Characterization of Doum Palm Seed Kernel as Natural Sorbent for Metal Ions Removal from Gombe Ternary Wastewater

Water pollution is one of the major challenges in cities and industrialized areas of the world. The effluent from Gombe ternary wastewater pollutes the surrounding waters thereby constituting health threat to the populace within its vicinity. In view of the above, a bio-sorption study of zinc and lead ions from Gombe ternary wastewater using doum palm seed kernel was carried out. The wastewater was characterized and was found to contain 0.03 mg/l lead metal ion and 0.81 mg/l zinc ion. The doum palm kernel bio-sorbent was obtained after oil extraction from the seed and processed as contained in the method mentioned in this paper. The kernel residue was characterized for functional groups using FTIR, surface morphology using SEM, surface area using BET, and elemental composition using XRF. The results indicated that the doum palm kernel is harmless, and possesses functional groups on its surface, which may be substituted with the metallic ions present in the wastewater. This gives the kernel the ability to adsorb positively charged ions on its surface by simple chemisorption. This mechanism is supported by the rough surface observed in the scanning electron microscopy. Adsorption and desorption of nitrogen was made at STP and the curve indicated very high correlation of close to unity. The surface area measured by multi BET method was recorded as 13.464 m2/g. This value is not high enough to adsorb metals by physical adsorption

An investigation into factors influencing intention to pay zakat: evidences from Nigeria

The research of intention to pay zakat in Kano Nigeria is still at the early stage. The main objective of this study is to examine factors influencing intention to pay zakat in Kano Nigeria. Questionnaires were collected from businessmen and businesswomen operating in Kano Nigeria using a cross-sectional study design. Questionnaires were distributed and collected through the personally-administered method. A total of 524 businessmen and businesswomen in Kano participated in this study. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used and tested the study hypotheses. The study reveals that attitude toward zakat evasion, attitude toward moral reasoning, peer influence, zakat knowledge, quality of zakat distribution and perception of board capital are important determinants of intention to pay zakat in Kano Nigeria. However, attitude toward ethnic diversity, influence of religious leaders, zakat system structure and enforcement of zakat law are insignificant. Overall, the results indicates that, the study model provides a good understanding of the factors that influence intention to pay zakat specifically in Kano Nigeria. Finally, the study discussed theoretical, methodological contribution, practical implications as well as limitations and suggestions for future studies

Embedding 3-D Gaze Points on a 3-D Visual Field: A Case of Transparency

The paper seeks to demonstrates the likelihood of embedding a 3D gaze point on a 3D visual field, the visual field is inform of a game console where the user has to play from one level to the other by overcoming obstacles that will lead them to the next level. Complex game interface is sometimes difficult for the player to progress to next level of the game and the developers also find it difficult to regulate the game for an average player. The model serves as an analytical tool for game adaptations and also players can track their response to the game. Custom eye tracking and 3D object tracking algorithms were developed to enhance the analysis of the procedure. This is a part of the contributions to user interface design in the aspect of visual transparency. The development and testing of human computer interaction uses and application is more easily investigated than ever, part of the contribution to this is the embedding of 3-D gaze point on a 3-D visual field. This could be used in a number of applications, for instance in medical applications that includes long and short sightedness diagnosis and treatment. Experiments and Test were conducted on five different episodes of user attributes, result show that fixation points and pupil changes are the two most likely user attributes that contributes most significantly in the performance of the custom eye tracking algorithm the study. As the advancement in development of eye movement algorithm continues user attributes that showed the least likely appearance will prove to be redundant

Making a difference with Vision 2020: The Right to Sight? Lessons from two states of North Western Nigeria

Settings and Aim: The World Health Organization launched in 1999 an initiative to eliminate the global avoidable blindness and prevent the projected doubling of avoidable visual impairment between 1990 and 2020 (Vision 2020: The Right to Sight). The World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted resolutions WHA 59.25, WHA 56.26 urging member states to adopt the Vision 2020 principles. More than 90 nongovernmental development organizations, agencies, and institutions, together with a number of major corporations, are now working together in this global partnership. Two neighboring states in North Western Nigeria provide eye care services using different approaches; one state uses the principles of Vision 2020, the other uses a different strategy. The aim of the study was to assess awareness and utilization of eye care services in two Nigerian states.Design: A population‑based cross‑sectional interview of households was conducted in two neighboring states using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 21 and a P < 0.05 was considered as significant.Findings: Participation rate was 97% in the two states. The population in the Vision 2020‑compliant state were significantly more aware about general eye care services (80% vs. 44%, P < 0.0005); had less proportion of households unaware of any eye care service (55% vs. 69%, P < 0.0005); and have a significantly higher felt the need to utilize eye care services (47% vs. 5.9%, P < 0.0005). The service utilization rate was however low in the two states.Conclusion: The principles of Vision 2020: The Right to Sight is adaptable to different cultures/societies and has demonstrated a potential to increase awareness and a felt need for eye care in poor resource settings.Key words: Eye care services, Nigeria, service utilization, Vision 202

Distance tracking scheme for seamless handover in IMS-based systems with UMTS access network

This paper proposes a fast and seamless handover scheme for systems based on IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architectural framework with Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) access network. In the scheme the location, direction and movement pattern of a Mobile Node (MN) in a network cell are proactively tracked in order to determine the exact moment to trigger the pre-handover process with one of the adjacent cells considering MN’s direction before the execution of Layer 2 handover. The performance of the proposed scheme was evaluated by comparing it with the traditional handover scheme and the evaluation shows that the traditional handover scheme introduced a handover delay of about 675.5 ms, whereas the proposed scheme introduced handover delay of about 96.25 ms, which is less than 100 ms, hence the handover delay introduced by the proposed scheme fall within the specified range of best class service for voice traffic and streaming media over IP networks.Keywords: IMS, Handover delay, Distance Tracking, pre-handover, UMT

Determination of Optimal Number of Servers at Network Queuing Nodes to Reduce Waiting Time in a Tertiary Institution Clinic in Bida, Nigeria

In this paper, a network queuing model that determines optimal numbers of servers at the nodes of the school clinic network queuing system to  reduce waiting time of the patients has been presented. The relevant data was collected for a period four weeks, through direct observations and interviews. The number of arrivals and departures were also obtained. The total expected waiting time of the patient in the current system before modification was 50minutes with total number of 10 servers in all the nodes, while the total new expected waiting time of patient in the system after modification was reduced to 19 minutes with total number of 17 servers in all the nodes. The study has determined optimal number of servers at the nodes of the school clinic network system. Results from this study is an important information to the management of the school clinic for proper planning and better service delivery. Keywords: Network Queuing System, Nodes, Servers, School Clinic

The Use of Mental Spaces in Conceptualization of Hate Speeches

This study examines language use in the Facebook status updates of subscribers to determine how human perception or mental images are used to conceptualize statements or utterances as hate speeches. The research, thus, studies the Mental Spaces Theory as a cognitive linguistic model suitable for investigating such derogatory utterances among interlocutors in an emotionally charged context of utterance. In the data analysis, the research found out that the conversation that ensued depicts the feelings of disaffection among the interlocutors. This was triggered by provocative and counter-provocative statements they made against one another’s in-groups. The result indicates that a fundamental factor that is sensitive in every speech situation is how the addressee/receiver perceives and interprets an utterance made by his fellow speaker, using the base space which is the shared assumptions between them, and the space builders which are the neural motor transmitters in his brain that inform his perception and interpretation of the speaker’s utterance. Whether or not his perception holds truth is not shared with the speaker. So, rather than viewing the slur language that ensued as hate speeches, it should be seen as the reflection of the assumptions each interlocutor holds against the other on account of the different ethnic nationalities, religious or political affiliations

Analysing the Integration of Models of Technology Diffusion and Acceptance in Nigerian Higher Education

The use of technology in learning environments has produced a series of different theories and models about how technology is adopted, accepted and used. This paper attempts to show the relevance of combining the diffusion of innovation model (DIM) and a context-specific model of technology acceptance (TAM) to understanding the acceptance or rejection of educational technologies in Nigerian universities. Using empirical evidence, the analysis attempts to determine the extent to which the adoption, acceptance, and use of educational tools support or contradicts the components of the two models, emphasising how a range of technological, pedagogical, institutional, socio-cultural, and design-related factors informed, facilitated, and discouraged the diffusion, adoption, acceptance and use of blended eLearning systems in three Nigerian universities. The analysis suggests the ‘relevance’ and ‘limit’ of the determining components and identifiers of both models, arguing instead for a critical examination of the relationship between different models as to understanding the factors that might lead to the acceptance or rejection of technological innovation

Stochastic heuristic approach to addition chain problem in PKC for efficiency and security effectiveness

This paper shows that stochastic heuristic approach for implicitly solving addition chain problem (ACP) in public-key cryptosystem (PKC) enhances the efficiency of the PKC and improves the security by blinding the multiplications/squaring operations involved against side-channel attack (SCA). We show that while the current practical heuristic approaches being deterministic expose the fixed pattern of the operations, using stochastic method blinds the pattern by being unpredictable and generating diffident pattern of operation for the same exponent at a different time. Thus, if the addition chain (AC) is generated implicitly every time the exponentiation operation is being made, needless for such approaches as padding by insertion of dummy operations and the operation is still totally secured against the SCA. Furthermore, we also show that the stochastic approaches, when carefully designed, further reduces the length of the operation than state-of-the-art practical methods for improving the efficiency. We demonstrated our investigation by implementing RSA cryptosystem using the stochastic approach and the results benchmarked with the existing current methods

Relationships between HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitude and practice and media exposure on HIV/AIDS: a cross sectional survey of adolescent Islamiyya girls in northeast Nigeria / Adamu Muhammad Hamid and Ezhar Tamam

Media exposure on HIV/AIDS among adolescents in the sub-Saharan Africa has been reported as low in the early 2000s but now given growth in infrastructure and development in technology and program appeal, there emerges a need for reassessment. Given that communication particularly through the media is considered as a major preventive strategy to addressing the spread of the epidemic, this study investigates the media exposure, knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of adolescent Islamiyya girls in Northeast Nigeria on HIV/AIDS as a predominantly Muslim society against the background of earlier studies which have shown that Muslim communities which were hitherto considered protected are now witnessing a rapid evidence of an advancing HIV/AIDS epidemic. And because of peculiar cultural and social practices women and girls are the worst affected. Media exposure on HIV/AIDS messages is considered a principal variable associated with safe attitudes and practice on the disease’s prevention which was mainly investigated among the girls as potential mothers. The main objectives of the study were to determine the girls’ patterns of media exposure and their KAP statuses in relation to HIV/AIDS through questionnaire survey. Based on Hierarchy of Effects model, hypotheses were posed to test the relationships between HIV/AIDS media exposure and HIV/AIDS knowledge, safe practice and safe attitudes among the girls, and relationship among the KAP variables. Survey will be administered on a sample of 487 Islamiyya girls in Bauchi. This study finds that while mass media exposure is not a significant predictor of HIV/AIDS safe practice and favorable attitude, it is a significant predictor of HIV/AIDS knowledge. While HIV/AIDS knowledge is a significant predictor of both HIV/AIDS favorable attitude and safe practice