Spatial distribution of saline water and possible sources of intrusion into a tropical freshwater lagoon and the transitional effects on the lacustrine ichthyofaunal diversity

The spatial distribution of saline water and possible sources of intrusion into Lekki lagoon and transitional effects on the lacustrine ichthyofaunal characteristics were studied during March, 2006 and February, 2008. The water quality analysis indicated that, salinity has drastically increased recently in the lagoon (0.007 to 4.70%). This study has identified three possible sources for saline water intrusion, beyond the seasonal input from the two adjacent lagoons (Lagos and Mahin), salt water intrusion by subsurface flow through the barrier beach from the ocean, and leaching of ions through lagoon bottom sediments. Eighty one fish species belonging to 40 families, 56 genera and 14 orders encountered were mostly freshwater, euryhaline and marine species adapted to life in the lagoon. The shell fish included the freshwater prawns Macrobrachium spp and the portunid crab Callinectes amnicola. This high number of fish species recorded from Lekki Lagoon in this study has confirmed the fact that this lagoon is a transition area between brackish water (Lagos Lagoon and Mahin Creek) and freshwater (Rivers Saga and Oshun).Key words: Spatial distribution, saline water, lacustrine, ichthyofaunal, diversity

An evaluation of Iken fishing strategy in tropical Lekki lagoon, Nigeria

This paper presents the results of the investigations of the fish aggregating device which served as fisheries enhancement techniques for the improvement of the productivity of the Lekki Lagoon between March 2006 and February 2008. The performance of the floating Island (Iken fishery) depends on the size and the thickness. Chrysichythys nigrodigitatus contributed 25.51, 23.42 and 25.19% of the total weight of fish from floating Island with water hyacinth, Vossia sp and Cyperus sp dominant plant respectively. Tilapia guineensis contributed 17.0, 21.55 and 23.18% for water hyacinth, Vossia sp and Cyperus sp as dominant plant respectively. The fishing with acoustic yielded the highest catch by weight (47.22%) followed by fishing without acoustics (33.33%) with the least recorded in the open lagoon (19.44%). Management measures to maintain optimal production from Iken fishery should include the use of luxuriant water hyacinth which will reduce deforestation and erosion of the mangrove belt. The community managed resource enhancement should evolve from the existing traditional practices to meet both economic and social objectives as a major management strategy.Key words: Fish shelter, fish aggregating devices, Iken fishery

Cast net design characteristics, catch composition and selectivity in tropical open lagoon

Cast net design characteristics, construction, operational techniques and selectivity in Lagos lagoon, Nigeria was examined between September and December 2005. Netting materials for cast netconstruction in Lagos lagoon were monofilament nylon, poly-ethylene (PE) and polyester (PES). The conventional ratio 1:2 of the number of meshes in the length of the apical panel to the second was notadopted by the fishermen. The cast net length was 1.77 m and net mouth area was 4.99 m2. Twenty-one fish species belonging to 19 families were caught during the study period. Sarotherodon melanotheron was numerically most abundant in Lagos lagoon. Numerically, more fish specimens were caught at night than daytime. The higher the effort (throw) the more the cast net catches. The condition factor (K) of fishes in the lagoon ranged between 0.27 and 3.0. The crustacean had the overall highest condition factor. A total of 1,501 specimens (30 kg) at N 4, 500 (USD 32.14) were caught for 11 trips (247 casts) for 38.7 h. The Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) (number of catch per cast) ranged between 0 and 6; the average number of cast per hour was 6. Cast net was not species specific. The smallest fish (S. melanotheron) had a burst speed of 51 cm per second while the largest (L. falcipinnis) had a maximum burst speed of 262 cm per second. Cast net was selective for shallow water species. Cast nets durability ranged from 3 months to 3 years depending on the netting material and the environment where it is operated

Investigating the effects of sub-anesthetic nitrous oxide exposure on EEG features

The human brain has one of the most complex networks in the world. Neuroscience attempts to address this complexity by studying the function of the regular nervous system and the effects of neurological, neurodevelopmental, and psychiatric disorders. Major depressive disorder is a known clinical condition plaguing millions today. Some research seeks to give insight into the mechanisms and therapeutic processes of clinical depression. There has been some evidence that nitrous oxide relieves depression symptoms in some subjects, but little is known about how nitrous gas affects brain interactions after anaesthesia. In this work, continuous and intermittent EEG data of subjects induced with the gas were pre-processed to remove prevalent noise and separated into even window trials according to a pipeline. It was possible to evaluate the effects of the circumstances on brain connections since the weight phase lag index had the greater statistical power to identify phase synchronization alterations and was least sensitive to additional noise sources that are uncorrelated. Graph analysis of EEG data shows that nitrous oxide alters brain connectivity on a varied scale. The strength of these changes differs among the subjects and frequency bands considered, but all subjects' neural interactions were consistently altered by nitrous oxide. The effects of nitrous oxide on the EEG were evident in both groups, with some participants exhibiting increased delta connectivity values. After anaesthesia, a noticeable decline in beta band connection strength was observed in individuals in the continuous group. Small data size, sensor-level data and lack of preceding research are potential limitations of this work. With more participants, data points and source-level data analysis, a more comprehensive understanding of nitrous oxide's effect on the brain may be possible. This thesis does not, therefore, make any general assertions about the use of nitrous oxide as an antidepressant. However, the methods developed in this work will be beneficial in further study of this investigation

Reasons for delay in accessing free treatment of obstetric fistula in South-East Nigeria – A qualitative study

Obstetric fistula continues to be a menace in Nigeria and other low- and middle-income countries. The national policy for its elimination makes surgical repair free in dedicated national centres. However, the majority of the clients present late for repair. The aim of the study was to explore the reasons for this delay in seeking treatment. It was a qualitative (exploratory) study carried out at the National Obstetric Fistula Centre (NOFIC), Abakaliki, Nigeria among obstetric fistula patients who presented for treatment with a duration of leakage of over six months. A consecutive sampling technique was used for patient recruitment. Data was collected from twenty patients using in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis of the responses and recurring patterns was done, with themes illustrated using the word cloud. The mean age of the participants was 37.1 years (range = 21-75 years) while the mean duration of leakage was 64.3 months (range = 8-564 months). Reasons for delay in accessing treatment of obstetric fistula were lack of awareness of the availability of free treatment in a specialized centre, delay in referral from index health care facilities, wrong information from health care workers, failed repairs at other health facilities, secondary delay due to transportation challenges, cultural beliefs and other issues peculiar to the patients. The commonest reason for the delay in accessing treatment for obstetric fistula is a lack of awareness on the part of patients, the public, and health workers. We recommend improved campaigns, advocacy, and community mobilization. (Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26 [12]: 23-31). La fistule obstétricale continue d'être une menace au Nigéria et dans d'autres pays à revenu faible ou intermédiaire. La politique nationale d'élimination rend la réparation chirurgicale gratuite dans des centres nationaux dédiés. Cependant, la majorité des clients se présentent en retard pour la réparation. L'objectif de l'étude était d'explorer les raisons de ce retard à se faire soigner. Il s'agissait d'une étude qualitative (exploratoire) réalisée au Centre national de la fistule obstétricale (NOFIC), Abakaliki, au Nigeria, chez des patientes atteintes de fistule obstétricale qui se sont présentées pour un traitement avec une durée de fuite de plus de six mois. La technique d'échantillonnage consécutif a été utilisée pour le recrutement des patients. Les données ont été recueillies auprès de vingt patients à l'aide d'entretiens approfondis. Une analyse thématique des réponses et des schémas récurrents a été effectuée, avec des thèmes illustrés à l'aide du nuage de mots. L'âge moyen des participants était de 37,1 ans (intervalle = 21-75 ans) tandis que la durée moyenne des fuites était de 64,3 mois (intervalle = 8-564 mois). Les raisons du retard dans l'accès au traitement de la fistuleobstétricale étaient le manque de sensibilisation à la disponibilité d'un traitement gratuit dans un centre spécialisé, le retard dans l'orientation des établissements de soins de santé de référence, les informations erronées des agents de santé, l'échec des réparationsdans d'autres établissements de santé, le retard secondaire dû aux difficultés de transport, aux croyances culturelles et à d'autres problèmes propres aux patients. La raison la plus courante du retard dans l'accès au traitement de la fistule obstétricale est le manque de sensibilisation de la part des patientes, du public et des agents de santé. Nous recommandons d'améliorer les campagnes, le plaidoyer et la mobilisation communautaire. (Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26[12]: 23-31)

Challenges of Small Poultry Farms in Layer Production in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria.

The study assessed constraints to increased layers production among small-scale poultry farmers in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State. Data were collected using a multistage sampling technique to select 120 small-scale poultry farmers. Descriptive statistics (frequencies counts, percentages) were used to describe the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents. The result shows that the mean age of the respondents was 48 years and majority (77.5%) of the farmers had higher education. Majority of the respondents (73%) practiced sweeping and packing of dirt in the poultry house as the daily routine management on their farms. The major constraint faced by the respondents was disease and pest attack (76.7%) followed by difficulty in credit and loan procurement processes (73.3%). The study therefore recommends that Government should tackle the problem of loan/credit procurement, market price instability, disease and pest as well as proper funding of small-scale layers poultry business so as to enhance the commercialization of poultry industry in Nigeria.Keywords: Poultry Farms, Layer Production, Socio-Economic Characteristics, Constraints

Comparative Evaluation of Swine Production With Other Domestic Livestock in Mbaitolu Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria.

The researcher has undertaken this study on comparative evaluation of swine production with other domestic livestock in Mbaitolu Local Government Council of Imo State, Nigeria to proffer some solution to the problems hindering the rearing of swine in the study areas (Mbieri, Ogwa, Orodo, Ogbaku, Eziama –Obiato, Umunoha, Ifakala, Ubomiri and Afara). The researcher used descriptive survey design to carry out the study. The population for the study was 10,450 respondents drawn from nine towns of Mbaitolu Local Government Council. 600 respondents were proportionally and randomly selected as sample size for the study. General objective was formulated from which five specific objectives were formulated. Among these – is to compare swine prolificacy over the prolificacy of other domestic livestock. Five research questions were formulated to guide this study, among these is – what importance has the prolificacy of swine over other domestic livestocks like goats, sheep, horse and cattle? Five null hypotheses were formulated for the study among these is – there is no significant relationship between the prolificacy of swine over the prolificacy of other domestic livestock in Imo State. Pilot study was conducted at Umuagwo community using 20 respondents that reared domestic livestocks. This area was not part of the study location. Questionnaires were used as a medium for data collection. One sample T-test was used to test five null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance and all the null hypotheses were rejected meaning that there were significant differences between pig productions over the production of other domestic livestock. The analysis yielded the following results: swine production was accepted to be more prolific than other domestic livestocks like goats, sheep, horse and cattle. It was also agreed that swine were more adapted to wide varieties of feeds which made them to grow more quickly than other domestic livestocks. It was concluded that swine production was more economically important than the rearing of other domestic livestock. It was recommended that National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) in Imo State should enlighten the respondents on the economic importance of swine production over the rearing of other domestic livestock. Piglets should be made available to farmers who wish to embark on swine production at affordable price by Anambra – Imo  River Basin Development Authority (AMRBDA).Keywords: Swine Production, Domestic Livestock, Mbaitolu Local Government Council

Kožna mijaza u pasa uzrokovana kukcem Cordylobia antropophaga u Josu glavnom gradu pokrajine Plateau u Nigeriji

One hundred and ninety (190) dogs infested with myiasis, presented to veterinary clinics in the Jos metropolis and surroundings of Plateau State, Nigeria, were screened to identify the fly species responsible for the infestation. The age, breed and sex prevalence of the dogs were also evaluated. All 957 (100%) larvae extracted from the dogs were those of Cordylobia anthropophaga. Of the infested dogs, 58.95% were females, with a mean intensity of 4.62 larvae/female; a statistical difference (P<0.05) was observed between the sexes, while younger dogs were infested with more larvae than older dogs. All the breeds of dogs evaluated were infested to varying degrees. The public health significance of these findings was discussed.Istraživanje je provedeno na 190 pasa u kojih je dijagnosticirana mijaza u sklopu različitih veterinarskih klinika u Josu te ostalim područjima pokrajine Plateau u Nigeriji s ciljem utvrđivanja uzročnika. Vrednovana je i predispozicija s obzirom na dob, pasminu i spol. Svih 957 izdvojenih ličinki (100%) pripadalo je vrsti Cordylobia anthropophaga. Od ukupnog broja infestiranih, 58,95% su bile ženke s prosječno 4,62 larve. Dokazana je statistička razlika u invadiranosti među spolovima (P<0,05). U mlađih pasa je pronađeno više larvi. Stupanj invadiranosti bio je različit u različitih pasmina pasa. U radu je raspravljena važnost rezultata za javno zdravstvo i opasnost za ljude

Gender diversity and sustainability responsiveness: evidence from Nigerian fixed money deposit banks

This paper aims to explore the impact of gender diversity on firms’ sustainability responsiveness in ensuring collective drive toward achieving sustainable development goals (agenda) for Nigeria. This study explored female engagement from three major platforms, namely women as directors, management team leaders, and female workforce. The data used to conduct this study were derived from the annual reports of the sampled banks spanning through the period of 2013–2016. However, while data for this study were analyzed using EViews statistical tool, the sustainability reporting data were ascertained using the content analysis method. The outcome of this study depicts that female directors, female workforce, and women in the management team all had an adverse and positive association with sustainability reporting. However, this association was all insignificant. This further buttresses that gender diversity was not the major driving force behind the sustainability reporting of the sampled banks in Nigeria. This is because the sector is highly regulated. Hence, the study recommends that notwithstanding the outcome, in attaining the sustainable development goals (SDGs), there is a need to have more female representation on the strategic position of authority