| 1 |
Author(s):
Ityavyar J.A., Yager G.O., Jayeola O.A.
Page No : 1-12
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Serum Biochemical Characteristics of Nile Rats (Arvicanthis niloticus) Fed Five Different Sources of Feed
Abstract
Serum biochemical analysis were conducted to determine the effects of cassava tubers, growers mash, guinea grass; sorghum seeds and yam peels on the liver condition of Nile rats. Three hundred rats were divided into five groups of sixty rats each in three replicates. They were fed with different rations for twenty-four weeks (168 days) along with water ad libitum. Serum biochemistry, liver marker enzymes and lipid profile were evaluated following standard methods. Results showed that rats fed with sorghum seeds had highest serum levels of glucose and globulin while serum protein level was highest in male rats fed with guinea grass and female rats fed with growers’ mash. Level of urea was lowest in those fed with sorghum seeds while creatinine was lowest in rats fed with cassava tuber. In the male Nile rats, lowest levels of liver marker enzymes Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) evaluated were lowest in the baseline than those fed with the different feed regime. Also, levels of Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and L-aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) were higher in the male rats fed with cassava tuber. Male rats fed with yam peel had the highest level of Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP). Generally, the feed type showed significant effect on serum lipid profile, higher serum glucose level in the Nile rats fed with sorghum seed in captivity could also suggest an onset of diabetics. This study concluded that Nile rat can be reared in captivity, having preference for sorghum seeds and growers mash feeds respectively.
| 2 |
Author(s):
Ndanusa B*, Jibrin Y. A., Oladipupo M. D., Muhammad B. L.
Page No : 13-23
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Assessing the Effects of Temperature Variation on Quality of Signal Reception of Satellite System at Ku-Band in North Central States, Nigeria
Abstract
This research work examines the effects of variation in temperature on signal reception of Direct broadcasting satellite (DBS) on Ku-Band in some selected towns in North central states, Nigeria. Data used were obtained through experimental approach of recording both temperature and the quality of signal received from direct-to-home (DTH) satellite system at 12.517 GHz, for regular interval of one hour for whole year covering two climatic conditions in 2018. Daily and monthly mean values used were evaluated from the data obtained in the field. The result showed a consistence in the values of temperature across the states under study largely to the fact they lie within same coordinates. All the towns experience gradual increase in temperature value as the hours of the day progresses and declined again as night falls, due the absence of solar energy radiation at night. While this was observed, the quality of signal reception reduces from its highest value in January to its lowest value in month of August. The result showed that the states have temperature values of 38oC and 18oC as high and low values respectively. The averaged value for the whole states showed a weak negative correlation coefficient value of -0.298 and coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.077 when fitted into linear regression between temperature and the quality of signal reception within the study area, which shows that the signal quality reception is reduced by about 0.08% with 1oC rise in temperature.
| 3 |
Author(s):
Abdulazeez A., Abdullahi U., Audu S.S., Ibrahim I.L., Kwokwu S.I., Gimba A., Umaru M.T., Babatunde J, Uthman A.
Page No : 24-31
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Proximate Composition of Rind and Seed Of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L)
Abstract
Citrullus lanatus belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and consists of four species are C. locynthis, C. ecirrhosus, C. lanatus and C. rehmii. Water melon plant is a trailing hairy annual plant with rough angular stems and dark green alternate leaves carried on fairly long petioles. Water are monoecious and unisexual with pale yellow flowers. The fruit is large and round or oblong with a hard-smooth rind with a size normally ranging from 1.5 to 15 kg. Citrullus lanatus have found to rich in vitamin, antioxidant and minerals. Therefore the aim of this work is to determine Proximate Composition of the rind and seed of watermelon Citrullus lanatus l. four samples of Citrullus lanatus were collected, identified as Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, farm, Cecce, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University main gate and Gidan gwari farm then were washed with distilled water to remove sand particles, followed by slicing to separate the rind using a clean knife. The rind will be chopped into tiny cubes. The seeds will be carefully removed from the pulp and washed. The rind was sun dried for two days followed by oven drying at 50°C for 24 hours. The dried samples will be ground using ceramic pestle and mortar. Finally, the powdered sample was used for all the analysis other than moisture in which fresh sample was used. The values for ash contents of the proximate constituent of seed and rind of watermelon were found in (cecce, IBBUL, IBBL main gate and Gidan gwari) farm ranged between 6.60±0.03, 5.10±0.06, 5.00±0.10 and 4.90±0.00 while rind are 0.25±0.02, 0.25±0.11, 0.20±0.06 and 0.30±0.01, moisture, crude fibre, crude fat, crude protein and carbohydrate ranged between 10.40±0.05, 11-00±0.04, 10.82±0.04 and 11-00±0.01 while 93.66±0.01, 94..00±0.00, 94.00±0.03 and 92.80±0.06, 42.80±0.01, 45.00±0.03, 44.30±012 and 43.00±0.13 while 0.21±0.00, 0.30±0.05, 0.23±0.02 and 0.26±0.02, 14.40±0.02, 13.90±0.05, 14.12±0.05 and 14.10±0.11 while 0.13±0.03, 0.10±0.02, 0.13±0.02 and 0.15±0.00, 7.70±0-04, 8.00±0.01, 7.08±0.07 and 7.50±0.03 while 0.55±0.01, 0.60±0.03, 0.58±0.00 and 0.80±0.02 and 18.10±0.01, 17.00±0.01, 18.70±0.11 and 19.50±0.03 while 5.22±0.02, 5.50±0.05, 5.86±0.01 and 5-69±0,02. The Citrullus lanatus contains nutrients and mineral elements that are essential for life. These Citrullus lanatus rind may provide considerable medicinal, health and economic benefits if freshly consumed or utilized in food products and also supplementing human nutrition requirements for normal growth and adequate protection against defects associated to the malnutrition.
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Author(s):
Chukwudi Andy Okereke, Augustine C. Emeribeole.
Page No : 32-40
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Soil Erosion as an Emerging Environmental Challenge in South – East Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria: Towards a Sustainable Land Conservation for National Development
Abstract
Soil erosion is recognized as one of the world's most serious environmental problems, which has sculpted our landscape for centuries. It depletes the productive capacity of land as it removes nutrients, organic matter and clay from soil, which are most important for plant growth. Soil erosion has a wide range of costly off-site impacts including damage to roads, disruption to transport and electricity supply, contamination of wetlands, watercourses and marine environments, and human health impacts caused by raised dust. Soil erosion is a natural geomorphologic process resulting from water and land interactions but accelerated to become an environmental hazard by human activities such as clearing of forests for cultivation, poor farming practices and encroachment into marginal lands. However, since man utilizes the soil to grow food, build shelter and roads, it is thus an essential part of life, which need to be sustained and protected from the threat of soil erosion. The soil needs to be sustained for future generations and to ensure that it does not collapse under the threat of soil erosion. Sustainable development has the great potential to address fundamental issues and challenges of soil erosion. It attempts to combine growing concerns about a range of environmental issues with socio – economic issues. Un – sustainable pattern of production and consumption in the environment yield scarcity of resources, degrade the environment and aid rapid changes in the natural ecosystem which sustain life. This paper aims at providing insight to the sustainable approaches to soil erosion in the South – East Geopolitical zone part of Nigeria. It also addresses the challenges associated with soil erosion such as loss of farmland and biodiversity, land degradation etc. The study concludes that since soil is a major component, from where we obtain our food, build shelter, raise livestock and other life processes, then there is need for it to be sustained. It recommends awareness and enforcing environmental regulations. as some of the ways to address the challenges of soil erosion.
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Author(s):
Fahadi Bakaki, Pius Mbuya Nina, Zawadi Lukuni Rosette, Adam Yusuf Muhammad Munir.
Page No : 41-49
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Safe Drinking Water from Contaminated Sources with SODIS Technique
Abstract
Background: Solar water Disinfection (SODIS) is a low cost, simple and environmentally friendly household water treatment method that can be adopted as a strategy for reducing diarrheal prevalence among children under 5 years in areas that lack access to safe drinking water. Both field and laboratory studies have shown the efficacy of the SODIS method to deactivate waterborne pathogens. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Kiwempe urban slum, Kampala. A total of 12 (24 replicates) water samples were collected from four springs with three samples (6 replicates) from each spring at intervals of one week. One replicate for each source was preserved following the standard methods for examination of water and wastewater (APHA, 2012) and the (WHO, 2004) guidelines for drinking water sampling while the second replicate was exposed following the standard SODIS procedures (EAWANG) and later analyzed for total coliform and E.coli using the chromogenic medium technique. Results: The overall spring bacterial counts for T.coliform and E.coli were between (6.43 - 514.57) cfu/ml and (2.63 - 8.03) cfu/ml respectively while turbidity ranged between 0.32 & 0.35 NTU. The paired mean differences for T.coliform and E.coli across all sites were not statistically significant. Statistical significance was only observed for E.coli between site1 and 2 (0.02). SODIS significantly reduced T.coliform by 99.65% and E.coli by 99.999%. Conclusion: The SODIS treatment significantly reduced total coliforms and completely deactivated E.coli in all spring water samples. Therefore, SODIS method should be adopted by households as a low-cost water treatment method to reduce diarrheal prevalence among children under 5year in Kiwempe urban slum, Kampala, central Uganda.
| 6 |
Author(s):
Aliyu Umar Husseini, Pius Mbuya Nina, Chomba Nevers Maxmillan.
Page No : 50-62
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Ecological Distribution of Sausage Tree (Kigelia africana) in Murchison Falls National Park
Abstract
This study investigated the Ecological Distribution and Abundance of Sausage tree (Kigelia africana) in Murchison Falls National Park. Kigelia africana is one of the important Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), currently providing a range of ecological and socio-economic benefits. There was a need to have a clear understanding of the distribution and abundance of the species to guide future plans for its conservation in-situ, in order to realize its full potential for sustainable exploitation. A comparison of densities, distribution patterns, structure, stem conditions in the studied area of Murchison falls national park was done. We carried out field data collection between February and April 2017. Line transect was used to sample Kigelia africana in. The diameter at breast height (dbh) of adult and sub-adult trees, height of adults, sub adults and their stem conditions, number of fruits on each fruiting sausage tree were recorded. The results revealed a significant difference in the sausage tree abundance and distribution with (24%) at distance of 500m as highest percentage and lowest abundance (3%) at distance of 700m along the transect and trees with highest fruit abundance at 42.2% (100-199) and lowest at 2% (0-4) The study identified significant differences in the dbh-size ranges with highest dbh of 36.1% (201-300) and lowest dbh of 2% 601-700, 701-800). The bell-shaped distribution curve in dbh size-rangeshad50.3% damaged stems compared to 49.7% intact. Poor seedling survival resulting primarily from herbivory, human activities and climate variability hampers sausage treemobilization. Considering the poor mobilization due to the above factors, the potential for commercialization of sausage trees in the region may not be viable. Therefore, active planting in undisturbed areas, protection of seedlings from livestock coupled with community awareness are vital to ensure better management of sausage trees, so that effective commercialization and subsistence use is realized and sustainable.
