A Comparison of SSCE Questions Set by the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council, Nigeria

The purpose of this study was to compare the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) essay questions set by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) in terms of how much they were distributed across the various levels of the cognitive domain. To this effect, the essay question papers set by WAEC and NECO in Biology, Chemistry and Economics in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 were obtained. These questions were analyzed by three experts in Measurement and Evaluation in terms of how many of them fell under the various levels of the cognitive domain. The result showed that for both examining bodies, most of the questions were knowledge and comprehension questions. When the distributions of the questions across the various levels of the cognitive domain, set by WAEC and NECO were compared, no significant difference was obtained. The conclusion therefore is that, as far as the distribution of questions across the levels of the cognitive domain is concerned, WAEC and NECO are similar

Analyses of the physicochemical and microbiological qualities of selected sachet water brands in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria

This study analyzed the physicochemical and microbiological qualities of five sachet water brands that are mostly consumed in Awka. The researchers used respective meters for determination of physical parameters, an atomic absorption spectrophotometer machine for heavy metals determination and streak-plate method for the determination of microbiological parameters. The five sachet water brands that were used for the study were elicited from the respondents in Awka using a questionnaire. Averaged results of the physicochemical parameters of the selected sachet water brands showed that pH yielded 6.86, electrical conductivity yielded 0.2304μS/m, turbidity yielded 0.0082NTU, total dissolved solids yielded 55.62mg/l, and total suspended solids yielded 42.98mg/l. In addition, averaged results of the heavy metal parameters for the selected sachet water brands showed that lead yielded 0.0178mg/l, cadmium yielded 0.0088mg/l, copper yielded 0.0146mg/l, iron yielded 2.28mg/l, zinc yielded 1.044mg/l, chromium yielded 0.0298mg/l and cobolt yielded 1.0366mg/l. Results of the microbiological parameters showed that for total count, Aqua-Rapha yielded 11 x 105MPN/100ml, Ben-Lovers yielded 46 x 103MPN/100ml, Rock-Tama yielded 48 x 103MPN/100ml, Ice-Pack yielded 99 x 102MPN/100ml and Marvel yielded 84 x 103MPN/100ml. The study recommended that sachet water vending machines should be properly disinfected to guard against indicator organisms entraining into them which can serve as sources of sachet water contamination. Keywords: analyses, microbiological, physicochemical, quality, sachet water, Awka

Analyses of the physicochemical and microbiological qualities of selected sachet water brands in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria

This study analyzed the physicochemical and microbiological qualities of five sachet water brands that aremostly consumed in Onitsha. The researchers used respective meters for the physical parameters, an atomicabsorption spectrophotometer machine for the heavy metal determinations and streak-plate method for thedetermination of microbiological parameters. The five sachet water brands that were used for the study wereelicited from the respondents in Onitsha using a questionnaire. Averaged results of the physicochemicalparameters showed that pH yielded 5.56, electrical conductivity yielded 0.2286μS/m, turbidity yielded0.0058NTU, total dissolved solids yielded 54.28mg/l and total suspended solids yielded 35.3mg/l. In addition,averaged results of the heavy metal parameters showed that lead yielded 0.0108mg/l, cadmium yielded0.0284mg/l, copper yielded 0.0386mg/l, iron yielded 2.15mg/l, zinc yielded 0.738mg/l, chromium yielded0.0412mg/l and cobolt yielded 0.0902mg/l. Results of the microbiological parameters showed that for totalcount, Olek yielded 79 x 103MPN/100ml, Nation yielded 48 x 103MPN/100ml, De-beste yielded 19 x104MPN/100ml, Jemok yielded 66 x 103MPN/100ml and Aqua-Rapha yielded 98 x 102MPN/100ml. Thestudy recommended that the qualities of sachet water brands should be in line with NSDWQ standards with aview to raising standard in the industry and reassuring the public of the safety of these products for publicconsumption. Keywords: analyses, microbiological, Onitsha, physicochemical, quality, sachet water

Effect of maternal administration of betamethasone on peripheral arterial development in fetal rabbit lungs

Objectives: Glucocorticoids promote lung maturation and reduce the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome in premature newborns. We hypothesized that betamethasone (BM), which is known to induce thinning of the alveolar walls, would also thin the arterial media and adventitia of intra-parenchymatic vessels in developing rabbit lungs. Study Design: 112 fetuses from 21 time-mated, pregnant, giant white rabbits received maternal injections of BM at either 0.05 or 0.1 mg/kg/day on days 25-26 of gestational age. Controls received either saline (10 does, 56 fetuses) or no injection (10 does, 59 fetuses). Fetuses were harvested from day 27 onwards until term (day 31). 44 additional fetuses (8 does) were harvested between days 23 and 26. Endpoints were wet lung-to-body weight ratio, vascular morphometric indices and immunohistochemistry staining for α-smooth muscle actin, Flk-1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). ANOVA (Tukey's test) and independent t test (p < 0.05) were used for comparison between BM and saline groups. Results: Maternal BM injected on days 25-26 to pregnant rabbits induced a significant decrease in fetal body and lung weight and the lung-to-body weight ratio in the preterm pups shortly after injection. BM led to a dose-dependent thinning of the arterial media and adventitia (pulmonary arteries with an external diameter (ED) of <100 μm), to an increase in the percentage of non-muscularized peripheral vessels (ED <60 μm), in eNOS and VEGF immunoreactivity of the endothelial and smooth muscle cells in the pulmonary vessels and to an increase in Flk-1-positive pulmonary epithelial cell density. Conclusions: Maternal administration of BM caused thinning of the arterial wall of pulmonary vessels (ED <100 μm) and a decrease in muscularization in peripheral vessels (ED <60 μm). This coincided with increased expression of Flk-1 in the endothelium and smooth muscle cells of the pulmonary arteries. All the effects studied were dose-dependent. Copyrigh