Jet assisted fluidization of nanoparticle agglomerates

Fluidization serves as a primary operation used to disperse, handle and process nanoparticles, but due to the complications involved with achieving homogenous fluidization of the agglomerates of nanoparticles, several methods have been developed to assist their conventional mode of fluidization. In this work, the conventional mode of fluidization was coupled with secondary gas flow emerging from a micro jet nozzle. The effect of the jet on the fluidization behavior of various APF and ABF nanopowders was studied and compared with the pure conventional fluidization mode. Generally, experiments were conducted to find the optimal operation of the jet by varying parameters such as, nozzle size, nozzle pressure, number of nozzles, orientation, position of nozzle, and the amount of powder affected by the nozzle. It was found that under the influence of the jet, better dispersion of the bed of nanoparticle agglomerates was achieved, and this was true for the different powders that were used under different operating conditions. Besides improved dispersion, it was also found that the jet served to break down the larger agglomerates, to reduce the minimum fluidization velocity, to delay the onset of bubbling, and to convert the fluidization behavior of ABF powder to APF

Democratic Consolidation in Africa: The Ghanaian Paradigm

The ‘Third Wave\u27of democracy resulted in transition galore in Africa. Authoritarian governments abandoned authoritarianism fora reconstructed political society which mirrors the institutions and processes of liberal democracy. What is strange however, is the fact that most of the countries that transited to democratic rule in the region about three decades ago are not making significant progress towards consolidating their hard earned democracy. Electoral violence and some other anti-democratic practices have made the mantra of good governance a mere rhetoric, and kept democracy perpetually nascent in most of the countries in the region. But worthy of note is the reference being made to Ghana, by some observers of African politics, as a beacon of democracy in Africa. The crux of this paper therefore is to attempt a critical evaluation of Ghanaian\u27s democratic experience to determine the extent to which the country can be referred to as a consolidated democracy. Descriptive/qualitative method was used for data analysis. The paper discovered that Ghana indeed possesses some strikingly unique democratic experience which distinguish it from other African states. Although the countryis still struggling with some anti-democratic challenges like vote buying and executive recklessness, which if not properly addressed may erode any democratic gains recorded so far. Nevertheless, the impressive democratic credentials or the indices of democratic consolidation in the country as discovered by this research, can make one to conclude that Ghana is on the path of achieving democratic consolidation

Nutritional Evaluation of Calabash Gourd (Lagenaria Siceraria) Seeds and Oil

The nutritional, anti-nutritional contents of calabash gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) seed flour and some nutritional values of its oil were evaluated using standard analytical methods. The proximate analysis ranged from 3.9 (ash) – 46.2% (fat). Phosphorous (554 mg/100 g) was found to be the most abundant mineral in the seed flour. Antinutrients recorded for the seed flour were 10.2% (saponin), 0.794 (cyanide), 1.31 (tannin), 10.3 (oxalate) and 19.3 mg/100 g (Phytate). The amino acids composition of the seed flour ranged from 0.746 (methionine) – 18.6 g/100 g cp (glutamic acid). The total PUFA and the total SFA contents of the seed oil were 63.6% and 20.6% respectively. The total phospholipid content of the seed oil was 987 mg/100 g while the total sterol value was 257 mg/100 g. The seeds of calabash gourd could be utilized as an alternative source of stable vegetable oil, mineral elements and protein for culinary and industrial applications

Cement degradation in CO2 storage sites: a review on potential applications of nanomaterials

© 2018 The Author(s) Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) has been employed to reduce global warming, which is one of the critical environmental issues gained the attention of scientific and industrial communities worldwide. Once implemented successfully, CCS can store at least 5 billion tons of CO2per year as an effective and technologically safe method. However, there have been a few issues raised in recent years, indicating the potential leakages paths created during and after injection. One of the major issues might be the chemical interaction of supercritical CO2with the cement, which may lead to the partial or total loss of the cement sheath. There have been many approaches presented to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the cement against CO2attack such as changing the water-to-cement ratio, employing pozzolanic materials, and considering non-Portland cements. However, a limited success has been reported to the application of these approaches once implemented in a real-field condition. To date, only a few studies reported the application of nanoparticles as sophisticated additives which can reinforce oil well cements. This paper provides a review on the possible application of nanomaterials in the cement industry where physical and mechanical characteristics of the cement can be modified to have a better resistance against corrosive environments such as CO2storage sites. The results obtained indicated that adding 0.5 wt% of Carbon NanoTubes (CNTs) and NanoGlass Flakes (NGFs) can reinforce the thermal stability and coating characteristics of the cement which are required to increase the chance of survival in a CO2sequestrated site. Nanosilica can also be a good choice and added to the cement by as much as 3.0 wt% to improve pozzolanic reactivity and thermal stability as per the reports of recent studies

Psychological Factors and the Use of E-Library Resource among Undergraduates in South-West Nigeria

Introduction: This study investigates the psychological factors and the use of E-library resource among undergraduates in south-west Nigeria. Methodology: The study adopted a correlational survey research design and a sample size of 900 respondents was used but 800 questionnaires were retrieved. The target population for the study comprised of undergraduate students in private universities in Southwest Nigeria which cuts across Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Ogun and Oyo states. A simple random sampling technique was adopted for the purpose of this study. The questionnaire was the main instrument used for data collection and was divided into four sections namely demographic characteristics, information literacy and use of e-library among students in the private universities in Nigeria. Conclusion: The result of the study showed that undergraduateshave positive attitude towards the use of computer. Also, the most used e-library resources is the CD-ROM databases while E-theses & dissertations is the least used. In addition, only introvert personality traits have significant influence on use of e-library among students while extrovert personality traits do not. Moreover, computer attitude of students from the selected private universities in Nigeria affect their use of e-library. Recommendations: The study recommends that , activities that would be geared towards ensuring positive attitude of students in the use of e-resources and use of computer should be introduced such as giving students assignments, and telling them to use the IT lab, etc

CHARACTERIZATION, CLASSIFICATION, AND MAPPING OF USER PASSWORDS TO MITIGATE IDENTITY THEFT

<p><strong><span>SUMMARY</span></strong></p> <p><span>User identity remains the most sought-after piece of information for hackers. This is because it has proved to be effective in their attack efforts. It is nothing new that compromised passwords have been attributed to data breaches for years. Despite the continuous reports and efforts to curb the menace, success in this area remains elusive. <span> </span>Identity theft is usually linked to stolen or compromised passwords. What else can be done to help in addressing issues related to compromised passwords? Compromised passwords are related to multiple algorithms associated with creating passwords. The question of interest is, how can password management algorithms be improved?</span></p&gt

Effects of feed forms, levels of quantitative feed restriction on performance, carcass quality and cost benefit of broiler chickens

A 56-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of feed forms and levels of feed restriction on growth performance, carcass quality and feeding cost of broiler chickens. One hundred and ninety-two day-old broiler chicks were divided into eight groups of twenty four birds each. Each group was further divided into three replicates of eight birds per replicate in a completely randomized design. Birds were fed mash and pellets and restricted at 0, 10, 20 and 30% levels of feed restriction. Data were collected on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and cost benefits were calculated. Data were subjected to analysis of variance. The results showed significantly higher (p<0.05) final weights and weight gain in birds fed pellets (1624.42 g and 1571.72 g) compared to mash (1540.00 g and 1487.26 g). Feed intake of broiler chicken was significantly influenced by interaction between feed forms and levels of feed restriction. Feed conversion ratio was best in birds fed pellets (2.35) and at 30% level of restriction (2.09). Retail cuts parts were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by feed forms and levels of restriction. Gizzard weights increased (p<0.05) with increasing levels of restriction. Abdominal fat decreased (p<0.05) with increasing levels of restriction. Birds restricted at 30% level showed a better feed cost savings compared with ad libitum feeding. It can be concluded that feeding pellets to broiler chickens improved weight gain and feed conversion. Feed restriction at 30% level of restriction reduced feeding cost and abdominal fat.Keywords: Broilers, carcass, performance, quantitative feed restrictio

Effects of duration and level of feed restriction on performance and meat quality of broiler chickens

Two hundred and sixteen unsexed 14 days- old Marshall broiler chicks were used in a 3×3 factorial experimental design to test the effect of restricting feed intake of birds by 0 %, 20 % and 40 % levels for 2, 4 and 6 weeks after two weeks of the starter phase. The unrestricted (control) treatments were fed ad libitum throughout the experiment. The experiment lasted for 42 days. Data were collected and calculated on weight gain, feed:gain, feed intake, mortality, proximate composition of meat and cost-benefit analysis. Data obtained were subjected to a 2-way analysis of variance. Results showed significantly higher (p<0.05) final weights in the unrestricted birds (control) compared to the restricted birds. Interaction between duration of restriction and level of restriction indicated that weight gain and feed intake significantly (p<0.05) reduced as duration and level of feed restriction increased. Feed:gain was significantly (p<0.05) different across the treatments with birds restricted at 40 % for 6 weeks having the best feed:gain (1.91). The mortality recorded was not significant (p>0.05) across duration and level of restriction. Abdominal fat decreased with increasing duration and level of restriction with birds on 40 % level and 6 weeks duration of restriction having the lowest fat content (0.20 %). Crude protein content of the breast muscle significantly increased while crude fat content of the breast muscle significantly decreased with duration and level of restriction. Crude fat content was lowest at 40 % level and 6 weeks duration of feed restriction. As level and duration of feed restriction increased, feed cost/ kg reduced. Birds restricted at 40 % level for 2, 4 and 6 weeks durations respectively had better cost benefit than birds restricted at 0 and 20 % levels for 2, 4 and 6 weeks durations. It can be concluded that the best feed:gain, lower abdomi- nal fat, higher protein and better cost benefit was achieved in birds restricted at 40 % for 6 weeks.Durante 42 días, 216 pollos broiler Marshall, de 14 días, fueron empleados en un diseño experi- mental factorial 3x3 para estudiar el efecto de la restricción de la ingestión de alimento en 0, 20 y 40 %, durante 2, 4 y 6 semanas en la fase de iniciación. El tratamiento control (no restringido) recibió alimentación ad libitum durante todo el experimento. Se obtuvieron datos sobre ganancia de peso, alimento/peso, ingestión, mortalidad, composición de la carne y relación coste benefi- cio. Los datos obtenidos se sometieron a un análisis de varianza de dos vías. Los resultados mostraron mayor peso final (p<0,05), en las aves sin restricción, la interacción duración*nivel de restricción indicó que tanto la ganancia de peso como la ingestión, se redujeron cuando aumenta- ron la duración y nivel de restricción. La relación alimento/ganancia fue diferente (p<0,05) entre tratamientos siendo la mejor (1,91) en las aves con restricción de 40 % durante 6 semanas. No hubo diferencias (p>0,05) en la mortalidad registrada. La grasa abdominal disminuyó al aumentar la duración y nivel de restricción, alcanzando el menor contenido (0,20 %) en los niveles más intensos de restricción. El contenido proteico de la pechuga aumentó y su contenido graso se redujo al aumentar el tiempo y nivel de restricción. El contenido graso fue igualmente menor en los niveles mas intensos de restricción. Cuando la restricción se hacía mayor, el coste por kg produ- cido se reducía. Las aves con restricción del 40 % tuvieron en todo el tiempo mejor relación coste beneficio que las de control y las de restricción del 20 %. Se puede concluir que con la restricción del 40 % durante seis semanas se consigue mejor transformacion de alimento, menor grasa abdomi- nal, mayor cantidad de proteína, y mejor relacion coste beneficio