Site suitability analysis and route optimization for solid waste disposal in Yola Town, Adamawa State Nigeria

Solid waste management system is a tedious task that is facing both developing and developed countries. Site Suitability analysis and route optimization for solid waste disposal can make waste management cheap and can be used for sustainable development. However, if the disposal site(s) is/are not sited and handle properly, it can cause environmental pollution and affect public health, hence the application of GIS and Remote Sensing to waste disposal Site Suitability analysis and route optimization for solid waste in Yola town. Different factors or criteria were considered in relation to solid waste disposal sites. In order to achieve the aim of this paper, the Boolean logic was used, where suitable areas were assigned value 1 and unsuitable area were assigned 0 for each of the criteria. The Boolean images were overlaid to produce the suitability map. The result of the suitability analysis gave a total of six sites out of which three met the criteria of size having an area of 612.75Ha which constitute 6.12% of the total area of the study area. The optimized route were generated connecting the proposed disposal site which are truck 1, truck 2, and truck 3 with distances of 19.65km, 17.16km and 22.11km respectively. It is recommended that remote sensing and GIS can be used in increasing efficiency of solid waste management in an urban settlement.Keywords: Solid waste, Suitable site, Route Optimization, GIS, Remote Sensing and Disposal sit

The application of simulation to product service systems:A review (WIP)

One innovative strategy among product manufacturers is to compete through the delivery of services to their clients. The range of advanced services provided by these manufacturers are underpinned by a system known as product-service systems (PSS). Based on a literature review, a description of a PSS with its dynamic behaviour is provided. Three PSS modelling and simulation methods (system dynamics, discrete event simulation and agent based simulation) and the nature of their application in the context of PSS are identified and discussed. Results indicate DES as the mostly used simulation approach accounting for over 50% papers reviewed due to its ability to model the dynamic behaviour of PSS over time. Previous and current research have focused on the design and in-service phase of PSS lifecycle phase. The choice of specific simulation method is dependent on the objectives intended, which include optimization of design configuration during the design and development phase and performance evaluation and optimization of resource utilization during the in-service phase of a PSS lifecycle. An area for further research is the application of simulation as a tool for cost analysis and cost estimation

A Comparative Study Of Literacy And Numeracy Between Public And Private Primary Schools In Akwanga Municipal.

It is expected that private schools should look up to government schools for standard that should culminate in better performance. However, parent’s preference is positively disposed towards private primary schools. In this study, two private schools and two public schools were randomly selected from Akwanga Township. Pupils in primary six were used for the study. The instrument for data collection was the Primary Literacy And Numeracy Test (PLNT). The instrument was made of 30 questions taken from the national common entrance examinations. 15 questions were in English, while 15 were in mathematics. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to detect any significant difference between the mean scores of private primary and public primary schools. Results show that the performance of pupils on the PLNT differed significantly in favour of those from the Private Primary Schools. Keywords: Primary, private, public, performanc

Mud House Failures and Mitigation Options in Bauchi, North East Nigeria

The use of soil materials for sustainable construction in developing countries is a viable alternative to concrete based materials. The advantages include availability of soil (earth) materials, reduction of transportation cost, saved embodied energy, reduced environmental degradation and reduced material cost. Mud house collapse is a common yearly phenomenon in Nigeria. Much of this happens during rainy seasons due to flooding generated by heavy rainfall. Whenever this happened, people were rendered homeless and became Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), with the subsequent hardships and sufferings, and sometimes casualties. Sixty seven mud houses in three locations of Bauchi town, North East of Nigeria were investigated.  From observations and returns from structured questionnaires filled by house owners and tenants, about 76% of the houses had failed in form of wall collapses alone. Other data collected included age of houses, composition of wall materials and foundations. Failures were generally severe and widespread for walls of full mud houses, however those plastered with cement/sand mortar had less failure counts. Older mud houses recorded higher failures as against new constructions. Soil samples collected from borrow pits used for the investigated mud houses were tested and their soil type compositions determined in the laboratory.  They slightly fell short of the specified proportional limits of clay, silt and sand considered acceptable for construction purposes except stabilized. Sample bricks made from the soils were tested for compressive strength with an average value of 0.81N/mm2 which is far below the 2.5N/mm2 minimum value for sandcrete blocks specified by the Nigerian Standards Organization. Lack of good quality control measures and improper stabilization procedures, among others were considered responsible for the failed resistance to the environmental factors. Cement stabilization and good urban planning are some of the recommendations

Innovations In Teaching: Between Research And Classroom Practice.

There is an obvious shift of paradigm from the near unproductive method of teaching known as the traditional method that centers teaching around the teacher, to constructivism, which is a conglomerate of teaching methods that centers learning experiences on the learner. Constructivists believe that knowledge is not just handed down to the learner from the teacher, but, that knowledge is actively constructed by the learner. New information is consciously built into the cognitive structure of the learner for meaningful learning to take place. This contrasts markedly from rote learning that dwells so much on memorization and recall of facts otherwise known as rote learning. In this paper, research efforts at innovations are highlighted. However, the critical issue is whether or not these efforts have benefited the teaching service. The paper attempts to answer the question whether or not the teachers at the point of implementation are adequately aware of these innovations, and to find out if there is any mechanism in place for their enlightenment. A 10 item Research Awareness Questionnaire (RAQ) was used to elicit information from 300 teachers randomly selected from secondary schools in three Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State of Nigeria.  Results show that a vast majority of secondary school teachers are out of contact with research efforts. A majority neither read research reports in journals nor engages in any form of research, and there is no formal link between researchers and teachers in the secondary schools. From the results obtained, suggestions and recommendations are made. Keywords: research, learners, teachers, innovations

Utilization of Buffers for Performance Evaluation of Local Area Network Protocols

This paper discusses the performance of traffic flow over Local Area Networks (LAN) utilizing buffers to avoid any irrelevant traffic that clusters the network using sniffer pro. The study applies buffer technology to filter out unnecessary information so the system captures only required information packets. Buffers that capture the protocols are identified. These are. Address Resolution Protocols (ARP), Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). The study identified to the user/analyzer of an Ethernet technology, how to isolate a cluster network problem, monitor network performance, and offer tips on how to correctly assess and fix network problems. The study provides detailed analysis of threshold gauges, errors, broadcasts, multicasts, packets, and many other facets of dashboard graph configurations thereby ensuring a successful network analysis. The study concludes by providing solutions to poor network performance affecting one user, several users, or an entire network

Measurement and Test Performance for Integrated Digital Loop Carrier for White Noise Impairment Using Interleaved Mode

This paper presents results of measurement and test performance for Integrated Digital Loop Carrier (IDLC) technology. The study focuses on cable modem termination systems (CMTSs) that are reported on assortments of operating parameters to the end user based on upstream and downstream modes that are incorporated with statistical analysis approach.. The study focuses on the statistical analytical measurement for noise margins on a particular type of loops – “white noise impairment”

Determination of Rheumatoid Factor in Suspected Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Attending Selected Hospitals in Zaria, Nigeria

The study was carried out to provide information on RF among RA especially in the Northern part of Nigeria is relatively scarce. As such, rheumatoid factor levels in blood could serve as a predictive index for the onset of Rheumatoid arthritis. A total of 182 sera samples were analyse for the presence of IgM rheumatoid factor by ELISA. Seventeen (17) were found to be positive and 165 negative giving a prevalence of 9.3% and 90.7% respectively. The age range of 50 and above had the highest RF positive cases of 4.9%. This is followed by the eighteen (18) to thirty (30) age range. The association was not significant at p-value of 0.05. Similarly, the relationship between RF and gender showed that 5.5% (n=101) of females were positive while than 3.8% (n=81) of males were positive. The association was not significant. The highest participants had tertiary level of education which has a RF prevalence of 4.4%. Most of the participants that tested positive for RF were married (8.2%). There was no significant association between positivity for RF and level of education as well as marital status. There was however no statistical significant association between RF and the signs and symptoms (stiffness of joints, swelling around the joints, general fatigue, muscle pains, fever 13 and joint pains). Out of the 29 patients with history investigated for RA, 4 (2.2%) were positive for RF. Among the participants that smoke cigarette (n=4), none was RF positive. Both factors did not show significant association at a p-value of 0.05. The information in this study would serve as a predictive index for the onset of Rheumatoid arthritis. Keywords: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Rheumatoid Factor, Auto-immune disease, synovial inflammatio

Heavy Metal Analysis of Soil Around Mine Sites in Ameri, Enyigba, and Ishiagu in Ebonyi State

Heavy metal contamination of soil, water and crops, and their health impact on residents, is a persistent social issue, and several studies have identified health risks of residents living near operational and abandoned mines. In this study, eight (8) homogenous soil samples were collected from mining sites in Enyigba, Ameri and Ishiagu in Ebonyi State, south-eastern Nigeria and analyzed for Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Mn, and Ag. Metal concentration was determined using the Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) technique. Result for the heavy metals followed the trend: Mn > Zn > Pb > Ni > Ag > Co for the soil analyzed. However, lead (Pb) was only detected in Enyigba mining sites. Metal concentrations in some samples indicated soil contamination from Mn, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Ag, which showed high concentration than the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) (1986) permissible limit for heavy metals in agricultural soil; only Co was recorded at a concentration below the US EPA (1986) permissible limit for all samples analyzed. The variations observed for the heavy metals suggest that both geologic and anthropogenic activities may be responsible for their distribution. Keywords: Anthropogenic; contamination, geologic; health risks; heavy metals; mines; soil. DOI: 10.7176/JEES/9-10-12 Publication date:October 31st 201