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.

Molecular Characterization of Indoor air Microorganisms of a Model Primary Health Care in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract: Aims: The quality of indoor air in some government health institutions in Port Harcourt was evaluated with a view to determining the level of microbial contamination and to carry out molecular identification of the microorganism in the indoor air. Study Design: Experimental analysis of the Indoor air of frequently used wards. Place and Duration of Study: Model Primary Health Care in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, between January 2018 and March 2018. Methodology: The open plate, impingement technique was used in this study. In this technique, nutrient agar, and mannitol salt agar plates were exposed to the ambient air of the sites studied in duplicates for 15 minutes so as to enumerate and identify the heterotrophic bacteria and staphylococcal species. Results: The mean heterotrophic bacteria and staphylococcal loads for the morning period of the Original Research Article Robinson and Wemedo; AJBGE, 2(1): 1-9, 2019; Article no.AJBGE.47848 2 Health centre ranged from 1.8×10 to 4.1×10 and 8.6×10 to 2.5×10 Cfu/m, respectively, while the mean heterotrophic bacteria and staphylococcal load for the evening session ranged from 3.5×10 3 to 5.1×10 3 and 8.9×10 2 to 1.7×10 3 Cfu/m 3 , respectively. Bacillus cereus, Chryseobacterium sp, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis were the bacteria isolated. Conclusion: The bacterial isolates in this study could contaminate hospital equipment and could cause nosocomial infections if not properly managed. Also, the bacterial loads were very high and exceeds suggested limit for air microflora.

Molecular Characterisation and Antibiogram of Vaginal Flora from Students Attending a Tertiary Institution in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract: The microbiome of the vagina is characterized by a community bacteria playing important roles in the overall health status of the female genital tract. This study was conducted to isolate and characterize bacteria from the female genital tract and as well evaluate the antibiotics susceptibility pattern of the vaginal bacterial isolates. For this purpose, a total of fifty (50) vaginal swab samples were collected (using sterile swab sticks) from females attending a tertiary institution in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, and subjected to standard bacteriological analysis. Antibiotics sensitivity analysis was carried out using the modified Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. A total of 160 bacterial isolates were obtained from the subjects of different age brackets in the study population. Molecular identification based on the nucleic acid sequence of the bacterial isolates revealed the isolates to be Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus flexus and Lysinibacillus macrolides. The result further showed that Escherichia coli was the most occurring bacterial isolate. Also, female subjects within the age bracket 21-23 years recorded the highest number of bacterial isolates (67) and 24-26 years had the least number of bacterial isolates (36). The antibiotic sensitivity analysis revealed that Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were resistant to 50% of the antibiotics tested, whereas Klebsiella Original Research Article Sampson et al.; IJPR, 7(1): 17-27, 2021; Article no.IJPR.69130 18 pneumoniae was resistant to all (100% of) the antibiotics tested. The study has revealed that the vaginal microbiome of healthy female subjects is characterised by diverse species of bacteria, including opportunistic bacterial pathogens. The study therefore, recommended that regular screening for bacterial vaginosis as well as personal hygiene, sensitization programs to improve knowledge of women, should be encouraged.

Difficulties Students Encounter in Reporting Physics Practical at the Senior Secondary School level in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract: The poor performance of senior secondary school physics students in external examinations has been a major problem in the teaching and learning of physics. This study therefore seeks to investigate the difficulties encountered by Senior Secondary Physics students in reporting Physics practical in Rivers State. Using a survey research design and simple random sampling technique, 124 physics teachers and 8 secondary schools were utilized for the study. Data collecting instrument includes Physics Practical Apparatus Checklist (PPAC) and Physics Teachers Questionnaire on Reporting Practical (PTQRP). The four-point Likert scale was adopted for the questionnaire. Results of the study revealed that: there is insufficient physics apparatus in the schools, students lack understanding of instructions during physics practical activities, students are not able to tabulate obtained value appropriately and that scale choosing is a major problem encountered by students while interpreting data graphically. The study therefore suggested that the physics laboratories in the secondary schools school be equipped as that is an essential aspect of practical physics and that reporting physics practical should be included in the physics curriculum so that students can possess the requisite knowledge for carrying out such activities.

The effect of crude oil pollution and subsequent fire on the engineering properties of soils in the Niger Delta

Abstract: The Niger Delta is a major area of crude oil exploration, exploitation and processing. This brief paper reports laboratory tests on polluted and unpolluted soils following an oil blow-out and fire outbreak and concludes that the effects were minimal.