Geophysical Investigation of Some Flood Prone Areas in Ota, Southwestern Nigeria

Thirteen shallow vertical electrical resistivity soundings using Schlumberger array were conducted within the study area. The aim of the study was to investigate the nature of the subsurface in some flood prone areas within the study area by determining the lithology and the corresponding inverse model resistivities at the depths investigated and hence the cause of flooding in the area during the wet season. The resistivity sounding data were collected along seven traverses using a Campus Tigre terrameter. The observed data were interpreted quantitatively using curve matching and computer assisted iteration method. The results of the inversion show a lithology that comprises of the top soil and a paralic sequence of sand and lateritic clay at the depth investigated with varied resistivity and thickness. The flooding is thought to be due to the shallow lateritic clay layer at an average depth of 5.2 m with thickness ranging from 14.5m to 31.8m at the various points of investigation and the shallow depth of the water tabl

Soil characterisation for precision agriculture using remotely sensed imagery in southeastern Nigeria

Remote sensing techniques have been widely used for spatial assessment of soil properties. Traditional techniques involving soil sampling and laboratory analysis are expensive and labour intensive for large areas.High resolution remote sensing data and geographic information systems (GIS) were used for spatial characterization of soil properties in southeast Nigeria. Thesoil parameters investigated include soil texture, pH and drainage pattern. Thetexture, which indicates the sand, silt and clay content in the soil, showed that sandyclay and loamy sand are predominant for the areas investigated. The soils pH ranged from slightly acidic to strongly alkaline. The study has been specifically conducted to making adequate soil data available and acts as a reference for improving soil quality within the area

Conservation and Biodiversity Erosion in Ondo State, Nigeria: (3). Survey of Plant Barks Used in Native Pharmaceutical Extraction in Akoko Region

Survey of plant barks used in native pharmaceutical extraction in Akoko region of Ondo State, Nigeria was carried out. All the species identified were local and the harvesting methods employed were inhibitory. Only about 26% of the species were cultivated and these were cultivated for purposes other than medicine. Sustainable strategies for the continuous supply of the species were identified

Corporate Machiavellianism and Macintyrian Capitalism: The Battle for the Soul of Business

The pursuit of profit and business success has always been the goal of CEOs and many business practitioners. This has further led to the devaluation of the human person in many business practices. This global economic system can best be described as the reinvention of the ―Hobbessian Jungle‖ that is described as the state of ‗war of all against all‘ (bellum omnium contra omnes), and a state of ‗man becoming wolf to man‘ (homo lupus homini). The present economic arrangement bequeaths on us a state where man is involved in constant economic war of self-survival to the detriment of other peoples‘ happiness and wellbeing. That the business world embodies its own morality different from other practices is the final conclusion of some ethicists. Therefore, this paper, with the use of appropriate secondary data, critically examines the fundamental strategy of the corporate world with particular attention placed on the recurrent battle between ―Corporate Machiavellianists‖ and ―MacIntyrian Capitalists‖. Alasdair MacIntyre‘s intellectual-moral intervention is worthy of critical assessment in any interpersonal relationship, the corporate world inclusive. Alasdair MacIntyre‘s theory of virtue forms the basis of interrogating unethical business practices generated from the loopholes in the capitalist economic system. This paper concludes by recommending the emergence of virtuous corporations or MacIntyrian capitalis

Geochemical Analysis of Domestic Groundwater Sources in a Suburb of Ota, Southwestern Nigeria

Groundwater as one of the most valuable natural resources supports human health, economic development and ecological diversity. The activities of many constituents related to groundwater such as micro-organisms, gases, inorganic and organic materials can lead to contamination of well water, municipal drinking water sources and the environment. Therefore, geochemical analyses of domestic groundwater sources within Iju, Southwestern Nigeria have been conducted to determine the groundwater properties of water samples from available hand-dug wells and boreholes within the area. Fifteen (15) water samples sourced from wells and boreholes within the study area were analyzed for their major trace elements using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) in the laboratory and physiochemical characteristics such as pH, total dissolved solids and conductivity were calculated to determine the suitability of such water for agricultural and domestic consumption. The bulk analysis on the water samples revealed that majority of the trace elements when compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water standards and Acme Laboratory Canada Method Detection Limits (MDL) have values that agree with the recommended limit. These findings show that the present status of groundwater in Iju is good for domestic and agricultural purposes. However, the presence of trace elements such as Lead, Bromide, Copper, Potassium, Manganese, Rubidium and Silicon in fairly high quantities in the groundwater samples which may be as a result of treatment in the water or dissolved salts in the groundwater may constitute major health hazards if not quickly checked. In spite of groundwater studies done in Ota, important information on groundwater resources in Iju is still largely unavailable. Thus, groundwater management can be effectively planned based on these results for the study area

Assessment of soil petrophysical parameters using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and induced polarization techniques.

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and time domain induced polarization (IP) techniques has been used to assess the spatial variability of the soil petrophysical properties in Covenant University Farm, Ota, southwestern Nigeria. Apparent resistivity and chargeability of the induced polarization effect were concurrently measured along six traverses using Wenner array. The observed data were inverted to produced 2D electrical resistivity and chargeability models of the soil. The inverse models were used to delineate the tilled layer from the untilled layer, and qualitatively assess the degree of compaction and lateral thickness of the soil. Other petrophysical properties such as amount of clay volume, moisture content and organic matter in the soil which are related to the electrical conductivity of the soil were also inferred. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of ERT and time domain induced polarization techniques for accessing the variations of soil conditions in large tracts of land for precision agriculture

Geochemical Analysis of Domestic Groundwater Sources in a Suburb of Ota, Southwestern Nigeria

Groundwater as one of the most valuable natural resources supports human health, economic development and ecological diversity. The activities of many constituents related to groundwater such as micro-organisms, gases, inorganic and organic materials can lead to contamination of well water, municipal drinking water sources and the environment. Therefore, geochemical analyses of domestic groundwater sources within Iju, Southwestern Nigeria have been conducted to determine the groundwater properties of water samples from available hand-dug wells and boreholes within the area. Fifteen (15) water samples sourced from wells and boreholes within the study area were analyzed for their major trace elements using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) in the laboratory and physiochemical characteristics such as pH, total dissolved solids and conductivity were calculated to determine the suitability of such water for agricultural and domestic consumption. The bulk analysis on the water samples revealed that majority of the trace elements when compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water standards and Acme Laboratory Canada Method Detection Limits (MDL) have values that agree with the recommended limit. These findings show that the present status of groundwater in Iju is good for domestic and agricultural purposes. However, the presence of trace elements such as Lead, Bromide, Copper, Potassium, Manganese, Rubidium and Silicon in fairly high quantities in the groundwater samples which may be as a result of treatment in the water or dissolved salts in the groundwater may constitute major health hazards if not quickly checked. In spite of groundwater studies done in Ota, important information on groundwater resources in Iju is still largely unavailable. Thus, groundwater management can be effectively planned based on these results for the study area

Assessment of chromium and nickel in agricultural soil: implications for sustainable agriculture

Fertilizers in soil management can alter soil physical, chemical and biological compositions, and introduce trace elements such as chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) into the agricultural soils. The carcinogenic tendencies of these trace elements at elevated concentrations in plants, animals and humans make it a serious concern. Soil samples from a farm in Ota, Southwest Nigeria wereanalysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results indicate that the farm's nickel (Ni) is within the permissible limits, while chromium (Cr) concentrationsexceeded the WHO/FAO allowable limits. Nickel has a mean value of 47.12 mg/kg in the soil, while chromium has a mean value of 152.20 mg/kg. These toxic elements' contamination assessment result has shown the descending order of Ni>Cd in the studied farm. The toxicity of nickel and chromiumin soils causes chlorosis, stunted rootsand inhibits plants growth

A Simulation Study of Functional Electrical Stimulation for An Upper Limb Rehabilitation Robot using Iterative Learning Control (ILC) and Linear models

A proportional iterative learning control (P-ILC) for linear models of an existing hybrid stroke rehabilitation scheme is implemented for elbow extension/flexion during a rehabilitative task. Owing to transient error growth problem of P-ILC, a learning derivative constraint controller was included to ensure that the controlled system does not exceed a predefined velocity limit at every trial. To achieve this, linear transfer function models of the robot end-effector interaction with a stroke subject (plant) and muscle response to stimulation controllers were developed. A straight-line point-point trajectory of 0 - 0.3 m range served as the reference task space trajectory for the plant, feedforward, and feedback stimulation controllers. At each trial, a SAT-based bounded error derivative ILC algorithm served as the learning constraint controller. Three control configurations were developed and simulated. The system performance was evaluated using the root means square error (RMSE) and normalized RMSE. At different ILC gains over 16 iterations, a displacement error of 0.0060 m was obtained when control configurations were combined.Comment: 15 pages, 16 Figure

Soil characterization using satellite remote sensing in southwestern Nigeria: Implications for precision agriculture

Timely and reliable soil information with respect to their nature extent and spatial distribution is very essential for the optimal utilization of available natural resources in sustained bases. The technology advances in the field of remote sensing; Geographical Information System (GIS) have augmented the efficiency of soil survey. The use of advanced computer technologies with database can be used in decision making, risk assessment and environmental modelling. Precisely this project aims at the application of high spatial resolution satellite data (LANDAT 7) for assessing soil properties which include soil pH, soil texture and soil drainage. This study was carried out in South Western Nigeria in order to map out some soil characteristics with the use of remotely sensed data to assess their variability within the area in order to improve precision agriculture within the area