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On Signed Full Transformation Semigroup of a Finite Set
Get PDFIf we define [n] = {1,2,3,...,n} and [n*] = {±1,±2,±3...,±n}. A map α: [n] → [n*] is called a signed transformation on [n]. The collection of all these maps together with composition forms a semigroup called a signed transformation semigroup. Given that dom(α) = [n], the signed transformation semigroup will be called a signed full transformation semigroup on [n]. In this paper, we obtain formulas that count the number of elements in the semigroups of order decreasing, order preserving and order decreasing signed transformations on [n]. We equally do same for the sub-semigroup of the signed transformation semigroup consisting only of idempotents
Morpho-Phytochemical Composition of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Varieties Grown in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
Get PDFThe study, Morpho-phytochemical composition of sesame (Sesamum indicum) varieties grown in Lafia, Nasarawa state-Nigeria. The experiment was conducted at the Botanical Garden of the Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State. Sesame varieties were obtained from National Cereal Research Institute Baddegi, Niger State. The varieties obtained include: GUJ BLACK, CHI001, and NCRIBEN 04E, NCRIBEN 05E and E8. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data were collected on the basis of Number of days for germination, Number of days to flowering, Plant height at flowering, Number of leaves per plant, Number of branches per plant, Number of branches at 50% flowering, Plant height at maturity, Number of pods per plant, Number of seeds per plant and 1000 seed weight. 30 g of sesame seeds from each varieties were grounded and analyzed for six proximate traits. Data were recorded for crude protein, crude fat/oil, fibre, mineral ash, moisture content and carbohydrate content. All proximate analyses were done according to Official methods of Associations of Analytical Chemist (AOAC). Data collected were subjected to ANOVA P ≤ 0.5. The varieties GUJBLACK and E8 performed very well in most of the morphological characterization such as days to germination, germination percentage, number of leaves, plant height, number of branches and 100 seed weight. Phytochemical composition of different varieties revealed that the variety GUJBLACK has the highest concentration of alkaloid, flavonoid, phenols, glycosides and saponin. The least varieties performance were observed in NCRIBEN 05E and NCRIBEN 04E
The Implementation of Lean Six Sigma Techniques: Effect on Customer Satisfaction and Retention in Manufacturing Industries in Lagos State, Nigeria
Get PDFLean Six Sigma concept emerged for waste elimination and continuous improvement. Manufacturing industries have tried to implement these techniques all over the world. The purpose of this research is to review the implementation of Lean Six Sigma techniques and their effects on customer satisfaction and retention in manufacturing industries in Lagos State, Nigeria. A descriptive case study was conducted in 64 selected regional manufacturing industries. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The findings show that Kaban is the technique that is mostly used by these manufacturing industries. It also proved that strong significant relationships exist between Lean Six Sigma techniques and customer satisfaction and as well as customers retention. Manufacturing organizations should effectively adopt the usage of this technique to attain customer satisfaction, customer retention, continuous quality improvement, profit maximization, cost reduction, and waste elimination
Electronic and Optical Properties of Rare Earth Atoms Doped Niobium Dichalcogenides NbX₂ (X=S, Se) Monolayers: A First Principle Study
Get PDFA First-principles calculation has been carried out to study the electronic, and optical properties of RE (La and Sm) atoms doped monolayer NbX2 (X=S, Se). The properties are studied through the use of density functional theory (DFT) with Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof-generalized gradient approximation (PBE-GGA) as exchange correlation functional and Time dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) as implementation in Quantum ESPRESSO code. The electronic band structures, as well as density of states (DOS) of these structures, show both are metallic in nature. The analysis of optical properties reveals that both La and Sm doped NbX2 (X= S, Se) Monolayer possess maximum absorptivity in the UV range of incident photon’s energy with minimum energy loss and decrease in reflectivity. Our complete study about the considered compounds describes them as potential candidates for technological applications in plasmonic and optoelectronic devices
Reconstructing the Ancient History of Drama through Afrocentric Lenses and AI Tools
Get PDFAfrocentrics have argued against the attribution of the origin of ancient drama history to the West. In the literary and drama sphere, the authorship of Aristotle’s The Poetics and Plato’s The Republic remains attacked by the Afrocentrics. They (Afrocentrics) posit that the origin of ancient drama history attributed to the West is a product of Western-European hegemony. Afrocentrics refute the Greek authorship of The Poetics and The Republic, and this has presented a conundrum in the search for the true origin of ancient drama history. This reality necessitates the need for drama critics to investigate history and ascertain the validity of Afrocentric positions. History is constituted by voluminous data, and it is often onerous and cumbersome to sift through history in a bid to resolve a contention. This paper argues that AI and several AI tools can help to make the analysis of history less cumbersome, offering an opportunity for drama critics to easily interrogate historical data as they search for the true origin of ancient drama history. Utilising documentary observation methodology, this paper highlights the benefits of employing AI tools in the research and discourse on the origin of ancient drama history. It was realised in this paper that in collaboration with the use of AI tools to interrogate ancient historical data, researcher’s extent of personal study helps to validate conclusions arrived at by AI tools. This paper recommends that AI should be consciously but carefully incorporated into drama research as the world progresses technologically
Multi-Sensor Satellite Data Assessment of Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Air Pollution in Abuja FCT and Adjoining States in Nigeria
Get PDFNigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Abuja has witnessed rapid urbanization, and this urbanization has significantly impacted the development of neighbouring states with the attendant increase in air pollution. This study presents a comprehensive multi-sensor satellite assessment of the spatiotemporal fluctuations of key pollutants—nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxides (SO₂), carbon (II) oxides (CO), methane (CH₄), ozone (O₃), and formaldehyde (HCHO), and the absorbing aerosol index (AI)—across Abuja and its neighbouring states (Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, and Kaduna) from 2019 to 2024. Using satellite remote sensing data from Sentinel-5P/TROPOMI together with other atmospheric data, the temporal dynamics of pollutants and their connections to parameters such as ambient temperature, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and precipitation have been investigated. NO2 and HCHO were found to be increasing around Suleja, Abuja, and Lokoja, as SO2 and CO were found to be decreasing, indicating an improved efficient use of fuel and emission control. A positive correlation (r = 0.62) between precipitation and ozone was found, showing there is more convective transport and photochemical production during the rainy season. The effects of plants on the absorption of air pollution were shown through the negative correlations between NDVI, CO, and AI. Methane, on the other hand, moved from north to south in space, which was the same direction as changes in the intensity of farming. The findings show how unified policies, such as proper city planning, vegetation protection, and emission reduction, are important in sprawling urban areas for air pollution reduction
Larvicidal Efficacy of Citrus sinensis Peel Extract against Culex quinquefasciatus: Implications for Sustainable Mosquito Control
Get PDFCulex quinquefasciatus, a vector of lymphatic filariasis and many other arboviral infections, remains a major public health concern, especially in regions lacking access to modern vector control tools. Growing resistance to synthetic insecticides has driven interest in eco-friendly alternatives, including plant-based larvicides such as Citrus sinensis (orange) peels. This study evaluated the larvicidal activity of ethanolic C. sinensis peel extract against Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae under laboratory conditions. Air-dried orange peels were pulverized and subjected to cold maceration in ethanol. Extracts were tested at concentration of 100–8,333 ppm on third to early fourth instar larvae, with four replicates per concentration. Mortality was recorded at 24 and 48 hours. LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ values were determined using linear interpolation. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test at a 5% significance level. High concentrations (1,667–8,333 ppm) caused complete mortality (25.00 ± 0.00) within five minutes, with no significant difference among treatments (p > 0.05). At moderate concentrations, mortality followed a dose-response trend: 400 ppm resulted in 54% and 57% mortality at 24 and 48 hours, while 800 and 1000 ppm achieved 100% mortality at both time points. Estimated LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ values were 385.2 and 713.0 ppm. No control group mortality was recorded throughout the study. C. sinensis peel extract exhibits potent larvicidal activity against Cx. Quinquefasciatus, particularly at concentrations above 400 ppm. Its efficacy low cost and availability suggest potential as a natural component in integrated mosquito control strategies, particularly in resource-limited settings
Evaluating the Geochemical Properties of Awhum Coal and its Potential for Sustainable Energy Generation and Optimization in Nigeria
Get PDFNigeria is today faced with numerous challenges in its attempt to fulfil its increasing energy demands. This paper seeks to examine the opportunities that coal as an energy resource presents, particularly for a developing country like Nigeria. The purpose of this study is to carry out an exhaustive geochemical analysis of selected Awhum coals from the African Pit and Quarry site with particular emphasis on their suitability for energy production and their attendant economic and social impact on the environment. To accomplish this, both ultimate and proximate analyses were conducted on the coal sample which were sourced from Awhum site. The accumulation of coal with a high level of carbon and hydrogen was estimated; nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen were estimated to be low. In particular, nitrogen and sulfur amount were defined as 1.07%wt and 0.39%wt respectively. The proximate analysis results gave moisture content of 4.40wt.%, volatile matter of 51.16wt.%, fixed carbon of 40.63wt.% while the ash content was 3.81wt.% which all reflect the potential of the produced energy. APQ coal has an HHV of 23.74 MJ/kg, this is due to the low carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and high oxygen (O) content in APQ. Based on the ASTM D388 standard, the coals were classified as Sub-bituminous (Black) low-rank coals (LRCs) with an impressive potential for energy recovery. The properties of this coal make it suitable for industrial and domestic heating, and electric power generation, coke blending or co-firing with biomass for energy recovery through pyrolysis, gasification or combustion
Air Quality Index prediction using Deep learning for Lagos State in Nigeria
Get PDFThe index for expressing air quality is known as the air quality index (AQI). It could be used to evaluate the effect of air pollution on a one’s health over a epoch of time which provides a guide to the community on the adverse health effects of air pollution around them. This paper focused on developing a model for AQI prediction using Deep learning for Lagos state in Nigeria. The study acquired dataset from the OpenWeatherMap API which includes historical air quality and meteorological for Lagos State in Nigeria. Data was preprocessed by handling missing values, converting data types into numerical format using one-hot encoding. The study applied SMOTE technique to ensure balanced dataset. Four distinct Models such as LSTM, CNN, Prophet and SVR were utilized to determine the AQI of Lagos State. The results of balanced datasets used revealed LSTM provides the lowest MSE, RMSE and MAE values of 0.062, 0.249 and 0.149 respectively and higher R2 value of 0.968 compared with the other model CNN, Prophet and SVR. The paper concluded that in the prediction of the AQI for Lagos State, LSTM outperformed other models such as CNN, Prophet Model and SVR on the validating metrics known as MSE, RMSE, MAE and R2. The model obtained could be subjected to further research in other geographic regions, such as Delta State or other state by state level analysis which could be expanded to forecast other pollution indices at different levels
Comparative Analysis of Candida albicans Prevalence Among Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women Across Age Groups Attending the Gynaecology Clinic in Lafia.
Get PDFBackground: Candida albicans is a common fungal pathogen that affects women during pregnancy due to hormonal and immunological changes. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Candida spp. among pregnant and non-pregnant women attending the gynaecology clinic at Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) Lafia. Methods: A total of 100 women (50 pregnant and 50 non-pregnant) were examined for Candida albicans colonization. Samples of high vaginal swabs (HVS) were collected from both pregnant and non-pregnant women. The samples were cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) and ChromaAgar, the isolates were examined microscopically after Gram staining, and presumptively identified by germ tube testing and confirmed by sugar fermentation test and incubation at 45°C after subculturing. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test to determine statistical significance. Results: The overall prevalence of Candida albicans was 64%. Pregnant women had a higher prevalence (72.0%) compared to non-pregnant women (56.0%) (χ² = 4.32, df = 1, p = 0.038). Age-related analysis showed that the highest prevalence was among pregnant women aged 26–35 years (80.0%), while younger women (18–25 years) had comparable prevalence rates regardless of pregnancy status. The chi-square test for age-related prevalence indicated a significant association (χ² = 17.23; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Pregnancy increases the risk of Candida albicans colonization among women aged 26–35 years. Routine screening and preventive measures should be emphasized, especially in high-risk groups