Rivers State University of Science and Technology

About: Rivers State University of Science and Technology is a education organization based out in Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Threatened species. The organization has 1826 authors who have published 1833 publications receiving 15183 citations.

Preliminary surveys of the terrestrial vertebrate fauna (mammals, reptiles, and amphibians) of the Edumanon Forest Reserve, Nigeria

Abstract: The Edumanon Forest Reserve is one of the least explored protected areas in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria, West Africa. In this article, we report the results of preliminary surveys, conducted between 2011 and 2014, for determining a checklist and a relative estimate of abundance for three groups of vertebrates, namely mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Overall, we detected 69 vertebrate species (birds excluded), several of them being of high conservation concern. Among the most remarkable species from the conservation point of view, we can cite the chimpanzee, the manatee, and three species of sympatric crocodiles. Analysis of the reptile diversity suggested that species dominance was high and evenness was low, thus revealing altered ecological conditions in this forest area. Nonetheless, several forest specialists were still observed in this forest reserve. The conservation implications of the observed patterns, together with some ethnozoological data, are also discussed.

Domestication of Irvingia gabonensis: 3. Phenotypic variation of fruits and kernels in a Nigerian village

Abstract: Domestication of Irvingia gabonensis, a fruit tree grown in agroforestry systems in West and Central Africa, offers considerable scope for enhancing the nutritional and economic security of subsistence farmers in the region. Assessments of phenotypic variation in ten fruit, nut and kernel traits were made on twenty-four ripe fruits from 100 Irvingia gabonensis trees in Ugwuaji village in southeast Nigeria, a center of genetic diversity for this species. There were important differences between the young planted trees of this study and the older unplanted trees of a similar study in Cameroon. Significant and continuous tree-to-tree variation was found in fruit mass(69.0–419.8 g), flesh mass (59.5–388.8 g), nut mass (9.5–40.6 g), shell mass (4.9–30.9 g) and kernel mass (0.41–7.58 g); fruit length (49.2–89.3 mm) and width (46.2–100.5 mm) and flesh depth (12.9–31.4 mm), as well as considerable variation in flesh colour, skin colour, fruit taste and fibrosity. Some fruits were considerably bigger than those found in Cameroon. These quantitative results will help in the development of cultivars within participatory approaches to agroforestry tree domestication, and so promote poverty alleviation and sustainable agriculture.

Self-Medication Practices and Associated Factors in the Prevention and/or Treatment of COVID-19 Virus: A Population-Based Survey in Nigeria.

Abstract: Background: The anxiety caused by the emergence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) globally has made many Nigerians resort to self-medication for purported protection against the disease, amid fear of contracting it from health workers and hospital environments. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the knowledge level, causes, prevalence, and determinants of self-medication practices for the prevention and/or treatment of COVID-19 in Nigeria. Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between June and July 2020 among the Nigerian population, using a self-reported questionnaire. Statistical analysis of descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses was done using STATA 15. Results: A total of 461 respondents participated in the survey. Almost all the respondents had sufficient knowledge about self-medication (96.7%). The overall prevalence of self-medication for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 was 41%. The contributing factors were fear of stigmatization or discrimination (79.5%), fear of being quarantine (77.3%), and fear of infection or contact with a suspected person (76.3%). The proximal reasons for self-medication were emergency illness (49.1%), delays in receiving hospital services (28.1%), distance to the health facility (23%), and proximity of the pharmacy (21%). The most commonly used drugs for self-medication were vitamin C and multivitamin (51.8%) and antimalarials (24.9%). These drugs were bought mainly from pharmacies (73.9%). From the multivariable logistic regression model, males (OR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.07-0.54), and sufficient knowledge on SM (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.19-0.77) were significantly associated with self-medication. Conclusion: The key finding of this study was the use of different over-the-counter medications for the prevention (mainly vitamin C and multivitamins) and treatment (antibiotics/antimicrobial) of perceived COVID-19 infection by Nigerians with mainly tertiary education. This is despite their high knowledge and risk associated with self-medication. We suggest that medication outlets, media and community should be engaged to support the rational use of medication.

Nutrient cycling practices and changes in soil properties in the crop-livestock farming systems of western Niger Republic of West Africa

Abstract: Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum R. (Br.) L.] is grown in West Africa on sandy, acid soils deficient in plant nutrients. In the mixed farming systems of western Niger, livestock graze millet stover by day and deposit dung and urine directly on cropland during overnight kraaling. Kraaling of livestock is perhaps the most important pathway to recycle nutrients and sustain soil fertility. Three tillage practices (immediate tillage, late tillage and no till) four amendment types (dung-plus-urine, dung alone, millet stover and millet stover ashes), and three fertilizer N rates (0, 15 and 30 kg N ha−1) were factorially combined and arranged in a split plot design. Average millet grain yield in immediate till plots was 30% higher than in no-till plots and was 13% greater in plots amended with dung-plus-urine than in plots that received manure alone. The highest pH (5.8) and lowest bulk density 1.46 g/cm3 of surface soil were measured in plots amended with dung-plus-urine. Under the less nomadic livestock management system, where animals are mostly stall-fed, technology is needed to capture and transfer nutrients in animal urine to farmers' fields for cropping.

Surveys of mammal communities in a system of five forest reserves suggest an ongoing biotic homogenization process for the Niger Delta (Nigeria)

Abstract: Community composition and an index of relative abundance were analyzed for mammals (excluding most rodents, shrews and bats) of five forest reserves in the Niger Delta (Southern Nigeria). Twenty-nine species were recorded, 86.2% of them being found in all protected areas. Although most of the species were already known from the study area, there were unexpected patterns concerning the duikers. Indeed, the presence of only one species (Philantomba walteri) (CH Smith, 1827) was confirmed, whereas at least five additional duiker species were reported for the study area by earlier authorities. Another duiker species (Cephalophus niger Gray, 1846) was recorded once during the present surveys and is not known whether it represents a stabilized presence in the Niger Delta. The empirical Abundance Index suggested that only three species were very rare (Trichechus senegalensis (Link, 1795), C. niger, and Pan troglodytes (Blumenbach, 1775)). Diversity-dominance diagrams showed that the evenness profiles were simila...