A Study on Anthropogenic Activities Influencing Flood Vulnerability in Ala Riverfront Residential Areas of Akure, Nigeria

This research investigates anthropogenic activities influencing flood vulnerability in Ala riverfront residential areas of Akure, Nigeria with a viewto identifying area susceptible to flood hazard in the river basin and tosuggest possible mitigation measures. With respect to data gathering for thestudy, 265 questionnaires which amounted to 1% of the research population were administered using simple random sampling. Findings from thesurvey revealed erection of buildings on riparian land and indiscriminatedumping of wastes into river bodies as factors responsible for the blockageof river channels and waterways. It also exposed resident’s poor dispositions to flood forecasts and non-adherence to other management measures.The study concludes by recommending public enlightenment campaignto reducing denizen’s vulnerability to flood disaster. There is the need forprovision of waste management and drainage facilities as well as regulardredging of the watercourse to stimulate its absorptive capacity in the eventof heavy downpour. It further suggests creation of artificial lake as natural basin to collect huge volume of water discharged from all watershedsleading to the river. Ultimately, stringent efforts of environmental and townplanning officers are needed to enforce total compliance to all intendedmanagement regulations to check the menace

Classification of extremist text on the web using sentiment analysis approach

The high volume of extremist materials online makes manual classification impractical. However, there is a need for automated classification techniques. One set of extremist web pages obtained by the TENE Web-crawler was initially subjected to manual classification. A sentiment-based classification model was then developed to automate the classification of such extremist Websites. The classification model measures how well the pages could be automatically matched against their appropriate classes. The method also identifies particular data items that differ in manual classification from their automated classification. The results from our method showed that overall web pages were correctly matched against the manual classification with a 93% success rate. In addition, a feature selection algorithm was able to reduce the original 26-feature set by one feature to attain a better overall performance of 94% in classifying the Web data

Classification of radical web text using a composite-based method

The spread of terrorism and extremism activities on the Internet has created the need for intelligence gathering via Web and real-time monitoring of potential websites for extremist activities. However, the manual classification for such contents is practically difficult and time-consuming. In response to this challenge, an automated classification system called Composite technique was developed. This is a computational framework that explores the combination of both semantics and syntactic features of textual contents of a Web page. We implemented the framework on a set of extremist Web pages - a dataset that has been subjected to a manual classification process. Thereby, we developed a classification model on the data using the J48 decision algorithm, to generate a measure of how well each page can be classified into their appropriate classes. The classification result obtained from our method when compared with other states of the art, indicated a 96% success rate overall in classifying Web pages when matched against the manual classification

Identification by GC-MS of the Components of Oils of Banana Peels Extract, Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Analyses

Banana is eaten all over the world by all sections of the population. A lectin, called BanLec, was isolated from banana fruit and found to possess anti-HIV-1 activity. However, the peels of banana are thrown away as rubbish although farmers are known to use them as feed for their animals. We thought that there might be some valuable chemicals in banana peels and therefore decided to extract the oils from their peels. Two varieties of Nigeria bananas were chosen for an initial study. The crude methanolic extract was subjected to phytochemical analysis, which revealed the presence of steroids, saponin, terpenoids, anthraquinones and tannins. Antimicrobial study of the methanolic extract showed that the oils were effective against some bacteria. The chemical constituents of the oils were identified and characterized by GC-MS. The fatty acids stearic, palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids and their methyl esters as well as 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one, 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furancarboxyaldehyde, cyclododecane, dibutyl phthalate, b-sitosterol, sesamin and epi-sesamin were among the identified components. These constituents were found to be compounds with known biological and medicinal activit

MODELLING A WIND MAP OF NIGERIA TO ASSESS THE UTILIZATION OF WIND AS AN ALTERNETIVE SOURCE OF ENERGY

This paper deals with the feasibility study and efficient utilization of wind energy in Nigeria. Twenty (20) years hourly wind data at 10 m height were collected for 2 stations in each of the 6 geographical zones of Nigeria. The selected stations were: Abeokuta, Osogbo, Calabar, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Enugu, Sokoto, Kano, Jos, Abuja, Maiduguri and Yola. A wind map of Nigeria was modelled using ArcView© Geographical Iinformation System. The study revealed that Jos, Kano and Sokoto have wind energy potential sufficient to generate electrical power that could be connected to the national grid, while Enugu and Maiduguri have enough wind energy potential that could be used to power irrigation devices and other agricultural activities. The establishment of wind power plants for excellent stations such as Jos, Kano and Sokoto for the generation of electricity which could be integrated with the present national grid is recommended

Phytochemical Screening and Antimicrobial Studies of Stem and Root Extracts of Crateva adansonii

Aim: This study was designed to explore the phytochemical and antimicrobial screening of the stem and root extracts of Crateva adansonii. Place and Duration of Study: Sample: Iyesi village, Ota, Ogun State, and analysis carried out at Department of Chemistry and Department of Biological Sciences, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State and for duration of three months (November 2016 to February 2017). Methodology: Standard universal procedures were employed for both phytochemical and antimicrobial analysis. Results: The result obtained from the stem and root extracts of Crateva adansonii indicated the presence of flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, and cardiac glycosides. Root extract was found to be richer in source of phytochemicals when compared to the stem extract. However, the highest antibacterial activity was observed against selected bacteria by both stem and root extracts. The potency of the root extract was observed to be higher than the stem extract against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus niger and Serratia spp. Conclusion: The preliminary studies on the stem and the root of Crateva adansonii extracts revealed their antimicrobial potential which could be further investigated for global utilization in pharmaceutical treatment, natural therapies, food preservation and cosmetic applications

An Investigation of the Effects of Manufacturing Parameters On Properties of Binderless Boards Produced from Abura (Mitragyna Ciliata) Sawdust

The production of particle boards without the use of synthetic binders is desirable to prevent environmental problems. This study has produced experimental binderless boards from untreated sawdust from Abura wood using a laboratory press. Box-Behnken experimental design was utilized to investigate the effects of the pressing variables including pressure, temperature and pressing time. The density of the boards produced ranged between 523.69 and 738 kg/m3 which was within the range specified for medium density fibreboards . The maximum values for Modulus of Elasticity (MOE), Modulus of Rupture (MOR) and Internal Bonding Strength (IB) were 100.4 MPa, 1.1 MPa and 0.049 MPa, respectively. It was shown that, for the range of factors studied, pressure and the pressing temperature were the more significant factors in determining the density, MOE and IB. This study showed that the sawdust can potentially be used for the production of binderless boards

An Investigation of the Effects of Manufacturing Parameters On Properties of Binderless Boards Produced from Abura (Mitragyna Ciliata) Sawdust

The production of particle boards without the use of synthetic binders is desirable to prevent environmental problems. This study has produced experimental binderless boards from untreated sawdust from Abura wood using a laboratory press. Box-Behnken experimental design was utilized to investigate the effects of the pressing variables including pressure, temperature and pressing time. The density of the boards produced ranged between 523.69 and 738 kg/m3 which was within the range specified for medium density fibreboards . The maximum values for Modulus of Elasticity (MOE), Modulus of Rupture (MOR) and Internal Bonding Strength (IB) were 100.4 MPa, 1.1 MPa and 0.049 MPa, respectively. It was shown that, for the range of factors studied, pressure and the pressing temperature were the more significant factors in determining the density, MOE and IB. This study showed that the sawdust can potentially be used for the production of binderless boards

Beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acid on dyslipidemia in organs of alloxan-induced diabetic rats

Diabetes Mellitus is one of the heterogeneous metabolic disorders associated with dyslipidemia, a major risk factor contributing to cardiovascular disease. This metabolic abnormality affects virtually all organs. Over the years, antidiabetic drugs which majorly aim at the hyperglycemic aspect of the disease have been used. Therefore, to address this dyslipidemia, omega-3 fatty acid (O3FA) supplement was employed. Its effects on lipid metabolism in the organs (heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, spleen and brain) of alloxan-induced (150mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally) diabetic male rats were investigated. O3FA (0.4g/kg b.wt/day) was administered as pre- and posttreatment for 2 weeks. The lipid levels were significantly increased (p<0.05) in diabetic rats. O3FA administration significantly reduced (p<0.05) the levels of cholesterol, phospholipids, triacylglycerol by varying extents, in the examined organs without affecting hyperglycemia in the diabetic rats. The ratio of HMG CoA/mevalonate decreased in the liver of the diabetic rats by 28% indicating increased activity of HMG-CoA reductase. This diabetes-induced dyslipidemia was accompanied by a 28% increase in the activity of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase. Administration of O3FA to the diabetic rats however resulted in 10% and 17% decrease in the activity of this enzyme in the pre- and post-treated groups respectively. Also, lipid peroxidation was significantly reduced (p<0.05) by O3FA suggesting that it has protective effect against oxidative damage. This study reveals that O3FAsupplement has beneficial effects in attenuating dyslipidemia observed in diabetes mellitus and could be beneficial as an adjunct in the management of diabetes mellitus

Retinoblastoma - A Clinico - Pathological Study in Ilorin, Nigeria*

Retinoblastoma is the commonest childhood primary malignant intraocular neoplasm that is often characterized by spontaneous regression. They display photoreceptor differentiation. This study provides the clinical presentations and histological profiles of retinoblastoma in Ilorin, Kwara \u2013 State, in the North Central geo-political zone of Nigeria. A retrospective study of clinically and histologically verified retinoblastoma at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara \u2013 State, Nigeria from January 1989 to December 2000 was undertaken. The clinical and histological features were analyzed using the patient's case folder and surgical pathology records. There were 20 patients, 9 males and 11 females (M:F ratio 1: 1.2), age range from 5 1/2 months to 6 years with 23 eyeball tumours histologically confirmed retinoblastoma during the study period. Proptosis with chemosis was the most common clinical presentation (84.6%). Bilaterality was 15% in this study. Enucleation and Exenteration combined with chemotherapy were offered to 15 (75%) and 5 (25%) patients respectively. A poorly differentiated type with extensive areas of tumour necrosis was the commonest histological pattern. Thirteen (65%) of the patients died before completing the course of chemotherapy