AJOL - African Journals Online
Not a member yet
221688 research outputs found
Sort by
Faces from the front: Harold Gillies, the Queen’s Hospital, Sidcup and the origins of modern plastic surgery
Full text linkNo abstrac
Assessment of the physicochemical characteristics of water in an urban river in Abuja, Nigeria
Full text linkThe assessment of physicochemical characteristics of water from River Wupa, Abuja, Nigeria was carried out to ascertain its suitability for domestic and industrial usage. Sixty water samples were taken from ten locations along the length of the river in both dry and wet seasons. The samples were analyzed for pH, temperature, EC, TDS, TSS, turbidity, alkalinity, DO, BOD, COD, hardness, sulphate, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, and chloride using standard methods prescribed by AOAC. The results obtained for these respective parameters pH, temperature, EC, TDS, TSS, turbidity, alkalinity, DO, BOD, COD, hardness, sulphate, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate and chloride were (7.01-7.29), (20.70-22.10ºC), (172.20-293.00 μS/cm), (102.00-207.00 mg/dm3), (15.90-65.00 mg/dm3), (11.00-58.00 mg/dm3), (27.50-38.90 mg/dm3), (7.00-8.00 mg/dm3), (10.00-25.00 mg/dm3), (15.50-60.10 mg/dm3), (30.40-36.50 mg/dm3), (39.90-42.70 mg/dm3), (10.00-15.00 mg/dm3), (0.05-0.10 mg/dm3), (1.70-2.70 mg/dm3) and (37.00-49.00 mg/dm3) in dry season. In wet season the respective results were (7.24-7.43), (26.70-28.30ºC), (121.60-176.40 μS/cm), (62.00-86.50 mg/dm3), (287.00-430.00 mg/dm3), (299.00-492.00 mg/dm3), (23.70-35.00 mg/dm3), (7.00-9.87 mg/dm3), (12.00-20.00 mg/dm3), (14.60-45.00 mg/dm3), (28.00-40.00 mg/dm3), (27.60-30.80 mg/dm3), (9.00-15.00 mg/dm3), (0.03-0.09 mg/dm3), (1.80-2.70 mg/dm3) and (27.90-38.00 mg/dm3). These results revealed that the levels of all the physicochemical parameters determined for all sampling locations were below the tolerable limits recommended by NSDWQ and WHO except for turbidity, DO and phosphate values from all sampling locations which were higher compared to tolerable recommended limits. It is concluded that the water from River Wupa cannot be said to be wholly safe for usage by humans because of some health risks that are associated with the parameters with values higher than those of the regulatory bodies. It is, therefore, recommended that the water quality of the river be monitored regularly and the water should be treated to make it safe for use
Effect of particle size on tensile properties and density of Delonix regia seed particles filled unsaturated polyester resin composites
Full text linkThis study was aimed at examining the effect of particle size on the tensile properties and density of Delonix regia seed particles (DSP) filled unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) composites. The composites were fabricated using a glass mould via hand mixing, and the average DSP particle sizes of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 μm were used at 12 % filler loading. The effect of particle size on the tensile properties and density of DSP-filled unsaturated polyester resin was investigated. The results showed a decrease in tensile strength, tensile modulus, elongation at break, and density as the filler particle size increased. The smallest particle size (100 μm) has the highest values of tensile strength, tensile modulus, elongation at break (%) and density with the corresponding values of 35.43 MPa, 0.47 GPa, 7.09% and 1.22 g/cm3 and the largest particle size (500 μm) with values of 15.25 MPa, 0.28 GPa, 5.17% and 1.12 g/cm3 respectively
Distribution of heavy metal and phytoplankton in Calabar River Port Terminals, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
Full text linkAn aquatic ecological evaluation of Calabar River Port terminals was carried out from February 2020 to January, 2021 with the aim of assessing seasonal variation of heavy metals and the distribution of phytoplankton. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was employed to analyze heavy metal concentration and standard procedure was use in the identification of phytoplankton from three sampling stations namely Eco marine terminal, INTELS terminal and Shoreline terminals in Calabar River port. Results showed elevated levels of lead, Chromium (0.28 ± 0.04), Nickel (0.67 ± 0.03), Lead (0.02 ± 0.02), cupper (0.03 ± 0.01) and Cadmium (0.31 ± 0.09) in all the stations beyond the NESREA recommended limits. The study also showed significant negative relationship between plankton and heavy metals. It recommends a yearly monitoring by regulatory agencies to ensure that shipping activities do not interfere with water quality at the terminals
Testicular abnormalities of rams in two slaughterhouses in Sokoto, Nigeria
Full text linkThis study was designed to determine the testicular abnormalities in rams slaughtered in Sokoto, Nigeria. The testicles of rams presented for slaughter were examined, and the age, breed, position, and sites of testicular abnormalities were noted. Out of 638 rams examined, 3 had testicular abnormalities, representing a prevalence of 0.47%, comprising 2 (0.31%) unilateral cryptorchidism and 1 (0.16%) unilateral hypoplasia. The prevalence of (0.58% (2/342) and 0.34% (1/296) were obtained at the Sokoto metropolitan abattoir and Batta Shuni slaughter slab, respectively. Two (0.31%) of the rams with abnormality were 1 < - ≤ 2 years old, comprising 1(0.16%) cryptorchid ram and testicular hypoplasia. There was 1 (0.16%) ram 2 < - ≤ 3 years with testicular hypoplasia. Based on breed, there was 1(0.16%) each of Yankasa, crosses (cryptorchidism) and Uda (testicular hypoplasia). The abnormalities were all on the right testis, while one cryptorchid testis each was in the subcutis and abdomen. There was a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the testicular weight and mid-testicular circumference of the abnormal testis compared to the normal. The longitudinal length of the abnormal testis was smaller than the normal, although this was not significantly (p > 0.05) different. There was atrophy of the seminiferous tubules with a poorly developed tubular lumen in the cryptorchid ram. In addition, the epididymis was devoid of spermatogenic cells. The hypoplastic testis had reduced spermatogenic activity and slight testicular degeneration which were absent in the normal testis. The study shows that rams with testicular abnormalities are rare among rams slaughtered in Sokoto although those with abnormalities may be infertile, rendering them unfit for breeding
Rationalising injustice : The reinforcement of legal hegemony in South Africa
Full text linkThe legal system in South Africa holds a legitimate and authoritative position in the country’s constitutional democracy and political order, despite the commonplace experiences of injustice that take place at the hands of the criminal justice system. This article looks at how the legal consciousness of community activists, student activists and migrants is shaped by experiences of arrest and detention, and focuses particularly on how their perceptions of the law reinforce the legitimacy and hegemonic status enjoyed by the criminal justice system and broader legal system in South Africa. The article draws on original interviews with community activists, student activists and migrants, who recounted their experiences of arrest and detention. Using a socio-legal framework of legal consciousness, the article unpacks how these groups reinforce legal hegemony through the ways in which they understand and rationalise their experiences of punishment. Despite the reasonable expectation that those who have experienced a miscarriage of justice would be most sceptical and pessimistic about the law’s legitimacy, this article finds that they continue to maintain their faith in the law. The article presents an analysis of interviews conducted with members of these groups, and shares evidence that begins to explore some of the ways in which South Africa’s criminal justice system is able to sustain its legitimacy, despite the gaps between what the law ought to be and what the law actually is
On the record
Full text linkWith the revelations by Bosasa officials at the State Capture Enquiry, held in early 2019, laying bare the corrupt links between prisons, detention centres and border control, and high-ranking political and government officials, the time is ripe to excavate the capitalist interests that fuel incarceration in this country. How did the prison industrial complex overtake the lofty principles that ushered in the South African democratic era? Judge Jody Kollapen is well-placed to speak to the evolution of the South African prison from a colonial institute that served to criminalise and dominate ‘natives’, to its utility as instrument of state repression under apartheid, to its present manifestation in the democratic era. He has laboured at the coalface of apartheid crime and punishment through his work as an attorney in the Delmas Treason Trial and for the Sharpeville Six, and also worked as a member of Lawyers for Human Rights, where he coordinated the ‘Release Political Prisoners’ programme. Importantly, Judge Kollapen had a ringside seat at the theatre of our transition from apartheid to democracy as he was part of the selection panel that chose the commissioners for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Many questions can be asked of the South African TRC, including whether it was the best mechanism to deal with the past and whether it achieved reconciliation. What concerns us here is its impact on crime and punishment in the democratic era. If our transition was premised on restorative justice, then should that not be the guiding principle for the emerging democratic state? In line with this special edition’s focus on the impact of incarceration on the marginalised and vulnerable, Judge Kollapen shares some insights on how the prison has fared in democratic South Africa, and how imprisonment affects communities across the country. As an Acting Judge in the Constitutional Court, a practitioner with a long history of civic engagement, and someone who has thought and written about criminalisation, human rights and prisons, Judge Kollapen helps us to think about what decolonisation entails for prisons in South Africa
Promises and lies? : Elections, commissions of inquiry and the state of criminal justice in 2019
Full text linkNo abstract
Extradition in the absence of state agreements : Provisions in international treaties on extradition
Full text linkBy virtue of state sovereignty, states exercise authority over all persons and things within their territories. This includes individuals suspected of committing or charged with crimes in foreign states. International law generally imposes no obligation to surrender individuals suspected of or charged with committing crimes in foreign states. Fugitives may only be returned when an agreement exists between the states concerned. As such, states are increasingly ratifying international treaties mandating cooperation to ensure that individuals responsible for certain categories of crimes are brought to justice. It is worth noting that some of these states lack extradition treaties with each other. For example, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are party to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) which mandates that they cooperate with each other in ensuring that crimes related to corruption are prosecuted. However, there is no extradition treaty between South Africa and the UAE. In these circumstances, a question arises as to whether they can they rely on the UNCAC to extradite individuals for corruption-related crimes. If they can, what is the nature of the international obligation entrenched under the UNCAC? Overall, what is the standing of international treaty clauses on extradition for states without extradition treaties
Marie Rosenkrantz Lindegaard
Full text linkEvery so often a different perspective on current topics emerges on the gang research scene that changes the orientation of scholars for decades to come. A new way of seeing and understanding the current gang discourse emerges in the work of intrepid researcher, Marie Rosenkrantz Lindegaard’s book, Surviving Gangs, Violence and Racism in Cape Town: Ghetto Chameleons. The book answers questions regarding what young men in gangs on the Cape Flats do, how they associate, and how they use mobility to move and change their cultural repertoires in gang and suburban spaces