Remediation of contaminated marine sediment using bentonite, kaolin and sand as capping materials

There is a growing public concern over the issue of sediment contamination resulting from industrial, municipal wastewater, mining activities, and improper use of chemical fertilizer or pesticides. The conventional treatment of contaminated sediment is dredging, but this treatment is expensive and requires a large area of land for disposal. In situ capping of contaminated sediment is considered as a cheaper technique compared to dredging and efficient treatment technology to immobilize pollutants in sediments on site. In this technique, sediments are capped by placing a layer of inert materials like sand, clean soil, or gravel or active materials like activated carbon, zeolite, or apatite over sediments in order to reduce the risk to the aquatic environment. The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of using active materials; bentonite (B), kaolin (K), mixture of bentonite with kaolin (1:1) (BK) as capping materials to block the release of five heavy metals (Pb, Cr, Cu, Cd and Zn) from artificially polluted sediments. The effectiveness of B, K, and BK for preventing the leachability of the trace metals was assessed on a bench-scale laboratory experiment in glass tanks for 90 days, where 1cm thick layer of capping material and sand was placed above the contaminated sediment. The results showed that B and BK reduced the leachability of Pb, Cr, and Cu from the sediments. The results also showed that B and BK could be used as potential capping materials for the remediation of contaminated sites due to their significant entrapping of Pb, Cu, and Cr. The pollutants were released into the overlying water from the contaminated sediment in the following decreasing order; Cd > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cr. The adsorption kinetics analysis also showed that the process of adsorption was by chemisorption. This study proved that bentonite and mixture of bentonite with kaolin clays covered with sand could be used as capping materials for in situ treatment of Pb, Cu, Cr, Zn, and Cd for contaminated marine sediment

Addressing English Phobia among the Secondary School Students in the Rural Area of Bangladesh

Second / Foreign Language (S/FL) learning efforts always create tremendous mental pressure on the learner. It is never acquired effortlessly like one’s native language. Naturally it creates anxiety among the learners which ultimately causes phobia among those who desire to acquire an S/FL. If learners fail to facilitate this anxiety, it increasingly dominates and creates phobia. When this phobia gets severe, learners ultimately give up S/FL learning pursuit. It is a very common phenomenon in Bangladeshi secondary schools especially in the rural areas when they learn English as a foreign language. This study, therefore, investigates the causes behind English phobia among the students of the rural areas of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Here, through this study, I seek to explore the challenges of our learners and to find a solution to this problem. In order to find out the causes behind English phobia, I have used mixed method research. I have used questionnaires as well as arranged interview with the participants with a view to finding out factors that function as impediments to learning English. The analysis of the data shows that the phobia is caused by students’ lack of motivation, confidence and aptitude resulting from the inefficient teaching methodologies

Assessing the Gap between Theory and Practice in Implementing CLT at Secondary Level in Bangladesh: A Case Study

The Ministry of Education (MOE) of Bangladesh introduced Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) at the Primary and Secondary levels in 1990s in a hope to bring a qualitative change in the field of language teaching. But the outcome has not been up to the mark. There is a gap between theory of CLT and its implementation in our language teaching scheme. Some mismatches are reported in CLT implementation process in Bangladesh. This study aims at identifying the mismatches –factors- that hinder the implementation of CLT at the Secondary level of Bangladesh with a view to drawing the attention of the education administrators to bring necessary changes towards making language teaching more effectiv

Nigerian drama in performance as a panacea for nation building: A critical appraisal

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Sonographic Assessment of Kidneys in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Seropositive Patients: A systematic Review

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) remains a major challenge globally, and approximately 180,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses in Nigeria in 2015. HIV associated nephropathy is the third most common cause of end-stage renal failure. Objectives: To review published original research articles on the sonographic evaluation of kidneys in HIV seropositive patients, identifying missing gaps and coming up with an area of further study. Methodology: The study was retrospective and a secondary source of data from published original research articles was used. The search was performed through Google search using Google Scholar, EMBASE, PubMed and Medline. All the published original research articles in the English language and the availability of full-text articles were included in the study. Results: An electronic search using the search terms had identified 58 related published articles, but only 12 articles were reviewed. This study found out that human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) to be a most predominant renal disease in HIV positive patients leaving in sub-Saharan Africa with increased renal parenchymal echogenicity and decreased corticomedullary differentiation sonographically, which correlate in raised of serum creatinine level and the degree of patients immune competence (CD4 count). Few studies correlated the sonographic findings with histopathological feature and none uses Doppler ultrasound. Conclusion: This study has identified a correlation of the sonographic findings with the histopathological features and the use of Doppler ultrasound as the missing gaps from the previously published research articles in the subject area

Afro-semio-aesthetics as an interpretative tool in contemporary Nigerian drama: John Iwuh’s The village lamb as a paradigm

It has been observed that people; readers and interpreters misjudge Nigerian playtexts. This is because African semiotics and aesthetics have been dominated and influenced by Western theorists and critics who often misconceive African semio-aesthetics in African playtexts. Thus the problem of this study centres on the interpreters’ perceptions of the aesthetic and semiotic sensibilities of African cultures as “primitive” and inferior. Hence, the study aims at evolving African semio-aesthetic approach that will evaluate, judge, and interpret artistic components and compositions from the point of view of the African and his cultural heritage. Objectives of the study include: to examine African foundations of semiotic and aesthetic analyses for interpretation of playtexts. The study adopts content analysis approach of the qualitative research method. The findings reveal that from the African semio-aesthetic standpoint, Nigerian drama are aimed at effective generation and communication of meaning. Hence, the need for evolvement and integration of African theories of interpretation to permit communication and generation of meanings in Nigerian drama. The paper concludes that cultural elements add to the construct and impact of the dramatic products. Hence, African semio-aesthetics should be applied as interpretative tool in studying contemporary Nigerian drama. The study recommends that African semioaesthetics should be key anchor as an interpretative tool in contemporary  Nigerian play texts

Bridging the Gap Between Theatre Practice and Islamic Studies: An Interdisciplinary Engagement

Theatre is seen as all-encompassing because it delves into every aspect of life as the case may be. On the other hand, Islamic studies deals also, with every aspect of life because it is religious based. To an extent, most Islamic scholars agreed that it a total way of life. But as agreeing as it seems with both disciplines, there exist disparities and misconceptions about theatre and drama by those with religious bigotry. They have misconstrued the discipline of theatre as misleading and misguiding. There is no denying the fact that some persons in any area of study may try to misbehave sometimes, but that may not be concluded as everybody in the particular field of study is wayward. This menace has contributed in painting the theatre discipline black, thus affecting the practice. It is against this backdrop that the study aims at constructing the bridge of understanding between both disciplines, engaging interdisciplinary paradigm. Hence, in order to achieve this, the study adopts the survey approach of quantitative research methodology to investigate how some Muslims have misconstrued theatre and the possible mediation into the challenge. The findings of the study reveal that people, especially Muslims misunderstood theatre because the character and behaviour most people in the discipline portray. The paper thus, concludes that there is need for theatre artists to re-mould the mode of dressing and general behaviour for societal acceptance. Hence, the study recommends that, Islam and Muslims have a very important role in this reconstruction bid between theatre and Islamic studies

Can the Stock Market Anticipate Future Operating Performance?:Evidence from Equity Rights Issues

This paper examines whether the stock market valuation impact is consistent with subsequent operating performance of firms. We use data for equity rights offerings - the widely adopted flotation method in the Netherlands. We first examine the stock market announcement effect of rights issues and observe that a statistically significant stock price decline takes place when companies announce rights issues. Further stock price decline is also observed during the subscription period. We then analyze post-rights issue operating performance of firms and find that, consistent with the announcement period decline in stock price, rights issuing firms subsequently exhibit a statistically significant decline in their operating performance. Additional investigation of both stock and operating performance decline provides full support for the information asymmetry hypothesis, partial support for the free cash flow hypothesis but no support for the window of opportunity hypothesis