Reliability and Validity: A Sine Qua Non for Fair Assessment of Undergraduate Technical and Vocational Education Projects in Nigerian Universities

The aim of the study was to examine the importance of reliability and validity as necessary foundation for fair assessment. The concepts of reliability, validity, fair assessment and their relationships were analysed. Qualities of fair assessment were discussed. a number of recommendations were made to make assessors be more cautious in award of marks or grades

Training Needs by Apprentices under Non-Formal Education in Technical Colleges and Technical Colleges to be Self Employed

The purpose of the study was to examine the training needed by the apprentices and technical college students so that they can become self employed in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The research design used for the study was a survey. The estimated population of the respondents is 1430 comprising 63 students, 17 technical teachers, 40 master craftsmen and 1310 apprentices. The entire population of the respondents was used except that of the apprentices that were subjected to stratified random sampling method. The instrument was subjected to reliability test using Split-half method and Spearman Prophesy Brown Formula and the coefficient was found to be 0.82. Results of the study showed that the basic requirements for training the apprentices and technical college students are absent which makes skills acquisition not only difficult but impossible. Some recommendations were made to improve the training needed by the apprentices and technical college students

Procedural Influence on Internal and External Assessment Scores of Undergraduate Vocational and Technical Education Research Projects in Nigerian Universities

This study sought to determine the procedural influence on internal and external assessment scores of undergraduate research projects in vocational and technical education programmes in the university under study. A survey research design was used for the conduct of this study. The population consisted of 130 lecturers and 1847 students in the selected Universities between 1995/1996 and 2005/2006 sessions. The study was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 13.0. The statistical tool used for the analyses were mean, standard deviation and multiple correlation. Cranach Alpha was used via SPSS to compute the internal consistency reliability of the instrument which was 0.86. the results showed that different criteria were applied not only at different universities but change with time. A number of suggestion were proffered to reduce the negative influence using procedure can have on internal and external assessment scores of vocational and technical education projects and enhance its reliability and validity

Determination of true metabolizable energy of raw and heat-treated Cassia tora seed meal

True metabolizable energy determination of raw and processed C. tora seed meal was undertaken. Fifty (50) arbor acre broiler chicks, reared to 10 weeks were used, out of which fifteen (15) birds were randomly selected for the trial. The birds were weighed, randomly divided into groups A (fed birds) with 12 birds and B (unfed birds) with three birds. Three birds each in group A were randomly assigned to raw and different processes C. tora seed meal viz toasted, boiled and soaked-and-boiled diets, replicated thrice, with one bird per replicate. The birds were placed in individual metabolism cages and fasted for 24 hours. Thereafter each birds in group A were force-fed 25g of raw and processed Cassia tora, returned to their cages and the time recorded, and trays were placed for collection of excreta, after 24 hours. Birds in the control (group B), were subjected to fasting for 48 hours, and their faeces were also collected. All feed and faecal samples were sundried, bulked, milled and analyzed for energy using the adiabatic oxygen bomb calorimetric method. The results showed significant (P<0.05) difference across the mean TME measured between the raw and processed seeds. It was also observed that boiled and soaked-and-boiled processing methods resulted in 92.07% and 91.50% efficiency of energy bioavailability of Cassia tora while toasting method recorded 89.10%. The mean TME values ranged between 2.08Kcal/g for birds force-fed the raw to 2.80 Kcal/g for birds force-fed the soaked-and-boiled seeds. The boiled and soaked-and-boiled seeds had the highest TME values, while the lowest TME value was recorded for raw Cassia tora seeds. In conclusion, processed Cassia tora seeds encouraged better true metabolizable energy than the raw, and are effective, resulting in up to 91% efficiency of energy bioavailability of Cassia tora seeds

Recently Confirmed Apoptosis-Inducing Lead Compounds Isolated from Marine Sponge of Potential Relevance in Cancer Treatment

Despite intense efforts to develop non-cytotoxic anticancer treatments, effective agents are still not available. Therefore, novel apoptosis-inducing drug leads that may be developed into effective targeted cancer therapies are of interest to the cancer research community. Targeted cancer therapies affect specific aberrant apoptotic pathways that characterize different cancer types and, for this reason, it is a more desirable type of therapy than chemotherapy or radiotherapy, as it is less harmful to normal cells. In this regard, marine sponge derived metabolites that induce apoptosis continue to be a promising source of new drug leads for cancer treatments. A PubMed query from 01/01/2005 to 31/01/2011 combined with hand-curation of the retrieved articles allowed for the identification of 39 recently confirmed apoptosis-inducing anticancer lead compounds isolated from the marine sponge that are selectively discussed in this review

Chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of annual ryegrass varieties grown in greenhouse conditions

Plant breeders have recently focused on increasing the sugar content of grasses as a means to improve their nutritional value. The objective of this study was to compare cyclethe chemical composition of four annual ryegrass varieties (Lolium multiflorum Lam.): two intermediate tetraploids [L. multiflorum var. italicum, Bandito2, (conventional) and Abereve, (high sugar)] and two short cycle diploids [L. multiflorum var. westerwoldicum, Lonestar, (conventional) and Enhancer, (high sugar)] grown in greenhouses. Seeds were planted into plastic pots (16 pots per variety) and clipped three times at six-week intervals. Material was weighed, flash frozen, lyophilized and ground (1 mm). Chemical analyses and digestibility at 24 and 48 h were assessed. In vitro DM (IVDMD), OM (IVOMD) and NDF (IVNDFD) disappearance as well as in vitro true DM disappearance (IVTD) were calculated. Results were compared by preplanned orthogonal contrasts as follows: C1, intermediate tetraploids vs annual diploids, C2, conventional vs high sugar varieties. Intermediate tetraploid varieties had lower DM content, lower OM content, lower NDF and hemicellulose content. They also tended to have higher CP content, but no differences were observed in WSC content or WSC:CP. Conventional and high sugar varieties did not differ except for DM content. Intermediate tetraploid had higher in vitro DM and OM disappearance at 24 and 48 h, and higher in vitro true DM disappearance and NDF disappearance at 24h. Conventional varieties had higher digestibility at 24 h but not at 48 h. No differences in WSC were detected between intermediate tetraploids and annual diploids, or between conventional and high sugar varieties. Differences in forage quality were more important between intermediate tetraploids and annual diploids, but no differences were found between conventional and high sugar varieties. High temperatures at the greenhouse may not have allowed high sugar varieties to accumulate increased levels of WSC.En años recientes, la selección genética se ha abocado a aumentar el contenido de azúcares de los forrajes como una forma mejorar su valor nutricional. El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar la composición química de cuatro variedades de ryegrass anual (Lolium multiflorum Lam.): dos variedades tetraploides de ciclo intermedio [L. multiflorum var. Italicum, Bandito2, (convencional) y Abereve, (alto azúcar)] y dos variedades de ciclo corto [L. multiflorum var. westerwoldicum, Lonestar, (convencional) y Enhancer, (alto azúcar)], las cuales se cultivaron en invernáculos. La siembra se hizo en macetas plásticas (16 macetas por variedad y se hicieron tres cosechas (5 cm de altura) con intervalos de 6 semanas entre cosechas. El material cortado fue pesado en fresco, congelado en nitrógeno líquido, liofilizado y molido a 1 mm. Se realizaron análisis químicos y las digestibilidades a las 24 y 48 horas. Se calcularon la degradación in vitro de la materia seca, materia orgánica y FDN así como la digestibilidad in vitro real (in vitro true digestibility). Los resultados se compararon por medio de los siguientes contrastes ortogonales: C1, tetraploides intermedios vs. diploides anuales, C2, variedades convencionales vs. variedades alto azúcar. Las variedades tetraploides de ciclo intermedio mostraron menor contenido de materia seca, materia orgánica, FDN y hemicelulosa. Además tendieron a tener mayores contenidos de proteína bruta, sin mostrar diferencias en contenido de hidratos de carbono soluble o en la relación hidratos de carbono soluble: proteína bruta. Las variedades convencionales y alto azúcar no mostraron diferencias entre ellas, excepto en contenido de materia seca. Con respecto a la digestibilidad, las variedades tetraploides de ciclo intermedio mostraron mayor degradación in vitro de materia seca y materia orgánica a las 24 y 48 h, y mayores valores de digestibilidad in vitro real para la materia seca y la materia orgánica a las 24 horas. Las variedades convencionales mostraron mayor degradabilidad y digestibilidad in vitro real a las 24 h, pero no a las 48 h. No se encontraron diferencias para contenido de hidratos de carbono solubles entre tetraploides intermedios y diploides anuales, o entre variedades convencionales y alto azúcar. Las diferencias en calidad más importantes se encontraron entre tetraploides intermedios y diploides anuales, pero no entre variedades convencionales y alto azúcar. Las altas temperaturas en el invernáculo podrían haber impedido la expresión del potencial de acumulación de hidratos de carbono solubles por parte de las variedades alto azúcar.EEA AnguilFil: Alende, Mariano. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Anguil; ArgentinaFil: Fluck, A.C. Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Volpi Lagreca, Gabriela. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Anguil; ArgentinaFil: Andrae, John. Clemson University; Estados Unido

Impact of the flower-galling midge, Dasineura rubiformis Kolesik, on the growth of its host plant, Acacia mearnsii De Wild, in South Africa

AbstractAcacia mearnsii (black wattle), although recognised as being extremely invasive and problematic in South Africa, is cultivated as an important commercial plant in parts of the country. Following the introduction of a flower-galling midge, Dasineura rubiformis (Cecidomyiidae), into the Western Cape Province for biological control of A. mearnsii, trials to confirm that galling would not affect growth rates of the host-plant were necessitated before the midge could be more-widely distributed. Insecticide exclusion of the midge from selected branches of the plant enabled comparison of growth rates of branches with high and low levels of galling. Over fifteen months the increment in branch diameter was greater on highly galled branches than on lightly galled branches with pods. This result indicates that D. rubiformis, while reducing seed set to very low levels, does not negatively affect growth of its host and that the midge will have no detrimental effect on the wattle forestry industry in South Africa

Design, Construction and Evaluation of a Dual Operation Seed and Fertilizer Broadcaster for Farmers

This paper presents a report on the design, construction and evaluation of a dual operation seed and fertilizer broadcasting device, an appropriate agricultural technology especially, for small scale peasant farmers in both rural and urban areas. It is an appropriate technology because its features eliminate the short coming on both traditional and existing physical devices being used for seed and fertilizer broadcasting. Relevant literature was reviewed. Engineering design was adopted in this study. Preliminary investigation was carried out to reliably and objectively establish the need for the new product. In carrying out the preliminary investigation, thirty (30) open ended and semi structured questionnaire were used to sample thirty end users’ opinions on existing seed and fertilizer broadcasting devices. Percentage was used for analysis of data. The area of study for the preliminary investigation and the final study was Adamawa and Gombe States of Nigeria. The preliminary investigation revealed that farmers are dissatisfied with the high cost of the tractor mounted fertilizer broadcaster and they also expressed dissatisfaction with the traditional method since it is slow, energy consuming and has high health hazards. For this, respondents expressed a need for a device that is potable, has low energy requirement and is relatively cheap.  After establishing the need for the new device, design specification, design criteria, production and assembly drawings were made. Materials selection was based on the design calculation made. The evaluation result revealed that the new product carried out the function for which it was designed. It was therefore recommended to entrepreneurs for mass production and for use by peasant farmers. Keywords: Design, Construction, Evaluation, Fertilizer, Broadcasting. DOI: 10.7176/IEL/11-3-02 Publication date:October 31st 202