Phytotherapy and Polycyclic Logging: Implication on Genetic Multiplicity and Diversity of African Mahogany in Tropical Rainforest

There are over 8,000 globally threatened tree species. For each species, there is a different story behind why they are threatened and what values we stand to lose if we do not find the means to save them. Mahogany, a member of Meliaceae, is a small genus with six species. Its straight, fine and even grain, consistency in density and hardness makes it a high valued wood for construction purposes. The bitter bark is widely used in traditional medicine in Africa. The high demand for bark has also led to the total stripping of some trees, complete felling of larger trees to get the bark from the entire length of the tree and bark removal from juvenile trees. These species are now threatened with extinction due to selective and polycyclic logging, and also excessive bark removal. The natural regeneration of mahogany is poor, and mahogany shoot borer Hypsipyla robusta (Moore) attacks prevent the success of plantations within the native area in West Africa. In developing countries, most of the Khaya species exists in the wild state; therefore, the regeneration and long-term conservation are at the mercy of the vagaries of nature and the profit driven herb collectors and timber merchants. It becomes urgently necessary by government of developing countries to place ban on further harvesting of mahogany species to allow the remaining few trees of mahogany in the forest to recuperate and produce substantial seeds for regeneration

Community-based health insurance scheme in a rural community of North west Nigeria: a roadmap to achieving universal health coverage.

Community Based Health Insurance (CBHI) scheme is aimed at reducing out of pocket spending on health care services, ensuring final risk protection to all, especially the poor and the most vulnerable, improvement of quality of health care services, access and utilization as well as the promotion of equity. Objective: This research was aimed at determining willingness to participate in a community-based health insurance scheme among rural households in Katsina State. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in December 2016 among households of Batagarawa LGA, Katsina State. We used a pre-tested, electronic, semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire to obtain data from households that were selected using a multistage sampling technique and we analyzed the data using STATA version 13. Results: Most, (28.5%) of the respondents were in the age range of 30-39 years with a mean age of 35.5 years. Males were the dominant household heads (93%). Most were married (90%). Most, (90.5%) of households were willing to pay for a community-based health insurance scheme with a median premium of 100 Naira per household member per month. Conclusions: The high proportion of households willing to pay for the scheme should inform the decision of policy makers to design and maintain Community Based Health Insurance Scheme to improve access to and utilization of quality health care services

FOLIAR MORPHOLOGICAL AND ANATOMIC CHARACTERISTICS IN ENTANDROPHRAGMA SPECIES IN SOUTH WEST NIGERIA

In Nigeria, identification of Entandrophragma species in their natural range has been very difficult as the same species in different environments exhibit different morphological features. This research was designed to assess foliar morphological and anatomic characteristics in already known and clearly tagged Entandrophragma species at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan, Oyo State with a view to providing some diagnostic features that could help resolve current taxonomic uncertainties in their wild counterpart. In this study, three tagged trees of E. cylindricum, E utili and E. angolensis were located and their leaves were collected for morphological and anatomic study. All quantitative data obtained were analyzed. E. angolense and E. cylindricum could be grouped by 30° obliqueness, E. utile is delineated from other two taxa by the possession of 75° obliqueness. On the adaxial surfaces of the three species, epidermal cells were straight undulating or wavy. The periclinal walls in E. angolense were glabrous, slightly coarse in E. utile while it was striated in E. cylindricum. This could be used in these species identification. Also, crystal sand on the adaxial surface of E. angolenseis was a spot character for the species. KEYWORDS: Foliar morphology - anatomic disparity - Entandrophragma specie

Towards Conservation of Genetic Variation of Tropical Tree Species With Differing Successional Status: The Case of Mansonia altissima A. Chev and Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum

Two important West African timber tree species with differing successional status, Mansonia altissima A. Chev and Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum were investigated in this study. Triplochiton scleroxylon is a pioneer species found in open forests, whereas Mansonia altissima is a nonpioneer light-demanding tree species occurring in closed forests. Amplified fragment length polymorphism markers were used to compare the genetic diversities of these two timber species in stands with different degrees of human impact (isolated forest patch, logged forest, farmland, plantation, and primary forest). Contrasting effects of human impact on genetic diversity were detected for these two timber species. The results suggested severe effects of human impact on the genetic diversity of Mansonia altissima, a nonpioneer species. However, no adverse effect was recorded in Triplochiton scleroxylon, a pioneer species. These findings indicate that nonpioneer tree species could be more prone to genetic erosion than pioneer tree species as a result of adverse human impacts. Therefore, conservation of genetic diversity in both pioneer and nonpioneer tree species populations would likely necessitate different measures

Prevalence and factors associated with neonatal sepsis in a tertiary hospital, north west Nigeria

Context: Neonatal sepsis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality of newborns, especially in developing countries. Aims: Our study determined the prevalence of neonatal sepsis and its predisposing factors among neonates admitted in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH). Settings and Design: This was a cross‑sectional descriptive study conducted in ABUTH. Subjects and Methods: The data were abstracted from the case notes of neonates admitted from May 2017 to May 2018. A pretested pro forma was used to abstract the data. Statistical Analysis Used: Odds ratios and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the factors associated with neonatal sepsis among the study population. Results: The prevalence of neonatal sepsis was 37.6%. Escherichia coli was the most commonly isolated organism. Neonates 0–7 days of age were 2.8 times less likely to develop neonatal sepsis than older neonates. Babies born with an Apgar score of <6 within the 1st min were 2.4 times more likely to develop neonatal sepsis than those whose Apgar score was higher. Neonates of mothers who had urinary tract infection during pregnancy were 2.3 times more likely to have had sepsis and those whose mothers had premature rupture of membranes were 4.6 times more likely. Conclusions: The prevalence of neonatal sepsis was high among the neonates studied. Neonatal and maternal factors were associated with sepsis in the neonates. These findings provide guidelines for the selection of empirical antimicrobial agents in the study site and suggest that a continued periodic evaluation is needed to anticipate the development of neonatal sepsis among neonates admitted