The Sydney duricrusts: their terminology and nomenclature

Two main duricrust types - laterites and ferricretes - and their underlying materials are mapped and described for the northern parts of the Sydney district, New South Wales. Laterites are by far the more widespread, being found both in the Wainamatta-Shales and in the Hawkesbury-Sandstone areas, particularly on the broad hilltops and interfiuves of the major divide between the three drainage systems - the north-flowing Hawkesbury-Broken Bay, the south-flowing Parramatta-Port Jackson and the east-flowing Pacific Ocean systems. The ferricretes occur mainly in the drier parts of the northwest, especially in the conglomeratic river gravels of the Maroota area. The two materials have similar profile characteristics but they are different in hand specimen, in textural and structural characteristics, and also in mineralogical composition. The duricrusts and their profiles have been widely destroyed and differentially truncated, so that their various zones and subzones are presently exposed at different places. These materials, especially in respect of laterites, are classified from field and laboratory evidence, according to their recognised, or assigned, position in the typical deep weathering profile. Names are assigned, depending on the area where the best examples were found

A Critical Study of Nicole Medjigbodo’s Translation Strategies in Femi Osofisan’s Once Upon Four Robbers

This study aims at determining the prominent translation strategies employed by Nicole Medjigbodo in Femi Osofisan’s Once upon Four Robbers. African literature just like other forms of literature cannot be totally comprehended without some of its ethical, linguistic and translation reflections. It can, therefore, be safely asserted without any fear of contradiction that to talk about literature is to reiterate about language and the stance of its translation as a masterpiece. However, this simple assertion becomes problematic when it is applied to the translation of African literature written in English language with indigenous thought system and cultural episteme. Considering the theory and practice of translation, this paper considers analyses and discusses the source text (ST), and the target text (TT) comparing and contrasting their points of convergence and divergence. The paper adopts dynamic-equivalent theory of translation. This theory sees a literary text as a cultural product that should be read and understood within a specific cultural matrix. The paper observes that the source text (Once upon Four Robbers) reflects culture of the playwright, particularly in the use of folkloric elements and embellished indigenous thoughts while the target text (IL ÉTAIT UNE FOIS QUATRE VOLEURS) lacks some of the folkloric elements and embellished indigenous thoughts. The paper, therefore, concludes that the source and the target texts in translation cannot have the same aesthetic qualities owing to the factors of linguistic specificity and variance in stylistic approaches. Keywords:  Translation, dynamic equivalent theory of translation, Once upon Four Robbers, Forms and Meanin

Students’ perceptions of computer-based assessment: a case of UKZN.

Master of Commerce in Information Systems and Technology. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2018.Assessment may be defined as the process of measuring the skill, capability, understanding and knowledge of an individual. It may also be defined as the process that involves testing of students’ knowledge about what they have been taught. Over the years, students have been undertaking assessments using pen, pencil and paper. Assessments administered in this mode are regarded as paper-based assessment (PBA). However, due to the ever-growing nature of technology, the use of information and communication technology (ICT) was introduced into the assessment process, and this has influenced the way assessments are being administered, especially in academic institutions. Due to this introduction, assessments are now administered using computers, and such assessments are regarded as computer-based assessments (CBA). According to the literature, the use of CBA offers more advantages than the use of PBA. Hence, academic institutions now adopt the use of CBA over PBA. This adoption has led to certain controversial reactions among researchers. Notable among these reactions is that, when an identical assessment is administered as PBA and CBA, there are differences in the assessment results of students. These differences are said to have arisen from the different perceptions of students about CBA Studies have been conducted on students’ acceptance and adoption of CBA, but few investigations have been carried out on the perceptions of students about CBA. Hence, this study was aimed at investigating the perceptions of students about CBA, by taking into account, students’ preferred mode of assessment and the challenges they experience in the use of CBA. This study further proposed possible means of managing these challenges. To achieve the objectives of this study, a descriptive design was used, and quantitative methodology was employed to collect and analyse data. Questionnaires were distributed to a total of 357 students and analysis was carried out on the collected data using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results obtained from this study showed that students find it easy to undertake CBA, prefer CBA to PBA, and hence, intend to undertake CBA frequently or in the future. Also, the results of this study showed that the use of CBA often improves students’ assessment performances and results. Furthermore, the results showed that, although students indicated that it is easy to undertake CBA, they still experience challenges. The challenges experienced by students in the use of CBA, and the possible means of managing these challenges, have been presented in this study

On the Global Existence of Solutions to a System of Second – Order Nonlinear Differential Equations

Solutions of second – order nonlinear differential system is investigated. A sufficient condition for every solution of the system to exist globally is obtained. Sufficient conditions are placed on the functions  in the system that guarantee global existence of solutions to the system and these conditions are put into a theorem which is proved

The Role of French Language in Developing 21st Century Nigerian Graduates

This paper examines the role of French language in developing the 21st century Nigerian graduates. French is a foreign language in Nigeria and has a stance of copious advantages as regards its pertinence in all spheres of life. The language has gained ascendancy among different international languages especially in Nigeria because of her geographical proximity with French speaking countries. Besides, French is the second most widely learned foreign languages in the world. This paper equally considers the emergence of French language in Nigeria and depicts its relevance which can be traced to the phases of economic, social, political, religious, educational, employment, diplomatic benefits and all the likes to 21st century Nigerian graduates. French is unusual in that it often exists alongside other languages in multilingual contexts; it shares with English the distinction of being taught as a foreign language in the educational systems of most countries around the world in which is not excepted from Nigeria . As a result of all these, 21st century Nigerian graduates are now kept abreast of the salient importance of the language, this is the reason they are committed to learning the language. Considering the nature of this paper, we are poised to concentrate systematically on the place and impacts of French to Nigerian graduates and to determine how the language has opened doors of opportunities to them nationally and internationally. Keywords: language, foreign language, diplomacy, multilingual

Inequalities in Households’ Environmental Sanitation Practices in a Developing Nation’s City: The Example of Ile-Ife, Nigeria

A new global movement that emerged as a post 2015 development agenda is the sustainable development goals (SDGs). While the central objective of SDGs is to end poverty in all its forms, focus on water and sanitation rested on the fundamental concern for equity; moving from just service delivery to service delivery for all. Hence, the study reported in this chapter was set to examine the state of households’ environmental sanitation practices in different residential areas of Ile-Ife, Nigeria. A three-stage multi-sampling procedure was adopted in selecting 283 households’ heads for survey. Findings of study showed that 23.6, 41.2, and 68.4% of households in the core, transition, and sub-urban residential areas of Ile-Ife, respectively, have source of water within their residential building. Study established that households’ toilet facilities differ significantly in the study area, as respondents socio-economic characteristics varied across the identified residential areas of Ile-Ife. The study thus posited that, if cities in Nigeria and other developing nations will keep tract with timelines of the SDGs on water and sanitation, drastic, and realistic steps must be taken in addressing identified inequalities. This is a way to guaranty adequate hygiene and improved quality of life

Tension pneumocephalus - a rare but treatable cause of rapid neurological deterioration in traumatic brain injury. A case report

Pneumocephalus is a frequent complication following head injury and craniotomies. It can become an acute neurosurgical emergency when associated with raised intracranial pressure and neurological deterioration. Early diagnosis and timely appropriate intervention will reduce morbidity and unnecessary mortality from a case as this

Downstream morphologic characteristics of the alluvial section of lower river Ogun, Nigeria

Rivers constitute an important focus of attention in surface water studies because of their dynamic nature. Therefore, natural rivers develop a wide range of channel forms whose characteristics vary as a function of the position within the fluvial systems. This study examined the river channel morphologic parameters along the alluvial section of River Ogun in South western Nigeria. Data on the channel morphologic variables were collected through field measurement of the bankfull cross sectional characteristics of the river from where the longitudinal characteristics were defined. 48 cross sections were randomly established at bankfull stage along the river channel stretch of 90 km. Bankfull depth and width at each of the cross sections were determined using sonar (electronic sounding machine) that was mounted to a boat. Velocity was measured with the aid of a current meter, while other morphological parameters were estimated from the field data. Analysis of variance revealed that downstream morphological characteristics of the river varies distinctively at each cross section with bedslope as the most significantly varied among all other morphologic parameters (F=91.18; P=0.00). Pearson product moment correlation technique revealed that bankfull width had a correlation of 0.8 and 0.9 with wetted perimeter and cross sectional area respectively while bankfull depth (maximum) had correlations of 0.9, 0.8 and 0.78 with hydraulic radius, wetted perimeter and cross sectional area respectively. The research also revealed that gradient affects the discharge with a positive correlation of 0.9. The study ascertains the extent of variability in the morphologic characteristic of River Ogun which provides scientific basis for river maintenance and management

Impact of In-Service Training and Staff Development on Workers’ Job Performance and Optimal Productivity in Public Secondary Schools in Osun State, Nigeria

This study investigated the impact of in-service training and staff development on workers’ job performance and optimal productivity in public secondary schools in Osun State, Nigeria. The study used the ex-post-facto research design. Three research questions and three hypotheses were generated and tested using questionnaire items adapted from Raja et al (2014) but subjected to manipulation by the researchers which contained closed ended type of questionnaire based on the research questions and hypotheses and was structured on a four points Likert scale. The instrument was administered to a purposely selected population of 152 respondents while 134 questionnaires were returned. Data generated were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Multiple Regression Analysis to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings show that results showed that in-service training and staff development had insignificant combined effects but significant relative effects on workers’ optimal job productivity. The study therefore recommended that schools should design proper and functioning in-service training and staff development programmes for their workers to boost their morale, enhance their performance and in addition ensure that workers training are conducted frequently to ensure they cope with changing technological environment and organizational climate in schools. Keywords: in-service training, staff development, productivity, optimal job performance, Osun State, Nigeri