Adrenoceptor Mediated Inhibition in the Rat Uterus

1. The rat uterus varies in its response to adrenoceptor agonists throughout the oestrous cycle, and the mechanisms underlying this variation have been investigated using pharmacological and biochemical techniques. 2. Acetylcholine (ACh) and potassium chloride (KCl) were used to raise tone in isolated uterine horn preparations. Both motor agents produced the highest tension in oestrus and this effect may reflect changes in thickness of the myometrium during the oestrous cycle. 3. The three adrenoceptor agonists studied, noradrenaline (NA), adrenaline (ADR) and salbutamol (SAL) produced inhibitory responses throughout the oestrous cycle. However, the maximum degree of inhibition achieved by each agonist varied in the four phases. 4. Stimulation of a-excitatory adrenoceptors contributed to the variation seen with NA and ADR (which possess a-adrenoceptor activity) but could not explain that of SAL, a selective P2-adrenoceptor agonist. 5. Blockade of agonist uptake processes into neuronal and extraneuronal sites, enhanced the inhibitory responses produced by NA, ADR and SAL, indicating a role for the removal mechanisms in the observed variation in response. 6. The variation in agonists responses persisted even when the contribution of both a-adrenoceptors and the uptake processes were controlled , suggesting that other factors could be involved. 7. Ovarian hormones appeared to play a major role in the variation since responses to NA, ADR and SAL were enhanced in uteri from ovariectomized rats. 8. Intramural, prostaglandin generation was involved in the responses to the adrenoceptor agonists, since cyclo-oxygenase inhibition, i. e., block of prostaglandin formation, enhanced the inhibition produced by NA, ADR and SAL. The effect was specific to the adrenoceptor agonists because the inhibitory responses to histamine and papaverine were unaffected by cyclo-oxygenase inhibition. 9. The leukotrienes are not involved in the adrenoceptor agonists responses, since inhibition of both cyclo-oxygenase and lipoxygenase produced effects similar to blocking the cyclo-oxygenase pathway alone. 10. Biochemical measurements of uterine adenosine 3',5' cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) were made throughout the oestrous cycle. Basal cAMP levels were similar in proestrus, oestrus, metoestrus and dioestrus. 11. cAMP did not appear to be involved in the variation in uterine response to adrenoceptor agonists because SAL-induced increases in cAMP levels were similar in all four phases of the oestrous cycle. Intramurally generated prostaglandins have no effect on cAMP formation, since cyclo-oxygenase inhibition was without effect on cAMP levels. 12. Calcium movements were studied in uteri from both intact and ovariectomized rats using radioactive calcium (45Ca2+). 45Ca2+ influx and efflux varied in the different hormonal conditions of the oestrous cycle, and in the absence of the hormones, following ovariectomy. 13. SAL had no effect on 45Ca2+ influx and efflux, indicating that the adrenoceptor agonists inhibitory responses in the rat uterus could involve an increased intracellular binding of calcium. 14. The variation in uterine response to the adrenoceptor agonists during the oestrous cycle is due, therefore, to the combined effects of a-adrenoceptor activity, agonist removal processes, intramurally generated prostaglandins and the ovarian hormones. Of these, the factors of major importance are the prostaglandins and the ovarian hormones

Linguistic Features of Code-Mixing and Code-Switching: The Case of Educated Ogba Bilinguals

Code-mixing and code-switching are known to be universal phenomena among bilinguals. Not until recently, code-mixing/code-switching was seen as evidence of “internal mental confusion, the inability to separate two languages sufficiently to warrant the description of true bilingualism”. However, studies have proved that code-mixing/code-switching is not a manifestation of mental confusion but a rule-governed behaviour among bilinguals, which is motivated by various socio-psychological as well as linguistic factors. This paper seeks to explore and analyse the linguistic features in code-mixing and code-switching. It also investigates and finds out that in more cases, code-mixing and code-switching motivate the bilinguals in Ogba as they borrow words from other languages, especially English, to make speech utterance or writing. This to a large extent minimizes struggling with words among Ogba bilinguals because they easily code-mix/code-switch to continue speaking and/or writing. It has been observed that code-mixing/code-switching is more predominant among the Igboid/English bilinguals (which Ogba belongs to) compared to any other linguistic group in Nigeria. This paper explains why the Ogba people code-mix/code-switch a lot by looking at the history of the Ogba language contact with English, the socio-psychological factors as well as the linguistic factors/features that contribute to the predominance of code-mixing/code-switching among educated Ogba/English bilinguals. The study investigates the linguistic features of code-switching that include intra-sentential code-switching, inter-sentential code-switching and code-switching at word, phrase and clause levels, which are examined in both male and female Ogba/English bilinguals in conversations. It is found that intra-sentential code-switching (37.15%) is the highest code-switched area, and code-switching at word (31.21%), clause (21.54%) and phrase (6.42%) levels, being a part of inter-sentential code-switching, are the successive areas

Nomadic education and its associated challenges of formal education for learning environment in Nigeria

Education is a veritable tool for development. Without education, there will be no meaningful development of a nation such as Nigeria. Based on this, this paper focused discussions on nomadic education in Nigeria. The nomads are the itinerant, non-sedentary people having the culture of migrating from one place to another place in a large or small profession. They are people of the same clan groups who migrate in response to certain need factors in the practice of their occupation. Such movement/migration could be within a state or country of origin or beyond the state or national geographical boundaries in search of their means of livelihood occupations. This paper addresses three linage of nomads that are officially and publicly recognized in Nigeria as the pastoralists, migrant fisher folk and migrant farmers in Nigeria. However, focus on this paper is mainly on pastoralists and fisherfolk migrants who are mainly involve in grazing and fishing. This people as a clan or group have the need for formal education but this has been challenged by some factors such as indigenous traditional education, teacher factor, teacher and quality assurance, good learning environment etc. These have been summarized in this paper. Recommendations on how to improve nomadic education in Nigeria include

A Model For Effectively Assessing Student Learning Outcomes

This paper describes a model proven to be effective for assessing and documenting evidence of student learning outcomes. Specifically, it will share a model, F.A.M.O.U.S. Copyright ©2008, which is an acronym exemplifying six effective steps for complying with institutional accountability and eternal assessment requirements proscribed by the various US accreditation agencies.

Problems and prospects of application and utilization of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in rural transaction in a Covid-19 era

The paper investigated the effects of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) on rural transaction during the Covid-19 pandemic and how it affects the society in relation to transaction activities. Despite the increasing number of ATM installations across the country, the rural areas severally lack such facilities. Customers’ service needs are not adequately met as customers are always seen on long queue in large numbers at various ATM selected centres mostly in the cities with poor service delivery of the ATM machine at it centres. The spread of the virus and death tolls occasioned by the pandemic can be minimize towards cashless method through adopting cashless society policy

Bio-Insecticides: The One- Health Response to Mosquito-Borne Diseases of Public Health Importance

Mosquito-borne diseases are among the leading causes of human and animal illnesses and deaths globally. Mosquitoes are found throughout the world; are nuisances, hosts and vectors of many disease-causing parasites of public health importance. These diseases include malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, etc. Mosquitoes pose significant threat to human and animal health, are a global challenge with huge medical and economic impact. Control of mosquitoes is a major component of vector-disease management; chemical insecticides remain the mainstay of control as documented in scholarly reports. The effectiveness of available methods have been limited by factors including insecticide resistance, high operational costs, toxicity on non- target organisms and environmental pollution. The emphasis on public health and environmental protection has led to global concerns about these risks and prompted the search for environmentally-friendly products. Bio-insecticides are based on natural products or microorganisms and are able to control pests including insect vectors effectively with minimal environmental impact. This paper comments on the significant research progress for bio-developed insecticides in response to the need for eco-friendly products, the role of multidisciplinary approach to encourage innovation in bio-insecticide development and its application as a one-health response to mosquito-borne infectious diseases of Public Health importance

Effects of poultry manure and cow dung on the physical and chemical properties of crude oil polluted soil

An experiment was conducted in the Teaching and Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria to investigate the potentials of using poultry manure and cow dung as bioremediants for crude oil polluted soils. The experiment was arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design of a split plot fashion with four main plots represented by the levels of crude oil pollution (0 ml, 100 ml, 200 ml and 300 ml), while the organic manure (poultry manure and cow dung) and a control (no-treatment) plots constituted the subplots. The entire setup was replicated 3 times. Maize seeds (Oba super) were used as a test crop. Soil collected from the university’s farm site was used to fill the buckets for planting. Thirty-six pieces of 30 cm3 capacity buckets were filled to 2/3 capacities with soil collected from the farm site, and polluted with the crude oil according to the levels. Organic manure was applied at 14days after pollution while the maize seeds were planted at 28days after pollution. Soil samples were collected at three intervals first, before pollution, secondly 14 days after pollution and then 14 days after manure application for physical and chemical analysis of the soil. At two weeks after germination, the germination percentage and plant height were determined while cob length, number of seeds per cob were determined at maturity (90 days after planting). Results revealed that crude oil pollution significantly affected the soil physical and chemical properties and also impaired maize plant growth. At increased level of pollution (300 ml), the soil chemical and physical properties were severely degraded, however, the application of poultry and cow dung manures significantly repaired the degraded soil. The results also revealed that poultry manure showed superiority over cow dung in amending crude oil degraded soil. Soil pollution also impaired the maize seed germination and growth. At 300 ml, crude oil pollution the lowest (58.50 %) germination percentage was recorded, but with application of poultry manure germination percentage was 100 %. It was recommended that poultry manure be employed in the amendment of crude oil polluted soils. Key words: Effect, physical, chemical, properties, cow dung, poultry manure, and maize

Teacher –Made Language Test Planning, Construction, Administration And Scoring In Secondary Schools In Ekiti State.

The much emphasis laid on Continuous Assessment (C.A) in the current system of education in Nigeria has made C.A. to be important in the evaluation of students’ performance and even certification. Teachers give one form of test or the other for the continuous assessment exercise. It is therefore important that teacher-made tests are not just means of gathering grades but evidence capturing device that should be carefully designed to ensure high level of validity and reliability. This study therefore investigated how language teachers in secondary schools in Ekiti State plan, construct administer and score their tests. The research design for the study was the descriptive design of the survey type. The population for the study comprised all language teachers that teach English language, Yoruba language, French language and Arabic language in all the secondary schools in Ekiti State. Eighty respondents out of the population were purposively selected as sample for the study. A self-designed questionnaire was the instrument used for the study. The instrument was validated to ensure its face and content validity; it was also subjected to test-re-test reliability which yielded a coefficient value of 0.76 at 0.05 level of significant. Data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics. The result showed that language teachers plan, construct, administer and score their tests well. It was recommended that language teachers should be encouraged to continue to plan, construct and administer their tests well

Writing anxiety: an affective filter for essay writing instruction among ESL students in Ibadan

This study which adopted the descriptive research design investigated the relationship between writing anxiety and students’ achievement in essay writing. SS2 Students from six schools in Ibadan Metropolis were used for the study. The instruments used were Essay Writing Achievement Test(r=0.81) and Writing Anxiety Questionnaire(r=0.86). Data collected were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed a negative significant relationship between writing anxiety and students’ achievement in essay writing. This implies that the higher the writing anxiety, the lower the achievement in essay writing. It was therefore recommended among others that the teaching and learning of essay writing in classroom should be devoid of unnecessary tension and stress so as not to heighten students’ anxiety in essay writing. Also, English language teachers should devise any means of reducing writing anxiety among students so they can write better essays