Morphometric Observations of the tongue of the domestic duck (Anas platyrhynchos domestica).

A Biometric study was conducted on the tongue of twenty-five (25) adult domestic duck collected from the Sokoto metropolitan poultry and fish modern market, over a period of seven days . A pair of scissors, a scalpel and a blade was used to incise, excise, separate or debride various parts of the oral cavity to expose the organ for research. Results showed that the tongue is characterized by an elongated triangular format. At a point, approximately 2/3 the length of the lingual corpus there is a distinct depression, separating the caudal one-third of the lingual corpus from its rostral two-third. On the dorsal surface of the apex and body of the tongue, a median groove is found. A unique feature of the tongue in domestic Duck is the presence of many fine overlapping needle-shaped processes at both lateral sides of the caudal lingual apex. A single row of large conical papillae is observed symmetrically in the marginal region between the body and root of the tongue. Biometrically the mean dimensio

PPLICATION OF TRICKLING FILTER WITH HYBRID BIOFILM SUPPORT MEDIA IN THE TREATMENT OF PETROLEUM EFFLUENT

The use of biological trickling filter (TF) system in the treatment of petroleum effluent using Luffa cylindrica-polystyrene hybrid as biofilm support medium for microbiological growth was evaluated. The efficiency of the treatment process was measured in terms of turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD5). The TF was set up with Luffa cylindrica-polystyrene hybrid biofilm support. The pilot scale trickling system was performed at an ambient temperature and the effluent from the system was measured for turbidity, COD and BOD5. The result showed that the turbidity of the effluent was reduced to 94 % at a hydraulic retention time of 6 hrs. The COD was also reduced from 327-26 mg/l at 6 hrs. representing 92 % reduction in the COD value. The results obtained also showed that the TF achieved 78 % reduction in BOD5.Therefore, the biological trickling filter treatment process appears to be a promising wastewater treatment method for petroleum effluent with respect to the turbidity, COD and BOD5 remova

Removal of Hg II and Cu II Ions from Aqueous Solution Using Activated Carbon Produced from Palm Fruit Fibre

Studies were carried out to evaluate the removal of Hg II and Cu II ions from aqueous solution using activated carbon produced from palm fruit fibre. Appropriate analytical procedure and instrumentation was applied in carrying out the batch adsorption experiment. Increase in adsorbents dosage and solution temperature was found to significantly increase the removal of the two metal ions from aqueous solution. Increase in the initial concentration of the adsorbate significantly reduced the adsorption efficiency of the adsorbent due to increase in the adsorbate concentration in the solution to the unchanging number of adsorption sides on the adsorbent. The solution pH and contact time of the adsorbate and adsorbent reached maximum removal efficiency at 6.0 and 45min respectively revealing the dependency of effective adsorption by activated carbon on these factors. The ∆S and ∆H of the adsorption were positive showing an endothermic adsorption process. The decrease in Gibbs free energy of adsorption with increase in adsorption efficiency of the activated carbon shows that effective adsorption of adsorbates favours high temperatures. Keywords: Activated carbon, Heavy metals, Cu II ions, Hg II ions Adsorption efficiency and Aqueous solution. DOI: 10.7176/CMR/11-6-05 Publication date: August 31st 201

A Jurisprudential Overview of the Legal Obstacles to the Creation of New Local Governments in Nigeria Since 1999*

Local Governments constitute the last level of government in all countries where they exist and form the link between the grassroot, the State Governments (Regional) and the Federal Government (Central). A properly managed Local Government system will bring development to the rural areas of the country, train up-coming politicians for participating in national politics and create jobs for the young and the old. Local Governments had existed in Nigeria before colonialism and had continued to be after independence in 1960 where each Region adopted her own system of Local Government until 1976 when the Federal Military Government decreed Unified Local Government System in the whole country. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1979 adopted Unified Local Government System in section 7 of the Constitution just as the 1999 Constitution in section 8 provided for very stringent procedure for the creation of Local Governments amongst other obnoxious provisions which have made nonsense of the possibility of creating new Local Governments in the country. This paper argues that looking at what obtains in established democracies such as U.S.A, Brazil, India etc; that time has come for the obstacles stopping the creation of new Local Government Areas in Nigeria to be removed from the Constitution to allow this important level of government to be multiplied in the country for expanded and even development of the nation. Keywords: Local government, obstacles, constitutional amendments, creation, even development. DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/90-03 Publication date:October 31st 201

Gross embryonic diffrentiation of the one humped camel(Camelus dromedarius) stomach

An embryonic gross differentiation study was conducted on the stomach of 35 foetuses of the one-humped camel collected from the Sokoto metropolitan abattoir, over a period of five months at different gestational ages. The approximate age of the foetuses was estimated from the crown vertebral rump length (CVRL) and samples were categorised into first, second and third trimester. The mean body weight of the foetus at first, second third trimester ranged from 1.40 ± 0.06 kg, 6.10 ± 0.05 kg and 17.87 ± 0.6 kg respectively. The mean weights of the entire digestive system at first, second and third trimester were 0.80 ± 0.07 kg, 2.13 ± 0.04 kg and 4.86 ± 0.08 kg respectively. The mean weights of the digestive tract at first, second and third trimester were 0.53 ± 0.07 kg, 1.03 ± 0.05 and 2.43 ± 0.07 kg respectively. Camels’ stomach was observed to comprise of the voluminous smooth compartment rumen, a relatively small beans shape reticulum and a tubular abomasum at first trimester. At second and third trimester the stomach was found to comprise of a voluminous compartment I (rumen) which is subdivided by a strong muscular pillar into a dorsal smooth part and a ventral coarse part, a relatively small compartment II (reticulum) and a tubiform compartment III (Abomasum). Based on the findings in the study, camels’ stomach had little/few similarities with true ruminant in terms of development