Assessment of Tree Species Diversity, Family Composition and Diameter Size Class of Tree Species in Igbo-Olua Sacred Groove, Ondo State, Nigeria

This study was carried out to assess the tree species diversity, family composition and diameter size distribution of the tree species in Igbo-Olua sacred groove, Ondo state, Nigeria using appropriate standard techniques. A total of 34 tree species distributed in 23 families were recorded.  Sterculiaceae family (66) had the highest number of individual stem per ha while Moraceae family had the highest number in terms of tree species per hectare (7). The distribution of the diameter structure is typical of the natural forest type with high number of tree species in the smaller size classes or interval (12.5) and the number of tree species decreases with increasing size class or interval. Diversity measures obtained included Shannon-Weiner index (3.09), Evenness (0.64) and Margalef index (6.36). Awakening the consciousness of people towards the protection of sacred groves has practical implications on their survival. Hence government and other allied institutions should gear efforts towards grove conservation

A purified lectin with larvicidal activity from a woodland mushroom, Agaricus semotus Fr.

This study investigated the larvicidal activity on Culex quinquefasciatus of lectin purified from fresh fruiting bodies of woodland mushroom, Agaricus semotus. A. semotus lectin (ASL) was purified via ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose A-25 and size exclusion chromatography on Sephadex G-100 matrix. Molecular weight (16.6 kDa) was estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The effects of temperature, pH, metal chelation- and larvicidal activity of ASL were also investigated. The ASL indifferently agglutinated the erythrocytes of the human ABO blood system and was stable at acidic pH and below 50 °C whereas 66% of its activity was lost at 60 °C with complete inactivation at 70 °C. ASL is a metalloprotein requiring barium ion as chelation of metals by 50 mM EDTA rendered the lectin inactive, while the addition of BaCl2, among other metal salts, restored the activity. ASL showed larvicidal activity against C. quinquefasciatus larvae after 24 h with a mortality of 5 and 95% at 5 and 25 mg/mL respectively, and LC50 of 13.80 mg/mL. This study concluded that purified A. semotus lectin showed impressive larvicidal activity, which could be exploited in its development as an insecticidal agent

Distinct Metal Ion Requirements for the Phosphomonoesterase and Phosphodiesterase Activities of Calf Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase

The roles of Mg2+ and Zn2+ ions in promoting phosphoryl transfer catalysed by alkaline phosphatase are yet to be fully characterised. We investigated the divalent metal ion requirements for the monoesterase and diesterase activities of calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase. The synergistic effect of Mg2+ and Zn2+ in promoting the hydrolysis of para-nitrophenyl phosphate (monoesterase reaction) by alkaline phosphatase is not observed in the hydrolysis of the diesterase substrate, bis-para-nitrophenyl phosphate. Indeed, the diesterase reaction is inhibited by concentrations of Mg2+ that were optimal for the monoesterase reaction. This study reveals that the substrate specificities of alkaline phosphatases and related bimetalloenzymes are subject to regulation by changes in the nature and availability of cofactors, and the different cofactor requirements of the monoesterase and diesterase reactions of mammalian alkaline phosphatases could have significance for the biological functions of the enzymes

Decadal Assessment and Distribution of Rainfall Anomaly Index (1991 – 2020) for Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

This study was designed to provide valuable insight into the temporal patterns of rainfall in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria using rainfall data from 1991 – 2020 (30 years) collected from Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), airport station, Benin City. The data were assessed based on 10 years interval (decade) identified as decadal A (1991-2000), decadal B (2001-2010) and decadal C (2011-2020). The data was analysed descriptively using charts and graphs. Also, Rainfall Anomaly Index (RAI) was determined for each decadal. Findings from the study reveal that rainfall pattern changes significantly based on statistics for each decadal. In decadal A, rainfall usually began in the month of July to October, June to September in decadal B while May to September in decadal C with rainfall going above the annual precipitation (2679 mm) for the City. The rainfall anomaly over the city revealed that there was a composite nature in which some dry years were mixed with wet years and vice versa and this occurred in all decades. RAI revealed that decadal C recorded the highest number of years (7) of intense rainfall compared to decadal A and B. The trend for the average annual rainfall showed a significant trend based on the decade. The average annual rainfall increased with time (decade) as the trend rose from 1886.9 mm in decade A to 1890.0mm in decade B and 2078.8 mm in decade C. The year of greatest positive value was 2016 (decadal C), with an average RAI of 6.53 classified as extremely humid. Based on these findings, the study concludes that the climate in Benin City has significantly changed

Impact Of Marketing Strategies And Performance Of Banks And Its Ffects On Nigeria Economy

The banking industry has been facing a lot of challenges in recent times in Nigeria. These include competition among them and non banking financial institutions such as insurance Companies. Therefore this research, impact of marketing strategies and performance of banks and its effects on Nigeria economy is aimed tonbsp identify the various types of the marketing mix components employed by thenbsp banks . to examine the effect of the marketing strategies on the performance of the banks. Andnbsp to determine if the marketing strategies employed by the Banks differ significantly from one another. Questionnaire was administered on two population which arenbsp Management andnbsp staff of thenbsp banks and customers of thenbsp banks. 250 questionnaire was administered tonbsp Management andnbsp staff of thenbsp banks,nbsp and also 250 was administered to customers of the bank in Nigeria. Result of the analysis revealed four factors which were distribution network, quality of service, promotion and price with the percentage contribution of each factor being 51.9%, 73.6%, 31.2% and 38.5% respectively. Multiple regression analysis shows that R2 = 0.563 which indicated that the four factor accounted for 56% variability in the performance ofnbsp marketing strategies employed by the banks. The result of the analysis of variance indicated that the mean ratings for thenbsp banks were not significantly different at 0.05level. We thereby conclude that banks should focus its innovative efforts on enlarging the size of the market in which it participates by introducing new products and services, promoting new uses for existing products and seeking out new class of customers

Capital Flight and the Economic Growth: Evidence From Nigeria

This research examined the impact of capital flight and its determinants on the Nigerian economy using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to analyze data source from the period of 1981 to 2015. The variables included current account balance, capital flight, foreign direct investments, foreign reserve, inflation rate, external debt, and the real gross domestic product. It was to examine the existence of a long run relationship among the variables studied. The result indicates that capital flight has a negative impact on the economic growth of Nigeria. Therefore, there is a need for government to implement policies that will promote domestic investment and discourage capital flight from Nigeria

Examining the Effects of Oil Price Long Memory and Exchange Rate Long Memory on Stock Market Behavior in Nigeria

The study examined the effect oil price long memory and exchange rate long memory on Nigeria’s stock. We have used ARMA estimating techniques to assess whether one or both variables exert impact on the stock market in Nigeria. Our result shows that long memory stock price is driven by a long memory of the exchange rate and long stock of the oil price. We therefore recommend that policymakers pursue policies aimed at stabilizing, on the one hand, the exchange rate regime and ensuring the economy has a position in net oil exportations. We also recommend the development of portfolio strategies by market practitioners so that long-term memory in exchange rates as well as in oil pricing are considered when making investment decision

NEWS for Africa : adaptation and reliability of a built environment questionnaire for physical activity in seven African countries

This study reports on the adaptation and test-retest reliability of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale in seven sub-Saharan African countries (NEWS-Africa). The measure will be useful for surveillance of built environment conditions for planning purposes, and to evaluate physical activity and policy interventions in Africa, two effective strategies for controlling deaths from physical inactivity-related non-communicable diseases. This report includes data collection and analysis, as well as a discussion of findings

Machine Learning Applications in Renewable Energy (MLARE) Research: A Publication Trend and Bibliometric Analysis Study (2012-2021)

This study examines the research climate on machine learning applications in renewable energy (MLARE). Therefore, the publication trends (PT) and bibliometric analysis (BA) on MLARE research published and indexed in the Elsevier Scopus database between 2012 and 2021 were examined. The PT was adopted to deduce the major stakeholders, top-cited publications, and funding organizations on MLARE, whereas BA elucidated critical insights into the research landscape, scientific developments, and technological growth. The PT revealed 1218 published documents comprising 46.9% articles, 39.7% conference papers, and 6.0% reviews on the topic. Subject area analysis revealed MLARE research spans the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics among others, which indicates it is a broad, multidisciplinary, and impactful research topic. The most prolific researcher, affiliations, country, and funder are Ravinesh C. Deo, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, United States, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, respectively. The most prominent journals on the top are Applied Energy and Energies, which indicates that journal reputation and open access are critical considerations for the author’s choice of publication outlet. The high productivity of the major stakeholders in MLARE is due to collaborations and research funding support. The keyword co-occurrence analysis identified four (4) clusters or thematic areas on MLARE, which broadly describe the systems, technologies, tools/technologies, and socio-technical dynamics of MLARE research. Overall, the study showed that ML is critical to the prediction, operation, and optimization of renewable energy technologies (RET) along with the design and development of RE-related materials

Potentials of 3D extrusion‐based printing in resolving food processing challenges: A perspective review

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has promising application potentials in improving food product manufacturing, increasingly helping in simplifying the supply chain, as well as expanding the utilization of food materials. To further understand the current situation of 3D food printing in providing food engineering solutions with customized design, the authors checked recently conducted reviews and considered the extrusion-based type to deserve additional literature synthesis. In this perspective review, therefore, we scoped the potentials of 3D extrusion-based printing in resolving food processing challenges. The evolving trends of 3D food printing technologies, fundamentals of extrusion processes, food printer, and printing enhancement, (extrusion) food systems, algorithm development, and associated food rheological properties were discussed. The (extrusion) mechanism in 3D food printing involving some essentials for material flow and configuration, its uniqueness, suitability, and printability to food materials, (food material) types in the extrusion-based (3D food printing), together with essential food properties and their dynamics were also discussed. Additionally, some bottlenecks/concerns still applicable to extrusion-based 3D food printing were brainstormed. Developing enhanced calibrating techniques for 3D printing materials, and designing better methods of integrating data will help improve the algorithmic representations of printed foods. Rheological complexities associated with the extrusion-based 3D food printing require both industry and researchers to work together so as to tackle the (rheological) shifts that make (food) materials unsuitable.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio