A Comparative Analysis of the Use of Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage Bags, Sealed Jericans, Azaradirachta Indica (Neem) and Actellic in Cowpee Preservation

The research work made a comparative analysis between four different methods of preserving cowpea grains for the purpose of determining the most effective. Two purposes and two research questions guided the study. Materials such as dry clean cowpea grains, Purdue improved cowpea storage (PICS) bags, Jerican with lid, Dried leaves of Azaradirachta Indica (NEEM), Actellic (storage chemical), sacks, weighing balance and string/twine. The study was conducted using five different methods which include the use of Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage  (PICS) bags; use of Jerican with lid; use of dried leaves of Azaradirachta Indica; Spraying cowpea grains with diluted Actellic before bagging and bagging dry clean cowpea grains directly without any treatment. The five different set up were kept under the same condition. The use of Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage (PICS) bags and sealed Jerican proves to be the most effective methods. They both recorded 100% effectiveness as the same weight 50kg was maintained at the pre and post experimental period. This was followed by the use of Azaradirachta Indica leaves with 95.12% and the use of diluted Actellic with 91.22% respectively. The control method recorded the least weight percentage of 49.44. Useful recommendations such as the need for massive production of Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage (PICS) bags for distribution to farmers at subsidized rates, need for sponsoring of extension workers/agents for induction training/conferences by both the state and federal governments and use of campaign medium to encourage farmers to make use of sealed containers like Jericans, clay pots among others were proffered. Keywords: Comparative Analysis, Purdue, Azaradirachta Indica, Actellic and Preservatio

Modal Space Controller for Hydraulically Driven Six Degree of Freedom Parallel Manipulator

This paper presents the Modal space decoupled control for a hydraulically driven parallel mechanism has been presented. The approach is based on singular values decomposition to the properties of joint-space inverse mass matrix, and mapping of the control and feedback variables from the joint space to the decoupling modal space. The method transformed highly coupled six-input six-output dynamics into six independent single-input single-output (SISO) 1 DOF hydraulically driven mechanical systems. The novelty in this method is that the signals including control errors, control outputs and pressure feedbacks are transformed into decoupled modal space and also the proportional gains and dynamic pressure feedback are tuned in modal space. The results indicate that the conventional controller can only attenuate the resonance peaks of the lower eigenfrequencies of six rigid modes properly, and the peaking points of other relative higher eigenfrequencies are over damped, The further results show that it is very effective to design and tune the system in modal space and that the bandwidth increased substantially except surge (x) and sway (y) motions, each degree of freedom can be almost tuned independently and their bandwidths can be increased near to the undamped eigenfrequencies

Acute myocardial infarction in a resource-poor setting: a case report in Awka, Nigeria

The incidence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa. Predisposing factors to ACS in Nigeria are not completely known. The management of ACS is influenced by its timely detection and availability of medical and reperfusion intervention facilities. We thus document a case of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in 3 years that was successfully managed medically in Awka, Nigeria, albeit a debacle of resource-poor setting. The patient was a 42 year-old man who presented with retrosternal, stabbing chest pain of 4 hours duration. He has obesity, hypertension and a sedentary life style. He was in painful and respiratory distress; blood pressure was 140/80mmHg. Oxygen therapy, intravenous morphine 10mg was given. Oral Isosorbide dinitrate 20mg bd, oral Clopidogrel 300mg bd initially then 75mg daily, oral Aspirin 150mg bd, oral Simvastatin 20mg daily and oral Lisinopril 2.5mg were instituted. Resting electrocardiography showed evidence of ST elevations in the inferior leads. Cardiac enzyme markers were elevated. Following medical therapy, his condition improved. On the 3rd day he was discharged and subsequently followed up in the clinic. This case of AMI in a man who, has risk factors for AMI and, presented as the first case in three years in a Cardiology Unit in a tertiary hospital in Awka suggests that AMI is rare in this area. A resource-poor setting such as ours might still provide valuable medical therapy to ACS patients especially with prompt referrals from peripheral hospitals

Vertical Velocity of Pollutants through Porous Rocks of Anambra State: Implications for Water Resources Planning and Management

Indiscriminate siting of human activities has become a common practice in Anambra State, resulting to generation of mobile pollutants. To this effect, an infiltrometer was used to investigate the velocities of pollutants (four fluids) through five sedimentary formations of varying lithological characteristics, with a view to proffering efficient strategy for management of groundwater resources in the area. A purposive/judgmental sampling technique was used to select the formations used. The study tested the following hypotheses:(i) the velocity of pollutants through rocks is not related to the lithological characteristics of the underlying rocks and (ii) pollution level (densities of pollutants) is not related to the vertical infiltration (velocity) of pollutants. The following findings were recorded: (i) the velocity of pollutants through rocks is closely related to the lithological characteristics of rocks, including porosity and hydraulic conductivity, (ii) pollution level (densities of pollutants) is weakly related to vertical infiltration of pollutants. Consequently, the study recommended that the lithological characteristics of underlying formations should be known before selecting such sites for human activities that generate pollutants so as  to safeguard the groundwater resources of the area. This is to say that shale terrains or any other formations that have, at most, porosity and hydraulic conductivity values of 18% and 2.3 x 10-8 cm/sec. respectively, should be used for human activities that generate mobile pollutants. It also recommended that site selection for various wide scales human activities that generate mobile pollutants should be based on the knowledge of underlying geology of the place in question, and not merely on the availability of such space and close proximity to users. Further research areas were also recommended. Keyword: Pollutants, porous rocks, groundwater, lithological characteristics and managemen

Tensile Behaviors of Al-Si-Mg Alloy Reinforced with Periwinkle Shell and Mangifera Indica Particulates

Abstract: Tensile behaviors of Al-12wt%-2wt%Mg based biocomposites containing different concentrations of periwinkle shell and Mangifera indica particulates (PSp and MIp) have been explored experimentally. The effects of hybrid concentrations on the tensile behaviors were also investigated. The structural analysis of the developed biocomposites was done using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The biocomposites demonstrated excellent tensile behaviors at different concentrations of the reinforcements with maximum ultimate tensile strength of 233 MPa obtained by Al-12wt%-2wt%Mg-6PSp-2wt%MIp biocomposite. The biocomposite recorded higher strength than the alloy matrix. The improvements of mechanical properties are guaranteed by the distribution of PSp and MIp particles in the alloy matrix as evidenced in the microstructural analysis. Keywords: Aluminum Alloy, Periwinkle shell. Mangifera Indica Particulate, Tensile behaviors. Title: Tensile Behaviors of Al-Si-Mg Alloy Reinforced with Periwinkle Shell and Mangifera Indica Particulates Author: Chibuzo N. Okoye, Paul C. Okolie, Onyemazuwa A. Azaka, Chidume N. Nwambu International Journal of Novel Research in Civil Structural and Earth Sciences ISSN 2394-7357 Vol. 10, Issue 3, September 2023 - December 2023 Page No: 15-24 Novelty Journals Website: www.noveltyjournals.com Published Date: 22-September-2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8369549 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.noveltyjournals.com/upload/paper/Tensile%20Behaviors%20of%20Al-Si-Mg%20Alloy-22092023-3.pdfInternational Journal of Novel Research in Civil Structural and Earth Sciences, ISSN 2394-7357, Novelty Journals, Website: www.noveltyjournals.co

Syntheses, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Screening of N-(benzothiazol-2-yl)-2-nitrobenzenesulphonamide and its Cu(I), Ni(II), Mn(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) Complexes

N-(benzothiazol-2-yl)-2-nitrobenzenesulphonamide (NBS2ABT) was synthesized by the condensation of 2-aminobenzothiazole and 2-nitrobenzenesulphonylchloride under reflux. Five metal complexes of Cu(I), Ni(II), Mn(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) of the ligands were synthesized. The compounds were characterized using magnetic susceptibility measurements, mass spectrometry, elemental microanalysis, UV/VIS spectrophotometry, infra red, 1H and 13C nmr spectroscopies. The antimicrobial tests of the ligands and its metal complexes were carried out on both multi-resistant bacterial strains isolated under clinical conditions and cultured species using agar-well diffusion method. The multi-resistant bacterial strains used were E. coli, Proteus species, P. aeroginosa and S. aureus which were isolated from dogs. The culture species were P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), E. coli (ATCC 25922), S. aureus (ATCC 25923), and the fungi, C. krusei (ATCC 6258) and C. albicans (ATCC 90028). The tests were both in vitro and in vivo. The antimicrobial activities of the compounds were compared with those of Ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole as antibacterial agents and Fluconazole as an antifungal drug. All the compounds showed varying activities against the cultured typed bacteria and fungi used. The Lethal Concentration (LC50) ranged from 5.00±0.86-618.90±30.8 ppm. These are within the permissible concentrations. Key words: N-(benzothiazol-2-yl)-2-nitrobenzenesulphonamide, Metal complexes, Antimicrobial, Ligan

MEASURING ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR OF LECTURERS: THE ROLE OF PERSONALITY AND LOCUS OF CONTROL

This study examined the influence of personality and work-locus of control on lecturers’ organizational citizenship behaviour. A total of 204 participants (75 females and 129 males) selected through simple random sampling technique were drawn from Federal Polytechnics Oko Anambra State, Nigeria as participants of the study. Their ages ranged from 27 to 67 years with a mean age of 49.43 years and a standard deviation of 9.82. A cross sectional survey design was employed for the study while two-way Analysis of variance statistic was used for data analysis. The result revealed a significant main effect for personality at F (4,194) = 4.15, p < .05. Extraverted lecturers had more tendencies to practice OCB than open to new experience and agreeable lecturers, as well as conscientious lecturers. However, no significant influence for work locus of control (M=1,194) = 0.67>.05 with the internal locus of control participants (m =121.05, SD = 32.77), was observed on tendency to practice OCB than their external (M. 121. 64, SD = 25.41) counterparts. Also, the result showed no significant interaction effect between personality factors and work-locus of control on lecturers’ citizenship behaviour, F (4, 194) =1.08 AT p<.05. It recommended that Nigerian tertiary institutions use psychometric evaluation in lecturers’ selection process in order to take advantage of those more likely to exhibit citizenship behaviour.  Article visualizations

Variability and Heritability of Yield and Yield Components of Various Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Varieties in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Field experiments were conducted at the Rivers State University Teaching and Research Farm Nkpolu, Port Harcourt, during the 2019 planting season under rainfed condition and complimented by irrigation in two different planting dates to access the genetic variability and heritability in yield and yield components of twenty-five rice varieties. The experiments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data were collected on eleven yield and yield components. Results from the analysis of variance indicated significant differences (P < 0.01 < 0.05) among the varieties for all parameters except plant height and tiller number in planting date one. Combined analysis of variance across planting dates showed that there was significant variation (P < 0.01) among the rice varieties for all parameters evaluated. The varietal mean performance for phenological parameters showed significant differences (P < 0.05) for all parameters except tiller number in planting date one. Variability evaluation of varieties for yield parameters showed significant differences (P < 0.05) for all parameters evaluated except for 100-grain weight in planting date two. The pooled mean values of the varieties differed significantly (P < 0.05) for all yield parameters evaluated. The highest grain yield per stand was recorded in UPIA 2 with 7.41 g/stand, and was significantly different from FARO 67 with the least (1.70 g/stand). The estimate of variance components showed that phenotypic variance (Vp) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PVC) were higher than their corresponding genotypic variance (Vg) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all the parameters studied. Heritability estimates in broad sense were found to be moderate for majority of the parameters, except leaf area (68.12%), panicle number (63.41%), spikelet fertility (50.23%) and grain yield per stand (55.87%) that had high heritability estimates and tiller number (15.93%) which had a low estimate. However, only leaf area, panicle number and grain yield per stand had high heritability estimates which were accompanied by high genetic advance. There was considerable variation among the 25 rice varieties evaluated. UPIA 2 and FARO 44 had the best agronomic performance. However, UPN 324, UPN 228, FARO 61 and 66 could be selected for onward improvement programme. Keynote: Grain yield, heritability, Oryza sativa, variation, yield components DOI: 10.7176/ALST/86-04 Publication date:March 31st 202

Application of High-Voltage, Precision, Low-Power Max9943/Max9944 Operational Amplifier in Industrial Process Control Using ±20ma OR 4-20ma Current-Loop Systems

This article explains how to apply a high-voltage, high-current-drive operational amplifier to convert a voltage signal into a ±20mA or 4–20mA current signal for use in process-control industrial applications. The MAX9943 op amp a family of high-voltage amplifiers that offers precision, low drift, and low power consumption device was used as case study]. Experiments are described and test results presented. Current loops are known for their high immune to noise compare to voltage-modulated signals, a feature that makes it ideal for use in a noisy industrial environment. This signal can travel over a long distance, sending or receiving information from remote locations. A current loop typically includes a sensor, transmitter, receiver, and an ADC or a micro-controller (figure 1). The sensor measures a physical parameters such as pressure or temperature and provides a corresponding output voltage. The transmitter converts the sensor's output into a proportional 4mA-to-20mA current signal, while the receiver then converts the 4mA-to-20mA current into a voltage signal output. This receiver's output is then received, interpreted and converts into a digital signal output by an ADC or a micro-controller. Experiment performed using the relationship the relationship stated in equation 5, shows that if the input voltage level rise above or fall below ±2.5v, the op amp device attains its saturation point and its output voltage can no longer increase. As shown in figure 3, where the curve flatten and no longer follow the ideal linearity characteristics that was supposed

Transactional Sex in Nigerian Universities among Female Students: Drivers and Safety Concerns

Freedom away from parents and guardians for students in higher institutions could have effects on their sexual decisions and behaviours, which when not guided could portend devastating consequences. Such a decision could lead to indulging in transactional sex (TS), a kind of sexual relationship that is adopted in exchange for material and non-material benefits. In this study, we underscored why female students are involved in TS in some Nigerian universities and offer potential remedies that could mitigate or prevent associated negative consequences. The study relied on a qualitative research methodology, adopting in-depth interviews to source data from 40 female students across 5 universities in southeastern Nigeria. Data were analysed in thematic categories that reflected the research questions. Family pressure/parental disconnectedness, gender, peer influence, poor economic background, greed, etc., influenced TS involvement. We also identified some psychosocial and health risks associated with TS. The roles of social service professionals were found to be of much importance, although the universities that were studied barely employed and/or utilised their services