EUSpace
Not a member yet
791 research outputs found
Sort by
Assessment of anti-corrosion potentials of extract of Ficus asperifolia -Miq (Moraceae) on mild steel in acidic medium
Get PDFFullThe inhibitory potentials of ethanolic extracts and four fractions of the stem bark of Ficus asperifolia Miq. for the corrosion of mild steel were assessed using weight loss method, Fourier atomi absorption spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of varying immersion period,concentration of the inhibitors and temperatures for mild steel corrosion in 5 M HCl acid solution were carried out. A detailed kinetic reaction, thermodynamic (Ea, ∆H, ∆S) and adsorption isotherm studies were obtained. The crude extract of F. asperifolia (EFA) has the highest inhibition efficiency of 55%. The inhibitory efficiency of the four fractions of F. asperifolia (EFA) compared with the crude extract was in the order ethyl acetate > n-hexane > butanol > EFA > Aqueous. The inhibition efficiency was found to increase with increase in the extracts concentration but decreased with temperature. Corrosion rate increases with time but decreases with extracts concentration. The kinetic studies of the data followed a first order reaction. Thermodynamic studies revealed that corrosion inhibition may be due to spontaneous mixed adsorption of the plant constituents on the metal surface. Experimental data were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin adsorption isotherms. The plant investigated showed a good potential for green corrosion inhibitors. Investigation of phytochemical constituents showed that the extracts contain alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins anthraquinones and reducing sugars
A Configuration of Socio-Political Dialectics in Nigerian Pidgin English: Trends in Peter Onwudijo’s Poetry
Get PDFPeter Onwundijo’s poetry collection, De Wahala for Wazobia (2007), comments on the contemporary
Nigeria’s pitiable social problems. The poet employs Nigerian Pidgin English, not only as a dialectal
tool to examine the issue of Nigeria’s amalgamation, but also as a lingua franca, which aptly describes
the polity of multilingual Nigeria. It addresses the myriad hydra-headed issues like corruption,
educational decay, election malpractices, neocolonialism, and insecurity among other forms of vices
plaguing the nation which continue to militate against her development. The poems were analysed
using sociolinguistics and semiotic theories as frameworks. The result of the analyses showed that the
poet’s ability to effectively use the Nigerian Pidgin English to address such important issues does not
make the language inferior when compared to the other established languages of the world. Rather, it
should be seen as a language (second) that reflects creativity, productivity, simplicity, acceptability
and understanding among the Nigerians. Indeed, it makes for a wider understanding of the poet’s
major concern, as the pidgin, in Nigeria, is often being described as “the language of the people” The
study appraised the collection as an attempt at demystifying the Nigerian Pidgin English as well as
evaluating its relevance for modern Nigerian poetry in its quest to radicalize the political and
economic situation in Nigeria
Digital Divide: Issues and Strategies for Intervention in Nigerian Libraries
Get PDFThis paper discussed digital divide, issues and strategies for intervention in Nigerian libraries. It defined digital divide as the gap that exist between countries, within countries, individuals, families and so on in their access and usage of Information Technology facilities such as the internet, computers, laptops, various handheld devices, application software etc. The paper also discussed the causes of digital divide comprising finance, level of education, location of the individual and language as well as discussing the effects of digital divide to encompass inequality in access to information; ineffective services to users, libraries being unable to satisfy their clientele. The paper went further to discuss the present state of ICT facilities adoption and use by Libraries in Nigeria, compared to their equals in developed countries. The paper pointed out that most Nigerian libraries are far from full automation and Internet connectivity; the staff lack technical skills to build and maintain ICT for enhanced service delivery; libraries in rural areas of these developing countries are more neglected as available ICT facilities and internet connections are mostly available and accessible in the urban areas thus, those leaving in the rural areas are cut off from the numerous benefits of ICT. The paper concluded that Digital divide is a menace that affects information availability and access; growth and development in between countries and within countries and has led to inequality in access and use of ICT facilities as such, Nigerian libraries should wake up to their responsibilities by providing the required infrastructure needed to bridge the gap to prevent the escalation of digital divide. The paper finally recommended the formulation and implementation of ICT policy, adequate funding of libraries by those concerned, education and training of human resources to build and maintain ICT facilities, curriculum innovation by library schools so as to inculcate ICT courses for skills acquisitions of the professionals, improvement of maintenance culture and eradication of corruption in the entire system to enable developing countries take advantage of ICT facilities, make progress and move along with modernity and global sophistication
Digitization and admissibility of digital records in Nigerian courts: strategies and lessons for the LIS profession
No full textThe global impetus and preference for automation of records management
systems arising from propensity for greater efficiency and preservation
imperatives has sustained the digitization of records from creation,
retention, archival to disposal. The paper examined the admissibility of
digital records as evidence in Nigerian courts. It noted that the Nigerian
Evidence Act has not been reviewed for over sixty years hence it 1s large/}
deficient m accommodating technological developments compared to its
counterparts m advanced nat10ns. The requisite laws place highest
premium on primary evidence as exemplified by original documents and
regard digital records as surrogate and secondary evidence hence not
admissible The courts can only be persuaded to recognize third party
authenticated versions. It is recommended inter alia that records of legal
value should be notarized before digitization.
regard digital records as surrogate and secondary evidence hence not
admissible The courts can only be persuaded to recognize third party
authenticated versions. It is recommended inter alia that records of legal
value should be notarized before digitization
Alterations of Na+/K+-ATPase, cholinergic and antioxidant enzymes activity by protocatechuic acid in cadmium-induced neurotoxicity and oxidative stress in Wistar rats
Get PDFStaff PublicationBackground: This study assessed the possible protective mechanisms of protocatechuic acid (PCA) against
cadmium (Cd)-induced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity in rats.
Methods: Male wistar strain rats weighing between 150–160 g were purchased and acclimatized for two
weeks. The rats were divided into seven groups of seven each; NC group received normal saline, CAD
group received 6 mg/kg of Cd-solution, CAD + PSG group received Cd-solution and prostigmine (5 mg/kg),
CAD + PCA-10 and CAD + PCA-20 groups received Cd-solution and PCA (10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg)
respectively, PCA-10 and PCA-20 groups received 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg PCA each. Animals were
administered normal saline, Cd and PCA daily by oral gavage for 21 days. After which the animals were
sacrificed, the brain excised, homogenized and centrifuged. The activities of enzymes (Na+/K+-ATPase,
cholinesterases, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase) and levels of oxidative stress
markers (lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione) linked to neurodegeneration were subsequently
assessed.
Results: Significant (p < 0.05) alterations in the enzyme activities and levels of oxidative stress markers
were observed in CAD group when compared to the NC group. However, the activities of the enzymes
were reversed in CAD + PSG and CAD + PCA groups.
Conclusions: PCA may protect against cadmium-induced neurotoxicity by altering the activities of Na+/K+-
ATPase, acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and endogenous antioxidant enzymes
Quality Assessment Of The Bioethanol Derived From Cassava Peel And Fermented Cassava Starch Liquor
Get PDFStaff PublicationThe bioethanol produced from cassava peel (Manihot esculanta cranz) and its applications to industrial
processes was investigated. Two modes of hydrolysis were adopted for the liquefaction of the gelatinized sample of the
cassava peel: acid and enzyme hydrolysis. 0.1 – 1 M H2SO4 and HCl were used in-turn to hydrolyze the gelatinized sample
as well as Alpha-amylase and Gluco-amylase enzymes. Both the acid and enzyme hydrolyzates were subjected to
fermentation process using industrial baker’s yeast (Saccaromycescerevisea). For the acid hydrolysis, different
experimental conditions such as reaction temperature (100 o
c), reaction time (60 min.), and acid concentrations (1.0 M)
were examined in order to establish the best conditions for the hydrolysis. The yield of bioethanol obtained using H2SO4
was 20.7 % and noticed to be higher than that of HCl which was 15.62 % under the same experimental conditions.
However, the yield of bioethanol obtained via enzyme hydrolysis after fermentation was observed to be 21.62 %, which
was higher than the yields obtained from acid hydrolysis. The physicochemical properties of the bioethanol derived from
the cassava peel indicated that the flash point of the liquid fuel was 40oC, Refractive index as 1.358 and pH of 5.38 All
these values conformed to those of the conventional ethanol which showed values for flash point as 38 oC, Refractive
index of 1.360 and pH of 4.68. Functional group of the derived bioethanol shows O-H functional group around 3600-
2400cm-1
, C-H(1470-1350 cm-1
) and C-O(1320-1000cm-1
). The viability of the in-house derived-bioethanol for the
production of some household products such as aftershave, hand sanitizer and disinfectant was investigated and found
suitable as base chemical for the industrial production of these commodities. The quality assessment of these household
products showed that cassava derived bioethanol is a promising feedstock for the industrial production of these products
and their allie
News Analysis as a Media Content for Public Opinion Formation and Moulding
Get PDFThe mass media perform certain roles to the sustenance of the society. Crucial among
these roles are surveillance and correlation. The former involves routine journalistic function of
monitoring events and reporting such in news while the latter deals with interpreting issues in
the news for the purpose of building knowledge and coordinating opinions. There is an overlap
between the two roles as opinions cannot be formed without information. In fact, informed
opinions are based on adequate, accurate and authoritative information. Thus, by disseminating
news and further engaging in discussion and analysis of major issues in the news, the media
shape or influence public opinion. This paper examines news analysis as a means of shaping
public opinion. It establishes that the mass media engage in construction and reconstruction of
public opinion through agenda setting and framing. It presents a model depicting a cyclical
process by which the media set agenda, through selective news presentation and treatment; and
frame issues, through discussions and analyses, thereby giving direction for public opinion. The
opinion so formed could result into actions and events, which are further reported in the news,
based on their news values
An Organisational Study on the Effects of Intrinsic Customer Service Demands: A Perspective from Emotional Labour Theory
Get PDFThe purpose of this research is to examine employees’ views on adverse
consequences caused by strict compliance to display rules of intrinsic labour demands as
against its appropriate necessities within a call centre context. Using an interpretative
phenomenological methodology for the study analysis, 25 semi-structured interviews were
conducted with telephone agents working in a call centre outlet in Lagos state, Nigeria. Based on
the emotional labour theory, enquires were made about general outcomes experienced from
conforming to organisational rules of emotional management during customer service
encounters. Findings confirmed that the adversarial impact of affective conformity tends to
threaten the positive intentions of these mandatory components of service work. Thus, a
proposed theoretical model emerged from the study’s interpretive accounts Based on these
significant research findings, detailed practical implications were discussed on ways in which call
centre businesses operating in a non-Western context can extenuate poor affective deliveries
arising from mismanagement of emotional labour
Comparative Analysis of Gases Obtained From A Bio-Digester Using Different Waste Media
Get PDFThis work is aimed at comparing and analyzing the composition of gases obtained from a biogas plant using different media. This is achieved through construction of an improvised plant for gas collection, measuring and analyzing the quality of gases obtained in the plant and deducing the best waste medium based on the result obtained.The development of a technological devices and equipment for biogas production from different energy plants and organic wastes has made biogas a renewable source of energy generation. The interest in the use of the biogas as a renewable source of energy is increasing and also the scope of substrates for the anaerobic digestion process is on the increase. With the mini digester it is possible to observe the amount of biogas (methane gas) production and thus the most suitable plant, giving the maximum methane yield, can be determined. The mini digester made of galvanized steel was built, some measurements with energy plants were performed and then parameters such as biogas composition from animal wastes and crop residues were measured (in the laboratory) and compared. The highest biogas and methane yield was recorded in the animal waste. Probable recommendations were later made.Self-sponsore
‘Communicating development’–a cultural shift: emerging discourses on entrepreneurial development and poverty reduction by Nigeria’s banking and microfinance sectors
Get PDFThis article departs from the dominant orthodoxies in discourses on
communication and development by introducing, as a major cultural shift, theoryguided strategic communication themes in two complementary sectors of Nigeria’s
financial industry: banking and microfinance. In both sectors, the personal
influence model and relationship marketing provide the overarching theoretical
framework for investigating the immanence (or lack thereof) of three key variables
in the relationships of those sectors with their primary stakeholders, for the primary
purpose of entrepreneurial development and poverty reduction. Those variables –
trust, commitment and satisfaction – are subsumed under ‘relationship quality’, an
embodiment of culture as an integral part of the impact of microfinance on Nigeria’s
economy. This article adopts a development strategy that focuses exclusively on
relationships established and sustained in exchanges between nonpublic
organisations (i.e., the banking and microfinance industries) and key stakeholders
for the primary purpose of entrepreneurial development fueled by a cultural
economy that ensures the production and wide distribution of finished products,
not necessarily commodities. Thematic discourses that use theories to guide
institutional policies and actions are proffered in an attempt to create stronger
institutional bonds between banking and microfinance institutions and their
disparate stakeholders