Justification for Reform in Library and Information Science Education in Nigerian Universities

With the advent of ICT and new ways of creating, storing, organizing, packaging, and providing information, the role of library and information science education has changed. Library schools in universities in Nigeria must undergo systematic and strategic reform. This paper attempts to establish what reforms are required and how they can be implemented. It identifies the role of the Nigerian Library Association, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and other stakeholders, and suggests strategies for sustainable reform

Print Media Objectivity and Advertising Revenue: An Appraisal

This paper is an analysis of the interface between objectivity of print media and advertising revenue. It adopts the analytical approach in analyzing the perceptual influence of sources of advert revenue on print media content. The primary objective is to ascertain whether the source of advert revenue influences media content. It recommends, among others, that print media organizations should adhere to professionalism and ethical tenets in generating and processing message contents with a view to ensuring objectivity even in the face of pressure from advert revenue sources

A Comparative Analysis of Segmental and Suprasegmental Features of the Received Pronunciation (RP) and General American (GAM)

This is a comparative analysis of the Received Pronunciation (RP) and General American (GAM). The researcher adopted a theoretical approach. Two dialects: the RP and CAM are adequately and specifically considered. They represent widely two standard dialects of English language used in the United Kingdom and the North America. They are equally the dialects taught to non-native learner of English outside the United Kingdom and the North America. In order to arrive at comprehensive findings, the researcher examines the segmental and suprasegmental features of the RP and CAM. The segmentals are vowels and consonants, while the segmentals are stress, rhythm and intonation. Also, in order to adequate information for this research, books, articles and (from the World Wide Web) on the RP and GAM are consulted. The findings reveal that there are similarities and differences in segmental and suprasegmental features of the RP. The study concluded that Keywords: Comparative Analysis, Segmental and Suprasegmental, Received Pronunciation, General American Ga

Online Advertising Revenue and the Operations of Newspapers in Nigeria: A Qualitative Analysis

Online advertising revenue is arguably a great innovation with ambivalent impact on the operations and management of newspaper industry all over the world. The yields from this innovation is seen as a huge source of survival to newspaper outfits and at the same time pose a lot of challenges for newspapers to establish and maintain online versions. The foregoing has nonetheless led some newspaper outfits to have a fair share of advertising revenue as well as expand their readership base while others have derailed and gone moribund. This study therefore seeks to evaluate the interface between online advertising revenue and operations of newspapers in Nigeria. The study adopts the qualitative analytical approach in highlighting relevant concepts to the topic of inquiry and concludes that Nigeria newspaper industry have joined their counterparts all over the world to have online presence and then enjoy a fair share of online advertising revenue. It recommends among others that newspaper establishments in Nigeria should strive to balance their quest for advertising revenue and professional ethics of journalism. Key words: Online advertising revenue, Operations of newspapers, Qualitative analysis, Nigeria.          

Leaching of Trace Elements in Enugu Coal: Effect of Acid Concentration

The effect of acid concentration on the trace elements composition of Enugu sub-bituminous coal from Onyeama Mine was investigated by leaching the coal using nitric acid (HNO3) of 0.5M, 1.0M, 1.5M and 2.0M concentrations. The amount of trace elements (in ppm) present in the filtrate from the leaching process were determined using Varian AA240 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer with cathode lamps of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb). Optimum leaching condition of the trace metals were obtained using 2.0M HNO3 solution for 1 hour and 75µm particle size which resulted in the detection of As(1.363ppm), Cu (1.413ppm), Cr (0.764ppm), Cd (0.146), and Pb (1.942ppm). 2.0M concentration of nitric acid has proven to be very effective in the leaching of trace metals in Enugu coal. Result of the SEM analysis shows that the porosity of the coal residue was increased and this provides strong evidence that significant amounts of inorganic elements were removed. Onyeama coal, therefore, contains large proportions of silica, calcium carbonate, and dolomite, as well as some elements such as aluminum, iron, and potassium, and other trace metals such as lead, chromium, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, copper

Comparative Effect of Poultry and Swine Manures on the Performance of White Guinea Yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir) in an Ultisols Environment

White Guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir) is an important staple food in a number of African countries, including Nigeria and Ghana. However, the tuber yield in these areas is below its potential yield. The most probably constraint to low tuber yield is the low soil nutrient status. A field trial was conducted at the Experimental Farm of the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria, between April and November 2016 and 2017, to evaluate the effect of poultry and swine manures on the growth and tuber yield of white Guinea yam (D. rotundata) in an ultisols environment. The trial was laid out in a 2 × 3 split plot arrangement fitted into randomized complete block design with three replicates. The main plots were organic fertilizers (poultry and swine manures) and the sub-plots were represented by three rates (0, 300 and 450 kg N ha-1) of application. Data collection on growth characters were on vine length (cm), vine girth (cm), number of nodes, number of leaves and leaf area index. At harvest, tuber length (cm), tuber girth (cm), number of tubers per plant, tuber weight and tuber yield (t ha-1) were also evaluated. The results showed that growth and yield variables varied significantly (p < 0.05) with organic fertilizer types and application rates. Poultry manure treated plants produced higher (p < 0.05) number of nodes and leaves than swine manure treated plants. Application rates of 300 and 450 kg N ha-1 of poultry manure significantly increased vine length, vine girth, number of nodes and leaves as well as leaf area index. Tuber weight and yield were higher in plants treated with poultry manure with the application rates of 300 and 450 kg N ha-1 performed better than control in 2016, while the application rate of 300 kg N ha-1 had the highest tuber weight and yield in 2017. Application rates of 300 and 450 kg N ha-1 performed better than the control (0 kg N ha-1) in 2016. However, in 2017, application rate of 300 kg Nha-1 had the highest tuber weight and yield. The present study suggests that poultry manure at application rate of 300 kg N ha-1 could be adopted by white Guinea yam farmers for high productivity of the crop under intense and continuous cropping in humid ultisols environment

Determination of trace elements in urban airborne particulates (PM10) using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectroscopy

assessment of the air quality in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK was performed by determining the trace element content in airborne particulates (PM10). Samples were collected over a 12 month period (March 2011 to April 2012) using two high volume air sampler provided with a PM10 size selective inlet. The concentrations of 6 elements (Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined. The mean concentrations of these elements varied widely across the elements with Zn showing the highest concentration (41.3 \ub1 42.8 ng/m3; ranging from 9.9 \u2013 209.0 ng/m3) and Cr the least concentration (1.7 \ub1 0.9 ng/m3; ranging from 0.4 \u2013 3.2 ng/m3). The total elemental content obtained in this work was compared with regulatory limit values for 4 of the elements determined and it was discovered that none exceeded the limit values

Leucocytes, urea and glucose levels in Albino Wistar rats exposed to doses of isolated Achatina achatina snail lectin

There are five (5) types of mature White blood cells (WBC) or Leucocytes found in the peripheral blood viz, Neutrophils (NEU), Eosinophils (EOS) and Basophils (BAS) (granulocytes); Monocytes (MON) and Lymphocytes (LYM) (agranulocytes). Urea is an organic chemical compound, and is essentially the waste produced by the body after metabolizing protein. Urea levels can be used to detect diseases and disorders that affect the kidneys. A common disease related to irregular management of glucose is diabetes. Lectins are proteins that recognize specifically and bind reversibly the carbohydrate-containing molecules of foreign cells and that elicit diverse physiological responses in various organisms. A total of 120 samples of Nigeria Achatina achatina snail specie were collected, authenticated at the Zoology Department of University of Nigeria, Nsukka and 80mls of pooled crude Lectin extract was obtained. Purifications were performed on 20mls of the crude extract in three steps viz, Ammonium sulphate precipitation and Dialysis (Partial purifications), Con A Sepharose 4B affinity Chromatography column (Complete purification). The affinity purified Lectin was used for all the tests conducted in this research. The crude, partially and complete/affinity purified Lectin extracts were subjected to Haemagglutination tests. The Lectin was further assessed to determine its effects on Leucocytes, Urea and Glucose as follows: A total of Thirty-five (35) male Albino Wistar Rats weighing 101-180g and aged 2-3 months obtained from the Animal house of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, were used in this research. The animals were Grouped into 5 (A-E) and allowed for 2 weeks acclimatization. Graded doses of 0.04ml, 0.05ml and 0.06ml of the Affinity purified Lectin were injected intra-peritoneally into each of the Rats in Groups A-D (test groups) according to their body weights at intervals of 2 days for 1 week. Group E served as the control. Two (2) mls of blood was collected from each of the Rats before and 24 hours after the last day of Lectin Doses injections for the following tests: WBC-Total and Differential counts (using Sysmex Corporation, 1999 automated equipment), Urea and Glucose estimations (performed by means of Urease-Berthelot and GOD-PAP Randox Monza automated analyser methods respectively). The results of the research showed as follows: On complete/affinity purification, 15mls of pure sample containing only the high molecular weight Lectin was obtained. The haemagglutination tests conducted showed on standardization preferential agglutination with Blood group A type. Bar Charts statistics show that there was Post Lectin Doses injections mean increase in Total WBC, NEU, LYM and decrease in MON, EOS, BAS, Urea and Glucose levels. However, the differences in Pre and Post Lectin Doses injections mean values of these parameters were further subjected to One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test statistics to determine if statistically significant. The ANOVA statistics show that the effects of the Lectin on all the assessed Leucocytes parameters viz, Total WBC, and Differential LYM, NEU, MON, EOS, BAS, the Urea and Glucose levels were found to be statistically insignificant. However, the EOS values of only group A was statistically significant. This research has therefore succeeded in Assessment of Activities of the A. achatina snail Lectin on Leucocytes, Glucose and Urea levels