Analysis of University of Ilorin Lecturers’ and Students' Awareness and use of Learning Management System Platforms in Pre and Post Covid-19

The study examined the University of Ilorin lecturers’ and students’ level of awareness and use of learning management system platforms in the pre and post COVID-19 lockdown. A descriptive survey was adopted for the study where all lecturers and students across all the 13 faculties of the University of Ilorin constituted the population. A total of 1813 (322 Lecturers and 1491 students respectively) were randomly sampled for the study. A 25-item researcher-designed questionnaire entitled “Learning Management Systems Platforms Questionnaire (LMSPTQ)” with psychometric properties of content validity and a 0.71 reliability index was used to elicit the required data. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of percentage, and the mean percentage was used to answer the research question. Findings are also summarized in a bar chart. The findings revealed that Learning Management System platforms was not prominent and were of low use in the pre-COVID-19 era while they were prominent and enjoyed high usage during the post-COVID-19 lockdown. Platforms such as Zoom, Google Classroom, Google meet, telegram, WhatsApp, and YouTube, among others enjoyed high usage. It was thus recommended that learning management systems platforms should be adopted for use by universities beyond the University of Ilorin since such platforms are used by all faculties and departments. KEYWORDS: Awareness, Pre and Post-COVID-19, Google meet, Google classroom, Managemen

Influence of Classroom Conduciveness on Students and Teachers’ attitude towards lessons’ attendance in Kwara South Senatorial District

The study assessed the influence of classroom conduciveness on students' and teachers’ attitude towards lessons’ attendance in Senior School in Kwara South senatorial district. A descriptive form of survey design was adopted. The multistage sampling procedure was employed in sampling the respondents, which are the senior school II students and teachers from 33 public schools. One thousand one hundred and seventy-six students and teachers were proportionately sampled from 3,609. A – 10 items four-points-Likert scale Researchers’ designed questionnaire was adopted to elicit data, entitled “Teachers and Students Assessment of the Influence of Class Conduciveness on their Attitude towards lesson attendance (TSAICCATLA)”. The mean, standard deviation and z-test at 0.05 alpha level were used in the analysis of the data. The findings revealed that a classroom with poor physical structures of building, ceiling, ventilation, and lighting negatively affects both the teachers and students’ attitude and attendance to lessons. Likewise, Poor classroom facilities that is furniture and fan among others also constituted negative influence on teachers and students attitude to attendance to lessons and lastly, no significant difference existed in the assessment of both the teachers' and students' attitude towards lesson attendance in Kwara south senatorial district. It was classroom conduciveness which influenced students’ and teachers’ attitudes. Thus, it was recommended, that a school administrator should make classrooms conducive to facilitate effective teaching and learning. KEYWORDS: Conduciveness, Classroom, Attitude, Teaching, Attendance,Facilitie

Gut microflora of cultured and captured Clarias gariepinus

The diversity and microbial load of the micro flora inhabiting the gut sections of captured and the cultured Clarias gariepinus were investigated. The gut contents of the fish were isolated and characterized using standard method. The results of the characterization revealed the presence of bacteria and fungi in the guts of the fish. The bacteria isolated from the captured fish were Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella mobilis, Enterobacter spp, Shigella spp, and Micrococcus varians while Citrobacter spp, Proteus vulgaris, Enterobacter spp, Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens and Shigella spp were isolated from the cultured fish.. The fungi isolates found in the gut of the captured fish included, Penicillium chrysogenum, Fusarium spp and Rhizopus stolonifer while Aspergillus flavus, Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigates were isolated in the cultured fish. The bacteria count obtained from the fore gut, mid gut and hind gut of the captured fish were; 1.4 x 1O-~B cfu/g, 1.7 x 1O-~B cfu/g and 2.7 x 1O-~B cfu/g while that of cultured fish had 2.8 x 10-~B cfu/g, 2.05 x 10-~Bcfu/g and 2.65 x 10-~Bcfu/g respectively. The spore count of the fungi isolated from the fore gut, mid gut and hind gut of captured fish ranged between 4.0 x 10-~B spore/g and 9.0 x 1O-~B spore/g while the count obtained from the cultured fish ranged between 3.0 x 10-~B and 9.05 x 1O-~B spore/g. The hind gut had the highest number of species and microbial load in both captured and cultured fish than the other region. Though, there was significant difference (P0.05). The results therefore suggest that there is diversity in microbial composition and microbial load in different sections of the gut of cultured and captured fish which may reflect of the environment where they were raised

Factors Hindering Retention of Basic School Teachers in Border Areas as Perceived by Educational Stakeholder in Katsina State, Nigeria

This study is a descriptive survey research that investigated factors hindering retention of basic school teachers in border areas as expressed by education stakeholders (teachers and community members) in Katsina state of north-Western, Nigeria. A researchers- design questionnaire with psychometrics properties of content validity as well as 0.68 reliability index was administered to 234 respondents. Mean rating with 2.50 as accepted mean score value was adopted to answer the research questions raised in the study. While test was used to test the research hypotheses raised. The results revealed that lack of social amenities of life, lack of special allowances for teachers deployed to serve in the border areas, as well as insecurity of the border areas among others constitute serious part of the factors hindering retention of basic school teachers in the border areas of Katsina State. The researcher recommends that, in the areas, provision of social amenities and adequate security to enhance high rate of teachers’ retention in the border areas. Finally, the researchers also recommended that the Federal Government of Nigeria should focus special attention on the plight of people living in the border areas. Keywords: Border areas, Teacher retention, Basic Education,  Education stakeholders and Border educatio

Characterization of Coal obtained from the Sahelian Regions of Nigeria and Niger Republic

Coal is the most widely available fossil fuel energy resource. This work was carried out to compare the composition, Sulphur content and combustibility of the Nigerian and Nigerien coal samples. Coal samples were obtained from Enugu, Nigeria, Tahuoa and Agadez of Niger Republic. Results indicated that, coal samples from Tahuoa (RS/T) and coal from Agadez (RS/A) have highest percentage of fixed carbon (71.2% and 61.0% for Tohoua and Agadez respectively), while the coal from Enugu (RS/E), Nigeria, have the least percentage (49.2%) which made them to have high fuel ratio enabling them to be more combustible, as determined by the thermal efficiency test. The study revealed that the coal from Niger is of higher grade with ease of combustion and less smoke as found in the combustibility test. Keywords: Coal, Sulphur, fuel ratio, carbon content, combustion and thermal efficiency

Obstructive urolithiasis in a 11/2 – year old Ouda–Yankasa ram: case report

Obstructive urolithiasis is the retention of urine subsequent to the lodgement of calculi in the urinary tract from the kidney up to the urethral orifice. This report describes the post-mortem and chemical analysis findings of the calculi in an 18-month old Ouda-Yankasa cross ram presented at the Large Animal Clinic of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. The patient was presented on 20th of March, 2013 with reports of anorexia, disinclination to drink water and anuria that developed four days before presentation at the clinic. On clinical examination, urethral blockage and mild ascites were observed. Cystocentesis was performed to relieve the patient and plain radiograph taken but was not diagnostic. The patient died before definitive diagnosis was made for rational treatment. The post - mortem findings include frothy exudate in the trachea and bronchial airways, congestion of the lungs, hydroperitoneum with recovered fluid measuring 2,350 ml, splenomegaly, hydronephrosis, distended urinary bladder, severe haemorrhagic cystitis, urinary calculi in the bladder and throughout the urethral length and urethral stricture. The urinary calculi recovered were white, friable and amorphous, ranging from small particles to 5mm in diameter. Histopathologic section of the kidney showed atrophied glomeruli. It can thus be concluded that the atrophied glomeruli in turn impaired glomerular filtration which invariably pre-disposed the patient to uraemia leading to its death. The chemical analysis of the calculi showed that the calculi was either oxalate, phosphate or silicate, or any of these mixtures.Keywords: calculi, obstruction, phosphate, uraemi

Prevalence and pattern of hyperuricemia in a survey among inhabitants of Sokoto metropolis, north western Nigeria

Objective. Hyperuricemia is increasingly being recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular, metabolic and renal diseases. Studies have revealed links between urate, cardiovascular events and metabolic syndrome with considerable ethnic and geographical variation. Although clinical features may develop in persons with hyperuricemia, more than 60% remain symptomatic. There are no definite criteria for therapeutic intervention in patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia. The study attempts to determine the prevalence and pattern of hyperuricemia among inhabitants of Sokoto in a bid to identify associated factors and threshold for rational therapy.Methods. A cross sectional survey of 161 adults in which demographic indices including physical examination, anthropometric measurements were obtained with urine and blood samples taken for analysis. Statistical evaluation was done, using SPSS version 16 (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL)Results. Hyperuricemia was documented in 20.5%, with male to female ratio of 2:1 and higher mean urate level in males. Urate level increased with age; ranging from 5.0mmol/L±1.8 among 20-29 years to 6.5mmol/L±1.6 in those aged 50-59 years. Systemic hypertension, type 2 DM, Obesity and kidney dysfunction were commoner among normouricemic than hyperuricemic subjects.Conclusions. Hyperuricemia is common, especially among male gender and advancing age. The association between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular events remains a contentious issue as prevalence of type 2 DM, obesity and kidney dysfunction were similar in hyperuricemic and normouricemic subjects. We could not determine threshold to commence treatment for elevated uric acid level. A larger population and multicentre research is required to prove a link between hyperuricemia and some components of metabolic syndrome.Keywords: Hyperuricemia, Prevalence, Pattern, Sokoto, Nigeri

Pediatric Blood Culture Isolates and Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

Introduction: There is a significant variation in the bacterial pathogens implicated in childhood septicemia and their antibiotic sensitivity patternfrom place to place. Sustained monitoring of this dynamics is therefore critical to rational antibiotic use. Materials and Methods: This study was thus conducted to determine the etiology of childhood septicemia and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern. Blood culture results (contaminants excluded), age, and sex of all pediatric patients with suspected septicemia between January 2013 and December 2014 were retrieved. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Over a 2‑year period, a total of 3680 blood samples were processed. Pathogenic bacteria were isolated in 701 samples (19%).    Staphylococcus aureus was the most common isolate (41.4%) and was most sensitive to ampicillin‑sulbactam (89%). Klebsiella species (21.7%),  coagulase‑negative Staphylococcus (14.7%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11%) were other common organisms isolated. Virtually, all the isolates demonstrated a reliable susceptibility to ciprofloxacin except for S. aureus and Klebsiella species which were most sensitive to ampicillin‑sulbactam and imipenem, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusions, S. aureus is the leading cause of childhood septicemia in this locale. The significant rate of isolation of the supposedly less virulent organisms calls for an urgent review of potential risk factors and an appraisal of the hospital infection control policies and structures. Keywords: Antibiotics, isolates, paediatri

Covariant Quantization of Superstrings Without Pure Spinor Constraints

We construct a covariant quantum superstring, extending Berkovits' approach by introducing new ghosts to relax the pure spinor constraints. The central charge of the underlying Kac-Moody algebra, which would lead to an anomaly in the BRST charge, is treated as a new generator with a new b-c system. We construct a nilpotent BRST current, an anomalous ghost current and an anomaly-free energy-momentum tensor. For open superstrings, we find the correct massless spectrum. In addition, we construct a Lorentz invariant B-field to be used for the computation of the integrated vertex operators and amplitudes.Comment: 30 page