Mitigating Botnet Attack Using Encapsulated Detection Mechanism (EDM)

Botnet as it is popularly called became fashionable in recent times owing to it embedded force on network servers. Botnet has an exponential growth of about 170, 000 within network server and client infrastructures per day. The networking environment on monthly basis battle over 5 million bots. Nigeria as a country loses above one hundred and twenty five (N125) billion naira to network fraud annually, end users such as Banks and other financial institutions battle daily the botnet threats.Comment: This paper addresses critical area of networ

Proactive merger and acquisition and firm performance

Holistic growth is a common phenomenon that is guaranty when all others substances take the best chosen positions at the right time and place. This improves efficiency; effectiveness and profitability are among the key benefits sought from mergers and acquisitions (M&A). This study seeks for the proactive mergers and acquisition, and firm performance. The study is descriptive research using positive accounting theory as theoretical framework. This shows how financial reports are prepared upon which investors’ decisions are based. The study discovers that merger and acquisition have a positive relationship with firm performance if it can be properly planned, implemented and evaluated. Specifically, organization should make efforts to attract and keep key employees of the merged organizations through performance contracts or allowance; suitable conflict settlement measures should be established  as well as  conscious effort should be made to derive the expected gains of the merger. This is because benefits from mergers and acquisitions are not automatic. Keywords: Merger and Acquisition, Due diligence, Firm performanc

Assessing the Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility of Multinational Oil Companies on Riverrine Communities in Rivers State of Nigeria

The study examined effects of corporate social responsibility of multinational oil companies on riverine communities in Rivers State of Nigeria. In line with the objective of the study, three null hypotheses were formulated to guide the research. The theoretical framework was based on the sustainable development framework endorsed by the World Business Council. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The population size was based on the National population commission, 2007 of Rivers State, which cut across the eighteen (18) Local Government Areas. A sample size of 400 people was obtained using Topman’s formula for an infinite population. A purposive random sampling technique was further used to distribute the sample size across the five study centre selected. A self-constructed questionnaire instrument of five point likert scale was used in data collection. Frequency, percentages, bar and pie charts were used in analyzing both the demographic data of the respondents and to answer research questions, while Kendall tau_b was implored in testing the three hypotheses formulated. All the null hypotheses formulated were rejected. The research therefore revealed that: Shell host communities in riverine areas of Rivers State can only attest to less that 30 percent of their expectation from Shell in the area of electricity provision, they also acknowledged that shell has not done much in providing portable drinking water, constructing feeder roads for their communities and Shell has not provided adequate health facilities which had affected the health standard of the communities. It was concluded that, Shell does not involve the communities in the planning and implementation of CSRs, and that the communities have no sense of belonging as some of the CSRs shell may have embarked on are not touching their felt needs. It was therefore recommended amongst others that, multinational oil companies should recognize their responsibilities, their host communities’ expectations and develop partnership as a preferred model for their communities’ development activities for peaceful co-existence. Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Multinational Oil Companies (MOC) Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Socio-economic effect, riverine communities, capacity development

An Assessment of the Wear Element Contamination of Food Processed by Wet Milling Using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Technique

This paper ‘Assessment of Wear Elements in Food Products by Wet Milling Using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Technique’ was carried out to determine the levels of Wear Elements introduced into food consumed by humans after being wet milled. Samples were collected from a selected milling house in Yelwa area in Bauchi State Nigeria and were analyzed. The presence of heavy metals such as Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) as well as trace elements; Copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn) contents in milled beans, tomatoes, sweet pepper and onions were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. The wear elements detected ranged from 0.008 to 0.017 mgkg?1 of Pb and 12.42 to 17.63 mgkg?1 of Fe and Cd went undetected being lower than the detection limits of 0.003 mgkg1.. However, the trace elements ranged from 6.75 to 11.84 mgkg?1 of Cu and 9.35 to 81.25mgkg?1 of Zn. The highest values of Pb, Cu, Zn and Fe in the milled products were observed in Onion paste (0.017mgkg?1), Tomato slurry (11.84mgkg?1), Beans paste (81.25 mgkg?1) respectively. The level of Fe and Zn in most of the samples was found to be above the permissible level of 15 mgkg?1 and 60 mgkg?1 respectively as set by WHO (2003). Other wear elements were found to be within the safe levels. Keywords: Wear Element, Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, and Wet Milling

INFLATION RATES, FINANCIAL OPENNESS, EXCHANGE RATES AND STOCK MARKET RETURNS VOLATILITY IN NIGERIA

Employing the Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (ARCH) and Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) models introduced by Engle {1982) and Bollerslev (1986) respectively, this study examines the relationship between inflation rates, financial openness, exchange rates and stock market volatility in Nigeria, for the periods 1985 to 2012. The results from this study reveals that previous periods inflation rates significantly but negatively impact volatility in market returns, while previous financial openness does not have significant impact on volatility in market returns. However, previous exchange rates were found to be significantly and positively associated with market return volatility. Another result of interest in this study is that changes in inflation rates, financial openness and exchange rates have no significant impact on market returns volatility. Based on these results, it is recommended that the government through her policy makers and relevant agencies (like the Central Bank of Nigeria - CBN) should ensure that appropriate measures (such as credit control, reduction in unnecessary government expenditure, increase production, anti-inflationary budgetary policy) are employed towards monitoring inflation in the country. This would certainly reduce stock market volatility, improve stock market returns and boost investors' confidence in the Nigerian stock market

Perceived oral health status and treatment needs of dental auxiliaries

Objective: To determine the perceived oral health status and treatment needs of Nigerian dental therapists in training and dental technology students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study of students from Federal School of Dental Therapy and Technology Enugu, Nigeria was conducted using self-administered questionnaire to obtain information on demography, self-reported oral health status, knowledge of impact of oral health on daily life activity, dental attendance and perceived dental need. Results: The perception of oral health status and treatment need of the two groups of dental auxiliaries was the same. Fewer respondents (27.3%) rated their oral health as excellent, while 50.4% rated their oral health as good. Majority (95.5%) agreed that oral health is a part of general health and 94.6% agreed that oral health has a role in daily life.Out of 81.4% that had previous dental treatment, scaling and polishing accounted for 66.1%. Presently, 48.8% think they need dental treatment ranging from scaling and polishing (33.9%), tooth restoration (10.3%), to extraction (1.2%). Conclusion: This survey revealed that most of the students are aware that oral health is a component of general health and that it has an impact on an individual's daily life. More than half of the students perceived their oral health as good, but only a few knew that there is a need for a preventive approach to oral health as evident by the percentage that perceived scaling and polishing as a treatment need

Uptake of Antenatal Care Among Pregnant Women in Plateau State Nigeria

Background-Antenatal care offers pregnant women promotive, preventive and curative services. Despite this, some pregnant women still donrsquot access ANC at all while others donrsquot have access to ANC by skilled health care professionals. This increases the risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. This study therefore aims to determine the predictors of ANC attendance among in Plateau State. Methodology-A community based cross sectional study,400 study participants across six communities in the three senatorial zones in Plateau State were selected. Focused Group Discussion was conducted among study participants. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23. Results- 90.8% of respondents booked their last pregnancy out of which 55.8% had more than four ANC visits. Only 52.9% of the women had ANC by skilled health care providers. 69.7% of women who did not book their pregnancy delivered at home. Educational status, marital status and marital setting were predictors of ANC attendance among the study population. Women who had formal education were 1.7 times more likely to attend ANC compared to those with non-formal or no education at all. (P-value lt0.001 CI 1.267-2.321). Also, women in monogamous settings were more likely to attend ANC compared to those in polygamous setting (P-value 0.015 CI 0.162-0.822). Conclusion-Many of the respondents did not have the required number of ANC visits.nbsp More targeted interventions should be implemented in order to ensure that women have access to skilled care during pregnancy as this will reduce the risk of complications in pregnancy and delivery

Capital Flight and the Economic Growth: Evidence From Nigeria

This research examined the impact of capital flight and its determinants on the Nigerian economy using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to analyze data source from the period of 1981 to 2015. The variables included current account balance, capital flight, foreign direct investments, foreign reserve, inflation rate, external debt, and the real gross domestic product. It was to examine the existence of a long run relationship among the variables studied. The result indicates that capital flight has a negative impact on the economic growth of Nigeria. Therefore, there is a need for government to implement policies that will promote domestic investment and discourage capital flight from Nigeria

Hazards Assessment Analyses of Fossil-fuel Generators: Holistic-study of Human Experiences and Perceptions in South-Southern Nigeria

Users of fossil-fuel generators for electricity-supply to households/buildings/premises/apartments in Port-Harcourt, Uyo & Calabar metropolitan-cities [and environs] of Nigeria, with their Neighbours were repeatedly engaged for three (3) consecutive years, to determine their subjective-perceptions and experiences of the associated environmental, health, psycho-social, financial, security and safety hazards/issues etc. Field surveys/investigations were conducted on the study-area, which was segmented into three-hundred (300) settlement-clusters; then, tailor-suited questionnaires were administered to generator-users and their neighbours [as "˜respondents']. After analyzing the data, research-findings revealed that: There is an overwhelming dependence on, and a prevalent/predominant use [80.1% of all 68,400 households/buildings/premises/apartments surveyed in 3 years] of fossil-fuel generators in these cities and environs. Some generator-users are fully-aware and "˜strongly-agree' that, there are related: Environmental-hazards [air-pollution (50.9%) and noise-pollution (48.8%) etc.]; Health-hazards [sleep-disturbance (84.6%), hearing-loss (67.1%), ophthalmic-problems (45.0%) & difficulty in mental-concentration (88.8%) etc.]; Psycho-social issues [quarrels/verbal confrontations (89.4.0%), reports to local-authority(ies)/mediation (6.4%), revenge-attempts (2.6%), forced-relocations (1.3%), arrests (0.2%) & litigation (0.1%) etc.]; Financial-implications [purchase-costs ranging from US$90.91 - ≥US$60,606.06 etc.]; Security concerns/challenges [the 5,500 reported cases of gunshot-violence i.e. 41.8% of all 13,158 generator-related crimes committed etc.]; and Safety-hazards [fire-incidences, fuel-ingestions and deaths accounting for 5.6%, 60.5% and 2.2% resp. of all 8,928 reported-cases of generator-use related accidents]

An Experimental-assessment of Human Exposure-levels to Aircraft Noise-hazards in the Neighbouring-environments of four Nigerian Airports

This paper reports a scientific-assessment of the exposure-levels of aircraft noisehazards suffered by persons living/working within the neighbourhoods of four Airports [Ibadan, Benin-City, Warri and Owerri] in Nigeria. Physical measurements of selected aircraft and environmental noise parameters [Ambient Noise Level ( ANL ), Sound Pressure Level ( SPL ), Aircraft Take-off Noise-level ( ATNL ) and Aircraft Landing Noise-level ( ALNL )]; were carried-out using the integrated CR811C Noise meter, during one hundred and twenty (120) periodic noise sampling-surveys; performed [from January to December 2017] at thirty (30) randomly-selected study-locations, within the vicinity of each of these four(4) airports in accordance with the Method/Standard-procedures specified by the International Standards Organisation’s (ISO) relevant standards—ISO 3891, ISO 1996-1 and ISO 1996-2. The results showed that: while SPL ranged from 103-115 dB( A) , ANL ranged from 52.3 – 64.1 dB( A) , the ATNL ranged from 69.6 – 87.7 dB( A) , and ALNL ranged from 66.2 – 82.7 dB( A) . Actually, these results are alarming, since they significantly exceed the WHO Standard Recommended Maximum Noise-levels of: 35 dB( A) [Indoor], 55 dB( A) [Outdoor] to prevent Speech-intelligibility, Noise-annoyance & Sleep-disturbance; and 90 dB( A) [being the Permissible Noise level/limit for 8hour daytime safe human exposure]. These and the results of the Statistical analysis (Wilcoxon Sign Rank Test) carried-out, clearly prove the existence of a generally ignored, but yet dangerous problem of continuous human-exposure to excessively highlevels of Aircraft noise-hazards to which residents of Airports’ neighborhoods are subjected