An analysis of the deficiencies impeding regulation of environmental standards in the Nigeran oil and gas industry and possible solutions through legal transplantation from other model regimes.

Oil and gas resource exploitation has hugely contributed to Nigeria's revenue. This is therefore an important contributor to the Nigerian economy. Nigerian oil and gas business has been mainly facilitated by multinational and indigenous oil companies operating in the industry. The study regards them as participants in the industry. It is noteworthy that this study will refer to company and corporation as one and the same entity. It has been observed that some oil and gas companies operating in Nigeria have clearly violated regulatory standards established in the Nigerian environmental regime. It has further been observed that the violations are repeated and persistent in nature. This is interesting considering that the Nigerian environmental regime has provided criminal sanctions (as a regulatory tool) to prohibit a violation of such standards and stipulates penalties that can be imposed for such violations. Moreover, other relevant regulatory administrative enforcement mechanisms have been established in relevant legislation to enforce the standards. Hence, the regime has established enforcement agencies to carry out the enforcement. The persistent violations therefore, show evidence that the Nigerian regime has failed to utilise criminal sanctioning and administrative enforcement to prevent or control violations of environmental standards, hence has been unable to guarantee the required compliance. This study therefore, seeks to identify deficiencies in the regime that have limited its utilisation of these regulatory options to ensure compliance with the standards. Beyond seeking to identify these deficiencies, this study will explore the UK and USA regimes towards identifying aspects of their criminal sanctioning and regulatory enforcement that could inspire a correction to the non-performance of the Nigerian regime

Posterior Predictive Model Checking of the Hierarchical Rater Model

Fitting wrongly specified models to observed data may lead to invalid inferences about the model parameters of interest. The current study investigated the performance of the posterior predictive model checking (PPMC) approach in detecting model-data misfit of the hierarchical rater model (HRM). The HRM is a rater-mediated model that incorporates components of the polytomous item response theory (IRT) model, such as the partial credit model (PCM) and generalized partial credit model (GPCM), at the second level of the hierarchy, to model examinees’ responses to performance assessments. To date, the HRM has not been rigorously evaluated using PPMC techniques. Monte Carlo simulations were employed to explore the effectiveness of 13 discrepancy measures in detecting model-data misfit of the HRM. Misfits were assessed at the test-, item-, and rater-level. Using the HRM-GPCM, data were generated by varying the rating design (fully-crossed and spiral), proportion of aberrant raters (no rater effects and 25% of the raters with rater effects), and number of examinees (250 and 500). Data generated were analyzed using the HRM-PCM and HRM-GPCM with eight raters and four items. Type I error and power rates were computed for each discrepancy measure. The results indicate that the standard deviation of the total score was the only useful discrepancy measure at the test level. Furthermore, the item-total correlation and odds ratio were found to be powerful in detecting misspecification of the HRM-PCM at the item level. Of the three rater-level discrepancy measures, only the score-estimate correlation and rater-total correlation were adequate in detecting the misfit of the HRM-PCM. The performance of the discrepancy measures in detecting misfit of HRM-PCM differed by the magnitude of the item discrimination parameters. The impact of the simulation factors on detecting misfit of the HRM-PCM and implications are further discussed

A Review of Diplomatic and Democratic Governance in Egypt and Libya

This article examines the past governance of both Egypt and Libya in the contexts of diplomacy and democracy. In its entirety, governance stipulates leadership role and policy administration.  Therefore, the scope of this essay encompasses mainly the two administrations of Mubarak and Gaddafi of Egypt and Libya respectively. Some literature studies as well as personality influences in the leaderships consequently suggest that citizens were more or less deliberately excluded from participatory governance (democracy) and that indirectly affected both states’ diplomatic relations which however undermined and obstructed most international orders as specified by the international system. There was persistence of these exclusion policies in both states irrespective of obvious negative socio-economic effects on the citizenry. A road map was internally generated through extreme civil revolutions that unseated the ailing regimes and ushered in a process of total citizens’ inclusion in the governance. This process is believed to have not only a far reaching democratic advantage among the citizens but also an integrative diplomatic channel that will reflect the minds of the people through civil participations

Oral ketamine for wound care procedures in adult patients with burns

Background: This prospective study was carried out to evaluate the usefulness of oral ketamine for burn wound dressing in adult patients. The aim was to achieve a state-of-conscious sedation in which the patient would be communicative and cooperative, with minimal, or no pain during burn wound care procedures. Method: Two hundred and forty wound care procedures were randomly assigned to six treatment groups of patients (groups A-F). The quantities of oral ketamine that they received were as follows: Group A, 0.5 mg/kg; B, 2 mg/kg; C, 4 mg/kg; D, 6 mg/kg; E, 8 mg/kg and F, 10 mg/kg. A five-point verbal rating scale was used to assess pain intensity: the AVPU (alert, voice, pain, unresponsive) scale for level of consciousness. The Likert scale was used for patient satisfaction. Blood pressure, pulse rate and oxygen saturation were monitored. Adverse effects were noted. Comparisons of the efficacy and safety of the different dosages of oral ketamine were made using the SPSS package. The efficacy criterion was verbal rating scale (VRS) ≤ 2, i.e no pain, mild pain or discomfort. Results: Patients in groups A and B reported higher levels of pain, and in groups C, D, E and F, there were varying degrees of efficacy. Groups E and F had the best analgesic profiles, but at the higher doses, some patients became anaesthetised. The most common adverse effects reported were hallucination (37%) and hypersalivation (29.9%), which occurred more frequently in groups E and F. The patients’ assessments of pain were best in Group D, and worst in Group A. Conclusion: The minimum effective subanaesthetic dose of oral ketamine for analgesia during wound care procedures in adult patients with burns was 6 mg/kg.Keywords: burns, wound dressing, oral ketamin

Promoting Online Conferencing for the Enhancement of Open and Distance Education in Nigeria: A Case Study of the National Open University of Nigeria

The study was designed to find out if the integration and promotion of the use of online conferencing as instruction delivery method in addition to the current instruction delivery method of use of printed material, audio and video CDs, and broadcast media had enhancing effects on open and distance learning in Nigeria; and helped in fostering overall attainment of the goals and objectives of the establishment of the National open University of Nigeria. The study employed an experimental approach, the population of the study consisted of the post graduate students at the Nekede study centre of the National Open University of Nigeria. M.Sc. students of information and communication technology and Educational technology were purposively selected as the sampled population;  structured questionnaires were used as instrument for primary data collection. Interviews, personal discussions, and literature provided sources for secondary data. The instrument was validated by scholars from the Imo state University, Owerri Imo State Nigeria. The results from the survey were analyzed using descriptive and quantitative statics. The result from the study showed that students viewed the current instruction dell very mode in the national Open University of Nigeria as grossly insufficient, ineffective and inadequate. The student hence agreed that promotion of the use on online conferencing as instruction dell very method was very important the study further revealed that the promotion of the use of online conferencing is a catalyst for enhancing open and distance learning in Nigeria and hence a vehicle for promoting the overall attainment of the objective of the established of the national open University of Nigeria

The Effect of Annealing Temperature and Time on the Optical Properties of SnS Thin Films Prepared by Chemical Bath Deposition

A research on the deposition and Characterization of SnS Thin Films by Chemical Bath Deposition Technique using Ammonia (NH3) as a complexing agent. Thin film of Tin (II) sulphide (SnS) is deposited onto glass substrates using chemical bath deposition (CBD) at room temperature for 3hours and 1hour. The optical properties of the film were measured using Double Beam UV- Spectrophotometer with serial number UV061514, Energy dispersive X-ray florescence (EDXRF) determines the compositions together with Rutherford Back Scattering (RBS) analysis revealed that thin films have percentage compositions of the elements (Sn/S, 50.1/49.9 for 3hours and Sn/S, 50.4/49.6 for 1hour) and their thicknesses are 100nm for 3hours and 150nm for 1hour. It was found that SnS thin film exhibits p-type conduction. Optical band gap values of direct and indirect transitions are estimated to be 1.98eV to 2.01eV and 1.82eV to 1.98eV for the two samples respectively. The other optical properties calculated from transmittance using appropriate equations are absorbance, reflectance, band gap , absorption coefficient, optical conductivity, refractive index and extinction coefficient

Macroeconomy and Banks’ Profitability in Nigeria

Banks, like any other businesses are driven by the profit motive. The banking environment in Nigeria has been fraught with major macroeconomic shocks over the years. This study therefore analysed the impact of macroeconomic dynamics on banks’ profitability in Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the impact of macroeconomic variables (Gross domestic product growth, Inflation, and Crude oil price) on banks’ profitability. It also seeks to examine the significance of microeconomic variables (cost to income ratio, loan to deposit ratio; loan to total assets ratio and total assets) on banks’ profitability. It analysed the impact of banking industry concentration on banks’ profitability. The estimation technique follows a panel regression which studied a cross section of the banking firms while observing the heterogeneity in the individual firms. The results indicated that the ratio of cost to income market concentration, and crude oil price are negatively significant in determining changes in return on average equity while total assets is positively significant in explaining return on average equity (as a measure of profitability). The study recommended that banks’ exposure to the oil and gas sector must be properly managed given the significant impact of crude oil price on banks’ profitability. It is evident that the Nigerian banking industry is fairly competitive, and banks size matters in determining profitability. Banks management must therefore focus on strategies that will give them cost advantage as well as differentiate them from other competitors.Key Words: macroeconomy, bank, profitabilit

An Intelligent System for Detecting Irregularities in Electronic Banking Transactions

Frauds have historically been the major cause of bank losses. It has led to failures of some banks in the pasts, contributing toshareholders losing their investments in the banks. Information technology is a critical component in creating value in thebanking sectors, it provides decision makers with an efficient means to store, calculate, report and predict bank frauds andsecurity failures. Information system security views this challenge as a prediction problem that attempts to detect irregulartransactions in the banking sector operations scenario. This study applies neural network techniques to the bank fraudprediction problem. Using Nigerian banks as a point of reference, we design a Neural Network-Based Model that employsmultilayered Feed Forward Artificial Neural Network on database system for collecting training data for the Artificial NeuralNetwork. The Intelligence of the system is being tested on data extracted from statements of accounts from three differentbanks in Nigeria and the results were discussed.Keywords: Artificial neural network, transactions, bank fraud, financial institutions & cyber securit

Distribution and Abundance of Airborne Palynomorphs in Aku, Enugu State, Nigeria

A study of airborne palynomorphs of Aku was carried out with the use of tauber pollen sampler from October to December, 2004. A total of 3,390 palynomorphs was recorded with the breakdown as follows: October, 1248; November, 1156 and December, 1526. Out of the counted palynomorphs, pollen grains constituted 2,125.The count of 736 pollen in October was followed by a decrease to 545 in November and a further increase to 844 in December. The pollen grains belonged to 20 families of flowering plants (17 dicotyledons and 3 monocotyledons) consisting of 20 genera. The result revealed dominance of wooded shrub grassland/woodland  vegetation sub-type, relics of tropical lowland rainforest and secondarygrassland. The taxa of both tropical lowland rainforest and secondary Grassland decreased from October to November and increased again in December. Fungi were the major spore contributors to the atmosphere and were dominated by the spores of Spadicoides, Curvularia, Dreschlera/Helminthosporium and Nigrospora. Pollen grains were next to fungi in total abundance and were dominated by the pollen of; Elaeis guineensis Jacq, Poaceae, Milicia excelsa Wild C.C. Berg, Irvingia wombolu Vermoesen, Syzygium guineense Engl. and Ageratum conyzoides L. December had a high influx of charred gramineae cuticles indicative of increased burning  activities in the area. Fungal spores recorded per month had an inverse relationship with the monthly rainfall and relative humidity.Keywords: Distribution, Abundance, Airborne spore, Palynomorphs, Ak