Bilingual Publishing Co. (BPC): E-Journals
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Predicting the Potential Invasion Hotspots of Chromolaena odorata under Current and Future Climate Change Scenarios in Heterogeneous Ecological Landscapes of Mizoram, India
No full textRecent trends in globalization, human mobility surge and global trade aggravated the expansion of alien species introduction leading to invasion by alien plants compounded by climate change. The ability to predict the spread of invasive species within the context of climate change holds significance for accurately identifying vulnerable regions and formulating strategies to contain their wide proliferation and invasion. Anthropogenic activities and recent climate change scenarios increased the risk of Chromolaena odorata invasion and habitat expansion in Mizoram. To forecast its current distribution and habitat suitability amidst climatic alterations in Mizoram, a MaxEnt-driven habitat suitability model was deployed using the default parameters. The resultant model exhibited that the current spatial range of C. odorata occupies 15.37% of geographical areas deemed suitable for varying degrees of invasion. Projections for 2050 and 2070 anticipated an expansion of suitable habitats up to 34.37% of the geographical area of Mizoram, specifically under RCP 2.6 in 2070 in comparison with its present distribution. Currently, the distributional range of C. odorata in Mizoram spans from lower (450 m) to mid elevational ranges up to 1700 meters, with limited presence at higher altitudes. However, the habitat suitability model extrapolates that climate changes will elevate the invasion risk posed by C. odorata across Mizoram, particularly in the North-Western and Central regions. The projection of further territorial expansion and an upward shift in altitudinal range in the future underscores the urgency of instating robust management measures to pre-empt the impact of C. odorata invasion. This study recommends the imperative nature of effective C. odorata management, particularly during the initial stages of invasion
A Farmer’s Approach to Detecting Photoperiod Sensitivity in Rice (Oryza sativa ssp. indica) Landraces
No full textMost indigenous rice landraces are sensitive to photoperiod during short day seasons, and this sensitivity is more pronounced in indica than in japonica landraces. Attempts to identify photoperiod sensitive (PPS) cultivars based on the life history stages of the rice plant, and several models and indices based on phenology and day length have not been precise, and in some cases yield counterfactual inferences. Following the empirical method of traditional Asian rice farmers, the author has developed a robust index, based on the sowing and flowering dates of a large number of landraces grown in different seasons from 2020 to 2023, to contradistinguish PPS from photoperiod insensitive cultivars. Unlike other indices and models of photoperiod sensitivity, the index does not require the presumed duration of different life history stages of the rice plant but relies only on the flowering dates and the number of days till flowering of a rice cultivar sown on different dates to consistently identify photoperiod sensitive cultivars
Combating Climate Change and Global Warming for a Sustainable Living in Harmony with Nature
No full textAs humanity has been polluting the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, the planet is getting warmed up which is triggering the frequency and the intensity of extreme events like heat waves, dry conditions, wildfires, cyclones, tornadoes, lightning, and massive flooding all over the planet Earth. There is considerable evidence that the concentration of greenhouse gases, especially that of CO2 has steadily increased in the atmosphere as a result of the indiscriminate use of fossil fuels around the world particularly during the last 70 years. The glaciers in the high mountain and polar regions are diminishing fast, sea levels are rising, and food production is being affected severely in certain parts of the world. In fact, the changing climate has currently become one of the major threats to the survival of civilization. The world scientific communities are warning of a climate emergency and requesting the decision makers to promptly respond and act to sustain life on planet Earth. To deliver net zero emissions by the year 2050, the whole world must phase out the technologies such as coal-powered thermal plants and diesel/petrol/gasoline-powered vehicles which release abundant amounts of CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and invest in the development of clean energies such as hydel, wind, solar, space-solar, and nuclear energies. This transition to a low carbon economy with the help of these technologies together with other technologies such as hydrogen fuel, fuel cells, electric vehicles, and massive plantations is expected to take our planet Earth to a safe zone in the coming 20-30 years
Individual and Systemic Factors of Under-five Mortality in Nigeria: A Cox Proportional Hazard Model
No full textDespite considerable efforts to reduce under-five mortality nationwide, Nigeria has fallen short of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target of 67 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2015. Of all the documented factors of under-five mortality, little evidence exists on the impact of systemic barriers and individual factors (maternal health-seeking behaviour) on under-five mortality in Nigeria. The study used a nationally representative sample from Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2013 dataset. The target population was 20,192 women aged 15-59 years who had given birth to 31,480 children five years before the survey. Stata software was used for data analysis. The risk of death was estimated using Cox proportional hazard models and results are presented as hazards ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Findings from the overall Model I-IV revealed individual factors (maternal health-seeking indicators) as significant factors of under-five deaths (p < 0.05). Children whose mothers received antenatal care coverage (ANC) outside health care facilities (HCF) (HR: 1.60, CI: 1.0-2.4, p < 0.05); or delivered outside HCF (HR: 1.02, CI: 0.7-1.5, p < 0.05) had elevated hazard risk of death before age five. Conversely, children who were presented for postnatal check within two weeks of delivery (HR: 0.60, CI: 0.5-0.8, p < 0.05), or delivered within the longer birth interval (HR: 0.67, CI: 0.6-0.8, p < 0.001) had significantly lower hazard risk of death before age five. As part of systemic factors, children whose mothers were covered by health insurance scheme had significantly (HR: 0.52, CI: 0.2-1.2, p < 0.001) lower risk of death when compared with their counterparts without health insurance coverage. The study emphasized the need to revitalize strategies and programs to improve women health seeking behaviour and investment in the health sector through health insurance, infrastructure, and supplies
Powering the Future: Hydrogel-based Soft Ionic Conductors Energize Flexible and Wearable Triboelectric Nanogenerators
No full textIn contemporary times, the escalating prominence of portable and wearable electronics of the next generation has instigated a surge in the need for power solutions [1]. However, conventional power supplies, characterized by their rigid and intricate configurations, substantial size, and ecologically detrimental characteristics, no longer meet the essential prerequisites of wearable electronics. Consequently, researchers have devoted significant efforts towards the advancement of pliable and environmentally sustainable power sources specifically tailored for wearable applications. In recent years, one particular avenue of exploration that has garnered attention is flexible triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs)
Adoption of Metaverse in the Indian Construction Industry: An Overview
No full textTechnology is being adopted in various sectors worldwide at a significantly faster pace, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic breakdown as well as the subsequent lockdown, which has proved very beneficial in a lot of aspects. The ACE industry (architecture, construction and engineering) is a very labor-intensive industry by its nature and the adoption of technology has been at a slower pace than the other sectors. However, the intervention of technology in the industry is comparatively more unrushed. Construction is one of the longest-standing industries in India. Technology adoption in the construction industry in India has not been to the desired extent. A wider use of the Metaverse technology can be expected in the Indian construction industry if the companies appreciate its benefits. This paper aims to give an overview of the state of adoption of the Metaverse technology in the Indian construction industry. An analysis of the benefits that could be derived from technology adoption and the hindrances that are posing a setback for the adoption were achieved in this study. The benefits of Metaverse adoption are multi-fold with a wide range of activities beginning from design conceptualization, proposals, project planning, coordination, tracking work progress, training and many more
Fiscal Policy and Inflation in Nigeria
No full textThis paper empirically examined the impact of fiscal policy on inflation in Nigeria. Time series data on inflation, government revenue, government expenditure, and gross domestic product were sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The aforementioned secondary data cover the period from 1981 to 2021. The Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root test and Johansen co-integration test were used to testing for data stationarity and the existence or otherwise of co-integrating equations respectively. Thereafter, data were analyzed using Ordinary Least Square and Parsimonious Error Correction techniques. Findings from the study show that government expenditure and revenue both have a positive relationship with the rate of inflation, though the latter is not statistically significant. Also, there is a positive but insignificant relationship between inflation and gross domestic product. In line with the above findings, we, therefore, recommend that the Nigerian government at all levels (local, state, and federal) should be tactful in the use of fiscal policy tools to avoid triggering inflationary pressure and its negative multiplier effects on the welfare of its citizenry
Reassessing the Empirical Relationship between Health Expenditure, Governance and Economic Growth in Africa: Analysis of Nigerian Data
No full textAs an aspect of human capital, a positive association exists amongst health, productivity, and growth in output per capita. On the other hand, social infrastructure defined by the institution of governance has a direct effect on the environment upon which productive activities take place to determine outcomes. Nigeria like most African countries is bedevilled by the high prevalence of inadequate health financing and poor governance. Health financing for Nigeria consistently has fallen short of the AU health funding commitment of 15% of annual budgetary allocation to the health sector. Secondly, poor governance conditions available resources and shape the state of infrastructure, particularly health infrastructure and socioeconomic conditions. In turn, this determines individuals’ level of exposure to health risks and their capacity to actively contribute to productive activity for growth stimulation and sustainability. Against this backdrop, this study added to the existing literature in the context of Nigeria, by theoretically applying the Solow augmented Mankiw-Romer-Weil structural model in the examination of the impact of government size and governance quality in the health sector, on economic growth. Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model was adopted in the estimation. Findings show that governance quality adversely affects growth and this reduces the capacity of health spending to stimulate growth by an almost equal margin. As a result, this study recommends legislative backing to the AU health funding commitment in Nigeria
Application of Nanotechnology in Soil Stabilization
No full textNano-technology is expanding its horizon in various science and technology fields. In civil engineering, soil is a complex material and used for various functions and applications. Meanwhile, sometimes an effective soil stabilization technique is needed to fulfil the site criteria and can be achieved by adopting various methods e.g., physical, chemical, thermal or reinforcement using geotextiles and fabrics. The mechanism of soil stabilization using nanomaterials is still unexplored and open to prospective researchers. The present article attempts to touch and explore the possibilities of nano-technology in soil improvement and its applications in various civil engineering works. Microstructural analysis of the nanomaterials treated soils using the latest equipment has also been discussed. The study interprets that the use of nano materials is still limited, due to their high cost and sophisticated handling procedures. Though the use of nanoparticles in soil stabilization results in extraordinary improvements in various soil properties, the improved soil properties could be utilized for various geotechnical projects. The present study bridges the past findings to the present scenario of nanomaterials in soil improvement
Detection of Buffer Overflow Attacks with Memoization-based Rule Set
No full textDifferent abnormalities are commonly encountered in computer network systems. These types of abnormalities can lead to critical data losses or unauthorized access in the systems. Buffer overflow anomaly is a prominent issue among these abnormalities, posing a serious threat to network security. The primary objective of this study is to identify the potential risks of buffer overflow that can be caused by functions frequently used in the PHP programming language and to provide solutions to minimize these risks. Static code analyzers are used to detect security vulnerabilities, among which SonarQube stands out with its extensive library, flexible customization options, and reliability in the industry. In this context, a customized rule set aimed at automatically detecting buffer overflows has been developed on the SonarQube platform. The memoization optimization technique used while creating the customized rule set enhances the speed and efficiency of the code analysis process. As a result, the code analysis process is not repeatedly run for code snippets that have been analyzed before, significantly reducing processing time and resource utilization. In this study, a memoization-based rule set was utilized to detect critical security vulnerabilities that could lead to buffer overflow in source codes written in the PHP programming language. Thus, the analysis process is not repeatedly run for code snippets that have been analyzed before, leading to a significant reduction in processing time and resource utilization. In a case study conducted to assess the effectiveness of this method, a significant decrease in the source code analysis time was observed