Perception of Employers' in Transforming Technical and Vocational Education and Training vis-a-vis Emerging Technology Tools for Sustainable Workforce Development in Nigeria

Economic competitiveness of a country depends to a large extent on the skills of its workforce. The skills and the competencies of the workforce, in turn, are dependent upon the quality of the country’s education and training. Education and training are undergoing continuous change, and this change poses more challenges to the 21st-century workforce, and to training institutions. Despite the importance of TVET in transforming economic development, of any nation, Nigeria still has different perspectives about the competency of its TVET graduates. Therefore, the paper aims at determining the perceptions of Organized Private Sector (OPS) employers’ regarding the competency of TVET graduates and the role of emerging technology tools in transforming TVET for a sustainable workforce development. Using a descriptive survey research design and a sample of 80 OPS employers. A validated and piloted questionnaire based on a 5-point Likert scale used as the data collection instrument for the study. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics including means, standard deviation and ANOVA. Data analysis was facilitated using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings revealed that employers were not satisfied with the competency level of TVET graduates as it is showed that they are not well prepared to enter the competitive workforce and to be self-reliant. Given the nature and complexity of the field of TVET for a sustainable workforce, it was recommended that the utilization of adequate planning and management of emerging technology tools and resources in teaching TVET programs could contribute enormously to the quality and sustainability of the Nigerian workforce

ENHANCING JOB SATISFACTION THROUGH VESTIBULE TRAINING IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES IN LAGOS STATE

Training of workforce for skill development, productivity enhancement, and improved quality of work is crucial to the attainment of industrial goals and objectives. Such objectives become possible when workers are regularly trained and satisfied with their job. Training is undergoing continuous change, and this change poses challenges to construction industries. Despite the laudable role of training in job performance and satisfaction, construction industries are still having different perspectives on the training of craftsmen. Therefore, this paper aimed at investigating the perception of craftsmen on enhancing job satisfaction through vestibule training in construction industries in Lagos State using an exploratory survey research type of the ex-post facto design. The sample consisted of 108 craftsmen. A validated and piloted questionnaire based on a 4-point rating scale was used for data collection in the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics including frequency, percentage, means, standard deviation, and ANOVA. Data analysis was facilitated using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings revealed that craftsmen were satisfied with the use of vestibule training as it increases job performance and increases efficiency. It was recommended that construction industries should be given more attention to use vestibule training as a technique of showing trainees how to do a job and then allowing them to get on with the job

The role of cannabinoid receptor 2 in toll-like receptor-mediated microglial activation

Cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) modulates microglial responses to inflammatory stimuli. Expression of CB2 is known to increase during chronic inflammation and thus exacerbate neurodegeneration. Results from previous studies in our lab demonstrated that genetic deletion of CB2 inhibits microglial activation during inflammatory stimulation of toll-like receptors (TLRs) or in neurodegenerative conditions. However, the molecular mechanism is unclear. More so, we cannot rule out the developmental effects of constitutive CB2 knockout, which could have triggered a compensatory outcome in CB2-/- mice. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate, on the one hand, the molecular mechanism by which CB2 mediates TLR-induced microglial activation and on the other hand, to compare the effects of acute pharmacological inhibition of CB2 to CB2-/- in response to inflammatory stimulation of TLRs. Our data showed that after TLR3 and TLR4 stimulation with PolyI:C and LPS/IFN-g respectively in microglia, CB2 deletion caused decreased inflammatory cytokine secretion and reduced Iba1 intensity, whereas TLR9 stimulation with CpG did not affect the tested parameters in CB2-/- microglia compared to WT. We showed a striking decrease in p38 phosphorylation in CB2-/- microglia compared to WT after TLR3/4 stimulation. The pharmacological findings revealed that in contrast to CB2-/-, CB2-specific antagonist SR144528 had little or no effect on TLR3/4-induced activation in primary microglia or organotypic hippocampal slice cultures at nanomolar concentrations (1 nM and 10 nM). We showed that SR144528 did not alter TLR-mediated microglial cytokine secretion, Iba1/CD68 staining intensities or morphology at nanomolar concentrations. Although SR144528 suppressed LPS/IFN-γ-induced microglial activation at 1 μM, this anti-inflammatory effect was not dependent on CB2 receptors and exceeded the Ki on CB2 receptors by more than a thousand-fold. Finally, our seahorse metabolic analysis indicated that CB2-/- alters metabolic rewiring in unstimulated and LPS/IFN-γ stimulated microglia, whereas CB2 blockade does not affect the metabolic effects. Taken together, our findings suggest that pharmacological blockade of CB2 does not mimic the anti-inflammatory effects observed in the CB2-/- microglia after TLR stimulation. Therefore, we propose that the lack of CB2 receptors probably triggered an adaptive mechanism, making microglia less responsive to TLR stimulation

Comparative performances of carbofuran and plant extracts in the control of root-knot nematode on pepper

A field trial was carried out to compare the effectiveness of carbofuran and plant extracts from the roots of rattle weed and nitta plants in root-knot nematode control. Carbofuran was applied at 1.5 and 2.5 kg a.i/ha while plant extracts were applied at 25, 50, 75, and 100% concentrations. An experimental plot where neither carbofuran nor plant extracts was applied served as the control treatment. Both carbofuran and plant extracts significantly reduced the soil population of root-knot nematode and galling on the root of pepper, and also improved growth and yield of pepper. Pepper plants treated with carbofuran and 100% concentration of the plant extracts gave the best control of the root-knot nematode

Assessment of four compost types on the nematode population dynamics in the soil sown with okra

Two parallel experiments were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and Papa Aireke Farm, both at Ogbomoso, Nigeria, to assess the effect of four different compost types on the nematode population dynamics; the growth and yield of okra, sown into nematode infested soil. Each of the compost was prepared through Rapid Composting Technology with Trichoderma harzianum as decomposer, using Windrow method. The four compost types were neem based, cassava peel based, sawdust based and Tithonia based. Nematode susceptible okra variety (NHAe-84-1) was used as test plant. The compost was applied at the rate of 1ton/ha to the treated okra while the okra plants on the untreated soil served as the control. The experimental design was randomized complete block. Data collected included nematode root damage (root gall index), population of juvenile nematode in 10g root and the population dynamics of different nematodes species in the soil. Data were also collected on the plant height, number of leaf/plant, root length, number of pod/plant, pod weight, number of seed/pod of okra. Application of the composts significantly (p<0.05) enhanced plant height, number of leaf, root length, number of pod, pod weight and number of seed of okra. The result showed that the compost significantly (p<0.05) reduced the root damage (root gall index). The population of Meloidogyne, Heterodera, Tylenchus, Tylenchulus species (nematode population dynamics) in the soil treated with composts and of root knot nematode juveniles in the root were significantly reduced

Existence of Fixed Points of Some Classes of Nonlinear Mappings in Spaces with Weak Uniform Normal Structure

In this paper, we prove some fixed point results for some classes of nonlinear mappings recently introduced by Okeke and Olaleru [5]. Our results improves several other known results in literature, including the results of Sahu et al. [8] and Sahu [7]

The Role of Nutrition in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus

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In-vitro Competition Bio-assay Experiment on the Effect of Trichoderma Species and Some Crop Pathogenic Fungi

Fungi of the genus Trichoderma have a track record of being antagonist to quite of a number of agricultural important pathogens. Trichoderma have some unique characteristics that make it scientifically proven and suitable bio-control agents against varieties of pathogenic organism infecting economic food crops. Trichoderma has the advantage of being environment friendly and not hazardous to the health of human beings, livestock, soil and environment. Competitive bio-assay experiment was carried out in the laboratory on the effects of Trichoderma species (T. atroviride P1 isolates, T. harzianum T22 isolates, T. viride) on some crop pathogens (Phytophthora cinnanerium, Botrytis cinaria and Rhizoctonia solani). Pure culture of Trichoderma and pathogenic fungi were replicated four times and arranged in a complete block design. The result of the experiment shows that Trichoderma species are strong competitor of P. cinnanerium, B. cinaria and R.solani. Within 72 hours, the Trichoderma species were able to grow and completely overlap the P. cinnanerium, B. cinaria and R. solani. This strong competitiveness indicated that Trichoderma species would effectively inhibit the growth of P. cinnanerium, B. cinaria and R. solani on the infected crop; thus the application of Trichoderma species in the control of P. cinnanerium, B. cinariaand R. solani infected crops. Keywords: Trichoderma, bio-control, Phytophthora cinnanerium, Botrytis cinaria, Rhizoctonia solani, pathogens, fungi