Environmental Issues in Billboard Dynamics: Some Reflections on Location

One of the new dynamics that have emerged in landscape urbanization in Lagos State include increasing manifestation of aesthetic ornamentation of public places through commercial billboards. As much as one may think that the billboard advertisement are thriving, given the multifarious presences of bills and signs of the telecommunications, beverages, and other multi-national companies all over the open spaces of Lagos, there are environmental problems attendant upon the billboards business. The study investigates these problems through survey. Research instrument used for this study was a questionnaire titled ‘Graphic Design Concept and Product Promotion Questionnaire’ (GDCPPQ). It was structured in the likeness of the Likert scale model, and was directed to elicit response from the product advertisers in Lagos State. The two objectives stated were to investigate the environmental problems confronting billboard advertisement and to find out if the location of billboards, which is the thrust of this paper, always influences sales of products. The two objectives were translated into one research question and one hypothesis. Method of data analysis involved percentage ranking and chi square statistics respectively. The study revealed that these environmental problems affect billboard business at varying degrees and that, location has little or nothing to do with the sales of products. The advertisers only have to increase the intensity of their design concepts and product integrity as ways of commanding maximum viewing and selling frequencies from their customers. Key words: Billboard, public, urban aesthetics, commercial messages, sustainable economy

Billboard Visual Design and the Inclusivity Concept: Implications for Gender Patronage of Consumer Products in Lagos State, Nigeria

Billboard advertisements have become public infrastructure that shapes the commercial urge and tastes of consumers. Its all-embracing concept known as inclusivity provides explanation for common belongingness. In this case, visual design concepts do not exclude any member of the consumer society on the grounds of gender, race, colour and disabilities among others, and that is the canvass of this study. No one can determine how many passers-by view outdoor billboard advertisements in a day. As both human and vehicular traffic increase so its viewership grows rapidly. Billboard business would not have been noticeable without its static and location characteristics. It has more to it. Commercial billboard design concepts provide product information that is visually emphatic on the public to form positive purchasing decisions. Probing into the common notion that billboard visual designs concepts interest women more than men and that their patronage level is higher remains the problem of this study. Survey research design was adopted. Questionnaire instrument was used. Visual designs and the inclusivity concept with its attendant implications for gender patronage were examined. One research question and one hypothesis were drawn to guide the study. The objective of the study is to ascertain whether visual design concepts influence gender patronage of the products advertised on billboards. The hypothesis states that visual design presentation has no significant influence on gender patronage of consumer products. In testing this hypothesis, the responses of the male and female respondents concerning gender in Section A of the questionnaire and the items of the questionnaire concerning visual design concepts (pressure group, moral, cultural, mega-mural design, humour and propaganda, and colour in Section B were scored and the mean and Standard Deviation were computed and then subjected to t-test. The result was presented in a table. The findings of the study show that, of the six visual design concepts, only the pressure group influences gender patronage of consumer products in Lagos State. Keywords: inclusivity, design concept, consumer products, gender, communicatio

Economic Influence Of Billboard Advertisements As Communication Infrastructure On Lagos Landscapes

The taxonomy of visual communication exemplifies how billboard messages can be prepared with pictorial concepts and used for boosting an ailing economy. The paper argues that billboards are street furniture as well as communication infrastructure for economic vitality of businesses. The objective of the study is to determine the economic influence of billboard advertisement in Lagos State. Two research questions were set to guide the study while one hypothesis was formulated to find out if there is significant relationship between billboard advertisements and the economy of people of Lagos State. As a survey research, 62 registered advertisers and 362 consumers in Lagos were selected purposively as sample sizes. Data was collected with the aid of questionnaire and analyzed with percentage frequency count and Pearson Product Moment Correlation statistics. It was then tested at significant level of 0.05. The correlation method revealed the significant relationship between variables being studied. Findings of the study revealed that billboard advertisements have significant influence on the economy of the citizens of Lagos State. While alcoholic beverages are the most patronized product in Lagos State, the study also shows that automobiles are the least patronized. Keywords: Billboard Advertisement, Visual Communication, Economic system, Bonanza

Investigation of the possible anti-diabetic activity of Icacina trichantha, Ananas cosmos and Uraria picta in a rat model

MSc Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the WitwatersrandNatural remedies from medicinal plants are considered to be effective and safe alternative treatment for diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the hypoglycaemic and antidiabetic activity of the aqueous extract of Icacina tracantha (tuber) (fam Icacinaceae)Ananas cosmos (fam. Bromeliaceae)and Uraria picta (leaves) (fam leguminosae) on an animal model of insulin resistance, a condition which predisposes to type 2 diabetes. The plants have a long history of use as anti-diabetic agents in western Nigeria. Method: 120 male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned into two major groups. One group was fed on normal rat chow with the other group fed on a high calorie diet for four months a period sufficient for the animals to be fed to attain insulin resistance. The animals were then randomly assigned into different groups (each containing 6 male rats). The plant crude extracts were made by weighing specific dried quantities of each plant, boiling in distilled water for about 2 hours, cooling overnight and separating solid from liquid by filtration. The solution was then poured into preweighed 250 ml beakers and allowed to dry in an oven at a temperature of 60oC. The dried, crude extracts were then weighed out and required doses prepared from the extracts. A non-treated group of animals was used as the control. The mixed dose of extract was administered at 300 mg/kg. Over a 3 week period, all the animals were orally dosed with the different doses of plant extracts daily while metformin was administered through the animals’ drinking water, blood was collected from the tail vein of each rat prior to dosing and thereafter weekly, plasma was preserved and 6 analysed for glucose, insulin, free fatty acid concentrations and calculation of HOMA values to determine insulin sensitivity. During this period, the animals were weighed weekly and food intake was measured every three days. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed after the dosing period and fasting, 0, 30, 60 and 120 minute blood samples were taken and assayed for glucose concentration. Animals were terminated and blood analysed. Statistical analysis: The results were tabulated as mean ± standard deviation and percentage median ± quartile range. The statistical analysis for other parameters was carried out via ANOVA (between groups) and Student’s paired T test (within groups). Only data from percentage median and quartile range was used because of the observed variation in glucose concentration between groups even at baseline values. Statistica software (StatSoft, Tulsa, OK, USA) was used for the analysis. Results: All plant extracts in the study showed differing concentration of significant difference in their effect on the plasma glucose, insulin and free fatty acid concentrations in the rat. The most significant effect was observed on the insulin concentration in the normal rat chow and high calorie diet fed animals. The plant extracts were observed to improve insulin sensitivity in most of the groups. This effect was more significant in the normal rat chow fed rats. The effect of the plant extracts on the weight, food consumed glucose and free fatty acid was minimal and in most of the groups was not significant. Conclusion: In conclusion, the results obtained suggest that the plant extracts may be used to improve insulin resistance in the management of diabetes mellitus

Integrated Geophysical and Geochemical Methods for Environmental Assessment of Municipal Dumpsite System

Leachate originating from open refuse dumpsite systems can be delineated through an integration of qualitative and quantitative methods. This study was designed to examine extent of leachate and pollution from one of the numerous open refuse dumpsites in Lagos metropolis. Qualitative assessment was determined using electrical resistivity tomo- graphy (ERT), vertical electrical sounding (VES) and induced polarization geophysical methods. Both ERT and VES methods revealed persistent low resistivity (1 - 20 Ωm) of leachate to the depth above 35 m. The two methods were projected to produce 3-D view of the site which shows a NW-SE flow pattern of the leachate and possibly, the ground- water. IP values observed over the polluted zone was −2.9 - 8 ms, indicating a sandy layer. Quantitative assessment was achieved by analysis of geochemical substances in the water samples taken from wells and boreholes in the precinct of the dumpsite. Here, we examine the macroelements, salts (sulphates, nitrates and chlorides), heavy metals, radioactive metals contents and physical parameters of the water samples. The analyses reveal the presence of these substances in the water and their strong correlations justified the provenance as the same. As part of the quantitative evaluation, physical parameters (pH, TDS, DO, salinity, total hardness, turbidity, electrical conductivity EC and temperature) of the water samples were also determined. The samples pH plotted in the acidic domain unsuitable for human consumption. Leachate flow direction was generated from the decreasing concentration of measured parameters (geochemical ele- ments and physicals properties) in NW-SE direction which agrees with similar flow pattern deduced from ERT results

Effect of Multicolinearity and Autocorrelation on Predictive Ability of Some Estimators of Linear Regression Model

Violation of the assumptions of independent regressors and error terms in linear regression model has respectively resulted into the problems of multicollinearity and autocorrelation. Each of these problems separately has significant effect on parameters estimation of the model parameters and hence prediction.  This paper therefore attempts to investigate the joint effect of the existence of multicollinerity and autocorrlation on Ordinary Least Square (OLS) estimator, Cochrane-Orcutt (COR) estimator, Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimator and the estimators based on Principal Component (PC) analysis on prediction of linear regression model through Monte Carlo studies using the adjusted coefficient of determination goodness of fit statistic of each estimator. With correlated normal variables as regressors, it further identifies the best estimator for prediction at various levels of sample sizes (n), multicollinearity  and autocorrlation . Results reveal the pattern of performances of COR and ML at each level of multicollinearity over the levels of autocorrelation to be generally and evidently convex especially when  and while that of OLS and PC is generally concave. Moreover, the COR and ML estimators perform equivalently and better; and their performances become much better as multicollinearity increases. The COR estimator is generally the best estimator for prediction except at high level of multicollinearity and low levels of autocorrelation. At these instances, the PC estimator is either best or competes with the COR estimator. Moreover, when the sample size is small (n=10) and multicollinearity level is not high, the OLS estimator is best at low level of autocorrelation whereas the ML is best at moderate levels of autocorrelation. .Keywords: Prediction, Estimators, Linear Regression Model, Multicollinearity, Autocorrelation

Strain improvement and statistical optimization as a combined strategy for improving fructosyltransferase production by Aureobasidium pullulans NAC8

Staff PublicationStrain improvement of a low fructosyltransferase-producing Aureobasidium pullulans NAC8 (Accession No. KX023301) was carried out using chemical mutagens such as ethidium bromide and ethyl methane sulfonate. The wild-type and mutant strain were distinguished using Random amplified polymorphic DNA PCR and DNA fingerprinting analysis. Plackett-Burman and Box Behnken design were statistical tools used to determine important media parameters and optimization, respectively. Phenotypically and genetically, the new improved strain was different from the wild-type. The most important media parameters from PDB influencing fructosyltransferase production were ammonium chloride, sucrose and yeast extract at p<0.05. Some significant parameters obtained with the BBD exhibited quadratic effects on FTase. The F values (35.37 and 32.11), correlation coefficient (0.98 and 0.97) and the percent coefficient of variation (2.53% and 2.40%) were obtained for extracellular and intracellular FTase respectively. The validation of the model in the improved strain resulted in an overall 6.0 and 2.0-fold increase in extracellular and intracellular FTase respectively compared to the wild-type. A relatively low FTase-producing strain of Aureobasidium pullulans NAC8 was enhanced for optimum production using a two-pronged approach involving mutagenesis and statistical optimization. The improved mutant strain also had remarkable biotechnological properties that make it a suitable alternative than the wild-typ

Trilepisium madagascariense fruit-wastes as cheap feedstock for bioethanol production

Trilepisium madagascariense fruits are carbohydrate-rich and this study directly fermented the fruit wastes into bioethanol without the need for nutrient supplementation. The total reducing sugar (TRS) present in the mesocarp and seed of T. madagascariense fruit wastes (Tmfw) was fermented to bioethanol using Aureobasidium pullulans. Bioethanol production by A. pullulans was also optimized using Box-Behnken response surface methodology (RSM). The TRS in the mesocarp and seed of Tmfw were 11.2 ± 0.8 and 17.1 ± 1.2 g/L, respectively and further hydrolysis with cellulase resulted in increased TRS indicating the presence of cellulose. Pre-optimization, the bioethanol yield (Yps) and volumetric productivity (Qp) obtained from the fermentation of the seed by A. pullulans were 0.57 ± 0.03 g/g and 0.21 ± 0.02 g/L-1h-1, respectively. The optimum conditions for maximum bioethanol production were pH (5.95), time (24 h) and substrate concentration (5 g/L) resulting in Yps, Qp of 0.66 ± 0.06 g/g and 0.27 + 0.01 g/L-1h-1, respectively after model validation. Tmfw served as a suitable, cheap, non-toxic and readily available substrate especially in Nigeria to produce bioethanol while A. pullulans is a fungus that might be utilized for large-scale industrial bioethanol production

Purification and Physicochemical Properties of Rhodanese from Liver of Goat, Capra Aegagrus Hircus

Staff PublicationRhodanese from the liver of domestic goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) was extracted, purified and the catalytic as well as physicochemical properties determined in order to gain an insight into how domestic goats are able to feed and thrive successfully on cyanogenic plants such as sorghum, millet and cassava. A domestic goat was purchased from a freehold rearing place in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, where it was slaughtered and the liver excised. It was rinsed with normal saline (0.9 % NaCl, pH 7.4) to remove blood and other impurities. Approximately 95 g of the liver was homogenized in 3 volumes of 0.1 M acetate glycine buffer, pH 7.8 containing 1 mM ԑ-amino-n-caprioc acid and 10 mM sodium thiosulphate in a blender, after which it was centrifuged for 15 min at 12,000 rpm at 4℃. A specific activity of 1.55 micromole thiocyanate formed per millilitre per minute (Rhodanese Unit; RU) per mg of protein (U/mg) with a purification fold of 1.88 and 36 % yield was obtained from the rhodanese extracted from the liver of goat rhodanese after CM-Sephadex, Sephacryl S-400 and Reactive Blue 2- agarose column chromatography. An apparent molecular weight of 36 kDa was obtained on Sephacryl S-400 and a subunit molecular weight of 19 kDa was obtained from Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). A Km value of 0.034±0.007 mM and Vmax of 16.70±3.36 units/mL was obtained for Na2S2O3 while a Km value of 0.038±0.004 mM and Vmax of 18.77±1.58 units/mL was obtained for KCN. An optimal pH of 8.5, 9.5 and 7.0 were obtained using citrate-phosphate-borate, Tris-HCl and citrate-phosphate buffers respectively. Goat liver rhodanese showed an optimal temperature of 40℃. All the chloride salts used which included KCl, MgCl2, CaCl2, MnCl2, AlCl3 and NH4Cl inhibited rhodanese activity, with the highest inhibition was observed with MnCl2 and least inhibition observed with KCl. Goat liver rhodanese was inhibited by all active site inhibitors, with the the highest inhibition observed with arsenic acid. It can therefore be concluded that domestic goats (Capara aegagrus hircus) are able to feed and survive on cyanogenic plants due to the presence of the cyanide detoxyfying enzyme, rhodanese, present in their liver at high activity with suitable kinetic properties