The Nation Newspaper

Tag: SCIENTIST

  • Scientist recommends bathing twice

    A laboratory scientist, Mrs. Monica Okoro, has advised people to bathe twice daily during the dry season, to prevent heat-related diseases.

    Okoro, of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku/Ozalla, Enugu, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu that the effect of heat bringing out sweat, which was salt water, combined with atmospheric virus and bacteria, could cause skin-related diseases, such as dandruff, eczema and acne.

    She said after sometime, if the sweat was not washed away, it could lead to an infection that could cause sexual-related diseases, especially in women.

    “It is good for everyone to bathe twice daily, especially during the dry season.

    “Women should not miss it. Bathing should be part of their daily routine.

    “They (women) should ensure they wear clothes, especially underwear made with cotton materials and not nylon materials, to allow free flow of air,’’ Okoro said.

    She urged people to wash their hands and faces, to prevent eye itching caused by the bacteria that could come in contact with the eyes through sweat.

  • Scientist wants FG to develop policies on food processing

    Scientist wants FG to develop policies on food processing

    Dr Sekinat Farinde, a food scientist at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, has urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to develop policies on food processing and production.

    Farinde said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Ibadan that the Ministry should also articulate broadbase policies on Agricultural food preservation and marketing in Nigeria.

    She suggested that the policy on agricultural food processing and preservation should specifically focus on quality control and maintenance of standards along the agricultural value chain in relation to global market competition.

    This, she said, would help ensure adequate food security in the country.

    Farinde noted that in developing countries, such as Nigeria, food got lost due to poor production planning, premature harvesting, poor storage facilities, packaging, lack of infrastructure and processing facilities.

    According to her, good linkages and networking of stakeholders, adequate and appropriate processing technologies are important in reducing post harvest losses through food processing.

    She said that proper storage facilities, good packaging machines, were also very important for attaining high production quality and standard products for the international market.

    “Another good one is the use of modified atmospheric packaging: a way of extending the shelf life of fresh food products.

    “The technology substitutes the air inside a package with a protective gas mix; the gas in the package ensures that the product will stay fresh for as long as possible.

    “It is a modern method used for preservation of meat, sea foods, fruits and vegetables,” she said.

    The food scientist emphasised that “it is only through quality standard maintenance of our raw and processed food that we can have a safe and competitive market”.

    She added that quality standard maintenance of processed foods would provide enabling environment for wealth creation in the country.

  • Scientists discover 1,730 new plant species globally

    Scientists discover 1,730 new plant species globally

    No fewer than 1,730 new plant species were discovered globally in the past year by scientists working at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew).

    Some of these plants have food and medicinal value, according to a report released by RBG Kew on Thursday in London.

    The report said 128 scientists from 12 countries were involved in the research.

    The RBG Kew’s State of the Worlds Plants report, presents data never seen before on patterns affecting plants in different regions of the world.
    It said that new species of Manihot were discovered in Brazil that have the potential to be developed into better food crops.

    According to the report, new species of the climbing vine genus Mucuna, used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, were found in South East Asia and South and Central America.

    “We’ve tried to make sure that this year’s state of the World’s Plants report goes beyond the numbers of plants to look at the natural capital of plants.
    “We also made efforts to find out how the plants are relevant and valuable to all aspects of our lives,” Kathy Willis, director of science at RBG Kew, said.
    The report also revealed that plants with thicker leaves and bark, deeper roots and higher wood density and efficiently use water, are better able to cope with future climate change.
    The report highlighted information on how new technology is assisting to speed up the discovery and classification of plants providing important sign posts to the next food crops.

    It also highlighted the effectiveness of conservation policies and actions in protecting some of the most important plant species globally.
    “For example, the sequence for one of the most widely used herbal medicines, Chinese liquorice, was revealed in 2017.’’
    The report also examined extinction risk faced by plants.

    It said that reliable predictors of extinction risk were needed to improve conservation planning.

  • Unibadan Scientist wins women global award

    A woman scientist at the Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Ibadan, Dr Taiwo Olayemi-Elufioye, has won the 2014 Early Career Women Scientist Award in Developing Countries.

    Elufioye, the only woman from Africa received the award for her research on the treatment properties of native Nigerian plants, with particular bias on the effectiveness of different species in treating malaria, wounds, memory loss, leprosy and cancer.

    Five early career woman scientists in developing world won this year’s Elvevier Foundation Award for their researches into medicinal properties of natural compound.

    Other winners are from Central and South Asia, East and South-East Asia and the Pacific, and the Arab Region.

    The Award was jointly organised by Elsevier Foundation, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) and was held in Chicago, U tied States of America (USA).

    The focus of the 2014 award, which was the application of chemistry of nature to pharmaceutical science, attracted $5,000 and sponsorship of attendance at the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting.

    Reacting to the award, the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole, described Dr Olayemi Elufioye as a pride of Nigeria and the African continent as a whole.

    According to him, the feat recorded by the woman scientist would inspire other women in science.

    He stated that the University of Ibadan would continue to provide the needed environment for her researchers to be able to compete and come out tops in global community of scholars.

  • Thailand, Vietnam scientists visit

    A  team of Thailand and Vietnamese scientists on the European Union GRATITUDE Project visited the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) to collaborate on research.

    Welcoming the visitors, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Olusola Oyewole, said the essence of research is to impact knowledge, urging them to make the best out of their research efforts.

    He noted that the collaboration between FUNAAB and the GRATITUDE team was yielding results and pledged his support for any exchange arising from the collaboration between FUNAAB and universities in Thailand and Vietnam.

    Oyewole assured the scientists of their safety as they went round visiting some industries, farms and villages in Nigeria.

    The GRATITUDE Research Fund is established under the EU-Sponsored ‘Project on Gains and Losses from Cassava and Yam’, with partners from the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Portugal, Thailand, Vietnam, Ghana and Nigeria.