Immediate Pleasured Justice

Senior Project submitted to the Division of of Social Studies at Bard Colleg

Biohydrogen and biomethane production from lignocellulosic biomass

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of furfural on mixed cultures during fermentative hydrogen production from lignocellulosic biomass. Small batch studies using synthetic lignocellulosic hydrolysate grown on mesophilic mixed cultures, revealed a threshold furfural concentration of greater than 1 g/L with enhancement to the yields (from the control) observed at 0.5 g/L furfural (at initial substrate-to–biomass (S°/X°) ratios of 0.5 and 1 gCOD/gVSS) and at both 0.5 g/L and 1 g/L furfural (at S°/X° of 2 and 4 gCOD/gVSS). This study was scaled-up from 200 mL to 11 L working volume batches, using half the substrate concentration of the small batch studies, at an S°/X° of 4 gCOD/gVSS in order to determine the Monod microbial kinetics of mixed cultures in the presence of furfural at both mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures. A 45 % enhancement at 1 g/L furfural was observed in the mesophilic experiment but a 50 % reduction at the same furfural concentration was observed at thermophilic conditions both relative to the yields from their respective controls. Enhanced kinetics observed in the control without furfural at both temperatures emphasized that although furfural is indeed an inhibitor, it can be broken down at low concentrations by mesophilic hydrogen-producers to increase hydrogen yields. Liquid and solid real waste hydrolysates obtained from poplar wood biomass treated using twin-screw extrusion technology were evaluated for their biohydrogen potential and the feasibility of a two-stage anaerobic digestion process. This study proved that acidification of the first-stage biohydrogen production process brought about a 50 % increase (on average) in TVFA/SCOD initial which enhanced methane yields in the second-stage. In the two-stage anaerobic digestion process, energy yields were 33 % and 18 % higher, while feedstock COD removal efficiencies were 16 % and 14 % higher than the single-stage BMP tests for the liquid and solid samples respectively

EFFECT OF EDUTAINMENT VIDEOS ON LITERACY SKILLS ACQUISITION AMONG PRESCHOOL CHILDREN. IMPLICATIONS FOR UPDATING CHILDREN\u27S AUDIO-VISUAL LIBRARY

The need for the use of edutainment videos in the teaching and learning of preschool children cannot be overstated. This study therefore examined the effect of edutainment videos on literacy skills acquisition among preschool children. Implication for updating children’s audio-visual library. Two research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted the non-equivalent pretest posttest quasi-experimental research design. The study population comprised all the nursery three preschool children in Nsukka LGA for the 2021/2022 academic year. A sample of 95 preschool children drawn through judgmental sampling technique were studied. The Literacy Skills Acquisition Test (LSAT) was the instrument used for data collection. Data obtained were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions while analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used in obtaining the results for testing the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that edutainment videos had significant positive effect (p \u3c 0.05) on literacy skills acquisition among preschool children in Nsukka LGA of Enugu State. It also revealed that gender has no significant influence (p \u3e 0.05) on literacy skills acquisition among preschool children in the LGA. It further showed that there is no significant interaction effect (p \u3e 0.05) of teaching approaches and gender on the mean literacy skills scores of preschool children. Based on these results, it was therefore recommended among others, that teachers should use edutainment videos in teaching preschool children in order to enhance their acquisition of literacy skills

Peuplement Spontané Et Accès À L’éducation Primaire Dans La Commune De Bantè Au Centre Du Bénin

Achieving universal primary education is the second Millennium Development Goals that Benin missed in 2015 with a national rate of 74 percent. The reasons for this failure are varied with notable spatial specificities. The present research aims to contribute to the analysis of the specific causes of this failure in the Bantè Commune. The data used relate to the number of children enrolled in schools, the number of schools, and the number of settlements (villages, hamlets, and manned farms) on several dates in the Commune. In addition, information was collected from selected households in several localities. Individual interviews and groups as well as direct field observations were the collection techniques used. The tools and parameters of the descriptive statistics and the cartographic approach made it possible to process the data collected. The results show a disparity in the spatial distribution of primary schools compared to inhabited places. The result shows a geographical inaccessibility of schools for the children of many hamlets and farms. This situation is mainly inherent to a spontaneous settlement dynamics which characterizes the Commune. This concern, therefore, deserves consideration if access to primary education is a global challenge that is again relaunched by 2030. This is usually done within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals

L’embouteillage dans Les Grandes Villes de L’Afrique de L’ouest et ses Problemes : Cas de Cotonou au Benin

La présente étude axée sur le thème « L’embouteillage dans les grandes villes de l’Afrique de l’Ouest et ses problèmes: cas de Cotonou au Bénin » a pour objectif d’étudier les causes et les conséquences économiques et socio-environnementales de la congestion au niveau des grandes artères de la capitale administrative du Bénin surtout aux heures de pointe. Et pour y parvenir, la collecte des données a été effectuée à travers la recherche documentaire, l’observation directe et participative, l’entretien et l’enquête de terrain. Après le traitement des données, l’analyse des résultats est réalisée suivant le modèle PEIR (Pression, Etat, Impacts, Réponse). En effet, de ces différents résultats, il résulte que la concentration des services administratifs dans la ville de Cotonou, l’exode rural, la défection du réseau routier et la prolifération des engins à deux roues dans ce milieu d’étude constituent les principales causes de l’embouteillage communément appelé « Go Slow » avec pour pôle principal, le carrefour d’Akossombo. Cette situation occasionne de graves préjudices non seulement à l’environnement mais également aux populations du Bénin. Au nombre de ces nuisances, figurent entre autres, la perte de temps et par ricochet d’importantes recettes financières sans oublier la baisse du Produit Intérieur Brut (PIB) pour l’Etat béninois ainsi que pour les entreprises et les sociétés. A toute cette vague de conséquences, s’ajoutent la pollution atmosphérique et sonore, le développement persistant de certaines pathologies comme les céphalées, les infections respiratoires aiguës, le cancer des poumons, le stress, etc. Enfin, pour réduire un tant soit peu les différents problèmes relatifs à ce phénomène dans la ville de Cotonou au sud du Bénin, il importe que les autorités à divers niveaux pensent à la construction de nouvelles infrastructures routières, la délocalisation des services administratifs, des entreprises et sociétés vers des villes secondaires, la subvention des véhicules neufs, la création et l’encouragement du transport en commun, etc.Mots-clés: Cotonou-Embouteillage- Economie-Environnement-Santé-SolutionsEnglish AbstractThis study focused on “”The congestion in the major cities of West Africa and its problems: Case Cotonou in Benin”aims to study the causes and socio-economic and environmental consequences of the congestion at the major arteries of the administrative capital of Benin especially during peak hours. And to achieve this, the data collection was conducted through desk research, direct and participatory observation, interview and field survey. After data processing, analysis of results is carried out following the PEIR model (Pressure, State, Impact, Response). Indeed, these different results, it follows that the concentration of administrative services in the city of Cotonou, the rural exodus, the defection of the road network and the proliferation of two wheeled vehicles in this study environment are the main causes bottling commonly called “Go Slow” with the main pole, the crossroads Akossombo. This situation causes serious harm not only the environment but also to the people of Benin. Among these nuisances, include among others the loss of time and in turn significant financial revenue not to mention the decline in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the State of Benin and for companies and societies. A whole wave of consequences, add air and noise pollution, the continuing development of certain diseases such as headaches, acute respiratory infections, lung cancer, stress, etc. Finally, to reduce a little bit different problems related to this phenomenon in the city of Cotonou in southern Benin, it is important that the authorities at various levels think about the construction of new road infrastructure, outsourcing of administrative services, businesses and companies to secondary cities, the grant of new vehicles, the creation and promotion of public transportation, etc.Keywords: Cotonou Embouteillage--Economy-Environment-Health-So

Diversity of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates in European Wildlife

Staphylococcus aureus is a well-known colonizer and cause of infection among animals and it has been described from numerous domestic and wild animal species. The aim of the present study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of S. aureus in a convenience sample of European wildlife and to review what previously has been observed in the subject field. 124 S. aureus isolates were collected from wildlife in Germany, Austria and Sweden; they were characterized by DNA microarray hybridization and, for isolates with novel hybridization patterns, by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The isolates were assigned to 29 clonal complexes and singleton sequence types (CC1, CC5, CC6, CC7, CC8, CC9, CC12, CC15, CC22, CC25, CC30, CC49, CC59, CC88, CC97, CC130, CC133, CC398, ST425, CC599, CC692, CC707, ST890, CC1956, ST2425, CC2671, ST2691, CC2767 and ST2963), some of which (ST2425, ST2691, ST2963) were not described previously. Resistance rates in wildlife strains were rather low and mecA-MRSA isolates were rare (n = 6). mecC-MRSA (n = 8) were identified from a fox, a fallow deer, hares and hedgehogs. The common cattle- associated lineages CC479 and CC705 were not detected in wildlife in the present study while, in contrast, a third common cattle lineage, CC97, was found to be common among cervids. No Staphylococcus argenteus or Staphylococcus schweitzeri-like isolates were found. Systematic studies are required to monitor the possible transmission of human- and livestock- associated S. aureus/MRSA to wildlife and vice versa as well as the possible transmission, by unprotected contact to animals. The prevalence of S. aureus/MRSA in wildlife as well as its population structures in different wildlife host species warrants further investigation

Mupirocin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Mupirocin is widely used for nasal decolonization of Staphylococcus aureus to prevent subsequent staphylococcal infection in patients and healthcare personnel. However, the prolonged and unrestricted use has led to the emergence of mupirocin-resistant (mupR) S. aureus. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the prevalence, phenotypic and molecular characteristics, and geographic spread of mupR S. aureus in Africa. Methods We examined five electronic databases (EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, ISI Web of Science, MEDLINE, and Scopus) for relevant English articles on screening for mupR S. aureus from various samples in Africa. In addition, we performed random effects meta-analysis of proportions to determine the pooled prevalence of mupR S. aureus in Africa. The search was conducted until 3 August 2016. Results We identified 43 eligible studies of which 11 (26%) were obtained only through Google Scholar. Most of the eligible studies (28/43; 65%) were conducted in Nigeria (10/43; 23%), Egypt (7/43; 16%), South Africa (6/43; 14%) and Tunisia (5/43; 12%). Overall, screening for mupR S. aureus was described in only 12 of 54 (22%) African countries. The disk diffusion method was the widely used technique (67%; 29/43) for the detection of mupR S. aureus in Africa. The mupA-positive S. aureus isolates were identified in five studies conducted in Egypt (n = 2), South Africa (n = 2), and Nigeria (n = 1). Low-level resistance (LmupR) and high-level resistance (HmupR) were both reported in six human studies from South Africa (n = 3), Egypt (n = 2) and Libya (n = 1). Data on mupR-MRSA was available in 11 studies from five countries, including Egypt, Ghana, Libya, Nigeria and South Africa. The pooled prevalence (based on 11 human studies) of mupR S. aureus in Africa was 14% (95% CI =6.8 to 23.2%). The proportion of mupA-positive S. aureus in Africa ranged between 0.5 and 8%. Furthermore, the frequency of S. aureus isolates that exhibited LmupR, HmupR and mupR-MRSA in Africa were 4 and 47%, 0.5 and 38%, 5 and 50%, respectively. Conclusions The prevalence of mupR S. aureus in Africa (14%) is worrisome and there is a need for data on administration and use of mupirocin. The disk diffusion method which is widely utilized in Africa could be an important method for the screening and identification of mupR S. aureus. Moreover, we advocate for surveillance studies with appropriate guidelines for screening mupR S. aureus in Africa

The impact and use of TEEAL (The Essential Electronic Agricultural Library) on researchers of agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University Samaru, Zaria

The primary target of TEEAL in Ahmadu Bello University(ABU) is the researcher at the faculty of Agriculture and the institute for Agriculture research. After years of its introduction, an evaluation of its impact has become necessary. Thus five research questions were drawn for that purpose. They are: (1), Are you aware of the TEEAL cd Rom database in this institution? (2), Is TEEAL solution to the problem of qualitative research in your field? (3), Has TEEAL cd Rom database enabled you access to world’s scholarly publishing? (4), What impact has the full text of TEEAL made on your research work? (5), Is TEEAL cd Rom database user friendly? (6), What is your assessment of TEEAL? These questions were put in form of a questionnaire survey supplemented by one interview to find the required information. From the response some analyses were made, some recommendations were put forward, and conclusions drawn

Serial policy formulation and implementation in Nigeria University Libraries

The paper discusses the need and importance of a serial policy statement formulation and implementation as a means of providing balanced, relevant an academic exercise particularly in the area of teaching and research work. The paper presents a sample serial policy statement for adoption by Nigerian University Libraries and other libraries, and then concludes with few recommendations

Estimating the rate of technical change in the oil and gas industry using data from private and national companies

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, System Design and Management Program, Engineering and Management Program, 2016.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 100-106).Modelling the long term prices for crude oil and natural gas has been a critical undertaking of many governments, companies, and analysts. The most important goal of this exercise is to effectively project the price of crude oil and natural gas to inform and shape today's decisions. Most long-run energy models in use today are unable to quantify properly a factor for supply growth due to technical change - a component that has played a significant role in the provision of access to newer streams of crude oil and natural gas - because the measurement of productivity and technical change at the oil and gas industry aggregate level are limited to a small set of studies for few countries. This thesis attempts to measure the rate of change in technical change for the oil and gas industry using data from private and national major companies. Publicly available financial data are aggregated from eight major producers over a time period of at least fifteen years for the national oil companies and forty five years for the private oil companies. The time period chosen effectively covers three distinct periods of different crude oil price behavior. Three productivity measurement methods are applied - the growth accounting, index number theory, and regression method - to measure for the rate of change in productivity and technical change for the private and national oil companies, and for the aggregate that allows to infer the rates for the entire industry. The thesis concludes that the rate of technical change for the industry can be assessed and it proposes a reasonably estimated range (1.4-1.7 per cent per year) that can be incorporated into long-run energy models. The thesis also presents insights to the drivers that influence the rate of growth. Finally, the thesis provides a dataset containing the information about output and labor and capital inputs for major oil and gas companies that can be used by researchers to enhance studies on the rate of technical change in the oil and gas industry.by Tochukwu C. Akobi.S.M. in Engineering and Managemen