Please, Read the Comments: Exploring the Racial Dialectic of Online Racial Discourse

More people than ever before are living significant portions of their social lives online due to advancements in internet technology. Over the last few years, we have begun to see the most public discussions of racism increasingly occur online, to be later embedded in the public’s consciousness. It is therefore important for race critical scholars to observe how digital spaces affect racial discourse in the United States. Utilizing a race critical perspective, I explore comment section reactions to counter-framing articles to examine contemporary racial discourse. Through a discourse analysis, I find that counter-framing articles initiate the racial dialectic by inviting white racial frames, thereby structuring contemporary racial discourse. My research suggests race critical scholars should explore the internet as a racialized institution and a site of racial contestation. Race critical theorist must begin to grapple with how such a racialized institution will alter the experiences of racism in social life

Post-Harvest Technology Information Awareness of Agro-Based Women Entrepreneurs in Abia State, Nigeria

The quantities of agricultural commodities wasted during the post-harvest handling, storage, processing, packaging, distribution and marketing are considered unacceptably high in Abia State, Nigeria. Though the state has a sizeable number of agro-based women entrepreneurs, and a national agricultural research institute that is noteworthy in post-harvest technology (PHT) research and documentation yet, there are substantial decrease in food quality, reduced financial value and heavy losses of agricultural produce after bumper harvests in an era when agricultural research scientists have conceived improved post-harvest technologies that ought to address these problems. This study was conducted therefore, to identify the extent of awareness of post-harvest technology information by agro-based women entrepreneurs in Abia State, Nigeria. Data were collected from a sample of 264 respondents drawn from a population of 2358 agro-based women entrepreneurs who were registered with Abia State Agricultural Development Programme as at 2017 with the aid of a well- structured questionnaire. The collected data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics to find the mean responses, standard deviations and t- calculated values of the two groups of women (younger aged (20- 45 years) and older aged (≥ 46 years ) agro-based women entrepreneurs). The results showed that there is moderate extent of awareness of PHT information amongst these women and it was recorded majorly from their awareness of the internet, information officers, extension agents, family members and peers with the awareness of PHT information from community libraries and reading of books rated low. It also showed that there is no significant difference (P ≥ 0.05) in all mean responses of the two groups of women after hypothesis testing. The study recommended that librarians and information scientists should enhance PHT information sensitization through the use of internet platforms and indigenous language

Juridical Substance or Myth Over Balance-of-Payment: Developing Countries and the Role of the International Monetary Fund in the World Trade Organization

This Note attempts to chart the division of labor in respect of balance-of-payment between the Fund and the WTO. More importantly, it reflects on how the intertwined relationship between the Fund and the WTO over balance-of-payment might impact on developing countries in the unfolding architecture of trade

The emergence of ethnic militia movements in Nigeria's Niger Delta

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-105)

The Historical Significance and Role of the Kola Nut among the Igbo of Southeastern Nigeria

There are many customs and traditions that have effectively given the Igbo of Southeastern Nigeria group identity and social cohesion.  And the kola nut is one of those realities. However, it is not only the Igbo that cherish and reverence the kola nut. In fact, kola nut is a  highly prized fruit among the people of West Africa where its importance is seen in the social and religious customs of the people. But the Igbo lay special claim to kola nut and view it as the king of all fruits on earth because of the roles it play; hence, the kola is seen among the Igbo as a symbol of acceptance, cooperation and solidarity. Thus, the objective of this study is to examine the historical origin of the kola nut based on the Igbo ancestral myths and the symbolic interpretations of the different lobes of the Cola acuminata. The study will also investigate the significance and functions of the kola nut and how the influence of modernization is eroding its traditional values. The study is basically qualitative. It utilized existing literature on kola nut with oral sources in order to enhance our knowledge on kola nut. The study’s findings reveal that kola nut consumption and functions are part of Africa’s indigenous traditions that survived colonial intrusion, although the influence of modernization is greatly threatening the ritual functions and the traditional values. The study, thus, concludes by recommending that the Igbo should restore the significance and values of the kola nut by planting more kola nut trees in order to increase its availability and affordability as a source of hospitality and acceptance. Again, the Igbo communities and leaders should create a  platform where the origin, significance and values of the kola nut must be taught and passed from generation to generation

Boko haram insurgency and national security in Nigeria

The concept and nature of insurgency always invoke the spirit of terror, evil, and rebellion against a constituted authority by those who want to undermine the efforts of an incumbent regime. In fact, in its common meaning, they are terrorists. The Nigerian situation is a sterling example where a certain group called 'Boko Haram‘, has unleashed mayhem that have shocked the very political, economic and security foundations of this country. The Boko Haram Islamic fundamentalist sect which has been declared as an international terrorist organization and described as having links with another terrorist group, the Al Queda by the United States of America was born following the 2011 general elections in Nigeria. There are insinuations and charges that the insidious Boko Haram terrorist organization was created by the northern political opposition with strong support from the Islamic Middle East terrorist elements to destabilize the government, national security and peace of the nation, Nigeria. The truth remains that this deadly group has unleashed a reign of terror that resulted in callous destruction of lives both great and small, most of whom are of northern extraction of various religious divides. The foreigners who came to invest were not spared as well and properties worth billions of naira have been destroyed. Hence, the aim of this paper is to appraise this insurgency group called Boko Haram and examine how it affects our national security.Keywords: Boko Haram, Threat, Insurgents, National security, Dreaded sect, Nigeria

Juridical Substance or Myth Over Balance-of-Payment: Developing Countries and the Role of the International Monetary Fund in the World Trade Organization

This Note attempts to chart the division of labor in respect of balance-of-payment between the Fund and the WTO. More importantly, it reflects on how the intertwined relationship between the Fund and the WTO over balance-of-payment might impact on developing countries in the unfolding architecture of trade

The Antecedents of Consumer-Generated Media Adoption for Travel Planning: A Literature Review

Web 2.0 provides different platforms through which tourists can share text, photos and videos of their travel experiences. Consumer-generated media (CGM) are considered honest and are thus trusted more than marketer-generated content. Different factors account for why tourists adopt CGM. This study aims to review extant studies on CGM to identify the antecedents of CGM adoption for travel planning and the theories, models and frameworks used in these studies; it also seeks to analyze the strengths of these antecedents in predicting the adoption of CGM for travel planning. A total of 54 studies from 2005-2016 were found. The study found that distinct and heterogeneous theories and frameworks were used with 61 different antecedents to predict intentions. The technology acceptance model (TAM) was the most commonly used model. Trust predicted attitude more than the other antecedents. Implications and research directions are suggested

QTc prolongation in Black diabetic subjects with cardiac autonomic neuropathy

Background: Prolonged corrected QT (QTc) has been identified as a risk factor for malignant arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Caucasian studies have shown a definite relationship between QTc prolongation and Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy (CAN) in diabetic subjects.Objective: To determine the prevalence of prolonged QTc in Black diabetic individuals with CAN and to ascertain how prolonged QTc correlated with the severity of CAN among these patients.Methods: A total of 176 adult diabetic subjects were studied, 87 males and 89 females. There was a control group of non-diabetic individuals. Cardiac autonomic function was assessed using five cardiovascular autonomic function tests. CAN was diagnosed if 2 or more of these tests were abnormal. Severity of CAN was determined according to the number of abnormal tests. QTc > 0.440 was regarded as prolonged.Results: Fifty-one out of the 176 diabetic subjects (29%) had CAN. The prevalence of prolonged QTc in diabetic subjects with CAN was 12%. QTc was prolonged in 1.6% and 0.6% of diabetic individuals without CAN and controls respectively. Although QTc correlated strongly with cardiac autonomic function neuropathy, there was no definite relationship between QTc prolongation and severity of CAN.Conclusion: This study in a Black population is in agreement with the well-known relationship between QTc prolongation and CAN reported in Caucasian studies. In view of the wide variability of QTc in this study population, it is suggested that relative QTc increase may be a better indicator of CAN than a definite QTc prolongation of greater than 0.440.Keywords: QTc prolongation, Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy, Black diabetics, sudden cardiac death

Growth performance, carcass and organ characteristics of grower pigs fed varying levels of tigernut (Cyperus esculentus) seed meal

Eight weeks feeding trial involving 20 Large White × Landrace cross was carried out to evaluate the effect of tigernut meal based diets on the growth performance, carcass and organ characteristics of growing pigs. Five experimental diets were formulated to incorporate tigernut meal as maize substitute at 0%, 12%, 24%, 36% and 48% for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively. Pigs were allotted to these five treatment diets with four pigs per treatment in a completely randomized design (CRD). Results of performance indices revealed that pigs on treatment two diet (12% tigernut) had the best final body weight, daily weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Carcass characteristics of pigs showed significant (p<0.05) differences in live weight, carcass weight, back fat, abdominal fat and carcass length while there were no significant differences (P>0.05) in cut parts (ham, hand and shoulder, hind leg and trotters). Organ indices decreased as the level of tigernut increased in the diet. In conclusion, incorporating tigernut meal at 12% and 48% levels in growing pigs diet resulted in better performance and carcass values suggesting that tigernut could be used in pig’s diet without any deleterious effect on these production functions.Keywords: Grower pigs. Growth performance. Carcass characteristics. Tigernu