The Effects of Leaf Colour at Fruit Harvest and Fruit after-Ripening Duration on (Cucumeropsis mannii Naudin.) Seed Quality.

A study of the after-ripening behavior of ‘egusi-itoo’ melon (Cucumeropsis mannii Naudin.) fruits was undertaken at the research farm of the University of Agriculture Makurdi in 2005, 2006 and 2007 to monitor its effects on seed quality. Some fruits were harvested when leaves started turning yellow (LTY) while others were harvested when all leaves were dried (ALD). The fruits harvested at the two stages were either processed immediately or were processed after 10 or 20 days of after-ripening. Results revealed that fruits from plants harvested when all plant leaves were dry (ALD) contained significantly more seeds and produced higher seed yield. After-ripening of fruits for 10 and 20 days significantly improved seed germination in 2006 and 2007.  The best seed longevity was obtained from ALD fruits that were after-ripened for 20 days while the poorest result was from the non-after-ripened LTY fruits. It was therefore concluded that Cucumeropsis mannii fruits should be harvested when all leaves are dry. For higher seed quality still, harvested fruits should be stored to after-ripen for about 10 - 20 days before seed extraction process is initiated

Effect of fruiting on micronutrients, antinutrients and toxic substances in Telfairia occidentalis grown in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

A pot experiment was conducted to determine the effect of fruiting on antinutrients (soluble and total oxalates), toxic substances (cyanide and nitrate) and some micronutrients namely: vitamin C, β-carotene (provitamin A) and mineral elements [(sodium (Na), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca) potassium (K)] in Telfairia occidentalis grown in nitrogen and non-nitrogen treated soil. Vegetable leaves were harvested at both market maturity (vegetative phase) and fruiting (reproductive phase), and were subjected to chemical analysis. Results showed that the cyanide and total oxalate concentrations were significantly higher at fruiting stage of vegetables grown on both control and nitrogen applied soil, while the nitrate and β-carotene concentration in T. occidentalis were significantly reduced irrespective of the soil nitrogen levels. Fruiting however, had no significant effect on soluble oxalate and vitamin C concentration in T. occidentalis grown under control and nitrogen treatment conditiond. The results also revealed that while Fe and Mg contents were increased, K and Cu content decreased significantly with fruiting in both control and nitrogen fertilization treatment. Similarly, the Na content in the vegetable was decreased significantly only when nitrogen fertilizer was used. The levels of Zn and Ca were not affected by fruiting. We conclude that consumption of the leaves of T. occidentalis at vegetative phase (market maturity) reduces the levels of most of the plant toxins and still retain most of the micronutrients in an amount to meet nutritional requirements.Key words: Telfairia occidentalis, anti-nutrients, toxic substances, micronutrients, market maturity and fruiting, soil nitrogen levels

Microcontroller Based Smart Energy Meter with Data Logger System

Recent advancements in power system ensure that energy being generated is efficiently delivered to meet the growing demand for electricity in many countries. However, determining the proper energy usage by the consumers has become a major challenge to utility companies. Metering is an important aspect of electricity distribution, it helps to accurately measure and bill customers for their electricity consumption. In this project, a prototype for an electricity monitoring system using ATMEGA328P as the microcontroller was proposed and developed. The display parameter values are voltage, current, power factor, active and apparent power. A ZMPT101B voltage sensor is used to measure the AC voltage, while an SCT-013 100A current sensor is used to measure the AC current flowing through meter. In addition, a rotary encoder is used to converts the rotational motion into an electrical signal which is used to measure and control various parameters in a system. Real time clock module is based on an internal clock that generates pulses at a fixed frequency. variety of tests to verify that the system can handle the expected volume of data, can communicate reliably and that can secure data were performed such as logging the energy data to memory card, testing input sensors, The voltage and current errors for the energy meter are ±0.1% and ±0.3%, respectively while the power value error of ±0.04%, which is acceptable for most metering devices, The use of smart metering system lead to a more sustainable and efficient energy system for achieving a more sustainable future.       &nbsp

Capacity and Quality Assessment of Awba River Basin

This study aims at determining the feasibility of a Mini Water Supply Scheme to meet the growing water needs of The Polytechnic, Ibadan community. The assessment focused on determination of population of the subject community vis-à-vis the location, discharge capacity and quality status of Oba river basin, being the only perennial stream within the community, seeking possible opportunities for capacity building in the areas water based developmental activities. The entire population of the community was obtained by enumeration method with 10years projection considered at a growth of 4 percent on yearly basis. Water budget was arrived at on the basis of per capita per day, in accordance with the United State specification. Raw water supply was obtained through impounding system of reinforced concrete chamber, which serves as an alternative to costly dam construction. Grid survey was carried out to determine the topographical nature along the stream axis at proposed location of the impounding house. Hydrological studies were carried out on the river to obtain its rate of flow and the harvestable volume of raw water at each month of a year. This was used to determine the size of chamber and the impounding hours before pumping. Physico-chemical analysis of the raw water was carried out and the results compared with that of W.H.O’s 1996 guide line for drinking water as to dictate the design of treatment plant and the recommendable chemical dosage. The study thus reveals that the available perennial stream within the community is a resource that could be utilized to alleviate the problem of acute water shortage and create better environment for research and other developmental activities of the institution. Key Words: Population, Raw Water, Capacity and Quality Assessment, Treatment

Multi-Technique Analysis of Precipitable Water Vapor Estimates in the sub-Sahel West Africa

Precipitable water vapor (PWV) is an important climate parameter indicative of available moisture in the atmosphere, it is also an important greenhouse gas. Observations of precipitable water vapor in sub-Sahel West Africa are almost non-existent. Several Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites have been established across West Africa, and observations from four of them, namely, Ilorin (4.34o E, 8.32o N), Cinzana (5.93o W, 13.28o N), Banizoumbou (2.67o E, 13.54o N) and Dakar (16.96o W, 14.39o N) are being used in this study. Data spanning the period from 2004 to 2014 have been selected, they include conventional humidity parameters, remotely sensed aerosol and precipitable water information and numerical model outputs. Since in Africa, only conventional information on humidity parameters is available, it is important to utilize the unique observations from the AERONET network to calibrate empirical formulas frequently used to estimate precipitable water vapor from humidity measurements. An empirical formula of the form PWV=aT_d+b where T_d is the surface dew point temperature, a and b are constants, was fitted to the data and is proposed as applicable to the climatic condition of the sub-Sahel. Moreover, we have also used the AERONET information to evaluate the capabilities of well-established numerical weather prediction (NWP) models such as ERA Interim Reanalysis, NCEP-DOE Reanalysis II and NCEP-CFSR, to estimate precipitable water vapor in the sub-Sahel West Africa, it was found that the models tend to overestimate the amount of precipitable water at the selected sites by about 25 %

Attitudes toward Computer, Computer Anxiety and Gender as determinants of Pre-service Science, Technology and Mathematics Teachers’ Computer Self-efficacy

The study investigated attitudes towards computer and computer anxiety as determinants of computer self-efficacy among 2100 pre-service science, technology and mathematics (STM) teachers from the University of Lagos of Nigeria using the quantitative research method within the blueprint of the descriptive survey design. Data collected were analysed using the descriptive statistics of percentages, mean, and standard deviation and inferential statistics of independent samples t-test, Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. Finding revealed significant correlations between computer attitudes, computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy. Gender differences in attitude toward computer, computer self-efficacy and computer anxiety among pre-service STM teachers were significant. Affective component, perceived control component, and perceived usefulness component, behavioural intention component, gender, and computer anxiety made statistically significant contributions to the variance in pre-service STM teachers’ computer self-efficacy. The study recommended among others that academic institutions should pay more attention to this computer anxiety and adopt proper ways of reducing the computer anxiety, so that positive e-learning experiences can be created for pre-service STM teachers

Appraising the maintenance practices in shopping malls across Lagos metropolis

Like other types of buildings, shopping mall buildings in Nigeria receive insufficient maintenance attention. The vast majority of shopping malls exhibit awful structural and aesthetic conditions of deterioration. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the maintenance practices of shopping malls with a view to addressing issues that arise from factors responsible for the deterioration of the building fabrics and components. Data from 97 building maintenance stakeholders from Lagos Island and Mainland malls were gathered using a cross-sectional survey utilizing two sets of structured self-administered questionnaires. The results revealed 31 maintenance practices implemented in shopping malls. The study also uncovered 21 key factors influencing the sourcing decision of maintenance practices in shopping malls. Besides, the results further revealed 22 causative factors that lead to the deterioration of shopping mall building fabrics and components. The study comes to the conclusion that regardless of the sourcing decision, other factors, such as quality and frequency of maintenance, have a significant impact on how quickly a shopping mall deteriorates. It is recommended that maintenance stakeholders should play active roles in ensuring shopping malls are adequately maintained. This may be achieved by developing a defined strategy for routine and preventive maintenance

The Effect Of Processing And Preservation Methods On The Oxalate Levels Of Some Nigerian Leafy Vegetables

Titrimetric analysis was used to estimate the level of oxalate in some Nigerian leafy vegetables treated in different ways in two sets of experiments. The treatments were boiling with retention of the water used for boiling, and freezing followed by boiling without retention of the water used for boiling. Results obtained showed that the former in which five different vegetables were used led to significant increases (p<0.05) in the oxalate content of the vegetable preparations. The exception was Vernonia amygdalina in which there was a significant decrease in the oxalate content after boiling. The latter in which three selected vegetables were used however led to significant decrease (p<0.05) in the level of oxalate of the vegetable preparation, a significant amount having been lost in the decanted water. Boiling and then discarding the water used for boiling vegetables provides a good means of reducing the oxalate content of leafy vegetables and consequently the associated food safety problems