Enhancement of Site Managers Efficiency towards Accomplishments of Project Objectives

A construction project could be completed within the budgeted cost; time frame; quality expected, and, even satisfied the stake-holders` implied needs with lots of resources wastage, thus, an accomplishment of the predetermined project objectives do not signify that the project is successful in utilisation of resources optimally. To achieve optimal construction resources utilisation and minimisation of resources wastefulness, in addition to other factors; there is a need to assess how the site manager’s achieve the project concepts in relation to the resources utilisation, which this study evaluated. This research was conducted in the UK and mixed method research approach was adopted by exploring quantitative questionnaire and qualitative interview surveys’ methods for obtaining data. The paper establishes factors that are under accomplished by the site manager and which require improvement towards optimal resources utilisation. Among the facts deduced are the needs for effective management of time and cost saving contrasts; implementation of prefabrication, modular construction systems; and adequate planning before project commences. The findings report in this paper will not only enhance the site managers efficient performance during construction production process, but will also improve resources utilisation and stakeholders’ satisfaction

Some quality attributes of complementary food produced from flour blends of orange flesh sweetpotato, sorghum, and soybean

The study investigated the chemical, functional, and sensory attributes of orange flesh sweetpotato, sorghum, and soybean during storage. Orange flesh sweetpotato flour, sorghum flour, and soybean flour were blended together at four different ratios of 40:40:20, 30:50:20, 20:60:20, and 10:70:20, respectively, while 100% sorghum flour was used as control. The five flour blends were used to prepare complementary foods, and sensory attributes of foods were determined using a nine point hedonic scale. The flour blend with the highest overall acceptability score was packaged in a high density polyethylene bag and stored for the period of eight weeks. During storage, the functional properties and the chemical properties of the flour blend were determined every two weeks. The result obtained for the sensory properties of the complementary food shows that the sample 40:40:20 was accepted by the panellists. The functional properties of the blend during storage ranged from 0.57 to 0.60 g/mL, 69 to 86%, 3.74 to 4.19 g/g, 2.82 to 3.12%, and 77.50 to 94.50% for bulk density, dispersibility, swelling power, solubility, and water absorption capacity, respectively, while the chemical analysis ranged from 7.11 to 9.40%, 1.02 to 3.59% and 0.05 to1.28 meq/kg for moisture, free fatty acids, and peroxide value, respectively. The study showed that the flour blend of 40:20:40 had the most preferred functional properties and complementary food produced from it had best attributes in terms of taste, colour, viscosity, and overall acceptability

Proximate Composition and Metabolizable Energy of Some Commercial Poultry Feeds Available in Abuja, Nigeria

Poultry feeds are prepared to contain all the nutrients in their right proportions necessary for good health, proper growth and egg production of the chicken. This study was undertaken to determine the proximate composition and variations of nutrient in some commercial poultry feeds sold in Abuja, Nigeria. Seven poultry feed brands in their various ratios were subjected to proximate analysis using standard methods. The results of the analysis revealed that the poultry feeds had proximate composition ranging from 6.58 ± 0.02 - 10.88 ± 0.19 % moisture content, 6.03 ± 0.16 - 14.78 ± 0.73 % ash content, 9.98 ± 0.81 - 20.05 ± 0.08 % crude lipid, 3.57 ± 0.11 - 14.77 ± 0.14 % crude fiber, 16.55 ± 0.07 % - 34.01 ± 0.09 % crude protein, 26.28 ± 1.80 % - 48.21 ± 2.07 % carbohydrate and 2971.48 ± 65.44 - 3686.18 ± 29.08 Kcal/kg metabolizable energy. Generally, there were differences in the proximate composition of the poultry feed brands analyzed, however, the poultry feeds have optimum nutrients in their feeds which meet most of the requirements recommended by SON and NRC. The moisture contents in all the feeds were within the recommended value of not more than 12 % while the mean values obtained in crude lipid were all higher than the maximum recommended requirements in poultry feeds

FOOD AND FEEDING HABITS OF SOME FISH SPECIES IN OGUN STATE COASTAL ESTUARY, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

The food and feeding habits of eight (8) fish species Elops lacerta, Chrysichthys auratus, Schilbe mys-tus, Sardinella maderensis, Synodontis schall, Hepsetus odoe, Tilapia zillii and Mugil cephalus in Ogun estuary, Ogun State, Nigeria were studied and estimated for six months, between February and July, 2014. A total of 470 fishes were randomly collected from the commercial fishermen during the study. Results from the stomach contents analysed using frequency of occurrence and numerical methods showed that S. mystus, E. lacerta, S. maderensis, H. odoe, S. schall, T. zillii, M. cephalus and C. auratus were predators, piscivores, herbivores, piscivores, omnivores, herbivores, herbivores and omnivores respectively while H. odoe and S.mystus partly fed on E. lacerta and T. zillii respec-tively. The Diet Breadth (D) ranged from 0.76 to 0.88 and the percentage Gut Repletion Index (GRI), a reflection of frequency of feeding, ranged between 60-100%

GROWTH RESPONSE OF BROILER BIRDS FED Asystasia gangetica LEAF MEAL IN HOT HUMID ENVIRONMENT

A 35- day feeding trial was conducted to study the effects of inclusion of Asystasia gangetica leaf meal (AGLM) on the growth response of broiler chickens. Samples of Asystasia gangetica leaves were sourced from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta environment. The leaves were chopped and wilted, sun dried to reduce the moisture level to the minimal level. The dried leaves were milled to produce leaf meal. Asystasia gangetica leaf meal contain 19.38% crude protein, 15.30% crude fibre, 12.70% ether extract, 1.70% ash and 36.34% NFE.  A total number of 120 day old Marshal Strain of broiler chicks was used. A standard starter diet was fed to the birds prior to the commencement of the experiment. At the end of the 3rd week, birds were allotted into four treatments having three replicates of 10 birds each. Four experimental diets were formulated with varying levels of A. gangetica leaf meal (0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 %) respectively.  Final live weight and daily weight gain varied significantly (P<0.05) among treatment groups. The feed intake and feed conversion ratio were not significantly influenced (P>0.05) by dietary treatments. Final weight and weight gain values were found to decrease across the dietary treatments with increasing level of A. gangetica leaf meal. The results of the experiment show that the use of A. gangetica as feed ingredient in broiler production significantly depressed growth.Â

"Arabic is the language of the Muslims–that's how it was supposed to be": exploring language and religious identity through reflective accounts from young British-born South Asians

This study explores how a group of young British-born South Asians understood and defined their religious and linguistic identities, focusing upon the role played by heritage languages and liturgical languages and by religious socialisation. Twelve British-born South Asians were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. Interview transcripts were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Four superordinate themes are reported. These addressed participants' meaning-making regarding "the sanctification of language" and the consequential suitability of "the liturgical language as a symbol of religious community"; the themes of "ethnic pride versus religious identity" and "linguistic Otherness and religious alienation" concerned potential ethno-linguistic barriers to a positive religious identity. Findings are interpreted in terms of concepts drawn from relevant identity theories and tentative recommendations are offered concerning the facilitation of positive religious and ethnic identities

Nanochitosan derived from marine bacteria

Nanochitosans are polysaccharides produced by the alkalescent deacetylation of chitin and comprise a series of 2-deoxy-2 (acetylamino) glucose linked by ß-(1-4) glycosidic linkages. These are naturally formed from the deacetylation of shellfish shells and the exoskeleton of aquatic arthropods and crustaceans. Reports of chitosan production from unicellular marine bacteria inhabiting the sea, and possessing distinct animal- and plant-like characteristics abound. This capacity to synthesize chitosan from chitin arises from response to stress under extreme environmental conditions, as a means of survival. Consequently, the microencapsulation of these nanocarriers results in new and improved chitosan nanoparticles, nanochitosan. This nontoxic bioactive material which can serve as an antibacterial agent, gene delivery vector as well as carrier for protein and drug release as compared with chitosan, is limited by its nonspecific molecular weight and higher composition of deacetylated chitin. This chapter highlights the biology and diversity of nanochitosan-producing marine bacteria, including the factors influencing their activities, survival, and distribution. More so, the applications of marine bacterial nanochitosans in transfection and gene delivery; wound healing and drug delivery; feed supplement development and antimicrobial activity are discussed

Track D Social Science, Human Rights and Political Science

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138414/1/jia218442.pd

Literacy and multilingualism in Africa

Literacy and multilingualism in Africa is approached here as a field of practice rather than a unified field of research. This field presents a crucial paradox: African contexts present some of the world’s most diverse and vital multilingual situations but also feature in the world’s poorest literacy rates and are routinely said to lack a literate tradition altogether. By reviewing Africa’s script inventions this chapter offers counter-evidence for this deceptive view. Throughout Africa – from the Maghreb over West and Central Africa to the Horn of Africa – there have been significant indigenous script traditions and inventions, including Tifinagh, N’ko, Vai, Bamum and Ge’ez. In fact, some of the world’s oldest known scripts (e.g. Egyptian hieroglyphs) are African scripts. The chapter further outlines two relatively young fields of practice and research that have begun to make major contributions to literacy and multilingualism in Africa: digital literacy and linguistic landscape. These fields share a common interest in the materiality of real language as opposed to idealized images of language and in local agency and creativity in the site of struggle that is language. Like digital language practices, linguistic landscapes constitute a domain for African written multilingualism that is not generally supported or monitored by African states. Nor does either field present simple continuities from colonially inherited language policies and ideologies, in the way that classrooms do. As spaces for writing par excellence linguistic landscapes and mobile phones promise to contribute in no minor way to the development of African language literacies and multilingualism in Africa