Development of a model for predicting mussel weight: a comparison of traditional and artificial intelligent methods

The relationship between length and weight is non-linear. Predictive modelling using linear regression methods subjects these variables to transformation which results in models of poor predictive value. Hence, a comparative study on developing a predictive model using traditional (length-weight relationship, LWR; multiple linear regression, MLR) and artificial intelligent (artificial neural networks, ANN) methods was conducted. Specimens (n = 320) of the horse mussel Modiolus modulaides were randomly collected from October 2018 to March 2019 at the coastal area of Dumangas, Iloilo, Philippines. Shell length, shell width and shell height were used as predictor variables for total weight. A multi-layer perceptron architecture model was used and the values were determined by the ANNs model using the actual data. In addition, LWR and MLR models were generated from the same data after log-transformation. The results indicated superiority of the ANN model to predict mussel weight to traditional LWR and MLR models. The ANNs model had the highest correlation coefficient and lowest errors among the predictive models. The ANNs model generated from this study can be a good alternative to existing models and may be useful in sustainable fisheries management

Role of Electrochemically Active Bacteria in the Treatment of Piggery and Poultry Wastewaters from Umuagwo in Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria

In this study, piggery and poultry wastewaters were used as agro-based industrial wastewaters to evaluate the role of electrochemically active bacteria in an anodic chamber of microbial fuel cell (MFC) with 0.1M potassium permanganate cathodic cell using salt bridge preparation. The BOD5, COD, TDS, TSS, nitrogen, phosphates, pH and conductivity served as indicative parameters for determining the wastewater treatment efficiencies (WWTE) of the MFCs. Results obtained from the WWTE reveal that the MFCs were able to reduce the piggery wastewater parameters, BOD, COD, TDS, TSS, nitrogen, phosphate, pH, conductivity by 89.66, 69.57, 52.20, 69.04, 70.27, 59.57, - 4.41 and 0.99 %, respectively while the same parameters for the poultry wastewater were reduced by 82.61, 78.59, 58.03, 67.13, 70.49, 64.52, 2.70 and 28.04 %, respectively. Statistically, there were significant differences before and after treatments and between wastewater samples revealing that that the effect of treatment before and after on physicochemical parameters were different for piggery wastewater than they were for poultry wastewater. Microbes in the biofilms on the electrodes (potential exoelectrogens) include Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus luteus, Corynebacterium sp., Enterococcus sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Salmonella sp. and Shigella sp. while the fungal isolates include Mucor sp., Saccharomyces sp. and Aspergillus sp. in both piggery and poultry wastewaters. Thus, microbial fuel cell bacteria oxidize the organic matter leading to decontamination of the wastewater – a significant approach in addressing the public health threats of these wastes in our country

Salinity Influence on Copper Sulphate and Lead Nitrate Combined Toxicity Against Oreochromis niloticus

Brackish water ecosystems characterized by fluctuating physicochemical parameters are more susceptible to the toxic effects of heavy metals acting singly or jointly. This study investigated the effect of salinity variations on the joint action toxicity of copper sulphate (CuSO4) and lead nitrate Pb(NO3)2 against fingerlings of Oreochromis niloticus. Fingerlings were exposed to binary mixtures of CuSO4 and Pb(NO3)2 (ratios 1:1 and 1:4) at varying salinities (0‰, 2‰, 12‰ and 18‰) in laboratory bioassays. The binary mixtures of the heavy metals were least toxic to the fish at 12‰ with 96 h LC50 values of 115.558 mg l-1 and 198.274 mg l-1 compared to 8.465 mg l-1 and 16.884 mg l-1 for 0‰, 46.084 mg l-1 and 69.843 mg l-1 for 2‰ and 13.196mg l-1 and 100.567 mg l-1 for 18‰ at ratios 1:1 and 1:4 respectively. Analysis using the Synergistic Ratio Model (SR) showed that both heavy metals were less toxic to the fish species when acting jointly irrespective of ratio than when acting singly at 12‰. Therefore, the need to consider the fluctuating salinity and joint interaction of heavy metals in setting ecologically safe limits for the discharge of effluents containing heavy metals into the aquatic ecosystems is important. Key words: Salinity, Heavy Metals, Toxicity, Oreochromis niloticu

Towards Embedding Graphics in the Teaching of Reading and Literature in Nigeria

Though the ability to think is one of the numerous roles of the human brain (Parry and Gregory, 1998), many learner readers in Nigeria lack the required skills for creative and critical thinking necessary for interpretation during and after reading sessions. This may not be unconnected with the teacher-centred commit-to-memory-based pedagogy used by teachers. This study, therefore, foregrounds graphic organisers for the promotion of cognition and metacognitive skills in the context of teaching reading and literature in Nigeria. It concludes that embedding such interactive learning in the nation’s reading and literature curriculum will enhance visuo-spatial reasoning among learners in the country

FLUKTUASI DAN POLA PERGERAKAN HARGA BAWANG PUTIH DI PASAR TRADISIONAL DAN PASAR MODERN KASUS : KOTA KUPANG, NUSA TENGGARA TIMUR

The aimof this research is to find out the fluctuations in the price of garlic in the traditional market and modern market of Kupang City and the pattern of garlic price movement before and when entering the covid-19 pandemic. To answer the aims of the research can be used by the method of garlic price movement pattern in the use of graphical analysis (primary objective) and analysis of price fluctuation rates used Coefisien of variation (CV) analysis (secondary objective). This study showed that fluctuations in the price of garlic in the traditional market were higher than in the modern market. The value of CV in the traditional market is more significant than 32.32% and CV in the modern market 19.37%. This is because there was no definite pricing that can not be bargained. The traditional market of kupang city could negotiate so that fluctuations and the marketing chain were very long. There was a price game between businesses that caused price gaps or price fluctuations. Gaps between regions are also the cause of weak trade flows of goods and market information systems. The pattern of garlic price movement in Kupang city before and during the covid-19 pandemic period shows a very varied or very fluctuating movement pattern. The highest pattern of garlic price movement in traditional and modern markets in January 2018 - December 2020 occurred in 2019, around 26.44%, and in 2020, 32.32% (traditional market), 17.62% and 19.37% (modern market). While the lowest price movement pattern occurred in 2018, around 13.58 % ( Traditional market) and 11. 24% (modern market). High price movement in Kupang city is due to reduced stock/scarcity of goods, and prices would fall again if there were an increase in stock. The scarcity of garlic was usually caused by a small production, increased demand, and certain momentum such as a big holiday at risk of rising prices that consumers must bea

A Research-Based Evidence of the Effect of Graphic Organizers on the Understanding of Prose Fiction in ESL Classroom

Graphic organizers (GOs) are fast becoming acceptable standard instructional tools across subjects in the education arena globally. However, this visual representation of information is yet to be recognized and integrated into the teaching methods in Nigerian schools. This study, therefore, presents a research-based investigation of the usefulness of GOs in the appreciation of prose literature in Nigeria, with a view to foregrounding their use in Nigerian schools. Specifically, the study seeks to find out whether senior secondary students in prose literature-in-English in Nigeria who are taught with GOs perform better in prose and comprehension assessments. Four project secondary schools with total of 100 students were purposively selected for the study. The schools were grouped into two: graphic-based schools (GBS) and non-graphic-based schools (NGBS). Whereas the GBS was exposed to instruction via eight graphic organizers, the NGBS served as control. Subjected to descriptive statistics and one-sample t test analysis, the investigation reveals that graphic organizers make students take charge of the learning process in prose literature classes, and it concludes that these visual instructional elements guarantee student understanding and achievement. The study, thus, recommends the incorporation of graphic organizers in the teaching and learning processes across subjects in Nigerian school

Rice husk as Biosorbent for the adsorption of methylene blue

The ability of rice husk (RH) to adsorb methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions has been studied at different initial dye concentrations (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mg/L), contact time (10 to 120 mins), pH (2–10) and adsorbent dosage (0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25 g). The MB percentage removal was found to increase with increase in three adsorption parameters studied. Adsorption data were modeled using Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms with the Freundlich model being the best fit and pseudo-second-order model was the best order that described the kinetics of the MB adsorption process

WOMEN IN POLITICS: THE NIGERIAN FACTOR

In a typical patriarchal African setting, women are usually relegated to the background. They are seen, not heard in a man’s world. In the religious circle, for instance, women are not expected to preside over men; they are not expected to be ordained as Priests, Pastors, etc. in most church denominations. Politics in Nigeria has always been a turbulent terrain. There is the usual male chauvinism that the male counterparts don’t yield an inch to the opposite sex. The general age-long belief and practice is that men must always lead and the position of the female invariably is in the kitchen. Could that be as a result of the fact that a woman was created out of a man, which smacks of superiority and inferiority syndrome, a weaker vessel as opposed to a stronger vessel? Undoubtedly, as a result of man’s dominance in the political space of our national life, in Nigeria, men have been able, for some-time, to garner economic power which they use to fight or bargain for political power. This paper identifies and focuses on prominent Nigerian women who have blazed the trail in spite of the hurdles placed on women’s way by the policies and structures of their male-counterparts. The objective of the study is to sensitize the women-folk on the need for leadership positions in the political arena. The main sources of data are the newspapers, journal articles, the internet, the library, interviews and questionnaires from the public

Giant magneto-optical anisotropy in Fe/Au monoatomic multilayer

Abstract A giant magneto-optical anisotropy (MOA) in a magnetic monoatomic Fe/Au multilayer structure is reported. The dependence of the off-diagonal part of the optical conductivity tensor on the angle between the magnetization and crystallographic axes is evidenced by measurements of both the polar and longitudinal Kerr effects. The microscopic origin of the MOA is elucidated on the basis of the first principles' band-structure calculations. A relationship of the MOA with the predicted strong anisotropy of Fe d orbital magnetic moment and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy is discussed.

CHILD-SOLDIERS AND ARMS-PROLIFERATION IN AHMADOU KOUROUMA’S ALLAH N’EST PAS OBLIGÉ: LITERARY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE WEST AFRICAN SUB-REGION

Since the independence days, Africa has been bedevilled by countless conflicts, wars and violence of various kinds in which children are involved. African countries such as Congo, Nigeria, Chad, Angola Mozambique, Uganda, Rwanda, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire among others have been plagued by violent and murderous wars. These conflicts, with their attendant destructions in this Sub-Region have led to untold misery, deaths and mutilation of millions of citizens and displacement of populations. These wars also brought along insecurity which represents a public threat with a negative effect on the social, political, and economic development of the sub-region. This paper attempts, firstly to unearth and examine the history and fate of children soldiers and the proliferation of lethal weapons in Ahmadou Kourouma’s Allah n’est pas obligé, secondly, to discuss how violence unleashed by these children during the Liberian and Sierra Leonian wars has truncated development in the affected West African sub-region. The paper also attempts to justify further how the poor level of development of the West-African sub-region is attributable to the truncated education of the youths as a result of their forceful recruitment into illegal armies. In the end, recommendations are made to salvage such agonizing situation and to put an end to the proliferation of arms so that the sub-region can experience an upsurge of development, peace and progress in no distant futur