Study of Fish Weight Loss in Solar Dryer Across Different Agro-Ecological Zones of Nigeria

Drying sessions were conducted across Nigeria to study the interaction between fish weight loss and the meteorological parameters. Correlation analyses using weight loss values show that latitude is strongly related (r =+0.96) to weight loss of fish inside the dryer while altitude had a weak relationship (r = +0.24) with weight loss. The results show that New Bussa recorded more weight loss of fish than Jos, despite their uniform latitude. Weight loss records in Jos, was however better than those of Warri and Ibadan

Lawyers’ antics and nonverbal impoliteness in Nigerian court documents: An example of Mosojo versus Oyetayo

Unlike the inquisitorial court system, the adversarial court requires that counsels willfully resort to face-aggravating impolite non/verbal acts through the instrumentation of relevant court papers as well as the use of professional privileges at the cross-examination phase to the detriment of the opposition, thereby elevating the quest for victory above fact-finding and the dispensation of justice. The study evaluates counsels’ impolite nonverbal communicative behaviour and professional antics which are complementary to verbal impoliteness. Anchored on Watts’ (2003) theory of relational works and Culpeper’s (1996) impoliteness super-strategies, the study drew fifteen (15) purposively selected examples, with preponderance of underlying nonverbal faceaggravating behaviour by professional  courtroom participants, from archived pretrial documents and transcripts of proceedings in Mosojo versus Oyetayo (2012). Against the existence of inquisitorial and fact-finding alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms, the disputants chose the adversarial Western-like court system, with a penchant for impolite non/verbal behaviour, for the resolution of the Obasinkin chieftaincy dispute in a Nigerian community. Findings revealed that counsels’ antics and nonverbal impolite behaviour are not only embedded in some legal documents, but also manifested in the form of time-wasting, willful absence from court and embedded presupposing boobytrap arguments that were meant to frustrate the opposition and influence the course of justice. Litigants are advised to explore the ADR alternative while judges should regulate the courtroom use of language to prevent the miscarriage of justice. Keywords: Lawyers antics, court documents, Nigeria, Mosojo vs Oyetayo, face-aggravation, impoliteness, nonverbal act

Effect of spice treatment on the quality of hot-smoked catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

An experiment was conducted to determine the efficacy of pepper and garlic spice mixture at 0%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5% levels (per gram of fish) in retarding lipid oxidation and on the organoleptic quality of hot-smoked catfish (Clarias gariepinus) in Kainji Area. The fish samples were frozen, cut, eviscerated, cleaned and dipped in 14.5% brine for 10 minutes. They were treated with the spices, smoked at 80-86~'C for 6 hours, cooled, stored at room temperature (25~'C-31~'C) for 21 days and used for physical, chemical, microbial and sensory evaluation studies. Untreated samples served as control. From the results of analysis, samples treated with the mixture of pepper and garlic paste (1:1 ratio) were microbially more stable than the control samples as these had longer shelf-life and were not visibly covered by moulds during a 21-day storage period. The preservative activity of brine and the anti-oxidant activity of pepper and garlic mixture were evident from lower Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and peroxide values of treated samples relative to untreated samples. Results of sensory evaluation showed a general preference for spice-treated samples

Magnetohydrodynamic stability of a two-fluid plasma

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Achieving Error-free posts in Asynchronous facilitation: Findings from the Discussion Forum Posts of 100 Level Students of National Open University of Nigeria

In order to achieve error-free posts in asynchronous discussion forum in online teaching among students of Open Distance e-learning (ODeL), this study examines patterns of errors in the use of the simple past tense on the discussion forum posts of the 2018/2019 academic session of one hundred level students of National Open University of Nigeria. Past tense errors occur when the wrong verb tense is used in writing. Using Corder’s, quoted in Ellis (1994), steps in error analysis, and classification, the study found that of the three hundred and forty- eight (348) students who responded to the post, one hundred and ninety-three students (55.5%) committed errors of omission. Nineteen students (5.5%) added redundant morphemes to irregular verbs. One hundred and thirty-six students (39%) mis-selected the wrong morphemes in marking simple past tense. The findings from the study suggest that the reason for the errors are attributed to the inconsistencies in the English language especially with past tense formation in irregular verbs. The study recommends that in ODeL, leaners in a second language situation be given more online lectures that weaves in past tense usage in English language; this will enable them to have a good grasp of the rules guiding simple past tense formation in English, and ensure correctness in the use of the right verbs by students in their posts. The study concludes that students’ verb usage in online posts can be improved if online teaching platforms build in prompts that immediately pops up the correct verb whenever a student makes use of the wrong verb in posts. This will be an innovation that will encourage motivation to learn and could culminate to decline in leaners’ dropout rate in ODeL in Nigeria. Résumé: Afin de réaliser des messages sans erreur dans le forum de discussion asynchrone dans l'enseignement en ligne parmi les étudiants de l'apprentissage en ligne à distance ouverte (ODeL), cette étude examine les modèles d'erreurs dans l'utilisation du passé sur les messages du forum de discussion de la session académique 2018/2019 des étudiants de niveau cent de l'Université nationale ouverte du Nigéria. Les erreurs de temps passé se produisent lorsque le mauvais temps de verbe est utilisé dans l'écriture. En utilisant les étapes de Corder, citées dans Ellis (1994), dans l'analyse et la classification des erreurs, l'étude a révélé que sur les trois cent quarante-huit (348) étudiants qui ont répondu au message, cent quatre-vingt-treize étudiants (55,5%) ont commis des erreurs d'omission. Dix-neuf élèves (5,5 %) ont ajouté des morphèmes redondants aux verbes irréguliers. Cent trente-six étudiants (39%) ont mal sélectionné les mauvais morphèmes en marquant le passé simple. Les résultats de l'étude suggèrent que la raison de ces erreurs est attribuée aux incohérences de la langue anglaise, en particulier en ce qui concerne la formation du passé dans les verbes irréguliers. L'étude recommande que, dans le cadre de l'enseignement ouvert et à distance, les apprenants en situation de langue seconde reçoivent davantage de cours en ligne qui intègrent l'utilisation du passé en anglais ; cela leur permettra de bien comprendre les règles qui régissent la formation du passé simple en anglais et d'assurer l'utilisation correcte des bons verbes par les étudiants dans leurs cours. L'étude conclut que l'utilisation des verbes par les étudiants dans les messages en ligne peut être améliorée si les plateformes d'enseignement en ligne intègrent des invites qui font immédiatement apparaître le verbe correct chaque fois qu'un étudiant utilise un verbe erroné dans ses messages. Cette innovation encouragera la motivation à apprendre et pourrait aboutir à une baisse du taux d'abandon des apprenants dans l'ODel au Nigéria. Mots-clés : Analyse des erreurs, passé simple, ODeL, poste en ligne asynchrone, Université nationale ouverte du Nigeria (NOUN)

Determination of Fatty Acids from Freshwater Fish Oils Using GC-MS Method

Thirteen species of fish (Labeo coubie, Citharinus citharus, Hyperopisus bebe, Mormyrops anguilloides, Mormyrus rume, Orechromis niloticus, Sarotherodon galilaeus, Clarias gariepinus, Clarias anguillaris, Heterobranchus bidorsalis, Clariheterobranchus, Lates niloticus and Hydrocynus forskalii) were studied for their oil fatty acids composition. Identification and quantitative measurement of fish oils fatty acids were carried out by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. GC-MS was applied on fatty acids methyl esters. Fatty acids were identified in order of their retention time. Saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) formed a large proportion of total lipids. Multi-methyl branched, methyl branched fatty acids contributed a smaller proportion. It can be concluded that these fish oils are excellent sources of essential fatty acids omega-6 and omega-9

Investigation of the constituent fatty acids of some freshwater fishes common in Nigeria

The aim of this paper was to investigate the constituent fatty acids of some freshwater fish species as well as compare the nutritional quality of freshwater fish with that of marine fish by comparing the levels of essential fatty acids present. The fatty acids profile of freshwater fish species include minor amounts of odd-number, branched-chain, and even-number fatty acids as well as saturated components, the monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The major saturated fatty acids were C14:0 and C16:0. The C18:1 is the prominent monounsaturated fatty acids while the C18:2 is the dominant polyunsaturated fatty acids. The essential fatty acids compositions showed prominence in C18:3n-3 and C18:2n-6. The overall significance of this study had been its revelation that freshwater fish are good source of omega-6 essential fatty acids. The high percent of saturated fatty acids in freshwater fish gives them an advantage in curing processing

Fatty acids composition of some freshwater fish

The aims of this paper were to investigate the component fatty acids of some freshwater fish species by comparing the levels of essential fatty acids present. The FAME were determined by GC-MS and were identified using retention time locked methods and retention time databases. The fatty acids profiles include minor amounts of odd-number, branched-chain, and even-number fatty acids as well as saturated components, the MUFA and PUFA. The major SFA were C14:0 and C16:0. The C18:1 was the prominent MUFA. The dominant PUFA are of the omega-6 series and are found chiefly in C18:2 fatty acids. The essential fatty acids compositions showed prominence in C18:3n-3 and C18:2n-6. The branched chain fatty acids identified C15:0, C16:0, C17:0, C18:2 and C20:0. The overall significance of this study is the revelation that freshwater fishes have irregular pattern of FA which are good sources of omega-6 EFA. The high percent of branched and saturated FA in freshwater fish gives them an advantage in curing processing