Ebonyi State University

About: Ebonyi State University is a education organization based out in Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Nigeria. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Pregnancy. The organization has 1351 authors who have published 1474 publications receiving 20111 citations.

A comparative study of marital status on the academic performance of the female medical undergraduate in a Nigerian university.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of marriage, pregnancy and child bearing on the academic performance of the Nigerian female medical student. METHOD: Self administered cross sectional questionnaires were distributed to female and male medical students of Ebonyi State University, Nigeria. Academic records were examined, and data obtained analysed using the Epi info statistical software package. RESULTS: Sixteen (19.3%) of the female students were married, thirteen after admission into the Faculty. Fourteen of these had children and mean parity was 2. The married female students were older, had more resit examinations than their male and single female counterparts. The difference was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Marriage and child bearing which play a central and prominent role in the traditional African culture, may serve as an additional burden on the Nigerian female medical student, affecting her academic performance. The specific problems associated with marriage, pregnancy and childbirth need to be recognised, addressed and reflected in a modern medical curriculum.

Starch digestibility, polyphenol contents and in vitro alpha amylase inhibitory properties of two varieties of cocoyam ( Colocassia esculenta and Xanthosoma mafafa ) as affected by cooking

Abstract: The effect of cooking (boiling) on the starch digestibility, polyphenol contents and in vitro α-amylase inhibitory properties of two varieties of cocoyam: Colocassia esculenta (taro) and Xanthosoma mafafa (Tania) were investigated. The total starch contents of the raw and cooked tubers ranged from 25.3 to 35.6 g 100 g−1; resistant starch ranged from 9.7 to 20.9 g 100 g−1; digestible starch ranged from 11.7 to 24.2 g 100 g−1. The starch digestibility of the raw and cooked tubers ranged from 35.89 to 71.38% while their rapidly digestible starch values (expressed as g 100 g−1 of total starch) ranged from 20 to 32 g 100 g−1. The raw tubers contained considerable amounts of phenols and flavonoids and boiling of the tubers retained their phenolic and flavonoid contents. The aqueous extracts of the raw and cooked tubers demonstrated considerable α-amylase inhibition properties (32.47–46.62% over a concentration range of 10–50 mg mL−1) under in vitro conditions but which were lower than that of the antidiabetic drug—acarbose that had 69.08% inhibition of alpha amylase activity over a range of concentration of 2–10 mg mL−1. The study showed that the raw and cooked forms of the cocoyam varieties had low digestibility of their starches and exerted considerable inhibition of α-amylase activity under in vitro conditions which suggests the potential usefulness of the boiled forms of these cocoyam varieties as functional foods for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Effect of leaf extracts of Draceana aborea l. and Vitex doniana sweet on the larvae of Anopheles mosquito

Abstract: The leaf extracts of Draceana aborea and Vitex doniana of Agavaceae and Verbenaceae families respectively, were tested on the larvae of anopheles mosquito for their botanical insecticidal effects. The results of the investigation showed that the minimum percentage mortality concentration (MPMC) of these leaf extracts on the test organisms were at 75ml/20ml and 10ml/20ml as the startng ponts for D. aborea and V. doniana, respectively. Findings equally revealed that the combination of D. aborea and V. doniana leaf extracts exerted synergistic effects on these organisms at 5.0ml/20ml, whereas the use of the D. aborea and V. doniana extracts separately resulted in reduced efficacy. Analysis of variance showed that, there was no significandifference (P = 0.01) between the synergy and the individual treatments of the leaf extracts on these organisms. Preliminary phytochemical screening showed the presence of flavonoids, free phenolics, condensed tannins, pseudoanins, triterpenes, glycosides and saponins which have someinsecticidal effects on their targeted organisms. These findings represent one of the steps in identifying plants, with insecticidal properties from the rich Bioresources in the Mosaic of the Low-Land Rainforest vegetation zone of Southeastern Nigeria. Keywords: Draceana aborea, Vitex doniana, Leaf extract, Botanical insecticide, Phytochemical, Anopheles mosquito

Changes in Physical and Chemical Properties of Soil in Timber Sawmill Dumpsite in Abakaliki, Abakaliki Southeastern, Nigeria

Abstract: A study to assess changes in the physical and chemical properties of soil in timber saw mill dumpsite was carried out in Abakaliki between 2007 and 2008. Results showed that soil textural class remained sandy loamy. The lowest soil bulk density of 1.34 and 1.20 g cm -3 were obtained in the unburnt dumpsite in 2007 and 2008 resulting to 12% and 20% decline in 2007 and 2008 in the unburnt dumpsite relative to cropped land. The total porosity and gravimetric moisture content was a reverse of the soil bulk density. Higher total porosity and gravimetric moisture content were obtained in the unburnt and burnt dumpsites in that order relative to the fallow and cropped land. Infiltration rate followed the same trends as total porosity of the various sites. The lowest infiltration rate 15.02 and 35.82 mmhr -1 was observed in the cropped land. The soil pH decreased with depth in the dump and non-dumpsite but became strongly acid at 30 ‐ 60 cm and 60 ‐ 90 cm depths. The order of soil organic matter content was unburnt dumpsite > burnt dumpsite > fallow > cropped land. The available P and exchangeable K and Ca were highest in the burnt dumpsite. Heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Fe, and Pb) increased with time in the burnt and unburnt dumpsites but decreased in the cropped land. More concentration of heavy metals was observed in the 0 ‐ 30 cm soil depth. The relative performance of maize

Independent Multiple Correlates of Post-Exercise Systolic Blood Pressure Recovery in Healthy Adults.

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the independent relationships of systolic blood pressure recovery (SBPR) with age, sex, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), resting heart rate (HR), physical activity, and cigarette smoking in healthy adults. Subjects performed cycle ergometer exercise at progressive incremental workloads until subjects reached 80% of their age-predicted maximum HR. Blood pressure (BP) was measured before exercise (after 10 and 15 minutes of rest), during exercise (at 2-minute intervals), immediately after exercise (within the first minute) and subsequently at 2-minute intervals until recovery to baseline. The ratio of third-minute SBP relative to first-minute post-exercise SBP was used as the SBPR variable. Our results indicated independent correlations (p<0.05) between SBPR and age, resting HR, physical activity and cigarette smoking (r =0.473; 0.192; -0.262; 0.102 respectively in males and r =0.113; 0.315; -0.637; 0.104 respectively in females). BMI associated positively (r =0.106; p<0.01) with SBPR in males but not in females (r =0.092), while WC was predictive of SBPR in females (r =0.212; p<0.01) but not in males (r =0.005). Age in men and physical activity in females were the strongest predictors of SBPR. The present findings in which SBPR is associated with risk factors of cardiovascular abnormalities strengthen the previously reported significance of SBPR after exercise test as a prognostic tool for the evaluation of cardiovascular abnormalities. Additionally, it may help clinicians to define and interpret the mechanisms behind changes in postexercise SBP responses in adults in future investigations.