Exploring Frontiers of Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management: Untold Stories of the Esie Stone Figurines

The north central Yorubaland homeland of the Igbomina Yoruba, in the modern Kwara State of Nigeria, is endowed with abundant natural and cultural resources. The cultural landscape of the area is indeed very rich. However, the vast majority of these significant elements of cultural heritage remain unexamined. In fact, most of these resources are hardly known. For about seven decades since the first and best known elements of cultural heritage in the area were unearthed in the town of Esie, we have yet to substantially expand the repertoire of knowledge concerning the cultural history of the region. For several decades, a number of scholars have decried the inadequacy of information on the ancient political, social, economic and religious structures tha

Comparative Analysis of Pre and Post-migration Livelihood Outcomes of Households with Absentee Heads in Osun State, Nigeria

Migration is often linked with a deleterious impact on rural area production and development. Although, the change of location for better opportunities also affect the lives and livelihoods of the migrant households’ in the rural communities. The study was a comparative analysis of the pre and post-migration living outcomes of absentee households’ heads in Osun State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure involving the simple random sampling was used to select 120 absentee household heads. Data collected with interview schedule was subjected to descriptive statistics, t-test and correlation analyses. Findings showed that more men (76.7%) migrated, leaving women to become the interim household heads. It was found that migrants have a higher average monthly income level (₦44,400). Prior to migration, most families were in the lower financial well-being category (83.3%), while only 55% remained in that category after migration. This follows the result of the t-test which revealed that a significant difference (t=0.00; p<0.05) exists between the well-being of migrant’s household before and after migration. Thus, it was concluded that unless the rural push factors are removed, rural-urban migration will continue at an increasing rate because benefits and opportunities acquired in the process influence the well-being of the rural households. The study recommends that enabling environment, facilities and opportunities should be created in the rural communities to transform livelihoods and improve the wellbeing of the people via interventions by national and international agencies

Growth and Yield of Two Maize Varieties under the Influence of Plant Density and NPK fertilization

This study assessed growth and yield performances of maize under the influence of inorganic fertilizer, population density and variety using the following treatments: maize varieties DMR-ESR-Y and Suwan- 1-SR; 70 × 30cm and 100 × 40cm plant spacing; 0, 60 and 120 kg NPK/ha . Data were collected on number of leaves per plant, plant height, ear height, leaf area, leaf area index, days to 50% flowering, days to tassel and silk appearances, stem dry mass, root dry mass, cob mass, number of kernel rows, number of kernels per cob, harvest index, treatment yield per hectare. The result showed that combination of 120kgN/ha, DMR-ESR-Y and 47, 619 plants/ha improved root, shoot, leaf sheath and plant dry masses, cob length, cob diameter, shelling percentage, moisture content at harvest, harvest index, number of cobs per plant as well as number of kernels per row. It is, therefore, recommended that combination of 120kgNPK/ha, DMR-ESR-Y and 47,619 plants/ha should be used for better maize production to cater for the ever increasing population of consumers in Southern Guinea savannah agroecological zone of Nigeria and other area with the same climatic and edaphic conditions. Keywords: NPK fertilizer, population density, maize variety, yield improvemen

Direct reaction measurements with a 132Sn radioactive ion beam

The (d,p) neutron transfer and (d,d) elastic scattering reactions were measured in inverse kinematics using a radioactive ion beam of 132Sn at 630 MeV. The elastic scattering data were taken in a region where Rutherford scattering dominated the reaction, and nuclear effects account for less than 8% of the cross section. The magnitude of the nuclear effects was found to be independent of the optical potential used, allowing the transfer data to be normalized in a reliable manner. The neutron-transfer reaction populated a previously unmeasured state at 1363 keV, which is most likely the single-particle 3p1/2 state expected above the N=82 shell closure. The data were analyzed using finite range adiabatic wave calculations and the results compared with the previous analysis using the distorted wave Born approximation. Angular distributions for the ground and first excited states are consistent with the previous tentative spin and parity assignments. Spectroscopic factors extracted from the differential cross sections are similar to those found for the one neutron states beyond the benchmark doubly-magic nucleus 208Pb.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figure

MMC modes of delivery in housing: Effects on Housing Association clients. Project Report. Flagship Group

The purpose of this report is to review evidence of MMC application in housing with regards to diverse modes of delivery, lending approaches, customer satisfaction and long-term management/maintenance.The report provides a detailed overview of above key areas examined based on evidence sourced. Whilst there are limitations in the evidence reviewed, particularly in relation to empirical work and field studies of built housing, the research discussed provides an account of key issues of relevance to a Housing Association client. Further work is needed to better understand the performance of buildings and resident experiences drawing on Post Occupancy Evaluation methods (POE) specifically related to different modes of delivery in different contexts (urban vs suburban or rural for instance

MMC modes of delivery in housing: Effects on Housing Association clients. Project Report. Flagship Group

The purpose of this report is to review evidence of MMC application in housing with regards to diverse modes of delivery, lending approaches, customer satisfaction and long-term management/maintenance.The report provides a detailed overview of above key areas examined based on evidence sourced. Whilst there are limitations in the evidence reviewed, particularly in relation to empirical work and field studies of built housing, the research discussed provides an account of key issues of relevance to a Housing Association client. Further work is needed to better understand the performance of buildings and resident experiences drawing on Post Occupancy Evaluation methods (POE) specifically related to different modes of delivery in different contexts (urban vs suburban or rural for instance

The magic nature of 132Sn explored through the single-particle states of 133Sn

Atomic nuclei have a shell structure where nuclei with 'magic numbers' of neutrons and protons are analogous to the noble gases in atomic physics. Only ten nuclei with the standard magic numbers of both neutrons and protons have so far been observed. The nuclear shell model is founded on the precept that neutrons and protons can move as independent particles in orbitals with discrete quantum numbers, subject to a mean field generated by all the other nucleons. Knowledge of the properties of single-particle states outside nuclear shell closures in exotic nuclei is important for a fundamental understanding of nuclear structure and nucleosynthesis (for example the r-process, which is responsible for the production of about half of the heavy elements). However, as a result of their short lifetimes, there is a paucity of knowledge about the nature of single-particle states outside exotic doubly magic nuclei. Here we measure the single-particle character of the levels in 133Sn that lie outside the double shell closure present at the short-lived nucleus 132Sn. We use an inverse kinematics technique that involves the transfer of a single nucleon to the nucleus. The purity of the measured single-particle states clearly illustrates the magic nature of 132Sn.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures and 4 table

19Ne levels studied with the 18F(d,n)19Ne\u3csup\u3e*\u3c/sup\u3e(18F+p) reaction

A good understanding of the level structure of 19Ne around the proton threshold is critical to estimating the destruction of long-lived 18F in novae. Here we report the properties of levels in 19Ne in the excitation energy range of 6.9 ≤ Ex ≤ 8.4 MeV studied via the proton-transfer 18F(d,n)Ne* reaction at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility. The populated 19Ne levels decay by breakup into p+18F and α+15O particles. The results presented in this manuscript are those of levels that are simultaneously observed from the breakup into both channels. An s-wave state is observed at 1468 keV above the proton threshold, which is a potential candidate for a predicted broad Jπ = 1/2+ state. The proton and α partial widths are deduced to be Γp = 228 ± 50 keV and Γα = 130 ± 30 keV for this state. © 2012 American Physical Society

Total phenolic content, antioxidative and antidiabetic properties of coconut (Cocos Nucifera L.) testa and selected bean seed coats

Natural alternatives tor the treatment of diabetes mellitus have been the interest of many researchers. In this study, the brown testas of mature coconuts were compared to beans seed coats of four varieties in terms of antioxidative and anti-hyperglycaemic properties. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents, the antioxidant potentials and the a-amvlase and a-glucosidase inhibitorv activities of the crude extracts were studied in vitro. The results showed that extracts of coconut testa and red kidney bean seed coat displayed higher a-glucosidase inhibition (IC50=19.90±5.67 and 4.84±1.43 μg/mL) and α-amylase inhibition (IC50=120.5±15.4 and 532.8±68.0 μg/mL) than the other extracts. These two extracts showed higher antioxidant capacities owing to their high phenolic and flavonoid contents. These results suggest that red kidney bean seed coat and tender coconut testa would have higher potential as nutraceuticals and could serve as natural alternative sources of anti-diabetic remedy

Direct neutron capture cross section on Ge 80 and probing shape coexistence in neutron-rich nuclei

Results are presented from the first neutron-transfer measurement on Ge80 using an exotic beam from the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Newly measured spins and spectroscopic factors of low-lying states of Ge81 are determined, and the neutron capture cross section on Ge80 was calculated in a direct-semidirect model to provide a more realistic (n,γ) reaction rate for r-process simulations. Furthermore, a region of shape coexistence around N≈50 is confirmed and implications for the magic nature of Ni78 are discussed