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Forecast of the trend in sales data of a confectionery baking industry using exponential smoothing and moving average models
No full textStarch-containing foods such as bread, pastries, and cakes are usually baked at a moderately high temperature in an oven. When these products are later exposed to room temperature, the associated gelatinized starch begins to harden which causes retrogradation and molecular realignment. Due to this circumstance, manufacturers need to have a fairly accurate estimate of products demand in order to determine the precise amount of baking powder and additives for use in their production so as not to incur losses in their business arising from the stale and consequentially unsalable products. This research was therefore focused on selecting the best forecasting model using a prominent confectionery firm in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria as a case study. The study was based on 24-week operational period sales data collected from the company. The moving average model and the exponential smoothing model were the two forecasting models considered in this research. The data obtained was thoroughly reviewed and the results of the forecasting models were compared. The most effective model was the exponential smoothing model as it produced the lowest mean absolute percentage error on the average of 3.7347 for the cumulative days of sales under review as against the 15.1713 for the moving average model. However, the exponential smoothing model was considered the best forecasting model for minimizing forecasting error in this study
Strength and Abrasion Properties of Mortar Incorporating Groundnut Husk Ash as Partial Cement Replacement.
No full textThis study investigated the strength and abrasion properties of groundnut husk ash (GHA) as partial cement replacement in mortar production. Groundnut husk was burnt to ashes at a temperature of 600°C to obtain Groundnut Husk Ash (GHA) and its chemical composition determined using X-ray florescence analyzer. Preparation of various mixtures of mortar were done by adopting binder/sand ratio of 1:3 and water/cement ratio of 0.5. The percentages of GHA used as replacement for cement varied from 0 - 20% at 5% increment respectively. Fresh pastes were subjected to consistency and setting time tests. Concrete cube, and prism samples were cast and cured for 7, 14, 28, 56 and 90 days and used to evaluate the compressive strength, flexural strength and abrasion resistance of mortar mixtures. The result of chemical analysis of GHA shows that the sum of percentages of SiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3 which forms the major oxides for a pozzolanic material was 26.98% and did not satisfied the specification for pozzolans. The GHA pastes had higher consistency and longer setting times than cement. Mortars modified with 5 and 10% GHA had higher compressive strength than the control, especially at later ages. The flexural strength and abrasion loss of mortars reduced with increase in GHA contents with 5 and 10% GHA mortars having comparable results with the control. It is concluded that GHA up to 10% is a good partial replacement of cement in mortar production
Influence of discriminating factors of mental illness on the social wellbeing of patients in contemporary Nigerian society
No full textDiscrimination against individuals with mental illnesses is widespread and can have severe consequences for their recovery and well-being. In order to effectively address this issue, it is important to recognize, anticipate, and safeguard the rights of patients. A study was conducted in Ibadan to examine the social well-being of relatives of mentally ill patients and identify the distinguishing characteristics of mental illness. The research employed a descriptive methodology and utilized a simple random sampling technique, selecting 156 participants who completed a self-developed questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using the Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficient. The findings revealed several significant relationships: knowledge was positively correlated with the social well-being of relatives (r = .182, n = 146, p .05); and behaviour showed a significant correlation as well. Based on these findings, it is recommended to enhance mental health literacy, as it can greatly benefit individuals and the overall population. Social workers should organize public awareness campaigns to educate the general public about the stigma associated with mental illness. Additionally, the government should prioritize mental health in budget allocations and allocate sufficient funding to support this are
An overview of the impact of arab civilizaton on yoruba culture in Nigeria
No full textNigeria was a land where idol worship marked the religious life of the inhabitants. With the advent of Islam which came with its civilization, Nigerians’ faith, rituals, rites, practices and customs changed and impacted the Nigerian culture. Invariably, the contact of the Arabs with the people of Yorubaland in Nigeria brought about a new era in their beliefs. The Arabs who were mainly Muslims and with the focus to spread Islam preached assiduously against the syncretic religious practices of the Yoruba in the Southwestern region of Nigeria. There is no gainsaying the fact that every religion has its own unique identity characterized by traditions, values and norms that make it stand out. Over the centuries, we have observed that the southwestern Nigeria culture is gradually fading away as we adopt Arab civilization and this persists as days go by. The Arab civilization has influenced the Yoruba culture in different domains. Some of the impacts are noticeable in our education, language, borrowing, social activities, entertainment, traditional settings, marriage, naming, burial and funeral rites and widowhood. This paper employs historical method which attempts to examine how Arab civilization influenced Yoruba culture in the aforementioned domains including religion and devotional rites. It is our hope that some aspects of Yoruba Culture that are not inimical to Islamic teachings would be preserved to avoid becoming moribund
Good offices: a veritable alternative dispute resolution tool for peace and nation building
No full textDisputes are a part of life for living creatures, from insects to human beings. While insects or animals mayfightfor space, territory and dominance, human beings and countries fight each other for territory and may engage in war. Throughout history, differences resulting in conflict were resolved, are still being resolved and will continue to be resolved. The traditional societies settled and still settle family disputes without interference from and invitation to the third parties who are not members of that family. The dominance of the British through colonization introduced cultures hitherto unknown into many societies. This also included a justice system foreign to the people. Litigation was one of such. The taking of a dispute out of the family or community jurisdiction, to a court that is set up by the state was introduced and adopted. Litigation was adopted as a process with its advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages and the problems in litigation brought about a search for an alternative. These alternatives are not totally free of problems but are more acceptable in respect to certain types of cases, than litigation. It is therefore an alternative to litigation. People who have a common identity tend to stay together to build unified societies and nations. However, there are situations that may make it difficult or impossible for people to stay together. In such situations, if actions are not promptly taken to resolve the issues, there may be conflict. This paper looks at the concepts of conflict and conflict resolution, peace in the midst of conflict and the efforts that are made at nation building. The paper, through the use of case studies to support a preposition, suggests that the use of alternatives dispute resolution (ADR) methods in some cases, through the establishment of a grounded ADR structure in place, to resolve conflict rather than the use of litigation may be a solution to nation building
Ergonomic risk assessment of Nigerian teaching personnel: cases of a secondary school and a tertiary Institution in Ibadan, Nigeria
Full text linkEducators often spend a lot of time carrying out repetitive motions of the upper limbs and prolonged standing on a daily basis, exposing them to hours of ergonomic risks. This is due to awkward postures, caused by significant deviation of some major body members from the normal neutral positions. Poor ergonomics can lead to various Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs), which are of serious concern for workplace safety, especially in jobs that require repetitive motions. It thus became necessary to assess the stress level associated with teaching postures and the prevalent musculoskeletal discomfort in different parts of the body. In this study, ergonomic assessment of teaching personnel at an International Secondary School and University of Ibadan, Nigeria was conducted to determine the prevalent musculoskeletal discomfort in different parts of the body. The study utilised two ergonomic assessment tools- Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) to gather qualitative and quantitative data about posture and motions during teaching activities. It was discovered that both university lecturers and secondary school teachers in Nigeria face significant ergonomic risks, primarily in the neck, shoulders, and lower back. Further comparison revealed that educators in the secondary school experienced higher severity of musculoskeletal discomfort and exposure to MSD risks, compared to those in the tertiary institution. The educators of the International School had an average REBA score of 4.57, while those at the University of Ibadan had a score of 3.73. These scores indicated amedium level of MSD risk for both groups, but the educators of the International School were at a higher risk. On comparing the CMDQ outcome, it was discovered that there were major differences in the regions where discomforts were reported. While secondary school revealed higher average scores in the neck, right shoulder, and left shoulder regions, and with the neck region having a mean score of 7.003; right shoulder having a mean score of 4.550; and left shoulder having a mean score of 1.600; outcome from University of Ibadan revealed higher mean scores in the lower back and left wrist regions, with the lower back region having a mean score of 7.450 and left wrist region having a mean score of 1.030. These scores indicated a mild to moderate level of discomfort for both groups, with each facing major discomfort in unique body regions. This research highlights the significance of ergonomic evaluation and the combination of quantitative and qualitative data to identify potential interventions
Characterization, antimicrobial and catalytic activities of silver nanoparticles biosynthesized using aqueous extract of Euphorbia graminea
Full text linkPhytosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is not only affordable and ecofriendly but provides a means of synthesizing phytochemical capped AgNPs with predefined characteristics. The objective of this study was the green synthesis of AgNPs that possess antimicrobial and catalytic activities using aqueous extract of Euphorbia graminea. Reactions parameters critical to the yield, size and morphology of the biosynthesized AgNPs were optimized using UV spectroscopy. The UV-visible spectra analysis of the biosynthesized AgNPs showed surface plasmon resonance occurred at 462 nm. Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy dispersive X-ray analysis revealed the characteristic absorption band of AgNPs at 3 KeV and confirmed 73.66% composition of particles as metallic silver. The AgNPs appeared as well-separated, quasi-spherical particles with narrow size distribution of 6.77±0.89 nm when examined with Transmission electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction confirmed the crystallinity of the AgNPs with mean crystallite size of 7.65 nm. The biosynthesized AgNPs showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi. The rate constant of the degradation of methylene blue in the presence of as-synthesized AgNPs was increased several folds to sec-1 from sec-1 in its absence. The prepared AgNPs could find applications as therapeutic coats in medical devices and in effluent treatment of chemical industries
SMS spam detection and classification to combat abuse in telephone networks using natural language processing
Full text linkIn the modern era, mobile phones have become ubiquitous, and Short Message Service (SMS) has grown to become a multi-million-dollar service due to the widespread adoption of mobile devices and the millions of people who use SMS daily. However, SMS spam has also become a pervasive problem that endangers users' privacy and security through phishing and fraud. Despite numerous spam filtering techniques, there is still a need for a more effective solution to address this problem [1]. This research addresses the pervasive issue of SMS spam, which poses threats to users' privacy and security. Despite existing spam filtering techniques, the high false-positive rate persists as a challenge. The study introduces a novel approach utilizing Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning models, particularly BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers), for SMS spam detection and classification. Data preprocessing techniques, such as stop word removal and tokenization, are applied, along with feature extraction using BERT. Machine learning models, including SVM, Logistic Regression, Naive Bayes, Gradient Boosting, and Random Forest, are integrated with BERT for differentiating spam from ham messages. Evaluation results revealed that the Naïve Bayes classifier + BERT model achieves the highest accuracy at 97.31% with the fastest execution time of 0.3 seconds on the test dataset. This approach demonstrates a notable enhancement in spam detection efficiency and a low false-positive rate. The developed model presents a valuable solution to combat SMS spam, ensuring faster and more accurate detection. This model not only safeguards users' privacy but also assists network providers in effectively identifying and blocking SMS spam messages
Situated harmful traditional practices in South-western Nigeria: recent Progress, challenges and lessons for policy engagements
Full text linkHarmful traditional practices (HTPs) are discretionary social challenges facing mostly girls and women of all ages and sizes. Wherever it occurs, HTPS rob girls and women of their childhood, deny them the chance to determine their own future as well as threaten the well-being of individuals, families and societies. Previous study have worked on various interventions such interagency statement on eliminating female genital mutilation, global strategy efforts and lots more. None of these studies have been able to analyse harmful traditional practices in south Nigeria vis-a-vis recent progress in its reduction, pending challenges and lessons for policy engagements, hence this study did a re-assessment of the state of things in terms of its reduction efforts, pending challenges, lessons, effects and plausible solutions to htps for policy engagements. The study adopted a mixed methods research design of the explanatory type (qua! + QUAN). The study deployed a two-prong approach in which focus group discussion sessions were conducted and thematically analysed to design the quantitative instrument. The population of the study comprised all elders who are 50 years and above. The multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted. The first stage was the total enumeration of states in southwest Nigeria. The random sampling technique was used to select 18 Local government areas (One per Senatorial District) in SW, Nigeria. From each of the LGAs, 35 participants who are 50 years and above were purposively selected. A self-designed instrument titled Questionnaire on Harmful Traditional Practices (QHTPs, r=0.82) with sub-scales was used. It was also translated in local dialect for easy understanding and responses. The study which began in 2019 and due to covid_ 19 pandemic lasted two and half years. Recent progress have been made, some challenges have been discovered which are epistemic understanding; lack of focus on prevention and imperatives for ministers to pursue short-term solutions; lack of continuity of programmes meant to dismantle htps. and few lessons have been learnt It is recommended that through education, collaborative engagements and seminars, the reduction efforts of harmful traditional practices in southwestern Nigeria can be achieved holistically
Of societal depravity: existentialism, realism and contrapuntal criticism in Nigerian arabic poetry: Ibn Yusuf’s anthology as a paradigm
Full text linkThe intrinsic nexus between man and society is apparently oblivious and impervious to many people despite the huge quantum that circumvented its basic responsibilities and immense rotes in society. The paradoxical attitudes of man in engaging in social vices and illicit characters have given birth to decay in society. However, social change or sociocultural evolutions might be necessary to restore normalcy and social Order. Nigerian Arabic poets since the 19th Century have engaged in utilizing their poems for social change through socio-cultural, religious-economic, scientific or technological forces. The theoretical framework in this paper will be examined through the Heraclitan model, which is parallel to that of a living organism. That is, in Order to remain alive, there must be constant changes. A Contemporary application of this approach is shown in the social- change theory called seed-scale, which builds up the complexity theory as a subfield of emergence. Therefore, the thrust of this paper is to examine the societal depravity as elucidated in Ibn Yusufs anthology and proffers a contrapuntal criticism of it. Before delving into the main discussion, the paper examines the concepts of existentialism and realism as a philosophical interface. Likewise, the issues of man and social change and an Overview of Nigerian Arabic poetry are discussed. Ibn Yusufs biography, scholarship and the review of his anthology are also studied. The paper concludes by critically examining contrapuntal criticism of societal depravity through Ibn Yusufs anthology