AQUATIC PHYCOMYCETES AND ASCOMYCETOUS FUNGI ISOLATED FROM ARTEMISIA ANNUA L. PLANTATION SOIL IN A NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY

Survey was carried out on the ascomycetous and aquatic fungi present in the soil of University of Jos Artemisia annua Plantation in Gangnum, Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau State. Portions of the soil samples collected from three (3) locations were steamed in glass beaker placed in a steamer for 4-10 minutes at 100o C before inoculation. Fungal isolation was carried out using soil plate method incubated at 25 ± 2o C. Aquatic phycomycetes were isolated using baits. Two (2) genera of aquatic phycomycetes were isolated, including Achyla dubia and Allomyces arbuscular. Fifty–eight ascomycetous fungi were also isolated from the soil samples. The predominant ascomycetous fungi isolated include among others; Chaetomium bastrychodes, C. cancriodeum, C. cochloides, C. globosum, C. nigricolor, C. senegalensis, C. spirale, Aspergillus candidus A. flavus, A. fumigatus , A. glaucus, A. nidulans, A. niger, A. oryzae, A. terreus, F. avenaceum, F. oxysporum, F. roseum, F. solani, F. sporitrichioides, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. citrinum, P.notatum, P.expansum, Trichoderma harzianum, T. piluliferum, Alternaria alternata, Aureobasidium pullulans, Botrytis cinerea, Cladosporium sp, Curvularia lunata, Scopulariopsis sp, Torula herbarum, Unidentified sp and a Basidiomycete. The physico-chemical properties of the soil samples were found to be varied, and were found to affect the distribution and population of fungi. The soil was found to be high in organic matter content which could have been as a result of activities of the species of fungi numerous in the soil. The implications of the results are discussed

AQUATIC PHYCOMYCETES AND ASCOMYCETOUS FUNGI ISOLATED FROM ARTEMISIA ANNUA L. PLANTATION SOIL IN A NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY

Survey was carried out on the ascomycetous and aquatic fungi present in the soil of University of Jos Artemisia annua Plantation in Gangnum, Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau State. Portions of the soil samples collected from three (3) locations were steamed in glass beaker placed in a steamer for 4-10 minutes at 100o C before inoculation. Fungal isolation was carried out using soil plate method incubated at 25 ± 2o C. Aquatic phycomycetes were isolated using baits. Two (2) genera of aquatic phycomycetes were isolated, including Achyla dubia and Allomyces arbuscular. Fifty–eight ascomycetous fungi were also isolated from the soil samples. The predominant ascomycetous fungi isolated include among others; Chaetomium bastrychodes, C. cancriodeum, C. cochloides, C. globosum, C. nigricolor, C. senegalensis, C. spirale, Aspergillus candidus A. flavus, A. fumigatus , A. glaucus, A. nidulans, A. niger, A. oryzae, A. terreus, F. avenaceum, F. oxysporum, F. roseum, F. solani, F. sporitrichioides, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. citrinum, P.notatum, P.expansum, Trichoderma harzianum, T. piluliferum, Alternaria alternata, Aureobasidium pullulans, Botrytis cinerea, Cladosporium sp, Curvularia lunata, Scopulariopsis sp, Torula herbarum, Unidentified sp and a Basidiomycete. The physico-chemical properties of the soil samples were found to be varied, and were found to affect the distribution and population of fungi. The soil was found to be high in organic matter content which could have been as a result of activities of the species of fungi numerous in the soil. The implications of the results are discussed

Utilization and perception of Community Health Insurance Scheme services by enrolees in Obio Cottage Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Background: Community Based Health Insurance Scheme is a social service organized at community level. It is a mutual health organization or micro-insurance scheme that targets informal sector and applies the basic principles of risk-sharing and pooling of funds for healthcare. As part of her corporate social responsibility. Shell in collaboration with four communities in Obio-Akpor LGA, Port Harcourt, started a Community Health Insurance Scheme in February 2010. An evaluation of enrollees' utilization and perception of the services provided was done.Methodology: Quantitative data were collected by the use of structured interviewer questionnaire. Two hundred and fifty enrollees who utilized the health facility before and after the introduction of the scheme were selected and interviewed. Also a two year review of monthly out-patients and ante natal attendance records before and after the Scheme was introduced were done. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 17 and presented as contingency tables and bar charts for comparisons.Results: A high proportion (80.9%) of the respondents said they were satisfied with Community Health Insurance services provided at the hospital. Consultations by the doctors had the highest rate (91.7%) of client's satisfaction followed closely by the laboratory services. The staff attitude to patients had the least (76.2%) satisfaction rate. Over 75% of the enrollees felt that the various services being rendered now are better than what they had before the introduction of the scheme. A month after the introduction of the scheme out patients' attendance doubled while ante natal clinic attendance tripled.Conclusion: Most of the enrollees said that they were satisfied with all the services provided in the Health Insurance Scheme. There was a sharp increase of healthcare utilization with the introduction of Community Health Insurance Scheme. There is the need for the employment of more staff and expansion of existing infra-structure to accommodate increasing patronage. Re-orientation of staff for better attitude to work and patient relationship is advocated.Keywords: Healthcare, Community Health Insurance, Perception, Utilization

Effects of Various Inorganic Nitrogen Sources on the Growth and Biomass Production by Candida utilis Isolated from Fermenting Cassava Tubers

Candida utilis isolated from fermenting cassava tubers was cultivated in salt media containing sucrose as carbon source and different concentrations of ammonium sulphate, potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate and urea used individually as sole nitrogen sources. The yeast was grown in a 100 ml shaken culture and harvested after a 10-day fermentation period. Variations in media composition significantly (P≤0.05) affected yeast biomass production. Ammonium sulphate at 0.1% (w/v) concentration resulted in the best biomass production of the isolate. Concentrations above 0.1% (w/v) did not result in correspondingly greater biomass yield. Urea gave better yields at lower concentrations but concentrations above 0.07% (w/v) resulted in lower biomass yield. Sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate were inferior to ammonium sulphate and urea as nitrogen sources for yeast biomass production. A kinetic model based on the variations of these inorganic nitrogen supplementation, level of aeration and subsequent biomass production by the isolate was proposed.Keywords: Candida utilis, Nitrogen supplementation, Biomass, Cassava fermentation, Yeast growt

Physicochemical Characteristics and Microbial Quality of an Oil Polluted Site in Gokana, Rivers State.

Samples were collected from the soil surface area, the water surface, sub-surface sediment sand, sand from the river shore, Dead Sea food and dead mangrove vegetation leaves. Test results indicated that the Total Heterotrophic Bacteria (THB) values ranged from (9.0 7 103 \u2013 2.6 7 106) cfu/ml with the sample from the water surface having the highest value (2.6 7 106) cfu/ml and the least with the sample from the sub-surface (9.0 7103) cfu/g. The Total coliforms values ranged from (6.9 7 103 \u2013 2.3 7 106) cfu/100g with sample from the dead vegetation leaves having the highest value (2.3 7 106) cfu/100g and the least value from the sample from mangrove substrate (6.9 7 103) cfu/100g. Among the physico-chemical parameters tested, TDS, lead, copper, chromium, cobalt, zinc, cadmium, nickel and arsenic were within acceptable limits as specified by regulatory agents. However, electrical conductivity, oil and grease, and iron were very high and above specified limits. The pH values ranged from 3.90 \u2013 8.15 with the sample from the mangrove substrate having the highest value (8.15) and the lowest value was from the sample from the crude on water surface (3.90). The electrical conductivity values ranged from (1275 \u2013 3565) \ub5S/cm with sample from crude band on soil surface having the highest value (3565)\ub5S/cm and the lowest value from the sample from the sub-surface sediment sand (1275) \ub5S/cm. The oil and grease values ranged from (620 \u2013 32040) mg/kg with sample from soil surface having the highest value (32040) mg/kg and the lowest value from the river shore sand (620) mg/kg. The high level of oil and grease contamination poses a concern. This therefore, validates the concern that releases of large quantities of oil to aquatic and terrestrial environments present a long term threat to all forms of life. @ JASE

Special Cement Slurry Design Consideration for High Temperature High Pressure Gas Well

This study explores special cement slurry design consideration for high temperature and pressure gas wells. Seven different materials were used as additives which includes: fresh water, dyckerhoff, silica flour, antifoam, extender, fluid loss, dispersant, retarder, anti-settling agent, gas control agent, dry viscosifier, potassium chloride and accelerator. Four recipes were prepared using these additives in different mixtures. Recipe four has all the additives. A series of flow tests was performed using an advanced shear-stress/shear strain controlled rheometer. Rheological properties of cement slurries were calculated from the resulting flow curves using the Bingham plastic model and the Herschel–Bulkley’s model. Changes in shear stress–shear rate relationships, yield stress, plastic viscosity, and shear thinning/thickening behavior were found to be related to temperature and the type and dosage of supplementary cementitious material. The four recipes were applied in 10 cases. Among the four different recipes tested for all the 10 cases, recipe 1 gave a regression value of 52.19% correctness, 65.43% correctness for recipe 2, 23.72% for recipe 3 and 96.58% correctness for recipe 4. Recipe 4 has the best regression values for both temperature vs transit time and pressure vs transit time this can be accounted for the presence of both silica flour and potassium chloride salt

Effect of Agricultural Financing on the Performance of Agricultural Sector in Nigeria

The study examined the effects of agricultural financing on the performance of agricultural sector in Nigeria using annual time series data. The data for the study was sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin. Contribution of agriculture to GDP was used as proxy for the performance of agricultural sector, commercial banks loan to agriculture, rain fall, government expenditure to agriculture and interest rate were used as proxy for explanatory variables. Following unity in the order of integration, Johansen cointegration approach was used to check for the long run relationship among the variables. Vector autoregressive estimate the vector correction mechanism was used to examine the speed of adjustment of the variables from the short run dynamics to the long run equilibrium. The study found that there is long run relationship among the variables. Specifically; there is significant and long run effect of Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme on Contributions of agriculture to GDP. Commercial banks loans to agriculture showed positive and significant effect on Contributions of agriculture to GDP within the reference period. The coefficient of multiple determinations explained the variation in the dependent variable jointly explained by the independent variables. The study recommend that there should be increase in the amount which the agricultural credit guarantee scheme inject into the sector on annual basis and  proper supervisory measures should be constituted in order to ensure efficient application and use of the money

Achieving favourable customer outcomes through employee deviance

This study advances current knowledge by examining how employee deviance and customer participation during a single employee-customer exchange generate favourable customer responses. This work bridges the employee deviance stream with the service encounter literature and illustrates the importance of equity theory in deviant service exchanges between customers and employees. Moreover, results add to the ongoing debate on service nepotism by canvassing the consequences from the customer’s active participation in deviant exchanges which appears to enhance customer perceptions of the exchange. A 3x2 between-subjects experimental design was adopted which manipulates three types of pro-customer deviance along with customer’s participation (or not) to the exchange. The dependent variables capture three types of perceived customer justice (cognitive outcomes) and customer’s affective state (affective outcome). Findings illustrate that customers approve employees’ deviance for their own benefit while also indicate favourable outcomes from deviant exchanges with employees such as higher perceived justice and a more positive affective state. The article concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and managerial implications, limitations and research directions that emerge from this study