A study of the vacuum stream degassing of molten iron

Imperial Users onl

Indigenous Approach to the Control of Soil Erosion among Small Scale Farmers in Asa L.G.A., Kwara State, Nigeria.

Using Asa L.G.A. as a case study, the article focuses on the understanding of the indigenous methods of controlling soil erosion in Kwara State. Participant observation, an anthropological method of data collection was employed among sixty respondents who were randomly selected from the set of aged farmers in the study area. Six different effective control measures were identified including ‘Ebe ati Pooro', ‘Idian', ‘Agbin-Taala', ‘Agbin-la', ‘Agbin-Po' and one that can be likened to ‘fallowing'. It was however observed that whereas farmers have more often than not practiced these control measures for intensions that are primarily different from controlling erosion, their practices coincidentally assist in averting soil erosion to considerable degree. The paper therefore draws attention to the fact that more respective attention to local knowledge and practices are necessary basis for effective and appropriate environmental policies, particularly in developing countries. Keywords: Indigenous knowledge, Soil erosion, Asa, Kwara Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 1 (1) 2008: pp. 1-

Comparative life cycle assessment of a novel sustainable road pavement system adopting recycled plastic from PET bottles and carbonated aggregate

Road surfacing is crucial in improving community accessibility and mobility. Adopting sustainable measures is extremely important to prevent the significantly high environmental burdens associated with road pavement systems production. This study presents a comparative life cycle assessment of traditional pavement systems and their sustainable alternatives made and tested at the London South Bank University laboratories. The low-impact pavement mixes proposed herein provide a novel, innovative method for producing sustainable road systems. Unlike traditional approaches, these asphalt mixes utilise materials derived from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (plastics) and carbonated aggregates and are produced at temperatures significantly lower (warm mix). The Simapro software (Consultants, 2023) [1] was used to model the analysed asphalt mixes, and all life cycle inputs and outputs were characterised during the life cycle impact assessment phase into potential impacts using the IMPACT World + Midpoint method. Additionally, an uncertainty analysis employing Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to validate the life cycle assessment findings, reinforcing the robustness and credibility of this study's results. Notably, the assessment shows substantial reductions in the environmental impact of road pavement mixes adopting recycled plastic and carbonated aggregates, with various outcomes. Compared to traditional mixes, Climate Change emissions are reduced by approximately 40 %–60 %, Marine Eutrophication exhibits reductions of up to 30 %, and Freshwater Eutrophication decreases by up to 20 %. These findings suggest that integrating this sustainable road pavement approach can significantly reduce the environmental burdens of asphalt production and give asphalt a pivotal role in tackling waste reduction, carbon sequestration, and achieving Net Zero. Also, the proposed system can positively contribute to the current United Kingdom's (UK) circular policy model by reconsidering current waste management frameworks and integrating more efficient settings

Empirical analysis of adaptation strategies used in mitigating flood related losses by rice farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria

This study was designed to gain an insight into the adaptation strategies employed by smallholder rice farmers to mitigate flood losses as well as examine determinants of farmers’ choice of adaptation strategy in Kwara State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected using semi-structured questionnaire administered to 240 smallholder rice farmers who were selected in a three-stage sampling procedure. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression model. The study revealed majority (79.5%) of the rice farmers adopted the planting of early-maturing rice seedling variety so as to ensure early harvest before the peak of rainfall when floods are usually experienced. The least adopted strategy is the change of crop and upland cropping with only 2% of the rice farmers engaging in this. Educational status, past flood-related losses and savings positively influenced the adoption of early maturing rice varieties’ relative to change of crop and upland cropping whereas household size and access to climate information had a negative influence on adoption of change in planting date relative to change of crop and upland cropping (P < 0.05). The study recommends an urgent need to address rice farmers’ continuing dependence on flood plain farming in the study area through enlightening them on the locally adapted coping strategies such as upland cropping and planting of other crops.Keywords: Climate change, Flooding, Multinomial logistic regression, Upland croppin

Investigating the experiences of workers in exclusionary communities: a case study of waterfall estate

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Master of Science in Development Planning degree in the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It has not been submitted for any other degree at any other university.Researchers, in the past, have found that the development of satellite cities has reduced the strain upon the infrastructure of the parent cities. These developments have had negative side effects as well, with urban sprawl proving to not only be an infrastructural challenge, but an environmental problem as well. One of the major critiques that has been levelled against urban sprawl is that it contributes towards pollution by encouraging long commutes and traffic congestion. These negative effects have been factored into the decision-making processes of residents in these areas, as they usually own at least one car that allows them to commute freely between their homes and the metropolitan centre. However, their lifestyle changes also affect another demographic, namely the workers who service these areas. The impact that the distance from the metropolitan area has on their physical, emotional and economic wellbeing has yet to be fully understood. Therefore, the purpose of the research report was to investigate and unpack the experiences and working conditions of domestic workers in Waterfall Estate. This included a representation of the sociological profile of the domestic workers in terms of their class, gender and employment history as well as an understanding of the different ways that the workers access and utilize the same space. The report also shed some light on their experiences, working conditions, relationship with employers and responses to the challenges faced by these individuals, contributing towards contemporary literature regarding the evolution of domestic service in exclusionary communities. The effects of commuting from the periphery to the city affect all who dwell within Exclusionary Upscale Communities, both upper class residents and workers alike. In addition to the socio-economic impact, power dynamics between the employers and workers provide an additional layer of complexity to the workers experiences. The research utilized both qualitative interviews with 5 workers, as well as the distribution of 31 surveys to workers in the area to not only gain a deeper understanding of the forces at play but also to get a sense of what the collective worker experience was. It was found that the domestic workers were heavily reliant on transit nodes such as taxi ranks in order to commute to the estate. In addition to this most of the domestic workers were found to be paying the cost of diverted care resulting in strenuous relationships with their families, resulting in cases where other family members had to care for their children and a negative outlook on the profession and their fulfillment of their roles as mothers.MT 201

The Effect of Silicic Acid in the Fountain Solution

Silicic acid is a water soluble colloidal resin which can be obtained commercially. The effect of silicic acid as a desensitizer in fountain solution was studied. The resin of this colloidal solution was compared to gum arabic solution. The study included the investigation of the physical properties of the solution at different concentrations as well as press performance. Comparisons were drawn regarding wettability, viscosity, surface tension, dot size change, minimum dampening rate to clean-up the non-image areas, resolution, resistance to scum, blinding of image areas, rate of de-inking over- run non-image areas, performance distinction between lithium silicate and sodium silicate, and changes with aging in solubility properties of silicates in fountain solutions. The experiments were carried out under carefully controlled conditions; the only variable present was one ingredient of the fountain solution. The concentration of the necessary solution was determined. The effect of concentration was discussed and reported. A considerable number of the results were statistically analyzed by the two factor analysis of variance. The effectiveness of silicic acid solution as a substitute for gum arabic solution varied. Silicic acid is comparable in regard to the ability of the solution to clean the plate with minimum number of sheets, resistance to scum, resolution, and blinding of image areas. Performance distinctions between lithium silicate and sodium silicate and solubility properties of silicates with aging were noted. Gum arabic produces smaller changes in dot size and does not blind images as quickly as silicic acid does. The advantages of silicic acid are good resistance to bacterial attack, longer shelf life, and better wetting of the plate than gum arabic when properly diluted

Technology Acceptance Model Limitations and Criticisms: Exploring the Practical Applications and Use in Technology-related Studies, Mixed-method, and Qualitative Researches

Many researchers have been citing the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) because of the simplicity of the model without considering actual applications in their studies. This paper presented some of the criticisms and limitations of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), taking into consideration, the use of the model technology-related studies across various disciplines particularly in social sciences, educations and management researches. The TAM limitations, critiques and criticism were presented based on the literature review, the model suitability and practical application of the model within enterprises and institutional context. The paper used a desktop research approach. The paper objective addressed the limitation and of the TAM model, and presented a modified model for LIS and social sciences research general applications. However, this paper argues that the TAM model was more appropriate for individual use and acceptance of technology rather than in a corporate or institutional application that requires integration of information technology. The paper uses literature as secondary data and insights gathered from attempts to utilize the model for doctoral studies to presents its limitations and impracticality in an institutional environment. However, based on the findings from the field research, a Technology Acceptance and Use Model was proposed which takes into account, the identified limitations and criticism of TAM, companies’ rules and regulations regarding how technology is used for different business processes. The core argument is that staff IT proficiency and experiences promote the ease of use of technology, while technology acceptance and intention is moderated by the company’s rules, policy, and IT guidelines

Distributive justice and human rights in climate policy: the long road to Paris

The Paris Agreement, adopted by 196 countries, is the first global climate change instrument to explicitly reference human rights as a guiding principle. The treaty does not expound on the implications of climate change for human rights but the fact that it calls on State Parties to respect human rights when combating climate change shows a significant improvement in international thinking and acceptance of the linkages between human rights and climate change. Indeed, this is no mean feat. The journey to Paris has been a long and arduous process, especially for the broad coalition of indigenous people, gender, human rights, environmental and climate justice groups that worked tirelessly to bring the issue to global focus. My goal in this article is to explore the implications of a human rights clause in the Paris Agreement. Does it carry any legal or political weight? Are State Parties likely to operationalize it? In what ways can they enforce this part of the Agreement? To answer these questions, this article traces the historical account of the connections between human rights and climate change within the United Nations system and examines issues of equity and distributive justice in international climate change frameworks such as the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement. The article expounds on opportunities for integrating human rights-based approaches into national and international climate policy and concludes on the need for further integration of both issues in future research and treaty negotiations.Keywords: Climate change, human rights, justice, policy, Paris Agreemen

IS THERE NO MAN WITH PENIS IN THIS LAND? EROTICISM AND PERFORMANCE IN YORUBA NUPTIAL SONGS

This paper explores the role of African women, especially the Yoruba women, in literature by looking at the songs that form an integral part of their nuptial poetry (epithalamium). Music plays, preserves and perpetuates vital traditions among the Yoruba. Some satirical songs, mainly produced by women, are prominent during the traditional marriage ceremony among the Yoruba, but these songs are sung less and less. This paper also attempts a hermeneutical inquiry into the content of the songs: how the Yoruba women espouse erotic views during the marriage ceremony that seem repressed in ordinary life. The study shows that women's voice could be better heard in their lore, as they use these songs as manifestations of their collective and dynamic group consciousness