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.

The Effects of Different Traditional Sources of Nutrients on the Infestation of Pepper Fruits by the Pepper Fruitfly, Atherigona orientalis (Schiner), in Nigeria

Abstract: Experiments were conducted in 1995 and 1996 to determine the effects of different sources of nutrients on the infestation of fruits of five pepper varieties by Atherigona orientalis (Schiner). Different sources of nutrients — chicken droppings, plant residues (compost manure), wood ash and NPK (chemical fertilizer) — were used in the planting of each of the five pepper varieties [Nsukka yellow, Atarugu, and Sweet pepper, all of Capsicum annum; Bird’s eye chilli and Local medium red (Ogoni pepper) both of C. frutescens]. In 1995 plantings, pepper plots of Nsukka yellow and Atarugu varieties that received chicken droppings as source of nutrients suffered the highest percentage fruit damage of 90.7 % and 80.8 %, respectively. Pepper plots of Nsukka yellow, Atarugu, Sweet pepper and Local medium red grown in 1996 and treated with chicken droppings suffered the highest percentage fruit damage of 93.7 %, 56.6 % and 52.2 %, respectively. Plots of the Bird’s eye chilli variety received minimal or no fruit damage in all. Pepper fruits in the control plots also did not undergo A. orientalis attack. Chicken droppings offered the lowest Relative Protection (RP) values to most pepper varieties in 1995 and 1996. NPK chemical fertilizer offered the highest percentage RP values in 1995 and wood ash offered the highest RP in 1996 to most pepper varieties. Also, wood ash in both 1995 and 1996 offered a relatively high percentage RP to most pepper varieties. Compost manure offered a moderate percentage RP in both years.

Dietary secondary amines and liver hepatoma in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Abstract: Dietary secondary amines of some Nigerian foodstuffs were analyzed by Soxhlet extraction, using petroleum ether (b.p. 60–80 °C); followed by thin layer chromatography developed in a solvent system; n-butanol: 95% ethanol: water (4:2:1) for the qualitative test. Each UV fluorescent band in the test chromatogram was scraped and eluted with distilled water, filtered and assayed for secondary amine content for the quantitative test. Quantitative estimations were by the colorimetric methods. The results show that Ugu – Telfairia occidentalo; millet-Panicum miliaceum; bitter leaf – Vernonia amygdalina; mushroom – Boletus spp; and Okro – Hibiscus esculentus contain diethylamine, dimethylamine, morpholine and ethylaniline. Garri – Manihot utilissima flour contains diethylamine and dimethylamine only; while fish (frozen) Tilapia malanopleura contains diethylamine, dimethylamine and piperidine and the smoked fish – Tilapia nilotica contains diethylamine, dimethylamine, ethylaniline, morpholine, piperidine and n-propylamine. Cocoyam – Xanthosoma sagittifolium contains diethylamine, dimethylamine, morpholine, ethylaniline and proline. The results also show that the secondary amine content of the various foodstuffs ranged between 0.80–0.91 µg N/kg. The public health implications of these findings are discussed.

Helminth community structure and diet of three Afrotropical anuran species: a test of the interactive-versus-isolationist parasite communities hypothesis

Abstract: . The interactive-versus-isolationist hypothesis predicts that parasite communities should be depauperated and weakly structured by interspecific competition in amphibians. A parasitological survey was carried out to test this hypothesis using three anuran species from Nigeria, tropical Africa (one Bufonidae; two Ranidae). High values of parasite infection parameters were found in all three species, which were infected by nematodes, cestodes and trematodes. Nonetheless, the parasite communities of the three anurans were very depauperated in terms of number of species (4 to 6). Interspecific competition was irrelevant in all species, as revealed by null models and Monte Carlo permutations. Cluster analyses revealed that, in terms of parasite community composition, the two Ranidae were similar, whereas the Bufonidae was more different. However, when prevalence, intensity, and abundance of parasites are combined into a multivariate analysis, each anuran species was clearly spaced apart from the others, thus revealing considerable species-specific differences in terms of their parasite communities. All anurans were generalists and probably opportunistic in terms of dietary habits, and showed no evidence of interspecific competition for food. Overall, our data are widely consistent with expectations driven from the interactive-versus-isolationist parasite communities hypothesis.

Religion and traditional medicine: an anthropological case study of a Nigerian treatment of mental illness.

Abstract: (1990). Religion and traditional medicine: An anthropological case study of a Nigerian treatment of mental illness. Medical Anthropology: Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 389-400.