African Journal of Environment and Natural Science Research最新文献

{"title":"Spatial Distribution and Knowledge of Lassa Fever Epidemic Among Patients Presented for Treatment in Owo Between 2018-2020","authors":"N Y Ohemeng-Parker, A. Chukwuyem","doi":"10.52589/ajensr-zvu4oddn","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.52589/ajensr-zvu4oddn","url":null,"abstract":"Lassa fever outbreaks are known to occur during the dry season (November to April), however, in recent years, cases have also occurred during the rainy season. The study therefore examined the Spatio-temporal pattern and knowledge of Lassa fever epidemics in Owo, Ondo state, Nigeria, 2018-2020. This study adopted a combination of hospital case review and a cross-sectional survey research design. Population for the quantitative aspect was a hospital of 301 individuals addressed for the cluster analyses and 407 treated patients for the questionnaire survey in Owo LGA. A validated questionnaire and data extraction form was used to collect the quantitative data. Cronbach’s Alpha reliability test was 0.881. Data was analyzed using Google-Earth Pro, SaTScan and SPSS 27.0 (inferential and descriptive). The result showed that Ehin-Ogbe Street, Aruwajoye street and Oke-Dogbon street as the highest cluster locations of cases of Lassa Fever in Owo LGA. There is a peak period of Lassa fever cases in the dry season, from November to February. 45.7% had an average level of knowledge of Lassa Fever. The most statistically significant cluster (p – 0.00048) in space and time occurred in April 2019. This was at the peri-urban area proximal to Ilale-Osijogun (Idasen) villages and environs. This occurred after an earlier significant outbreak precisely a year earlier in May 2018 at Iyere sub-urban area of Owo city. The largest outbreak subsequently occurred over a 5-month period (August-December 2020). This may be a combination of community transmission, after the two-initial human-animal (zoonotic) transmission phase of 2018-2019. The study recommends primary prevention of rodent-borne diseases can be achieved by avoiding contact with rodents. In improving human behavioural changes, health education strategies should encourage clearing up of bushes, heaps of firewood and rubble around homes as these serve as shelter for rodents. Government should provide adequate supply of PPE for both urban and rural health facilities to assure there are no shortages at the facilities","PeriodicalId":404388,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Environment and Natural Science Research","volume":"274 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127550583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intertidal Polychaetes as Indicators of Pollution Resulting from Anthropogenic Activities along the Okpoka Creek, Upper Bonny Estuary, Nigeria","authors":"K. Tamunotonye, M. Miebaka, Ikem K.E.E.","doi":"10.52589/AJENSR-6IMJLFPQ","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.52589/AJENSR-6IMJLFPQ","url":null,"abstract":"The Okpoka river and the Amadi creek are tributaries of the upper bonny estuary. The study is aimed at identifying the intertidal polychaete species and their abundance in these areas, and using them as indicators of pollution. Three stations were sampled for 6 months on a monthly basis at Marine Base, Abuloma and Kalio-Ama. Results gotten from Water samples collected from intertidal pools are as follows; Biochemical Oxygen Demand(BOD) (3.31-4.0)mg/l,, Dissolved Oxygen(DO) (6.40-6.44)mg/l, Conductivity (22.69-25.89)ms/cm, Total Dissolved Solids(TDS) (11.34-12.96)PPT, Salinity (13.65-15.74)PPT, pH (6.58-6.86), Turbidity (45.41-75.11)NTU, Temperature (28.30-31.82)oC, Nitrate(NO3) (2.11-4.10)mg/l, Phosphate(PO4) (0.82-1.10)mg/l, Sulphate(SO4,) (7.51-15.38)mg/l and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon(TPH) (0.03-0.13)mg/l. The values of NO3, pH, Conductivity, TDS, Salinity showed significance in location and time. PO4 was significantly different between locations (p<0.05). BOD, SO4, TPH and DO showed significance in time while Turbidity and Temperature showed no significance. Results gotten from Analysis done for sediment nutrient parameters such as NO3(15.50-26.40)mg/l and PO4(13.32-15.90)mg/l showed significant variations in location and time, TPH(21.93-34.71)mg/l showed significant variations in location and SO4(15.85-19.71)mg/l had no significance in both location and time. Polychaete family and species identified in this study include: Eunicidae (Lumbrinereis aciculata, Lumbrinereis californiensis), Syllidae (Syllis ramosa, Syllis gracillis, Syllis armata), Capitellidae (Capitella Capitata), Spionidae, Glyceridae and Nereidae (Nereis diversicolor). The dry season witnessed a high number of polychaetes, about 65% of the total number of polychaetes collected from all study locations, while the wet season experienced a low count of about 34% of the total polychaetes collected from all sampled stations. The presence of lumbrinereis sp indicates negatively a poor benthic condition which was present with 25.8% abundance. The high abundance of Nereis sp with 45% abundance indicates heavy metals pollution and the presence of Glycera sp with 4% percentage abundance and Syllid sp with 15.6% percentage abundance indicates unpolluted conditions. In conclusion the abundance and diversity of polychaetes in Marine base, Abuloma and Kalio Ama were generally poor. This is evident by the poor abundance, composition and diversity of benthic fauna of the study area.","PeriodicalId":404388,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Environment and Natural Science Research","volume":"13 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123721676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fundamental Interactions of Nature: Classical Unification of Gravitational and Electromagnetic Forces","authors":"A. M., C. K., A. S, J. O., Deborah A., Chinedu E., Daniel D.","doi":"10.52589/ajensr/vozcnz5q","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.52589/ajensr/vozcnz5q","url":null,"abstract":"We have looked at the four fundamental interactions, the interaction between imaginary energies. This been the electromagnetic (between electric charges), weak (between electric and colour charges), and strong (between colour charges) interactions. Among the four fundamental elements, there are ten (six real and four imaginary) fundamental interactions. We also have presented a Classical theory of unification of gravitational force and the electromagnetic force based on generalization of Newton’s law of gravitation to include a dynamic term inferred from the Lorentz force of electromagnetic interaction. This dynamic term alone in the gravitational force is enough to develop the entire dynamic theory of gravitation parallel to that of electrodynamics. This theory naturally solves the mystery of action-at-distance. It has been shown that the inverse square law of the static and the dynamic forces is the result of the conservation of mass (Gauss’s Law) and the total momentum (Wang’s Law). The Wang’s Law been a new discovery. The new theory also predicts that the gravitational force is transmitted through propagation of gravitational waves at the speed of light.","PeriodicalId":404388,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Environment and Natural Science Research","volume":"37 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"117241559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antibacterial Activity of Different Toothpastes and Chewing Sticks on Selected Bacteria Isolated from the Oral Cavity","authors":"Anyiam I.V., Ariyo A.B.","doi":"10.52589/ajensr_s8tkvjnz","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.52589/ajensr_s8tkvjnz","url":null,"abstract":"The present study assessed the antibacterial efficacy of different toothpastes and chewing sticks purchased from a local market in Yenagoa, on selected bacteria isolated from the oral cavity. 100 oral specimens were collected from the primary school pupils of Community Primary School Otuoke, Bayelsa State. The specimens were analyzed by culture, biochemical test and agar well diffusion. Phytochemical and antibacterial properties of ethanol, and aqueous extracts of the chewing sticks were investigated in this study. The bacterial isolates were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans and Serratia marcescens. The highest bacterial isolate seen was E. coli, 27 (45%) while the lowest was Serratia marcescens, 2 (3.3%). The highest occurring bacterial isolates based on sex was seen in females with 32 (53.5%) while the least in male with 28 (46.7%). The age group with the highest bacterial isolate was 3–6years with 36 (60%) while the least was 11–14yaers with 8 (13.3%). Preliminary phytochemical screening of the chewing stick extracts revealed the presence of saponins, alkaloids and terpenes in Salvadora persica, and saponins, terpenes and glycosides were present in Massularia acuminata. The toothpastes (Close up and Oral-B) showed antibacterial activity (p<0.05) against all the bacterial isolates; however, no significant activity was observed for Close up on E. coli. The ethanol extracts of both chewing sticks (M. acuminata and S. persica) showed antibacterial activity (p<0.05) against the bacterial isolates than the aqueous extracts. However, the aqueous extracts of S. persica were shown to be effective against E. coli and S. mutans, with inhibition zones of 13.5mm at 62.5mg/ml concentration and 4.5mm at 125mg/ml concentration respectively; this showed significant difference (p<0.05), whereas no significant zone of inhibition was observed for M. acuminata. In comparison, this study showed Oral-B proved more effective than Close up, while for the chewing sticks, S. persica exhibited the greater antibacterial activity. Also, the toothpastes showed more effective antibacterial properties than the chewing sticks.","PeriodicalId":404388,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Environment and Natural Science Research","volume":"17 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114322331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}