Awareness of Academic Advisory Roles of Lecturers by Education Undergraduates in University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

This study investigated awareness of academic advisory roles of lecturers by education undergraduates in University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The design of the study was descriptive survey, while the population was 1,460 regular final year undergraduates of the university 2018/2019 academic session. The sample was 500 students who were composed through proportionate random sampling technique from seven departments of Faculty of Education that had final year students. Relevant data were collected from the sample through personal contact method of administration of copies of researchers’ made Academic Advisory Awareness Questionnaire (AAAQ). The reliability was established through the Pearson Product Moment formula and for the three sections of the instrument it was 0.71, 0.76 and 0.72 while the overall reliability co-efficient was 0.73. Data were analyzed with mean and standard deviation statistics. The results show that the respondents have faint knowledge of the roles of an academic advisor, their assessment of the effectiveness of the academic advisers is poor and their perceived impediments to effective academic advising is also slightly poor. The results were discussed and some recommendations were also made. One of the recommendations is that counsellor educators, counsellors in the counselling unit in the student affairs department and the director of counselling services in the university should sensitize/enlighten the students on the roles of their academic advisers to them. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-6-24 Publication date: February 29th 202

Evaluation of the physico-chemical properties of produced water from oil producing well in the Niger Delta Area, Nigeria

Physicochemical properties of produced water from oil producing well were  conducted using standard methods (American standard for testing and materials). Samples were obtained at different periods within two months. Produced water comprises approximately 98% of the total volume of exploration and production (E&P) waste generated by the oil and gas industry. Results obtained; pH (7.90-8.10), total oil and grease (27.00-37.00mg/l), sulphate (45.00-75.00mg/l), total petroleum hydrocarbon (12.00-14.00 mg/l), electrical conductivity (26100.00-26600.00μs/cm), total dissolved solid (16750.00-17100.00mg/l); salinity (22801.00 – 23403mg/l) show that all the measured parameters were within specification as recommended by Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). TOG of produced water receives the most attention in both offshore and onshore locations while salt content (electrical conductivity, salinity and total dissolved solids) receive more attention in onshore locations. TOG and TPH above permissible limit (40 mg/l and 20 mg/l respectively) reduces the biochemical oxygen demand in the sea which is detrimental to the survival of aquatic life. Maintaining sulphate concentration within acceptable limit prevents scale formation by calcium and barium ions. Volume of water produced increases with the age of Crude oil production.Key Words: Physicochemical, toxicity, reservoir, aquatic, offshore, benthic

An appraisal of physicochemical parameters and some trace metals at the disposal points of five industrial effluents in Trans-Amadi Industrial Area of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Industrial effluent samples collected from the disposal point of five different companies in Trans-Amadi industrial area of Port Harcourt were analyzed to investigate effect on the environment. The analyzed effluent samples showed results of the physicochemical parameters and trace metals in the ranges : (pH 3.60 - 6.90), electrical conductivity (406.00 – 722.00 μs/cm), total dissolved solid (194.00-347.00 mg/l); total suspended solid (>1067.00), chloride (14.20-151.10mg/l), sulphate (20.40-25.30 mg/l), nitrate (3.00-3.20 mg/l), total organic carbon (4.57-1556.00 mg/l), chemical oxygen demand (20.00-6225.00 mg/l), iron (1.26-1.68 mg/l), zinc (0.02 mg/l), copper (0.06 mg/l), lead (0.38mg/l), nickel (0.56-0.93mg/l), cadmium (0.09-0.34mg/l), chromium (0.19 mg/l) and sodium (11.45-20.77mg/l). The results obtained were compared with World Health Organization and United State Environmental Protection Act (USEPA), maximum permissible limits. Results showed that pH, chloride, conductivity and total organic carbon values of samples from three industries were above the maximum permissible limit while TSS values of samples from the five industries were above specification. Only one Industry produced an effluent with a chemical oxygen demand within the allowable limit. Some heavy metals like Nickel, Cadmium, and Chromium were also above the USEPA maximum permissible limit. Total suspended solids were determined using Pressure Millipore Vacuum Pump Assembly (NACE TM-01-73), Concentrations of Chloride, Sulphate, Nitrate, Total organic carbon (TOC) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) were determined using a DR 2800 Spectrophotometer. Heavy metals were determined using Atomic absorption spectrometer (Perkin–Elmer model 2280/2380 model).Keywords: Heavy metals, Industrial effluents, Pollution, Spectrophotometer, Physicochemical, Concentratio

Strategies for Coping with the Challenges of Incarceration Among Nigerian Prison Inmates

This paper investigated the strategies for coping with the challenges of incarceration among inmates of Port Harcourt Prison, Nigeria. The population was 2,997 inmates of the prison while the sample was 250 inmates drawn through stratified random sampling technique from the same Port Harcourt prison. Six research questions were posed and data for their investigation were collected through the administration of copies of an instrument designed by the researchers on the respondents. The instrument was titled “Prison Inmates Coping Strategies Questionnaire (PICSQ)”. It was designed in the pattern of a modified 4-point Likert type scale and contained a total of 25 items that elicited information on how prison inmates cope with the challenges of incarceration. A pilot study of the instrument was conducted with 30 inmates of Ahoda Prison, Rivers State, Nigeria. The reliability co-efficients of the 6 sub-sections of section B ascertained through the Cronbach Alpha method were 0.81; 0.79; 0.76; 0.80; 0.75 and 0.83 respectively while the overall reliability co-efficient was 0.78. The research questions were answered with mean and standard deviation and the results show that involvement in religious activities, formation of surrogate families, engagement in educational and vocational training as well as emotion-focused strategy are ways of coping with the challenges of incarceration among prison inmates while maintaining contact with family members/friends and engagement in aggressive behaviour are not coping strategies. These results were discussed and some recommendations were also made. One of the recommendations is that counselling psychologists and other psychological care givers should be employed in prison service to assist in the reformation of the inmates as well as assisting them to cope with the challenges of their situation. Keywords: Strategies, Challenges, Incarceration, Prison Inmate

Bioconcentration of Heavy Metals in high Density traffic area of Port Harcourt Metopolis, Nigeria

The Bioconcentration factor (BCF) of selected heavy metals in grasses growing along High Density Traffic Area (HDTA) and Low Density Traffic Area (LDTA) of Port Harcourt metropolis was ascertained. The results show BCF for Heavy Metals in grasses along HDTA are significantly higher than their counterpart along LDTA even though the values of heavy metals in the soil along the LDTA are relatively higher than those along HDTA. This shows that aerial deposition or diffusion of these Heavy Metals from automobile exhaust and adsorption processes to the grasses along HDTA plays a major role in their Bioconcentration. The order of BCF of Heavy Metals in grasses along HDTA (Cr > Cd = Co > Ni > Zn > Pb > Fe) and LDTA (Cr > Cd > Ni > Pb > Co > Zn > Fe) shows that Cr and Cd having highest BCF of 2.97 and 2.50 in grasses along HDTA and 0.68 and 0.67 in grasses along LDTA respectively, could be used to monitor their aerial deposition from automobile exhaust.Keywords: Heavy metal, Bioaccumulation, High Density Traffic Area, Low Density Traffic Area

Electronic Recruiting (E-Recruiting) Strategy and Corporate Adoption in Nigeria

The paper examines Electronic Recruiting (e-recruiting) Strategy and Corporate adoption in Nigeria. The objective of this paper is to empirically investigate the successes associated with adopting electronic recruiting strategy by corporations in Nigeria since many corporations have not adopted or accepted this form of strategy. The paper adopts the documentary and survey methods. The statistical tool adopted for this paper adopts Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient and the Pearson Product Moment Correlation with the aid of statistical package for social sciences. The paper finds that there is a significant relationship between website design and relative advantage; significant relationship between web design and complexity on corporate adoption in Nigeria, and that trust indicated an influence on the relationship between E-recruitment strategy and Corporate adoption in Nigeria. The paper recommends amongst others: improvement of service delivery to achieve efficient and effective web-based, e-recruiting; effective base for data-ware houses; the recruiting website should be interactive, pleasing and user-friendly. The paper suggests that further studies should be carried on diffusion study of e-recruiting to identify the underlying determinants of the level of acceptance of this technology by corporations in Nigeria. Keywords: E-recruiting, Corporate adoption, Website design, relative advantage, Complexity, Information Technology, Trust on Systems Security

PRODUCTION PLANNING AND CONTROL COMPLEMENTARITY ARCHITECTURE IN SELECTED MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA

The strategic objective of this study is to empirically have an objective grasp of production planning and control complementarity architecture of five selected manufacturing firms and relevant areas of cost control. The paper empirically explores some facets of production planning and processing analysis in different machines and periods; production divisions and types, scheduling and sequencing of production planning. Capacity planning levels including potential capacity, immediate capacity and effective capacity were strategically discussed. Aspects of production control architecture such as dispatching and functions of the dispatcher were also evaluated. Other related areas of production control examined include: expediting (follow-up) and progressing, and the activities in these production and control elements were objectively handled. The study arrived at the fact that, production planning and control functions complement each other in their functionality. Effective scheduling and sequencing are revealed to be a panacea that help the handling of time, space constraints and associated cost elements in production operations management. It is therefore recommended that, production and control operations functions should complement, and be jealously guided in manufacturing operations. Article visualizations

Challenges of Research and Human Capital Development in Nigeria

The paper discussed the challenges of research and human capital development in Nigeria. Research and human capital development are critical to the development of any nation. Research facilitates human capital development. A high rating in human capital development indices places a country among the leading countries of the world. The paper identified inadequate funding, lack of equipment, facilities and materials, lack of awareness, lack of implementation of research results, low rating in human capital indices, brain-drain, underemployment, etc, as challenges of research and human capital development in Nigeria. The paper concludes with some recommendations that will help meet these challenges. Keywords: Human Capital, Human Capital Development, Research, Human Capital Indices

Competitive Adsorption of Xylene and Toluene on Modified and Unmodified Magnesium Exchanged Bentonite Clay Mineral

Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) – modified and unmodified magnesium exchanged bentonite were used for the competitive adsorption of m-xylene and toluene from their aqueous solution. Infrared spectroscopy (IR, adsorption capacity and Foster swelling measurements were performed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer to evaluate the performance of the adsorbents. The FT-IR results indicated that the quaternary ammonium salts (Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) were intercalated between the layers of the bentonite clay. The Foster swelling test results indicated that the affinity of CTAB occurred in the treated clay as tested in all organic solvents (diesel, kerosene, gasoline, toluene and m-xylene), with and without agitation. The result showed that modified magnesium bentonite swelled more than the unmodified and the order of the swelling factor is; m- xylene > toluene > gasoline > diesel > DPK > water. However, when the assay was performed under agitation, it yielded higher swelling capacity and all the organic solvents used in this investigation showed good compatibility after organophilization. The modified clay exhibited very high capacity of adsorption compared to unmodified samples. The m-xylene and toluene uptake follows a pseudo second order kinetics mechanism, suggesting that the rate determining step of adsorption involves the two adsorbates competitively adsorbed on the adsorbent sites. Modified magnesium bentonite has a higher percentage removal and higher adsorption capacity than raw or unmodified magnesium bentonite. These adsorbents (modified magnesium bentonite) are therefore recommended for use by water treatment and petrochemical industries for removal of hydrocarbons (m- xylene and toluene) from their waste water and effluents

The burden of hepatitis c virus infection and access to treatment among rural dwellers in a north central Nigeria

Hepatitis C virus infection is a public health disease but the efforts to control it have not fully integrated indigent rural dwellers. This study explores the burden of the disease in Jengre, a rural population in Nigeria. It is a mixed retrospective and qualitative study. Data on 1,339 persons who received HCV testing in Jengre SDA Hospital (over a one year period) was collated and analyzed. All 7 healthcare providers in the hospital were recruited into a focused group discussion on hepatitis C treatment and their experiences in the hospital. A prevalence of 18.4% was obtained and 11.7% among apparently healthy individuals. The prevalence of hepatitis C in this study is among the highest in the world and there is a total absence of treatment available to those who are infected. This leaves the patients helpless and portends a grave danger to the realization of international hepatitis C elimination goals. Keywords: Hepatitis, Nigeria, epidemiology, prevalence, HC