Challenges of communication between the client and contractor during construction projects: the Nigerian perspective

Communication today has become the crucial element of every organization. In the construction industry, during a construction project, information needs to be accurately and timely communicated among project stakeholders in order to realize the project objectives. Poor communication between clients and contractors during the construction project is one of the major factors that affect project delivery. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the causes and effects of poor communication between clients and contractors. This was achieved by identifying the causes and effects of poor communication between clients and contractors in the Nigerian construction industry through a statistical analysis. It is hypothesized that poor communication between clients and contractors, significantly affects construction projects. The population of the respondents is 150, and survey method of data collection was used. One hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires were distributed to clients and contractors in the construction industry with 80% of respondents’ rate. Several analyses such as frequency mean, ranking and Regression were used to analyze the data. The results show that, lack of cooperation and selfish interest was the most causes of poor communication between the client and contractor. Identifying barriers to communication among stakeholders in construction industry contribute in perfecting communication that result in enhancing project delivery

Assessment of water quality for selected boreholes and sachets water in Maigatari Town, Jigawa State, Nigeria

Eight water samples were collected, four from different vendors of sachet water and four from different boreholes across Maigatari town. The samples were analyzed for pH using pH meter; Electrical Conductivity using a conductivity meter; while Turbidity of the water using turbidity meter. TDS and TSS using TDS meter. The electron microscope was used to determine the microbial counts. The results of the analysis revealed the range of values for the four (4) sachet and borehole waters respectively as pH (7 – 7.6) and (6 – 6.3); Conductivity (181 – 600) and (413 – 998) µS/m; Turbidity (0 – 2) and (1 – 2) NTU; Total Dissolve Solids (128 – 219) and (131 – 405) Mg/L; Total Suspended Solids (62 – 85) and (71 – 88) Mg/L; Total Solids (227 – 288) and (215 – 476) Mg/L; Microbes (0 – 1) and (0 – 3) cfu/mL; Total Hardness (41.5 – 111) and (50.1 – 123.3) Mg/L. The result also revealed strong positive correlation between pH and Conductivity (0.780); pH and TDS (0.875); pH and Microbes (1.046); turbidity and TS (0.906); Turbidity and Hardness (0.933); TS and Hardness (0.972) in sachet water. While Strong positive correlation existed between Conductivity and TDS (0.861); Conductivity and TSS (0.809); TDS and TSS (0.941) in borehole water. The water quality parameters analyzed were within the threshold of the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) with the exception of very few in one or the other samples. The parameters were significantly related to one another. It was however, recommended that the water vendors should improve the drinking water quality of their products and the officials of the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) should ensure strict adherence to regulations for drinking water quality.Keywords: Borehole, Sachet, Quality, Water, Turbidity, Conductivity, Total Dissolve Solid

HEAVY METALS ACCUMULATION IN SOIL AND GROUND WATER FROM A WASTE DUMPSITE IN MAKURDI, NIGERIA USING COLD VAPOUR METHOD

The safety of waste dumpsite situated within the heart of many developing cities of the world continues to be a source of worry within the scientific community. The extent of environmental pollution by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) waste dumpsite in Makurdi, Benue State was investigated by determining the concentrations of mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) in 26 soil samples and 3 groundwater (GW) samples collected around the waste dumpsite. Environmentally available metals were acid extracted from soil and groundwater samples and determined using cold vapor method. Mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) levels in soil ranged from (0.25-0.38), (0.01-0.11) and (0.23-0.35), (0.001-0.10)mg/kg for 25cm and 50cm depth respectively. The concentrations in the ground water were: Hg (0.27-0.33). These levels for mercury were far higher in varying degrees than background levels, suggestion serious anthropogenic influence from the landfill. The concentration of Hg in the soil and groundwater sample is higher than permissible limits indicating a common origin for the metals. Pollution and Geoaccumulation indices revealed pollution of soil and groundwater, therefore, an urgent attention to mitigate this menace is required by government and stakeholders.&nbsp

Post Occupancy Evaluation of Students' Hostel Facilities in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi

The study aimed to assess the level of students' satisfaction with the hostel facilities in the Gubi Campus of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi to evaluate the performance of the hostels. A survey approach was used to collect relevant data for the study. Two hundred forty-three students were selected to participate in the study using a systematic random sampling strategy. Data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that the students were delighted with the alternative power supply, artificial lighting, and the room's natural lighting. It was also found that students were dissatisfied with the bathroom facilities, handheld fire extinguishers and toilet facilities. The result of the ANOVA revealed that there is no significant difference among the students occupying different blocks of hostels regarding their satisfaction with the facilities provided similarly. The result of the t-test showed that there is no significant difference between male and female students in satisfaction with the hostel facilities offered

Analisis Strategi Pemasaran Produk Digital CRM di PT Infomedia Nusantara

The purpose of this research is to reformulate the marketing strategy of Digital CRM products where at this time, in the digital era, the contribution of revenue generated by CRM Digital is still very low if we compared with Inbound Call (Legacy CRM). This research applied the qualitative approach with a descriptive type of research and using PEST analysis, Industry Environment 5 Forces Porter Analysis, SWOT, and 7P Marketing Mix. Based on the analysis of external and internal factors, we get several alternative strategies such as 1) Product: focus on offering Integrated Omnichannel products, offering CRM as Managed Service; increasing maturity of application or platform and providing analytics enablers as a competitive advantage, 2) Price: implementing a flexible business scheme and conducting cost leadership, 3) Place: maximizing Telkom's Customer Facing Unit (CFUE) for marketing channels and doing global penetration, 4) People: building capabilities and competencies through training and certification 4) Process: make transformation process from conventional into automation, cognitive and Artificial Intelligence; Collaborate with partners to build a digital platform, robotics, and analytics 5) Promotion: creating brand awareness, channel awareness and focus on internal promotion at TelkomGroup.   Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui existing strategi pemasaran produk Digital CRM dan merumuskan ulang strategi pemasaran berdasarkan alternatif strategi yang diusulkan. Pendekatan penelitian yang digunakan adalah kualitatif dengan jenis penelitian deskriptif yang menggunakan analisis faktor eksternal dan internal yaitu Analisis PEST, Analisis Lingkungan Industri 5 Forces Porter, 7S Mckinsey, SWOT, STP dan Bauran Pemasaran 7P. Alternatif Strategi yang diusulkan: 1) Product: fokus pada produk Integrated Omnichannel, menawarkan layanan CRM sebagai Managed Service, peningkatan maturity dari segi aplikasi /platform dan memberikan analytics enabler sebagai bentuk competitive advantage, 2) Price: Merapkan flexible business scheme dan melakukan Cost Leadership, 3) Place: memaksimalkan Customer Facing Unit Enterprise (CFUE) Telkom untuk channel pemasaran , melakukan penetrasi Global 4) People : membangun kemampuan dan kompetensi melalui training, sertifikasi, dan sharing session; redefine job roles, pembuatan kebijakan project delivery,  mengembangkan roadmap untuk operational talent, 5) Promotion: meng-create Brand Awareness, and Channel Awareness serta fokus melakukan promosi di internal TelkomGroup. Kata kunci : Strategi Pemasaran; Analisis PEST, 5 Forces Porter, SWOT, Bauran Pemasaran 7P

Study on the morphology of polyacrylamide – silica fumed nanocomposite thin films

Silica fumed nanoparticles were dispersed in polyacrylamide thin films by direct mixing. Atomic Force Microscopy study was carried out in order to analyze the surface roughness. Height distribution of surface roughness changes from Gaussian like for polyacrylamide to skew asymmetric when increasing the silica concentration. The length of the distribution tail increases, indicating the formation of multi-scale features that increase in number and size, as the silica increase.The authors acknowledge the financial support of the German research foundation (DFG), French academy of sciences and French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Philippe Meyer and the Meyer Foundation

Breast cancer management pathways during the COVID-19 pandemic: outcomes from the UK ‘Alert Level 4’ phase of the B-MaP-C study

Abstract: Background: The B-MaP-C study aimed to determine alterations to breast cancer (BC) management during the peak transmission period of the UK COVID-19 pandemic and the potential impact of these treatment decisions. Methods: This was a national cohort study of patients with early BC undergoing multidisciplinary team (MDT)-guided treatment recommendations during the pandemic, designated ‘standard’ or ‘COVID-altered’, in the preoperative, operative and post-operative setting. Findings: Of 3776 patients (from 64 UK units) in the study, 2246 (59%) had ‘COVID-altered’ management. ‘Bridging’ endocrine therapy was used (n = 951) where theatre capacity was reduced. There was increasing access to COVID-19 low-risk theatres during the study period (59%). In line with national guidance, immediate breast reconstruction was avoided (n = 299). Where adjuvant chemotherapy was omitted (n = 81), the median benefit was only 3% (IQR 2–9%) using ‘NHS Predict’. There was the rapid adoption of new evidence-based hypofractionated radiotherapy (n = 781, from 46 units). Only 14 patients (1%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during their treatment journey. Conclusions: The majority of ‘COVID-altered’ management decisions were largely in line with pre-COVID evidence-based guidelines, implying that breast cancer survival outcomes are unlikely to be negatively impacted by the pandemic. However, in this study, the potential impact of delays to BC presentation or diagnosis remains unknown

Fabrication and Characterization of Aluminum Nitride Nanoparticles by RF Magnetron Sputtering and Inert Gas Condensation Technique

Aluminum nitride nanoparticles (AlN-NPs) were fabricated by a RF magnetron sputtering and inert gas condensation technique. By keeping the source parameters and sputtering time of 4 h fixed, it was possible to produce AlN-NPs with a size in the range of 2–3 nm. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-visible absorption were used to characterize the obtained AlN-NPs. AFM topography images showed quazi-sphere nanoparticles with a size ranging from 2 to 3 nm. The XRD measurements confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure of AlN nanoparticles. Furthermore, the optical band gap was determined by the UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The Raman spectroscopy results showed vibration transverse-optical modes A1(TO), E1(TO), as well as longitudinal-optical modes E1(LO), A1(LO)

Kutubun Qayyimatun 34: Madinatu al Qudsi

128 hal.; 14 cm

Structural, electrostatic force microscopy, work function, and optical characterization of pure and Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles

The electrical and optical characteristics of pure and Al-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were analyzed. The work function of these nanoparticles was investigated using Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM). The work function of the Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles was found to be lower than that of undoped ZnO nanoparticles. Electrostatic Force Microscopy (EFM) was employed to map the distribution of charges and conductivity in both ZnO and Al -doped ZnO, revealing enhanced charge trapping and increased conductivity in the Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles compared to the undoped ones. XRD analysis verified that both pure ZnO and Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles exhibited a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure. Additionally, Raman spectroscopy revealed new vibrational modes at 572 cm−1, which were attributed to E1 (LO) in Al-doped ZnO. UV–visible spectroscopy indicated that the band gap of Al -doped ZnO nanoparticles is wider than that of pure ZnO nanoparticles, Additionally, photoluminescence spectroscopy demonstrated a blue shift in the emission spectrum of the Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles, accompanied by a reduction in green emission defects