Assessment of Occupational Diseases among Artisans and Factory Workers in Ifo, Nigeria

The ever increasing incidences of occupational diseases among workers have continually drawn the attention of researchers towards ameliorating the situation. Investigation was launched to assess occupational diseases among artisans and factory workers in Ifo, Nigeria. Structured questionnaires with oral interview were employed to complement the health records of the respondents at the Government accredited health center. Of the one hundred and fifty six (156) respondents, ninety six (62%) are males and sixty one (38%) female, sixty one point fifty four percent (61.54%) are youths of age 20 to 39 years, fifty one (32.69%) are illiterates and one hundred and eight (69.21%) earn N100, 000 ($615) and below as monthly wages. The diseases prevalent in these workers were evaluated to include but not limited to disorders of muscles, bones, joints, skin and the respiratory organs indicating that most of the jobs are such that causes damages to these special parts of the body and could lead to deformities/incapacitation in old age. Common amongst these diseases are Pre-patellar bursitis and Eczema (1.92% each), Tuberculosis, Asthma and Sunburn (5.77% each). Toxic/inflammatory syndrome, hearing impairment, allergies and computer vision syndrome (7.69% each). Two (1.28% in each case) have been diagnosed of Lead poisoning, Lung cancer, Carpal tunnel syndrome, Pulmonary fibrosis, Meniscus lesion and Olecranon bursitis. Upper airway disorders (4.49%), Irritations (3.21%), Post-traumatic stress syndrome (11.54%), skin allergies (13.46%). Chronic bronchitis; Pneumonia; Pneumoconiosis; Hepatitis and Anthrax-like infection (0.64 % each). The causes of these diseases/disorders include dusts from quarry, textile, cotton, metal, paper, mineral, wood, cereals, cement, and chemical fumes industries, extreme posture of wrist, repetitive movements, inhalations from petrol fuel, prolonged pressure of the elbow region, prolonged kneeling/ squatting position, forceful exertions and microorganisms. Adequate occupational health and safety awareness through training and campaign should be provided. The use of personal protective equipment among workers should also be encouraged

DETERMINANTS OF UTILIZATION AND PARTICIPATION IN THE COLLECTION AND SALES OF FOREST PLANT LEAVES IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Determinants of participation in the collection and sales of forest plant leaves in Ogun state were investigated. Multistage sampling procedure was employed to select three hundred (300) respondents for the study. A structure questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, logit regression and budgetary analysis. The logit regression analysis results showed that the likelihood of utilization of the forest plant leaves is significantly determined by nature of the respondents occupation (farming and NTFPs) and their household size while the likelihood of participation in the collection and sales of forest plant leaves is significantly determined by nearness to the forest plant leaves, income realized from the leaves and gender. Sales of leaves were profitable with an average net profit of N14,179.17/month/respondent. Enlighten programs on forest plant leaves activities as means of livelihood and alleviation of poverty should be embarked upon for rural folks. &nbsp

Reverse engineering of drug induced DNA damage response signalling pathway reveals dual outcomes of ATM kinase inhibition

The DNA Damage Response (DDR) pathway represents a signalling mechanism that is activated in eukaryotic cells following DNA damage and comprises of proteins involved in DNA damage detection, DNA repair, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. This pathway consists of an intricate network of signalling interactions driving the cellular ability to recognise DNA damage and recruit specialised proteins to take decisions between DNA repair or apoptosis. ATM and ATR are central components of the DDR pathway. The activities of these kinases are vital in DNA damage induced phosphorylational induction of DDR substrates. Here, firstly we have experimentally determined DDR signalling network surrounding the ATM/ATR pathway induced following double stranded DNA damage by monitoring and quantifying time dependent inductions of their phosphorylated forms and their key substrates. We next involved an automated inference of unsupervised predictive models of time series data to generate in silico (molecular) interaction maps. We characterized the complex signalling network through system analysis and gradual utilisation of small time series measurements of key substrates through a novel network inference algorithm. Furthermore, we demonstrate an application of an assumption-free reverse engineering of the intricate signalling network of the activated ATM/ATR pathway. We next studied the consequences of such drug induced inductions as well as of time dependent ATM kinase inhibition on cell survival through further biological experiments. Intermediate and temporal modelling outcomes revealed the distinct signaling profile associated with ATM kinase activity and inhibition and explained the underlying signalling mechanism for dual ATM functionality in cytotoxic and cytoprotective pathways

EVALUATION OF BIOGAS POTENTIALS OF Cymbopogon citratus AS ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IN NIGERIA

This research explored the potentials of Cymbopogon citratus (Lemon Grass) for biogas production as a cost effective alternative energy source in Nigeria. The Cymbopogon citratus was crushed to small sizes between 20 to 50mm and pre-fermented for 40 days in a PVC drum. Six (6) kg of the pre-fermented Cymbopogon citratus was mixed with water in ratio 1:1 w/v to form slurry and digested for 30 days. The floating drum gas collection system was used to collect the gas after it was passed through water and lime respectively for scrubbing. A total of 0.125m3 (6.95x10-4 m3/kg/day) and 0.0897m3 (4.98x10-4 m3/kg/day) of biogas was produced from the Cymbopogon citratus before and after scrubbing respectively. The gas produced was used for cooking test. The scrubbed gas had higher cooking rates for both water and rice respectively (0.12L/min and 0.0052L/min) while the cooking rates for unscrubbed gas were 0.079L/min and 0.0036L/min respectively. During this period, daily ambient temperatures of the research environment varied from 310C to 420C while the digester temperature fluctuated between 28oC and 36.70C. The pH of the medium fluctuated optimally between 6.5 and 7.8. The research demonstrated that Biogas could be produced from Cymbopogon citratus in quantity and quality comparative with those in literatures

Heat And Mass Transfer Of Magnetohydrodynamic (Mhd) And Dissipative Fluid Flow Past A Moving Vertical Porous Plate With Variable Suction

An investigation was carried out on the radiation effect on unsteady heat and mass transfer of MHD and dissipative fluid flow past a moving vertical porous plate with variable suction in the presence of heat generation and chemical reaction. The dimensionless governing equations for this model were solved analytically using perturbation method. The effects of various parameters on the velocity, temperature and concentration fields as well as the Coefficient of skin-friction, Nusselt number and Sherwood number were presented graphically and in tabulated forms. Keywords: Chemical reaction, Unsteady, Porous medium, MHD, Radiation, Mass transfer and Heat sourc

Influence of Magnetic Field and Thermal Radiation on Steady Free Convective Flow in a Porous Medium

This paper investigated the influence of magnetic field and thermal radiation on steady free convective flow embedded in a porous medium with Soret effects. The governing equations are systems of nonlinear partial differential equations. Similarity variables were introduced on the set of governing equations and it was transformed into set of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The transformed coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations are solved using the Spectral Homotopy Analysis Method (SHAM). Influence of pertinent flow parameters is displayed in figures and table. Comparisons were done with existing problems/models in literature and our results were in good agreement. The results revealed that as the magnetic parameter increased the velocity profile was found to decrease as a result of the magnetic field applied in the direction of the flow but negligible or has no effect on the velocity distribution. The results shows that increase in the suction/injection velocity and Magnetic field parameter enrich the temperature and concentration.KEYWORDS: Buoyancy; Free Convective Flow; Magnetic Field; Porous Medium; Soret; Suction/Injection

PROCESS TECHNOLOGY, CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY OF "AADUN" A MAIZE- BASED NIGERIAN SNACK

Process technology, chemical composition and sensory quality of "aadun"- a maize based Nigeriansnack were investigated. Process technology was established through oral interview and visitation toprocessors at Abeokuta and Ibadan, while "aadun" samples were evaluated for their chemical compositionand sensory quality using laboratory samples as control. Although ingredient composition variedwidely among processors, roasted maize flour and palm oil constitute about 71 and 27 % of the ingredientsrespectively. Pepper, salt and other spices added up to only 1- 2%. The major unit operationsidentified in "aadun" processing were: cleaning, roasting, milling, sieving, mixing, molding and packaging."Aadun" was found to be very rich in calorie (495.34- 618.84kcal/ 100g), low in protein (4.95-6.08%) and a good source of phosphorus (538.45- 600mg/100g) and magnesium (245.05-255.12mg/100g). Sensory quality of "aadun" is processor dependent as samples differ significantly(p> 0.05) in their colour, aroma, texture and overall acceptability but not in taste. "Aadun" samplesgenerally had low microbial loads with total plate count ranging between 1.2 x103 and 3.3x103cfu/g

Patterns of Media Usage among Students in Privately-owned Universities in South-West, Nigeria

Communication sustains the modem society. Mass media are public carriers of messages to heterogeneous audiences, including university students and they allow students to express themselves as well as acquire knowledge. This paper examines the contemporary patterns of media use among students in five private universities in Nigeria. Media use indicates the various ways students employ the media to meet their different needs for information, entertainment and education. The survey research design was adopted with the questionnaire as the major instrument administered among respondents drawn from privately-owned universities in SouthWest Nigeria. It was found that students are media literate with the skills to navigate through different media platforms. However, most of the respondents preferred new media to the traditional media of newspapers, magazines, radio, television and films. Respondents access the Internet mostly through their mobile phones, and mainly for entertainment purpose. It is therefore suggested that more creators of media messages targeting this group should put them online, especially on the social media

Improved Colorimetric Determination of Reserpine in Tablets Using 4-Caboxyl-2,6-dintrobenzene diazonium ion (CDNBD)

Purpose: To develop a simple, rapid and improved colorimetric method for the assay of reserpine in tablets Method: The method is based on the aromatic ring coupling of reserpine with 4-carboxyl-2,6-dinitrobenzene diazonium ion with the consequent formation of an azo adduct. Optimization of reaction conditions and validation were carried out and the method applied to assay of reserpine in tablets. Result: Reserpine coupled readily with CDNBD and optimization of experimental conditions showed the reaction to be completed in 10 min at room temperature. A 1:1 drug to reagent stoichiometric ratio was obtained for the azo adduct formed. The adduct exhibited a bathochromic shift with respect to the drug and pronounced hyperchromic shift with respect to the reagent. Sample analyses were done using a colorimeter at 470 nm. The assays were linear and reproducible over the concentration range of 2.25 -24 µg/mL. The new method was successfully applied in the assay of reserpine in tablets with a performance similar to the official (USP) spectrophotometric method (p > 0.05). This method represents a profound improvement on the previously reported colorimetric method for reserpine. Conclusion: The method developed is rapid and could find application in in-process quality control of reserpine. Keywords: Reserpine, colorimetry, 4-Caboxyl-2,6-dintrobenzene diazonium ion (CDNBD), diazo coupling > Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research Vol. 6 (2) 2007: pp. 695-70

Effects of poultry manure and carbofuran soil amendments on soil nematode population and yield of pineapple

Two field experiments were conducted at the National Horticultural Research Institute, Ibadan and the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta to assess the efficacy of poultry manure and carbofuran in suppressing nematode populations and promoting pineapple yield. Three rates of poultry manure (0, 20 and 25 tonnes per hectare) and carbofuran (0, 3.0 kg a.i/ha and 3.4 kg a.i/ha) were applied to pineapple plants in a Randomized Complete Block Design replicated three times in each of the two locations. Soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere of plants at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 months after planting to monitor soil nematode populations. Plant growth data were obtained by measuring the length and breadth of ‘D’ leaves for five randomly selected plants per plot. Flowering was induced at the 18th month by spraying with 0.5 kg ethephon in 2000L of water/ha. Results showed that Poultry manure and carbofuran treatments significantly (P < 0.05) suppressed plant-parasitic nematode populations in both locations. At harvest, significantly bigger fruit sizes, higher fruiting percentage and number of fruits were recorded on both poultry manure- and carbofuran-treated plots. It was concluded that appropriate management of plant-parasitic nematodes will promote higher fruit yields in pineapple farms in Nigeria