Assessment of the Effect of Land Use /Land Cover Changes on Total Runoff From Ofu River Catchment in Nigeria

The total runoff from a catchment is dependednt on both the soil characteristics and the land use/land cover (LULC) type. This study was conducted to examine the effect of changes in land cover on the total runoff from Ofu River Catchment in Nigeria. Classified Landsat imageries of 1987, 2001 and 2016 in combination with the soil map extracted from the Digital Soil Map of the World was used to estimate the runoff curve number for 1987, 2001 and 2016. The runoff depth for 35 years daily rainfall data was estimated using Natura Resource Conservation Services Curve Number (NRCS-CN) method. The runoff depths obtained for the respective years were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance at 95% level of significance. P-value < 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Runoff curve numbers obtained for 1987, 2001 and 2016 were 61.83, 63.26 and 62.79 respectively. The effects of the changes in LULC for 1987-2001, 2001-2016 and 1987-2016 were statistically significant (P<0.001) at 95% confident interval. The average change in runoff depths were 79.81%, -11.10% and 48.09% respectively for 1987-2001, 2001-2016 and 1987-2016. The study concluded that the changes in LULC of the catchment had significant effect on the runoff from the catchment

The changing impact of macroeconomic environment on remittance inflows in sub-Saharan Africa

This paper identifies the core macroeconomic factors responsible for explaining the changing levels in international remittances received by SSA countries. A set of annual panel data on 36 SSA countries, covering 1980-2009, was used in a ‘system’ Generalised Method of Moments following Blundell and Bond (1998) dynamic panel-data estimation technique. In order to provide a more detailed insight into the possible dynamics of varying impact of macroeconomic variables that explain remittances received in SSA, decade-based (1980-89, 1990-99, and 2000-09), as well as an overall study period, 1980-2009, estimations were carried out. It was found that both migrant home-country and host-country macroeconomic environment impact on remittance inflows in SSA with a varying impact overtime. In absolute terms, generally, whilst the impact of real exchange rate, migrant income, and institutional quality has been increasing on remittances overtime, the effects of family income and the rate of inflation has be decreasing overtim

The changing impact of macroeconomic environment on remittance inflows in sub-Saharan Africa

This paper identifies the core macroeconomic factors responsible for explaining the changing levels in international remittances received by SSA countries. A set of annual panel data on 36 SSA countries, covering 1980-2009, was used in a ‘system’ Generalised Method of Moments following Blundell and Bond (1998) dynamic panel-data estimation technique. In order to provide a more detailed insight into the possible dynamics of varying impact of macroeconomic variables that explain remittances received in SSA, decade-based (1980-89, 1990-99, and 2000-09), as well as an overall study period, 1980-2009, estimations were carried out. It was found that both migrant home-country and host-country macroeconomic environment impact on remittance inflows in SSA with a varying impact overtime. In absolute terms, generally, whilst the impact of real exchange rate, migrant income, and institutional quality has been increasing on remittances overtime, the effects of family income and the rate of inflation has be decreasing overtim

Bird communities across different levels of human settlement: A comparative analysis from two northern Amazonian ecoregions

Urban ecosystems are increasingly dominating landscapes globally, so it is critical to understand the effects of human settlements on biodiversity. Bird communities are effective indicators because they are impacted by the size and expansion of human settlements, exemplified by changes in their habitat use, breeding and foraging behaviours, as well as patterns of richness and abundance. Existing studies on bird community responses to human settlements have mainly focused on single ecoregions and large cities, leaving a gap in comparative research on how differently sized human settlements affect bird communities across various ecoregions. To address this gap, we examine species richness, bird abundances and community composition in human settlements, which exhibit variable sizes, populations, landscape configurations, and overall intensity of settlement in two tropical ecoregions in Guyana, Amazonia: forest and savannah. In each ecoregion we explored how different groupings of urban tolerance in birds responded to human settlements of differing population size and building densities. Overall, we found significant differences in bird communities across the varying levels of human settlement intensity in both ecoregions, with greater differences in bird community composition in the forest ecoregion than the savannah region. In both ecoregions, species richness and abundance were highest at the medium level of settlement of human settlement. Our findings suggest that bird tolerance to human settlements varies based on ecoregion and site-level factors. In the savannah, built features may be benefitting birds from all urban tolerance levels, but they have a negative impact on less urban-tolerant species in the forest ecoregion. Our comparative analysis reveals for the first time that the impact of human settlements on avian communities in northern Amazonia varies among ecoregions, indicating that species evolved to live in a savannah may be more tolerant to human settlements than those more evolved to a forest system

Influenza D pseudotyped lentiviruses: production, neutralisation assay and serological surveillance

Influenza D virus (IDV) has been reported in many animal species and potentially humans worldwide. Cattle are considered the major reservoir. There are currently three main lineages based on the haemagglutinin-esterase (HEF) gene: D/OK, D/660 and D/Japan. We performed pilot surveillance for IDV by using pseudotyped lentivirus (PVs) to generate a cell-based test to identify prior-exposure to IDV in animals. The expression plasmids of the HEF genes, D/swine/Italy/2015, D/bovine/France/2014, and D/bovine/Ibaraki/2016, were constructed. The HEF plasmid was co-transfected with lentiviral vector plasmid expressing luciferase, lentiviral Gag-Pol plasmid, and HAT protease plasmid in producer cells (HEK293T/17). Three days post-transfection, supernatants were collected and used for titration on various cell lines and in micro-neutralisation tests. Sera from pigs vaccinated with D/swine/Italy/2015 and D/swine/Oklahoma/2011 were used to undertake a preliminary validation of the micro-neutralisation assay. All pig sera have neutralising activity to influenza D (Italy) pseudotyped lentiviruses. Cow and sheep sera, 145 and 114 specimens, respectively, collected from UK farms were screened using the micro-neutralisation test. We found 97 bovine sera (66.9%) were influenza D antibody positive. Collectively, pseudotyped lentivirus technology opens up opportunities for serological surveillance of influenza D viruses

Towards a digital policing in developing nations : the Nigerian context

Technology-assisted living is a growing trend in most developing nations, particularly for young-aged demographic countries, as it presents a platform for personal development and knowledge management. However, this societyscaping trend has also introduced the myriad opportunity for the formation of complex crime, which is often beyond the (immediate) capability of the policing entity in developing nations. To address this lingering and futuristic problem, particularly in Nigeria, this study developed a context-based digital policing framework for the enhancement of the Nigerian Police. This Nigerian-context framework presents the viability and relevance of the digital policing mechanism in addressing challenges ravaging society. Furthermore, it also presents a modality for improving and enhancing the policing apparatus of the Nigerian society, as a model for other developing nations. The knowledge from the Nigerian-context of digital policing has both research and societal implications. In terms of research, it opens the community of security researchers into the contextual characteristics of digital policing as well as the probable research direction required to implement digital policing in developing nations. With respect to society, knowledge provides a substratum for the integration of the community-policing model.https://www.ijitee.orgpm2020Computer Scienc

Consequences Matter : Compassion in Conservation Means Caring for Individuals, Populations and Species

Funding This research received no external funding. Acknowledgments The manuscript benefitted from significant input from Dan Brockington, J.B. Callicott, Peter Coals, Tim Hodgetts, David Macdonald and Jeremy Wilson. Conflicts of Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Renal biopsy findings among Indigenous Australians: a nationwide review

Australia's Indigenous people have high rates of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure. To define renal disease among these people, we reviewed 643 renal biopsies on Indigenous people across Australia, and compared them with 249 biopsies of non-Indigenous patients. The intent was to reach a consensus on pathological findings and terminology, quantify glomerular size, and establish and compare regional biopsy profiles. The relative population-adjusted biopsy frequencies were 16.9, 6.6, and 1, respectively, for Aboriginal people living remotely/very remotely, for Torres Strait Islander people, and for non-remote-living Aboriginal people. Indigenous people more often had heavy proteinuria and renal failure at biopsy. No single condition defined the Indigenous biopsies and, where biopsy rates were high, all common conditions were in absolute excess. Indigenous people were more often diabetic than non-Indigenous people, but diabetic changes were still present in fewer than half their biopsies. Their biopsies also had higher rates of segmental sclerosis, post-infectious glomerulonephritis, and mixed morphologies. Among the great excess of biopsies in remote/very remote Aborigines, females predominated, with younger age at biopsy and larger mean glomerular volumes. Glomerulomegaly characterized biopsies with mesangiopathic changes only, with IgA deposition, or with diabetic change, and with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). This review reveals great variations in biopsy rates and findings among Indigenous Australians, and findings refute the prevailing dogma that most indigenous renal disease is due to diabetes. Glomerulomegaly in remote/very remote Aboriginal people is probably due to nephron deficiency, in part related to low birth weight, and probably contributes to the increased susceptibility to kidney disease and the predisposition to FSGS

Money, Output and Price Level in Nigeria: A Test of the Monetary Neutrality Proposition

This paper presents and tests a model to determine either or both how anticipated or unanticipated money affects real output and inflation in Nigeria. The Barro two –step estimation procedure was explored. Also, the effects of devaluation and business cycles in the industrialized countries on output fluctuation in Nigeria were pursued. The evidence reveals that while anticipated money affects real output, the unanticipated money did not. Thus, the tests contract the policy ineffectiveness proposition. Also, cyclical movements in the output of industrialized countries negatively affect real output with spread effect; and devaluation exhibits a delayed positive impact on output performance, with greater effect on inflation. (Af. J. of Finance and Management: 2003 11(2): 110-120

Non-bank financial institutions and economic growth : evidence from Africa’s three largest economies

CITATION: Rateiwa, R. & Aziakpono, M. J. 2017. Non-bank financial institutions and economic growth : evidence from Africa’s three largest economies. South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, 20(1):a1545, doi:10.4102/sajems.v20i1.1545.The original publication is available at https://sajems.orgBackground: In order for the post-2015 world development agenda – termed the sustainable development goals (SDGs) – to succeed, there is a pronounced need to ensure that available resources are used more effectively and additional financing is accessed from the private sector. Given that traditional bank lending has slowed down, the development of non-bank financing has become imperative. To this end, this article intends to empirically test the role of non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) in stimulating economic growth. Aim: The aim of this article is to empirically test the existence of a long-run equilibrium relationship between economic growth and the development of NBFIs, and the causality thereof. Setting: The empirical assessment uses time-series data from Africa’s three largest economies, namely, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa, over the period 1971–2013. Methods: This article uses the Johansen cointegration and vector error correction model within a country-specific setting. Results: The results showed that the long-run relationship between NBFI development and economic growth is relatively stronger in Egypt and South Africa, than in Nigeria. Evidence in respect of Nigeria shows that such a relationship is weak. The nature of the relationship between NBFI development and economic growth in Egypt is positive and significant, and predominantly bidirectional. This suggests that a virtuous relationship between NBFIs and economic growth exists in Egypt. In South Africa, the relationship is positive and significant and predominantly runs from NBFI development to economic growth, implying a supply-leading phenomenon. In Nigeria, the results are weak and mixed. Conclusion: The study concludes that in countries with more developed financial systems, the role of NBFIs and their importance to the economic growth process are more pronounced. Thus, there is need for developing policies targeted at developing the NBFI sector, given their potential to contribute to economic growth.https://sajems.org/index.php/sajems/article/view/1545Publisher's versio