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EVALUATION OF THE ADOPTION OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN STRATEGIES IN LARGE-SIZED HOTELS IN LAGOS, NIGERIA
Get PDFHotels as part of the physical components of the built environment are increasingly
embracing practices that promote environmental sustainability in design and operations.
In Lagos, Nigeria, hotels are growing in large numbers in response to economic indices. It
has been observed that the hospitality industry is energy-intensive, consumes large
volumes of water, and generates huge amounts of waste with attendant effects on the
ecological environment. A potent way of promoting sustainability in the hotel industry
and reducing the adverse environmental impact of hotel buildings is the adoption of
Sustainable Design Strategies (SDS). This study evaluated the adoption of SDS in largesized
hotels in Lagos, Nigeria, to identify the factors that influenced this. A mixedmethod
research design was employed for the study. A comprehensive literature review
was done to ascertain the predominant SDS adopted in hotels. This formed the basis for
the design of the questionnaire administered to 140 Hotel Managers drawn from 20 largesized
hotels and 60 Architects from 16 registered architectural firms involved in the
design of the hotels. These were complemented with data sourced from oral interviews,
field observations, and photographic instrument of data collection. The quantitative data
were analysed using descriptive statistics and mean ranking using Statistical Package for
Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 20. while content analysis was used to analyse the
qualitative data. The study identified 37 SDS with the reuse programme being the most
commonly adopted strategy in the design of hotel buildings reviewed. In the study area, it
was observed that about 93 % of the design professionals who designed the hotels
investigated were very much aware of energy reduction strategies, 86 % were aware of
water conservation strategies, and 91% were aware of waste minimisation strategies. In
contrast, about 70% of the Hotel Managers sampled were aware of energy reduction
strategies, 45 % aware of water conservation strategies, and 67% were aware of waste
minimisation. Further, about 91% of the design professionals have adopted energy
reduction strategies, 73% have adopted water conservation strategies, and 46% have
adopted waste minimisation strategies. For the Hotel Managers, 65 % have adopted
energy reduction strategies, 40% have adopted water conservation strategies, and 61%
have adopted waste minimisation strategies. This study also revealed that both the design
professionals and Hotel Managers ranked energy-saving bulbs, low-flush toilets, and
placement of dustbins as the most adopted strategies for energy reduction strategies,
water conservation strategies, and waste minimisation strategies, respectively. Alternative
energy sources, watering green spaces at night, covering swimming pools, and reuse
programme/recycling ranked the least adopted strategies for energy reduction strategies,
water conservation strategies, and waste minimisation strategies for both design
professionals and Hotel Managers, respectively. Even though, the result on the level of
awareness corroborates that on the extent of adoption of SDS, the cost associated with
SDS and the availability of adequate and right information were identified as the most
significant factors that influenced the adoption of SDS in the survey. The lack of space
for solar panel installation, and difficulties in obtaining permits for retrofitting the
buildings played a crucial role in the extent of adoption of SDS in the existing hotels in
the study area. The study, therefore, concludes by suggesting strategies for improving the
level of the adoption of SDS, encouraging retrofitting, and raising awareness of SDS as a
framework for enhancing the sustainability of hotel buildings both in design and in
operation
Linkages Between Sociodemographic Factors, Knowledge About Entrepre-Neurship, and Labour Force Participation Among Youth in Nigeria
Get PDFYouth's cognition of entrepreneurship, especially at the practice stage, is essential to owning and
building a successful entrepreneurship. An individual's lived entrepreneurship experience can be discerned from
sociodemographic background factors like age, sex, region, residence, education, employment status, income
level, entrepreneurial ecosystem availability, and personal motivation. The paper assesses youth
sociodemographic factors and knowledge about entrepreneurship with a view to increasing labour force
participation. The study surveyed youth aged 15-35 across Nigeria using a quantitative research approach to obtain
data. A total of2,396 questionnaires were completed and analysed. The findings suggest that the odds of owning
a business venture are significantly higher for youth aged 24-26 (OR=1.46; CI=l.02, 2.10) and above. Owning a
business was significantly lower (OR=0.75; CI=0.58, 0.97)) for youth who knew of available resources in their
environment but higherfor youth who knew how to develop (OR=l.69; CI=l.19, 2.41) and organise (OR=1.46;
CI=1.00, 2.14) a business. Further, building a successful business venture was significantly higher for youth who
know how to develop and organise a business (OR=l.58; CI= l.09, 2.28) and (OR=l.87; CI= l.26, 2.78),
respectively. Youth who desired future startups knew about the resources in their environment (OR=l.53;
CI=l.22, 1.93). These youths were aged 27-35, earned income, and came from entrepreneurial family
backgrounds. This paper has extended the results of previous studies. Policymakers could integrate the evidence
provided about the relationship between sociodemographic factors and knowledge about entrepreneurship to
develop interventions to achieve better outcomes in labour force participation and demographic dividend
GENAPP: A WEB APPLICATION FOR PREDICTING PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM RESISTANCE TO SELECTED ANTIMALARIA DRUGS
Get PDFAntimalarial drug resistance poses a significant challenge to global malaria control efforts, particularly in regions burdened by Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite. The development and spread of resistance to widely used antimalarial drugs, such as chloroquine, Lumefantrine, Halofantrine, Quinine, Piperaquine and Dihydroartemisinin, have greatly impacted treatment efficacy and disease outcomes. This resistance is driven by various genetic mutations in P. falciparum, which confer the ability to survive drug exposure. This study explores the prediction of antimalarial drug resistance using machine learning algorithms Random Forest, Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Focusing on six key antimalarial drugs Chloroquine, Dihydroartemisinin, Lumefantrine, Quinine, Halofantrine, and Piperaquine the research aims to identify genetic markers that contribute to resistance and develop predictive models to enhance treatment strategies. To avoid model overfitting, 5-fold cross-validation was conducted on the training set to choose the optimal hyperparameter values. Regardless of the resistance mechanism, whether acquired resistance or point mutations in the chromosome, the accuracy (mean cross-validation score) of Random Forest had an average of 83% across all drugs. The model significantly classified the resistant isolates from the sensitive isolates of the parasite and could be used as potential tools in antimalarial resistance surveillance and clinical studies. A number of genes associated with antimalaria drug resistance were identified. Novel genes and loci were also discovered, of interest are genes on chromosomes 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17 and 19
Africa's natural fibres used in polymer composites: A systematic review
Get PDFEnvironmental concerns and the depletion of petroleum resources have spurred
research into natural fibres as sustainable alternatives to synthetic fibres as the
reinforcement phase in polymer composites. Given that the local availability of
materials is a crucial component in the sustainability framework, there is a need
to map out the fibres used to develop natural fibre composites across geographical
regions to optimize local resource utilization. Through a systematic review of publications
sourced from Scopus and Web of Science databases, this study examines
the contributions made by Africa to develop green polymer composites. The bibliometric
data from both databases were systematically merged, and bibliometric
analysis was carried out to identify trends and relevant relationships and provide
a more general insight into Africa's progress in the natural fibre polymer composite
field. A meta-analysis was then conducted to identify the natural fibres exclusively
sourced from Africa that have been used to develop polymer composites.
The study also discussed natural fibre classifications with respect to fibre type and
form. Sisal, palm varieties (particularly date palm), alfa, jute and members of the
Musaceae family (i.e., banana, plantain and enset) were found to be the most used
African-sourced fibres. This study is a step to creating a more extensive global natural
fibre database that seeks to provide more precise knowledge, enhance
research efficiency, and ensure the utilization of local materials in creating more
sustainable composites
Self-compacting concrete blended with fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag
Get PDFThis research study was performed on the self-compacting concrete (SCC) mixture blended with 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of fly ash (FA) and 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) individually and with a combination of FA and GGBFS, that is, 5% (2.5% FA and 2.5% GGBFS), 10% (5% FA and 5% GGBFS), 15% (7.5% FA and 7.5% GGBFS), and 20% (10% FA and 10% GGBFS) by the weight of Portland cement. The main theme of this research work is to determine the fresh properties in terms of filling ability (slump flow, V�Funnel and T50 flow), passing ability (J-Ring and L-box), and sieve segregation test of SCC mixture and hardened properties in terms of compressive, split tensile, and flexural strengths and permeability of SCC mixture. However, the concrete specimens were prepared at 0.40 water–
cement ratio, and these specimens were tested at 28 and 90 days. The results showed that the fresh properties of SCC mixture blended with FA and GGBFS provide better results with addition of a superplasticizer and hardened properties of SCC mixture are enhanced while utilizing 5% of GGBFS and 5% of FA by the weight of PC at 28 and 90 days, respectively
Demystifying learning culture and innovation performance of professional firms in Nigeria
Get PDFThe need for organisations to constantly create learning culture and adapt to change that will
enable the employees have the opportunities to develop new skills have become worrisome. This
has made firms, especially the professional firms to be faced with challenges of learning culture
complexities. Therefore, this study assessed the role of learning culture on innovation
performance of the selected professional firms in Nigeria. This study was descriptive in nature.
The study adopted a mixed method to get information from 328 employees among the
professional firms that were conveniently and purposively selected. The use of questionnaire was
adopted. The quantitative data were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) to
obtain result. The findings indicated that the selected professional firms applied new learning in
their jobs. Based on the above, the selected firms should have opportunities to apply new
learning in order to keep up with changes within the organisation
A BIO-INSPIRED APPROACH TO TASK SCHEDULING IN FEDERATED CLOUDS USING WALRUS OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHM
No full textCloud computing has witnessed an exponential rise in popularity, leading to a substantial increase
in cloud users. This surge in demand for cloud services has introduced significant challenges in
delivering high-quality services and optimizing resource allocation. As the demand for cloud
services expands, effective task scheduling becomes paramount for improving system
performance. Current task scheduling approaches are limited in that they cannot guarantee finding
the globally optimal solution for optimization problems; often, they settle for locally optimal or
suboptimal solutions, leading to underutilization of resources, increased expenditure, and customer
dissatisfaction. This research investigates the potential of the Walrus Optimization Algorithm
(WaOA) for task scheduling in federated clouds. The algorithm's performance was compared with
existing approaches using standard metrics such as makespan, execution time, and throughput
across various workload scenarios. The study utilizes Java and CloudSim for implementation and
evaluation. Results demonstrate WaOA's efficiency in enhancing task scheduling within federated
clouds, achieving the shortest makespan, highest throughput, and lowest execution time among the
algorithms tested. Its ability to adapt to dynamic environments and optimize resource utilization
consistently proved valuable across diverse scenarios. As the number of data centers increased,
WaOA consistently performed well, indicating its potential for handling larger workloads and
improving resource utilization efficiency. Overall, the study concludes that WaOA is a promising
solution for enhancing task scheduling efficiency in federated clouds, highlighting the significance
of algorithm selection and data center configuration in cloud computing environment
ASSOCIATION OF mtDNA COPY NUMBER, GLUCOCORTICOID RECEPTOR, AND INFLAMMATORY GENES POLYMORPHISMS WITH PROSTATE CANCER AMONG WEST AFRICAN MEN
Get PDFProstate cancer (PCa) is the second most common malignancy diagnosed in men and the fifth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. It is characterized by considerable geo-ethnic disparity, with men of African descent showing an approximately 2.7-fold higher mortality rate than the global average. Altered levels of mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN) have been associated with a higher risk of PCa and changes in prostate glandular architecture, suggesting it is a potential cancer marker. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and inflammatory genes have been shown to induce modifications in signaling pathways and immunomodulatory responses. These genetic alterations have been implicated in amplifying the aggressiveness of PCa. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the mtDNA-CN, GR polymorphisms, and inflammatory genes polymorphisms among PCa patients recruited from Nigeria, Niger, and Benin Republic. The case-control study consisted of 166 PCa patients and 200 paired healthy controls. Multiplex qPCR was used to measure mtDNA-CN levels and TaqMan genotyping assay was used to determine the genotypes of GR - Tth111I (rs10052957), ER22 (rs6189), 23 EK (rs6190), NR3C1-1 (rs10482605), BclI (rs41423237), and 9β (rs6198) and inflammatory genes-IL-8(rs4073), IL-6(rs1800795), IFN-L4(rs-368234815) polymorphisms. The study found that PCa patients exhibited significantly elevated (p= 1.867e-06) mtDNA-CN compared to healthy controls. Pairwise comparisons between the GR SNPs showed a high linkage disequilibrium (LD) for 9β and Tth111I (D’ = 1, r2 = 0.083), BCL1 and Tth111I (D’= 0.782, r2 = 0.42) in controls. High LD was also observed for BCL1 and Tth111I (D’= 0.773, r2 = 0.511) and Intermediate LD for 9β and Tth111I (D’ = 1, r2 = 0.04) in cases. In conclusion, this study offers suggestive evidence regarding the impact of mtDNA-CN levels and SNPs on the susceptibility to PCa among West African men
Whistleblowing and interpretation, addressing organizational challenges: a conceptual reflection from Nigeria
Get PDFPurpose – This study aims to explore the effect of whistleblowing and interpretation among practitioners
in the Nigerian economy. The research puts a premium on understanding the relevance and critical
issues in its practices and developing an improved model for the effective practice of whistleblowing and
interpretation in Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach – This study adopted a conceptual approach, relying on extant
literature to understand the management of whistleblowing incidents and identify the managers’ and
other stakeholders’ responsibility in the whistleblowing process. It applied systems dynamics conceptual
modelling and presented an improvement approach to addressing the complexities associated with
whistleblowing and interpretation among Nigerian organizations.
Findings – This study contributed to the extant literature by developing a model for proper management
of whistleblowing in the Nigerian context and enhancing the robust practice of whistleblowing and
interpretation in Nigeria. The findings highlighted critical factors such as managers’ skills development,
legal system support, institutional stakeholders’ function and ethical balance as key factors to effective
whistleblowing management and interpretation. This implies that the act of identifying and developing
responses to an emerging case of whistleblowing requires a process of developing underpinning
assumptions, engagement and consideration of stakeholders’ interests while driving the sustenance of
organizational focus.
Originality/value – This study emphasized the departure from absolute best practice to developing
idea approaches that reflect stakeholders’ interests and the context of whistleblowing and
interpretation. While the study acknowledges limitations in the sole focus on the Nigerian private
sector and the Nigerian economic background, it recommends further exploration of whistleblowing
and its interpretation on a comparative approach, to improving the current understanding of the
topic
Statistical evaluation of effect of anthropometric measurements on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
Get PDFScoliosis is a deformity in which there is sideways curvature to the spine. Curves are often S
shaped or C shaped. Most common type is the idiopathic type which occurs in 10-12 years of age and early
teens, females are more affected than males while the body is growing fast and the curve is commonly to
the right side of the body. It however affect all ages of about 3% of general population. This study was set
out to evaluate statistically, the effect of age, gender and anthropometric measurements (such as height,
weight and body mass index) to the curve formed using 51 patients from Lagos State University Teaching
Hospital, Ikeja. It was discovered from the analysis that the ailment is common among females than males.
The result also shows that the curve is most common to right hand side. The test of hypothesis conducted
reveals that the anthropometric measurements of height, weight and body mass index though positively
correlated with but do not have significant effect on the Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis curve