Customary Deprivation: Perceptions of Legatee in Igbo land and Female Property Crimes amongst Enugu Urban Inhabitants

This study aims to garner perceptions of Enugu inhabitants on the customary practice of property transfer to inheritors and its nexus to female property crimes (FPCs). Inheritance is an age-old practice which tends to favour male folks. Women have often been relegated to the kitchen. This practice is embedded in most African cultures where the birth of a male is valued over the birth of a female child. Denial of female rights of inheritance, denial of ownership of landed property, and female marginalization in almost all social institutions seem to stem from patriarchy which in turn tend to predispose women to property crimes. This study anchored on Relative Deprivation theory. Mixed method approach was adopted. Sampling of participant was based on multi-stage sampling procedure and purposive sampling. The sample size is 1015 for the quantitative part of the study and nine key informants for the qualitative aspect. This study found that the customary practice of legatee in Igbo land is embedded in patriarchy and this holds adverse economic effects for women, culminating in FPCs which involve women of youthful age who are mostly in full blown exposure of the existing privileges and cover offered to women in patriarchal societies especially when married. This study concludes that patriarchy understood as domination of vital social and political positions by men and exclusion of women from inheriting family lands and properties is implicit to FPCs

Water quality and growth performance of Oreochromis niloticus under integration with mallard and muscovy ducks

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of duck manure and spilled duvk weed on water quality and production of Oreochromis niloticus in an intigrated system utilizing two loacl duck weed breeds. Treatment 1 (T1) consist of fish (mean weight, 20.7 ~c 1.28g) stocked at a density of 5 fish/m2 pond and integrated with 12 mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchas); treatment 2 (T2) consist of fish (mean weight, 21.86 ~c 0.93g) stocked at a density of 5 fish/m2 pon and integrated with 12 Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) with treatment 3 (T3) was the control (72m2 fish pond without integration). Fish with treatment two was fed compounded feed of 30% crude protein content three times daily while those in T1, T2 fed on duck manure and spilled duck feed (15% crude protein content). Water quality parameter of the fish pond, growth parameters of the fish and duck were monitored. After a 12-week experimental period, mean weight gain of fish were 140.68, 122.11 and 157.19g in T1, T2 and T3 respectively, while percentage survival was high in T3 and lower in T2. Water quality parameter was generally favorable for fish growth in the treatment. Mallard ducks are recommended for the duck-fish system since they perform better than Muscovey duck both in survivability and ability to engender fish growth

LAGRANGE DUALITY IN CONVEX OPTIMIZATION: INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION IN ABAKALIKI BAKERY FACTORY

The convex optimization problems of the form,............

An Automatic Safety Control for Immersion Water Heater

The heating of liquids, especially water, is carried out in the homes and industries for various reasons. The domestic water heater has become a near- ubiquitous appliance in the Nigerian homes. An important source of concern with this appliance is the frequent possibility of outbreak of fire due to negligence on the part of the user. This paper describes an immersion water heater that is free from such hazards. The safety condition is achieved by incorporating a device, which automatically switches off power from the heating element when the water level drops below a certain mark

Linear regression models for quantitative assessment of left ventricular function and structures using M-mode echocardiography

Changes in left ventricular structures and function have been reported in cardiomyopathies. No prediction models have been established in this environment. This study established regression models for prediction of left ventricular structures in normal subjects. A sample of normal subjects was drawn from a large urban population. Echocardiographic end diastolic diameters, end systolic diameters, posterior wall thicknesses in both systole and diastole, septal wall thicknesses in both systole and diastole were used to calculate left ventricular mass, left ventricular mass index, relative wall thickness and fractional shortening. Heights, weights, ages, and blood pressures of subjects were obtained. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were computed. Tests were two tailed with P < 0.05 indicating statistical significance. Three hundred and twenty two normal subjects of Ibo descent were enrolled in this study as volunteers between June, 2006 and April, 2007. Correlation coefficients between measured left ventricular structures and functions, and some anthropometric variables were computed. Linear regression models for the prediction of left ventricular structures were established. Prediction models for left ventricular structures have been established and could be useful inassessing morbidity in cardiomyopathies

Normative ultrasound values of renal parenchymal thickness among adults in Enugu, South-East Nigeria.

Background: Reduction in renal length was found to be an insufficient independent indicator of chronic renal disease.Objective: To determine the ultrasound normative values of renal parenchymal thickness (RPT) among adults and correlate them with age and somatometric parameters.Methods: This was a prospective clinic based study involving 310 normal adults (135 males and 175 females) scanned at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu between August 2003 and November 2004. The RPT measurements were made from the outer renal cortical margin to the outer margin of the sinus echoes at the three major poles. The age, height, weight and body mass index were recorded for each subject.Results: The average RPT are 1.85 + 0.20 cm for the right kidney and 1.95 + 0.19 cm for the left kidney. RPT exhibited strong positive correlation with height, weight and body mass index and significant negative correlation with age. No significant difference in mean RPT of both kidneys between genders (p &gt; 0.05). The mean RPT of the left kidney was found to be statistically higher than that of the right kidney (p &lt; 0.05).Conclusion: Normal values of RPT are important in the evaluation of patients with chronic renal disease.Keywords: Adult, Kidney, Parenchymal thickness, 1Ultrasound

Common Hysterosalpingographic Findings in Infertility Cases in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Background: Reproductive medicine has recently witnessed advances and hysterosalpingography has become a relatively quick and non-invasive procedure to evaluate the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes.Purpose: This study was carried out to evaluate the common hysterosalpingographic findings in infertility cases in Lagos, South West, Nigeria.Materials and Methods: The HSG reports of 100 patients who were referred to the department of radiodiagnosis of Lagos University Teaching Hospital between September 2010 and August 2011 were reviewed. The biodata of each patient was collated from the request forms. Fifty-seven patients (57%) were investigated for secondary infertility, while 43 patients (43%) were investigated for primary infertility.Results: The commonest pathology found in patients presenting with infertility in this study were uterine fibroid (26%), followed by uterine adhesion (12%). There was evidence of peritubal adhesion, either bilateral or unilateral, in 10% of the patients, while tubal occlusion, either bilateral or unilateral, was reported in 7% of the cases. Hydrosalpinx occurred in only 6% of the patients. Twenty-eight patients (28%) had normal uterus and fallopian tubes.Conclusion: Hysterosalpingography remains relevant in the investigation of mechanical causes of infertility in women

Seismic Explosive Energy Sources and the Possible Impact on Groundwater Quality in the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria

The possible impact of the use of seismic explosive energy sources on groundwater quality in the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria was investigated. A 3-Dimensional seismic survey was carried in OML X in the Niger Delta area using dynamite as the energy source. A total of 116,349.2 kg of dynamite was detonated in 60,398 source points in an area of 771.26 square kilometres, an equivalent of explosive densification of 150.85 kg/km2. Each shot point was loaded with a charge of 2kg of dynamite and a piece of electrical detonator. The possible impact of these dynamite shots on the groundwater was monitored using 7 boreholes evenly distributed in the area. The average coefficient of permeability of the soil of the area collected from the depths of 25m and 50m were 0.019cm/s and 0.55cm/s respectively. Water samples from the boreholes were analysed using standard methods. Control samples were taken from the borehole stations a day before detonation of dynamite. Another sampling was carried out 10 days after dynamites detonation. During the study there was regular rainfall and 10 days was considered sufficient for any pollutant resulting from the detonation of the explosives to travelled to the commonly exploited aquifers in the area considering the permeability of the soil. A comparison of the analyses results showed that the detonation of dynamite did not have any noticeable impact on the groundwater quality of the area.Keywords: seismic, explosive, groundwater contamination, Niger Delt

Marriage as a peace-making device in conflict situations among the Igbo: Examples from selected Igbo plays

Marriage is a revered institution in Igbo land but it has been bedeviled by various problems and conflicts. However, despite all these, marriage has also been used as a peace making device and these have been reflected in various Igbo texts. This paper examines marriage as a peace making device among the Igbo as seen from three Igbo literary texts; Udo Ka Mma, Eriri Mara Ngwugwu and Ajọ Obi. The study sees lack of finance as presented in Udo Ka Mma, lack of a male child in Eriri Mara Ngwugwu and lack of trust in Ajọ Obi as possible reasons for conflict and its consequences among the Igbos. The study adopts an eclectic approach which embodies social conflict theory and psychoanalytic theory in the analysis of data. The findings reveal that some characters in the plays exhibit idiosyncratic tendencies which make them self centred and impair their vision. Moreover, it is discovered that clash of interest, greed, infidelity, inordinate ambition, suspicion and intrigue abound in the relationship of the characters involved in the plays and these led to a chaotic end. The study is therefore, of the view that people should shun some of these obnoxious practices that cause conflicts in the society and embrace peace. Marriage is a veritable tool used in conflict resolution in Igbo land and these can be seen in the three texts where different conflicts were settled through marriage