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.

Peninsular effect on species richness in Italian small mammals and bats

Abstract: Abstract Peninsular effect is an anomalous gradient in plant and animal species richness from base to tip of a given peninsula. This pattern has been studied intensely on various taxonomic groups, but with scarce attention for using standardized data. Here, using presence-absence data normalized by the field effort, the peninsular effect on the species richness of some mammalian groups (Eulipotyphla [i.e. Soricomorpha + Erinaceomorpha], Rodentia, and Chiroptera) was analyzed along the Italian peninsula. Specifically, species richness at each 30′-wide latitudinal band and the normalized species richness were compared, and generalized linear models (GLM) were used to assess whether habitat diversity, altitudinal range and area of each latitudinal band were the main predictors in explaining the peninsular effects in each of the three mammalian orders. In both Rodentia and Chiroptera, species richness was better predicted by habitat heterogeneity and by the interaction term habitat heterogeneity × field effort. For Eulipotyphla, GLM models gave no significant results. Our study highlighted the importance of taking into account the sampling effort in order to proper evaluate the peninsular effects on species richness in animals.

Urbanization and Its Effects on Housing for the Urban Poor in Uyo Metropolis, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract: Urbanization and its effect on housing for the urban poor cannot be over-emphasized particularly in the cities of the global south. The meaning that is attributed to such terms as ‘urbanization’ and ‘urban poor housing’ is frequently wide ranging and not precisely defined. Nevertheless, urban poor housing and urbanization are topical issues at local, regional and international levels which attracts the attention of policy makers and professionals. This study therefore, investigated urbanization and its effects on housing for the urban poor in Uyo metropolis, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. It adopted a cross-sectional research design, which involves the administration of the research questionnaire to the selected respondents in the study area. The responses of the respondents were analyzed using a descriptive statistical tool. The result of the investigation Original Research Article Wizor and Anthony; AJARR, 9(1): 40-54, 2020; Article no.AJARR.55675 41 revealed that the majority of the apartments occupied by the urban poor in Uyo metropolis are mostly single rooms and self-contained which are mostly overcrowded. Many of the houses occupied by the urban poor do not have kitchen, toilet, and bathroom in them. Urban poor in the study area are mostly faced with problems of dirty environment, poor power supply, insecurity and lack of basic social amenities. The respondents affirmed that the houses are overcrowded while the nature of crime faced by the urban poor in the study area includes kidnapping (8.5%), pickpocket (22.4%) robbery (46.1%) and rape (23.1%) respectively. The study therefore, recommended amongst others, the provision of basic infrastructures such as electricity, good roads, educational institutions, pipe-borne water, etc. in the urban poor neigbourhoods, rehabilitating of the urban poor neighbourhoods through urban renewal strategies and reducing of the accessibility gap to urban facilities and services between the urban poor and other residents of the city. The study further recommends the utilization of sustainable strategies by the government of Akwa Ibom State to reduce the high rate of rural-urban migration noticed in the study area and the systematic overhauling of the security architecture in Uyo metropolis.

Assessment of Level of Susceptibility of Anopheles gambiae S.L to Public Health Insecticides in a Malaria Vector Sentinel Site, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract: Aims: To investigate the status of susceptibility of Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes to the WHO-approved insecticides for indoor residual spraying in field collected samples in a malaria vector sentinel site in Nigeria and Ts to provide an update on the current status of resistance to the major insecticide classes in wild populations of Anopheles gambiae sensu lato Study Design: Field and laboratory –experimental design was used in this study. Place and Duration of the Study: The study was carried out at a malaria surveillance site, established by the National Malaria Elimination Programme at Oduoha-Emohua in Rivers State, between April to September, 2015. Methodology: Anopheles larvae were collected from stagnant pools around the malaria surveillance site. The mosquitoes were reared to adulthood in the insectary and identified using morphological keys. Two- to three-day old adult female mosquitoes were exposed to standard diagnostic doses of Deltamethrin, Lambdacyhalothrin, Alphacympermethrin, Permethrin, Bendiocarb, Propoxur, DDT and Premiphos-Methyl using standard WHO protocols, insecticide susceptibility test kits and treated papers. Knockdown every 10 min and mortality 24 h post exposure was noted. All Anopheles mosquitoes tested belonged to the Anopheles gambiae-complex. Results: Mortality results indicated that the vectors were susceptible to Bendiocarb and Alphacympermethrin with mortality rates of 100% and 98% respectively. There was complete resistance to Deltamethrin, Lambdacyhalothrin, Permethrin, Propoxur, DDT and Premiphos-Methyl with mortality ranges of 25%-65%. Conclusion: The present study shows the effectiveness of Bendiocarb and Alphacympermethrin in malaria control with indoor residual spraying. It also provides baseline information for monitoring the status of insecticide resistance in Rivers State.

Gari as culture medium for moulds

Abstract: No significant differences (P<0.05 occurred in the frequency of isolation from soil of four common moulds – Rhizopus stolonifer, Monilia sitophila, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp., on malt extract agar (MEA) and gelled gari (carbohydrate gel). Growth of the moulds on slide microcultures of potato dextrose agar (PDA) and gari showed typical diagnostic features of the organisms, which were often clearer on gari. It is concluded that gari, which is much cheaper and far more readily available in Nigeria than MEA or PDA, is an effective alternative to the two standard mycological media.