Charcoal Production and Producers’ Tree Species Preference in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, Nigeria

A survey of charcoal production in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, Nigeria, was carried out to determine the demographic characteristics of the producers, examine and explore charcoal production methods and processes, identify the tree species used in charcoal production and explore their desirable qualities, as well as examining the sustainable charcoal production in the study area. Purposive sampling technique was employed in the study. Four villages; Yangba, Gada-Oli, Tamanai and Tunga-Boka, where charcoal production is prevalent were selected. Fifty (50) copies of questionnaire were purposively administered to charcoal producers in the four villages, with thirty four (34) copies retrieved. Descriptive statistics tools were used to analyze the variables of interest. Variables which were analysed include sex, age, educational status, marital status, methods of charcoal production, e.t.c. The results of the study revealed that earth mound kiln (65%) and earth pit kiln (35%) are the two methods of charcoal production employed by the producers in the study area. Prosopis Africana (73%) is the most preferred tree species used by charcoal producers in the study area for charcoal production.The study has revealed that commercial charcoal production is gradually becoming one of the major sources of sustenance and currently plays a major role in promoting entrepreneurial development in Borgu L.G.A of Niger State with earth mound kiln method (65%) mostly employed. There should be increased supply of wood for charcoal production through plantations and woodlots; unchecked harvesting of trees without replacement should be addressed as well as development and implementation of short and long-term plans for massive tree planting. Keywords: charcoal, tree, specie, borgu, preferenc

Effects of four pre-sowing treatment methods (double phase) on the germination of the seeds of Afzelia africana Sm. ex Pers

The study investigated the effects of four pre-treatment methods on the germination response of the seeds of Afzelia africana (Sm. ex Pers) in the savannah ecozones of Nigeria. The experiment was carried out in two phases. Phase I involved; 50% concentrated sulphuric acid for 10 minutes, hot water at 100ºC for 3 minutes, cold water at room temperature for 24 hours, Mechanical scarification (rubbing on abrasive concrete surface). Phase II of the experiment was carried out based on the result of phase I. Mechanical scarification, which performed best among the treatments used in the first phase, was closely examined. The various mechanical scarifications used were rubbing the seeds on abrasive concrete surface to the length of 1mm into the seed coat, 2mm, 3mm and 4mm. The experimental layout used was Completely Randomized Design. For phase I, mechanical scarification had 25% germination rate and had the highest germination compared to other treatments. Due to the performance of mechanical scarification in phase I, varying mechanical scarification treatments were further investigated in phase II of the experiment. The result of the analysis of variance indicated a significant difference between the varying mechanical scarification treatments (p≤0.05). Separation of the means showed that 1mm mechanical scarification treatment differed significantly from all other treatments. 1mm mechanical scarification treatment gave an average germination of 50% and early emergence of 9 days. Therefore, 1mm mechanical scarification treatment was regarded as the best mechanical scarification treatment for the germination of Afzelia africana seeds.Keywords: pre-treatment, dormancy, germination, Afzelia african

Wildlife conservation and agrarian economy in communities around Kainji Lake National Park, Niger State, Nigeria

This study was carried out to assess the wildlife conservation and agrarian economy in communities around Kainji lake national park of Niger state  Nigeria. The study was carried out in ten (10) randomly selected villages around Kainji Lake National Park namely (Luma, Kemenji, Kuble, New- Awuru, Old-Awuru, Dekera, Wawa, Woro, Malale, and Old Bussa). A total of 20 Questionnaires were administered in each community. Data was analysed using simple percentages, frequency counts and tables. The results revealed that most of the respondents (51.5%) engaged in farming for food production and income generation while about 31% of them engaged in farming for income generation only. Damages and destructions  caused by wild animals to crops in the study area is high and causes significant danger to the agrarian economy. Wild animals such as Hippopotamus (34.5%) raided the crop farms most, closely followed by Baboons (32.5%) and Patas monkey (24.5%). Farmers in retaliation adopted lethal methods such as using toxic chemicals (34%) and hunting (27.5%) to safeguard their crops. This study showed that conflict between man and animal is a serious problem in communities around conservation areas and this requires an urgent intervention to save animal in the study area  from extinction. Keywords: Wildlife, Conservation, Agrarian economy, Hunting and Extinction

The complete mitochondrial genome of Anoplocnemis curvipes F. (Coreinea, Coreidae, Heteroptera), a pest of fresh cowpea pods

Open Access Journal; Published online: 18 July 2017The complete 16,345-bp mitochondrial genome of the agriculturally destructive pod sucking pest, the giant coreid bug, Anoplocnemis curvipes (Hemiptera: Coreidae), was assembled from paired-end Illumina HiSeq 2500 reads. The A. curvipes mitochondrial genome consists of 13 protein coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs and a control region in the order and orientation typical among insects. PCG initiation codons (ATG, ATC, ATT and ATA) with termination codon (TAA) are used with the exception of TAG stop codons by Cytb and ND3. All tRNA genes fold into predicted cloverleaf secondary structures having requisite triplets on the anticodon loop, apart from tRNA-Ser1 (AGN) whose dihydrouridine (DHU) arm forms a simple loop. The phylogenetic analysis of hemipteran mitogenomes clusters to the family level and supports the monophyly of the five superfamilies in Pentatomomorpha of Hemiptera. The Coreoidea and Pyrrhocoroidea are sister groups, while Coreidae and Alydidae are sister groups to Rhopalidae. These analyses provide insight to mitogenomics and evolutionary relationships among pentatomoid insects

New ecosystems in the deep subsurface follow the flow of water driven by geological activity

Eukarya have been discovered in the deep subsurface at several locations in South Africa, but how organisms reach the subsurface remains unknown. We studied river-subsurface fissure water systems and identified Eukarya from a river that are genetically identical for 18S rDNA. To further confirm that these are identical species one metazoan species recovered from the overlying river interbred successfully with specimen recovered from an underlying mine at -1.4 km. In situ seismic simulation experiments were carried out and show seismic activity to be a major force increasing the hydraulic conductivity in faults allowing organisms to create ecosystems in the deep subsurface. As seismic activity is a non-selective force we recovered specimen of algae and Insecta that defy any obvious other explanation at a depth of -3.4 km. Our results show there is a steady flow of surface organisms to the deep subsurface where some survive and adapt and others perish. As seismic activity is also present on other planets and moons in our solar system the mechanism elucidated here may be relevant for future search and selection of landing sites in planetary exploration

The Role of Oestrogen Receptor Beta (ERβ) in the Aetiology and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Introduction: Challenges facing the treatment of type 2 diabetes necessitate the search for agents which act via alternative pathways to provide better therapeutic outcomes. Recently, an increasing body of evidence implicates the activation of oestrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) in the development and treatment of underlying conditions in type 2 diabetes. This article summarizes available evidence for the involvement of oestrogen receptors in insulin secretion, insulin resistance as well as glucose uptake and highlights the potential of ERβ as a therapeutic target. Background: Recent studies indicate an association between the activation of each of the isoforms of ER and recent findings indicate that ERβ shows promise as a potential target for antidiabetic drugs. In vitro and in vivo studies in receptor knockout mice indicate beneficial actions of selective agonists of ERβ receptor and underscore its therapeutic potential. Conclusion: Studies are needed to further elucidate the exact mechanism underlying the role of ERβ activation as a therapeutic approach in the management of type 2 diabetes

Consistent patterns of common species across tropical tree communities

Trees structure the Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystem, tropical forests. The vast number of tree species presents a formidable challenge to understanding these forests, including their response to environmental change, as very little is known about most tropical tree species. A focus on the common species may circumvent this challenge. Here we investigate abundance patterns of common tree species using inventory data on 1,003,805 trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm across 1,568 locations1,2,3,4,5,6 in closed-canopy, structurally intact old-growth tropical forests in Africa, Amazonia and Southeast Asia. We estimate that 2.2%, 2.2% and 2.3% of species comprise 50% of the tropical trees in these regions, respectively. Extrapolating across all closed-canopy tropical forests, we estimate that just 1,053 species comprise half of Earth’s 800 billion tropical trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm. Despite differing biogeographic, climatic and anthropogenic histories7, we find notably consistent patterns of common species and species abundance distributions across the continents. This suggests that fundamental mechanisms of tree community assembly may apply to all tropical forests. Resampling analyses show that the most common species are likely to belong to a manageable list of known species, enabling targeted efforts to understand their ecology. Although they do not detract from the importance of rare species, our results open new opportunities to understand the world’s most diverse forests, including modelling their response to environmental change, by focusing on the common species that constitute the majority of their trees

Human– wildlife conflict: issues, effects and conservation

Human – wildlife conflict was reviewed with the objectives of examining human – wildlife conflict and its effect especially those caused by crop raiding. Reports, write ups, textbooks, articles and materials from the internet by experts and professionals on the issue of human – wildlife conflict and the importance of conservation were all reviewed for the paper. The paper examines issues relating and emanating from human – wildlife conflict, its effect especially those caused by crop raiding and managing these effects in ensuring conservation. The need for conservation arises so as to protect wild animals perceived as threat to farmlands thus preventing the species from becoming endangered. The encroachment of wild habitats by subsistence farmers in Africa as a result of increased population is on the increase and this calls for concern. Crop raiding by wild animals is one of the major causes of human – wildlife conflict. Crop raiding can be simply defined as wild animals moving from their natural habitat onto agricultural land to feed on the produce that human grow for their own consumption. Some of the methods used in combating crop raiding include; Chasing crop raiders, Guarding scarecrows, plastic flags, Fireworks, Use of scents, Fences, Hunting, Trapping, poisoning. Some of these measures put in place portend danger to wild animal population. Conservation becomes important so as to protect the wild animal and its habitat encroached by man. The losses occasioned by wild animal activities will also need to be addressed so as to reduce crop losses. It is therefore recommended among other things that the need for conservation should be paramount in habitat management involving wild animals and humans, training and capacity building through extension services highlighting the need for conservation to the local community (farmers), adaptive management and applied research into the concept of crop raiding so as to reduce its resulting effects and also recognizing human – wildlife as one of the most critical conservation challenges facing protected areas today

Surgical decompression for traumatic spinal cord injury in a tertiary center

Background: There are controversies regarding the importance and timing of spinal cord decompression following trauma. Documented evidence shows that early decompression in the setting of acute spinal cord injury (SCI) improves neurologic outcomes. Our objective was to evaluate the outcome of posttraumatic spinal cord decompression with or without spinal stabilization in our region.Methodology: We performed a cross-sectional study on adult patients who presented with acute spinal cord compression of traumatic etiology within a 2-year period. The primary outcome was change in Frankel’s grading 6 months after surgery. Secondary outcomes were complication rates and mortality.Results: A total of 35 patients made up of 24 (68.6%) males and 11 (31.4%) females were recruited into the study. The spectrum of injuries included cervical 27 (77.1%), thoracic 7 (20.0%), and lumbar vertebrae 1 (2.9%). The outcome as measured by Frankel’s grade at 6 months after surgery showed improvement in 9 (25.7%) patients following intervention. All patients who presented with Frankel’s Grade C and D improved to Grade E while none of those who presented with Frankel’s Grade E deteriorated. The common complications of spine decompression and fixation in this series were surgical site infections (11.4%) and chest infections (11.4%), especially in high cervical injury.Conclusion: Spinal cord decompression with spinal stabilization enhances the rehabilitation of patients with unstable spine and completes spinal cord injuries. Our experience shows improvement in neurological function in patients with spinal cord decompression despite the challenges of instrumentation in Sub-Saharan Africa.Keywords: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, lateral mass fixation, spinal decompression, traumatic spinal cord injur

Surgical site infection in posterior spine surgery

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) in spine surgery remain a significant cause of morbidity and prolonged hospitalization. Factors affecting SSI includes patient’s comorbidities, duration of surgery, type and indication for surgery among others. We intend to document our experience in our center and highlight possible factors influencing SSI in posterior spine surgery.Methodology: All consecutive patients who had posterior spine surgeries between January 2012 and July 2014 were recruited into the study. All patients who had wound infection were noted and culture sensitivities were documented as well. Results were analysed to get the infection rate, reasons for prolonged stay on admission as well as possible contributing factors to wound infections.Results: A total of 62 patients’ records were reviewed with 34 males and 28 females (male:female = 1.2:1). SSI was classified as deep or superficial to the fascia. Ten (16.1%) patients were found to have an SSI with 7 (11.3%) patients having deep infections and 3 (4.8%) had superficial infection. Vertebral level operated, etiology, and diagnosis were not statistically significant for SSI. However, spinal instrumentation, surgery on cervical region and wound inspection on or before postoperative day 5 were associated with an increase in the rate of SSI. Comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, and anemia were significant risk factors. The organisms cultured were Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus species.Conclusions: Wound infection is a significant complication of posterior spine surgery. This causes distress for both patient and surgeons alike. Uncontrolled diabetes, spine instrumentation and long duration of surgery are significant risk factors for SSI. Practices of early wound inspection, frequent wound dressing changes and not keeping to nontouch technique for changing and removing dressings are important risk factors for SSI in posterior spine surgeries that need to be changed to reduce the burden of SSI.Keywords: Delayed wound exposure, diabetes, posterior spine surgery, spine instrumentation, surgical site infectio