Contrastive Analysis Of Tense Formation Processes In Hausa And English With Teaching And Learning Implications For Teachers Of English As A Second Language

This paper investigates the linguistic devises carrying tenses in Hausa and English and provides Teaching and Learning Implications. The tense formation processes in the two languages were studied by a way of contrast. In the study, Transformational Generative Grammar (TGG) was used as analytical model. The Gradman’s Description, Detection and Explanation (DDE) model was used as a descriptive model for the contrast. Two texts were selected for the analysis: “Points of Disorder” and “Da na Sani Keya ce”. Out of the population of ten sentences: four sentences from the Hausa text and another set of four sentences from the English text were used as sample. The sentences carrying different tenses in each language were analyzed to demonstrate both tense markers and linguistic items carrying tense and tense formation processes the languages. It was discovered that the two languages have some similarities in terms of directions occupied by linguistic items marking the presence of tense as well as tense formation processes. However, from the data collected and analyzed, differences become apparent in terms of linguistic items marking the occurrence of tense, those carrying tense and tense formation processes in Hausa and English. The study recommends the use of context-related activities such as making students to write to vividly report and describe adventures and experiences in the teaching of English tenses to Hausa-speaking students. Equally recommended are drilling students in story writing and comparisons of the English tenses identified in stories, speeches etc. with those of the Hausa language. It is expected that using the contrastive model of DDE will help Hausaspeaking students identify if there are cases of confusion in the use of English and Hausa tenses as well as cases of transfer in the use of tenses in either language. This includes problems of overgeneralization of tense formation rules and processes among Hausa-speaking students learning the delicate English language tenses

Distance tracking scheme for seamless handover in IMS-based systems with UMTS access network

This paper proposes a fast and seamless handover scheme for systems based on IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architectural framework with Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) access network. In the scheme the location, direction and movement pattern of a Mobile Node (MN) in a network cell are proactively tracked in order to determine the exact moment to trigger the pre-handover process with one of the adjacent cells considering MN’s direction before the execution of Layer 2 handover. The performance of the proposed scheme was evaluated by comparing it with the traditional handover scheme and the evaluation shows that the traditional handover scheme introduced a handover delay of about 675.5 ms, whereas the proposed scheme introduced handover delay of about 96.25 ms, which is less than 100 ms, hence the handover delay introduced by the proposed scheme fall within the specified range of best class service for voice traffic and streaming media over IP networks.Keywords: IMS, Handover delay, Distance Tracking, pre-handover, UMT

Hyper-Erlang Battery-Life Energy Scheme in IEEE 802.16e Networks

IEEE 802.16e networks is one of the broadband wireless technologies that support multimedia services while users are in mobility. Although these users use devices that have limited battery capacity, several energy schemes were proposed to improve the battery-life. However, these schemes inappropriately capture the traffic characteristics, which lead to waste of energy and high response delay. In this paper, a Hyper-Erlang Battery-Life Energy Scheme (HBLES) is proposed to enhance energy efficiency and reduce the delay. The scheme analytically modifies idle threshold, initial sleep window and final sleep window based on the remaining battery power and the traffic pattern. It also employs a Hyper-Erlang distribution to determine the real traffic characteristics. Several simulations are carried out to evaluate the performance of the HBLES scheme and the compared scheme.  The results show that the HBLES scheme out performs the existing scheme in terms of energy consumption and response delay

Influence of priming duration on the performance of Amaranths (Amaranthus cruentus L.) in Sokoto semiarid zone of Nigeria

Two field trials were conducted during the 2012 cropping season at the Fruits and Vegetable Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Crop Science, Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (located on latitude N-N and longitude -), to evaluate the effect of priming duration on the growth and yield of amaranth. Treatments consisted of four priming durations (2, 4, 6, and 8 hours) and control (where no priming was applied). The treatments were laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) replicated three times for the germination test and randomized complete block design (RCBD) for the field trial. Data were collected on days to 50% germination, percentage germination, days to 50% emergence, and percentage emergence. Results revealed significant effect of priming duration on days to 50% germination, percentage germination, and days to 50% emergence. Soaking seeds for 2 hours reduced the number of days to 50% germination and emergence and also recorded higher germination. Thus, from the findings of this study, it could be concluded that priming amaranth seeds for 2 hours could be applied to enhance amaranth production

The Impact of Internet on Students of National Teachers’ Institute Zaria Centre, Nigeria

This research work was carried out to determine The Impact of Internet on Students of National Institute Zaria Centre, Nigeria. The population of the study was the students of National Teachers’ Institute, Zaria Centre, Nigeria. Survey method of the research and stratified random sampling was used for the study to select 120 postgraduate students for the study. However, 100 respondents responded to the questionnaires distributed. The data was presented and analyzed in tables and percentages. The research discovered that majority of the students spend about 2 hours on daily basis to browse on internet. The research reveals that majority of the students are computer and internet literate. The research further reveals that most of students joy using e-mail and Web browsing as their favourite internet services. It also reveals that online activities has positive impact on the students and also has influenced the accessibility of online information usage of students in National Teachers’ Institute Zaria Centre, Nigeria. This implies that most of the students are internet users

Occupational exposure to metals among blacksmiths in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria

mining activities are excessively exposed to many toxic metals, which affect them. This study was conducted to determine the metal concentrations in body fluids of blacksmiths exposed to metals. Methods: The present study was conducted on a total of 140 male blacksmiths and 120 male controls in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria. All information related to working conditions such as duration of engagement and use of personal protective equipment (PPE), health history, life style, etc. were obtained using an interview questionnaire. Blood samples were also collected, digested, and subsequently, subjected to flame atomic absorption spectrometric (FAAS) analysis to determine the heavy metals concentration in the samples. Results: Exposure to heavy metals led to various degrees of health complications including headache (68%), fever (52%), chest pain (44%), itching (43%), irritation (35%), shortness of breath (31%), and coughing (27%). Meanwhile, the concentration of blood heavy metals of Pb, Cd, Cr, and Zn was 0.17, 0.076, 0.24, 4.50 μg/mL, respectively. The values were above the permissible limits of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and significantly differ from those in controls (P<0.05), which was directly proportional to age and exposure rates. Conclusion: According to the results, blacksmithing is an occupation with health hazards, which affect blood metals levels, and subsequently, lead to serious health complications. Keywords: Humans, Heavy metals, Occupation, Questionnaire

Evaluation of some Varieties of Okra (Abelmoschusesculentus) Seed Oil for Consumption and Industrial Uses

The demand for seeds oil is rapidly increasing due to the growth of the human population and the resulting increase in its consumption for both domestic and industrial uses. Hence, seed oils from three okra (Abelmoschusesculentus) varieties – Clemson spineless, ex-Samaru and NHAE-74 were extracted and their physicochemical properties were analysed and compared with some conventional seed oils. The percentage oil yield of the seeds determined for NHAE-74 (25.67±0.58 %) is significantly higher (p &lt; 0.05) than Clemson spineless&nbsp; (24.33±0.29 %) and ex-Samaru (23.05±0.50 %). The acid value (3.65±0.02, 1.96±0.01 and 2.24±0.02 mgKOH/g), Iodine Value (114.59±0.01,110.97±0.02 and 111.67±0.02 mg/100g) and Saponification value (122.02±0.19, 130.43±0.04 and 124.82±0.02 meqKOH/kg) of Clemson&nbsp; spineless, ex-Samaru and NHAE-74, respectively differ significantly (p &lt; 0.05) among the three varieties, while the peroxide value&nbsp; (meqKOH/kg) of Clemson spineless (3.92±0.14) is significantly lower (p &lt; 0.05) than the values of NHAE-74 (5.33±0.14) and ex-Samaru (5.00±0.25). The results further showed that the seed oil has a quality comparable to those of conventional oils and has great nutritional and industrial potentials

Phytoplankton population in relation to physicochemical parameters of Gwaigwaye Reservoir Katsina State, Nigeria

The study on phytoplankton population in relation to physicochemical parameters of Gwaigwaye reservoir, Katsina state was carried out from May 2013 to April 2014to establish physical, chemical, and biological parameters (Phytoplankton) of Gwaigwaye reservoir. Four sampling stations were chosen; the physicochemical andbiological parameters were determined using standard methods and procedures. The result revealed that; Water temperature (25.02 ± 0.170C), pH (7.54 ± 0.03), Alkalinity (3.69±0.09), Conductivity (129.43 ± 5.15μЅ/cm), Total Dissolved Solids (50.54 ± 0.57mg/L) Nitrate-nitrogen (0.21 ± 0.04mg/L), Water hardness (134.44 ± 3.06mg/LCaCO3), Dissolved Oxygen (3.98 ± 0.10mg/L), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (2.53 ± 0.08mg/L), Phosphate-phosphorus (0.19 ± 0.02mg/L), Chloride (5.09 ± 0.15mg/L), Sulphor-sulphate (0.21± 0.01) and Calcium (2.97±0.06mg/L) varied with months and seasons. Analysis of variance indicated significant difference between seasons (P &lt; 0.05); but no significant difference in phytoplankton distribution and abundance among the four stations (P&gt;0.05). The result indicated phytoplankton percentage composition as; Chlorophyta (57.66%), Bacillariophyta (25.70%), Cyanophyta (14.73%), and Dinophyta (1.91%). Water quality of the reservoir is influenced by anthropogenic activities, the reservoir water is suitable for irrigational and domestic purposes from the results of most of the physicochemical and biological parameters obtained. Hence, there is need for an effective anthropogenic inputs control programme in the reservoir.Keywords: Gwaigwaye; Physicochemical; Phytoplankton; Reservoi

Knowledge, Perception, and Consumption of Food Additives among Female Lecturers in Zaria, Nigeria

Background: Food additives are being utilized for both small‑ and large‑scale food production but often find more applicability in mass food production. Food additive consumption over a long period could pose adverse health outcomes. The study determined knowledge, perception, and consumption of food additives among female lecturers in Zaria. Methodology: It was a cross‑sectional study conducted among 180 full‑time female lecturers of the three tertiary institutions, selected through a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a pretested self‑administered questionnaire. The data were entered into IBM SPSS Statistics 20 and analyzed. Univariate analysis for categorical variables was done using simple proportions. Results: A total of 167 female lecturers responded giving a response rate of 92.8%. Their mean age was 42.7 ± 8.2 years. Majority (109, 65.3%) had good knowledge of food additives, less than half (77, 46.3%) had a good perception of them, and the overall consumption rate for food additives was 97.1%. Majority (77.8%) felt that the risks associated with food additives must never be ignored, about half (47.3%) felt that foods consumed by Nigerians were now generally more harmful. However, only about one‑fifth felt that most fast foods do contain food additives (28.1%). Consumption rates were high for both natural and synthetic food additives (61.7%–92.2%), except for Ajinomoto and Vedan which were consumed by only 38 (22.8%). Conclusion: Knowledge of food additives was good, but their perception was poor and consumption was high. Stakeholders must begin to organize and sustain periodic sensitization campaigns on risks associated with the consumption of food additives. Futures studies should identify the reasons for poor perception and high level of consumption despite good knowledge among the study population. Keywords: Consumption, female lecturers, food additives, Zari