68 research outputs found
THE IMPACT OF RECURRENT CIVIL CRISES ON SOCIAL WELFARE : A CASE STUDY OF JOS, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA
No full textRaimi-Lawal Adekunle Raimi. Impact of Recurrent Civil Crises on Social welfare, A Case Study of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Langauge: English. Jarvenpaa. Spring 2012. 67 pages. 2 appendices. Diaconia University of Applied Sciences. Degree: Programme in Social Services. Bachelor of Social Services.
The aim of this thesis is to examine the impact that the recurrent civil crises have on social welfare, using Jos, Plateau state, Nigeria as a case study. Social welfare was viewed from the socio-economic perspective because the relative term in the Nigerian context.
This research comprises literacy from a past research conducted in Jos-North location government area, in relation to the reoccurrence of crises in the state and a government commission of enquire on the cause of crises. The research also entails two academic theories that relate to the subject. The results of the thesis were gathered by using quantitative research methodology. The method of data collection was questionnaires, which had both closed and open ended questions. The sample size used for analysis this study is one hundred and fifty.
A greater attention was paid to indigenes while administering the questionnaire but non-indigenes also had their views represented in the findings of this study. Young people constitute a larger percentage of recipients that administer the questionnaires. The data realized from this research were tabulated and were later interpreted into information by the researcher.
Findings of this research finally concluded that the impact of recurrent civil crises were devastating and had enormous negative effects of on the people.
Keyword: indigenes, inhabitants, research, socio-economic and social welfare
Insights into the microbial composition and potential efficiency of selected commercial biofertilisers
No full textThis study investigated 13-commercial biofertilisers for their microbial contents and potential functional capabilities using a culture-based approach. Isolates obtained were identified by sequencing the partial I6S rRNA gene and ITS 1 and 2 regions and screened for plant growth-promoting capabilities. A total of 58 bacterial and three fungal isolates were obtained from all biofertilisers, with major genera being Bacillus, Rhizobium, Pseudomonas, Candida and Aspergillus. Five of the biofertilisers had the microbes (all or some) listed in the label detected while eight products had none detected. All the products had more microbes than that declared in the labels, suggesting the presence of potential contaminants. Generally, all the identified microbes, including the potential contaminants, had different beneficial capabilities. Approximately 40% of the isolates showed potential for nitrogen-fixation, while 27% exhibited high phosphate-solubilisation ability. Additionally, 87% of the isolates produced indole acetic acid in the range of 0.1–114.4 μg/mL. High levels of siderophore production were mainly observed amongst Bacillus and Pseudomonas genera. The potential of the microbes, including those not listed in the label, to fix nitrogen and produce acid phosphatase, indole acetic acid and siderophore, was highest in four products. This suggests the products have multiple functional abilities in improving crop productivity. However, other qualities of biofertiliser, such as viable cell count and level of contamination, must always be within the acceptable standards. This will guarantee high product quality as well as efficiency when applied in the field. Overall, the results show that there is a high correlation between microbial compositions and potential capability of biofertilisers for plant-growth promotio
Assessing the Impact of Management Control Mechanism on Project Performance in Public-Private Partnerships: Case-study of Lagos State, Nigeria.
No full textThe purpose of this study was to assess the impact that management control mechanism has on project performance in projects that were implemented using Public-Private Partnerships arrangements in Lagos State, from 2000 - 2016.
Quantitative research method was adopted, and a cross-sectional survey was conducted in public and private sector organizations in Lagos to collect the research data. A total of 120 questionnaires were given out and 89 respondents returned their questionnaire within the given time of data collection.
Research data for the study was gathered from ten public institutions under Lagos State Civil service, eleven private construction companies in Lagos, two stakeholders who are members of The Nigerian Society of Engineers (Lagos Chapter) and one respondent who works with a research institute in Lagos.
Empirical data gathered from the study indicate that the use of management control mechanism is positively correlated to project performance of projects implemented under Public-Private Partnerships arrangements in Lagos State. Findings further substantiate that private sector participants possess a number of management skills and expertise, and these has the capability to ensure effective implementation of projects. In-addition, empirical data affirms the importance of the private sector as a reliable actor in the provision of public infrastructure.
The study attributes the success of the private sector to the doctrines of new public management. This is because, attributes of new public management namely, lesser bureaucracy and hierarchy, accountability, transparency, emphasis on output control, emphasis on employee and project performance to mention a few, were seen as the propelling force of the private sector.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format
Southwest African Peoples Organization (SWAPO) and Political Economy of Namibia: An Analysis of the Tactics and Strategies of an African Liberation Movement, 1976
No full textThis thesis is concerned with the process by which South West African Peoples Organization (SWAPO) is con-ducting the struggle for the liberation of Namibia. The purpose is to determine what type of liberation SWAPO may possibly bring to Namibia. The problem of this study arose out of concern for what has come to characterize African countries presently, namely : nominal independence without overall social transformation. SWAPO is the African Liberation movement in Namibia . Namibia is legally an international territory which South Africa is holding on to like a colonial power in defiance of the United Nations and many other international opinions. International Capitalists Investments are largely involved in exploiting both the natural and human resources of the territory . Given that the interests of South Africa and her international capitalist allies are diametrically opposite of the interests of the Namibians, it is how the realization of these conflicting interests manifest themselves in the strategies and tactics of SWAPO in con-ducting the struggle for the liberation of Namibia that constitute the central concern of this study. I Materials for this study were collected from the already published works on Namibia as well as primary sources like newspapers, magazines, periodicals and SWAPO publications. The conclusion of this study shows that SWAPO is an organization with neither a clear-cut ideological position nor a comprehensive and discernible alternative economic program for the territory. The political programs are designed more to minimize western capitalists oppositions to the organization than to address the reality of the Namibian situation. In effect, it is concluded that as of now, it is conceivable that SWAPO might succeed in bringing independence to Namibia, but that would be it, nominal independence without complete social transformation
Pan Afr Med J
No full textBackgroundEkiti State of Nigeria is known to have the lowest prevalence of HIV in Nigeria. University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Ado Ekiti was recently upgraded to serve as one of the three centres for HIV/AIDS referral, diagnosis and treatment in Ekiti State. We evaluated the baseline immunologic and biochemical parameters of patients presenting at the ART clinic of University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State.MethodsAll HIV seropositive patients not yet on antiretroviral therapy, who presented at the ART Clinic within the study period had at the first visit to the clinic, their blood sample taken for CD4 cell counts estimation, HBsAg and anti- HCV screening, ALT, AST as well as hemoglobin estimation as part of the routine workup to assess their disease health status and need for antiretroviral therapy. Statistical significance was taken as p< 0.05.ResultsA total of 273 patients comprising 79 (28.9%) males and 194 (71.1%) females were included in the study (F:M = 2.46: 1). The mean age of the study population was 36.21\ub1 10.20 years with mean age of males (39.52 \ub1 9.95years) significantly higher than females (34.88 \ub1 10.02; p=0.001). The overall prevalence of HBsAg in the study population was 6.6% with a sex specific prevalence of 8.1% and 6% for males and females, respectively. No statistically significance difference in the mean serum alanine transaminase, serum aspartate transaminase, hemoglobin and CD4+ T- Lymphocytes cell count of those who had HBsAg negative status compared to those who had HBsAg positive status. Two (0.7%) of the patients had positive serum anti HCV antibodies. The CD4+ T- Lymphocytes cell count ranged between 5 \u2013 1050 cells/\ub5l with a mean of 286.19 \ub1 233.31 cells/\ub5l. The majority of patients (71.8%) had a CD4+ T- Lymphocytes cell count < 350 cells/\ub5l.ConclusionAt the time of presentation, majority of our patients had a CD4+ T- Lymphocytes cell count less than 350 cells/\ub5l consistent with significant immune-suppression. More sustained and vigorous awareness campaigns still need to be done in Ekiti State to diagnose this disease early. There is also a need to accelerate the integration of hepatitis B virus screening and treatment programme into HIV/AIDS programme because of the morbidity and mortality implication of HBV and HIV co-infection.2011PS000651-03/PS/NCHHSTP CDC HHS/United States22145054PMC32155281073
Soil fertility challenges and Biofertiliser as a viable alternative for increasing smallholder farmer crop productivity in sub-Saharan Africa
No full textFault reactivation potential and associated permeability evolution under changing injection conditions
No full textAcknowledgements The authors wish to acknowledge Adekunle Ajasin University, for granting the lead author a study leave; the African Union for providing the financial support (scholarship) through the Pan African University; and the University of Aberdeen for providing the facilities and enabling environment for a successful research.Peer reviewe
Molecular orbital calculations on a minicomputer, 1980
No full textA program (CINDO, QCPE No. 240) capable of calculating CNDO and INDO wavefunctions for open and closed shell molecules on a medium sized computer (IBM 360/44) was adapted to run on a minicomputer (PDP 11/34 with an RT-11 operating system). The program was linked into the computer by the overlay method by dividing the program into three overlay regions which allows for a much larger memory space. The program was linked for the closed shell calculations only. By modifying the dimension statement, the matrices were reduced from 50 basis functions to 35. A sample calculation (INDO, CLOSED) was done for formaldehyde to compare the result with that obtained from QCPE. The result shows that the electronic energy was not converging as predicted
High-throughput sequence analysis of bacterial communities in commercial biofertiliser products marketed in South Africa: an independent snapshot quality assessment
No full textThe genetic and predicted functional diversity of bacterial communities in 12 commercial biofertiliser products were evaluated using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroides dominated the bacterial communities, with the genera Pseudomonas, Lactobacillus, Bacillus, Bradyrhizobium and Rhizobium being prevalent. The manufacturer-specified species were detected in relatively high abundance in two of the products while a few or none of the specified species were detected in some products. A number of unspecified microbes were detected, including potential human and crop pathogens such as Alcaligenes, Clostridium, Escherichia–Shigella and Proteus. The functional prediction unravelled high prevalence of enzyme-coding genes such as nitrogenase, NifT, alkaline phosphatase and reductases of nitric oxide, nitrate and nitrite which contribute to nitrogen-fixation, phosphorus solubilisation and degradation of nitrates and nitrites. In addition, toxins such as leukocidin/hemolysin and colicin V protein that cause product quality damage were highly predicted in over 67% of the products. Overall, high-throughput sequence analysis of bacterial communities in biofertiliser products revealed that majority of the products were of poor quality. This result justifies the need for regular quality assessment and improvement in quality control systems during biofertiliser formulatio
Metabolomic profiling and 16 S rRNA metabarcoding of endophytes of two Aloe species revealed diverse metabolites
No full textAbstract Aloe species are often used interchangeably for medicinal and cosmeceutical applications, presenting a challenge to the biological efficacy consistency of some herbal preparations. Sustainable production of high-quality commonly used medicinal plants remains a limitation for commercialisation. Thus, this study investigated the potential for plant substitution by examining bacterial endophytes capable of producing similar host plant secondary metabolites. The metabolite profiles and endophytic bacterial communities of endangered Aloe lettyae were compared with those of Aloe longibracteata using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. Only 15 metabolites were significantly different between A. lettyae and A. longibracteata based on metabolite concentrations. However, both plants’ functionality and potential application remain comparable. Phytohormones, including indole-3-acetate and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetate, were more concentrated in A. lettyae than A. longibracteata. Metabolites such as tyrosine, allantoin, and myo-inositol, with human health benefits, were annotated in both species. Aloe lettyae harboured a phylogenetically diverse bacteria community compared to A. longibracteata, with a higher richness of bacterial species, indicating a likelihood of diverse metabolic capabilities among the bacteria. Dominant endophytes, including Bacillus, Comamonas, and Pseudomonas, possess enzymes contributing to various metabolic pathways. The enzymes have the potential to impact the synthesis, or breakdown of plant metabolites, consequently influencing the overall metabolic composition of the host plant. Therefore, this study supports the interchangeability of A. lettyae and A. longibracteata due to their ability to produce similar metabolites, and although the Aloe species exhibit phylogenetically diverse endophytic communities, the feasibility of utilizing their endophytes as producers of secondary metabolites remains viable. Graphical abstrac
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