The impediments to the adoption of the design and build project procurement strategy in the Saudi construction industry

In the fast moving world with open international markets, the timely completion of construction projects within a stipulated budget will be of the highest priority. It can take months, years, and even decades to plan, design, procure, construct and handover a project to the client. Delays can mean failure. Similar to other parts of the world, the Saudi construction industry is being increasingly challenged to provide for faster, more economical and better construction. Clients are looking for new innovative methods that will shorten the project duration, meet the established budget and achieve the desired quality level. Design and Build (D&B) project procurement strategy appears to present a viable option. Whilst the benefits of D&B contracting have been directly realized in many industries for procuring various projects in many parts of the world, the Saudi construction industry has been slow to accept the D&B option. The D&B project delivery option has not been adopted on a grand scale and its application is still limited. The traditional design, bid, build (D.B.B) project delivery option still dominates the local Saudi construction industry. On a close examination, there appears to be impediments preventing the adoption of D&B contracting within the Saudi construction industry. This study will investigate and define these impediments and propose practical recommendations to overcome them. To investigate this problem and discover these practical solutions, a mixed methodology approach is employed. Both quantitative and qualitative data from surveys and direct interviews have been gathered. The interviews were conducted with key participants representing consulting and contracting firms, manufacturers, developers, public and private sector clients, financial market evaluators, and insurance firms. To enrich the investigation, a pertinent case study for a university campus which was procured along the D&B option is also examined. The main findings are reported with a set of recommendation. The results suggest that local industry stakeholders are divided or undecided on the benefits of D&B and its appropriateness. The nature of these impediments are cultural, lack of knowledge about D&B option, a scarcity of medium size D&B firms, and current government contracts which are based on the traditional D.B.B delivery option. Recommendations to improve the performance and productivity utilizing D&B are presented including a practical guidelines model to be consulted by D&B clients

Seasonal dynamics of zooplankton composition and abundance in Thomas Dam Dambatta, Kano, Nigeria

Seasonal dynamics of zooplankton composition and abundance as influenced by physicochemical parameters of Thomas Dam were studied between January and October, 2016. Zooplankton and water samples for physicochemical parameters were collected and analyzed fortnightly between 8:00 – 10:00 am using standard methods. Four sampling sites (A, B, C and D) were chosen on the Dam based on the vegetation pattern and impact of human activities. The mean range of physicochemical parameters studied were temperature (18.5 – 28.9 °C), pH (7.5 – 8.9), DO (4.8 – 9.1mg/L), BOD (2.2 – 4.9mg/L), turbidity (16.3 – 37.1 NTU), electrical conductivity (131.8 – 335.7µS/cm), TDS (140 - 386.6 mg/L), phosphate (0.15-1.13mg/L) and nitrate (0.14 - 4.78mg/L). Total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, turbidity and nitrate recorded significant difference between wet and dry season (P<0.05). While no significant difference was observed between DO, BOD, phosphate, temperature and pH. Thirty two (32) species of zooplankton were identified belonging to Protozoa (4.3%), Cladocera (42.0%), Rotifera (29.6%) and Copepoda (24.1%) which accounted for 268.5org/L of the total faunal composition. Site A had the highest zooplankton density of 80.9org/L while site C recorded the least with 69.7org/L. Daphnia pulex had the highest species composition of 9.33org/L and Pleuronema sp. recorded the least with 0.07org/L. Seasonal variation indicated a strong positive relationship between physicochemical and zooplankton densities (P<0.05). Biotic Indices analyses of Shannon-wiener Index, Evenness Index and Margalef’s Index showed that zooplankton composition and abundance were highest during wet season than in dry season. However, Pearson Correlation Coefficient between zooplankton abundance and physicochemical parameters indicated strong positive relationship at p<0.01(2- tailed). The composition and abundance of zooplankton in Thomas Dam were affected by seasonal variation and fluctuation of physicochemical parameters during the study period. It is therefore recommended that uncontrolled discharge of agrochemicals around the Dam through irrigation and other human activities should be controlled in order to curtail degradation of the aquatic biota over a period of time.Keywords: Seasonal dynamics, Physico-chemical parameters, Zooplankton composition, Diversity, Thomas Da

Occurrence of helminths on Clarias gariepinus, (African Catfish) caught in selected points along river Kaduna, Nigeria

Fish is an important source of food and income to many developing countries, parasites usually affect the marketability of the commercially produced fish, thus raising public health concern especially in areas where raw or smoked fish is eaten. The study is aimed at assessing the prevalence of helminths in fish sold in selected catching point along river Kadona. A total number of eighty [80] African Catfish were randomly purchased from fishermen along River Kaduna [Malali and Kabala Doki] on weekly basis from June – December, 2018.The samples were subjected to examination for helminth parasites using standard parasitological techniques. The result shows that out of eighty [80] examined, 15[35.0%] and 11[27.5%] were infected at Malali and Kabala Doki respectively. Larger fish weighed between 601-1000g had the highest prevalence 11[45.4%)] and 2[50%] in Malali and Kabala Doki respectively. The standard length ranges between 31-50cm from Malali and Kabala Doki had 5[50%] and 3[60%] prevalence respectively. Female sample have the highest prevalence in Malali 8[38.1%] and Kabala 7[31.8%].The helminth parasites recorded are cestode having two [2] different species [Polyonchobothrium sp. and Bothriocephalus sp.], others include Paracamellamus sp. [Nematode] and Heterophase sp. [Trematode]. Endoparasites recorded the highest number of parasite with stomach having [10] and small intestines [12] in Kabala and Malali area respectively. The statistical analysis showed no relationship between ecto and endo parasites infection. More helminth parasites were recovered from the intestine (17) than the gills and skin (03). Females were infected more with 31.8 and 38.1% than the males with 22.2 and 31.6% in Kabala Doki and Malali catching points respectively. Further research is recommended on a large scale to ascertain the level of damage on the histopathology of the tissues and organs of infected fish

Biodegradation potential of bacterial isolates from dye wastewater at Marina, Sokoto metropolis

This study was carried out to determine the biodegradation potential of bacterial isolates from dye wastewater at Marina Area, Sokoto. Three (3) of the bacteria were identified; Bacillus subtilis, Luteimonasaestuarrii and Bacillus cereus and were used for further studies based on their degradation ability of green, red, yellow and blue dyes. Bacillus subtilis, Luteimonas aestuarii and Bacillus cereus have the potential to degrade all the four dyes used during the present investigation. However, efficacy of the various bacterial strains was found to vary at different concentration levels in degradation of a particular dye. Thus, by this study it can be concluded that Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis and Luteimonas aestuarii can be used as a good microbial source for dye waste water treatment. The selected bacterial species represent a promising tool for application in biodegradation of dye waste water and the potential observed would allow for the application of the bacterial isolates for treatment of dye effluents before disposal. Keywords: effluents, isolates, biodegradation, dye and bacterial

ETS-1 oncoprotein expression is decreased in aggressive papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder: An immunohistochemical study

Introduction: ETS-1 proto-oncogene is a transcription factor that plays multiple roles in the process of oncogenesis and helps in the process of tumor invasion. ETS-1 oncoprotein correlation with high grade and invasive tumors is controversial; as it is found to be upregulated with some tumors and down regulated with others. Expression of ETS-1 in urinary bladder carcinoma (UBC) and its correlation with tumor differentiation and invasiveness are still under-investigated. So far, there is no reliable prognostic marker has been proved for detection of the tumor progression and recurrence.Objectives: To analyze the correlation between ETS-1 oncoprotein immunohistochemical expression and the different stages and grades of the primary papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.Patients and methods: This is a retrospective cross sectional study that included archival material from 150 cancer cases and 24 control biopsies.Results: There was a decreased ETS-1 oncoprotein expression with increasing stage and grade of the tumor with a highly significant statistical correlation (P = 0.001). With the quantitative assessment of the immunohistochemical results and using ROC (receiver operating characteristics) curve, cut-off values were found, that were associated with high grade and muscle invasive tumors (≤30% and ≤20%, respectively).Conclusion: ETS-1 oncoprotein is down regulated with high grade and highly invasive urinary bladder papillary transitional cell carcinomas. This oncoprotein may be used as an independent prognostic marker to predict the aggressive papillary transitional carcinomas with high invasive potential. More studies are needed to confirm our results.Keywords: Papillary transitional cell carcinoma; ETS-1; Prognostic marker; Immunohistochemical; Stage; Grad

Impact of oxidative stress on pregnancy outcome in albino rats

Accumulative reports documented that oxidative stress is implicated in many human and animal diseases. However, the reports concerning the effect of oxidative stress on pregnancy outcome are limited and scarce. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of oxidative stress on pregnancy outcome and to assess the antioxidant effect of vitamin C and E on oxidative stress parameters in blood and placental tissue samples in experimental pregnant animals model exposed to oxidative stress. Wister Albino rats were used in this work to investigate the effects of oxidative stress exposure (addition of H2O2 to the drinking water) on pregnancy outcome. Rats were divided into 5 groups, as follows: Group I (included 7 normal pregnant rats which served as control group). Group II (exposed to 1 % H2O2) included 7 pregnant rats, the rats were allowed to become pregnant and received (1% H2O2) in drinking water from day 7th till the day 19th of pregnancy. Group III (exposed to 3% H2O2) included 8 pregnant rats. Same as group 2, but the rats were exposed to a higher concentration of H2O2 (3%) in drinking water. Group IV (included 8 pregnant rats). Pregnant rats received vitamins C and E without induction of oxidative stress. Group V (included 8 pregnant rats).induction of oxidative stress by 1% H2O2 with vitamins supplementation in the pregnant rats. Serum total antioxidants capacity (TAC), serum and placental tissue oxidative stress biomarker; 8-iso prostaglandin F2α (8-Isoprostane) were measured using specific ELISA kits. Also placental tissues of pregnant rats were isolated and put directly in 10% formalin prepared for histopathological examination. Results revealed a significant decrease in the median values of the body weight and total serum antioxidants capacity (TAC) in groups II and III of rats compared with the control group. A significant higher median value of TAC obtained in the groups IV and V when compared with the control group. Significant higher levels of serum and tissue Isoprostane observed in both groups II and III compared with control group. Histopathological, oxidative stress induced macroscopically degenerative with microscopical appearance of vasculitis and hemorrhage within decidua. Data of the present study demonstrated that imbalance oxidative stress status in pregnant rats occurred due to exposure to oxidant, which played an important role in the pathogenesis of abnormal pregnancy outcome. In addition antioxidants supplementation (vitamins E and C) were valuable in reducing this stress

Influence of preservation methods on ph and microbiological quality of tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus) milk

The deteriorating effect of microorganisms on tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus) milk has hampered its large-scale production and profitability. To study the effect of preservation on the pH and microbiological quality of the milk, big yellow tiger nuts were soaked in 3 L of tap water at 60oC for 6 hours, additives such as coconut, date, cinnamon and ginger were added and blended. The extracted milk was divided into twenty five portions and subjected to the following treatments: pasteurization, sterilization, ultraviolet light, freezing and sodium benzoate. The pH and microbiological quality of both the fresh and preserved samples were investigated over 9-day storage period. The pH of the milk samples significantly decreased (p<0.05) over the period due to microbial activity. There were significant (p<0.05) decrease and increase in the pH values of the preserved samples with negative control (FTM) and positive control samples (TMA) respectively. The less acidic the products are the higher the bacterial load. The values of the total bacterial count for the preserved milk ranged from 5.19±0.06 to 6.84±0.03 log10cfu/ml. The values within this range were significantly lower (p<0.05) than FTM  (6.58±0.05log10cfu/ml) but higher than TMA (4.44±0.02 to 5.85±0.06  log10cfu/ml). The organisms isolated from the samples were Staphylococcus species (16%), Clostridium species (11%), Bacillus species (10%), Acinetobacter species (3%), Enterobacter species (6%), Corynebacterium species (4%), Neisseria species (1%), Vibrio species (1%), Micrococcus species (4%), Aeromonas species (5%), Saccharomyces species (35%) and Rhizopus oryzae (4%). The results suggest that ultraviolet light and sterilization methods were more effective at eliminating most of the bacteria implicated in milk spoilage.Keywords: Fresh, large-scale production, microbiological quality, preserved, tiger nut milk

Forecasting project schedule performance using probabilistic and deterministic models

AbstractEarned value management (EVM) was originally developed for cost management and has not widely been used for forecasting project duration. In addition, EVM based formulas for cost or schedule forecasting are still deterministic and do not provide any information about the range of possible outcomes and the probability of meeting the project objectives. The objective of this paper is to develop three models to forecast the estimated duration at completion. Two of these models are deterministic; earned value (EV) and earned schedule (ES) models. The third model is a probabilistic model and developed based on Kalman filter algorithm and earned schedule management. Hence, the accuracies of the EV, ES and Kalman Filter Forecasting Model (KFFM) through the different project periods will be assessed and compared with the other forecasting methods such as the Critical Path Method (CPM), which makes the time forecast at activity level by revising the actual reporting data for each activity at a certain data date. A case study project is used to validate the results of the three models. Hence, the best model is selected based on the lowest average percentage of error. The results showed that the KFFM developed in this study provides probabilistic prediction bounds of project duration at completion and can be applied through the different project periods with smaller errors than those observed in EV and ES forecasting models

Intensity-modulated abrupt tapered Fiber Mach-Zehnder Interferometer for the simultaneous sensing of temperature and curvature

AbstractAn abrupt tapered fiber In-Line Mach-Zehnder Interferometer sensor for simultaneous measurement of temperature and curvature is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The sensor head is fabricated by arcing Corning SMF-28 using a commercial arc fusion splicer. The individual parameters discrimination was achieved by manipulating the unequal sensitivities of optical power to temperature and curvature obtained at two wavelengths within the sensing spectrum. The curvature and temperature sensitivities at λ1 (1537nm) and λ2 (1568.7nm) were found to be 11.8264dBm/m−1, 12.4885dBm/m−1 and 0.0829dBm/°C, 0.0833dBm/°C, respectively. The experimental results show unperturbed readings with rms deviation of ±0.1801m−1 and ±0.0826°C, for curvature and temperature measurements, respectively, through measurement of optical power response of the sensor. With this simultaneous sensing technique, the proposed sensor can be deployed for many field applications such as nondestructive structural health monitoring of civil infrastructure

Sensory evaluation and microbial status of meat floss from West African Dwarf Goats fed graded levels of broiler litter

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary inclusion levels of Broiler Litter (BL) on meat quality of West Africa Dwarf (WAD) goats. Five complete diets were formulated using BL to replace 40 % composition of Cottonseed Cake (CSC) as dietary protein source at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 % levels, thus each level of replacement served as a treatment. Thirty WAD bucks with average weight of 10.57±0.42 kg were randomly allotted to five treatments in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). After feeding trials and digestibility studies, the bucks were humanly slaughtered and two kilograms of meat from uniform parts (hind leg and loin) of each buck were processed to Meat Floss (Dambun nama) and evaluated for proximate, sensory qualities and microbial status during storage for 60 days at room temperature. Twenty semi-trained panellists were used to evaluate the processed meat, using a five-point hedonic scale, Total Aerobic Plate Counts (TAPC) and Total Coliform Counts (TCC) was also determined. The result revealed that proximate nutrients composition of fresh Chevon was not significantly (p>0.05) different in all the treatments. The results of sensory parameters revealed that aroma, taste, colour, tenderness, juiciness and acceptability were significantly (p<0.05) affected by levels of BL inclusions. Similarly, there was also interaction (p<0.05) between levels of CSC replacement with broiler litter and time of storage of Dambun nama on sensory parameters. It was concluded that replacing up to 50 % of CSC with BL improved meat sensory qualities