The Primary Sectors of the Economy and the Dutch Disease in Nigeria

This study examines whether the Dutch Disease—a resource boom leading to the decline of the erstwhile tradable sector—is present in Nigeria in the light of the rejection of the Dutch Disease thesis in other studies on Nigeria. Quarterly data for our variables of interest were predominantly sourced from the International Financial Statistics of the IMF. The data are analysed through the use of vector autoregressive (VAR) modelling consisting of impulse response functions and variance decomposition analyses. Our results show that the Dutch Disease was diagnosed, albeit, as a delayed occurrence. This suggests that the government should lay more emphasis on the agricultural sector hitherto not given deserved attention.

Does institution type affect access to finance for cassava actors in Nigeria?

The cassava system in Nigeria is developing, with increasing attention to its potential positive outcomes. However, credit access is a major problem in expanding productive activities of the different actors across the value chains of cassava products. This study investigates the extent of access to credit by cassava actors with respect to the different financial institutions in the country using data obtained from a sample of 168 actors, including producers, processors, marketers, fabricators and end users. The study found that commercial banks had the highest disbursement rate (88.0%) despite higher interest rate charged, while government banks had the least (73.6%). Processors (79.5%) and marketers (79.4%) had highest credit access rate while fabricators (67.5%) had the least. Regression results revealed that cassava actors that patronized commercial banks particularly those who are medium scale had access to higher amount of credit. However, female actors and those using cooperative banks secured lower credit amount. In line with the results, Nigeria should champion private-sector-led credit provision through appropriate policies aimed at improving the capacity of the institutions. Financial institutions should be strengthened for better credit access by the cassava actors, and hence improve their productivity

Phytochemical Screening and in vivo antioxidant activity of Ethanolic extract of caesalpinia bondus (L.) Roxb

Phytochemical screening, antioxidant activity in vivo and lipid peroxidation of 75 % ethanolic extract of young twigs and leaves of Caesalpinia bonduc were carried out by chemical test, and assessment of catalase and peroxidase activities and lipid peroxidation in Wistar rats after oral administration of different concentrations of the plant extract for ten days. Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of all major classes of phytochemicals: tannins, flavonoids, saponin, steroids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, glycosides, except phlobatannins. There were significant (p<0.05) graded increase in catalase and peroxidase activities and decrease in TBARS concentrations in the extract tested rats in comparison with normal control, Vitamin C and amodiaquine tested rats. The various pharmacological activities of C. bonduc may be due to its antioxidant activity

Complimentary Image Processing Techniques: Critical Review with C#

Image Enhancement is one of the most essential and laborious techniques in image researches. The scheme of image enhancement is to improve the visual semblance of an image, or to afford a “correct transform representation for future automated image processing. Many images like medical images, satellite images, aerial images and even real life photographs suffer from indigent contrast and noise. It is necessary to enhance the contrast and remove the noise to enhance image quality. One of the most significant stages in medical images detection and analysis is Image Enhancement techniques which improves the quality (clearness) of images for human look, removing blurring and noise, increasing contrast, and unveil details are examples of enhancement operations. The enhancement technique varies from one field to another according to its objective. The existent techniques of image enhancement can be classified into two categories: Spatial Domain and Frequency domain enhancement. In this research, we present an overview of image enhancement projection techniques in spatial domain. More specifically, we categorise processing methods based typical techniques of Image enhancement. Thus the contribution of this paper is to arrange and review image enhancement procedure techniques, attempt an evaluation of shortcomings and universal needs in this field of active research and in last we will stage out promising directions on research for image enhancement for prospective research. Keywords: Frequency based domain enhancement, Image Enhancement, Spatial based domain enhancement, Histogram Equalization

Implementation of Micro-Controller Based Adaptive Motion Detection for Industrial Monitoring System

Industrial system has become concurrent research focus in most developed counties being an ultimate source of revenue benefited by citizens. This project emphasized on implementation of micro-controller based adaptive motion detection for industrial monitoring system as a factor that determines synergy and sustainability of industrial management. The camera will be interface with PC to detect the presence of object and report production activities through image capture and enable video stream for monitoring. The design is to create interface link between Microcontroller AVR PC, ATMEG16 and camera C3088. The PC will establish bi-directional communication with AVR while using I2C communication protocol is used to interface camera and AVR.  The industrial feedback process will be control with AVR based on adaptive motion detection from installed camera. The captured image obtain from the camera can be use for surveillance or can be process for image processing purpose in industries and organizations. Keywords: Lighting, LED, economic usage, light energy, detectio

Covert contraceptive use among women of reproductive age in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background: This study assessed the prevalence and determinants of covert contraceptive use among women of reproductive age in Ibadan, Nigeria.Methods: A cross sectional study among women attending a family planning clinic in a maternity teaching hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria was conducted. Data was collected on sociodemographic characteristics, contraceptive use and partner awareness of use. The socio-demographic predictors of covert contraceptive use were explored using logistic regressions.Results: Twenty-five (6.8%) of the 365 respondents were practicing covert contraception. Their mean age was 34.7±6.67 years, 98.6% were married and with modal parity of 3 (29.6%). A logistic regression analysis showed that participants' age (p = 0.555), occupation (p = 0.679), education (p = 0.642), parity (p = 0.385) and husbands' education (p = 0.926) were not statistically associated with covert contraceptive use while husbands' financial supports (p = 0.000) and approval for family planning use (p = 0.000) were associated with reduction in the likelihood covert contraceptive use.Conclusions: Covert contraceptive use exist among our women. Poor financial support and disapproval by the husbands were the strongest predictors of the practice. Greater male involvement in contraceptive service provision will help address these negative factors promoting covert contraceptive practices.Keywords: covert, contraception, women, reproductive age.Running Title: Covert contraceptive in Ibadan, Nigeri

The Primary Sectors of the Economy and the Dutch Disease in Nigeria

This study examines whether the Dutch Disease—a resource boom leading to the decline of the erstwhile tradable sector—is present in Nigeria in the light of the rejection of the Dutch Disease thesis in other studies on Nigeria. Quarterly data for our variables of interest were predominantly sourced from the International Financial Statistics of the IMF. The data are analysed through the use of vector autoregressive (VAR) modelling consisting of impulse response functions and variance decomposition analyses. Our results show that the Dutch Disease was diagnosed, albeit, as a delayed occurrence. This suggests that the government should lay more emphasis on the agricultural sector hitherto not given deserved attention

The distributional properties of the family of logistic distributions

The distributional properties of half logistic distribution and Type I generalized logistic distribution were studied, bringing out the L-moments (up to order four) of each of these. Skewness and Kurtosis were obtained

Structure And Dynamics Of Modulated Traveling Waves In Cellular Flames

We describe spatial and temporal patterns in cylindrical premixed flames in the cellular regime, $Le < 1$, where the Lewis number $Le$ is the ratio of thermal to mass diffusivity of a deficient component of the combustible mixture. A transition from stationary, axisymmetric flames to stationary cellular flames is predicted analytically if $Le$ is decreased below a critical value. We present the results of numerical computations to show that as $Le$ is further decreased traveling waves (TWs) along the flame front arise via an infinite-period bifurcation which breaks the reflection symmetry of the cellular array. Upon further decreasing $Le$ different kinds of periodically modulated traveling waves (MTWs) as well as a branch of quasiperiodically modulated traveling waves (QPMTWs) arise. These transitions are accompanied by the development of different spatial and temporal symmetries including period doublings and period halvings. We also observe the apparently chaotic temporal behavior of a disordered cellular pattern involving creation and annihilation of cells. We analytically describe the stability of the TW solution near its onset+ using suitable phase-amplitude equations. Within this framework one of the MTW's can be identified as a localized wave traveling through an underlying stationary, spatially periodic structure. We study the Eckhaus instability of the TW and find that in general they are unstable at onset in infinite systems. They can, however, become stable for larger amplitudes.Comment: to appear in Physica D 28 pages (LaTeX), 11 figures (2MB postscript file