Effect of Banditry on Management of Kainji Lake National Park, Nigeria

Banditry is fast becoming alarming in Nigeria to the extent that it poses serious challenges on wildlife management. This study therefore examined the effects of banditry on the management of Kainji Lake National Park. To obtain information, questionnaires were prepared to correspond with some basic ideas regarding banditry impacts. Randomization as strictly ensured in the distribution of fifty (50) questionnaires to the staff of Kainji Lake National Park. The result revealed that majority of the respondents are male (72.0%) with age group 35-44 years recorded the highest with 70.0%, followed by 25-34 years with 16.0 while age group 45 and above were the least with 14.0%.  Majority of the respondents were married (82.0%) and most of the respondents had tertiary education (58.0%). Also, majority (36.0%) had served the Park for 11-20 years. All the respondents are aware of banditry activities in the Park. The effects of banditry on wildlife conservation were change in some biodiversity species status and illegal hunting/fishing recorded the highest observation of 32.0% and 24.0% each, followed by illegal logging and habitat destruction with 18.0% and 14.0% while looting of Park infrastructure is the least with 12.0%. The strategies adopted to reduce the effects of banditry on wildlife conservation showed that joint military operation scores 34.0%, adequate field equipment like guns and vehicle (24.0%), formation of peace committees (18.0%), conflicts with the local communities are resolved fairly and efficiently (16.0%), boundary demarcation (6.0%) and adequate staff and financial resources (2.0%). The study concludes that the effects of banditry on wildlife conservation are had to estimate, yet there are some striking environmental effects

Assessment of Ecotourism Management of Lekki Conservation Centre, Lagos State Nigeria

The study assessed ecotourism management of Lekki Conservation Centre, Lagos state. Data was collected through questionnaire, interview and personal field observation. Data obtained was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The demographic characteristics of the respondents revealed that females recorded the highest (66.0%) with 25-34 years (38.0%). The result also revealed that most of the respondents (74.0%) are single. It was also noted that 46.0% of the respondents had attained tertiary level of education. Also majority of the respondents (58.0%) are Muslims while 42.0% are Christians. The finding further revealed that 44.0% of the respondents are civil servant. The travel characteristics of the respondents showed that majority were first time visitors (68.0%) and that majority of the visitors travelled with their family and friends (54.0%) While most of the visitors got to know about the centre through their friends and family (68.0%). Eight (8) ecotourism attractions are observed in Lekki conservation centre. The total revenue generated in the study area from 2010 to 2019 was ₦ 130,075,465. Year 2019 recorded the highest number of tourist with 9412 tourists, followed by 2017 with 6,530 tourists while year 2010 recorded the least number of tourist influx with 1,661 tourists. The management practices of Lekki Conservation Centre are availability of tour guide, adequate parking space, adequate security and ease of entrance etc. The study concludes that the site has enough attractions to motivate visitors to visit especially the Canopy walkway which is the longest canopy walkway in Africa

The pressure-volume-temperature relationship of cellulose

Pressure–volume–temperature (PVT) mea- surements of a-cellulose with different water contents, were performed at temperatures from 25 to 180 °C and pressures from 19.6 to 196 MPa. PVT measurements allowed observation of the combined effects of pressure and temperature on the specific volume during cellulose thermo-compression. All isobars showed a decrease in cellulose specific volume with temperature. This densification is associated with a transition process of the cellulose, occurring at a temperature defined by the inflection point Tt of the isobar curve. Tt decreases from 110 to 40 °C with pressure and is lower as moisture content increases. For isobars obtained at high pressures and high moisture contents, after attaining a minimum, an increase in volume is observed with temperature that may be related to free water evaporation. PVT a-cellulose experimental data was compared with predicted values from a regression analysis of the Tait equations of state, usually applied to synthetic polymers. Good correla- tions were observed at low temperatures and low pressures. The densification observed from the PVT experimental data, at a temperature that decreases with pressure, could result from a sintering phenomenon, but more research is needed to actually understand the cohesion mechanism under these conditions

Beyond Prejudice as Simple Antipathy: Hostile and Benevolent Sexism Across Cultures

The authors argue that complementary hostile and benevolent componen:s of sexism exist ac ro.ss cultures. Male dominance creates hostile sexism (HS). but men's dependence on women fosters benevolent sexism (BS)-subjectively positive attitudes that put women on a pedestal but reinforce their subordination. Research with 15,000 men and women in 19 nations showed that (a) HS and BS are coherenl constructs th at correlate positively across nations, but (b) HS predicts the ascription of negative and BS the ascription of positive traits to women, (c) relative to men, women are more likely to reject HS than BS. especially when overall levels of sexism in a culture are high, and (d) national averages on BS and HS predict gender inequal ity across nations. These results challenge prevailing notions of prejudice as an antipathy in that BS (an affectionate, patronizing ideology) reflects inequality and is a cross-culturally pervasive complement to HS

Perception of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases Worldwide

In this comprehensive review study, we addressed the challenge posed by ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) with growing incidence affecting human and animal health worldwide. Data and perspectives were collected from different countries and regions worldwide, including America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. The results updated the current situation with ticks and TBD and how it is perceived by society with information bias and gaps. The study reinforces the importance of multidisciplinary and international collaborations to advance in the surveillance, communication and proposed future directions to address these challenges

The Financial Burden of Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases in Rural Nigeria: Wealth and Gender Heterogeneity in Health Care Utilization and Health Expenditures

Objectives Better insights into health care utilization and out-of-pocket expenditures for non-communicable chronic diseases (NCCD) are needed to develop accessible health care and limit the increasing financial burden of NCCDs in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods A household survey was conducted in rural Kwara State, Nigeria, among 5,761 individuals. Data were obtained using biomedical and socio-economic questionnaires. Health care utilization, NCCD-related health expenditures and distances to health care providers were compared by sex and by wealth quintile, and a Heckman regression model was used to estimate health expenditures taking selection bias in health care utilization into account. Results The prevalence of NCCDs in our sample was 6.2%. NCCD-affected individuals from the wealthiest quintile utilized formal health care nearly twice as often as those from the lowest quintile (87.8% vs 46.2%, p = 0.002). Women reported foregone formal care more often than men (43.5% vs. 27.0%, p = 0.058). Health expenditures relative to annual consumption of the poorest quintile exceeded those of the highest quintile 2.2-fold, and the poorest quintile exhibited a higher rate of catastrophic health spending (10.8% among NCCD-affected households) than the three upper quintiles (4.2% to 6.7%). Long travel distances to the nearest provider, highest for the poorest quintile, were a significant deterrent to seeking care. Using distance to the nearest facility as instrument to account for selection into health care utilization, we estimated out-of-pocket health care expenditures for NCCDs to be significantly higher in the lowest wealth quintile compared to the three upper quintiles. Conclusions Facing potentially high health care costs and poor accessibility of health care facilities, many individuals suffering from NCCDs—particularly women and the poor—forego formal care, thereby increasing the risk of more severe illness in the future. When seeking care, the poor spend less on treatment than the rich, suggestive of lower quality care, while their expenditures represent a higher share of their annual household consumption. This calls for targeted interventions that enhance health care accessibility and provide financial protection from the consequences of NCCDs, especially for vulnerable populations

Hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa: Cross-Sectional Surveys in Four Rural and Urban Communities

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of adult mortality in low-income countries but data on the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension are scarce, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study aims to assess the prevalence of hypertension and determinants of blood pressure in four SSA populations in rural Nigeria and Kenya, and urban Namibia and Tanzania. Methods and Findings: We performed four cross-sectional household surveys in Kwara State, Nigeria; Nandi district, Kenya; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Greater Windhoek, Namibia, between 2009-2011. Representative population-based samples were drawn in Nigeria and Namibia. The Kenya and Tanzania study populations consisted of specific target groups. Within a final sample size of 5,500 households, 9,857 non-pregnant adults were eligible for analysis on hypertension. Of those, 7,568 respondents ≥18 years were included. The primary outcome measure was the prevalence of hypertension in each of the populations under study. The age-standardized prevalence of hypertension was 19.3% (95%CI:17.3-21.3) in rural Nigeria, 21.4% (19.8-23.0) in rural Kenya, 23.7% (21.3-26.2) in urban Tanzania, and 38.0% (35.9-40.1) in urban Namibia. In individuals with hypertension, the proportion of grade 2 (≥160/100 mmHg) or grade 3 hypertension (≥180/110 mmHg) ranged from 29.2% (Namibia) to 43.3% (Nigeria). Control of hypertension ranged from 2.6% in Kenya to 17.8% in Namibia. Obesity prevalence (BMI ≥30) ranged from 6.1% (Nigeria) to 17.4% (Tanzania) and together with age and gender, BMI independently predicted blood pressure level in all study populations. Diabetes prevalence ranged from 2.1% (Namibia) to 3.7% (Tanzania). Conclusion: Hypertension was the most frequently observed risk factor for CVD in both urban and rural communities in SSA and will contribute to the growing burden of CVD in SSA. Low levels of control of hypertension are alarming. Strengthening of health care systems in SSA to contain the emerging epidemic of CVD is urgently needed

Follicular fluid content and oocyte quality: from single biochemical markers to metabolomics

The assessment of oocyte quality in human in vitro fertilization (IVF) is getting increasing attention from embryologists. Oocyte selection and the identification of the best oocytes, in fact, would help to limit embryo overproduction and to improve the results of oocyte cryostorage programs. Follicular fluid (FF) is easily available during oocyte pick-up and theorically represents an optimal source on non-invasive biochemical predictors of oocyte quality. Unfortunately, however, the studies aiming to find a good molecular predictor of oocyte quality in FF were not able to identify substances that could be used as reliable markers of oocyte competence to fertilization, embryo development and pregnancy. In the last years, a well definite trend toward passing from the research of single molecular markers to more complex techniques that study all metabolites of FF has been observed. The metabolomic approach is a powerful tool to study biochemical predictors of oocyte quality in FF, but its application in this area is still at the beginning. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge about the biochemical predictors of oocyte quality in FF, describing both the results coming from studies on single biochemical markers and those deriving from the most recent studies of metabolomic