Parental involvement in primary schools : a case study of three socio-economic disparate schools in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Parental involvement (PI) in three socio-economic disparate primary schools in Ile-Ife in Nigeria was investigated in the study. The study explored the effect of socio-economic status on PI using three schools representing the Lower socioeconomic status (LSES), Middle socio-economic status (MSES) and Higher socioeconomic status (HSES). The study reported how parents of three different income groups practice and perceive PI and how teachers perceive PI at the schools and what their expectations are regarding PI. The data used for empirical investigation was drawn from 15 parents and 15 teachers at each of the three schools. The parents were selected using convenience sampling and were individually interviewed while teachers are selected by purposeful random sampling and data was collected using focus group interviews and survey questionnaires. Results shows that parents’ available time, interest, level of education, social capital, parent-teacher contact and socio-economic status (SES) affected PI of which time, SES and interest were the most important factors affecting PI. PI is evidenced in all SES groups as joint cooperation between parents and teachers in support of children’s scholastic pursuit. The study suggests that, contrary to conventional opinion, parents of LSES generally have high educational goals for their children and evidence noteworthy PI practices. PI should be strengthened by building on existing positive endeavors and addressing areas of PI which are lagging behind. Strategies to strengthen these endeavors are recommended in conclusion of the study.Educational Leadership and ManagementM. Ed. (Education Management

Fatty Acid Composition and Physicochemical Properties of Castor ( Ricinus Communis L. ) Seed Obtained from Malete, Moro Local Government Area, Kwara State. Nigeria.

The oil of the Ricinus communis L. seed was extracted by soxhlet method using N-hexane.The physicochemical characteristics of the castor oil were evaluated. The results showed that the castor seeds contain a relatively high percentage of total lipids content ; 47.8 % ,  iodine value ( 1.061 g/g ) , and saponification value ( 327.4 g/g ). The seed oil moisture content , acid value , density and free fatty acid ( % FFA ) were 0.3 % , 14.42 mg/g , 880 g/cm3 and 7.21 % , respectively. Keywords : Physicochemical properties ; Ricinus communis L ; Soxhlet method ; N-hexane ; Free fatty acid ; saponification valu

Growth, haematology and serum biochemistry of african catfish clarias gariepinus fed diets containing mixture of processed moringa (moringa oleifera) leaf and kernel meal

The potential of blending soaked moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaf and fermented moringakernel as a substitute for fishmeal in the diet for Clarias gariepinus was investigated. Theleaves were soaked overnight while the seeds were defatted and subsequently fermentedwith Rhizopus stolonifer. Four approximately isonitrogenous (40 % crude protein) andiso-energetic (20 kJ/g) diets were formulated to contain graded levels (0, 20, 40 and 60%) of mixture (1:1) of soaked leaf and fermented kernel of moringa. The diets were fedto triplicates group of C. gariepinus (average weight, 8.87 ± 0.02 g) for 56 days. Growthperformance in terms of weight gain and specific growth rate in the group that receivedcontrol diet was significantly higher (p<0.05) than those that were reared on dietscontaining 40 and 60 % mixture of soaked moringa leaf and fermented kernel butstatistically similar (p>0.05) to the group fed with 20% of the mixture. The feedconversion ratio was statistically similar (p>0.05) in the control and dietary treatments.The haematological profile of the control group was similar (p>0.05) to all othertreatment groups in all the parameters examined; suggesting that there were nodeleterious health effects arising from incorporation of processed moringa leaf andkernel in the diets for C. gariepinus.Keywords: Clarias gariepinus, Moringa leaf and kernel, Growth performance, Nutrient utilizatio

Prevalence and associated factors of Plasmodium falciparum and soil transmitted helminth infections among pregnant women in Osun state, Nigeria

Background: Plasmodium falciparum and soil transmitted helminth (STHs) infection are widespread in sub-Sahara Africa, where co-infection is also common. This study assessed the prevalence of these infections and their risk factors among pregnant women in Osogbo, Nigeria.Methods: A total of 200 pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic were recruited. Plasmodium falciparum was detected using thick and thin film methods, while formol ether concentration method was used for STHs detection. A questionnaire was used to investigate the possible risk factors associated with acquisition of malaria and helminth infections.Results: The prevalence of P. falciparum, STHs and their co-infection was 29.5%, 12% and 5% respectively. P. falciparum, STHs and P. falciparum + STHs co-infection was significantly higher in primigravidae (52.5% vs 58.3% vs 80%) than in secongravidae (18.6% vs 25.0% vs 20%) and multigravidae (28.8% vs 16.7% vs 0%) (p=0.02). Prevalence associated factors identified for P. falciparum was age (p=0.0001) while gravidity (p=0.02) was identified for P. falciparum + STHs co-infection.Conclusion: High prevalence of P. falciparum and helminth infections was observed among the pregnant women with primigravidae being the most susceptible to co-infection. There is an urgent need to implement an effective malaria and STHs preventive method for this high risk population.Keywords: P.falciparum, STHs, Co-infection, pregnant women, Nigeria

Quality Evaluation of Bread Produced from Wheat Flour using Avocado (Persea americana) Paste as Substitute

Quality evaluation of bread from wheat flour using avocado paste as substitute was investigated. Wheat flour and avocado paste were substituted at different ratios. The chemical composition, physical properties and sensory evaluation of the bread samples were carried out. The results revealed that the moisture, protein, fat, fiber, ash, carbohydrate and energy ranged from 31.04- 36.39%, 6.47-9.92%, 2.60-8.84%, 0.69-2.99%, 44.03-54.69% and 272.35-283.73 Kcal/100g respectively. The protein content decreased while the crude fat, crude fiber and total ash increased significantly (p<0.05) as the addition of avocado paste increased. The loaf weight, loaf volume, specific volume and oven spring varied between 169-186 g, 1225-1285 cm3, 7.20-8.78 cm3/g and 3.00-5.30 respectively. The oven spring, loaf weight and the loaf volume decreased significantly (p<0.05) as the addition of avocado paste increased. The colour characteristics L*,a*, b* varied from 35.73-52.34, 11.40-14.26 and 18.01-29.83 respectively. The texture parameters ranged from 162.02-585.00 N. The sensory evaluation showed that the taste, colour, flavour, spread-ability and the overall acceptability ranged from 5.50-7.90, 5.00-8.25, 5.80-7.40, 5.60-8.20 and 5.65-8.20 respectively. The bread sample produced from 95% wheat flour with 5% avocado paste was the most preferred by the panelists. The aforementioned findings show that wheat flour could be substituted with avocado paste up to 5% in bread production. Practical applicationThe production of bread using margarine has been reported to increase the rate of cholesterol which predisposes many consumers to various heart diseases. The production of bread with avocado pastes which contains high fatty oil that are predominantly monounsaturated fatty acid, a distinct property that will result in so many health benefits

Content of YouTube Videos on Cassava Production and Processing in Nigeria

This study examined content of YouTube videos on cassava production and processing posted in Nigeria between 2009 and 2019.  Purposive sampling method was used in selecting 155 YouTube videos with cassava production and processing contents. Primary data on video source, content, duration, quality, number of views, subscribers, likes, comments, presentation format and year of upload were obtained by watching these videos. Data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, means, standard deviation. Many (53.5%) of the videos were on processing of cassava, while most (80.0%) of the videos were relatively recent (2014 - 2019). Private individuals (38.7%) and media houses (34.2%) were the main sources of videos on cassava production and processing on YouTube. The major content of the video was on agronomic practices in cassava production (12.9%) and value addition (11.0%). Also, 66.0% of the videos had video description (descriptive texts), 36.8% had mobilizing information while 52.3%  had a video quality of 720p. Furthermore, 72.9% of the videos had between 1 to 7 minute runtime and these videos had more likes than dislikes with mean values of 92.8 and 5.6 respectively. The mean number of views, subscribers and comments were 11,138.1, 179,537.6 and 13.6, respectively. The presentation patterns in the videos were in form of news (24.5%) and documentary (20.0%). YouTube videos on cassava production and processing were well viewed with a substantial number of subscribers. More YouTube videos on cassava production and processing should be produced with varied contents by different stakeholders in the agricultural sector

Content of YouTube Videos on Cassava Production and Processing in Nigeria

This study examined content of YouTube videos on cassava production and processing posted in Nigeria between 2009 and 2019.  Purposive sampling method was used in selecting 155 YouTube videos with cassava production and processing contents. Primary data on video source, content, duration, quality, number of views, subscribers, likes, comments, presentation format and year of upload were obtained by watching these videos. Data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, means, standard deviation. Many (53.5%) of the videos were on processing of cassava, while most (80.0%) of the videos were relatively recent (2014 - 2019). Private individuals (38.7%) and media houses (34.2%) were the main sources of videos on cassava production and processing on YouTube. The major content of the video was on agronomic practices in cassava production (12.9%) and value addition (11.0%). Also, 66.0% of the videos had video description (descriptive texts), 36.8% had mobilizing information while 52.3%  had a video quality of 720p. Furthermore, 72.9% of the videos had between 1 to 7 minute runtime and these videos had more likes than dislikes with mean values of 92.8 and 5.6 respectively. The mean number of views, subscribers and comments were 11,138.1, 179,537.6 and 13.6, respectively. The presentation patterns in the videos were in form of news (24.5%) and documentary (20.0%). YouTube videos on cassava production and processing were well viewed with a substantial number of subscribers. More YouTube videos on cassava production and processing should be produced with varied contents by different stakeholders in the agricultural sector

Content of YouTube Videos on Cassava Production and Processing in Nigeria

This study examined content of YouTube videos on cassava production and processing posted in Nigeria between 2009 and 2019.  Purposive sampling method was used in selecting 155 YouTube videos with cassava production and processing contents. Primary data on video source, content, duration, quality, number of views, subscribers, likes, comments, presentation format and year of upload were obtained by watching these videos. Data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, means, standard deviation. Many (53.5%) of the videos were on processing of cassava, while most (80.0%) of the videos were relatively recent (2014 - 2019). Private individuals (38.7%) and media houses (34.2%) were the main sources of videos on cassava production and processing on YouTube. The major content of the video was on agronomic practices in cassava production (12.9%) and value addition (11.0%). Also, 66.0% of the videos had video description (descriptive texts), 36.8% had mobilizing information while 52.3%  had a video quality of 720p. Furthermore, 72.9% of the videos had between 1 to 7 minute runtime and these videos had more likes than dislikes with mean values of 92.8 and 5.6 respectively. The mean number of views, subscribers and comments were 11,138.1, 179,537.6 and 13.6, respectively. The presentation patterns in the videos were in form of news (24.5%) and documentary (20.0%). YouTube videos on cassava production and processing were well viewed with a substantial number of subscribers. More YouTube videos on cassava production and processing should be produced with varied contents by different stakeholders in the agricultural sector

Prevalence and associated factors of Plasmodium falciparum and soil transmitted helminth infections among pregnant women in Osun state, Nigeria

Background: Plasmodium falciparum and soil transmitted helminth (STHs) infection are widespread in sub-Sahara Africa, where co-infection is also common. This study assessed the prevalence of these infections and their risk factors among pregnant women in Osogbo, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 200 pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic were recruited. Plasmodium falciparum was detected using thick and thin film methods, while formol ether concentration method was used for STHs detection. A questionnaire was used to investigate the possible risk factors associated with acquisition of malaria and helminth infections. Results: The prevalence of P. falciparum, STHs and their co-infection was 29.5%, 12% and 5% respectively. P. falciparum, STHs and P. falciparum + STHs co-infection was significantly higher in primigravidae (52.5% vs 58.3% vs 80%) than in secongravidae (18.6% vs 25.0% vs 20%) and multigravidae (28.8% vs 16.7% vs 0%) (p=0.02). Prevalence associated factors identified for P. falciparum was age (p=0.0001) while gravidity (p=0.02) was identified for P. falciparum + STHs co-infection. Conclusion: High prevalence of P. falciparum and helminth infections was observed among the pregnant women with primigravidae being the most susceptible to co-infection. There is an urgent need to implement an effective malaria and STHs preventive method for this high risk population