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.

Level of Preparedness for COVID-19 by Primary Healthcare Workers in Rivers State, Nigeria: A Facility Cross-sectional Survey

Abstract: Introduction: The primary healthcare workers (PHCWs) may be faced with a higher risk of infection of COVID-19, due to inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and lack of training on the disease control and prevention. This study was designated to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of PHCWs about COVID-19 in Rivers State, Nigeria. Original Research Article Edet et al.; IJTDH, 41(13): 51-60, 2020; Article no.IJTDH.60980 52 Methods: A facility cross-sectional survey was conducted involving the primary healthcare workers in Rivers State, Nigeria. The association between the KAP and demographic characteristics were tested with the Chi-square test, while the association existing among KAP were evaluated with Pearson correlation coefficient. Statistical significance was evaluated at P<0.05. Results: The proportion of respondents with good scores in knowledge, attitude, and COVID-19 related practices are 86.4% (10.66 ± 2.40), 85.0% (8.28 ± 1.94), and 97.3% (8.34 ± 1.39) respectively. Gender, occupation, and years of experience are associated with knowledge, whilst years of experience and marital status are associated with the attitude and level preventive practices; knowledge score also has significant positive linear associations with both attitude ( = 0.35, < 0.05) and practices ( = 0.11, < 0.05) scores towards COVID-19. Conclusion: Based on these findings, we suggest that public health education programs should be sustained, and staff should be expose to more training and workshop regarding COVID-19 preventive practices. Furthermore, adequate personnel preventive equipment should be deployed at the primary healthcare facilities, as this will instill the right attitude and confidence in carrying out their duties without the fear of contracting the disease.

Preference and Willingness of Consumers to Pay for Value-added Poultry Products in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Abstract: There has been a steady growth in demand for convenience and ready-cooked food has influenced the interest of poultry processors in developing value-added chicken products that meet consumers' demand/choice. A conjoint analysis was done in this study on the survey of 975 chicken consumers in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria, between March and September, 2014 to valuate consumers, preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for various chicken attributed parts, production method, processing method, storage method, the presence of flavor and cooking method. The estimates of consumers, WTP premium prices for various mixtures of value-added characteristics were ascertained. The consumers preferred chicken products refrigerated, from chicken produced under free-range management, chicken breast, chicken product that was addictive and flavor free, which could be oven-heated or pan heated. One half of the entire respondents were willing to pay about 25% more for value-added chicken product over the price for conventional products. On the whole, a premium for value-added chicken products was more likely to be paid for by young consumers, consumers who patronized farmers' markets and preferred free-range or organic chicken products. WTP by consumers was negatively affected by price of products. The poultry industry could utilize combined knowledge of consumers' WTP for value-added chicken product price as a guide of develop innovative value-added chicken products.

Bacterial Assessment of Unpasteurized Fruit Juices Sold in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract: This study assessed the bacterial quality of fresh fruit juices sold in some restaurants in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. A total of twenty (20) fruit juice samples were collected from four (4) different types of fruit juices sold at four (4) different restaurants. The fruits that were used for this study are: Orange, Watermelon, Pineapple and Tiger nuts. Samples of the fruit juices were collected for bacteriological assessment using heterotrophic plate count and most probable number techniques, while CHRO Magar for E. coli and other coliforms was used for the detection of E. coli. The results showed that E. coli, Bacillus spp, Klebsiella spp, Streptococcus spp and Staphylococcus spp were present in the fruit juices. The results of the heterotrophic plate count showed that the bacterial count ranged from 2.7 x 10 (Orange) to 7.1 x 10 (Tiger nuts), while the results of the total coliform count ranged from 11 MPN/100 ml to 28 MPN/100 ml. However, the study revealed that the total E. coli count ranged from 0 to 7. The number of E. coli in each of the fruit juices and restaurants ranged from 6 to 13, Bacillus spp 12 to 19, Klebsiella spp 4 to 10, Streptococcus spp 6 to 11 and Staphylococcus spp 4 to 13. Bacillus spp had the highest percentage (31.4%), followed by Staphylococcus spp (20.1%). The highest percentage of bacteria was recovered from Tiger nuts (29.4%), followed by Watermelon (28.4%). Regular monitoring of the quality of fresh fruit juices sold in restaurants in Port Harcourt and other parts of Nigeria should therefore be enforced. Original Research Article Aleru et al.; JALSI, 23(5): 1-7, 2020; Article no.JALSI.57158 2

Effect of an Improvised Furnance on Students Performance in Foundry Technology in Technical Colleges in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract: The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of an improvised furnace on students’ performance in foundry technology in technical colleges in Rivers State. The study adopted research and development incorporating quasi-experimental design. It involved the use of control group, pre-test – post test design. The population of 194 students from four technical colleges in Rivers State were used for the study. The instrument for data collection was made up of Foundry Technology Achievement Test (FTAT) developed by the researcher. The achievement test consists of 50-multiple choice items with four options of A-D. The test items were identified and selected from the content of (NABTEB) syllabus on metal work technology. Test re-test method was used to establish the reliability of the instrument; the tests yielded 0.70,073 and 0.72, 0.74 for the first and second tests respectively. Four experts in metal work technology were involved in both face and content validity of the improvised furnace and 200 multiple-choice test items. The results obtained from the test scores were compiled and analyzed using statistical tools such as; percentage, mean, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in answering the research question and testing the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. improvised furnace had positive effects on students’ performance in foundry (15.32). The difference in performance between those taught using improvised furnace and those taught using conventional teaching aids was found to be significant at 0.05 levels of significance. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher recommended that government, technical college principals and the different agencies should provide fund to procure the materials and component for designing and constructing furnace by the teacher for teaching foundry in technical colleges in Rivers State. Also, constant power supply, generators, accumulators, anvil, steel vessel, pipes and electric blower should be provided and distributed by the ministry of education to the technical colleges for construction of furnace for effective teaching of foundry in Rivers State. The industries, government, non-governmental agencies and private enterprises and communities should provide components, consumable materials necessary for teaching foundry and supply the materials directly to the individual technical colleges in Rivers State. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n1p649

Effects of sun drying and smoking on Salmonella typhimurium (LT2) during cowpea-daddawa processing

Abstract: Balls of cowpea-daddawa, contaminated with Salmonella typhimurium (LT2) during processing, were exposed to sun drying (33–35 °C) for 3 days and smoking (60–80 °C) for the same period. On the first day, the initial contaminant level for both sun dried and smoked cowpeadaddawa was 104 cfu/g. Contaminant levels fell from 104 to 102 cfu/g on the second day of smoking, while the contaminants were no longer detected on the third day. The reduction in contaminant level for sun drying was a gradual process. It reduced from 104cfu/g on the first day to 102 cfu/g on the third day. Similarly, other organisms associated with daddawa fermentation could not survive beyond the first day of smoking. It is possible therefore that smoking and the sublethal heat injury of S. typhimurium, could be an effective way of eliminating bacterial pathogens from fermented processed daddawa.