The Impact of ICT on Career Counseling Services: A case Study of Nigerian Secondary Schools

Information and communication technologies (ICT) will need to be fully integrated into the delivery of careers services as the world is now in the global era. Such integration would not only have the potential to achieve more but would also increase the flexibility of services and enhance their quality. Career choice is an  important  decision  a  person  needs  to  make  in  his  life  time.  Unfortunately, many young people find it uneasy to make appropriate career choice. The  paper  focused  on  the  usage  of  career  counseling  services  in  selected public secondary schools in Nigeria. It sought to find out how students and teachers utilize  career  counseling  services,  students’  expectations  in  career  counseling services  and  how  school  principals  support  career  counseling  services.  Simple random  sampling  was  used  to  select  380  from 34  public  secondary  schools  from  the  sample  population.  Four-point Likert scale questionnaires were used to obtain data for the study. The findings revealed that the students use career counseling services to take career decision and aspiration, gather career information and select and take subjects that match their career interest. Secondary school teachers use career counseling services to guide students to make appropriate subject choice that match their career interest and help them with their career challenges and plans. This paper recommends that career counselors should integrate use of ICT, through the use of chat rooms, email and social networking. In other words several choice of career could be show to the students on DVD and CD Video. They should also be exposed to TV and radio Chat on Career choice.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v1i1.70

Oscillations of the superconducting critical current in Nb-Cu-Ni-Cu-Nb junctions

We report on experimental studies of superconductor-ferromagnet layered structures. Strong oscillations of the critical supercurrent were observed with the thickness variation of the ferromagnet. Using known microscopic parameters of Ni, we found reasonable agreement between the period of oscillations and the decay of the measured critical current, and theoretical calculations.Comment: 5 page

Using Selected Structural Indices to Pinpoint the Field Moisture Capacity of Some Coarse-Textured Agricultural Soils in Southeastern Nigeria

Over- or underestimation of field capacity (FC) of agricultural soils could misguide soil and water management and this might have negative agronomic and environmental impacts. The study sought to identify the moisture tension for reliably estimating in the laboratory the FC of some sandy soils with low-activity clay minerals and at different levels of structure development in Nsukka agroecological zone in southeastern Nigeria. Fifty-four samples of topand subsoils under contrasting vegetation cover at three locations in the zone were analyzed for texture, organicmatter contents, bulk density and total porosity. Saturated hydraulic conductivities (Ksat) of the samples were equallydetermined. Water-conducting and water-filled porosities at each of 0.06-, 0.10- and 0.33-bar tensions were implied from water retention data at the respective tensions. The soils were categorized based on their levels of structure development using a structural stability index [(organic matter: silt+clay) %] as follows: very low (< 4%), low (4-7.5%) and moderate to high (> 7.5%) stability soils. Series of simple correlation tests were run among the waterconducting porosities at the various tensions and the Ksat of the soils. In each case, the soil was assumed to have attained FC at that moisture tension which the associated water-conducting porosity showed significant positive correlation with the Ksat. Our results revealed that the 0.06-bar tension overestimated the FC of the soils. The 0.10-bar tension, the commonly used moisture tension for the purpose in the study area, proved suitable only for soils within the moderate to high structural stability category. From all indications, the 0.33-bar tension best corresponded to the FC of the less structurally developed soils in the other two categories. The level of soil structure development should therefore be considered before deciding the suitable moisture tension for the determination of FC of these and similar soils in other tropical locations

A common founding clone with TP53 and PTEN mutations gives rise to a concurrent germ cell tumor and acute megakaryoblastic leukemia

We report the findings from a patient who presented with a concurrent mediastinal germ cell tumor (GCT) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Bone marrow pathology was consistent with a diagnosis of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AML M7), and biopsy of an anterior mediastinal mass was consistent with a nonseminomatous GCT. Prior studies have described associations between hematological malignancies, including AML M7 and nonseminomatous GCTs, and it was recently suggested that a common founding clone initiated both cancers. We performed enhanced exome sequencing on the GCT and the AML M7 from our patient to define the clonal relationship between the two cancers. We found that both samples contained somatic mutations in PTEN (C136R missense) and TP53 (R213 frameshift). The mutations in PTEN and TP53 were present at ∼100% variant allele frequency (VAF) in both tumors. In addition, we detected and validated five other shared somatic mutations. The copy-number analysis of the AML exome data revealed an amplification of Chromosome 12p. We also identified a heterozygous germline variant in FANCA (S858R), which is known to be associated with Fanconi anemia but is of uncertain significance here. In summary, our data not only support a common founding clone for these cancers but also suggest that a specific set of distinct genomic alterations (in PTEN and TP53) underlies the rare association between GCT and AML. This association is likely linked to the treatment resistance and extremely poor outcome of these patients. We cannot resolve the clonal evolution of these tumors given limitations of our data

Thermodynamics and Phase Diagrams of layered superconductor/ferromagnet nanostructures

We study the thermodynamics of clean, layered superconductor/ferromagnet nanostructures using fully self consistent methods to solve the microscopic Bogoliubov-deGennes equations. From these self-consistent solutions the condensation free energies are obtained. The trilayer SFS junction is studied in particular detail: first order transitions between 0 and $\pi$ states as a function of the temperature $T$ are located by finding where the free energies of the two phases cross. The occurrence of these transitions is mapped as a function of the thickness $d_F$ of the F layer and of the Fermi wavevector mismatch parameter $\Lambda$. Similar first order transitions are found for systems with a larger number of layers: examples are given in the 7 layer (3 junction) case. The latent heats associated with these phase transitions are evaluated and found to be experimentally accessible. The transition temperature to the normal state is calculated from the linearized Bogoliubov-deGennes equations and found to be in good agreement with experiment. Thus, the whole three dimensional phase diagram in $T,d_F,\Lambda$ space can be found. The first order transitions are associated with dips in the transition temperature $T_c$ to the non-superconducting state, which should facilitate locating them. Results are given also for the magnetic moment and the local density of states (DOS) at the first order transition.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figure

A systematic review of circular economy research in the construction industry

Purpose While circular economy (CE) is fast becoming a political and economic agenda for global urban development, there are still substantial knowledge gaps in possible strategies to speed up such transition, especially in the construction industry. This study analyses literature surrounding CE to unpack current trends possible future research directions to foster CE implementation in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach The study undertakes a systematic review of CE literature published between 1990 and 2019. It adopts a five-stage procedure as a methodological approach for the review: formulation of the research question(s), locating and identifying relevant studies, selection and evaluation of studies, analysis or synthesis and results reporting. Findings The findings on CE research in the construction industry show extensive focus on resource use and waste management. There are limited investigations in other areas of construction such as supply chain integration, building designs, policy, energy efficiency, land use, offsite manufacturing, whole life costing, and risk, cost reduction, cost management, health and safety management. The study findings provide evidence that current CE practice fails to incorporate other areas that would facilitate the network of true circular construction industry. Originality/value This research provides a comprehensive overview of research efforts on CE in the construction context, identifying areas of extensive and limited coverage over three decades. Besides, it identifies possible pathways for future research directions on CE implementation, towards the accelerated transition to a true circular construction industry for the benefit of funding bodies and researchers

Contribution of small and mediumenterprisesto economic development: Evidencefroma transitingeconomy

The focusofthisresearchwastopresentadataarticleonthe contribution ofSMEstoeconomicdevelopmentinatransiting economy.Descriptiveresearchdesignwasadoptedinthisstudy. Data wereobtainedfrom600respondentsin60small-scale enterprises locatedindifferentpartsofthecountry(20small-scale enterprises locatedinLagosState,20inAnambraStateand20in Kano StateofNigeriarespectively).Dataanalysiswascarriedout using tablesandpercentagesandthenullhypothesesofthestudy wastestedusingchi-square(X2) inferentialstatisticalmodelat5% level ofsignificance. The findings revealedthatthereisasig- nificant relationshipbetweentheoperationofsmallandmedium- scale enterprisesandeconomicgrowthindevelopingnations

Environmental Susceptibility and Resistance to Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19): A Review

It is believed that certain environmental factors modulate coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). This review outlines the role of environmental factors in COVID-19 infectivity, spread, and severity. Relevant articles were retrieved from Google Scholar, SpringerLink, and Scopus, then pooled and duplicates removed with EndNote software. Available information reveals that temperature, relative humidity (RH), sunlight, pollutants, and population density modulate COVID-19 infectivity and pathogenicity. COVID-19 spread is promoted by low temperature (< 25 °C) and RH (< 40%), whereas it is inhibited by high temperature (> 25 °C) and RH (> 40%). Sunlight exposure alters the virus’s genetic material and boosts the host’s immune function by raising serum vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitanim D), reducing the virus’s viability and replication. Prolonged indoor stays with poor ventilation cause re-breathing of the air and increase carbon dioxide concentration, particularly in crowded rooms, predisposing to COVID-19. Pollutants, including particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and sulphur dioxide, may overexpress the virus’s receptor called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), thereby increasing the virus’s infectivity. Pollutants may also induce inflammation of the respiratory tract, weakening the immune function and thereby increasing susceptibility to COVID-19. High population density increases body contact and thus susceptibility to the virus. To stem the incidence and mortality of COVID-19, the mentioned environmental factors must be kept at healthy levels

Plasminogen activator‐1 overexpression decreases experimental postthrombotic vein wall fibrosis by a non‐vitronectin‐dependent mechanism

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108289/1/jth12644.pd

A robust prognostic signature for hormone-positive node-negative breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Systemic chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting can cure breast cancer in some patients that would otherwise recur with incurable, metastatic disease. However, since only a fraction of patients would have recurrence after surgery alone, the challenge is to stratify high-risk patients (who stand to benefit from systemic chemotherapy) from low-risk patients (who can safely be spared treatment related toxicities and costs). METHODS: We focus here on risk stratification in node-negative, ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. We use a large database of publicly available microarray datasets to build a random forests classifier and develop a robust multi-gene mRNA transcription-based predictor of relapse free survival at 10 years, which we call the Random Forests Relapse Score (RFRS). Performance was assessed by internal cross-validation, multiple independent data sets, and comparison to existing algorithms using receiver-operating characteristic and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Internal redundancy of features was determined using k-means clustering to define optimal signatures with smaller numbers of primary genes, each with multiple alternates. RESULTS: Internal OOB cross-validation for the initial (full-gene-set) model on training data reported an ROC AUC of 0.704, which was comparable to or better than those reported previously or obtained by applying existing methods to our dataset. Three risk groups with probability cutoffs for low, intermediate, and high-risk were defined. Survival analysis determined a highly significant difference in relapse rate between these risk groups. Validation of the models against independent test datasets showed highly similar results. Smaller 17-gene and 8-gene optimized models were also developed with minimal reduction in performance. Furthermore, the signature was shown to be almost equally effective on both hormone-treated and untreated patients. CONCLUSIONS: RFRS allows flexibility in both the number and identity of genes utilized from thousands to as few as 17 or eight genes, each with multiple alternatives. The RFRS reports a probability score strongly correlated with risk of relapse. This score could therefore be used to assign systemic chemotherapy specifically to those high-risk patients most likely to benefit from further treatment