ATP-sulphurylase: An enzymatic marker for biological sulphate reduction

Adenosine triphosphate-sulphurylase (ATPS) plays a major role in dissimilatory sulphate reduction. In this study, the level of ATPS activity was monitored in a time course study using a biosulphidogenic batch bioreactor system. A coincident decrease in ATPS activity with a decline in sulphate concentration and an increase in sulphide concentration as biosulphidogenesis proceeded was observed. Flask studies further showed sulphate to be stimulatory to ATPS, while sulphide proved to be inhibitory. The effect of ions (Ca^(2+), Cl^(−), Fe^(2+) and Zn^(2+)) on the ATPS activity was also investigated. Most of the ions studied (Ca^(2+), Cl^(−) and Fe^(2+)) were stimulatory at lower concentrations (40–120 mg/l) but proved toxic at higher concentrations (>120 mg/l). In contrast, Zn^(2+) was inhibitory even at low concentrations ( 40 mg/l). ATPS may potentially be used as an enzymatic marker for biological sulphate reduction in sulphate-rich wastewaters and natural environments (anaerobic systems such as soils and sediments found in freshwater and marine systems), providing all residual sulphide and interfering ions are removed using a simple preparative step

Selecting SaaS CRM Solution for SMEs

The use of CRM system has helped many organisations to manage and analyze business interaction with customers in several ways. However, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are often struggling to find an optimal solution to fit their business and financial conditions. When faced with different SaaS-based CRM solutions, SMEs need to save investments in IT infrastructure, the cost of CRM deployment, and the maintenance cost. To select the best solution for the SME is critical for the business. This paper look at What systematic approach SMEs needs to follow when choosing the best SaaS CRM solution that would suit their company business strategy? To answer this question, this study presents a comprehensive decision-making framework for SaaS CRM evaluation and selection approach using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP). The proposed selection approach is also applied to an SME, Biyemfat Enterprise, a small private real estate company. A case study of selecting a SaaS CRM solution for Biyemfat Enterprise is presented with an evaluation of the cost-benefit analysis

God’s not dead, just overregulated: state history and the regulation of religion at various stages of development

Intensity of governmental interference with religion differs extensively across the world. We suggest that part of this variation is entrenched in the historical development of statehood, which has played a crucial role in shaping many aspects of modern-day society, and propose that this further depends on a country’s relative stage of economic development. Using data on a cross-section of countries, our indicator of state history reveals a substantially positive effect on measures of current religious regulation. In addition to this persistent influence, we show that state history exhibits differential effects on religious regulations across countries. The empirical results indicate that the state history - religious regulation nexus is strongest in middle-income countries, followed by low-income countries. However, this association is rarely observed amid high-income countries

Morphology of F-region vertical E×B drifts in the African sector using ionosonde measurements

F-region vertical velocities are derived from the ground-based ionosonde data for Ibadan (7.4°N, 3.9°E; dip 6°S: an equatorial station in the African zone), to study the general characteristics of electrodynamics of equatorial ionosphere, such as their variation with season, solar cycle, and magnetic activity at different local time sectors. The results show profound seasonal and geomagnetic effects. Except for equinoctial period, there is an excellent consistency in the magnitudes (nearly 20 m/s) and patterns of upward daytime F-region drifts at low and high solar activity periods. Evening F-region exhibits strong motion with absolute mean value for quiet-time (15 m/s) greater than on disturbed-time (10 m/s). The average downward quiet midnight-early morning hours sector value is well below than 10 m/s. The evening reversal time is earliest and latest during solstitial periods. Prereversal peak is season dependent and varies strongly with magnetic activity. We show that prereversal peak, daytime, and nighttime maximum drifts saturate at particular values of F10.7 cm solar radio flux index, effects not noticed with corresponding sunspot number. Our observations confirm several previous results from other equatorial sites utilizing different experimental techniques

Global shocks in the US economy: Effects on output and the real exchange rate

This is the final version. Available from Springer via the DOI in this record. This paper studies the effects of global shocks, relative to domestic shocks (productivity, mark-up, and demand shocks), in accounting for US business cycle fluctuations. We do this by developing and estimating a two-sector open economy dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model that features several real frictions and structural shocks. The central finding from the estimated model is that global shocks are the main driver of movements in many US macroeconomic aggregates. Particularly, we find that they explain around 40% of the variations in our main variables of interest—output and real exchange rate. This important quantitative contribution is achieved by using indirect inference estimation techniques to test the model. We identify exogenous world demand, oil price shocks, preference for exported energy-intensive goods, and the price of imported energy-intensive goods as the global shocks most prominent in causing the largest variations in economic outcomes. By contrast, foreign interest rates and preference for aggregate exported goods are found to be bystanders.Julian Hodge Institute of Applied MacroeconomicsPetroleum Trust Development Fun

Land Use/Land Cover Analysis Using Remote Sensing and GIS: A Case Study of The Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria (2005, 2010 and 2015)

This study therefore examines the Land use/land cover analysis of The Polytechnic Ibadan using remote sensing and GIS. Landsat TM imagery of 2005, 2010 and 2015 was used to identify and classify the assessment spatial changes that have occurred in the institution between the year of the study. A GIS database of the study area and their location within the interval of 5years (2005-2010-2015) was generated and analyzed with the aid of GIS analytical functions. These includes: Land use/land cover classification using ArcGIS 10.2 Software and ILWIS 3.4. The result showed that the intensive rate of admitting students and insufficient administrative and academic offices has resulted in spatial changes in land cover land use between 2005_2010 and 2015. It also shows that population growth among student admitted as well as the need in more administrative and academic offices in the institution imposes a lot of pressure on the institution in providing a conducive environment. This research highlights the increasing rate of student admitted which leads to creation of additional infrastructural facilities by the institution and the need to apprehend the situation to ensure sustainable environmental development. Keywords: Institution, Land Use/Cover Classification, infrastructural facilities, spatial changes

EFFECT OF EMOTIONAL STABILITY AND SELF-EFFICACY ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF EMERGING ADULTS DURING COVID-19 IN NIGERIA

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of emotional stability and self-efficacy on psychological well-being of emerging adults during COVID-19 in Nigeria. The sample consists of 50 (23 male and 27 female) emerging adults across the six geopolitical zones of the country. It was found that self-efficacy and emotional intelligence had significant main and interaction effect on psychological well-being; there was no significant gender difference on psychological well-being and that demographic predictors made a contribution of 10.1% to the psychological well-being of emerging adults during COVID-19. The need to promote the psychological well-being of all emerging adults during and post-COVID-19 must be embraced.  Article visualizations

Democracy does improve health

This is the author accepted manuscriptIn this paper, we study the extent to which the spread of democracy affects country-level health outcomes in 115 countries, between 1960 and 2015. To do this, we use both the level and change measures of democracy in our regressions, concentrating on within-country variations. Our finding is that a one standard deviation increase of 0.35 in the level of democracy is associated with a 0.11 standard deviation increase in life expectancy, even after accounting for various country and time features. This corresponds to an increase in life expectancy of around 5 years for a country initially, with a mean life expectancy of 54 years. However, we do not find the change measure of democracy to be consistently influential. These results are robust to employing alternative model specifications, to using different subsamples of the data, and to alternative estimation techniques. We also find that these critical effects are retained when using other measures of health status. In particular, we observe that as the level of democracy rises, each of infant mortality, child mortality, and crude death decreases. We, therefore, conclude that the material role of democratic institutions in fostering population health is of first-order relevance