Evaluation of Asa River Water in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria for Available Pollutants and their Effects on Mitosis and Chromosomes Morphology in Allium cepa Cells

T: This study evaluated water samples from Asa River in Kwara state, Nigeria, for cytogenotoxicity at 25.0 %, 50.0 %, 100.0 % following the Allium cepa assay. Onions were grown in the water samples for microscopic and macroscopic screenings. Heavy metals and volatile organic pollutants in the water were elucidated using AAS and GCMS techniques. The Water samples except the sample ‘C’ induced higher mitotic index (MI) than the negative control. Root growth was significantly promoted at 25.0 %, and significantly reduced at 50.0 % and 100.0 % of the sample ‘C’ and 100.0 % of the sample ‘A’. Water sample ‘A’ (100.0%) induced highest percentage chromosomal aberrations (CA) while the water samples ‘B’ and ‘C’ induced higher percentage CA than the negative control. Cadmium was detected at a concentration higher than its permissible limit in drinking water. Poly aromatic hydrocarbons, Aromatic amines, Acridine dye, Phenolic and Polychlorinated compounds were detected in the water sample. The observed proliferative, inhibitory, cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of the water samples on A. cepa cells suggest that Asa river was polluted, having potential to adversely affect humans, animals and plants utilizing it along its course. Keywords: Allium cepa; Asa River; cytogenotoxicity; Nigeria; pollutant

Multi-sample nonparametric treatments comparison in medical follow-up study with unequal observation processes through simulation and bladder tumour case study

In medical follow-up study, the diseases recurrent processes evolved in continuous time and the patients are usually monitor at distinct and different intervals. Therefore, most of the existing methods that assumed identical observation processes might provide misleading results in this case. To address this, a nonparametric test based on integrated weighted different between the mean cumulative functions which characterized both the recurrent processes and observation processes with condition on treatment is proposed to allow unequal observation processes. The empirical power of the proposed test has been investigated via Monte Carlo simulation study and bladder tumour case study. The results arein line with earlier research; the proposed test procedure works well for practical situations and had a good power in detecting treatment difference.Keywords: nonparametric; unequal observation; multi-sample; treatments comparison

Virtual synchronous generator: an overview

The continuous increase in the penetration of renewable energy (RE) based distributed generations (DGs) in the power system network has created a great concern on the stability of the existing grid. Traditional bulk power plants, which are dominated by synchronous machines (SMs) can easily support system instability, due to the inherent rotor inertia and damping characteristic, as well as voltage (reactive power) control ability. Nevertheless, converter based RE has some special characteristics, such as stochastic real and reactive power output, quick active and reactive power response, small output impedance, and little or no inertia and damping property thereby causing frequency and voltage instability in the system. To solve this problem, virtual synchronous generator (VSG) concept was proposed to emulate some of the features of conventional SG through converter control strategy in order to provide additional inertia virtually. Different control schemes for VSG has been proposed in literature. Surprisingly, an overview of these schemes is yet to be efficiently presented. This paper presents an overview of the VSG control schemes. It provides the concepts, the features of the control schemes and the applications of VSG. Finally, the crucial issues regarding VSG control schemes and the necessary improvement that need to be addressed are highlighted.Keywords: Distributed generation, Synchronous generator, Virtual synchronous generator, Power electronicv converter, Energy storage system, Frequency contro

Assessment of awareness and satisfaction of online renewal of practising license among pharmacists in Nigeria

Purpose: To assess the awareness and satisfaction of online renewal of practice licence among pharmacists in Nigeria.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among pharmacists in Nigeria. Participants were recruited through; online (via social media platforms) or in person at Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) office during application for renewal of license.Results: A total of 878 participants completed the survey. Of this, 97.4 and 79.9 % were aware and satisfied with the online process, respectively. The respondents rated the process as excellent (19.1 %), fair (22.2 %), good (55.0 %) and poor (3.6 %). Most of the reported challenges included linking payment of association dues with license renewal, poor customer service and password retrieval.Conclusions: The level of awareness and satisfaction of the online renewal of annual licence among pharmacists in Nigeria is high. Measures are still needed to improve the online application process. Keywords: Pharmacists Council, Online, Licence, Pharmacist, Practic

A Study of Different Substrate Material on Air Gap Radial Line Slot Array (RLSA) Antenna at 28 GHz

This paper compared the performance of the conventional Radial line slot array (RLSA) antenna structure. Two different substrates of RLSA antennas were used: The FR4 with the relative permittivity (εr) value of 4.5 and the Duroid/RT5880 with the relative permittivity (εr) value of 2.2. Both substrates had their own thickness, where the Rogers RT Duroid 5880 was thinner with the value of 0.254 mm compared to FR4 which was 1.600 mm. There were two antenna cavities, which were the FR4 hybrid with air gap and the Duroid/RT5880 hybrid with air gap. Based on different substrate, this RLSA antenna was simulated using the CST Microwave Studio simulation software and measured using the Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) equipment that can measure the frequency range (10.0 MHz to 50.0 GHz). Moreover, this RLSA antenna was presented, experimented and measured for millimeter wave frequency, which is within the frequency range (24.0 GHz to 32.0 GHz). In the middle of the rectangular, slots on radiating plate, located with fed coated of 50 Ω SSMA connector as a coaxial to waveguide transition frequency reconfigurable millimeter-wave antenna for 5G networks is presented. The results of the simulation and measurement of this RLSA antenna with different substrates show the S11 and wider value of impedance bandwidth performance in millimeter wave frequency

Outlier detection in 2 × 2 crossover design using Bayesian framework

We consider the problem of outlier detection method in 2×2 crossover design via Bayesian framework. We study the problem of outlier detection in bivariate data fitted using generalized linear model in Bayesian framework used by Nawama. We adapt their work into a 2×2 crossover design. In Bayesian framework, we assume that the random subject effect and the errors to be generated from normal distributions. However, the outlying subjects come from normal distribution with different variance. Due to the complexity of the resulting joint posterior distribution, we obtain the information on the posterior distribution from samples by using Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling. We use two real data sets to illustrate the implementation of the method

Performance-based Durability Indicators of Different Concrete Grades Made by the Local Ready Mixed Company: Preliminary Results

The durability of a material is defined as its ability to withstand environmental deterioration. The ability of a concrete structure is to withstand environmental deterioration is important to be investigated in order to enhance the service life of the reinforced concrete structure without having to incur unforeseen high cost for maintenance or repair. The quality of the concrete on durability aspect has to be evaluated through series of concrete durability experiments before the service life model has taken place rather than relies on the conventional prescriptive deemed-to-satisfy approach. Performance-based durability is thus based on durability transport properties instead of limiting particular ingredients, proportions or construction operations without predicting the service life of structure. In order to fulfill customer satisfaction with lasting and great concrete performance at reasonable grade concrete, it is important to conduct various experiments to identify the durability transport properties parameters on the earlier stage of construction. The experiments performed in this study are water absorption, volumes of permeable void (VPV) and sorptivity. The experiment was investigated using Ready mixed concrete of grades G40, G45 and G50 that has been conducted to determine the properties at different concrete zones using 150mm and 100mm for compressive strength test. The strength of G50 increases 18% in sealed curing and site cured concrete has 8% strength increments from 28-90 day of age. Concrete G40 has the highest water absorption, VPV and sorptivity properties followed by G45 and G50 in all ages of test under both curing conditions. Amongst all the different zones, top zone has highest water absorption, VPV and sorptivity followed by left and right zone for all grade. Meanwhile, the bottom zone has the lowest water absorption, VPV and sorptivity followed by middle and center zone of concrete for all grades. The sealed cured (S1) concrete condition shows relatively lower water absorption, VPV and sorptivity than site cured (S2) concrete condition

The design and simulation of a planar microarray dot electrode for a dielectrophoretic lab-on-chip device

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) has been proven as a method of manipulating and analyzing the electrophysiological properties of bioparticles by applying non-uniform electric fields generated through special electrodes. Various electrode geometries have been developed to address different applications. Electric field simulation over electrodes is essential in order to optimize the generated DEP force for cell manipulation. This paper describes the study of electric field distribution over planar multiple microarray dot electrodes using numerical modeling of Comsol Multiphysics 4.2a®. Electric field evaluation for different dot sizes has been demonstrated by applying a range of frequencies to the designed electrodes. Results show that the electric field is axisymmetrical around the center of the dot aperture and that it is higher at the dot edges than the dot centers. Furthermore, adding ground plane between adjacent dots increases the electric field strength. © 2012 by ESG

Determination of origin and granulometric analysis of river channel sediments of Osi, southwestern Nigeria

Osi is located within the south-western part of the Nigerian Basement Complex and plays a host to unconsolidated deposits and major examples of Precambrian – Paleozoic crystalline rocks in the region. Detailed geological mapping revealed the area to comprise essentially of migmatite – banded gneiss complex and diorites and minor rock types that include pegmatite and quartz veins. Superficial stream sediments occur abundantly and proximally along channels in the vicinity. These river channels host considerable amount of loose deposits that are useful for sedimentological and provenance study. While efforts have been committed to regional mapping, petrography and geochemistry of rocks in the region, little attention was paid to the associated stream sediments. This study adopted geological mapping of the crystalline rocks and sieve analysis of the stream sediments, as well as the use of XRF and inductively coupled plasma Mass spectrometry (ICP – MS) to establish some relationship between the basement geology and the surrounding deposits in the area. Migmatites are abundant in the south-west and parts of the north-west, while granite gneisses with isolated occurrence of diorite are confined to the north-east of the study area. Granulometry of the sediments revealed a predominantly medium – coarse grained, poorlysorted leptokurtic sands, indicating products of in-situ weathering of host rocks. Geochemical analysis supports a strong correlation between the rocks and the sediments. The study is applicable to enhanced understanding of grai -size distribution and in regional mapping and geochemical method of exploration.Keywords: Basement complex, migmatite – gneiss complex, stream sediments, grai -size analysis, elemental abundance, south-western Nigeri

PENATAAN DAN PENGELOLAAN ADMINISTRASI PEMERINTAHAN KAMPUNG DI KAMPUNG YAKONDE DISTRIK WAIBU KABUPATEN JAYAPURA

Kegiatan ini bertajuk “Penataan dan Pengelolaan Administrasi Pemerintahan Kampung Di Kampung Yakonde Distrik Waibu Kabupaten Jayapura”. Kegiatan ini menggunakan metode partisipatif dan edukatif, dengan tiga tahapan, yaitu; tahap awal, tahap inti dan tahap akhir. Tujuan kegiatan ini adalah meningkatnya pemahaman perangkat kampung dalam mengelola data administrasi umum, administrasi penduduk, administrasi keuangan,dan administrasi pembangunan, serta adanya buku pedoman administrasi umum di Kampung Yakonde Distrik Waibu Kabupaten Jayapura sesuai dengan Peraturan Menteri Dalam Negeri Nomor 47 Tahun 2016 tentang Administrasi Pemerintahan Desa dalam pemberian layanan kepada masyarakat. Hasil kegiatan ini menunjukkan bahwa aparatur Kampung Yakonde telah memahami dengan baik dan benar tentang administrasi pemerintahan kampung dan dapat mengisi ke dalam buku administrasi umum, buku administrasi penduduk, buku administrasi keuangan, buku administrasi pembangunan. Sebagai rekomendasi aparatur pemerintahan Kampung Yakonde agar dapat dapat secara terus menerus melakukan pendataan sehingga pada saat mengisi data-data menggunakan informasi yang terbaru. Sebab, dengan adanya informasi terbaru secara terus menerus maka diharapkan pelayanan kepada masyarakat di Kampung Yakonde dapat berjalan dengan baik