Endpoint Mobility Ratios for Vertical and Horizontal Wells with Incidence of Scale Deposition

One of the most difficult and profit hurting problems found in the oil field is the build-up of scale deposits in the well bore, production string, flow lines and even in storage tanks. These deposits act as a restriction during build-up in the wellbore causing a gradual decrease in production and, in many cases, as a solid barrier for wellbore fluid flow. This paper presents an analytical model based on the existing thermodynamic model showing the endpoint mobility ratios for both vertical and horizontal wells with the incidence of scale precipitation and deposition at the near wellbore region during water flooding. The results revealed that Endpoint mobility ratio for a vertical well with radial flow approaches unity “1” faster than for the horizontal well with elliptical flow. And horizontal wells are good candidates for managing scale precipitation and deposition during waterflooding

Growth of seashore paspalum, (Paspalum vaginatum L) in soil contaminated with crude petroleum oil

The effect of crude oil contaminated soil on the growth of seashore Paspalum ( Paspalum vaginatum .) seedlings was investigated. Plants were grown in soil containing different concentrations: 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0% and 3% (w/w) of Abura crude petroleum oil. Growth parameter such as shoot number, shoot length, leaf area and biomass accumulation were evaluated. The results showed that crude oil imposed physiological stress in the seedlings. There was a dose response decline in all the growth attributes examined. There was also a significant difference in plant growth with respect to time of crude oil application. At the highest applied concentration(3 % [w/w]), plants grown in soil previously contaminated with petroleum oil showed about 50 % reduction in biomass accumulation when compared with the uncontaminated control whereas established plants post -treated with crude petroleum oil showed a 30% reduction. There was no mortality at any of the crude oil concentrations to which to plant was exposed. The experiment demonstrated the potential of using Paspalum vaginatum for phytoremediatio

False identification of other microorganisms as Staphylococcus aureus in Southern Nigeria

Purpose: Staphylococcus aureus is the causative agent of many infections and the advent MRSA has drawn much attention to it. However, some organisms have been noted to be wrongly identified as S. aureus through phenotypic identifications leading to wrong treatment of infections. This study is therefore undertaken to evaluate the rate of false identification of other organisms as S. aureus in Southern Nigeria.Methods: 507 microorganisms which have been previously identified as S. aureus in 8 States in Southern Nigeria through characteristic morphology on blood agar, Gram staining, growth and fermentation on Mannitol Salt Agar and coagulase formation were collected. All the isolates were identified in this study through sequencing of 16S rRNA and detection of spa gene. The percentages of true and false identities were determined.Results: Of the 507 isolates previously identified as S. aureus, only 54 (11 %) were confirmed as S. aureus while the rest were coagulase negative Staphylococci (85 % misidentification rate), Bacillus sp. (12 % misidentification rate), and Brevibacterium sp. (3 % misidentification rate).Conclusion: A high rate of false positive identification of S. aureus which could lead to the misuse of antibiotics in emergency situation has been identified in this study. The use of standard methods for the identification of S. aureus at all times is highly recommended.Keywords: Coagulase staphylococci differentiation, misidentification of S. aureus, phenotypic identifications, Southern Nigeri

The Impact of Personal Characteristics on Consumer’s Purchase of Innovative Durable Electronics Products in Kano Metropolis

The study assessed the Impact of Personal Characteristics on Consumer’s Purchase of Innovative Durable Electronics Products in Kano Metropolis. The objectives of the study is to ascertain the extent to which personal characteristics of gender, age, income and education affect consumer’s purchase of innovative durable electronic goods. The study population was the entire consumers that purchases electronic products from the 8 local governments areas selected for the study. The researcher used sample size of 500 respondents and data were obtained using questionnaires. Data presentation and discussions were supported with chart and tables to make the whole work easy to read and understand by all and sundry. The study showed that out of the four consumer’s personal characteristics of age, sex, income and education examined, only age is found to have significant impact on consumer’s purchase preference for innovative durable electronic goods of TV, refrigerator, DVD players, and satellite receivers. This is basically supported by previous researches, and especially Roger’s innovation diffusion theory, which forms the theoretical basis of this study. The researchers recommend that marketers should take cognisance of age in new product diffusion. Importantly, opinion leaders, being younger should be targeted tv advertorials to make innovations more sellable. Invariably, customized advertising can equally evolve. In addition, as Hausman (2015) reiterates, such could be given some stipends to encourage them perform the opinion leadership more effectively. Keywords: Personal Characteristics, Consumer, Consumer Purchasing Power, Innovation, Durable Electronics Product

Swarming modulatory effects of some amino acids on Proteus strains from Lagos, Nigeria

Swarming motility, a multicellular behaviour characterized by periodic concentric growth on solid media has severally been reported as a constraint in the clinical investigation of mixed-culture infections involving Proteus and as a requirement for virulence. While media are being formulated to restrain swarming in this organism, the roles played by amino acids in the biogenesis of swarming have not been fully clarified. The effects of 20 amino acids on swarming, extracellular protease activity, cellular RNA level and total protein concentration in 20 clinical Proteus strains from Lagos, Nigeria were investigated. At 0.5mM concentration, glutamine, serine, and methionine were the only amino acids found to enhance swarming motility on M9 minimal medium (7.1—11.3 mm), cause significant increases in protease activity (33.7—48.3 units/ml), total protein concentration (22.5—28.6 mg/ml) and cellular RNA concentration (192.8—264.7 mg/ml) when compared to values obtained for other 17 amino acids (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the amino acid induced swarming in these strains was found to vary directly and significantly (P < 0.05) with protease activity and cellular RNA concentration. The exclusion of methionine, serine and glutamine when supplementing antiswarming media for clinical investigation of Proteus - associated polymicrobial infections in Nigeria is suggested. (African Journal of Biotechnology: 2002 1(1): 10-16

Assessment of Entrepreneurship Education Knowledge Acquisition, Change of Attitude to Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition in Entrepreneurship Among University Undergraduates in South-Western Nigeria

This study was designed to evaluate the entrepreneurship education knowledge change of attitude to entrepreneurship and skills acquisition in entrepreneurship among university undergraduates in South-west Nigeria. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. Three states were randomly selected from Southwest, Nigeria from which one public and one private university each were randomly selected. The instruments used were Entrepreneurship Education Students Achievement Test and Undergraduate’s entrepreneurial and Management Competence Questionnaire which yielded reliability coefficient of 0.81 and 0.72 respectively. Paired and independent t-test was used to analyse the data collected at 0.05 level of significance. The pre and post test scores on undergraduates entrepreneurship education knowledge (tc1819) = 337.26 change of attitude to Entrepreneurship (tc1819 )= 240.80 and skills acquisition in Entrepreneurship (tc1819)= 123.05 indicated the positive impact of entrepreneurship education significant differences were also observed between the public and private undergraduates’ Entrepreneurship education knowledge (tc1819) = 5.46, change of attitude to Entrepreneurship (tc1819) = 4.96 and skills acquisition in Entrepreneurship (tc1819) = 4.20. Based on the findings of this study the following recommendations were made among which are: University lecturers should demonstrate a strong dedication to the teaching of entrepreneurship education general studies Government, non-governmental organizations and philanthropists should assist in providing sufficient resources for the teaching and learning of entrepreneurship education general studies course, the Vice Chancellors in Public Universities to intensify more efforts on effective implementation of entrepreneurship education general studies course.&nbsp

Review of Sustainability in Self Compacting Concrete: the use of waste and mineral additives as supplementary cementitious material and aggregate.

Concrete is one of the commonly used construction materials, but there is a need to develop a new and sustainable technology to make concrete more affordable. With the advancement in technology, concrete was no longer seen as a three entity (binder, aggregate, and water). The unique workability properties of SCC make it unique in the concrete industry. This review assessed the materials, strength, rheological properties of agricultural waste, industrial waste and mineral additives in SCC production. The effect of the utilization of these additives and replacements on structural, mechanical and rheological properties of SCC was espoused. The review revealed that the use of both industrial and agricultural waste enhances the strength properties of SCC. Additionally, the use of agricultural waste improves the rheological properties of fresh concrete. The utilization of expansive material should be discouraged in SCC production. The review revealed that SCC developments ensure a good balance between deformability and stability. It was therefore recommended that SCC should be utilized in pavement construction, particularly when high axle load is expected

An Examination of the Impact of Sources of Information on Consumer Preference for New Durable Electronic Goods in Kano Metropolis

The study was designed to assess the impact of sources of information on consumer preference for new durable electronic goods in Kano Metropolis. Specific objectives of the study cover the sources of information used by consumers in their purchase decision of innovative durable electronic goods and the extent to which sources of information used by consumers affect their purchase decision of innovative durable electronic goods. The study population was the entire consumers that purchases electronic products from the 8 local governments areas selected for the study. The researcher used sample size of 500 respondents and data were obtained using questionnaires. Data presentation and discussions were supported with chart and tables to make the whole work easy to read and understand by all and sundry. The study revealed that the diffusion of new durable electronic goods is greatly enhanced by TV advertorials, suggestions by friends/relations and price discounts. Other sources of information used by consumers in the purchase of durable electronic products in the descending order are advertisements on radio, advertisements in magazines, trade shows, advertisements on billboards, suggestions by salesmen and handbills, so the researcher recommended that Proper Research and Development (R &amp; D) efforts through an organization’s Marketing Intelligence/Marketing Information Systems (MIS/MKIS) can help unearth people’s tastes and preferences and hence shape new products and services. This will enhance better segmentation with regards to relevant consumer personal/socio-economic variables. Product diffusion and hence frequency of purchase is often enhanced by consumer’s level of awareness, perceived product quality and reliable warranty among others. Keywords: Sources of Information, Consumer Preference, New Durable Electronic Goods and Kano Metropoli

Serials use at Babcock University Library, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria (2008 – 2012)

This study highlights the intensity of print serials utilized at Babcock University library from 2008 to 2012. The study only takes account of print serials subscribed to and made available at the serials department of the library. The result of the study revealed that serials recorded the highest level of use in 2008, the lowest utilization occurred in 2012. Serials in social sciences, medical science and religion as well as magazines/newsletters, were the most utilized. There were also indications from the findings that print serials have continued to support learning, teaching and research. Therefore, the researchers concluded that subscription to print serials should be on-going. Librarians should also endeavor to create more awareness and encourage patrons’ use of print serials

Assessing the Effectiveness of Mobile Learning Devices in Tertiary Institutions: The Experience of Undergraduates in a Nigerian Private University

Over the years, technology appears to be making life easier and better. However, in some instances, it appears technology is counterproductive. Mobile learning devices, as the name suggests, have been developed to facilitate learning on the move. The questions are: Are these devices truly facilitating learning? If they are truly facilitating learning, are they facilitating learning positively or negatively? To answer these questions, the survey research design was adopted on a sample of 215 randomly selected students. In the process, questionnaire and focused group discussion guideline were used to collect relevant data. Data analysis was both qualitative and quantitative. Some of the core findings from this investigation were that majority of the respondents, and by extension the target population, were barely using the tablets and free internet browsing megabytes [10Gb monthly] given to all students for the intended purpose of learning. Some were pre-occupied with downloading videos, films and music while some spend endless hours playing computer games or chatting on social networks with the attendant consequence of poor learning, dwindling academic performance and productivity. Relevant recommendations to redress this unwholesome trend were proffere