Working with Newer Data Management Technologies

Data management technologies are changing rapidly and this presents a significant challenge for database teaching. There is a requirement to teach traditional relational database concepts and to ensure that students are equipped with the advanced skills expected by employers. There is also a requirement to prepare students to work with newer data models and NoSQL and to understand and be able to leverage concepts such as Big Data analytics. This paper discusses the experience of working with MongoDB and MapReduce and starting to work with Hadoop in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching at Staffordshire University. It is suggested that while the amount of time that can be given to newer technologies in the undergraduate curriculum is limited, this is a subject area which has the power to capture students’ imaginations and provides a good basis for undergraduate projects and Masters level dissertations

Defining Big Data

ABSTRACT As Big Data becomes better understood, there is a need for a comprehensive definition of Big Data to support work in fields such as data quality for Big Data. Existing definitions of Big Data define Big Data by comparison with existing, usually relational, definitions, or define Big Data in terms of data characteristics or use an approach which combines data characteristics with the Big Data environment. In this paper we examine existing definitions of Big Data and discuss the strengths and limitations of the different approaches, with particular reference to issues related to data quality in Big Data. We identify the issues presented by incomplete or inconsistent definitions. We propose an alternative definition and relate this definition to our work on quality in Big Dat

Assessing the Influence of Extension Delivery on the Perceived Effectiveness of Improved Cassava Production Technologies in Osun State, Nigeria

Extension support is essential for effective delivery of improved agricultural technologies. This study investigated the effectiveness of improved cassava production technologies and the requisite of extension delivery on it in Osun State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study identified the improved cassava production technologies disseminated to farmers. All the fifty extension personnel in the State Agricultural Development Project (ADP) were purposively interviewed. Data were summarized with frequency counts, percentages and means. Correlation coefficient was used for hypothesis testing. Result show that the following extension services were offered to famers in the study area: extension services, fertilizer procurement, agrochemicals, cooperative facilities, social networks, tractor hiring services, credit facilities, improved planting materials and marketing. The mean age of Extension Agents (EAs) was 44±7.11. About 84% of the Extension Agents were males while 16% were females. All the EAs had post-secondary education, while 92% of them had spent more than 10 years on the job. The mean fortnightly session training attendance was 18.22 ±8.93 over the past one year. The extension contact with farmers was low. Almost 89% of the EAs claimed to have disseminated all the cassava production technologies to farmers. Also, a positive and significant association existed between effectiveness of the improved technologies and EAs’ years of experience (r = 0.303; p<0.05) and the number of training had with farmers (r = 0.323; p<0.05). It was recommended that Extension Agents’ training and retraining programmes should be intensified so as to ensure effectiveness of improved cassava technologies

Determinants of training needs of extension personnel of agricultural development programme (ADP) Ekiti state, Nigeria

The dynamics experienced in agricultural practice has put extension service delivery on a new platform that requires regular updating of the extension staff knowledge for new competences, to meet the changing needs of the clientele they serve. This study therefore sought to determine the training needs of extension personnel of Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) in Ekiti State of Nigeria. The population of the study was all extension personnel in the three agricultural zones of the Ekiti State ADP. Random sampling technique was used to select 60 extension personnel from a total of 65 extension personnel from the zones to which questionnaire were administered; however, only 51 questionnaires were returned which were analysed for this study. The mean age of the extension personnel was 44 years with about 63% within the age range of 41-50 years. About 76.5% of the extension workers had higher national diploma (HND). Forty seven percent of the extension personnel had work experience between 11 and 20 years; about 33% of them had work experience between 1 and 10 years while 19.6% had above 20 years experience at work. The results of the chi square analysis show that factors such as sex (X2 = 8.24, p &lt; 0.5), educational level (X2 = 6.49; p &lt; 0.05), years of work experience of the extension personnel (X2 =11.58, p &lt; 0.5) and attendance of in-service training (X2 = 6.32; p &lt; 0.10) were significant determinants of their training needs.Key words: Agricultural Extension personnel, extension services, training needs, Ekiti State AD

Efficiency of garri marketing in Kwara State, Nigeria: implication for economic empowerment

Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world. Marketing of garri, a major product from cassava, has potential for economic empowerment in Nigeria. The study analyzed the efficiency of garri marketing in Nigeria based on evidence from Kwara State. Data for the study was collected from 120 respondents and analyzed using budgetary and regression techniques. The results showed that most of the respondents were uneducated women who relied on personal savings to finance their agribusiness. Marketing efficiency was 1.12 indicating efficient marketing system which implies that the enterprise is profitable with huge potential for economic empowerment. Factors influencing profitability of garri enterprise (significantly at P ≤ 0.05) included cooperative participation and experience in garri marketing. Major reported marketing constraint included price fluctuation. In order to further improve profitability, hence the potential of garri enterprise for economic empowerment, this paper recommends increasing respondents’ access to more formal financial intermediaries, especially the cooperatives.Keywords: cassava, marketing efficiency, profitability, Nigeri

Airborne microflora in an hospital environment of University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Nigeria

A study was undertaken to determine typical concentrations of airborne bacteria and fungi (microflora) in Teaching Hospital environment in Benin City in the tropical rainforest environment of Nigeria. Aerial sampling wasconducted at various hospital wards each day. The air samples were collected thrice daily, that is, in the morning, between 8am and 10am, in the afternoon, between 12noon and 2pm and in the evening between 4pm and 6pm. Concentrations of airborne microflora exceeded available local guidelines for indoor quality in the accident and emergency ward, female ward, male ward, pediatric ward and the maternity ward, but not in the restricted wards like the theatre, intensive care unit and bacteriological laboratory. Results showed that the occupant density was the keyfactor influencing the levels of airborne microflora, while humidity was also observed as a factor, depending on the particular location with the hospital. The concentration of airborne bacteria and fungi in the nine different hospital units varied from wards to wards. The bacterial population ranges from 3.0cf/m3 to 76.0cf/m3, with the highest bacterial population recorded in the accident and emergency ward. The fungal population ranges from 6.0cf/m3 to 44.7cf/m3, while the highest fungal population was recorded in the accident and emergency ward. The microflora characterized and identified, were representative ofthe normal microflora of the human body (skin, gastrointestinal tracts, respiratory tract) and the opportunistic pathogens. The microbial isolates included six bacterial genera, among which are, Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus epidermis, Escherichia coli, Bacillus sp. and Proteus mirabilis, the fugal isolates included, Aspergillus sp, Penicillium sp., Mucor sp., Candida sp and Verticillium sp. The variations in hospital units in concentrations of total airborne microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) in the air of hospital environments were statistically significant (p&lt;0.001).The concentrations of airborne microflora recorded in the hospital environment, specifically in the accident and emergency ward was significantly different from other wards (p&lt;0.001), with the mean value of 40.0 and 72.2 for fungal and bacterial population respectively

Origin and early development of the canine circumanal glands

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1978 I83Master of Scienc

Nucleic acid distribution pattern as a possible biomarker for metabolic activities of neoplastic cells: a digitally-aided fluorescence microscopy study on normal and neoplastic lymphocytes of acute and chronic canine lymphocytic leukemia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Metabolic states of neoplastic cells are increasingly being relied upon for diagnostic and prognostic assessment of neoplastic conditions. The nucleic acid distribution pattern of cells in general, in terms of degree of condensation of the nuclear chromatin and overall spread of the nucleic acid within the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments, can reflect the metabolic state of the cell. This simple but logical concept appears not be put into consideration to date as numerous attempts are being made towards formulating reliable biomarkers for rapid diagnosis, prognosis and subsequent therapeutic interventions for neoplastic conditions. We comparatively evaluated nucleic acid distribution patterns of normal lymphocytes and neoplastic cells of lymphocytic lineage, employing light and fluorescence microscopy procedures, as well as digital imaging analytical methods.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results demonstrate distinctiveness in the pattern of nucleic acid distribution for the normal lymphocytes and three lymphocytic neoplastic cell-types of canine lymphocytic leukemia that are categorized as small, intermediate and large neoplastic lymphocytes. Variably-shaped cytoplasmic processes laden with single-stranded nucleic acids (SSNA) were observed for the small and intermediate-sized neoplastic lymphocytes, compared with large neoplastic lymphocytes and the normal lymphocytes; the latter two categories of cells being virtually devoid of similar processes. Prominent cytoplasmic and nuclear clumps of SSNA, indicative of a higher rate of metabolic activity, were also observed within the neoplastic cells compared with fewer and narrower SSNA of the normal cells.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The comparative relative increases of SSNA in cytoplasmic processes and other cellular areas of small and intermediate-sized neoplastic lymphocytes is reflective of greater metabolic activity in neoplastic cells in general compared with their normal cellular counterparts.</p

Hypoglycemic and Hepatoprotective Activity of Fermented Fruit Juice of<i>Morinda citrifolia</i>(Noni) in Diabetic Rats

Morinda citrifoliais a medicinal plant used to treat diabetes and liver diseases. The fermented fruit juice of theM. Citrifolia(optical density = 1.25) was used to study the hypoglycemic and hepatoprotective properties in diabetes-induced rats. The rats were randomly distributed into 4 groups (control, diabetic experimental, diabetic standard, and diabetic untreated) of 6 each. Diabetes was induced by administering Streptozotocin (50 mg/kg body weight). Fasting blood glucose, body mass, liver tissue glycogen content, and the extent of liver degeneration were assessed. Diabetic experimental animals were treated withM. citrifoliajuice (2 ml/kg, twice a day) and diabetic standard with reference hypoglycemic drug, glibenclamide orally for 20 days. Both the groups exhibited a significant reduction in blood glucose level of 150 mg/dl and 125 mg/dl , respectively, as compared to diabetic untreated with FBS = 360.0 mg/dl , (). On 10th day of experiment, diabetic experimental animals exhibited a decrease in body mass (10.2 g, 5.11%) which increased significantly by the 20th day (6 g, 3.0%, ). Histological study of liver tissue obtained from untreated diabetic animals revealed significant fatty degeneration as compared to other three groups. The data of this study proved the hypoglycemic and hepatoprotective activity ofM. citrifolia.</jats:p

An Analysis of Credit Utilization and Farm Income of Arable Crop Farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract- This article assessed credit utilization among arable farmers in Kwara state, Nigeria and its influence on farm income. The data analyzed were collected from 100 farmers purposively sampled. Despite an average of 11years experience, 47% of the farmers have not benefited from agricultural credit. Average income per hectare for farmers who were able to access funds for their farm business was higher (N52,000/$325) than for those who did not (N35,430/$221) however, average loan granted (N55,550/$347)was lower than applied for (N77,900/$486). Lack of collateral was a major limitation for sourcing for credit. Factors determining farmers’ decision to use credit included household size, use of hired labour, cooperatives participation, awareness of credit sources, past loan size, possession of collateral and proximity to the credit lending institution. Policies and programmes directed at enhancing these factors will increase farmers’ decision to use agricultural credit. Keywords: credit utilization, farm income, collateral, kwara, poultry, nigeria