161,952 research outputs found
Yoruba Culture and Its Influence on The Development of Modern Popular Music in Nigeria
No full textThis thesis focuses on the contributions of the Yorùbá culture to the development of modern Nigerian popular music. It traces the origin, conception and growth of popular music styles in Nigeria and highlights the underlying Yorùbá cultural cum linguistic influence that nurtured their growth within the urban space of Lagos city. It examines how contemporary Nigerian popular music practitioners appropriate the Yorùbá culture in negotiating their musical and national identities and counteract popular music homogenization through the creation of hybrid musical styles and cultures. The work adopts a multi-dimensional research approach that involves cultural, musicological, historical, anthropological and socio-linguistical tools. Adopting the participant-observer method with Lagos as the primary fieldwork site, additional data were sourced along with interviews of key informants through bibliographic and discographic methods.
The study reveals the importance of Lagos as a major factor that contributed to the development of Nigeria‘s popular music practice as exemplified in genres like jùjú, fújì and afrobeat, and discovers that the Yorùbá language has gradually become the dominant medium through which artists express their musical identity as typified by current mainstream hip hop music. Extending earlier work by scholars such as Barber, Waterman and Euba and recent works in hip hop linguistics by Alim and Omoniyi, the thesis contributes to the growing body of research within popular music through the discipline of ethnomusicology, especially in the emerging area of academic inquiry into indigenous African hip hop culture
Benefits of sustainable management practices on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in soybean crop (Glycine max)
No full textSoybean in Iran is managed intensively and represents an important source of greenhouse gas (GHG). Developing an agronomic management that reduces GHG emissions while still ensuring optimum soybean yields is strongly required. Field experiments were conducted in 2014 and 2015 growing seasons in the Golestan province (North of Iran) to evaluate different combinations of GHG mitigation strategies for soybean cultivation. Treatments included: two tillage methods [conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (ZT)], two residue management [wheat residue removed (R − ) and wheat residue left on the system (R + )] and four levels of nitrogen (N) fertilization [0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N ha −1 (N 1 , N 2 , N 3 and N 4 , respectively)]. Soil moisture and temperature, GHG fluxes, yield and agronomic efficiency of nitrogen (AEN) were measured. The CT and R + generally caused greater CO 2 fluxes than the ZT and R − , respectively. The maximum CO 2 flux occurred in August and this was about 362.6 and 284 mg m −2 h −1 under CT-R + -N4 and ZT-R + -N 4 . Soil CO 2 emissions were higher in fertilized than non-fertilized treatments. Wheat residue left on the system under ZT reduced N 2 O emissions than CT, especially in N1. The cumulative N 2 O emissions were maximum under CT-R + -N 4 and minimum under ZTR + -N 1 (2.28 and 0.70 kg N 2 O-N ha −1 , respectively). In this study, there was no significant effect on CH 4 emissions. Soybean yield was similar among tillage systems and residue management, while N 3 in combination with wheat residue showed the highest response of seed yield. CO 2 emissions per unit of grain yield were the lowest under no-tillage associated with wheat residue mulch and nitrogen fertilizer. The results showed that GHG emissions could be mitigated in soybean crop in Iran. In particular, wheat residues left on the soil surface under no-tillage with 80 kg N ha −1 showed a reduction of GHG emissions, maintain crop yield providing environmentally-friendly option
Variations on the Author
No full text“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Resumption of intercourse after childbirth in southwest Nigeria
No full textOBJECTIVE:To determine the history of resumption of intercourse after childbirth and associated contraceptive practices among women in the southwest region of Nigeria.METHODS:A cohort of 181 women with live births was followed up for 6 months after delivery. Enquiry about the time of first intercourse after childbirth, associated dyspareunia, use of contraception, etc was made during the postnatal clinic visits and/or by telephone contact.RESULTS:Fifty (27.6%) had coitus within six weeks of childbirth, it increased to 115 (63.3%) at three months and 127 (70.2%) by six months post-delivery. Prevalence of dyspareunia was 36.2%. Eighty three (65.4%) of sexually active women practiced contraception which was predominantly use of male condom and withdrawal method. Co-habitation with husband (adjusted OR: 6.30; 95% CI: 2.56-17.01; p = 0.001) and mode of delivery (adjusted OR: 2.45; 95% CI: 1.30-4.73; p = 0.006) were strong predictors of commencement of sexual intercourse within six months postpartum. Significantly fewer women who had Caesarean section resumed coitus within six months when compared with those who had vaginal deliveries (59.2% versus 78.4%). Perineal injury did not predict resumption of coitus or experience of dyspareunia.CONCLUSION:In contrast to the norm, more women in southwest Nigeria are resuming coitus soon after childbirth. It is imperative to scale up counselling on postpartum sexuality and contraception within the maternal health services in this region
The Potential for Plant Derivatives against Acrylamide Neurotoxicity
No full textCertain industrial chemicals and food contaminants have been demonstrated to possess neurotoxic activity and have been suspected to cause brain-related disorders in humans. Acrylamide (ACR), a confirmed neurotoxicant, can be found in trace amount in commonly consumed human aliments as a result of food processing or cooking. This discovery aroused a great concern in the public, and increasing efforts are continuously geared towards the resolution of this serious threat. The broad chemical diversity of plants may offer the resources for novel antidotes against neurotoxicants. With the goal of attenuating neurotoxicity of ACR, several plants extracts or derivatives have been employed. This review presents the plants and their derivatives that have been shown most active against ACR-induced neurotoxicity, with a focus on their origin, pharmacological activity, and antidote effects
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Synthesis, substitution kinetics, DNA/BSA binding and cytotoxicity of tridentate N^E^N (E = NH, O, S) pyrazolyl palladium(II) complexes
No full textThe pincer complexes, [Pd(L1)Cl]BF4 (PdL1), [Pd(L2)Cl]BF4 (PdL2), [Pd(L3)Cl]BF4 (PdL3), [Pd(L4)Cl]BF4 (PdL4) were prepared by reacting the corresponding ligands, 2,6-bis[(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)methyl]pyridine (L1), bis[2-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)ethyl]amine (L2), bis[2-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)ethyl]ether (L3), and bis[2-(1H-prazol-1-yl)ethyl]sulphide (L4) with [PdCl2(NCMe)]2 in the presence NaBF4. The solid‐state structures of complexes PdL1–PdL4 confirmed a tridentate coordination mode, with one chloro ligand completing the coordination sphere to afford square-planar complexes. Chemical behaviour of the complexes in solution confirms their stability in both aqueous and DMSO stock media. The electrochemical properties of the compounds showed irreversible two-electron reduction process. Kinetic reactivity of Pd complexes with the biological nucleophiles viz, thiourea (Tu), L-methionine (L-Met) and guanosine 5′-diphosphate disodium salt (5’-GMP) followed the order: PdL2 100 µM) when tested against the human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cell line and the transformed human lung fibroblast cell line (MRC-5 SV2)
Right Selection of Inverter Systems and Harmonics Reduction A Means of Enhancing Power Infrastructure in Nigeria
No full textThe paper examines various types of inverter systems available in the markets in terms of their waveforms, harmonics and quality by taking the ideal Sinusoidal waveform as a reference. It illuminates some vital information on various types of inverters and their technologies. It identifies harmonics distortion has an important criterion for selecting a power inverter. It shows in lucid manner how to mathematically determine Total Harmonic Distortion THD of a waveform. It calculates the harmonics content of a Square wave inverter and proffer solution on how to reduce them. The resultant is an empowerment of power electronics engineers to distinguish which of the types to purchase in order to optimally improve national infrastructure and to enhance values of their scarce resources. Akinwole O. O | Adewale A. S | Femi-Jemilohun, O. J "Right Selection of Inverter Systems and Harmonics Reduction: A Means of Enhancing Power Infrastructure in Nigeria" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-3 | Issue-3 , April 2019, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd23550.pd
Larry O. Spencer, Conference Author Presentation
No full textGen. Larry O. Spencer, USAF (Ret.), author of Dark Horse: A Journey from the Horseshoe to the Pentago
Sargassum incisifolium and Ulva spp metabolites activity and their molecular dynamics simulation against Fusarium oxysporum 14-alpha-demethylase
No full textFusarium oxysporum, a major agricultural pathogen, poses severe risks to crops worldwide. With increasing resistance to conventional antifungal agents, there is an urgent need for alternative treatments. Seaweeds such as Ulva spp. and Sargassum incisifolium are promising sources of bioactive compounds that may offer novel antifungal properties. This study investigates the antifungal activity of acetone extracts from Ulva spp. and Sargassum incisifolium against F. oxysporum, with the goal of identifying specific bioactive compounds responsible for this activity and evaluating their effectiveness quantitatively. We prepared acetone extracts from both seaweed species and assessed their antifungal activity using a series of in vitro assays. The total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity were determined for each extract. LC-qTOF-MS/MS was employed for phytochemical profiling, while molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were used to predict interactions between identified compounds and the 14-alpha-demethylase enzyme of F. oxysporum. The TPC was 2.72±0.009 and 2.23±0.009 GAE/mg dry weight for Ulva spp and S. incisifolium. Additionally, significant antioxidant activity was observed, with IC50 values of 8.38±0.06 µg/mL for Ulva spp and 8.01±0.07 µg/mL for S. incisifolium, which are comparable to ascorbic acid (5.23±0.04 µg/mL). Phytochemical analysis revealed high levels of terpenoids, phenolics, and fatty acids. In molecular docking, compounds such as medicocarpin, corynanthine, and merulinic acid demonstrated strong binding affinities (binding energies ≤ -7.5 kcal/mol). Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed stable interactions over 100 ns, with medicocarpin exhibiting the most stable binding profile. The study demonstrates that acetone extracts of Ulva spp. and S. incisifolium possess significant antifungal activity against F. oxysporum. Medicocarpin, in particular, emerged as a promising candidate for further development as an antifungal agent. These findings underscore the potential of seaweed-derived compounds as antifungal agents against fungal pathogens and highlight the need for further investigation into their practical applications in plant disease management. Specifically, Medicocarpin emerged as a promising in silico candidate, warranting further experimental validation
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