Socio Economic Effect on the Use of Information and Communication Technology among Rural Farming Households in Afijio Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria

This study was conducted in Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. It investigated the types ofinformation and communication technologies used by farmers, the most frequently used, the level of utilizationof the existing information and communication technology, farmers accessibility to ICTs and constraints faced inusing ICT facilities in the study area. Analytical techniques used include descriptive statistics such aspercentages, table and frequency; and Logit model analysis. A multistage sampling technique was used to selectthe Local Government, four (4) villages and thirty (30) farmers per village. One hundred and twenty (120)questionnaires were administered while one hundred and sixteen (116) were retrieved and used for analysis. Thesocio-economic characteristics of the farmers in the study area shows that the mean age of the farmers was 45years while majority (92%) were male and 8% were female. The use of ICTs (Radio) and accessibility to ICTconstituted 76% and 85% respectively. Majority (91%) argued that lack of power supply was a menace to ICT inthe study area. The results of Logit model revealed that age (p<0.05), marital status (p<0.05), and majoroccupation (farming) (p<0.01) significantly affect the use of ICT. The study therefore recommended thatgovernment should provide electricity on a sustainable basis to all rural and urban communities for effectivecommunication.Keywords: Information technology, Farming household, Communication, Utilizatio

Quadratic exponential random early detection: a new enhanced random early detection-oriented congestion control algorithm for routers

Network congestion is still a problem on the internet. The random early detection (RED) algorithm being the most notable and widely implemented congestion algorithm in routers faces the problems of queue instability and large delay arising from the presence of an ineffectual singular linear packet dropping function. This research article presents a refinement to RED, named quadratic exponential random early detection (QERED) algorithm, which exploits the advantages of two drop functions, namely quadratic and exponential in order to enhance the performance of RED algorithm. ns-3 simulation studies using various traffic load conditions to assess and benchmark the effectiveness of QERED with two improved variants of RED affirmed that QERED offers a better performance in terms of average queue size and delay metrics at various network scenarios. Fortunately, to replace/upgrade the implementation for RED algorithm with QERED’s in routers will require minimal effort due to the fact that nothing more besides the packet dropping probability profile got to be adjusted

Paclitaxel: Application in Modern Oncology and Nanomedicine-Based Cancer Therapy

Paclitaxel is a broad-spectrum anticancer compound, which was derived mainly from a medicinal plant, in particular, from the bark of the yew tree Taxus brevifolia Nutt. It is a representative of a class of diterpene taxanes, which are nowadays used as the most common chemotherapeutic agent against many forms of cancer. It possesses scientifically proven anticancer activity against, e.g., ovarian, lung, and breast cancers. The application of this compound is difficult because of limited solubility, recrystalization upon dilution, and cosolvent-induced toxicity. In these cases, nanotechnology and nanoparticles provide certain advantages such as increased drug half-life, lowered toxicity, and specific and selective delivery over free drugs. Nanodrugs possess the capability to buildup in the tissue which might be linked to enhanced permeability and retention as well as enhanced antitumour influence possessing minimal toxicity in normal tissues. This article presents information about paclitaxel, its chemical structure, formulations, mechanism of action, and toxicity. Attention is drawn on nanotechnology, the usefulness of nanoparticles containing paclitaxel, its opportunities, and also future perspective. This review article is aimed at summarizing the current state of continuous pharmaceutical development and employment of nanotechnology in the enhancement of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features of paclitaxel as a chemotherapeutic agent

Empirical prediction of optimum process conditions of spark plasma-sintered magnesium composite (AZ91D-Ni-GNPs) using response surface methodology (RSM) approach

In the present study, nickel (Ni) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) are considered as ideal reinforcements for Mg-9Al-1Zn (AZ91D) magnesium alloy to form metal matrix composites (MMCs) because of their excellent mechanical properties. It is essential to utilize effective manufacturing techniques to develop AZ91D magnesium (Mg) alloy-nickel-graphene nanoplatelets (AZ91Z-Ni-GNPs) MMCs. Hence, the spark plasma sintering method is used to fabricate AZ91D-Ni-GNPs composites. HRTEM, OM, SEM, EDS, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate the microstructure, crystallinity, and elemental composition of both the blended powder and the sintered composites. GNPs and Ni were well-dispersed in the AZ91D Mg matrix, and effective interfacial bonding is formed between GNPs, Ni, and Mg alloy matrix powder before sintering. A Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with a central composite design was used to design the experiments by considering two variables, i.e., sintering temperature and pressure. The method was adopted to eliminate the trial-by-error approach. Using the data generated, quadratic regression models were developed for the relative density (g/cm3), and Vickers hardness (HV) of the MMCs, and the parametric effects were explained via RSM. The process parameters were optimized, and the effective interaction between two descriptive variables (process parameters) on the relative density, hardness, and microstructural properties of Mg-based composites was investigated. Validation of the experimental run was performed using optimal process parameters acquired from the analyses to demonstrate the enhancement in the properties of the sintered composites. It was observed that the sintering temperature had a major influence on the relative density and hardness properties (responses). The optimal relative density and hardness obtained for AZ91D-Ni-GNPs composites were 1.723 g/cm3 and 93.21 HV, respectively. The addition of GNPs to AZ91D-Ni produced material with improved properties.The Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Pretoria and Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Information Technology, Pretoria, South Africa.https://link.springer.com/journal/133692023-07-22hj2023Chemical Engineerin

К истории журнала "New Worlds" - первого общенационального журнала фантастики Великобритании

Гопман Владимир Львович. К истории журнала "New Worlds" - первого общенационального журнала фантастики Великобритании [Электронный ресурс] / В. Л. Гопман// Вестник РГГУ. - 2014. - № 12. - С. 111-120. - (Серия "Филологические науки. Журналистика. Литературная критика")