Subsistence Living and Global Climate Change: Implications of Biocharcoal Production for Farmers in Rural Areas of Nigeria

The study examines socio-economic implications of charcoal production for farmers of rural communities in Nigeria using selected communities in Ifedapo Region of Oyo State. From a total of 67 charcoal producing rural communities identified in the region, 16(30%) was proportionally selected using three sampling techniques (stratified, purposive and simple random sampling). A total of 32 colliers and 8 middle traders (wholesalers) were selected as respondents to form the representative sample of the studied population. A-25 item questionnaire was the instrument used for the study. The survey reveals that charcoal producers are mainly male, married adult farmers with little or no education. The charcoal enterprise has been on part-time basis, undertaken as a coping strategy, and the forest is depleting due to uncontrolled and indiscriminate exploitation of mature and nearly-mature trees. Its production would not stop because available alternatives are limited and expensive. Consequently, creating short-term employment during off-season period for farmers, subsidising agricultural inputs, an appropriate policy that delivers gas and kerosene to the end-users for domestic use at affordable price, community participation in forest management, researches into the use of wind and solar energies, law against cutting down of trees without replacement and implementation of the components of the national planning programmes, which pertain to afforestation, discourage farmers from charcoal production.Keywords: Fuelwood, Deforestation, Biocharcoal, Subsistence Livin

Anatomical Measurements of the Distal Clavicle in a Kenyan Population

Anatomical measurements of the distal clavicle are important in the design of clavicular implants for fixing clavicular fractures and reconstruction of the coraco-clavicular complex in acromio-clavicular joint dislocations. These measurements show population variations however, little data exists from the African population and none for the Kenyan one. One hundred and eighty unpaired dry adult human clavicles were obtained from the Department of Human Anatomy, University of Nairobi. The length of clavicle and distance of conoid and trapezoid tuberosities from the distal end were measured using a ruler. The superoinferior thickness of the distal end was measured using a vernier caliper. The mean clavicle length was  148.57±12.63mm. The left clavicle was longer (150.4mm) than the right one (146.8mm). Conoid tubercle (CT) and trapezoid tuberosity (TT) were 39.52±5.93mm and 17.96±3.42mm respectively from the lateral edge of clavicle. These distances correlated positively with the  length of clavicle and occupied 0.3 and 0.15 of total clavicular length respectively. The supero-inferior thickness of the lateral edge was 10.09±2.36mm. The distance of CT and TT positively correlated with clavicular length. The CT lies at a junction of lateral one third and medial 2/3 while the TT is midway between CT and lateral end. Designers of clavicular implants should consider these measurements and surgeons involved in fixation of acromoclavicular joints fractures.Key words: Clavicle, conoid tubercle, trapezoid tuberosity

Variations in the formation of supraclavicular brachial plexus among Kenyans

Objective: To describe the pattern and prevalence of variations that occur in the supraclavicular part of the brachial plexus in a Kenyan population. Study design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Materials and methods: Ninety-four brachial plexuses from forty-seven formalin fixed cadavers were displayed by gross dissection. Results: The presence of at least one variation from the classical anatomy was observed in 73 (77.7%) of the 94 plexuses. The roots and trunks were involved in 32 (34%) of the plexuses . Preand postfixed roots were present in 23 (24.7%) and 3 (3.2%), respectively. The presence of four trunks, and trunks passing between the scalene medius and posterior were also noted. The long thoracic nerve was variant in 51 (54.3%) of the plexuses. Unusual relations of the phrenic nerve to scalene muscles and the subclavian vein were encountered. Conclusion: The presence of four trunks and an accessory phrenic nerve passing through the subclavian vein are probably described and reported for the first time. However, most of the variations of the BP among Kenyans are similar to those reported in the other populations

A Grid-Based Distributed Event Detection Scheme for Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper presents a grid-based distributed event detection scheme for wireless sensor networks. The network is divided into square-shaped grids of predefined grid size, where sensor nodes in each grid form a cluster with a cluster head. Event detection at each grid alone based on the readings of its member nodes is limited in event detection performance, especially for a small event region compared to the grid size. To improve the performance, each grid is further divided into 2 × 2 sub-grids of equal size. The decision on an event is made by finding a square region of 2 × 2 sub-grids, not necessarily in the same grid, that passed a predefined threshold. This process is conducted at each cluster head in a distributed manner by inter-cluster communications. Event detection is initiated when a cluster head receives an alarm from its member nodes. The cluster-head communicates with its neighboring cluster heads to exchange the number of nodes reporting an alarm. The threshold for event detection can be dynamically adjusted to reflect the number of sensor nodes in a grid and event size, if known. High event detection accuracy is achieved with a relatively low threshold without sacrificing false alarm rate by filtering most errors due to transient faults and isolating nodes with permanent faults. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme can achieve high detection accuracy, while maintaining low false alarm rate

シマムラ ホウゲツ ノ シゼンシュギロン サイコウ

要約のみ公開。本文は冊子をご覧ください

Larval and Post-Larval Stages of Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) Are Resistant to Elevated CO2

published_or_final_versio

Black shale deposition and early diagenetic dolomite cementation during Oceanic Anoxic Event 1: The mid-Cretaceous Maracaibo Platform, northwestern South America

Thin laterally continuous organic-rich dolomitic marlstones were deposited in the extended Late Aptian - Early Albian epicontinental sea of northwestern South America. These intervals are the proximal equivalents of thick hemipelagic black shale-ammonitic floatstone couplets, deposited in the distally stepped, differentially subsiding part of the Maracaibo Platform. The marlstones reflect the dynamic conditions resulting from orbital forcing mechanisms and can be genetically related to (1) minor sea-level changes, (2) proximal turnovers in marine productivity, and (3) sudden climate shifts affecting mid-Cretaceous shoaling upward, shallow marine, carbonate cyclicity. Therefore, the marlstones may well be linked to the multiple environmental perturbations collectively referred to as Oceanic Anoxic Event 1. The interstitial euhedral dolomite has a medium crystallinity, and exhibits unusual textural relations with framboidal pyrite and gypsum. The authigenic mineral assemblage also includes quartz, Ca-F apatite, and barite, which together with the chemical signals of dolomite, point to an unsteady climate regime. Bulk-rock biomarker parameters, rare earth element geochemistry, and iron speciation data point to widespread photic zone anoxia and transient shallow marine euxinia by the time of deposition, with climatic instability driving the delivery of oxidized detritus from the hinterlands. These conditions led to a schizohaline redox stratified environment favorable to dolomite precipitation. In such a depositional setting, the bio-utilization of Fe, Mn, and sulfur for organic matter respiration sustained elevated pore-water alkalinity and pH, and allowed for the pre-compactional growth of interstitial dolomite

Superior epigastric artery pseudoaneurysm- a rare complication of chest drain insertion in coronary artery bypass grafting

BACKGROUND: Although chest drain insertion during coronary artery bypass grafting is a fairly standard procedure, however it may result in extremely rare complications. CASE PRESENTATION: This is the first case being reported that demonstrates a pseudoaneurysm of superior epigastric artery resulting from chest drain insertion following coronary artery bypass grafting. CONCLUSION: Adequate caution should be used along with good understanding of the anatomical landmarks during apparently simple and standard operative procedures