Solid Wastes Composition and Generation in Selected Hotels at Aba and Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

A comparative study on solid wastes composition and generation in selected hotels in Umuahia and Aba metropolis of Abia state was conducted with a single factor experiment in randomized complete block design to determine the types and quantities of municipal solid waste generated at specific location in the two municipalities with three replications in both locations. The result shows Food/putrescible waste and glass/bottles are generated significantly higher than any other wastes types with mean values (73.44kg, 59.89kg 58.77kg, 54.61kg) and respectively in Aba and Umuahia city followed by plastic and polybags with significant low in inert and textile waste with mean value of (14.4kg, 22.03kg) and (13.12kg, 17.28kg) in Umuahia and Aba respectively. The study recommend that waste should be sorted out into their various components at source before disposal and emphasis should be laid on reuse for waste reduction, reuse and recycling of waste to mitigate the problem of waste in our cities.Keywords: Aba, Comparative Study, Hotels, Solid waste, waste compositio

A New And Simple Method Of Confirmatory Detection Of Mating In Albino Rats (Rattus norvegicus)

A new and simple method o detecting mated female albino rats was developed and tested for precision and accuracy. The method involved the gross observation of grey to yellowsh protein coagulates (remnants of the copulatory plug) on vaginal smears of mated females made on clean glass slides. Results o test of the new method showed that the mean length of time between observation of the protein coagulates on vaginal smears and delivery o the mated pregnant emales was 21.39 ± 0.11 days (range= 20 – 23 days, n = 58), whch concurred with the normal 21-day gestation length o rats. The coefficient ovariation (CV) of imprecision of the new methodwas found to be 3.74 %. This new method is simple, easy to apply and does not interfere with fertilization and pregnancy, and also does not involve either the use of specially designed rat cagesor microscopy of vaginal smears, which were the constraints of the former methods of confirming mating in rats. Keywords: Albino rats, Detection of mating, New method, Vaginal smearsAnimal Research International Vol. 3 (3) 2006 pp. 527-53

The Role of Universities in Human Capital Development: Implications for National Transformation

This study investigated the role of Universities in human capital development in Cross River State and its implication for national transformation. Ex-post facto design was adopted in the study. Two research questions and hypotheses respectively were raised to guide the study. A sample of 227 lecturers were drawn from a population of 1,517 lecturers from the two universities. The Role of Universities in Human Capital Development for National Transformation Questionnaire (TRUIHCDFNTQ) was used to generate data. The data were analyzed using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. From the results, it was concluded that opportunities for attending retraining programmes and conferences/workshops had significant relationship with lecturers’ transformation in terms of their teaching effectiveness and subsequent national transformation. Based on the findings it was recommended that; Government should provide funds to the universities to sponsor lecturers to attend retraining programmes. Keywords: The Role of Universities, Human Capital Development, National Transformation

Monitoring the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines into West Africa: design and implementation of a population-based surveillance system.

Routine use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) in developing countries is expected to lead to a significant reduction in childhood deaths. However, PCVs have been associated with replacement disease with non-vaccine serotypes. We established a population-based surveillance system to document the direct and indirect impact of PCVs on the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and radiological pneumonia in those aged 2 months and older in The Gambia, and to monitor changes in serotype-specific IPD. Here we describe how this surveillance system was set up and is being operated as a partnership between the Medical Research Council Unit and the Gambian Government. This surveillance system is expected to provide crucial information for immunisation policy and serves as a potential model for those introducing routine PCV vaccination in diverse settings

The use of dexamethasone in animals: implication for fertility, pregnancy and extrapolation of the animal data to humans

Exposure to dexamethasone causes numerous changes in various biological systems including the reproductive system and this has huge implication on fertility and pregnancy. Maternal dexamethasone administration promotes foetal lung maturation and thermoregulation in premature foetuses. This indication makes dexamethasone a drug of choice in maternal and neonatal human and veterinary health care. In addition, dexamethasone is widely used in human and veterinary medicine as potent anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive and analgesic drug in all age categories. Although the safety profile of short term dexamethasone treatment has been established, there has been growing concern about the long term effects of dexamethasone therapy and its implication on fertility and pregnancy in animals and humans. Most of the indications or uses in humans are extrapolated from animal data. This necessitates the need to provide review updates of current literature on dexamethasone use in humans and animals as there are many intrinsic differences between humans and animals. The review provides an overview of dexamethasone uses, its merits and demerits on animal pregnancy and fertility and implication on extrapolation of the animal data to humans. The review is based on a comprehensive literature search of relevant materials between 1969 and 2016 as well as authors’ personal manuscript/abstract files and citations of known references and discussed according to the multidisciplinary clinical experience of the authors. Although low-dose dexamethasone treatment has been used in veterinary and human clinics for many years and produced no severe effect on vital functions, repetitive high dose or long-term therapy may be associated with more serious sequelae on fertility and pregnancy. While no animal truly recapitulates human pregnancy and fertility, it is recommended that results from animal data be subjected to rigorous preclinical pharmacokinetic scaling processes to justify possible extrapolation to humans.Keywords: Animals, Dexamethasone, Fertility, Humans, Pregnanc

Rupture of an incisional hernia with evisceration of the gut: A case report

Spontaneous rupture of the abdominal wall hernia is very rare and usually occurs in incisional and recurrent groin hernias. Here, we report the case of rupture of a large incisional hernia with the evisceration of small bowel in a 56-year-old female. This surgical emergency was successfully managed using the current standard tension-free prosthetic mesh

Toxicity study of diethyl phthalate on Clarias gariepinus fingerlings

Diethyl Phthalate (DEP) is used as a plasticizer, a detergent base, in aerosol sprays, as a perfume binder and after shave lotion. It is known to be a contaminant of fresh water and marine ecosystem. Therefore, a study was designed to determine the acute toxicity effects of DEP on a fresh water fish, Clarias gariepinus fingerlings. The fish was treated with 50, 75, 100 and 150 μg/l. DEP was dissolved in distilled water to determine the LC50. There was 100% mortality observed in 150 μg/l. The LC50 of DEP was estimated at log toxicant concentration as 2.217, 2.734, 3.435 and 3.931 μg/l at 24, 48, 72, 96 h and 1.871μg/l for the total death. This shows that the impacts are dose and time dependent with respect to marked reduction in mortality rate. At sub-lethal concentrations of the test substance at 30, 40, 60 and 80 μg/l in a renewal bioassay system, the water and the test compound were changed intermittently. One group was maintained as a control in dechlorinated water. There was significant difference (P < 0.05) in brain and muscle AchE activity compared to the control. The liver ACP activity was statistically significant (P < 0.05) at day 15 while the muscle ACP in other treatment groups showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). Liver AST showed no significance in all treated groups (P > 0.05) and liver ALT activity was statistically significant (P < 0.05) at day 30 only. The haematological parameters (HB, PCV, RBC and WBC) carried out showed that haemoglobin and erythrocyte levels estimated in all treatment groups to the duration of exposure showed no significant difference (P > 0.05) compared to the control. The park cell volume showed a significant difference (P < 0.05) at day 30 only. The leucocyte count throughout the exposure period showed that the mean values are statistically significant (P < 0.05) at day 15 only compared to the control. The mean cell volume (MCV) showed a significant difference at day 15 (P < 0.05) whereas mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) and mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) showed no significant difference (P > 0.05) throughout the exposure period. No significant difference was seen between the lymphocytes and the neutrophils. In day 0 and 15 only, the monocytes and the lymphocytes showed a significant difference (P < 0.05). The gill damages indicated toxicity of DEP with raised lamella, oedema of the lamella epithelia, loss of lamellar epithelium, mild oedema and raising of the filament. The liver damage showed focal necrosis and vacuolization, hepatocyte degeneration in the liver. These alterations may have long term effects on that that are continuously exposed to DEP in the aquatic environment.Keywords: Diethyl phthalate, Clarias gariepinus, acute toxicity, sublethal toxicity, heamatology, biochemical, histopathology, environment

Survey of Trace Elements and Some Heavy Metals in Goats in Zaria and its Environs, Kaduna State

The aim of this study was to determine the trace minerals in the serum of goats in Zaria and its environs, and to find out the levels of lead and cadmium in the serum of these goats, so as to see if they can serve as biomonitors of pollution. A total of 120 goats were sampled from eight different locations randomly and their serum assayed for trace elements, lead and cadmium using the atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The values obtained were: lead 0.259 ± 0.470mg/L, cadmium 0.006 ± 0.004 mg/L, chromium 0.072 ± 0.064 mg/L, copper 0.089 ± 0.060 mg/L, iron 0.229 ± 0.180 mg/L, zinc 0.256 ± 0.266 mg/L, nickel 0.127 ± 0.086 mg/L, cobalt 0.135 ± 0.095 mg/L, manganese 0.042 ± 0.031 mg/L. Lead was above acceptable levels, cadmium was at acceptable levels, zinc, copper, iron and nickel were deficient, chromium was marginally deficient, while cobalt and manganese were normal. The effects of breed, sex, age and locations were generally not significant. The values obtained from lead is of public health significance, since these goats are sources of food to people in the immediate environment, and also this implies that people in the immediate environment are also exposed to the same sources of lead. There should be regular seromonitoring of blood lead levels in man and animals, and farmers should be enlightened on the need to augment the feeding of their animal with mineral supplements.Key words: Heavy metal; trace element; goat; lead; seromonitoring