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Since commercial motorcycle and tricycle have become a recognized means of transportation in Nigeria, it has generated research interest among scholars with different focuses and findings. This paper examines the activities of commercial motorcycle and tricycle riders as a means of livelihood and their vulnerability to hazards associated with their works. The study was carried out in Orile-Iganmu Area, Lagos State, Nigeria. Twentyfive identified terminals for motorcycle and tricycle riders were purposively used for this study. Out of 250 registered motorcycle riders and 134 registered tricycle riders, 25% were randomly selected across the terminals. Thus, sixty-three motorcycle riders and thirty-five tricycle riders were sampled. Data collected were analysed using appropriate statistical packages. The findings also show that motorcycle and tricycle operators earn above 1.90 dollar per day but this does not escape them out of extreme poverty as the average number of household that depend on their income is high. This study infers that there is significant positive relationship between level of hazard risk, and vulnerability to accident. Hazard vulnerability can be minimized through construction of good roads, regular traffic control, compliance to traffic rules, and regular rest and medical check-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article empirically examines the underlying factors that influence beach preferences, choice decision-making processes, and perception of beach facilities by the local residents in Lagos, Nigeria. A survey of perception of two beaches by respondents in four Local Government Areas (LGAs) provided the primary data for the study. Using the Random Utility Theory (RUT) framework, the study discovered that preference formation and beach choices are considerably influenced by the respondent's perception of spatial and environmental attributes of beach sites as well as the recreationist characteristics. The implication of these findings is that the observed beach behavior of recreationists cannot only be attributed to their personal attributes but essentially to their perception of the conditions of the beaches. Hence, government with other stakeholders in tourism development in Nigeria needs to take a critical interest in the development of the beaches with regards to accessibility, facilities, security, environment, space, transport system, and a host of other important things that can facilitate attraction to coastal beaches in Lagos and in Nigeria at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sourcing of choice timber species is becoming increasingly difficult in the forests of West Africa including Nigeria. There is a need to provide alternative species by investigating the technical qualities of species that are hitherto not harvested. Six trees of Aningeria robusta were sampled at the base, 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90% of merchantable length and partitioned into the inner, middle and outer wood along the radial plane. Specific gravity (SG) and selected mechanical properties, namely, modulus of rupture (MOR), compressive strength parallel to grain (MCS) and impact bending (IB) were investigated. Data were analysed using analysis of variance. The overall mean SG was 0.44, while the mean values for MOR, MCS and IB were 89.05 N mm-2, 27.45 N mm-2 and 0.2 m respectively. Significant variations existed between sampling heights in SG and MOR, while variations in MCS and IB were not significant along the bole. For all properties investigated, no significant variation was found from the inner to the outer wood. The wood properties of this species indicate that it has the potential to substitute some popular species in the market. Its radial and axial uniformity may be exploited in marketing strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report describes a case of craniothoracopagus (moncephalus thoracopagus tetrabrachius) twin puppies in Ibadan, Nigeria. The conjoined twins were given birth to by a 7-year-old bitch that was usually allowed to stray away from home in search of food. Deformities of the cardiovascular, digestive musculoskeletal, respiratory and urinary systems are reported. This is probably the first report of craniothoracopagus twinning in a dog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preliminary serological study of 366 household dogs in Lagos and Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria, was carried out to determine antibodies due to exposure to Brucelin abortus and B. canis, using the rose bengal test (RBT) and the rapid slide agglutination (RSA) test, respectively. Results showed that 5.46 % (20/366) and 0.27 % (1/366) of the dogs screened were seropositive to B. abortus and B. canis, respectively. Of all dogs, 36 had a history of being fed foetuses from cows and 11(30.6 %) of these tested positive in the RBT. Our findings, although based on a limited sample size and a dearth of clinical details, revealed that dogs fri Nigeria may be infected with Brucelin spp. given the wide range of risk factors. Further studies are recommended to elucidate the epidemiology of brucellosis in dogs and its possible zoonotic consequences in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals are at increased risk of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) due to immune suppression. The increasing resistance of uropathogens necessitates the need for regular monitoring of their profile to reduce drug resistance., Objectives: We determined the prevalence of ASB and the characteristics of antibiotic-resistant uropathogens isolated from HIV patients., Methods: Mid-stream urine samples from 100 HIV positive and 100 HIV negative healthy individuals were cultured for significant bacteriuria. The isolates were identified by standard techniques and their susceptibility patterns determined by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. All the Gram-negative isolates were screened for ESBL production by combined disc method, ESBL genes and class 1 integrons by Polymerase chain reaction., Results: Nine (9%) HIV positive individuals and 4 (4%) healthy individuals had ASB yielding a total of 13 (6.5%) uropathogens dominated by Escherichia coli (53.9%). All isolates were multidrug resistant. Five isolates harboured both the blaTEM-1 gene and class 1integrons while Serratia liquefaciens produced ampC., Conclusion: There is a higher burden of ASB characterized by multi-drug resistant uropathogens among HIV patients. Thus emphasizing the need for continuous resistance surveillance and antibiotic stewardship in our environment to reduce drug resistance and prevent treatment failure., (© 2022 Ajala O et al.)

The erythrocytic parameters during pregnancy and pseudopregnancy in bitches were studied and compared in 8 bitches aged 2 -3 years and weighing 10-12 kg. Blood samples were collected from the bitches before mating, during the three trimesters of pregnancy and the post partum period. The packed cell volume (PCV %), haemoglobin concentration (Hb gm/dl), red blood cell count(x10(6)/µl) were determined using standard methods. The mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were then calculated. Six of the bitches were pregnant and 2 were pseudopregnant. The results showed that in pregnant bitches, the PCV decreased significantly from the premating values of 51.37+0.94% to 34.00+8.04% during the third trimester of pregnancy (P<0.05). There was also a significant decrease in Hb values (P<0.05) from the premating period (16.30 ± 0.20gm/dl) to the third trimester of pregnancy (11.25±1.80gm/dl). The values of Red blood cells (RBCx10(6)/μl) during the premating period (12.70+3.15) were not significantly different from the values during the first second and third trimesters (11.13+3.87, 10.38+4.54 and 12.24+3.15, respectively). The trend of decrease in PCV and Hb values were not observed in the bitches with pseudopregnancy. This shows that these erythrocytic parameters can be used to detect and differentiate between pregnancy and pseudopregnancy in bitches as early as the first 20 days post mating.