Groundwater Quality Assessment in a University Sub-Urban Community in Delta State, Nigeria: Part A-Physicochemical Analysis

This study provides detailed scientific information on the physicochemical  properties of drinking water from groundwater in a Nigerian university sub-urban community. Water samples from boreholes (BHs) and handdrawn wells (HDWs) in the community were collected and analyzed for their  biological and physicochemical parameters, and the metals from July 2016 to January 2017 for wet and dry seasons. Results obtained, showed that the physicochemical factors complied with the World Health Organization  (WHO) guidelines, except for pH being lower in some locations. In the wet and dry seasons, pH varied from 4.4 to 6.2 and from 4.8 to 6.7  respectively. While the mean value for wet season was 5.7, dry season was 5.9; to give a seasonal mean difference of 0.2.Cd and Pb, in both wells, for many locations, were slightly higher than the prescribed limits. The slight elevated concentrations of Pb and Cd could be attributed to oil exploration activities in the study area. The study recommends the provision of improved drinking water in the community.Keywords: Groundwater, quality monitoring, contamination, Niger-Delt

MODELLING GAIT SYNDROME IN HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE: THE GENETIC ALGORITHM APPROACH

Huntington’s disease (HD) which usually affects the patients at middle age results from malfunctioning of the basal ganglia. It is characterized by cognitive impairment, involuntary movements, neuropsychiatric and psychological disturbances. Early motor signs of Huntington’s disease typically include the gradual onset of clumsiness, balance difficulties, and brief, random, fidgeting movements. A popular approach to solving symptoms arising from HD has been through the administration of drugs. But drugs debase human activities, thus the application of electroconvulsive therapy. This work proposes a genetic algorithmic (GA) simulation of chorea in HD patient as a pedestal for the design of a therapeutic device aimed at managing the phenomenon. Earlier efforts have led us to the formulation of such models in recent past. We also compared the GA model with our foremost effort: the electromechanical model, and we observe that the GA model adequately capture the physiological presentation of gait phenomenon in Huntington’s disease. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v36i3.3

Thermodynamics of zinc insertion in CuGaS2:Ti, used as a modulator agent in an intermediate-band photovoltaic material

An intermediate-bandphotovoltaicmaterial, which has an isolated metallic band located between the top of the valence band and bottom of the conduction band of some semiconductors, has been proposed as third generation solar cell to be used in photovoltaic applications. Density functional theory calculations of Zn in CuGaS2:Ti have previously shown that, the intermediate-band position can be modulated in proportion of Zn insertion in such a way that increasing Zn concentration can lead to aband-gap reduction, and an adjustment of the intermediate-band position. This could be interesting in the formation of an intermediate-bandmaterial, that has the maximum efficiency theoretically predicted for the intermediate-band solar cell. In this work, the energetics of several reaction schemes that could lead to the decomposition of the modulated intermediate-bandphotovoltaicmaterial, CuGaS2:Ti:Zn, is studied in order to assess the thermodynamic stability of this material. Calculations of the total free energy and disorder entropy have been taken into account, to get the reaction energy and free energy of the compound decomposition, which is found to be thermodynamically favorabl

Amplitude dependence of image quality in atomically-resolved bimodal atomic microscopy

In bimodal FM-AFM, two flexural modes are excited simultaneously. The total vertical oscillation deflection range of the tip is the sum of the peak-to-peak amplitudes of both flexural modes (sum amplitude). We show atomically resolved images of KBr(100) in ambient conditions in bimodal AFM that display a strong correlation between image quality and sum amplitude. When the sum amplitude becomes larger than about 200 pm, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is drastically decreased. We propose this is caused by the temporary presence of one or more water layers in the tip-sample gap. These water layers screen the short range interaction and must be displaced with each oscillation cycle. Further decreasing the sum amplitude, however, causes a decrease in SNR. Therefore, the highest SNR in ambient conditions is achieved when the sum amplitude is slightly less than the thickness of the primary hydration layer.Comment: 3000 words, 3 Figures, 3 supplimentary figure

Assessment of Home-Based Nigerian Engineers on Risk Management Approach during Project Implementation

The objectives of this paper are to identify possible gaps in identification, evaluation, analysis, implementation and effectiveness of risk management approaches among home-based consulting Engineers in Nigeria vis-à-vis the implementation of such practices. Structured Questionnaire method was adopted as the survey instrument to collect data centred on issues on the subject matters. Out of 80 questionnaires distributed, 61 were returned and 6 of the returned responses rendered invalid leaving 55 valid questionnaires. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Correlation methods were adopted for statistical analysis with respect to which four hypotheses based on the subject matter were formulated and evaluated using the F-and Correlation statistics. The first premised on risk identification resulted in comparative F-statistics of Fcat = 0.057592 < Fcrit = 2.866081, the second on risk evaluation yielded Fcat = 0.194683 < Fcrit = 2.866081 while the third based on risk management implementation resulted in Fcat = 0.093474 < Fcrit = 2.866081. The results of the first three hypothesis indicted the home-based Consulting Engineers of not identifying, analysing/evaluating and implementing risk management approaches in project execution respectively. The fourth hypothesis premised on correlation between management approach and policy implementation yielded a correlation statistics of 0.501642 establishing a positive correlation between the two among the home-based Consulting Engineers. The study thus establishes risk management practices as key to successful project management and its neglect as major causal factor for project failures in Nigeria

日本史授業の一試案 : 近代日本と社会インフラ <第2部 教科研究>

開国後，明治初年に派遣した海外使節は欧米の先進的文化を日本にもたらす契機となり，諸外国に肩を並べる近代化をめざす日本にとって，特に社会インフラの整備は焦眉の急であった。公共の福祉を目的としさまざまな分野で明治政府が推進したインフラ整備は，社会的経済基盤と生産基盤形成において大きな役割を果たした。歴史学習における一般的授業展開方法としての政治史や社会経済史などに偏ることなく，歴史的視点と同時代的視点を習得する総合的歴史学習実践のため，政治や経済を支えた社会インフラをテーマとして日本史Aの一授業を提案する

Change in Circulating Immune Complex and Its Clinical Significance in Malignancy of Gastrointestinal Tract and Liver

Forty-seven patients with digestive tract malignancy and some benign diseases (cholelithiasis, duodenal ulcer) disease were subject to this study to clarify the changes in immunologic state in terms of complements. It has been often reported that circulating immune complex (CIC) was detected in infections disease. But CIC is also able to be detected in malignant disease without infection. The blood level of CIC changes regularly in perioperative period at the time of surgical resection of malignancy. In fact, preoperative value returned to normal in absolute curative operation for gastric cancer. Meanwhile, it was. variable during 7 days after operation in either benign or malignant diseases of gastrointestinal tract. The reason is that early period of surgery tends to be affected by operation insult, induced catabolic metabolism, nutritional defect and infection. After surgery to the liver, the changes in CIC were characteristic and CRA was suppressed coutinuously. Complement. protein C3, which is the most important component in CRA reaction, is generated in the liver. Therefore, it is considered that blood level of CRA is easily affected when hepatic surgery is made