Review of Climate Change and Its Effect on Nigeria Ecosystem

This paper examines the issue of climate change and its impact on the environment. The effects of man’s activities as well as those of natural phenomena on global warming, climate change and the environment are presented and discussed. The options that are available as response to global warming: mitigation, adaptation and possible human suffering as consequences of what cannot be avoided by mitigation and adaptation are presented. An overview of the Nigerian environment, preparedness for the impact of global warming and related problems are also presented. The status of environmental data and the need for environmental baseline survey and the creation of a comprehensive database for the country driven by geographical information system are presented and discussed. The paper then underscores the need for governments at all levels to adequately fund geo information production and cultivate the culture of its usage for adequate and proactive response to global warming, sustainable environmental management and national development. Keywords: climate change,mitigation, adaptation,global warming,environmental management

Dementia and the Gap in Nutrition: A Review

Dementia is a disease that is common among elderly all over the world and has shown increase trend based on the WHO estimate. Nutritional status of patients with dementia is greatly affected because dementia patients in the late stage have problem with feeding, swallowing, and there is always increase risk of malnutrition. Malnutrition in dementia patient result in compromised immune system, impaired wound-healing, increased risk of hospitalisation and increase rate of death. Feeding difficulties and malnutrition is one of the complications associated with advanced dementia in elderly and it needs urgent attention so as to prevent other problems such as dehydration and infection. Nurses are responsible for bridging the gap in nutrition both in hospital settings and in home care so, adequate understanding and intervention of the problem is required. Nurses should design a way of helping these patients to feed well and also train other health assistants to do so. The objective of the paper is to review different ways of helping dementia patients to bridge the gap in nutrition and how malnutrition can be detected early in dementia patients

Comparison of Cost of Purchase and Lease of Mine Equipment as a Strategy for Production of Run-Off Mine – a case study of Zibo Fm Quarry and Roadstone Quarry, Ondo state, Nigeria

This research compares the cost of purchasing mining equipment with the cost of leasing mining equipment for the production of run-off mines. To achieve this objective, questionnaires were given to the quarry managers and also personal visitations were made. The data/information acquired from the questionnaires and personal visitations were subjected to statistical analysis. The results show that the total revenue for lease and purchase of mine equipment in Zibo FM for ten years are ₦ 11,263,200,000 and ₦11,289,142,610, the total investment for lease and purchase are ₦ 2,280,031,600 and ₦ 1,149,871,600, while the payback periods for lease and purchase option is 3 months 2 days and 2 months 28 days. The net present value for lease and purchase are ₦4.493 109 and ₦ 4.478 109. The total revenue for lease and purchase of mine equipment in Roadstone Quarry for ten years are ₦ 2,026,200,000 and ₦ 2,042,917,220, the total investment for lease and purchase are ₦ 1,943,499,520 and ₦ 707,619,520, while the payback period considering lease and purchase option is 17 months 10 days and 14 months 22 days. The net present value for lease and purchase are ₦ 7.292 108 and ₦ 6.882 108.Keywords: Lease, Net Present Value (NPV), Payback Period, Total Revenue, Total Investment, Salvage Value and Depreciatio

Growth rate of wheat (Triticum aestivm L., var. Gaines) as a function of moisture stress and nitrogen supply

The effect of moisture stress and nutrients on the rate of growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Var. Gaines) seedlings was studied. A special apparatus in which the moisture stress of several perlite cells could be maintained constant by osmotic solutions was used. Predetermined amounts of nitrogen were added to the osmotic solutions. Leaf area was determined with an air flow planimeter. Dry weight was determined with a Mettler balance after oven drying of the plant material. Total nitrogen concentration of the plants was measured by the micro-Kjeldahl method. In general, with increase in available nitrogen the rates of leaf area increase and accumulation of dry matter increased; the total nitrogen concentration of the plants also increased. The concentration of nitrogen in the plants decreased when there was no nitrogen in the nutrient solution. The increased rate of growth was due to increased efficiency of physiological processes. Rates of leaf area increase and dry matter accumulation were slowed down with increased moisture stress at all moisture levels. Wheat seedling growth was more sensitive to nitrogen deficiency than to lack of moisture. Generally, growth rates decrease more rapidly at low moisture stress than at more severe moisture stress

An ethnographic exploration of the experiences of asylum seekers within direct provision undertaking a local cricket training course

Background: Recent literature has identified that sport plays a major role in the lives of asylum seekers. Findings from academic studies indicate that sports participation by asylum seekers enhances social relationships, bonding, social inclusion and connections with people in society. Several studies have been conducted on the negative impact of Direct Provision on asylum seekers in Ireland. However, there is a paucity of research on cricket participation and the impact on asylum seekers in Direct Provision in Ireland. Aims: The aim of this research study is to explore the impact of cricket participation on asylum seekers living in Direct Provision centre. Also, to examine the experiences of the asylum seekers that participated in a ‘Cricket Connects’ training programme implemented by Cricket Ireland. The Cricket Connects intervention was implemented by Cricket Ireland in partnership with Cork Sports Partnership as a social inclusion strategy for asylum seekers living in Direct Provision. Methods and Procedures: The researcher conducted ethnographic research to examine the experiences of the participants. In addition, semi-structured interviews were employed for data collection, while thematic analysis method was used for data analysis. Outcome and Results: Four findings emerged from thematic data analysis. 1. continuous participation in cricketing and Cricket Connects programme of Cricket Ireland. 2. the participants played cricket for the purpose of avoidance and psychological escape from stressful lifestyle and depressive moods. 3. Cricket participation promoted social connections and networks between the asylum seekers and people in Irish society. 4. The final was building a bridge to a new future to access opportunities in Ireland through cricket connects. Conclusion and Implications: Positive benefits were derived from cricket participation and Cricket Connects. Longitudinal studies should be conducted to investigate the impact of cricket participation on asylum seekers in Direct Provision over prolonged periods of time

Seasonal Variations of pH and Heavy Metals Content in Soil of Selected Housing Estates in Ogun State, Nigeria

There is a necessity to assess soil properties with the view to determining soil qualities relative to pollution and sustainability of ecosystem functions and plant productivity regardless of the scale. Soil samples (six points per site at 0-15 cm depth) from six selected housing estates across Ogun State were assessed for soil pH and heavy metals pollution in two dry and rainy seasons. The soil samples were digested using standard methods and analysed for seven selected metals: Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb and Cd using AAS. The data obtained were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. Concentrations (mg/ kg) of the analysed metals were observed to vary from the lowest in the 2nd rainy season to the highest in 1st dry season respectively as Pb: 3.57 ± 0.02 to 39.87±0.47, Cd: 0.32±0.03 to 2.65±1.02, Mg: 11.94 ± 0.76 to 204.50 ± 15.02, Fe: 22.79 ± 0.45 to 303.50±16.52, Cu: 0.95±0.21 to 6.02±1.12, Zn: 0.12 ± 0.04 to 12.75±0.68, and Ni: 2.38 ± 0.33 to 33.89±0.37. There were indications that the soil samples were comparatively less polluted in the rainy seasons.Key words: soil qualities, ecosystem function, dry and rainy seasons, Nigeri

Sentiment computation of UK-originated Covid-19 vaccine Tweets: a chronological analysis and news effect.

This study aimed to analyse public sentiments of UK-originated tweets about COVID-19 vaccines using six chronological data periods between January and December 2021. The dates are based on six BBC news reports about the most significant developments in the three main vaccines administered in the UK - Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Oxford-AstraZeneca. Each data period spans seven days, starting from the news report. The study employed the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) model to analyse the sentiments in the 4,172 extracted tweets. The BERT model adopts the transformer architecture and uses the 'Masked Language Model' and 'Next Sentence Prediction'. The results show that the overall sentiments for all three vaccines were negative across all six periods, with Moderna having the least negative tweets and the highest percentage of positive tweets overall, while AstraZeneca attracted the most negative tweets. However, for all the considered periods, period 3 (23 -29 May 2021) received the least negative and the most positive tweets, following the BBC report – COVID - Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs work against Indian variant, despite reports of blood clot cases associated with AstraZeneca in the same period. Periods 5 to 6, where there was no breaking news relating to COVID Vaccines, had no significant changes. We, therefore, conclude that the BBC News reports on COVID Vaccines significantly impacted public sentiments regarding the COVID-19 Vaccines

Evaluation of Seasonal Water Quality of Drinking Water in Six Residential Estates across Ogun State in Nigeria

The use of water to satisfy human without any health risk necessitates the need for assessment of  potable water quality for human consumption. Water samples were collected across six selected housing estates for two consecutive dry and wet seasons within Ogun State, and their parameters such as TDS, EC, Mn, Zn, Cd, Pb and Ni were analysed for quality assessment. On spot analysis was carried out for the in-situ parameters using HANNAH water kit. The water samples were digested in triplicates for each estate, and analysed with AAS for the selected heavy metals (HMs). The obtained data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics, and the obtained values were compared with WHO, NIS and NESREA standards to ascertain the water quality and potability. Concentrations (mg/ L) of the analysed parameters ranged as TDS: 56.00 ± 10.44 to 162.07 ± 9.81, Cd: 0.01 ± 0.00 to 0.16 ± 0.10, Pb: 0.16 ± 0.02 to 1.69 ± 0.10, Fe: 0.04 ± 0.04 to 4.75 ± 0.21, and Ni: 0.04 ± 0.02 to 0.85 ± 0.04. The EC (µS/ cm) ranged from 42.82 ± 10.59 to 499.12 ± 31.20. The water quality showed seasonal variations, more polluted in the wet season than dry season, which can be attributed to storage tanks, piping systems and runoff from drainages, residential wastes, and the neighbouring small scale industrial activities. The research suggests water treatment for the consumers to get safe water of potable quality

The Effects of Storage on Sachet Water Quality in Ogun State, Nigeria

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of storage on the physicochemical status and bacteriological quality of sachet water produced and sold in  Abeokuta metropolis, Nigeria. Ten brands of sachet water were collected within 24 hours of production and stored at ambient temperature. Sub-samples were drawn from the stock samples immediately for physico-chemical and microbiological analyses and after two months. Physical parameters were determined by instrumental methods. Cationic and anionic constituents were determined by standard titrimetric and spectrophotometric methods, trace and heavy water were determined by Atomic Adsorption Spectrophotometer. The study revealed that all the brands of water analyzed were physically and chemically wholesome and met the WHO standards. Five brands (50%) of the water had total viable and coliform count above the recommended count of 100cfu/m and zero cfu/ml, respectively. pH values increased in all brands to acceptable WHO limits within 2 months of storage except for sample 3 and 4 which decreases below the acceptable limit.  Majorly dissolved oxygen and nitrate values decreased through the investigation period. Total and faecal coliform appeared in 50% of sachet water samples  analyzed immediately after production and were no longer detected after storing for two months except for sample 4. Results of the experiment indicate that 60% of the brands analyzed met the WHO guideline limit for drinking especially for the physico-chemical parameters while the majority failed in the microbiological essay when stored at ambient temperature for the two-month investigation period.KEYWORDS: Coliforms, Conductivity, Microbiological Assay, Physical and Chemical Parameters,Turbidity, Sachet Wate