Some Psychological Variables Differentiating Between Adolescents With Step-parents And Those Without Step-parents

The well being of adolescents has become topic of increasing interest among researchers in general. It is now regarded as something worthy of empirical investigation by researchers in eliciting without faking, the true status of the living and parenting conditions of adolescents (Marks 1998; Leug and Jim Park 2000). Newman (1994) however observed that there has been great increase in divorce rate that is threatening the marriage institution on the pages of parent media and also on the electronic media. Worse still, the failure rate of second marriages has been found to be higher than that of first-time marriages which in-turn has effects directly and indirectly on the involved-child

Sodium Nitrite Alone Protects the Brain o _i_ Microsomal Ca -ATPase Against Potassium Cyanide-induced Neurotoxicity In Rats

The effect of a short-term oral administration of potassium cyanide (KCN) (200 ppm in diet) with or without sodium nitrite (NaNO2) pretreatment on rat brain microsomal Ca2* ATPase was investigated. The specific activity value of the enzyme significantly decreased (p\u3c0.05) by 50% compared with control and by 63% for KCN-treated rats compared with KCN-treated rats pretreated with NaNO;,. There was no significant difference at the h = 0.05 level between the values obtained for the control and KCN-treated rats pretreated with NaNO,. These results show both that feeding lowers brain microsomal Ca2f-ATPase activity and that NaNO, has a protective role (antidote function) in that respect

Wood Ash from Bread Bakery as Partial Replacement for Cement in Concrete

This paper reports the results of experiments evaluating the use of wood ash from bread bakery as partial replacement for ordinary Portland cement in concrete. The chemical composition of the wood ash as well as the workability and compressive strength of the concrete were determined. Wood ash was used to replace 5% - 25% by weight of the cement in concrete. Concrete with no wood ash serves as the control. The mix ratio used was 1:2:4 with water to binder ratio maintained at 0.5. The Compressive strength was determined at curing ages 3, 7, 28, 56, 90 and 120 days. The results showed that wood ash from bread bakery is a Class F fly ash since the sum of (SiO2 +Al2O3 +Fe2O3) is greater than 70%. The compressive strength of wood ash concrete increases with curing period and decreases with increasing wood ash content. There was a sharp decrease in compressive strength beyond 10% wood ash substitution. It was concluded that a maximum of 10% wood ash substitution is adequate for use in structural concret

Integration of magnetic residuals,derivates and located euler deconvolution for structural and geologic mapping of parts of the precambrian gneisses of Ago-Iwoye, Southwestern Nigeria

Ground based magnetic survey conducted between longitude 06O 55I 51IIN –06O 55I 54IIN and latitude 03O 52I 06IIE –03O 52I 4.8IIE (Olabisi Onabanjo University) remarkably revealed a consistent subsurface NW -SE structural azimuth of localized discontinuities within the shallowly buried heterogeneous basement rocks, which at exposed locations are composed of strongly foliated granite gneiss and migmatite-gneiss with veins and veinlets principally orientated in NNW –SSE direction.Magnetic survey of the area was preceded by site inspection to avoid metallic objects interferences. Field procedure in the area involved Cartesian gridding, base station establishment, data acquisition at gridded points, and repeated bihourly diurnal checksat the base station. At the processing stage, diurnal variation effect was aptly removed before subjection to Kriging (gridding). The gridded data was then prepared as input for Forward Fourier Filter Transform (FFT), which upon definition and implementation enabled Butterworth filtering of isolated ringing effects, reduction to the equator (RTE) for geomagnetic correction, and the use of Gaussian and Upward Continuation filtering for regional magnetic intensity trend determination. Removal of the regional magnetic intensity (RMI) from the total magnetic intensity (TMI) resulted in the derivation of the residual anomaly. Enhancement filters adopted for better resolution of the residual magnetic gradient include analytical signal (AS), tilt-angle derivative (TDR), vertical derivative deconvolution (VDD), and the first vertical derivatives (FVD).TMI and RMI values range between 32925nT –33050nT and 32935nT –333050nT respectively, while the residual gradient ranges between 15nT/m and10nT/m; AS ranges between 0.28nT/m and4.1nT/m; and TDR ranges from-1.4nT/m to 1.4nT/m. Source depth calculation estimated from power spectrum analysis and Euler deconvolution ranges between 1m and15m. Composite overlay of magnetic maps revealed jointed and faulted zones within the area; exhibiting a NW-SE principal azimuth of Liberian orogenic impress, which are in consistence with the foliation direction of the jagged foliated bedrock with an estimated maximum overburden of about 15m.The structural significance of this area as a prospective hydro-geological centre, and as an undesirable spot for high-rise building has been accurately evaluated from research findings. Application of integrated geophysical approach, complemented by detailed geological studies may furnish greater information about the subsurface structural architecture.Keywords:Gneisses; Ground Magnetic Surveying;RTE;Structural discontinuities;TDR.1INTRODUCTIONStructuralmapping is an integral part of geologic surveys. It involves measurements, analyses, interpretation and recognition of geometrical features (structures) generated by rock deformations [1]. These structures often serve as fountains of environmental challenges or unparalleled opportunities depending on their modesof occurrences, which in most cases are imminently controlled by the dynamic interplay of differential stress distributions within the earth interior. In line with the principle of uniformitarianism, a broad understanding about Earth’s paleo processes and internal workingsare deductible from the various deformation types for diverse applications. Deductible inferences from brittle deformationsinclude the kinematics of crustal blocks, orientation of principal axes of regional and local stresses, and geometry. Deeper insights indeep seated stresses, regional movements and block motions are obtainable from ductile deformations

CHARACTERISATION OF THE ELASTIC PROPERTIES OF SOILS IN SOME PARTS OF LAGOS WETLANDS FOR ENGINEERING PURPOSES

The results obtained from the evaluation of elastic properties of some part of Lagos Wetlands were presented for the determination of the competent soil for engineering structures. The study area falls within the reclaimed part of the Lagos wetlands signifying the presence of unstable geological materials. The study area is characterized with alluvium sediments which comprises of materials of low shear strength. Five (5) seismic profile lines were established via the ground rolling technique of Multi-Channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW). The data acquisition was carried out with twenty-four (24) channels 4.5Hz vertical geophones connected to the ABEM Mark 6 Terraloc Seismograph. The acquired MASW data were processed using SeisImager to obtain the two-dimensional (2-D) shear wave velocity (Vs) profiles which gives the contrast in the distribution of the velocity along each profile. In addition, dynamic parameters such as rigidity modulus, poisson ratio were estimated for further classification of the geo-earth materials in the study area. In the study area, the shear wave velocity (Vs) values obtained ranged between 94 – 1320 m/s representing different sediments such as saturated loose sand (163 – 204 m/s), loose silty sand (165- 225 m/s), medium – dense sand (220 – 350 m/s), medium dense sand (400 – 700 m/s) and dense-coarse sand (900 - 1380 m/s). However, based on these classification, it is found that saturated loose sand and loose silty sand are not competent for founding layer of engineering structures. Therefore, deep foundation inform of piling system is recommended for engineering structure that will devoid unexpected collapse and partial and differential settlement. The study has revealed that the area is generally comprise of problematic soil(s) that are inimical to construction of engineering structures

Willingness to pay for captive wildlife tourism at the university of Ibadan Zoological Garden, Nigeria

Zoo visits represent a unique opportunity for large numbers of people to be engaged on wildlife conservation issues and given opportunity to support it. The University of Ibadan Zoo is one of the major sites with animals of high intrinsic value and attractions to tourists and other visitors. Copies of structured questionnaire were administered to 165 visitors to the zoo to elicit information on their socio-demography in relation to their paying characteristics, their willingness to pay (WTP) for the services offered by the Zoo, and the factors influencing their WTP. The Result showed that majority (51.5%) of the visitors were males and 48.5% were females. 61% of the visitors had repeated visits while 39% were first time visitors. Although, 76% of them were often willing to pay for captive wildlife tourism in the Zoo, 52% of the visitors were not satisfied with the current charges by the Zoo. Income, marital status and place of residence of the visitors were significantly related to visitors willingness to pay (p<0.05). Five factors significantly influence visitors’ WTP, out of which, the level of satisfaction of the visitors had the highest weighted mean of 4.39, and hence the highest influence on visitors’ WTP. Zoo visitors will be willing to pay more for captive wildlife tourism at the University of Ibadan Zoological Garden, if the facilities, services and conservation strategies are improved to provide more satisfaction to visitors.Keywords: University of Ibadan Zoo, wildlife, visitors, willingness to pay, level of satisfactio

NEAR SURFACE GEO-ELECTRIC STUDY OF OSHOSUN VILLAGE AND ITS ENVIRONS FOR ENGINEERING PURPOSES

The near surface investigation of Oshosun community and its environ was carried out in order to delineate the geotechnical properties of the subsurface layers in anticipation of engineering construction purposes. Integrated methods of geophysical and geotechnical techniques were deployed to characterize the nature and competence of the subsurface strata prior to construction of foundation for engineering structures. The geophysical technique employed involved 2-D Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) while Standard Penetration Tests (SPT) were used as geotechnical methods. The 2-D ERI were acquired in outlined three different sites within the study area. Five traverses of 2-D ERI were established and an SPT borehole data was obtained from each site. The 2-D ERI data were processed with DiprofWin software to obtain the 2-D resistivity structure.&nbsp

A Model of Competitive Intelligence for e-Health Technologies

Competitive intelligence is an important part in enterprises’ competitive strategy and decision support. It entails the collection of data, analyzing the data and delivering the analyzed data by means of available information on the behavior outside the organization. The study is based on research where competitive intelligence has been explored. The study also reviews e-Health technology and its impact. A proposed model is developed from Technology, Organization and Environment (TOE) framework for competitive intelligence for e-Health technologies. Subsequently, efforts made extend to elaborate on the construct, measurement items, hypotheses and research questions which will be used in the validation of the framework. Future work will use confirmatory factor analysis to reduce the variables from the constructs and Structure Equation Modeling (SEM) will also be used for the reliability and the validity of the construct of the framework

Development and Performance Evaluation of a Household Liquefied Petroleum Gas Monitoring and Leakage Detector

The percentage of death and material losses as a result of the explosion of household liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has risen in recent years, hence the need for a suitable gas leaking detection and alert system. Gas level monitoring and leakage detection device consist essentially of two main units; LPG volume monitoring unit and leakage detection unit. LPG volume monitoring unit consists of load cells, HX711 signal amplification module, and infrared temperature sensor. 50 kg E-shaped load cell was used for this work due to its relatively small size, lightweight and ease of installation. The system is powered with 9 volts’ battery. The leakage alert mode is triggered by a signal from the gas sensor when the concentration of LPG in the controlled atmosphere is more than the programmed safe value. On entry into this mode, a warning alert is displayed on the screen and the buzzer emits a continuous beep until the level of the LPG falls below the programmed level. A rectangular platform houses the load cells and signal amplification module. The alert system was programmed to produce three short beeps on the start of the device whenever the cylinder volume is less than 0.5 kg. The standard safe allowable concentration of LPG in the atmosphere was put at 1000 ppm (part per million) and once this is exceeded, the system automatically switches to the alert mode. The developed system performs satisfactorily, is safe to use, and therefore recommended for domestic use

Emotional Labour and Burnout as Predictors of Customer Service Employees Interpersonal Relationships in Ogun State, Nigeria

This paper examined Emotional-Labour and Burn out as Predictors of Customer Service Employee’s Interpersonal Relationship in Ogun State.  Three instruments were administered to two (200) hundred workers that were randomly selected from some customer service industries in the four geo-political zones in Ogun States.  Multiple Regression Analysis method was used to test the research questions raised.  Two hypotheses were tested at 0.5 level of significance and it was found that emotional labour and born-out would not have effect on the interpersonal relationship among customers and no relative contribution of emotional labour and burnout in the prediction of interpersonal relationship among customer service employees, even though, burnout was a more potent factor.  It was therefore recommended that organizational managers must ensure good interpersonal relationship in the workplace, as this will enhance customer’s service and employees productivity