Development of a Reciprocating Motion Cassava Slicing Machine

The development of cassava reciprocating slicing machine was achieved using locally sourced materials that is affordable and effective. Although hand slicing is the cheapest form of slicing operation, but it has posed to be labour intensive, time-wasting, and hazardous. This necessitated the design and development of a cassava slicing machine. The machine's capacity for boiled and unboiled cassava root was calculated as 22.8kg/hr, with an average slicing time of 0.005hr for boiled and 0.00455hr for unboiled cassava root. The machine has low labour requirements and power consumption. The cassava reciprocating slicing machine use electric motor of 0.75kw (1hp) rating, with a speed of 99rpm. The machine is made with stainless steel for the slicing section and other components with mild steel and has an overall efficiency of 91.05%. The machine reduces drudgery and also enhances mass production of cassava chips, implying more profit

Effect of Agricultural Financing on the Performance of Agricultural Sector in Nigeria

The study examined the effects of agricultural financing on the performance of agricultural sector in Nigeria using annual time series data. The data for the study was sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin. Contribution of agriculture to GDP was used as proxy for the performance of agricultural sector, commercial banks loan to agriculture, rain fall, government expenditure to agriculture and interest rate were used as proxy for explanatory variables. Following unity in the order of integration, Johansen cointegration approach was used to check for the long run relationship among the variables. Vector autoregressive estimate the vector correction mechanism was used to examine the speed of adjustment of the variables from the short run dynamics to the long run equilibrium. The study found that there is long run relationship among the variables. Specifically; there is significant and long run effect of Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme on Contributions of agriculture to GDP. Commercial banks loans to agriculture showed positive and significant effect on Contributions of agriculture to GDP within the reference period. The coefficient of multiple determinations explained the variation in the dependent variable jointly explained by the independent variables. The study recommend that there should be increase in the amount which the agricultural credit guarantee scheme inject into the sector on annual basis and  proper supervisory measures should be constituted in order to ensure efficient application and use of the money

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND PROTEOLYTIC POTENTIALS OF FUNGAL FLORA OF SOILS STRESSED BY TANNERY WASTES IN JOS, NIGERIA

The physico-chemical parameters and proteolytic potentials of fungal population in soils stressed by tannery wastes were investigated. The fungal species were isolated using hair baiting technique. Sabouraud Dextose Agar (SDA) medium was used for the isolation work. The pH, percentage moisture/organic matter contents and elemental analysis of the soil samples were assessed. The assessment of the soils polluted with tannery wastes was compared with that of the control sample collected from soils devoid of tannery activities. The results of the physico-chemical parameters of the soil samples showed the pH values of the soils to be 7.32, 7.53 and 6.46 for soils collected from Naraguta tannery (SNG), Dodo Street tannery (SDS) and College of Forestry, Jos (SCF control) respectively. The percentage moisture content values recorded for the soil samples from the two tanneries were higher than that of the control soil. The nitrogen level of the soil samples ranged from 0.010-0.19% while phosphorus ranged from 1.4-24mg/kg. The sodium levels were between 1.0-2.0mg/kg while the calcium levels ranged from 900-5080mg/kg. Twenty-one fungi species belonging to 12 genera were isolated from the experimental soil samples. Three of the genera including Cunninghamella elegans, Mucor haemalis and Rhizopus sp belong to the class phycomycetes. Others belong to the class hyphomycetes. Aspergillus niger had the highest number of isolation as well as highest frequencies of occurrence. Nine fungal species produced zones of clearance on the skim milk casein agar medium used for the assay of proteolytic activity indicating their potentials as keratin degraders

Achieving favourable customer outcomes through employee deviance

This study advances current knowledge by examining how employee deviance and customer participation during a single employee-customer exchange generate favourable customer responses. This work bridges the employee deviance stream with the service encounter literature and illustrates the importance of equity theory in deviant service exchanges between customers and employees. Moreover, results add to the ongoing debate on service nepotism by canvassing the consequences from the customer’s active participation in deviant exchanges which appears to enhance customer perceptions of the exchange. A 3x2 between-subjects experimental design was adopted which manipulates three types of pro-customer deviance along with customer’s participation (or not) to the exchange. The dependent variables capture three types of perceived customer justice (cognitive outcomes) and customer’s affective state (affective outcome). Findings illustrate that customers approve employees’ deviance for their own benefit while also indicate favourable outcomes from deviant exchanges with employees such as higher perceived justice and a more positive affective state. The article concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and managerial implications, limitations and research directions that emerge from this study

Knowledge and Roles of Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Anambra State

The study ascertained knowledge and perceived roles of state based-Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in climate change mitigation and adaptation in Anambra State, Nigeria. Multistage random sampling technique was employed to select thirty five respondents from 4 local government areas and 7 NGOs in the state while data were collected with questionnaire. Percentage and mean scores were used in analyzing the data. Results revealed that greater proportion (60%) of NGO members were not aware of climate change while about 63% indicated that issues on climate change have not been included in their programme. They perceived major causes of climate change as over industrialization (M=2.77) and use of automobiles (M=2.74) while land degradation and over flooding (M=2.77 each) were major effects of climate change. Proper land use and management (M=2.89) and reforestation/ (M=2.83) were mitigation measures while minimum tillage (M=2.74) and use of resistant varieties (M=) were adaptive measures to climate change as perceived by them. They further perceived creation of awareness and sensitization of rural people/farmers about climate change (77.1%each) and helping government in enforcement of policies and laws that will help to mitigate climate change (57.1%) as roles they can play in climate change mitigation and adaptation. They did not perceive any major problem that can mar their contributions to climate change issue. The study emphasized on the need for private sector especially NGOs investment and participation in global and sensitive issues like climate change. This will go a long way in discovering and disseminating quick and useful information on climate change and probably ultimate solution to it

Knowledge and Roles of Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Anambra State

The study ascertained knowledge and perceived roles of state based-Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in climate change mitigation and adaptation in Anambra State, Nigeria. Multistage random sampling technique was employed to select thirty five respondents from 4 local government areas and 7 NGOs in the state while data were collected with questionnaire. Percentage and mean scores were used in analyzing the data. Results revealed that greater proportion (60%) of NGO members were not aware of climate change while about 63% indicated that issues on climate change have not been included in their programme. They perceived major causes of climate change as over industrialization (M=2.77) and use of automobiles (M=2.74) while land degradation and over flooding (M=2.77 each) were major effects of climate change. Proper land use and management (M=2.89) and reforestation/ (M=2.83) were mitigation measures while minimum tillage (M=2.74) and use of resistant varieties (M=) were adaptive measures to climate change as perceived by them. They further perceived creation of awareness and sensitization of rural people/farmers about climate change (77.1%each) and helping government in enforcement of policies and laws that will help to mitigate climate change (57.1%) as roles they can play in climate change mitigation and adaptation. They did not perceive any major problem that can mar their contributions to climate change issue. The study emphasized on the need for private sector especially NGOs investment and participation in global and sensitive issues like climate change. This will go a long way in discovering and disseminating quick and useful information on climate change and probably ultimate solution to it

Comparative Field Evaluation of Combinations of Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets and Indoor Residual Spraying, Relative to Either Method Alone, for Malaria Prevention in an Area where the main Vector is Anopheles Arabiensis.

Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) are commonly used together in the same households to improve malaria control despite inconsistent evidence on whether such combinations actually offer better protection than nets alone or IRS alone. Comparative tests were conducted using experimental huts fitted with LLINs, untreated nets, IRS plus untreated nets, or combinations of LLINs and IRS, in an area where Anopheles arabiensis is the predominant malaria vector species. Three LLIN types, Olyset®, PermaNet 2.0® and Icon Life® nets and three IRS treatments, pirimiphos-methyl, DDT, and lambda cyhalothrin, were used singly or in combinations. We compared, number of mosquitoes entering huts, proportion and number killed, proportions prevented from blood-feeding, time when mosquitoes exited the huts, and proportions caught exiting. The tests were done for four months in dry season and another six months in wet season, each time using new intact nets. All the net types, used with or without IRS, prevented >99% of indoor mosquito bites. Adding PermaNet 2.0® and Icon Life®, but not Olyset® nets into huts with any IRS increased mortality of malaria vectors relative to IRS alone. However, of all IRS treatments, only pirimiphos-methyl significantly increased vector mortality relative to LLINs alone, though this increase was modest. Overall, median mortality of An. arabiensis caught in huts with any of the treatments did not exceed 29%. No treatment reduced entry of the vectors into huts, except for marginal reductions due to PermaNet 2.0® nets and DDT. More than 95% of all mosquitoes were caught in exit traps rather than inside huts. Where the main malaria vector is An. arabiensis, adding IRS into houses with intact pyrethroid LLINs does not enhance house-hold level protection except where the IRS employs non-pyrethroid insecticides such as pirimiphos-methyl, which can confer modest enhancements. In contrast, adding intact bednets onto IRS enhances protection by preventing mosquito blood-feeding (even if the nets are non-insecticidal) and by slightly increasing mosquito mortality (in case of LLINs). The primary mode of action of intact LLINs against An. arabiensis is clearly bite prevention rather than insecticidal activity. Therefore, where resources are limited, priority should be to ensure that everyone at risk consistently uses LLINs and that the nets are regularly replaced before being excessively torn. Measures that maximize bite prevention (e.g. proper net sizes to effectively cover sleeping spaces, stronger net fibres that resist tears and burns and net use practices that preserve net longevity), should be emphasized