Determination of Optimal Size of Casual Workers in a Production Company Using Stochastic Model

Many big production companies engage casual workers to work with their regular employees in order to meet their daily labour needs.  The researchers are quite aware that the Nigeria Labour Congress frowns at casualisation of workers which is seen as under-employment and cheating on the part of the people concerned.  Since unemployment and underemployment are parts of the problems confronting Nigeria, there is the need for the issue of workers casualisation to be addressed before the nation can be transformed. This paper therefore attempts to determine the daily optimal number of casual workers that could be engaged by a production company with specific reference to Dangote Cement PLC, Ibese. This is necessary in achieving the national transformation agenda through scientific approach since policy analysis has direct impact on production. This study was done by the use of a stochastic model. In view of this, data were generated, collected and collated from Dangote Cement PLC, Ibese and used to test the validity and applicability of the model. Keywords: Casual workers, Random numbers, Stochastic, Optima

The Newsboy Problem In Determining Optimal Quantity In Stochastic Inventory Problem For Fixed Demand

This paper describes optimization problem related to newsboy model using the famous stochastic inventory problem in determining optimal order–up–to quantity when demand is a continuous random variable. This study was done by the use of a stochastic model. In view of this, data were collected and collated from cocoa board, Ilaro, Egbado-South, Nigeria and used to test the validity and applicability of the model. Keywords: Stochastic, demand uncertainty, concave, optimal order-up-to quantit

Assessing the Socio-Economic Benefits and Challenges of Municipal Solid Wastes Resource Recovery Practices in Mubi Metropolis, Nigeria

The study examines the socio-economic benefits and challenges of solid waste resource recovery practices, bearing in mind the accruable income and challenges. A total of one hundred and seventy six (176) sets of questionnaire were retrieved out of two hundred sets administered to scavengers, and duly analysed. The purposive and Snowball Sampling Techniques were employed to identify the respondents. Tables, plates, were used to summarise data collected which was analysed using descriptive statistics. Among the benefits derived by the scavengers from resource recovery are; 85.5% of respondents had an increase in their income measurably, a total of 13.9% of the respondent argued that it had increased employment, among the community leading to an increase in income. Majority of the scavengers (98.9%) have been injured in the course of scavenging. This implies that scavenging is not isolated from different form of risk, injury and sickness that are likely to consume part of the scavengers’ savings. The common hazard faced by scavengers is open cut (59.9%) sun burns (22.4%) infliction by obnoxious and poisonous gases (8%) while 1.7% and 1.1% suffered typhoid and skin diseases respectively. A major challenges acknowledged by 42% of scavengers is theft of scavenged materials, 23.9% confirm other forms of challenges but could not mention them, while 23.3% noted lack of capital as a challenges, 10.8% of respondents noted their source of challenge as that of leadership. In conclusion respondents (61.4%) affirm the need of fund (grant or loan) to boost their trade Keywords: Solid Waste; Resources- Recovery; Socio-Economic; Benefits; Challenges.

Surface Flaw Detection with Ferromagnetic Resonance Probes

Ferromagnetic probes resonating at microwave frequencies have previously been shown to function as sensitive detectors of surface breaking flaws in metals. A swept frequency mode of operation was used, with the resonance line of the probe displayed on an oscilloscope and the presence of a flaw indicated by a shift of the resonance line. This type of presentation lacks good discrimination between lift-off and and flaw signals and also reduces the probe scanning speed because the entire resonance line must be swept at each measurement point on the test specimen. Our new system operates under cw conditions, with a network analyser type of display giving the probe input impedance in polar coordinates. This provides liftoff discrimination and also enhances sensitivity. Experimental curves and their theoretical interpretations will be presented, and a portable prototype instrument will be described

The Impact of Extreme Weather on Student Online Learning Participation

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced over 1 billion learners to shift from face-to-face instruction to online learning. Seven months after it began, this transition became even more challenging for Filipino online learners. Eight typhoons struck the Philippines from October to November 2020. Two of these typhoons caused widespread flooding, utilities interruptions, property destruction, and loss of life. We examine how these severe weather conditions affected online learning participation of Filipino students pursuing their undergraduate and graduate studies. We used CausalImpact analysis to explore September 2020 to January 2021 data collected from the Moodle Learning Management System data of one university in the Philippines. We found that overall student online participation was significantly negatively affected by typhoons. However, the effect on participation in Assignments and Quizzes was not significant. These findings suggested that students continued to participate in activities that have a direct bearing on their final grades, rather than activities that had no impact on their course outcomes

Paradox of Changing United States-nigerian Relations since Nigerian Independence: a Decision-making Explanation of "Lag" in United States Policy Toward Nigeria

Political Scienc