Virtual viewpoint three-dimensional panorama

Conventional panoramic images are known to provide for an enhanced field of view in which the scene always has a fixed appearance. The idea presented in this paper focuses on the use of the concept of virtual viewpoint creation to generate different panoramic images of the same scene with three-dimensional component. Three-dimensional effect in a resultant panorama is realized by superimposing a stereo-pair of panoramic images

Physico-chemical and Metal Impurity Assessment of Some Brands of Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride Tablets Marketed in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria

This research was carried out to assess the quality and compare the physico-chemical equivalence of twenty samples of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride tablets marketed in Kano metropolis using standard analytical methods. The physico-chemical and chemical equivalence were assessed through the evaluation of uniformity of weight, disintegration test, friability test, assay for percentage concentration, metal impurities, pH and ionic strength. The product assay was carried out using UV/Visible spectrophotometric method while atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used to determine the possible metal impurities. All the samples complied with the official specifications for uniformity of weight, friability test while one sample failed the disintegration test of 15mins. Eighteen samples conformed to specifications 90% - 110% w/w of stated amount, one sample was above the limit, 111.66+0.57% w/w, while another sample was below the limit, 87.65+0.70 w/w. Eighteen of the samples evaluated in this study could be regarded as being physico-chemically and chemically equivalent while two samples could be regarded as substandard and fake product. All the samples have the metal impurities within official specifications except for one which has high concentration of lead.Keywords: Ciprofloxacin tablet, counterfeit, fake drug, physic-chemical and UV Spectrophotomete

Tensile Strength Characteristics of Fanpalm under Various Exposure Conditions

Fanpalm is a prospective reinforcing material in structural elements. Fanpalm is locally available and has been studied as a suitable alternative to steel reinforcement which is usually imported and expensive. The need for durability of the fanpalm under varying exposure conditions is the concern of this study. The ultimate tensile strength of fanpalm was determined under various exposure conditions to evaluate its possible usage, both on short term and long term basis. Fanpalm specimens were cut, shaped and coated with various protective agents (sodium sulphate, magnesium sulphate, hydroxylamine, epoxy, and sulphur ) then cured in alkaline media(0.1N sodium hydroxide solution) for 3, 7, 14, 28 and 56 days. A set of uncoated Fanpalm were subjected to the same curing conditions as the coated specimens to serve as the control. Tensile strength tests were carried out to evaluate the ultimate tensile stress at various ages for each of the exposure conditions. The results showed that epoxy coated fanpalm specimens recorded the highest strength at 56 days of 80.83N/mm2 while magnesium sulphate coated specimens had the lowest strength of 66.25N/mm2 during the same period. The uncoated specimens had average strength of 65.00N/mm2 at 56 days in alkaline media. It could be said that the coating improves the tensile strength of fanpalm in alkaline media. It was concluded that fanpalm coated with epoxy could be used as a reinforcing material in concrete structures for short term usage. Further evaluation of the strength of epoxy coated specimens over longer duration (say one year) should be carried out to determine its usage as reinforcements on long term basis. Keywords: Fanpalm, tensile strength, reinforcing material, exposure conditions

Cognition of Entrepreneurial Education Among Mall and Medium Scale Initiative Owners in Jalingo Etropolis, Taraba State, Nigeria

The study examined the perception of entrepreneurial education among Small and Medium scale enterprise owners in Jalingo Local Government Area of Taraba State. Three research questions were formulated to guide the study. The population comprised of One Hundred and Twenty (120) registered small and medium scale enterprise under the National Association of Small Scale Industries (NASSI) and Taraba State Chamber of Commercial Industries and Agriculture (TACCIMA) who are entrepreneurs and beneficiaries of credit and loan scheme in study area. Sample size of One Hundred (100) respondents was drawn using stratified sampling technique. Data was collected from respondents using structured questionnaire and hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using Chi-square (X2). The results of the findings revealed that, the X2 — calculated (X2c = 181.7) is greater than the X2c tabulated (X2c = 40.1) which rejected null hypothesis and concluded that entrepreneurial education has significant influence in preparing small and medium scale enterprise owners to be enterprising individuals which contributes to the economic development of Nigeria. The study recommended that, the transformation of entrepreneurial education should start from primary through secondary and tertiary levels of educations emphasizing, the cultural orientation and focus on technological studies through all the stages and that the Government should create an environment where exchange of business ideas is easier among SMEs owner

Flexural Strength Characteristics of Beams Reinforced with Fan Palm under Various Exposure Conditions

The relative high cost of man-made imported fibres like, glass, steel and plastics used in cement based composites as reinforcement calls for investigation into the use of locally available natural fibre as a substitute. Fan palm is locally available and has been studied as a suitable alternative to steel reinforcement. The need for durability of the fan palm under varying exposure conditions is the concern of this study. The ultimate flexural strength of beams reinforced with fan palm under diverse exposure conditions was determined to evaluate its possible usage, both on short and long term basis. Fan palm specimens were cut, shaped to desired flexural reinforcements sizes and coated with water repellants (epoxy, sulphur and bitumen) and  blocking agents (hydroxylamine, sodium sulphate magnesium sulphate) for 24 hours. They were then used as reinforcements for concrete beams (75 x 100 x 500 mm) of 1:2:4 mix ratio and cured in alkaline media (0.1N sodium hydroxide solution). Two sets of uncoated fan palm reinforced beams (in alkaline solution and in water) were used as control experiments. Flexural strength test was carried out on the specimen beams at ages 7, 14, 28, 56, 90, 180, 270, and 365 days. The results were subjected to ANOVA analysis using STATA soft ware. The results at 365 days indicated that out of the beams reinforced with water repellant agents, those reinforced with bitumen retained the ultimate flexural stress of 36.98N/mm2. For the beams reinforced with fan palm coated with blocking agents, those reinforced with hydroxylamine recorded the ultimate flexural stress of 25.59N/mm2. The ultimate flexural stress of beams reinforced with uncoated fan palm is 4.69N/mm2 and 18.07N/mm2 in alkaline and water media respectively. It was concluded that coating fan palm reinforcements with bitumen (a water repellant agent) improved the durability of fan palm reinforced concrete beams in alkaline media. Keywords: Fan palm, Flexural strength, Exposure conditions, Water repellant agents, Blocking agents

Comparative Assessment of the Environmental Dynamics of Dissolved Organic Nitrogen (DON) and Dissolved Organic Phosphorus (DOP) from Three Wetlands in Northern Nigeria

This study assessed comparatively the environmental dynamics of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) in water samples obtained from three locations (Lokoja, Jebba and Hadejia-Nguru) with five sampling sites in Northern Nigeria. These sites include Jebba, Matara-Uku, Lokoja, Baturiya and Nguru. Samples were collected during the dry and wet seasons of the year 2015 and levels of nitrogen and phosphorus determined using the persulphate wet-oxidation method. The average values for DON and DOP obtained ranged from 9.49±1.83 mg/l to 21.8±14.7 mg/l and 1.65±0.38 mg/l to 6.11±0.58 mg/l respectively. The values obtained for DON during the dry and wet seasons were Jebba (14.1±3.92), Matara-Uku (13.7±3.43), Lokoja (21.0±5.04), Baturiya (21.8±14.7), Nguru (7.14±2.40) and Jebba (13.9±1.97), Matara-Uku (11.3±2.62), Lokoja (9.59±1.46), Baturiya (9.49±1.83), Nguru (11.1±1.78) mg/l respectively. The mean values for DOP were Jebba (1.85±0.07), Matara-Uku (2.60±0.55), Lokoja (2.65±0.31), Baturiya (2.52±0.46), Nguru (1.65±0.38) and Jebba (3.70±0.16), Matara-Uku (5.55±0.24), Lokoja (6.11±0.58), Baturiya (4.93±0.90), Nguru (3.65±0.37) mg/l in the dry and wet seasons respectively. The DON concentrations were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the dry season when compared with the wet season while the DOP concentrations were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the wet season when compared with the dry season. This dynamics was attributed to run off from agricultural farm lands, hydrology and the rate of utilization of these nutrients by water plants. High concentrations of DOP and DON supportgood yield of agricultural produce of the farmlands around the wetlands.Keywords: Dissolved organic nitrogen, dissolved organic phosphorus, dissolved organic matter, wetland

Promoting Sustainable Development in Nigeria: Via Civic Education

Nothing in this world is so powerful as an idea whose time has come. In the face of ethical knowledge, skill disposition and sustainable development in Nigeria, civic education assumed central position. Idea of civic education in Nigerian curriculum is so powerful to the extent that each young Nigerian deserves its knowledge. On this basis, this paper describes civic education as an underpinning factor for individual and social development of our nation. The paper analyzes the fabric between civic education and social development towards blending and interfacing local wisdom with global knowledge, values and skills, which will develop the young Nigerian to become a citizen of this country as well as a citizen of the global village. The paper points to the fact that civic education is central to shaping attitudes and social interaction and both are critical to addressing issues surrounding sustainable development. To this end, the paper concludes that sustainable development requires civic knowledge, civic skills and civic disposition. It is therefore recommended that civic education should be seen as an engine for development in which states, individuals, communities, and businesses partake in providing sustainable development. Keywords: Sustainable development, civic education, national development, individual progress

Evaluation of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) accumulation and translocation by Albizia lebbeck from industrial soil

Field samples of Albizia lebbeck, deciduous tree with drought tolerant properties, growing on industrial soil (Challawa Industrial Estate) were collected and separated into leaves, stems, roots and associated ground soil to assess the accumulation and translocation of Six Potentially Toxic Metals (PTMs) (Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb and Ni ) from the soil. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) was used to assess their levels. The bioaccumulation/ transfer of metals from roots to shoots and from soil to roots were evaluated in terms of translocation and bioconcentration factor. TF values of 1.22 , 1.41, 3.57 and 1.86 for Cu , Cd , Pb and Ni respectively indicate that A. lebbeck was efficient in translocation of PTMs from roots to shoots and follows the trend Cu > Zn > Ni > Cr respectively. This depicts the plant as a likely candidate for phytoextraction of Zn, Cu, Cr and Ni. BCF values of Zn (0.94), Cu (0.85), Cd (1.37), Cr (1.25), Pb (2.3) and Ni (1.66) were noted for the PTMs. This reveals that A. lebbeck may be suitable for phytostabilization of Zn and Cr in the contaminated soils as it retains high concentration of these PTMs in its roots in the study area

Incidence and detection of parasitic infections by cyst and ova on fruits and vegetables from different major markets in Kogi, Nigeria

In the course of a study of parasitic infections by cyst and ova on fruits and vegetable sold in middle-belt Nigeria, three different major public markets was selected. Six different fruits and vegetables total to 2406 samples were examined.Data obtained were statistically analyzed using anova for the level of significance difference where appropriate. Of the 1755 fruits examined, 4.3% were positive for parasites ova and 2.5% for cysts. Of the 761 vegetables examined, 4.6% were positive for parasites ova and 2.8% for cysts.The contamination rate of protozoan cyst and ova found are Giardia lamblia (2.61%) Entamoebs histolytica (0.66%). The difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05).Cases of contamination rate of protozoan cyst and ova were small compared to helminthic contamination. However, helminths such as Strongylodies stercoralis Trichiuris trachura and Ascaris lumbricoides were predominant in that order. The public health implication on the subjects is discussed. Through washing of all fruits and vegetables with clean water prior to consumption is recommended

Accumulation and Translocation of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) from Industrial Soil by a Woody Drought Tolerant Tree, Eucalyptus citridora

Field samples of Eucalyptus citridora, a drought tolerant tree, growing in an industrial area with high anthropogenic activities (Challawa) were collected and were separated into leaves, stems and roots. The aim was to assess the levels of accumulation and translocation of six Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) (Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb and Ni) from the soil media. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) was used to assess the concentrations. The bioaccumulation/ transfer of metals from roots to shoots and from soil to roots were evaluated in terms of translocation (TF) and bioconcentration factors (BCF). TF values of 1.58, 1.98 , 1.07, and 1.26 for Zn , Cu , Cr and Ni respectively indicated that Eucalyptus citridora was efficient in translocation of PTEs from roots to shoots and follows the trend Cu>Zn > Ni > Cr. This is an indication that the plant is therefore suitable for phytoextraction of Zn, Cu, Cr and Ni. BCF values of Zn (0.94), Cu (0.85), Cd (1.37), Cr (1.25), Pb (2.3) and Ni(1.66)were recorded for the elements under investigation. This show that Eucalyptus citridora may be a suitable candidate for phytostabilization of Cd and Pb in the contaminated soils as it retains high concentration of these metals in its roots as seen in the study area