The potentials for commercial production of fish feeds in Nigeria

Studies in fish feed technology revealed that there is a potential for big time investment into fish feed production and marketing in view of the growing awareness of fish farming in Nigeria. Intensification of aquaculture is one of the primary methods of food (finfish) production which requires technical knowledge and expertise in the formulation and manufacture of adequate feeds for the cultured species. Studies also revealed that all sort of food items were used by fish farmers ranging from animal dung, groundnut cake etc, to culture fish to table size because of non-availability of rightly prepared feeds. Inadequate knowledge of detailed requirements of tropical cultured species was found to pose a hindrance to formulation despite the fact that a lot has been accumulated in terms of biochemical and nutritive values of food sources in Nigeria. The investigation further revealed the challenges posed to researchers in aquaculture, fish nutritionists and fisheries biologists among others to elucidate the complete requirements of local fish species in terms of their protein, lipid and carbohydrate requirements such that their patents could be made available to companies like PFIZER, IBRU etc, and individuals alike to make commercialization of fish feeds a realit

P3.390 Factors Predicting Attitude of First Year University Students towards STI and HIV in Ogun State,Nigeria

Background Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) are global problems and currently over 100 million STIs occur each year in people within the 15–24 age bracket. Young people between ages 15 and 24 also account for more than fifty (50) percent of all HIV infections throughout the worl

Attitude of Counsellors towards undergoing HIV Voluntary Counselling and Testing in Ado-Odo/Ota, Nigeria

This study was an investigation into the attitude of counsellors who offer HIV pre and post counselling. Sixteen counsellors who offer HIV pre-post-test counselling were identified from the preliminary field work, of these, 9 counsellors who reported they had not presented for HIV/AIDS testing were identified and 7 eventually participated in the study. The participants were active counsellors, 27 through 46 years of age, who provided HIV pre-post-test counselling services. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select the participants. The non-scheduled structured interview was employed for data collection while the cross case method was used to analyze the data. The study found that the participants possessed negative attitude towards undergoing voluntary HIV/AIDS testing though they acknowledged the importance of HIV/AIDS test. The participants identified fear of being HIV/AIDS positive, lack of confidentiality and knowledge of HIV/AIDS as barriers to their undergoing HIV/AIDS test. Being counselled by a professional counsellor/ psychologist or someone living with HIV/AIDS, feeling too sick or being pregnant were highlighted as factors that may facilitate their undergoing HIV/AIDS test. It was also found that HIV/AIDS counsellors are as vulnerable to HIV/AIDS as the general population. Counsellors who by their training or job schedule encourage others to undergo HIV test were themselves unwilling to test for HIV. In conclusion, counsellors are advised to undergo voluntary HIV/AIDS test. Key words: HIV/AIDS counsellors, attitude, HIV/AIDS VCT, interview, confidentiality

Prevalence and Patterns of Gender Violence: Major Variables in the Exposure to HIV/AIDS among Women in Nigeria

This study was carried out among 183 women in Ilorin metropolis, Nigeria. The study was designed to examine prevalence and patterns of gender violence and its relationship with sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS among women. Four research questions and two hypotheses were raised. Frequency counts and percentages, Pearson’s r and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data. The results show that cultural belief, traditional values and superstitions were responsible for acts of violence against women in Nigeria. Others are non-assertiveness and fear of marriage breakup. The study revealed that the most prevalent form of violence against women is physical (78%), closely followed by sexual violence (42%). Polygyny (78%) and cultural belief, traditional values and superstitions (75%) were responsible for the exposure of women to HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. The first hypothesis which states that there will be a significant difference in the perception of gender violence based on type of occupation was accepted and the second which states that there is a significant relationship between prevalence of gender violence and exposure to HIV/AIDS was also accepted. To curb the incidence of gender violence, the study highlighted the need for cultural reorientation, socialization, assertiveness training and legislation. The position of this paper is that violence in all its ramifications is unacceptable, that no Nigerian woman deserves to be physically battered, deprived of sex (as punishment), forced into coitus, or made to suffer psychologically. Key Words: Gender Violence, Exposure to HIV/AIDS, Culture, polygamy and Women

Teachers Social Feedback on Test Performance of Primary School Pupils

This study investigated the effect of teachers’ social feedback on test performance of pupils. The study adopted the between-subject experimental design. Social feedback perception scale (SFPS) was designed and employed to measure the effect of teacher’s social feedback on the participants. Participants age ranges between 7 and 10 years (average age = 8.17 years). There were eight male and ten female pupils randomly selected from a private primary school in Ota, Ogun State. The odd-even number separation method was employed to place the participants into either the experimental or control groups. Two hypotheses were formulated for the study. The study found a significant effect of teachers social feedback on students’ perception (U = 33.500, N1 = 9, N2 = 9, p< 0.05, one-tailed) and a significant difference in perception of teachers social feedback among pupils based on gender (U = 27.571, N1 = 8, N2 = 10, p< 0.05, one-tailed). Both hypotheses were accepted. Consequent upon these findings, teachers are encouraged to use social feedback as it has a positive effect on pupil’s test performanc

Attribution Patterns, Attitude and Knowledge of HIV/AIDS on Sexual Behavioural Change Among Students of Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria

Sexual behavioural change is central to HIV/AIDS control programme. This study was carried out among students (n = 603; average age = 18.9) of Covenant University, Nigeria. The study was designed to examine the impact of attribution patterns, attitude and knowledge of HIV/AIDS on sexual behavioural change. Three hypotheses were raised. Regression analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson’s r were used to analyze the data. The results show that attribution patterns and attitude towards HIV did not influence sexual behavioural change. In effect, knowledge of HIV was the best predictor of sexual behavioural change of respondents. The study also revealed that there was a significant effect of gender on sexual behavioural change of respondents while there was no significant effect of age. Another result shows that there was a strong correlation between perceived benefits and all the other variables. Fourteen percent (14%) of the respondents are sexually active, 520 or 86% indicated they are not sexually active. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of the respondents do not know of anyone who is HIV positive or died from AIDS while 11% knows someone who is HIV positive or had died from AIDS related complications. This study shows that young people using the perceived benefits variable in the Health Belief Model (HBM) coupled with adequate knowledge of HIV knowledge have the power and ability to change their risky sexual behaviour. Key words: Attribution patterns, Attitude, Knowledge, HIV/AIDS, Students, Young people, Perceived benefits and Sexual behavioural change

Design and Development of Vapor Absorption Refrigeration System for Rural Dwellers

In this study, the experimental analysis of the performance of vapor absorption system was developed and developed. The influence of generator, evaporator and condenser’s temperatures on the system performance was studied using gas burner as source of energy, ammonia-water combination as working fluid and energy equations as governing equations for the work. There was variation in the results when compared with the earlier worker who used kerosene burner as source of energy and ammonia-water combination. Result of this study shows that if higher cooling capacity and also lower evaporator`s temperature are desired from the system, generator`s temperature should be increased considerably. Also the combination of an analyzer, rectifier and heat exchanger would produce better COP of the Syste

Performance Evaluation of Two Palm Kernel Nut Cracker Machines

In this study performance evaluation of centrifugal impact approach and vertical palm kernel nut cracker machine was carried out. The results of the study show that the vertical centrifugal palm kernel cracker is more efficient than the centrifugal impact approach palm kernel cracker. The efficiency of Vertical centrifugal palm kernel cracker is 71.3% and that of centrifugal impact approach is 50.38%. Apart from this, the vertical centrifugal machine though has low speed but it produces clean and neat nut cracked output

PSYCHO-CULTURAL VARIABLES PREDICTING ATTITUDE OF STUDENTS’ TOWARDS HIV COUNSELLING AND TESTING IN SELECTED TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA.

The aim of the present study was to assess attitude of young people (n=287, mean=20.5 years) towards testing for HIV/AIDS. The participants completed a standard socio-demographic questionnaire, indicating sexual behaviour, cultural beliefs and practices, attitude to HCT, and knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Descriptive and inferential statistics at 0.05 alpha level were used to analyze the data. The study indicates that most participants have poor knowledge of HCT centres in their communities, but had a fairly high knowledge level of HIV. The findings of this study include that there is a significant difference in the disposition to HCT between respondents who have experienced sexual intercourse and those who have not (t = 3.866, df = 285: p0.05). The present study challenged the adequacy of reproductive health knowledge available to Nigerian students and based on the findings in this study, it was recommended that young people should be sufficiently enlightened and counselled on the imperative of HIV counselling and testing

To be a child without the protections of innocence: the repercussions of the adultification of black youth by school teachers in the United States education system

Black children in America’s schools are the main targets of harsh disciplinary policies and actions that directly push students outside of the classroom and in contact with the criminal justice system. According to a study conducted at Yale University, beginning from pre- kindergarten, black children in state funded schools are twice as likely than white and Latino children to be expelled, and are over five times as likely than Asian-American students to be expelled.1 This trend begins in the earliest stages of a black child’s educational experience, and extends to the end, high school graduation, for those who make it to that milestone. This research examines how black school-aged children are disproportionately susceptible to the discrimination and exclusion of zero tolerance policies because they are revoked of the protections of innocence that accompany childhood. This work researches the extent to which teachers contribute to adultification. Using Boston area schools as a case study, I test the hypotheses that (1) teachers view black students as older and less innocent than their white peers (2) when teachers encounter black children, in terms of disciplinary action, they treat them differently than white children (3) teachers’ attitudes about race correlate with their attitudes about zero tolerance policies and (4) the gender of the child as well as their race has significant effects on the above analyses. Building on previous literature that details the racial disparities in school suspension and expulsion rates, and studies that reveal that black children are seen as older, my research goes further and expects that within the school environment, teachers contribute to the adultification of black children. Hence when teachers encounter black children, they treat them more like adults, and this in turn feeds into their support and/or adoption of zero tolerance policies being used on black children as opposed to their white peers. Through this study I find evidence that black boys were viewed by most teachers as 4 years older than their black girl and white counterparts. Also significant to the study is the finding that teachers express an overall incompetent understanding of zero tolerance school discipline policies; nonetheless their attitudes on race do correlate with their views about zero tolerance policies. Lastly, when teachers encounter students of different races they perceive the children differently, although this does not necessarily lead to significant differences in their perceived support for teacher’s enacting harsh punishment, it does influence assumptions of innocence or accountability for the student and hence alter the ways in which they perceive, interpret, and explain identical behaviors enacted by both black and white school children