Explicating Choice of MTN® Advertising Frameworks in Nigerian Print Media

The meaning that a communicator intends to make determines the choice of the lexemes that the individual employs. Thus, this study explored the textual choices of MTN advertisements; as such entities were utilised to generate meaning potential. Seven advertisements of MTN functioned as the objects of analysis. The application of Halliday’s Theme-Rheme theoretical lens permitted the processing of the MTN advertisements into various semiotic slots. Such conceptual procedure informed the calibration of the textual components into different frequencies, using the table and graph to demonstrate clearer pictures of the outcomes. Observations showed the kinds of MTN advertising textual choices in two distinct sequences. The first was the thematic choices in the form of marked (As Nigerians, we can weave…), unmarked (Friends are the reason…) and conjunctive logical (so, and, that) constructs. The second aspect was the clause choices available in the texts. These clause choices emanated as declarative (Love is a feeling…), imperative (So reach out) with predicated themes (Share the priceless gift of love), and interrogative (Are you in love?) elements. One could also acknowledge disjunctive grammar (A year of new challenges…) and minor clauses (Happy Valentine’s Day), operating in the communications. Contextually, the study might influence the MTN telecommunications operator to review the nature of textual choices of persuasion, having understood the structures available in the current analysis

Application of Aboodh Transform Iterative Method for Solving Time – Fractional Partial Differential Equations

In this paper, the Aboodh transform iterative method is used to obtain approximate analytical solution of time-fractional partial differential equations. The fractional derivative are considered in Caputo sense, this method is a combination of the Aboodh transform and the new iterative method. Illustrative examples are considered and the comparison between the exact and approximate solutions are presented for different values of alphas. Also, the surface plots are provided in order to comprehend the effect of the fractional order. The major advantage of this method is the reduced computational effort and complexity without involving the tedious calculations of Adomian polynomials. In general, the method is efficient, precise, easy to implement and yield good results

Magnetic Characterisation of Rocks Underlying FUTA Campus, South-Western Nigeria

The Federal University of Technology, Akure Campus is predominantly underlain by the Migmatite-gneiss-quartzite complex of the West African Basement Rocks, which forms part of the Pan-African mobile belt. Geo-magnetic characterisation of the underlying rocks was conducted in order to determine the rock boundaries and geologic features within the near surface and subsurface areas of the Campus. Both qualitative and quantitative interpretations of total magnetic intensity data obtained in the area yielded results in terms of different rock units, linear magnetic fabrics, subsurface features and depth to basement of the rocks. On the basis of magnetic response, four rocks units including Granite, Migmatite gneiss, Charnokite and Quartzite were delineated, with varying degree of fabrics’ alterations. Depth-to-bedrock in the Campus varies from 0 to 98.5 m, while depth to fracture/fault in the area falls between 0.1 m and 149.6 m. Keywords: Geo-magnetic characterisation, depth-to-bedrock,   rock fabric, total magnetic intensity, magnetic response

Minimizing Interference in Ultra-Dense Femtocell Networks Using Graph-Based Frequency Reuse Technique

This paper investigates the performance of graph colouring schemes for frequency assignment in Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks with ultra-dense femtocells. The aim of the study is to minimize interference in such networks while ensuring efficient spectrum use for these femtocells. The three schemes investigated are the conventional greedy graph colouring algorithm, the saturation degree algorithm and our proposed graph-based theory (GBT) algorithm. The process of frequency assignment is similar in the last two except that the proposed GBT partitions the femtocells into independent sets for an efficient frequency re-use. The performance of these three schemes was analyzed through extensive simulations to determine the SINR and network capacity that can be obtained with the deployment of these schemes using the ITU-R P1238-7 path loss model. The outcome of this study showed that with the absence of a dynamic frequency assignment scheme, interference level is increased as the number of femtocell users within a particular coverage is increased, leading to a reduction in the capacity of such networks. Simulation results showed that all three algorithms considered have the ability to allocate frequencies to femtocells and minimize interference in a densely deployed environment, thereby increasing network capacity. The proposed GBT assigned the least sub-band thereby ensuring spectral efficiency while minimizing harmful interference. Results show that the greedy algorithm has a disadvantage of inefficiently assigning sub-bands randomly, while the saturation degree assigns more sub-bands when compared with the GBT scheme.Keywords — Femtocell, graph colouring, frequency assignment, LTE

Knowledge, attitude and practice of contraception by female junior secondary school students in an urban community of Oyo-state, South west, Nigeria

Background: Unintended pregnancies resulting in several maternal morbidities and mortalities are still a major public health challenge in most parts of the world. Female secondary school students are particularly vulnerable due to their engagement in unsafe sex and low uptake of family planning services. The study assessed respondents’ level of knowledge on, attitude to and practice of family planning.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 240 consenting female junior secondary school students in two public schools in Ogbomoso, South West Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling method was employed in recruiting the study participants and facilitated self-administered semi-structured questionnaire used for data collection. Descriptive statistics was done and Chi-square test used to compare categorical variables. The level of statistical significance was set at p <0.05.Results: The mean age of the respondents was 13.6±2.3 and 69.5% of them were early adolescents (10-13years of age). Almost all (92.3%) of the respondents were aware of family planning but only 58.1% and 55.3% of them had good knowledge on and positive attitudes towards family planning respectively. In all, 64.0% of the sexually active respondents had ever used family planning. Condom was the commonest family planning method ever used; reported by 65.0% of those who had ever used family planning. Fear of side effects was the main reason among non-users.Conclusions: Family planning uptake among sexually active female students is low in Southwest Nigeria. There is urgent need for aggressive awareness campaigns to improve the knowledge score and attitude of students to family planning in Nigeria

Plug and abandonment of oil and gas wells: a comprehensive review of regulations, practices, and related impact of materials selection.

This paper reviews the state of research in permanent barrier materials for plug and abandonment of oil and gas wells to identify key strengths and weaknesses of each barrier material and understand the impact of reservoir conditions and fluids on barrier failures. The influence of regulatory requirements on P and A practices and the impact of selected barrier material on possible repurposing of depleted reservoirs for hydrogen and CO2 storage are also discussed. This review reveals that previous studies in these areas have focused primarily on improving plug placement and durability without significant consideration of the potential for long term development of leakage paths in the old wellbore infrastructure (cement and casing) whose surfaces remain exposed to reservoir fluids below the permanent plug after conventional P and A. The need for a new approach to plug and abandonment materials selection and reengineering of materials placement methods to ensure permanent isolation of reservoir fluids from existing well infrastructure is herein identified especially as the stock of wells nearing their end of life grows on a global scale. A summary of studies in the accelerated degradation of Portland cement in the presence of corrosive reservoir fluid under high temperature and pressure conditions is also presented. This will significantly drive research in materials selection for alternative barrier as HPHT wells mature for permanent abandonment

Transport of nanoparticles in porous media and associated environmental impact: a review.

The release of nanoparticles into the environment occurs at different stages during their life cycle, with significant harmful effects on the human (e.g., lung inflammation and heart problems) and the ecosystem (e.g., soil and groundwater contamination). While colloids (particles >1 micrometre) behaviour in porous media is influenced by filtration, nanoparticles (<100 nanometres) behaviour is driven by Brownian motion and quantum effects. Recognising these disparities is essential for applications like groundwater remediation and drug delivery, enabling precise strategies based on the differing transport dynamics of colloids and nanoparticles. The extent of the impact of nanoparticle release on the environment is strongly influenced by their type, size, concentration, and interaction with porous media. The main factor preventing the use of nanoparticles for environmental remediation and other related processes is the toxicity arising from their uncontrolled distribution beyond the application points. Finding a suitable dosing strategy for applying nanoparticles in porous media, necessary for the correct placement and deposition in target zones, is one of the significant challenges researchers and engineers face in advancing the use of nanoparticles for subsurface application. Thus, further studies are necessary to create a model-based strategy to prevent nanoparticle dispersion in a porous media. In general, this review explores the transport of nanoparticles in porous media concerning its application for environmental remediation. The aim of this study is captured under the following: a) Identifying the properties of nanoparticles and porous media to develop an innovative remediation approach to reclaim contaminated aquifers effectively. b) Identify critical parameters for modelling an effective strategy for nanoparticle-controlled deposition in porous media. This would require a general understanding of the onset and mapping of the different nanoparticle depositional mechanisms in porous media. c) Identify existing or closely related studies using model-based strategies for controlling particulate transport and dispersion in porous media, focusing on their shortcomings

Predicting Impact of COVID-19 on Crude Oil Price Image with Directed Acyclic Graph Deep Convolution Neural Network

Deep learning methods have achieved amazing results in sequential input, prediction and image classification. In this study, we propose image transformation of time series crude oil price by incorporating 2-D Directed Acyclic Graph to Convolutional Neural Network (DAG) based on image processing properties. Crude oil price time series is converted into 2-D images, utilizing 10 distinctive technical indicators. Geometric Brownian Motion was utilized to produces data for a 10-day time span. Thus, 10x10 sized 2-D images are constructed. Each image is then labelled as Buy or Sell depending on the returns of the time series. The results show that integrating DAG with CNN improves the prediction accuracy by 14.18%.  DAG perform best with an accuracy of 99.16%, sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 99.19%. COVID-19 has negatively affected Nigeria crude oil price which indicates a downward trend of crude oil price. The study recommends poly-cultural economy of Nigeria economy for national development of the nation

Effect of Temperature and Residence Time on Torrefaction Characteristics of African Birch (Anogeissus leiocarpa)

In this study, the effect of temperature and residence time on African birch (Anogeissus leiocarpa) torrefaction characteristics was investigated. African birch trunk was procured from Aanu-Oluwapo Sawmill in Ogbomoso, SouthWestern Nigeria. The trunk was sawn into pieces. The pieces were machined into cylindrical samples of 40 mm diameter and 65 mm length using a wood lathe machine (Powermatic 3520B). Prepared samples were torrefied, one at a time, in an electrically heated fixed bed reactor at different torrefaction temperatures (200, 230, 260, and 290 oC) and residence times (10, 20, 30, and 40 min). The proximate analysis of both the raw sample and solid torrefaction products was done according to the ASTM D3174-76 standard. The mass and energy yields, Higher Heating Value (HHV), and water absorption characteristic of the solid torrefaction products were then determined. Findings revealed mass and energy yields of the torrefied solid products decreased with an increase in both temperature and residence time. HHV increased with temperature but did not show any consistent pattern with residence time. The water affinity of the torrefied biomass decreased with both temperature and residence time. Torrefaction inhibits biomass moisture uptake during storage while increasing its heating valu

Biochemical effect of some food processing methods on the health promoting properties of under-utilized Carica papaya seed

Papaya seed is a waste product of Carica papaya Linn. fruits that is highly abundant in Nigeria. This present study deals with the effect of some potential food processing methods (drying at 45-50oC for 48.0 hours, and fermentation for 72.0 hours) on the seeds. Products from both processing methods, and the unripe seeds were examined for their biochemical properties compared to fresh sample. Significant reductions (P<0.05) were observed for pH of the unripe (5.541), and dried seeds(5.560); titratable acidity, tannin (0.935mg/gm) and acid phosphatase activity of fermented seed; oil level of unripe seed (5.271%). Significant increases (P<0.05) were observed for pH (6.437), oil level (25.600%), and alkaline phosphatase activity of fermented seed; polyphenol oxidase activities of dried and fermented seeds; tannin of unripe (1.265mg/gm); titratable acidity of unripe and dried seeds; phytin levels of all the products. In conclusion, the seed, and the fermentation product may be useful for bio-fuel, medicinal and industrial purposes