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.

Higher blood lead levels in rural than urban pregnant women in Eastern Nigeria

Abstract: While blood lead levels (BLLs) in many western countries have progressively declined over the years, in Nigeria, high BLLs continue to be documented not only in exposed workers but also in ‘unexposed’ subjects.1 Lead is an environmental toxin that is capable of causing numerous acute and chronic illnesses. Pregnant women with elevated BLLs transfer lead to the fetus since blood-borne lead crosses the placenta. Through a consideration of the joint associations of maternal BLLs, demographics, obstetrics variables and plasma enzymes levels, this study has attempted to provide data required for crafting effective public health information with …

Culture and workplace industrial relations: a Nigerian study

Abstract: Although much interest is being directed towards the study of cultural influences on management and organisation, little attention is given to the effect of these influences on workplace industrial relations. This article reports the findings of a study based on two textile factories from the Hausa and two from the Ibo cultural groups in Nigeria.

Nigerian foods of probiotics relevance and chronic metal exposure: a systematic review

Abstract: Probiotics are functional foods with a wide armamentarium of health benefits in man including metal chelation. Given the unacceptable blood lead levels and the near ignorance or negligence of heavy metals in both diagnoses and management of diseases in Nigeria, it is feared that these metals are involved in the aetiogenesis of several ailments from preeclampsia, metabolic syndrome, cancer, etc. This is an insight on Nigerian fermented foods and their possible role as metal chelators in the management of the chronic heavy metal exposure in Nigeria. One hundred and five articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Google scholar, PubMed and SCOPUS were searched for articles reporting fermented foods and probiotics in Nigeria. Only studies published in English Language were included, but there was no limitation in year of study. One hundred and five articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Studies from some African countries suggest that fermented foods of probiotics relevance have effectively shown metal chelation properties. Consumption of Nigerian fermented foods may hold a promise in checking the high body burden of heavy metals in Nigeria. Graphic abstract.

Community Ecology of Scincid Lizards in a Swamp Rainforest of South-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract: Diets, activity patterns, habitat use, and the role of predation, were studied in a community of terrestrial lizards ( Mabuya affinis , Mabuya maculilabris , Mochlus fernandii : Scincidae) from a swamp lowland rainforest in south-eastern Nigeria. Mochlus fernandii was the largest species, whereas the two Mabuya were very similar in terms of body size. There was no significant sexual size dimorphism in any of the species, but males of Mochlus fernandii tended to be larger than females. Niche breadths varied significantly between species, with M. fernandii specimens showing the widest niche breadth values. Moreover, the intersexual differences in diet composition were significant in all the species. The size of the lizards influenced the type of prey eaten. Mochlus fernandii occasionally preyed on the two Mabuya species, and M. affinis also fed upon fruits and plants. The diets of the three species were clearly separated. The highest dietary similarity occurred between Mochlus fernandii and M. maculilabris , and the lowest similarity occurred between Mochlus fernandii and M. affinis . All three species exhibited a bimodal activity pattern (first peak: 08.00 – 10.00, second peak: 16.00 – 18.00), and did not differ significantly between species. Mochlus fernandii was less abundant than the two Mabuya in suburban habitats, but the interspecific differences in habitat characteristics were minor. Based on the frequency of tail loss, predation risk was high for all lizards in this community. Snakes are most likely the main predators.

Dewfall features of a tropical station: The case of Onne (Port Hartcourt), Nigeria

Abstract: This study presents the results of an analysis of the dewfall features of a tropical station. The importance of dewfall cannot be overemphasized, especially during the dry season when plants are under seriously stress. A positive correlation was found between dewfall and rainfall. Dew formation was found to peak on a diurnal basis between 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., suggesting that some steering mechanism is required for dew formation at this station. Dew formation starts later at night during the dry season but much earlier during the rainy season. The August anomaly already highlighted by Ireland showed up in dew formation as there was a marked reduction in dew formation in that month.