A head-up display for mid-air drone recovery

During mid-air retrieval of parachute packages, the absence of a natural horizon creates serious difficulties for the pilot of the recovery helicopter. A head-up display (HUD) was tested in an attempt to solve this problem. Both a roll-stabilized HUD and a no-roll (pitch only) HUD were tested. The results show that fewer missed passes occurred with the roll-stabilized HUD when the horizon was obscured. The pilots also reported that the workload was greatly reduced. Roll-stabilization was required to prevent vertigo when flying in the absence of a natural horizon. Any HUD intended for mid-air retrieval should display pitch, roll, sideslip, airspeed, and vertical velocity

Proctolin and an Endogenous Proctolin-Like Peptide Enhance the Contractility of the Limulus Heart

Synthetic proctolin increases the force but not the rate of heart contractions of Limulus in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The threshold of this effect is 3 × 10−10M and the ED50 is approximately 10−8M. At concentrations up to 10−7 M, proctolin has no effect on the rhythmic electrical activity of the isolated cardiac ganglion, and it does not change the simple and compound postsynaptic potentials recorded at the cardiac neuromuscular junction. Proctolin acts directly on the cardiac muscle fibres. Electrically stimulated myocardia show a proctolin-induced increase in contraction amplitude with the same concentration dependence as the intact heart. A compound with an apparent molecular weight of 700–800 occurs in the Limulus nervous system, particularly in the cardiac ganglion. This compound resembles proctolin in being heat-stable, resistant to trypsin and chymotrypsin cleavage, and losing activity in a time-dependent manner in response to treatment with leucine aminopeptidase or pronase. This peptide induces spontaneous contractions and a contracture of the cockroach hindgut in a manner similar to proctolin. Moreover, the Limulus inotropic peptide, like proctolin, increases the force of contraction of the Limulus heart without affecting beat frequency. It is concluded that an endogenous, proctolin-like peptide is an inotropic modulator of the Limulus heart, acting directly on the muscle fibres and not affecting cardiac ganglion activity

Conscience and Community: Exploring the Relationship between Conscience formation and Systemic Corruption (in Nigeria)

This research focuses on the impact of the moral community (or social context) on the formation of conscience and its implication for moral responsibility. It is an interdisciplinary approach to theological reflection that is particularly attentive to psychological, philosophical, sociological, and neurobiological viewpoints showing how these have either distorted or broadened our understanding of conscience in its relation to community and social responsibility, or its formation in relationship to our moral development. It stresses reciprocity of conduct (for we are responders ) and the complementarities of internal and external sanctions. It insists that the influence of conscience on behavior is undermined by a fixation on its cognitive aspect at the detriment of the feeling aspect such that retrieving the latter will broaden our appreciation of its deep but subtle influence. While admitting the richness of African communalism\u3c\u3

Impact of Forensic Accounting on University Financial System in Nigeria

This study examines the effect of forensic accounting on University financial system in Nigeria. The University cannot run without finance which required proper management on the side of the University management so as to avoid mismanagement of fund. Two theories that are of interest to this study Profession Theory and Relative Size Factor Theory are reviewed alongside with the literature reviewed accordingly. The study used ex-post factor research design using data analysis of financial information extracted from audited Financial Statement for the years 2005 to 2014 which is used to examine how an independent variable, present prior to the study, affects a dependent variable. In order to arrive at the testable conclusion, stratified and purposive random sampling techniques were adopted. Simple and multiple regression analysis were used in this research work with the model findings which revealed that University Financial System in Nigeria is significantly affected by the combine effect of all the exogenous variables. It is recommended that University management and the stakeholders should utilize the findings of the study in taking decisions with respect to efficient management of all the components of Forensic Accounting in order to grow their University

Competition in the Financial Sectors: Identifying Sectoral and Systemic Fallows for the Financial Sector of the Economy

The global financial system has witnessed rapid growth and substantial structural change during the last ten years leading to globalization of financial markets. The integration of financial markets has accentuated the rapid flow of capital across borders as well as magnified the contagious effects of financial crisis with wide implications for transmission of financial policies on the domestic economy and internationally, which is evident in Nigeria’s financial system. Consequently, the Nigerian financial sector has to be abreast of reforms that should be sustained in an orderly manner, for appropriate channeling of resources for investment and productive purposes. Keywords: Financial sector, Financial development, Policy measure, Economic growth, Economic   performance, Business performance

Funding of Public-Private Partnership Projects Under the Nigerian ICRC Act of 2005: Why is the Act Silent?

The Federal Government of Nigeria passed the Infrastructure Concession Commission (Establishment, etc) Act 2005 (ICRC Act) on 10 November 2005 to underscore the resolve of the government to implement a Public-Private Partnership policy for the country. Whereas the Act inter alia makes provision with regards to the setting up of a Commission to superintend over PPP arrangements as well as laying the bedrock for a PPP policy, the Act is silent with regards to the funding of PPPP infrastructure projects.   This paper argues that considering the long-term nature in the bidding, arrangement, execution and service phase of PPP projects, the Act ought to make provisions with regards to funding of projects taking into cognisance the peculiar situation of shortage of long-term financing in Nigeria. The paper concludes by recommending  a review of the Act with sections to provide assurance to would-be investors in PPP infrastructure projects in the country. Keywords: Public-Private Partnership, Infrastructure, Funding, Investors Concession, Project

Management as Practice: Improving Productivity and Performance in Organizational Setting

This study examines the effect of human resource management on the productivity of the organization and how different HR variables help an organization to achieve its objectives in efficient and effective way. Here, the focus is on seven basic variables of human resource management which include incentive pay, recruitment and selection, work teams, job security, flexible job assignment, skills training and communication. The objective of the research is to find out how these variables operate among four different selected banks chosen in Ado-Ekiti Banking Sector of Nigeria Economy. Employees have different opinions about different variables; however, the variables that contribute most to the productivity are recruitment and selection, skills training and job security. Keywords: Human Resource Management, Management, Organizational Setting, Productivity, Performance