The Effect of Computer Literacy on University of Maiduguri Students’ Attitude towards Computerized Record System

Computerized record systems have been viewed as being desirable and have undeniable advantages over the manual system of record keeping.  However, oftentimes these may not be appreciated by students, especially in environments where overall penetration of ICTs is low and as such computer literacy is also low.  This paper aims to investigate how computer literacy affects University of Maiduguri students’ perception of a computerized record system.  It studied the views of sampled students of the university in order to ascertain how their level of computer literacy affects their desire for their record system to be computerized.  Research questions were analyzed with a view to determining the association that exists between level of computer literacy of students and their desire for a computerized record system, and the desirability of such a system among computer literate and non computer literate students.  Simple percentage analysis and Chi Square test were used to investigate the level of desirability of computerization, and the association between computer literacy and desire for computerized record system, respectively.  It was found that among both computer literate and non computer literate students, the computerized record system was highly desired.  It was also found that there is no association between level of computer literacy and desire for computerization among students sampled.  This implies that even in areas where there is low ICT penetration and computer literacy, computerization can still be highly desired by university students. Keywords: computer literacy, computerized record system, computer anxiety, technophobi

EFFECTS OF NaOH MODIFICATION ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF BAOBAB POD FIBER REINFORCED LDPE COMPOSITES

In order to improve properties of natural fibers as reinforcement, different treatment methods have being adopted by researchers. However, the use of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for the treatment of baobab pod fiber as reinforcement in low density polyethylene is sparsely reported. Therefore, this study, investigated the effect of 2 wt%, 4 wt% 6 wt%, 8 wt% and 10 wt%  concentration of NaOH on baobab pod fibers as reinforcement for low density polyethylene (LDPE). Two roll mill machine and hydraulic press at a pressure of 10 kN and temperature of 120oC aided the production of the composite. FT-IR was used to analyze the functional groups of the treated and un-treated fibers. The result showed the disappearance of the peak 1550 cm-1 corresponding to lignin after modification. Further, the composites were characterized for the following tensile strength (TS), modulus of elasticity (MOE), elongation at break, impact strength and water absorption. Preliminary studies on the effect of loading of the unmodified baobab fiber in the LDPE matrix showed desirable properties at 10 wt%, where fiber content was in the range of 5 wt% to 30 wt% at interval of 5 wt%. The composite produced from the 8 wt% NaOH modified fiber had the highest tensile strength, MOE, elongation at break. At this modification level, the tensile strength, MOE and elongation at break were about 75.48%, 92.18% and 28% respectively higher than the composite produced from unmodified fiber. Composite produced with 10 wt% NaOH modified fiber exhibited least water absorption of 1.80%, which was 50% lower than unmodified. These showed that the modification of the fiber improved the composite properties. These properties compared favorably with some reported properties for natural fiber reinforced polymer composites. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v36i1.1

Dissolved Sediment Delivery by the Samaru Stream into Kubanni Reservoir of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria

This study analyzes the dissolved sediment delivery by Samaru stream, a tributary of Kubanni reservoir. The stream was monitored for 7 months, from 1st of April to 10th of October, 2014 which mainly marks the flow period of the year. The study analyzed the dissolved sediment concentration (DSC), discharge (Q), relationship between dissolved sediment discharge (DSD) and discharge (Q) and the estimate of the dissolved sediment yield for the year. The velocity and cross sectional area (AV) method was employed for the discharge measurement of the stream which gave a mean value of 0.2528 m3/s, and an annual total discharge value of 4,850,232 m3/yr. The lowest discharge of 0.057 m3/s was recorded in April and the highest discharge of 4.133 m3/s was recorded in August. DSC obtained varies from a minimum value of 20 mg/L to a maximum value of 120 mg/L with a mean value of 58.87 mg/L, and total sum of 4180 mg/L. DSD using the rating curve varied from a minimum value of 1.14 mg/s to a maximum value of 325.44 mg/s, and a total value of 3162 mg/s. DSD and Q were related and it gave a strong relationship because both values of r (0.866) and r2 (0.749) are high. A total value of 174,000 kg/yr was estimated as the dissolved sediment yield of the stream with a Channel Sediment Yield (CSY) of 174 tons/yr. The amount is high and can be attributed to the anthropogenic activities upstream. It is therefore recommended that the Ahmadu Bello University should intensify on their efforts in creating awareness among the academic and neighboring Samaru community on conservative methods of reducing the rate of pollution of the reservoir. Keywords: Dissolved Sediment, Discharge, Samaru Stream, Kubanni Reservoir, Ahmadu Bello University.

Prevalence and Determinant of Respiratory Symptoms Among Rice Mill Workers in Sokoto State, Northwest Nigeria

Introduction: Rice milling provides a means of livelihood to many in Northwest Nigeria, but like any other profession, it is not without risk. Workers in rice mills are exposed to hazards which has deleterious effects on many systems in the body, one of these is the respiratory system. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors that are associated with respiratory problems among rice millers in Sokoto State, Northwest Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2019 and July 2019. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain responses from the participants. Results: A total of 398 workers participated in the study, and 230(57.8%) of them had at least one symptom of respiratory morbidity. Morning cough 184(46.2%) had the highest prevalence, followed by chest tightness 157(39.4%). Cigarette smoking, involvement in de-husking and paddy separation were factors that increase the likelihood of having respiratory symptoms among the workers. Conclusion: The prevalence of respiratory symptoms is high among rice mill workers, and the factors that were found to determine the presence of respiratory symptoms were cigarette smoking, and involvement in de-husking and paddy separation

Prevalence and factors associated with lung function abnormalities among rice millworkers in Sokoto state, Northwest Nigeria

Introduction: Northwest Nigeria has witnessed an increase in rice milling activities due to the ban on rice importation. The majority of workers in the industry, as it is in many informal sectors workers are disproportionately affected by hazards in the workplace due to poor usage of protective devices. Inhalation of dust over a long period results in lung function abnormalities. The study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with lung function abnormalities among rice mill workers in Sokoto state, Northwest Nigeria. Methods: The study was conducted using a cross-sectional design. Data were collected between June 2019 and July 2019 using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and a lung function examination was conducted using a calibrated Contec SP10 digital spirometer following standardized procedures. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23 and presented in tables and charts. Results: About a third of 119 (30.2%) of the respondents had abnormalities on spirometry, and there was a statistically significant reduction in the mean FVC (3.63 ± 0.39) and FEV1 (3.01 ± 0.36). Being at least 30 years of age (aOR=3.3), working more than 8 hours a day (aOR=2.4), and having at least a symptom of respiratory morbidity (aOR=10.1) were the factors found to be significantly associated with lung function abnormalities. Conclusion: This study showed that the prevalence of lung function abnormality among rice mill workers in Sokoto state is relatively high and age, number of hours worked per day and having at least a symptom of respiratory morbidity were the factors associated with lung function abnormalities

Shariah audit practices in Malaysia: moving forward

The Shariah audit being a monitoring tool for ensuring Shariah compliance proved to be an important component in the operations of Islamic financial institutions. In the case of Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia has issued a Shariah Governance Framework in 2010 which categorically made Shariah audit function as one of the required functions in Islamic Financial institutions in addition to Shariah Review, Shariah Research and Shariah Risk Management. In line with this, this study aimed at exploring the extent of practitioners’ awareness and perceptions of Shariah audit, the possible challenges associated with it as well as its future implications. The study used 83 practitioners drawn from various Islamic financial institutions and external audit firms that are involved in Shariah audit services through purposive sampling procedure. Questionnaire instrument was employed in generating the data. The findings of the study showed that practitioners’ awareness is satisfactory, as the majority of them got to know about Shariah audit through an educational programme, which gave them the opportunity to express what ought to be the desirable practice of Shariah audit. Similarly, the findings revealed that lack of the independent Shariah audit report, standalone Shariah audit framework as well as inadequate competent Shariah auditors are among the main concern in the practice. Moreover, the findings also showed that Shariah audit will have a high potential to take up as a marketable career in the near future. Finally, the findings suggest that integration of Shariah audit in accounting courses in institutions of higher learning; comprehensive Shariah audit framework and standards; new regulatory/professional body with a mandate of supervising Islamic financial institutions as well as a professional certification in Shariah audit should be made available. It is hoped that the study will contribute towards the development of desired Shariah audit practices in Malaysia