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.

Aviation customers’ journey, who cares? Managing customer experiences with customer relationship management strategy: Insight into Nigerian customers’ perspectives

Abstract: This qualitative paper investigates Nigeria Air passengers’ experiences and how their experiences can be improved with customer relationship management initiatives for enhanced customer satisfactio...

The dynamics of coexistence: habitat sharing versus segregation patterns among three sympatric montane vipers

Abstract: Contact zones of closely related and ecologically similar species constitute rare opportunities to study the evolutionary consequences of past speciation processes. They represent natural laboratories in which strong competition could lead to the exclusion of one species, or the various species may switch into distinct ecological niches. Alternatively, if reproductive isolation has not yet been achieved, they may hybridize. We elucidate the degree of taxon integrity by comparing genetics and habitat use of three similar-sized congeneric viper species, Vipera ammodytes, Vipera aspis, and Vipera berus, of Nadiza Valley in western Slovenia. No hybridization was detected for either mitochondrial or nuclear genomes. Similarly, external intermediacy by a single prestudy viper (probably V. ammodytes 9 V. aspis) indicates that hybridization occasionally occurs, but should be very rare. Populations of the three related viperids are partially allopatric in Nadiza Valley, but they also coexist in a narrow contact zone in the montane grassland along the south-exposed slope of Mount Stol (1673 m a.s.l.). Here, the three species that occupy areas in or near patches of rocky microhabitats (e.g. stone piles, slides, and walls) live in syntopy. However, fine-scale measurements of structural components show partial habitat segregation, in which V. berus becomes more dominant at elevations above 1400 m and occupies mostly the mountain ridge and north-exposed slopes of Mount Stol, V. aspis occurs below 1300 m and is the only species to inhabit stoneless patches of grass and bushes around 1000 m and lower, and V. ammodytes occurs at all elevations up to 1500 m, but is restricted to a rocky microhabitat. We suggest that a high degree of microstructure divergence, slightly different environmental niches, and a generally favourable habitat for all three viper species, keep the pressure for mis-mating and hybridization low, although mechanisms such as reduced hybrid inferiority and temporal mating segregation cannot yet be excluded.

Is sexual size dimorphism in relative head size correlated with intersexual dietary divergence in West African forest cobras, Naja melanoleuca?

Abstract: Sex-biased differences in dietary habits of snakes are often linked to pronounced sexual size dimorphism in absolute body size or in relative head size We studied the food habits of free-ranging forest cobras (Naja melanoleuca) in southern Nigeria to find whether any intersexual dietary divergence is present in this species, and measured both museum vouchers and freeranging specimens to find whether any intersexual divergence in relative head size is present We demonstrated that: (1) head sizes increases more rapidly with SVL in females than in males, with a result that, at the same body length, the females tended to have significantly larger heads; (2) males and females were nearly identical in dietary habits, both if we consider prey size or prey type; (3) both sexes tended to prey upon relatively little sized preys It is concluded that traditional evolutionary scenarios for explaining sexual dimorphism and food niche divergence are hardly valid in this case, and we need to look for entirely different hypotheses (eg linked to the sexual preference of males for females with larger heads)

Physico-Chemical and Sensory Properties of Cookies Prepared from Wheat Flour and Cashew-Apple Residue as a Source of Fibre

Abstract: Physico-chemical and sensory attributes of wheat/cashew-apple (Anacardium occidentale L.) fibre residue composite cookies were investigated. Cashew-apple fibre (CAF) was produced by sun-dried method (samples A, B, C, D), oven-dried method (samples F, G, H, I) and milled. Composite flour of wheat/ CAF was prepared using different levels of substitution from 0 – 20%, with 0% (sample E, 100% wheat flour) as the control. Cookies were produced using the composite flour blends, physical and sensory characteristics of the cookies evaluated within 48h of production.Physical attributes evaluated includes cookie weight, height, diameter and spread ratio. The incorporation of fibre affected significantly (p≥0.05) cookie height and weight using both methods compared to thecontrol while values for cookie diameter and spread ratio of the control sample were significantly higher compared to those with CAF addition. In all the sensory attributes studied, there were significant reductions compared to the control. However, the aroma, taste and general acceptability of cookies were found to improve with increase in the levels of CAF added.Chemical composition of the cookies showed that protein and carbohydrate decreased with increase in the levels of CAF while moisture, fat, ash and fibre increased significantly (p≥0.05) compared to the control. The fact that the overall acceptability rating of CAF incorporated cookies were close to the control sample (8.3) with 0% CAF and that crude fibre content of the cookies produced with CAF addition increased showed that cashew-apple residue can actually be used as a source of fibre in the food industry. This demonstrates a potential for cookie production using CAF supplementation in a productive exploitation of the currently wasted resources as a raw material source for cookie production.