Effective University Leadership as Predictor of Academic Excellence in Southern Nigerian Universities

The University is an educational system where high level manpower is trained for socio-economic and political growth of any nation. The leadership of a University plays invaluable roles in achieving academic excellence in dissemination and acquisition of universal knowledge, values; functional, technical and scientific skills and competencies critical to global growth and development. The study therefore investigated the relationship between effective University leadership and academic excellence in Southern Nigerian Universities. The population of the study was made up of all the Vice chancellors from the seventeen federal Universities in Southern Nigeria. A random sampling technique was used to select nine (09) Universities and their Vice chancellors representing 52% of the studied population. 135 academic staff were also randomly selected from the sampled Universities as respondents. Questionnaire was the main instrument used for data collection. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the data collected for the study. The analysis revealed that Vice chancellors from Southern Nigerian Universities were moderately effective in their leadership roles but the level of academic excellence in Southern Nigerian Universities was generally low. A further analysis revealed that there was a significant relationship between leadership effectiveness and academic excellence in Southern Nigerian Universities. It was therefore recommended among others that highly competent, effective and transformative University administrators should be selected for Vice chancellorship position in Southern Nigerian Universities. Federal Universities in Southern Nigeria should be resourceful in generating revenue to end the seemingly unending lamentation of poor funding

Extraction and qualitative assessment of African sweet orange seed oil

The African sweet orange fruit Citrus Sinensis seeds were obtained from discards of fruits and prepared for use by decoating, sun drying and grinding. By solvent extraction using petroleum ether, a golden yellow coloured oil was obtained and characterized by determining the pH, refractive index, density, solvent miscibility, congealing temperature, flame nature, specific gravity, retention factor on chromatographic plate, heat of combustion, smoke point, flash point, fire point, and the percentage yield. In addition, the spectroscopic analysis was carried out using Genesis FTIR spectrophotometer. The free fatty acid, unsaponifiable matter, saponification, iodine, acid and peroxide values were determinedaccording to the standard method of analysis. Oil yield of 36 % was obtained. The results show a high degree of unsaturation, presence of reasonable amount of free fatty acids, marked level of oiliness, refractive index (1.47 at 25 oC), high level of acid value 82 % (0.82)—with the presence of palmitic, stearic, oleic acid, traces of linoleic acid—and interestingly, absence of linolenic, myristic and arachidic acids.The solvent miscibility of the oil was determined by physical observation of the uniform blending of oil sample in acid (HCl), alkali (NaOH), sodium hydrogen carbonate solution, carbonate solution, ether and water at room temperature, 40 oC, 60 oC, 80 oC and 100 oC. The low value of the congealing temperature of the oil gave an indication that the oil can be handled in very many geographical regions irrespective of the difference in temperature values of such regions. The trace level content of linoleic acid of the oil confers on it a high degree of stability. The IR shows peaks at 1377.33, 1237.05, 1163.43 and 1100.14 cm-1, which are indicative ofthe presence of carboxylic acids, and these are vital elemental composition of fatty acid compounds. The presence of the multiple peaks at  1100.14cm-1 in the IR chart depicts an isopropyl group presence which is also indicative of a cis–alkene groups presence, suggestive of the stable bond structure of the oleic acid family

Kenaf Fibre-RHA Biocomposite: A ‘Green’ Substitute to Asbestos in Sustainable Eco-Construction

With the damaging impact of asbestos to health and the environment, search for substitutes with equal or better properties have led to trials involving select bio materials. This work presents the result of combinatory use of bast and core fibers from local cultivar of Kenaf plant as reinforcement and Rice Husk Ash (RHA) as asbestos substitute in the production of insulation material. The fibers were used at varied blend ratios with rice husk ash as partial substitute Portland cement binder material. The strength of material test results showed the products to have the same (tensile strength greater than 262.31 MPa, Young’s modulus of not less than 22.94 and failure strain (%) of 2.62 and above) for samples of same dimensions as conventional sheets. Friedman statistical analysis showed that an increase or addition of the Kenaf core enhances the compact nature and consequent strength of the material. This substitution with Kenaf fiber and RHA embraces four out of the five key areas of sustainable human and environmental health target: sustainable site, energy efficiency, material selection and indoor environmental quality. Kenaf plant serves as a good carbon sink source with consequent environmental detoxification

Effects of Occupational Hazards on Employees’ Productivity

It is a fact that profit maximization serves as the key/core objective for setting up business organizations (Bamiduro; 2006); however, in achieving this objective, there is the need to consider the welfare and safety of workers in the organization. Considering the welfare and safety of employees in order to boost productivity and profitability, hazard must be minimized or prevented because it serves as a negative catalyst for declined productivity. This paper tends to illuminate the effect of occupational hazards on employees productivity because it negatively affects productivity, which in turn affects organizational profitability. The researchers adopted the combination of secondary and primary sources of data. The secondary data involves the use of journals, periodicals, internet, and related materials while the primary data envelops questionnaires from respondents. Chi-square was used to test the hypothesis while the data collected through questionnaire was analyzed using descriptive (percentages) and inferential statistics (regression analysis and coefficient of multiple determinations (R2).The results of the study indicate that constant exposure of employees to hazardous substances reduces productivity. The results also indicate that training of employees on accident prevention can positively affect productivity. The conclusion is that occupational hazards have negative effect on productivity. The recommendation is that organizations need to provide safe and conducive environment for the performance of the job. There is also the need to provide training and educative programmes in order to prevent or minimize occupational hazards and boost productivity. Keyword: Effect, occupational hazards, employees, productivity, and organization

The Use of Ict as an Integral Teaching and Learning Tool for Children with Autism: A Challenge for Nigeria Education System

The study focused on integrating information and communication technology (ICT) as an integral delivery tool for children with autism for a productive life in the society.  A survey design was adopted with two research questions. One hundred and eight (108) primary school teachers were selected for the study through a purposive random sampling technique. A 34-item questionnaire was used for data collection which was face validated by three experts and its reliability coefficient was 0.82 using Cronbach alpha method. The data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation. The results showed that teachers were clearly aware of most of the assistive technology tools as delivery tools that could be used for teaching children with autism. Again the teachers adopt instructional strategies for using assistive technology averagely to a great extent  It was recommended that assistive technology tools should be made available to the teachers in schools by the government and stakeholders, to help children with autism to maximize their potentials. Keywords: ICT, Autism and Educational challenge

The sealing step in aluminum anodizing: a focus on sustainable strategies for enhancing both energy efficiency and corrosion resistance

Increasing demands for environmental accountability and energy efficiency in industrial practice necessitates significant modification(s) of existing technologies and development of new ones to meet the stringent sustainability demands of the future. Generally, development of required new technologies and appropriate modifications of existing ones need to be premised on in-depth appreciation of existing technologies, their limitations, and desired ideal products or processes. In the light of these, published literature mostly in the past 30 years on the sealing process; the second highest energy consuming step in aluminum anodization and a step with significant environmental impacts has been critical reviewed in this systematic review. Emphasis have been placed on the need to reduce both the energy input in the anodization process and environmental implications. The implications of the nano-porous structure of the anodic oxide on mass transport and chemical reactivity of relevant species during the sealing process is highlighted with a focus on exploiting these peculiarities, in improving the quality of sealed products. In addition, perspective is provided on plausible approaches and important factors to be considered in developing sealing procedures that can minimize the energy input and environmental impact of the sealing step, and ensure a more sustainable aluminum anodization process/industry.in publicatio

POWER SYSTEMS OPERATION IMPROVEMENT CONSIDERING LOSS MINIMIZATION AND VOLTAGE STABILITY ENHANCEMENT

The challenge of energy and power losses during electrical energy transmission from generation plants to users is a major problem that cannot be over-emphasized. These Losses are inevitable because they are inherent in the conduction of electrical energy through physical means but can be minimized. This paper presents a VSC-PSO method for optimizing the power system operation by simultaneously minimizing the loss and enhancing the voltage stability which are the objective functions. The optimal power flow (OPF) was performed on IEEE 30-bus system with Newton Raphson algorithm implemented in MATLAB simulation software. The simulation results showed that the VSC-PSO approach performed more excellently with concurrent consideration of line loss reduction and voltage stability improvement when compared with other methods in literatur

Characteristics of Soils for Civil Engineering Foundations in Part of North Central Nigeria, Using Electrical Resistivity Method

A geophysical investigation was carried out using Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) in part of North Central Nigeria to evaluate the subsoil thickness, competence, and corrosivity for civil engineering foundations. A total of 60 VES stations were covered within the study area using the Schlumberger configuration array with half current electrode separation (AB/2) varying from 1m to a maximum of 100m while the half potential electrode spacing (MN/2) varied by 0.3 m to a maximum of 5m. The analysis of data was done using IP2win and Surfer 12 softwares.  The first layer has resistivity values between 4.728 Ωm to 4210 Ωm and varied in thickness between 0.15 m to 1.42 m, the second layer has resistivity values between 24.7Ωm to 355000 Ωm and varied in thickness between 0.0355 m to 8.983 m while the third layer has resistivity values ranging between 8.361 Ωm to151,608 Ωm and varied in thickness between 1.05 m to 34.2 m, the fourth layer which is the last of the geoelectric layers has resistivity values between 27.95 m to 77000 m. The subsoil within the study area is composed of clay, sandy clay, clayey sand, sand, and laterite. From the qualitative interpretation of the Isoresistivity and Isopach maps, the Southwestern, Southeastern and Northwestern parts of the study area are moderately corrosive to extremely corrosive subsoil with resistivity values ranging between 4.728 Ωm and 50.48 Ωm. The third layer consists of an incompetent low resistivity soft material that underlain the entire study area except at the central region which is essentially noncorrosive and highly competent. VES curves interpretations revealed the thickness and depths of the geoelectric layers within the study area. The results of this research could enable civil engineers to ascertain the requisite depth of soil evacuation for the sustainability of structures within the study area

Chemical injuries of the oesophagus: aetiopathological issues in Nigeria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Chemical injuries of the oesophagus occur worldwide. There is paucity of information on aetiopathological profile of chemical injuries of the oesophagus in Nigeria.</p> <p>Aim</p> <p>The aim of the study was to determine the aetiopathological pattern of chemical injuries of the oesophagus in Nigeria.</p> <p>Materials and methods</p> <p>This is a multi-centre hospital based study in Lagos metropolis spanning a period of 10 years.</p> <p>The patients' bio data, substances ingested, sources of corrosives, reasons for ingesting corrosives and patients' mental state were recorded.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In all, there were 78 patients (61 Males, 17 Females). The offending agents were acids in 55.1% of cases and it was accidental ingestion in 62 patients. The highest incidence of 57.6% was found in the middle 1/3 of the oesophagus.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Accidental ingestion of acids is the commonest cause of oesophageal injuries in Nigeria. The incidence of severe strictures necessitating oesophageal substitution could be reduced if early management of corrosive oesophagitis improves in Nigeria.</p

Clostridium Difficile Infection Risk With Important Antibiotic Classes: An Analysis of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System

Introduction: Antibiotic use is an important risk factor for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Prior meta-analyses have identified antibiotics and antibiotic classes that pose the greatest risk for CDI; however, CDI epidemiology is constantly changing and contemporary analyses are needed. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between CDI and important antibiotic classes in recent years using the FDA Adverse Event Report System (FAERS). Methods: FAERS reports from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017 were analyzed. The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) was used to identify CDI cases. We computed the Reporting Odds Ratios (RORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for the association between antibiotics and CDI. An association was considered statistically significant when the lower limit of the 95%CI was greater than 1. Results: A total of 2,042,801 reports (including 5,187 CDI reports) were considered, after inclusion criteria were applied. Lincosamides (e.g., clindamycin) had the greatest proportion of CDI reports, representing 10.4% of all lincosamide reports. CDI RORs (95%CI) for the antibiotic classes were (in descending order): lincosamides 46.95 (39.49-55.82), monobactams 29.97 (14.60-61.54), penicillin combinations 20.05 (17.39-23.12), carbapenems 19.16 (15.52-23.67), cephalosporins/ monobactams/carbapenems 17.28 (14.95-19.97), cephalosporins 15.33 (12.60-18.65), tetracyclines 7.54 (5.42-10.50), macrolides 5.80 (4.48-7.51), fluoroquinolones 4.94 (4.20-5.81), and trimethoprim-sulfonamides 3.32 (2.03-5.43). Conclusion: All antibiotic classes included in the study were significantly associated with CDI. Lincosamides (e.g., clindamycin) had the highest CDI ROR among the antibiotics evaluated in this study