Molluscicidal Activity of Aqueous Extract of Leaves, Stem Back and Roots of Desert date (Balanite Egyptiaca Del.) against common Liver Fluke (Fasciola Hepatica) found in the Snail (Lymnea natalensis)

Studies were conducted on molluscicidal activities of aqueous extract of leaves stem back and roots of Balanite aegyptiaca against adult Lymnea natalensis, using standard methods. The intermediate host of the helminth Fasciola hepatica. Snail mortalities were compared between each plant part and snail species and LC50 and LC90 values for the plant part tested were recorded .The result obtained showed that the leave extract was more susceptible to the death of snail species Lymnea natalensis. Comparing the LC50 and LC90 the leaves extract showed the highest molluscicidal activity followed by the stem bark and root extracts. Desert date plant shows mollucicidal activities however it is found to be concentration- depended

Determination of the constituents and suitability of Azara barytes for industrial applications

Azara baryte was analyzed and had an average specific gravity of 4.3g/cm3 and loss on ignition of 1.71wt%. Atomic Absorption spectrometery was used to determine the Fe2O3,Al2O3 and BaO contents. SiO2 and SO3 were determined by gravimetry while CaO, MgO, Na2O and K2O were determined by flame photometry. The percentage average values for the chemical oxides in the baryte samples were BaO (57.29wt%), SO3(25.99wt%), CaO(1.40wt%), MgO(0.40wt%), Fe2O3(3.46wt%), Al2O3(0.97wt%), Na2O(2.82wt%), K2O(0.30wt%) and SiO2(6.23wt%). These results indicate that Azara baryte lies within the range for use in glass production and as a filler or extender in paint and rubber production, but will require further beneficiation in order to be a suitable component of oil drill mud.Keywords: Azara Baryte, Specific gravity, Gravimetery, Atomic Absorption Spectrometery. Flame photometry

Evaluation of the Phytoplanktons Species Diversity, Distribution and Physicochemical Characteristics of Pindiga Pond in Gombe State of Nigeria

Studies were conducted on the diversity, distribution and physicochemical characteristics of phytoplanktons of Pindiga Pond. Water and phytoplankton samples were collected for three months at ten (10) days interval. The objective of the present research is to determine the phytoplanktons distribution and physicochemical characteristics of the Pond. Standard procedures were adopted for determination of physicochemical parameters viz; Temperature, pH, Transparency, Conductivity, Nitrate, Phosphate, Dissolved oxygen (DO), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD).These physicochemical characteristics were observed to have varied within the period of the study. Seventeen (17) genus, Thirteen (13) orders, four (4) classes, and four (4) division of phytoplankton were identified, and the class Bacillariophyceae (46 %) was the highest percentage recorded during the study, Chlorophyceae (32 %), Euglenophyceae (19 %) and Cyanophyceae (3%) the least in occurrence and distribution. The study also revealed that pindiga pond had luxuriant phytoplanktons flora, diverse and seasonal with fluctuating pattern of physicochemical characteristics recorded. The physicochemical characteristics were also within productive limit in Pindiga pond.Key words: Phytoplanktons, Diversity, Distribution, Pon

Repositioning the Facilities in Technical College Workshops for Efficiency: A Case Study of North Central Nigeria

This article focuses on assessing the facilities in Government Technical College workshops in the context of a developing country. A descriptive survey design was adopted. Two research questions and a hypothesis were formulated to guide the study. A 35-item questionnaire was developed based on the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) standards on Technical College workshops, and was validated by three experts. Data was collected from 101 administrators, 140 teachers, and 24 workshop personnel randomly sampled and stratified along trades in 19 Government Technical Colleges in North Central Nigeria. Mean was employed to answer the research questions while one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to test the hypothesis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysis. Results revealed that administrators, teachers, and workshop personnel shared similar views on inadequacy of facilities in Technical College workshops. It was therefore recommended that: The private sector should be encouraged to initiate and participate in the provision of facilities using such methods as build operate-and-transfer (BOT), build own-operate and transfer (BOOT) and rehabilitate-operate and transfer (ROT); special intervention funds should be set aside by Government for procurement of workshop facilities to technical colleges, such channels may include Education Tax Fund (ETF) as practiced in Nigeria; Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Parent Teacher Association (PTA), and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) should be asked for support in supplying relevant facilities to the workshops as obtained in some nations; and that a specific percentage of income tax generated annually by the Government should be utilized for provision of workshop facilities in technical colleges

A study of the physico-chemistry and mineralogy of Agbaja clay for its industrial application

Agbaja clay was analyzed for its physico-chemical and x-ray properties to ascertain its suitability for ceramic, refractory and other industrial applications. The clay was found to be predominantly composed of Al2O3 (38.68%), SiO2 (39.47%) alkali oxides (0.61%). It had a pH value of 6.61, an Atterberg Plasticity Index of 15.45%. X – ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis showed kaolinite as the main mineral phase while Halloysite and Illite were the accessory minerals present. Agbaja clay is suitable for use in the production of super-heat duty refractory materials and vitreous ceramic wares. It is also suitable for use in the paper, rubber, plastic and pharmaceutical industries. The clay color changed from milk white to light grey upon firing.Keywords: Agbaja Clay, Atterberg Plasticity Index, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffractio

Screening for Total Carotenoids and &#946-Carotene in Some Widely Consumed Vegetables in Nigeria

Ten different locally grown and widely consumed vegetables were selected for the screening of total carotenoids and â-carotene contents. The pigments were extracted by solvent extraction and the concentrations determined using UV-visible spectrophotometer. Carrot (Daucus carota) has the highest values of both the total carotenoids (397.8 ± 2.0 ìg/g) and â-carotene (203.0 ìg/g). Squash (C. moschata) has the lowest concentrations of total carotenoids (20.3 ± 2.0 ìg/g) while cabbage has the lowest â-carotene (24.41 ± 9.8 ìg/g). These vegetables, if properly processed, may serve as good sources of provitamin A in addition to other nutritional roles. The potentials of these vegetables as candidates for biofortification with â -carotene for the eradication of vitamin A deficiency were discussed.Keywords: Vegetables, Carotenoids, â-carotene, Vitamin A deficienc

Effect of honey and intensity of swimming exercise on semen parameters of male albino Wistar rats

Background: The impairment of male fertility has been linked to exercise in a volume‑, intensity‑, and modality‑dependent manner. Infertility is a worldwide problem and male factor infertility is found to be increased. Chronic administration of honey results in elevating sorbitol dehydrogenase activity and decreases lactose dehydrogenase activity, which was found to be in abundance in spermatids and spermatozoa, and a decrease in this enzyme significantly affects the semen parameters and decreases ATP synthesis due to oxidative stress.Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of honey and intensity of swimming exercise on semen parameters of male albino Wistar rats.Methodology: A randomized control trial study was adopted involving 50 sexually mature male Wistar rats (180 ± 20 g). The selected rats were divided into five groups of 10 rats each: group I served as normal control while group II was induced with honey only and served as study control. Groups III–V were study groups induced orally with 7.5 mL/kg of honey twice per week for 8 weeks and exposed to mild, moderate, and high‑intensity swimming exercises 5 days/week for 8 weeks, respectively.Results: Chronic oral administration of pure honey showed that motility, viability, sperm count, and semen morphology were significantly lower, and percentages of abnormal morphology were found to be significantly higher (P < 0.05) in group IIcompared with normal control rats (group I). There was a significant decrease in motility, viability, and morphology in group V when compared with groups I, III, and IV. However, they were significantly higher when compared with test control group. The decrease was found to be swimming exercise time‑dependent.Conclusion: Chronic consumption of pure honey has a deleterious effect on semen parameters, and mild, moderate, and intensity swimming exercises were found to have a positive effect of induced semen parameters of male albino Wistar rats.Keywords: Exercise; honey; intensity; semen; Wistar rat

Measurement of Radon Concentration in Water Sources around Ririwai Artisanal Tin Mine Kano State, Nigeria

In this work liquid scintillation analysis was used to measure the concentration of 222Rn in three sources of water around Ririwai Artisanal Tin mine. The annual effective dose due to 222Rn concentration in surface water source and Domestic water were also determined. The result shows that the tailing bearing water has the highest 222Rn concentration of 3.04±0.14 Bq/L followed by surface water source with 222Rn concentration of 2.51±0.13 Bq/L while the Domestic water has the lowest 222Rn concentration of 2.23±0.11 Bq/L. The results also indicated that the annual effective dose due to the 222Rn concentration is higher in surface water with 13.05±0.55 mSv/year than in Domestic water with 11.11 ± 0.44mSv/year. The mean 222Rn concentration obtained in this work is lower than 10.00Bq/L recommended by WHO and UNSCEAR. Also in this study the annual effective dose obtained is lower than the maximum permissible of 0.1mSv/year recommended by UNSCEAR. Keywords: Radionuclide, activity concentration and annual effective dos

Promjene serumskih proteina, hematološki i neki biokemijski pokazatelji u sahelske koze tijekom bređosti

The effects of pregnancy on haematological and some biochemical parameters were studied using 30 (25 pregnant of known gestational age, while five animals remained as cycling non-pregnant control) Sahel does aged between 1½ to 2½ years and managed under controlled conditions. Their weights ranged between 14 to 25 kg. Red blood cell and the white blood cell counts were the only haematological parameters that showed a significant (P0.05) in the other biochemical parameters determined, namely: Na, Ka, Ca, Total proteins, FFA, Urea, Creatinine, AST, ALT, and Alkaline phosphatase. The present study indicates that haematological and mineral imbalances are unlikely to occur during pregnancy in Sahel does when properly managed.Učinci bređosti na hematološke i neke biokemijske pokazatelje istraženi su na 30 (25 bređih s poznatim trajanjem bređosti i pet kontrolnih nebređih) sahelskih koza u dobi od 1,5 do 2,5 godine držanih pod kontroliranim uvjetima. Njihove mase kretale su se od 14 do 25 kg. Od hematoloških pokazatelja jedino je broj crvenih krvnih stanica i broj bijelih krvnih stanica bio značajno promijenjen (P0,05) u koncentraciji drugih određivanih biokemijskih pokazatelja: Na, Ka, Ca, ukupnih proteina, FFA, mokraćevine, kreatinina, aspartatne aminotransferaze (AST), alaninske aminotransferaze (ALT) i alkalne fosfataze. Istraživanje pokazuje da se tijekom bređosti pravilno držanih sahelskih koza ne javljaju promjene hematoloških pokazatelja i sadržaja minerala