per replicate. The experiment lasted for 120 days. Snail hatchlings fed experimental diet 4, maintained higher significant (P<0.05) results for diet protein intake, digestible protein for growth, total digestible protein for gain, digestible protein, gross protein value, protein replacement value, and a better protein utilization efficiency. Dietary fibre intake was (P<0.05) higher on diet 3, 2 and 1, lower on diet 4, digestible fibre for growth showed (P<0.05) higher and similar values for diet 4 and 1, lower values for diet 3 and 2, digestible fibre and fibre replacement value decreased (P<0.05) in the order diet, 2, 3, 1 and 4, for efficiency of fibre utilization, diet 2 and 3 showed better fibre utilization efficiency. Dietary fat intake, digestible fat, fat replacement value showed (P<0.05) higher for diet 1, and with a better fat utilization efficiency. Snail’s micro-biota had high substrates dependency role on the quality of feed nutrient utilization in a symbiotic mechanism that helped in the breakdown and digestion of feed materials

Off mass shell dual amplitude with Mandelstam analyticity

A model for the $Q^2$-dependent dual amplitude with Mandelstam analyticity (DAMA) is proposed. The modified DAMA (M-DAMA) preserves all the attractive properties of DAMA, such as its pole structure and Regge asymptotics, and leads to a generalized dual amplitude $A(s,t,Q^2)$. This generalized amplitude can be checked in the known kinematical limits, i.e. it should reduce to the ordinary dual amplitude on mass shell, and to the nuclear structure function when $t=0$. In such a way we complete a unified "two-dimensionally dual" picture of strong interaction. By comparing the structure function $F_2$, resulting from M-DAMA, with phenomenological parameterizations, we fix the $Q^2$-dependence in M-DAMA. In all studied regions, i.e. in the large and low $x$ limits as well as in the resonance region, the results of M-DAMA are in qualitative agreement with the experiment.Comment: 20 pages, 3 figures; to appear in Phys.Atom.Nuc

Antimicrobial activity of compounds isolated from the leaves of Aspilia africana (Pers.) C. D. Adams (Asteraceae)

Background: Incidences of serious failures in the treatment of infectious disease by antibiotics caused by the emergence and spread of drug resistant strains of the microorganisms/multiple drug resistant bacteria have led to new global search for more effective anti-infective microbial agents from natural sources. This study intends to examine the anti-microbial potentials of the leaves of Aspilia africana, which is employed in the treatment of wounds and sores by traditional medical practitioners in Nigeria. Objective: To evaluate the anti-microbial potentials of the isolates from leaves of Aspilia africana (Pers.) C. D. Adams (Aristeraceae), using isolated clinical strains of pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus substilis, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Candida albicans and Candida stellafoidea. Methodology: Three compounds isolated from butanol fraction of the methanol extract of the dried powdered leaves of Aspilia africana through repeated silica gel column-chromatography and sephadex gel filtration, were evaluated for anti-microbial potentials using Agar-well diffusion method. Results: The isolated compounds identified as oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, and corosolic acid by 1D, 2D-NMR and FITR spectroscopic analyses inhibited the growth of all the pathogens with inhibition diameters ranging between 25 – 33 mm compared with the standard drugs used. The MIC, MBC/MFC of the plant extracts ranged from between 5.00 and 10.00 mg/mL while that of the isolated compounds ranged between 0.0125 and 0.0500mg/mL Discussion: From the results, we conclude that isolated compounds namely oleanolic acid, ursolic acid and corosolic acid are the bioactive constituents responsible for the anti-microbial activity of Aspilia africana. Key words: Aspilia africana, Anti-microbial, Oleanolic acid, Ursolic acid, Corosolic aci