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A solid-liquid two-phase precipitation method for the growth of fullerene (C-60) nanowires
No full textA novel solid–liquid two-phase precipitation (SLTPP) method, utilising a solidified (via liquid N2) m-xylene solution of C60 with liquid isopropanol (IPA) as a counter-solvent, is proposed for the synthesis of fullerene (C60) nanowires. The resulting C60 nanowires were observed to possess high crystallinity and a length-to-diameter ratio of up to several thousands with a diameter as small as ∼85 nm. We further systematically investigated the effects of the C60 concentration (1–5.2 mg ml−1) and solvent–counter-solvent ratio (1 : 6–2 : 1) to optimise the growth conditions for high-quality, size-controlled C60 nanowires. A comparative study on the widely-used liquid–liquid interfacial precipitation (LLIP) method showed that the proposed SLTPP method led to a much narrower diameter distribution (414.20 ± 92.10 nm vs. 3237.20 ± 1790.30 nm for LLIP) across the studied range of the C60 concentrations and solvent–counter-solvent ratios, and is therefore considered to be a more stable and reliable synthesis route. We propose that the gradual melting of the m-xylene C60 solid-phase leads to slower diffusion of the solvent–counter-solvent medium, providing a much more stable interface for high-quality crystal growth
Control Methodology of Distributed Generation in Interconnected Grids
No full textElectricity demand has been rapidly increasing globally. More power plants and transmission lines are built to satisfy the customer demand. However, as distributed generation (DG) costs are less than the combined cost of power plant and expansion of the distribution and transmission systems. DG technologies are becoming potential contributors of electricity supplied by electric utilities. To meet additional load growth and guarantee quality and reliability of supply, mini-grids should be interconnected. This paper presents a control strategy of DG in interconnected grids. The proposed strategy results in modular, flexible and scalable interconnected grid which leads to expand the rule of mini-grids with renewable energy sources (RESs) and improve their performance
Online mental health communities supporting mental health
No full textObjectives/Purpose. The online platform can be a beneficial resource for those experiencing mental health issues, having numerous provisions to support mental health with one such resource available being online mental health communities (OMHCs).Design/Background. This research in progress consists of three studies exploring the online provision of OMHCs, of both user and moderator experiences from one US administrated (but globally utilised) OMHC. The three studies aim to explore user experience, the moderator role and the transition from online to offline support, so that recommendations may be given to the online and offline platform alike. Methods Study 1 was an online questionnaire completed by 128 users of the OMHC. The questionnaire consisted of exploratory questions regarding user experience. Study 2 explores the role of the moderator and the research involves email interviews with 7 OMHC moderators to investigate the positive and negative aspects of the role and the reason behind volunteering. Study 3 explores via online interview how users utilise OMHCs to transition to offline support if they need more support than the online platform can provide.Results. Study 1 results showed that users gain emotional and informational support from OMHCs and showed interesting insights into the transition from online to offline support as well as the role of the moderator on OMHCs. These insights led to the following 2 studies currently in the data collection phase. Conclusions This research hopes to provide insight into the role online mental health communities can have to support mental health, increasing the potential of online support for mental health
An investigation into the impact of financial institutions on economic growth in Nigeria
No full textFinancial institutions’ benefit to an economy comes in diverse ways. In addition to the generic role of mediating between the ultimate providers and users of funds, financial institutions promote economic growth by encouraging the accumulation of capital, providing funds for investment opportunities, mobilizing domestic savings into productive investments, mobilization of savings, risk transfer and indemnification while influencing savings and investment decisions. However, the level of financial institutions’ activities relative to Nigeria’s huge potentials have not been actualized. Also, the previous studies in Nigerian context (Asongu and Odhiambo, 2019) failed to investigate the aggregation effect of financial institutions on economic growth and the evidence that supply leading hypothesis holds in Nigeria is inconclusive. It is against this background that this study investigates the impact of financial institutions on economic growth in Nigeria. The study adopted a diagnostic and ex-Post Facto research design and annualized time series data for a 30-year period (1987-2017) and the research used the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model with data sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin to analyze the shortrun and longrun impact of financial institutions on economic growth in Nigeria. The results emanating from this study revealed that commercial bank loans had insignificant impact on the Nigerian economy in the short-run as well as the long-run. Microfinance bank loans have a significant impact both in the short-run and the long-run.However, the results further revealed that the expenditures of insurance companies have a significant positive impact both in the short-run and long-run. Interestingly, the aggregated impact of the three selected financial institutions has a significant positive impact on economic growth in Nigeria in the long-run and the short-run. Lastly, the Grouger Casuality Test shows that the demand following hypothesis explained the finance-growth nexus for Nigeria rather than the supply-leading hypothesis and this study is the first to investigate the aggregated dynamic impact of the aforementioned financial institutions on economic growth in Nigeria. The sensitivity analysis conforms to all the results obtained. However, the sensitivity analysis revealed a slight deviation from the initial results obtained about the impact of commercial bank loans on economic growth in Nigeria in the short run. That is, commercial bank loans have a significant (negative) impact on economic growth in Nigeria in the short run when inflation is not included in the control variables. The study therefore recommends among others, that the Nigerian Government should offer strategic policy direction that will strengthen the various financial institutions while creating enabling environment for businesses to thrive in order to drive economic growth which in turn will lead to more demand for financial services
Happiness in a northern town
No full textWe all aspire to happiness, but happiness in Bolton? In the 1930s, the Mass Observation Happiness Project researched Bolton (anonymised as Worktown). The extensive papers from this exercise provide a vivid insight into the joys and disappointments of ordinary people in pre-War Bolton. This book looks at how have the dramatic changes since then have affected the aspirations of Boltonians and their perception of the good life. The Editors (themselves Boltonians) have assembled 15 chapters from 19 authors all active in the Bolton of today. These authors offer a diversity of insights into happiness. They look at the importance of exercise and fitness, the role of leisure and the part music plays in happiness. Art can enable happiness through expression of creativity. Religion can be a pathway to happiness, and forgiveness can aid recovery from despair. Addiction – often a barrier to happiness – can be conquered. Happiness matters at all stages in life. Two chapters outline programmes for schools. Social factors are shown to be important for adults in community groups. The northern theme is reinforced with details of the character and culture of ‘Northerners’. Results from a recent research study on the differences between the North and South are revealed. A repetition of the 1930s Mass Observation study highlights changes in aspirations since then. Suggestions on the way forward for the experience of happiness round off the book. Happiness in a Northern Town is a collection of different perspectives into happiness and wellbeing. It offers hope in overcoming barriers to happiness not only in Bolton but beyond
Nietzsche, Nihilism, and the “new materialist” thought
No full textThis paper draws connections between Nietzsche’s diagnosis of nihilism, his philosophy of the “nearest things” and issues of orientation in contemporary thought. The trajectory which Nietzsche traces from “the devaluation of the highest values” to the task of transvaluation, supplies an overarching context for addressing nihilism as a crisis of orientation. It is argued that Nietzsche’s turn towards the “closest” things as a new direction for thought shares priorities named as the “keywords” of our time: “embodiment, affect, the quotidian, singularity, contingency, intimacy, precarity” (Laura Marcus, 2016). In order to pursue the deeper implications of this affinity, some recent engagement with Nietzsche in new materialist writings are considered. It is claimed that Nietzsche’s ideas about the nearest things provide these theories with resources to contest nihilism at the level of value, without reinstating an uncritical appeal to the authority of “lived experience.
Exploring the role of religion in consumer decision-making processes: perspectives on developing nations
No full textThe literature is replete with postulations around consumer decision making process. Essentially, the core argument in this issue is that Irrespective of the market offering involved, the consumer pass through a number of stages which begins with need recognition. Conventionally, this is followed by search for information, evaluation of alternatives, decision, and post-purchase evaluation. A number of scholarship efforts have provided variants of this vis-à-vis various decision models that do not necessarily conform to the rational model depicted in the highlighted process. This chapter presents a critical overview of this discourse. Moreover, in view of its all-encompassing form, the chapter offers an eclectic submission on each of the stages in this conventional process in relation to how religion reflect in them to influence consumption in developing nations. A good number of cases and illustrations are presented to accentuate this as relevant to developing nations as the contextual platform for the chapter
Corporate manslaughter and its relationship with corporate social responsibility in Nigeria
No full textThis thesis examines the relationship between corporate manslaughter and corporate social responsibility in Nigeria through the lens of legal enforceability.The law all over the world has been unclear as regards what corporate social responsibility means1 and the level of obligation that a company owes its employees and other stakeholders.The issue of legal enforceability has been staggered in/ with different jurisdictions. While in some countries the liability for death at the workplace is individual but some countries have moved to organizational liability.This thesis, therefore, asks whether the absence of a coherent legal framework to legally enforce all aspects of corporate social responsibility affects the legal enforceability of incidences that leads to corporate manslaughter offenses. Whether there is a link between corporate manslaughter and corporate social responsibility through the lens of legal enforcement? What is the attitude of the courts on legal enforceability? Nigeria is one of the countries in the world that is experiencing problems in prosecuting multinational oil companies because the laws in existence are weak.With regards to enforceability, one consequence of the artificial nature of a company as a legal person (corporate personality) is that inevitably decisions for, and actions by, it must be taken by natural persons. Decisions on its behalf may be taken by shareholders of the company. These shareholders in the event of corporate manslaughter may refuse to ratify the decisions of their senior managers as the acts of the company itself. Secondly, a country with weak laws and a system for the enforcement of the law will have problems prosecuting companies in the event of corporate manslaughter.In such circumstances, this thesis will look at the culture behind legal enforcement, the attitude of the government and its institutions, the companies, and the people towards the enforcement of corporate manslaughter laws.This researcher will use a questionnaire and organized interview to measure whether the absence of a coherent legal framework to legally enforce all aspects of corporate social responsibility affects the legal enforceability of incidences that leads to corporate manslaughter offenses.This researcher intends to use a case study. Using a case study, the researcher will be able to discover that with regards to enforcement have read the duty of care provision in Nigerian law in pari passu with the provision of the law in the United Kingdom, the law in Nigeria is weak and porous.The significance of the findings in this research is to explain that in Nigeria, the system of enforcement of the law against companies is almost non-existent. This means that for corporate manslaughter cases in Nigeria, there must be a certain system of enforcement involving the government and its institution to legally enforce the law. This is to ensure obedience to the law by the companies and the citizens
Engineering Social Responsibility: Rising to the Challenge of Sustainable Development
No full textTo successfully rise to the challenges of contemporary physical and social contexts, and thus secure a more sustainable world, (process) engineering (under)graduates must learn to engage effectively with other professionals. This demands that we structure learning opportunities that make explicit with whom engineers need to engage and promote softer skills that form an essential foundation of effective professional engineering practice. As a step towards this, we present a workspace that provides a holistic perspective on the intersections of the various value chains that obtain in manufacturing and process industries; this framework helps to identify key partners from professions and stakeholder groups. We also show how this framework informs the discussion around employability and professional competence
Examining the internationalisation strategies of United Kingdom Higher Education Institutions: an investigation of market entry mode choices in Nigeria
No full textWhile international expansion due to increased globalisation has become a strategic imperative for many HEIs especially in the West, few research works have been dedicated to explaining how UK HEIs internationalise and make entry decisions. The importance of choosing the appropriate mode of entry in a market is increasingly significant today in light of decreasing funding and intense competition.While many developing country markets like Nigeria, with peculiarities such as limited capacity, poor quality education and students’ preference for western education, present significant opportunities for these institutions, they often come with insurmountable challenges forcing HEIs to adapt their strategies in each market. This research as a result seeks to investigate the internationalisation strategy and entry mode choices of UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Nigeria.This is part of an initiative to address the deficit of research on higher education internationalisation strategies especially within the Sub-Saharan African region. The literature review chapter provided an overview of the conception of internationalisation and the analysis of some of the key internationalisation theories to understand the strategy behind market entry mode decisions. An interpretivist philosophy is adopted for the study and qualitative data is collected from international development heads and regional advisers at 10 North West of England Universities; heads of agencies and senior advisers within organisations involved in HEI internationalisation. These participants were selected due to their direct involvement with the research focus. The data was collected using semi-structured interview method and the analysis was done using thematic analysis.Some of the significant findings from the study showed that firstly, HEI internationalisation is conceived of and practiced from two broad perspectives – ‘unified’ and ‘un-unified’ perspectives, or how integrated or unintegrated their international operations are formulated and managed. These perspectives align with particular combinations of economic, pedagogic, and prestige-oriented motivations for internationalisation and help to determine strategic choices. While the HEIs that take an integrated approach to internationalisation tend to be motivated more by prestige-oriented and pedagogic rationales, the motivations of those with an unintegrated approach tend to align more with the economic considerations. Secondly, the result also showed that overall, there are five distinct entry mode options used by UK HEIs in international markets including – export, distance learning, articulation, franchise, dual degree, and joint venture/offshore campus. Despite the preference and commitment to a particular combinations of entry modes in the many international contexts these HEIs operate in, both groups however seem to limit their entry options in the Nigerian market, choosing to focus primarily on the export mode option. This suggests a preference for low risk and low commitment strategy which seems at odds with the significant customer demand for UK branded higher education provision in this context. Thirdly, the study analysing the entry mode decision of UK HEIs in Nigeria through the lens of the institutional theory, the resource-based theory, and the transaction cost theory a proxy for the OLI framework, found that some institution specific characteristics/factors, location-specific characteristics/factors and transaction characteristics/factors affected the entry mode choice of the HEIs the market. These specific influences in fine grained manner determined the degree of risk, resource commitment and control and in doing so help to narrow the choice of feasible entry strategies available to the institutions.The findings hold an important implication for HEI managers and other practitioners as it offers valuable help in the understanding of internationalisation and entry mode decisions. It is important that HEIs decision-makers understand the importance of various rationales for internationalisation and how these various ways of thinking about internationalisation inform various aspect of their activities. It is expected also that in expanding into international markets especially those in developing markets, the HEIs must consider the resources availability, their strategic focus, and the overall cost of operating in the international market. From the findings of this study, the host operating cost is an important consideration in choosing the appropriate mode choice for a market