Comparative Study on the Epidermal Features of Twelve Under-Utilized Legume Accessions

Seeds of six species of twelve accessions of miscellaneous legumes were obtained from the germplasm unit of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The seeds were planted into plots of 5m long, spaced 1 meter apart at the botanical garden of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB), Ogun State, Nigeria. Leaves of the plants were assessed for their genetic and phylogenetic relatedness through diagnostic epidermal studying of the cell shapes, anticlinal wall types and stomatal characteristics at the abaxial and adaxial surfaces. The cell shapes, anticlinal wall types and the stomatal characteristics revealed some correlations among the studied taxa. All the species were amphiostomatic possessing stomata on both the abaxial and adaxial surfaces. Proportions of the stomata distributions among the taxa were 75% (paracytic), 16.67% (anomocytic) and 8.3% (anisocytic) at both surfaces. There was no accession with diacytic stoma. Cell shapes were 75% polygonal, 25% irregular at the abaxial surfaces and 66.67%, 33.33% irregular and polygonal respectively at the adaxial surface. The prevalent anticlinal wall type was curved (41.67%) followed by curved/slightly straight (33.3%) and slightly straight (25%) at both surfaces. Result of the epidermal features of the studied taxa revealed some diagnostic characteristics that could be used for taxonomic decisio

DEVELOPMENT OF A WEB-BASED TENDERING PROTOCOL FOR PROCUREMENT OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS IN A TERTIARY INSTITUTION.

There are myriads of ICT tools in the construction industry but many construction procurement organizations are yet to harness the benefits. Tertiary institutions that are at the forefront of accountability, transparency and openness, engage in a lot of construction works but majority of them do not have eprocurement sites. The aim of the study was to develop a web-based tendering protocol for procurement of construction works in a tertiary institution. The development of a web app and a survey research design was carried out for the study. For the latter, a questionnaire instrument distributed to the client representatives and contracting firms operating within a renowned tertiary institution through a convenience sampling method was utilized. A total of 58 questionnaires were returned between the two groups. The study tested hypotheses using Mann Whitney-U and T-test. The result revealed that there are no significant differences between client representatives and contractors on e-readiness and importance of implementing e-tendering in the procurement of construction works. The study developed a web-based tendering system for procurement of construction works in a tertiary institution using PHP, MYSQL, CSS and HTML. The study recommended the increase in awareness of e-tendering platforms through trainings and implementation and stakeholders should take hold of the benefits of ICT in the construction industry. There is need to create official e-tendering sites for both public and private institutions for the purpose of procurement of construction works to encourage competitiveness among different classes of contractors, enhancing transparency, accountability and proper documentation

Antibacterial Activities of Daldina concentrica

Activities of the distilled water, ethanolic and chloroform extracts of Daldina concentrica an ascomycetous fungus was investigated on Escherichia coli , Proteus mirabilis , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus ) using agar well diffusion method. Ethanolic extract of Daldina concentrica showed significantly antibacterial activity against all the test microorganisms except Bacilllus cereus (P ≤0.05). Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive organism to the extracts of this fungus with 17.0mm zone of inhibition with ethanol extract. It was also shown that chloroform extract of Daldinia concentrica possessed higher anti-bacterial activity against the five tested microorganisms. The effect of fresh tissues of the fungus on test bacteria indicated that Proteus mirabilis was the only sensitive organism with 5.0mm zone of inhibition while other bacteria were resistant. The implications of these findings were discussed

Uncertainty in the predictions of the climate response to rising levels of greenhouse gases

The range of possibilities for future climate evolution needs to be taken into account when planning climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. This requires ensembles of multi-decadal simulations to assess both chaotic climate variability and model response uncertainty. Statistical estimates of model response uncertainty, based on observations of recent climate change admit climate sensitivities—defined as the equilibrium response of global mean temperature to doubling levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide—substantially greater than 5 K. But such strong responses are not used in ranges for future climate change because they have not been seen in general circulation models. Here we present results from the 'climateprediction.net' experiment, the first multi-thousand-member grand ensemble of simulations using a general circulation model and thereby explicitly resolving regional details. We find model versions as realistic as other state-of-the-art climate models but with climate sensitivities ranging from less than 2 K to more than 11 K. Models with such extreme sensitivities are critical for the study of the full range of possible responses of the climate system to rising greenhouse gas levels, and for assessing the risks associated with specific targets for stabilizing these levels