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IMPLICIT FEEDBACK SYSTEM FOR THE RECOMMENDATION OF RELEVANT WEB DOCUMENTS
No full textThe web is constantly updated with information, leading to the problem of information overload. The generic information retrieval systems retrieve a relatively large amount of irrelevant web resources, forcing information seekers to spend a significant amount of time searching for their information needs. Learners of a particular domain are usually faced with common problems and they visit similar sources of information when searching for their information needs.
The key idea of this research is to capture and record previous web documents visited by a homogeneous group of learners with their associated user behaviour which is inferred from the reading time, mouse and ikey activity, and to utilise this information to optimise the recommendation of relevant documents to users.
Several user studies were conducted to investigate relevance feedback parameters. An investigation was carried out to examine the relationship between user-generated implicit indicators and user perception of relevance. Thirteen users were given fifteen web documents to read and rate according to their perception of relevance based on given tasks. The results show a positive co-relationship between explicit relevance feedback such as user ratings and implicit relevance feedback such as reading time.
The second study was focused on user searching behaviour and it builds on the results of the preliminary study. A plugin in Firefox browser was used to capture and log several implicit relevance feedback indicators, explicit ratings of document familiarity, difficulty and relevance from 77 users. A number of implicit relevance feedback indicators were correlated with user explicit relevance feedback such as ratings. A predictive function model was developed based on the captured implicit and explicit relevance feedback. The effect of task type, document familiarity and document difficulty on user behaviour was also examined. The predictive function model was validated through an eye gaze study and standard evaluation metrics. The results of the eye gaze study indicate that the predictive model derived from implicit indicators can be used in place of an eye gaze.
Furthermore, a prototype system for domain-specific implicit feedback was developed and evaluated. The results show that supplementing user queries with implicit feedback considerably improves the relevancy of returned results from, a domain-specific search engine.RECOMMENDATION OF RELEVANT WEB DOCUMENT
TRADE AND EXCHANGE IN THE TIV AREA OF THE LOWER BENUE VALLEY, 1850-2000
No full textThis thesis is a study of trade and exchange among the Tiv of the lower Benue valley of central Nigeria from 1850-2000. It investigated the nature and character of trade and trading patterns in the lower Benue valley within the study period with emphasis on the Tiv and their neighbours showing how trade contributed to the growth and development of the Benue valley society, as well as the factors that have engendered or hindered the process. The research adopted a postmodernist conceptual and theoretical framework in the interpretation of findings using an analytical methodology. The thesis in its finding established the nature and extent of exchange relations among the various groups in the Lower Benue Valley as well as the trends in economic relations. It argued that indigenous and external factors or forces played key roles in the economic development of the region. For example the role of Tiv neighbours in the lower Benue valley in the nineteenth century; and those of Europeans especially, the British, in the first half of the twentieth century during colonialism was significant, as was taxation, infrastructure, urbanization and capitalism as agents of economic change.TRADE AND EXCHANGE IN THE TIV ARE
EFFECTS OF TREE CROP FARMING ON SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OF FARMERS IN KONSHISHA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE, NIGERIA
No full textThe study investigated the effects of tree crop farming on the socioeconomic status of farmers in Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State. The three specific objectives were: to determine the reasons for farmers preference for tree crop farming to arable farming in the study area; to assess the benefits of tree crop farming on the farmers in the study area; and, to ascertain the effects of tree crop farming on the socioeconomic status of the farmers in the area under study. The study was a survey. Data collected was on the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the respondents like council ward, sex, age, marital status, level of educational attainment, occupational status, years of farming experience and farm sizes in terms of hectares of land covered and number of orange and mango trees planted. Data was also collected on the reasons for the respondents’ preference for tree crop farming to arable farming. The study also collected data on the benefits of tree crop farming to the respondents. Data was also obtained on the effects of the benefits of tree crop farming on the respondents’ welfare. Primary data sources were information from field work while secondary data was obtained from records of the Konshisha Local Government Citrus and Mango Farmers Association. The population of the study consisted of 492 farmers and a sample of 222 respondents was drawn using Taro Yamane’s statistical formula for sample size determination. The instruments for data collection were questionnaire and structured oral interview. The method of data collection was by administering questionnaires and by conducting oral interviews in the field. The study made use of descriptive statistical tools like Frequency, Percentage, Mean and Standard Deviation to analyze the data obtained from the field. Findings from the study revealed that the respondents’ preference for tree crop farming was for economic reasons; other reasons included the desire to protect land and to diversify farming activities. The effects of the income from the farming system on the socioeconomic status of the farmers included improving their nutritional quality, housing conditions, clothing needs, payment for households members’ education, access to health, and acquisition of means of transportation. The study found further that female participation in citrus and mango farming in the study area was low because of men’s exclusive ownership of land. The study concluded that the cultivation of citrus and mango in the study area was to be encouraged because of its immense benefits to the respondents. But the farming system was to be practiced with caution because of the problems of land shortage, land disputes, and the near absence of crop rotation associated with it. The study recommended that citrus and mango farming in the study area should be encouraged at least on average scale, land ownership should be reformed to encourage female participation in citrus and mango farming, introducing improved varieties of citrus and mango in the study area, and the local government authorities should setup civil authorities to help resolve land disputes outside the regular courts of law.EFFECTS OF FARMERS IN KONSHISHA LOCAL GOVERNMENT ARE
WOMEN IN THE RURAL ECONOMY OF IGEDELAND FROM 1960 TILL PRESENT
No full textThis study examined the contributions of rural women to the economic development of Igedeland since 1960. Traditionally, women have been involved in agricultural production (farming labour, processing and marketing), local (now backyard poultry production), petty trading, clothes weaving (Ogodogodo), pottery, and brewing (Apio and Ogbete), among others. In most cases, they complement their husband’s efforts. However, they are faced with various constraints such as limited access to land, education, health care and information technology, infrastructure, credits and markets. The study employed a multidisciplinary approach in the collection, evaluation and analysis of data. These sources along with oral information were corroborated to achieve internal consistency. Interviews were unstructured and flexible. The work employed the Socialist (Marxist) Feminist Framework through the Gender and Development (GAD) approach. The GAD model adopts a holistic approach and treats development as a complex process influenced by political and socio-economic forces. The study argues that women should be regarded as essential agents of change and development. It recommends that women’s informal labour should be given recognition and their productivity duly considered in the development and implementation of such policies, particularly in resource allocation channeled through national budgets. This can be achieved through the creation of functional and efficient formal and non formal financial institutions, the strengthening of the rural base, the modification of the legal and institutional framework, and more efficient policy/programme formulation and implementation by the government and donor agencies. Investing in women’s capabilities and empowering them to exercise their choices is the surest way to contribute to economic developmentWOMEN IN THE RURAL ECONOM
EFFECT OF SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL ON THE QUALITY OF WATER FROM HAND-DUG WELLS IN FEDERAL LOW COST AREA OF MAKURDI, NIGERIA
No full textThe study examined the effect of solid waste disposal on the quality of water from the hand-dug wells in Federal Low-Cost area of Makurdi, Nigeria. This was done against the backdrop of possibility of solid waste polluting water in the hand dug wells in line with the WHO drinking water standards. The study adopted both field and experimental designs and purposive sampling technique was considered in selecting the 10 hand dug wells within the stipulated range of 1000m along the solid waste dump site in the months of February (dry season) and July (wet season) for analysis of physico-chemical and micro-bacteriological parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, TDS, iron, zinc, copper, lead, cadmium, chromium, colour. Both field and laboratory methods of analyses as prescribed in the standard method for water examination were used. The result for the wet season water pollution level had 0.994 as coefficient of determination (R2) which is computed to be 99.4 percent. This means that 99.4 percent of water pollution levels for the 10 selected hand-dug wells in the study area for wet season can be jointly explained by eleven (11) out of thirteen (13) (Cd, Cu, Fe, Zn, Temperature, pH, Pb, EC, TBC, Turbidity, Colour) identified physico-chemical and heavy metals concentration. The remaining 0.6 percent of the water pollution levels can be as a result of other unexplained factors. The result of water pollution level for the dry season had 0.933 as coefficient of determination (R2) of which is computed to be 93.3 percent. This means that 93.3 percent of water pollution levels for the 10 selected hand-dug wells for the dry season can be jointly explained by eleven (11) out of thirteen (13) (Cr, Cu, pH, Zn, Temperature, Fe, Pb, TDS, TBC, Turbidity, Colour) identified physico-chemical and heavy metals concentration. The study showed that waste disposal had high effect on water pollution level of the hand dug wells in the area, however, there is seasonal variation of the water pollution level with more pollutants found in the wet season as compared to the dry season, reason being that more seepages take place in wet seasons than in dry seasons. Therefore the study recommended regulations and public awareness on operations and health implications of indiscriminate waste dump sites close to residential areas and water points.EFFECT OF SOLID WASTE DISPOSA
DISCOURSE STRATEGIES AND THE EVOCATION OF SOLIDARITY IN CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE'S NOVELS
No full textSolidarity within social groups is a prominent thematic preoccupation in contemporary African literary works. Previous studies on Adichie’s three novels: Purple Hibiscus (PH). Half of a Yellow Sun (HOAYS) and AMERiCANAH (AH), have examined textual aspects such as language, context, style, and themes with little attention on discourse strategies as they evoke social solidarity in the novels. This study, therefore, examined discourse strategies in relation to how they evoked social solidarity and textual cohesion with a view to deepening the understanding of the texts.
The study adopted M.A.K. Halliday’s model of Systemic Functional Linguistics as framework, complemented with Fairclough’s model of Critical Discourse Analysis and Durkheim’s concept of solidarity. The data consisted of 152 extracts from the three novels: 42 from PH, 61 from HOAYS and 49 from AH. These extracts, selected on the basis of their relevance to the evocation of social solidarity and textual cohesion, were subjected to discourse analysis.
Discourse strategies such as referential, perspectivation, intensification and mitigation were the major tools for the construction of social solidarity. The referential strategy, a process of constructing and representing social actors by membership categorisation, was exhibited in the form of nominal groups like “my brother'’(PH).“our family”(PH),“my man”(HOAYS), “Northerners”(HOAYS).“Black British”(AH). “Non-American Blacks’’(AH), and was used to construct characters’ social identities, with the aim of specifying the nature of their social solidarity. Perspectivation, in terms of the narrative point of view, was realised in the form of personal pronouns (I/we/us/they/them) which were used to articulate characters’ perspectives and commitment to social solidarity. Intensification, which implies explicit expressions of qualifying/modifying the epistemic status of propositions, was realised in the use of modal auxiliary “will”. For example, “we will take care of the baby; we will protect him” (PH). Similarly, the expression “Try and make friends with our African American brothers and sisters in a spirit of true pan-Africanism” (AH) was a form of explicit intensification, and signified cross-national solidarity. Mitigation, an implicit reference to social solidarity, was realised in expressions like “There’s no American nonsense in that house” (AH) which showed preference for African over American culture. While these discourse strategies enhance mostly familial and kinship solidarities in PH and HOAYS, cross-national solidarity was realised in AH. Expressions with lexical sense relations such as hyponymy (“Kano/North” in HOAYS). and meronymy (“black locals/Black Americans” in AH), as well as reiteration and collocation amplified social solidarity and enhanced lexical cohesion in Adichie’s texts. In most cases the use of conjunctions, substitutions, and elliptical structures intensified communication of intentions that augmented social solidarity and reinforced grammatical cohesion.
Discourse strategies evoked aspects of social solidarity such as collectivism, cooperation, group loyalty and textual cohesion in Adichie’s novels. These provide insights into meaningful and profound interpretations of Adichie’s works.
Keywords: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novels, Discourse strategies. Textual cohesion Social solidarity. Word count: 452CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE'S NOVEL
EFFECTS OF PROGRAMMED INSTRUCTION STRATEGY AND TARGET TASK APPROACH ON JUNIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS'ACHIEVEMENT AND RETENTION IN ALGEBRA
No full textThis research work investigated the effect of Programmed Instruction Strategy (PIS), Target Task Approach (TTA) and Conventional Teaching methods on students’ achievement and retention in Algebra. Pre-test, post-test non-equivalent group, quasi-experimental design was adopted. Two hundred and twenty two JSS2 students made up of three respective groups; PIS (71), TTA (77) as experimental groups and conventional method - CM (74) as the control group were the subjects of the study. The students were taught using carefully developed teaching packages on each of the methods for 4 weeks. The instrument used for measuring students’ achievement was the Algebra Achievement Test (AAT) and the shuffled version of AAT for measuring retention. The instrument was validated by experts. The reliability was established using split-half method (odd and even numbers) was used. The coefficient was confirmed using Pearson Correlation Coefficient V and Spearman Brown Prophecy formula. The result showed r=0.71 and Spearman Brown Prophecy formula for establishing reliability was 0.83. Four research questions and four hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The first hypothesis tested the significant difference in the mean achievement scores of students exposed to PIS, TTA and CM using ANCOVA. The result showed a significant difference with F= 200.311 at (P=.0001; P 0.05) and F = 0.015, (P=.903; P>0.05) respectively. The result also showed that students exposed to TTA retained the algebraic knowledge more than those taught using PIS and CM with mean difference of 13.740 and 10.718 respectively in favour of TTA. It was therefore recommended that mathematics teachers should use PIS and TTA more frequently than CM in the mathematics classrooms.EFFECTS OF PROGRAMMED INSTRUCTION STRATEGY AND TARGET TASK APPROACH ON JUNIOR SECONDARY STUDENT
ANALYSIS OF NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY AND DOSE ASSESSMENT ON DIFFERENT BRANDS OF CHEMICAL AND ORGANIC FERTILIZERS USED IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA
No full textTo determine the concentrations and radiological hazards of fertilizers and agricultural soils in Benue State, the concentrations of natural radionuclides Radium-226, Thorium-232 and Patassium-40 in chemical and organic fertilizers and nine (9) soil samples were measured using a Nal (TI) detector and Multichannel Analyzer. The average concentrations of the radionuclides in the chemical fertilizer samples were 69.55±2.97, 17.84±1.09 and 969.13±5.48Bq/kg, while for the organic fertilizers, the concentrations were 26.33±3.78, 9.07±0.94 and 204.43±4.34Bq/kg. This result showed that the average activity concentrations of the radionuclides are higher in the chemical fertilizer samples than the organic fertilizer samples. For the soil samples, the average activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were 39.10±2.67, 29.44±0.99 and 113.02±2.78Bq/kg for the samples in zone A, 41.86±3.03, 8.14±0.35 and 404.24±5.92Bq/kg, 22.48±1.92, 8.93±0.25 and 164.58±2.06Bq/kg for samples in zones B and C. These concentrations show that 226Ra and 40K are most prevalent in zone B, while 232Th is prevalent in zone A. Zone C has the least 226Ra concentration and 232Th slightly higher than zone B and 40K higher than zone A, but less than zone B. The average values of the radium equivalent for all the soil and fertilizer samples were determined and found to be lower than the maximum permissible limit for radiation dose of 370Bq/kg given by UNSCEAR. The average absorbed dose rate for the chemical fertilizer samples was 88.33nGy/h, while that for the organic samples was 26.17nGy/h. Those for the soil samples were 40.5nGy/h, 39.6nGy/h and 22.6nGy/h for zones A, B and C. These values are below the world average permissible value of 57nGy/h, except those of the chemical fertilizer samples. The values of the index of external and internal hazards were found to be 0.46 and 0.65 for the chemical fertilizer samples, 0.15 and 0.22 for the organic samples, and 0.24 and 0.35, 0.22 and 0.33, 0.13 and 0.19 for the soil samples from zone A, B and C. All these indices are within the world acceptable limit of less than unity. The average annual absorbed dose rates of the samples were 10.22mSv/y and 3.21mSv/y for the chemical and organic fertilizer samples, while those for the soil samples were 5.0mSv/y, 4.9mSv/y and 2.8mSv/y for zones A, B and C. All the values are above the lmSv/y acceptable dose limit. The obtained average values were compared with available reported data for other countries. The ANOVA showed that there are significant differences in means of the radioactivity from the chemical and organic fertilizer samples. For the soil samples, there is a significant difference the in means of the radioactivity from the samples from zone B than that of zones A and C. Results of the study could serve as an important baseline radiometric data for the monitoring of environmental radioactivity in the study area.ANALYSIS OF NATURAL RADIOACTIVIT
AN EXEGESIS OF 1THESSALONIANS 2:1-3:13 AND ITS HERMENEUTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR PASTORS OF NONGO U KRISTU U I SER U SHA TAR (NKST)
No full textToday's scholarship claims that Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-3:13 functions only as implicit parenesis where Paul presents himself as an example (a model) for his Thessalonian Christians to emulate. However, some have stuck to the traditional view that Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-3:1-13 is in a real sense defending himself. There is also another glaring conflict between tittlol "epioi" (gentle) and vrjTrioi "nepioi" (babes) in 2:7b which one is the authentic reading? The objective of this thesis is to analyse the pericope of 1 Thessalonians 2:1-3:13 to ascertain the original reading of 2:7b with regards to the textual problem and draw the implication of the function of the text and the importance of the metaphors for NKST pastors. The researcher adopted some literary resources and collected, analyzed and interpreted them using a synchronic exegesis which is a method that looks at the text as a complete entity. The researcher found that Paul's arguments in the pericope is not primarily to provide an example for contemporary ministers of the gospel to follow but to defend his actions when he was at work in Thessalonica, which is seen in the context of the passage (1:1-10) and also in the text itself (the antithetical statements of 2:1-12, the repeated appeals in this passage to the Thessalonians' first-hand knowledge about Paul's original ministry in their city, and the defense of his absence from them in the apostolic parousia 2:17-3:10). Regarding the textual problem in the text, the researcher posited that taking the external and internal evidences together, and going by the rules of textual criticism, the reading of “babes” gives the best understanding of the text, which fits in well with the role of the familiar metaphor (babes) in the overall understanding of the defensive function of the text of IThess 2:1-3:13. Nevertheless, Paul's portrayal of himself as a babe (2:7b), nursing mother (2:7c), and father (2:11) provides NKST pastors today with three powerful pictures of how they ought to view their calling. In other words, ministers of the gospel ought to conduct themselves in such a way that they are as innocent as babes, as loving as a nursing motherland as authoritative as a father.1THESSALONIANS 2:1-3:13 AND ITS HERMENEUTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR PASTORS OF (NKST
A STUDY OF MARXIST AESTHETICS IN SELECTED PLAYS OF FEMI OSOFISAN
No full textThis study focuses on the Study of Marxist Aesthetics in Selected Plays of Femi Osofisan. It looks at the literary and sociological studies of Marxism. The thesis analyzes Marxist Aesthetics in Osofisan’s plays viz: Morountondun, No More the Wasted Breed, and Once Upon Four Robbers. Three other selected plays are also analyzed in order to unravel the use of satire as a silent but potent instrument of change in the society. These plays are Midnight-Blackout, Midnight Hotel, A Restless Run of Locusts and The Chattering and the Song.The study also focuses on Osofisan’s use of stylistic devices to convey his messages. Some of these include deviation from the conventional acts and scenes to ‘parts’ and ‘dramas’, story-telling, play-Within-A-Play, Flashback, Humour, etc. The study not only facilitates an interpretation of the social, intellectual and other personal obsessions of Osofisan but also provides justification for the relevance of Marxism to Nigeria’s current situations in his plays. Before Osofisan came to the limelight, the Nigerian literature had been severely criticized by Marxist apologists for being overtly socialy irrelevant to societal realities. The critics had adverred that the Nigerian literature was preoccupied gratuitously and needlessly with cultural conflicts and evils of colonialism instead of utilizing the medium for subversive purposes, which essentially and indubitably is one of the fundamental callings of artists irrespective of their genres. It is in the justification of the above that Osofisan was chosen for the study. The thesis submits that through the use of Marxism, Femi Osofisan has shown himself as an advocate of non-violence as a means of sociopolitical change. This contrasts immensely with earlier submissions of critics who hold that Osofisan’s cry for change can only be attained through violent revolution.STUDY OF MARXIST AESTHETICS IN SELECTED PLAYS OF FEMI OSOFISA