Search results for: Christopher E. Sunday

Authors: Rabih O. Al-Kaysi, Lingyan Zhu, Muhannah K. Al-Muhannah, Christopher J. Bardeen

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(E)-3-(Anthracen-9-yl)acrylic acid (9-AYAA) 1 exhibits a strong photomechanical response in bulk crystals but is challenging to grow in microcrystalline form. High quality microcrystals of this molecule could not be grown using techniques like sublimation, reprecipitation, and the floating drop method. If the tertbutyl ester of 9-AYAA is used as a starting material, however, high quality, size-uniform microwires could be grown via acid catalyzed hydrolysis. 9-AYAA microwires with uniform length and thickness were produced after a suspension of (E)-tert-butyl 3-(anthracen-9-yl)acrylate ester 2 microparticles was tumble-mixed in a mixture of phosphoric acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate at 35 °C. The dependence of the results on temperature, surfactant and precursor concentration, and mixing mode was investigated. This chemical reaction-growth method was extended to grow microplates of 9-anthraldehyde 3 using the corresponding acylal 4 as the starting material. Under 475 nm irradiation, the 9-AYAA microwires undergo a photoinduced coiling–uncoiling transition, while the 9-anthraldehyde microplates undergo a folding–unfolding transition.

Keywords: photomechanical, surfactant, organic crystals, uniform

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Authors: Thusitha Mabotuwana, Christopher S. Hall

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Radiologists routinely make follow-up imaging recommendations, usually based on established clinical practice guidelines, such as the Fleischner Society guidelines for managing lung nodules. In order to ensure optimal care, it is important to make guideline-compliant recommendations, and also for patients to follow-up on these imaging recommendations in a timely manner. However, determining such compliance rates after a specific finding has been observed usually requires many time-consuming manual steps. To address some of these limitations with current approaches, in this paper we discuss a methodology to automatically detect finding-specific follow-up recommendations from radiology reports and create a visualization for relevant subsequent exams showing the modality transitions. Nearly 5% of patients who had a lung related follow-up recommendation continued to have at least eight subsequent outpatient CT exams during a seven year period following the recommendation. Radiologist and section chiefs can use the proposed tool to better understand how a specific patient population is being managed, identify possible deviations from established guideline recommendations and have a patient-specific graphical representation of the imaging pathways for an abstract view of the overall treatment path thus far.

Keywords: follow-up recommendations, follow-up tracking, care pathways, imaging pathway visualization

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Authors: Babalola Sunday Oyetayo, Igbinomwanhia Uyi Osamwonyi, Idowu T. O., Herbert Tata

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This paper explores the potential benefits of adopting blockchain technology in Nigeria's land administration systems while also addressing the challenges and implications of its implementation in the country's unique context. Through a comprehensive literature review and analysis of existing research, the paper delves into the key attributes of blockchain that can revolutionize land administration practices, with a particular focus on simplifying land registration procedures, expediting land title issuance, and enhancing data transparency and security. The decentralized and immutable nature of blockchain offers unique advantages, instilling trust and confidence in land transactions, which are especially crucial in Nigeria's land governance landscape. However, integrating blockchain in Nigeria's land administration ecosystem presents specific challenges, necessitating a critical evaluation of technical, socio-economic, and infrastructural barriers. These challenges encompass data privacy concerns, scalability, interoperability with outdated systems, and gaining acceptance from various stakeholders. By synthesizing these insights, the paper proposes strategies tailored to Nigeria's context to optimize the benefits of blockchain adoption while addressing the identified challenges. The research findings contribute significantly to the ongoing discourse on blockchain technology in Nigeria's land governance, offering evidence-based recommendations to policymakers, land administrators, and stakeholders. Ultimately, the paper aims to promote the effective utilization of blockchain, fostering efficiency, transparency, and trust in Nigeria's land administration systems to drive sustainable development and societal progress.

Keywords: block-chain, technology, stakeholders, land registration

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Authors: Amos Olajide Oluyege, Emmanuel Uchechukwu Opara, Sunday Adeniyi Adedutan, Joseph Adeola Fuwape

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This study was conducted to determine the durability of wood-cement particleboards when exposed to attack by subterranean termites, Macrotermes subhylinus. The boards were made from Terminalia superba and Gmelina arborea wood sawdust at nominal board densities (BD) of 1000, 900, and 800 kg/m³ using wood-cement mixing ratios (MR) of 3:1, 2.5:1, 2:1, and 1:1. Above ground durability tests against termite attack were carried out according to ASTM D 2017 for 14 weeks. Results of visual assessment of the wood cement particleboards show that all the board samples had a visual rating that was not less than 7 (i.e., moderate attack) for both species irrespective of the MR and BD. T. superba boards were found to have higher resistance to termite attack compared to their G. arborea counterparts. The mean values for weight loss following exposure ranged from 1.93 to 6.13% and 3.24 to 12.44%. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results of the weight loss assessment revealed a significant (p < 0.05) effect of species and mixing ratio on the weight loss of the boards due to termite attack with F(₁,₇₂) = 92.890 and P = 0.000 and F(₃,₇₂) = 8.318 and p = 0.000, while board density did not have any significant effect (p > 0.05) with F (₂,₇₂) = 1.307 and p = 0.277. Thus, boards made from a higher mixing ratio had better resistance against termite attacks. Thus, it can be concluded that the durability of cement-bonded particleboards when exposed to subterranean termite attack is not only dependent on the quality of the wood raw material (species) but also on the enhanced protection imparted by the cement matrix; the protection increased with increase in cement/wood mixing ratio.

Keywords: cement-bonded particleboard, mixing ratio, board density, Gmelina arborea, Terminalia superba

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Authors: Mohamed Elhakeem, A. N. Thanos Papanicolaou, Christopher Wilson, Yi-Jia Chang

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In this study, a physically-based, modelling framework was developed to predict saturated hydraulic conductivity (KSAT) dynamics in the Clear Creek Watershed (CCW), Iowa. The modelling framework integrated selected pedotransfer functions and watershed models with geospatial tools. A number of pedotransfer functions and agricultural watershed models were examined to select the appropriate models that represent the study site conditions. Models selection was based on statistical measures of the models’ errors compared to the KSAT field measurements conducted in the CCW under different soil, climate and land use conditions. The study has shown that the predictions of the combined pedotransfer function of Rosetta and the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) provided the best agreement to the measured KSAT values in the CCW compared to the other tested models. Therefore, Rosetta and WEPP were integrated with the Geographic Information System (GIS) tools for visualization of the data in forms of geospatial maps and prediction of KSAT variability in CCW due to the seasonal changes in climate and land use activities.

Keywords: saturated hydraulic conductivity, pedotransfer functions, watershed models, geospatial tools

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Authors: Emmanuel Chibuogu Asogwa, Tochukwu Sunday Belonwu

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An urgent demand for creative solutions has been created by the rapid expansion of medical knowledge, the complexity of patient care, and the requirement for more precise decision-making. As a solution to this problem, the creation of a Medical Intelligent Process Model (MIPM) utilizing ontology-based appears as a promising way to overcome this obstacle and unleash the full potential of healthcare systems. The development of a Medical Intelligent Process Model (MIPM) using ontology-based techniques is motivated by a lack of quick access to relevant medical information and advanced tools for treatment planning and clinical decision-making, which ontology-based techniques can provide. The aim of this work is to develop a structured and knowledge-driven framework that leverages ontology, a formal representation of domain knowledge, to enhance various aspects of healthcare. Object-Oriented Analysis and Design Methodology (OOADM) were adopted in the design of the system as we desired to build a usable and evolvable application. For effective implementation of this work, we used the following materials/methods/tools: the medical dataset for the test of our model in this work was obtained from Kaggle. The ontology-based technique was used with Confusion Matrix, MySQL, Python, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP), Cascaded Style Sheet (CSS), JavaScript, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks. According to test results on the new system using Confusion Matrix, both the accuracy and overall effectiveness of the medical intelligent process significantly improved by 20% compared to the previous system. Therefore, using the model is recommended for healthcare professionals.

Keywords: ontology-based, model, database, OOADM, healthcare

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Authors: Ian McCulloh, Andrew Placona, Darren Stewart, Daniel Gause, Kevin Kiernan, Morgan Stuart, Christopher Zinner, Laura Cartwright

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An estimated 22-25% of viable deceased donor kidneys are discarded every year in the US, while waitlisted candidates are dying every day. As many as 85% of transplanted organs are refused at least once for a patient that scored higher on the match list. There are hundreds of clinical variables involved in making a clinical transplant decision and there is rarely an ideal match. Decision makers exhibit an optimism bias where they may refuse an organ offer assuming a better match is imminent. We propose a semi-parametric Cox proportional hazard model, augmented by an accelerated failure time model based on patient specific suitable organ supply and demand to estimate a time-to-next-offer. Performance is assessed with Cox-Snell residuals and decision curve analysis, demonstrating improved decision support for up to a 5-year outlook. Providing clinical decision makers with quantitative evidence of likely patient outcomes (e.g., time to next offer and the mortality associated with waiting) may improve decisions and reduce optimism bias, thus reducing discarded organs and matching more patients on the waitlist.

Keywords: decision science, KDPI, optimism bias, organ transplant

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Authors: Christopher Muhawe, Masooda Bashir

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With increased Internet Communication Technology(ICT), the virtual world has become the new normal. At the same time, there is an unprecedented collection of massive amounts of data by both private and public entities. Unfortunately, this increase in data collection has been in tandem with an increase in data misuse and data breach. Regrettably, the majority of data breach and data misuse claims have been unsuccessful in the United States courts for the failure of proof of direct injury to physical or economic interests. The requirement to express data privacy harms from an economic or physical stance negates the fact that not all data harms are physical or economic in nature. The challenge is compounded by the fact that data breach harms and risks do not attach immediately. This research will use a descriptive and normative approach to show that not all data harms can be expressed in economic or physical terms. Expressing privacy harms purely from an economic or physical harm perspective negates the fact that data insecurity may result into harms which run counter the functions of privacy in our lives. The promotion of liberty, selfhood, autonomy, promotion of human social relations and the furtherance of the existence of a free society. There is no economic value that can be placed on these functions of privacy. The proposed approach addresses data harms from a psychological and social perspective.

Keywords: data breach and misuse, economic harms, privacy harms, psychological harms

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Authors: Adebomi M. Oyewumi, Sunday Amaize

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The study was designed to examine the barriers to marital expectations among unmarried persons with hearing impairment in Oyo State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. Purposive sampling technique was used to select one hundred participants made up forty-four (44) males and fifty-six (56) females, all with varying degrees of hearing impairment. Eight research questions were raised and answered. The instrument used was Marital Expectations Scale with reliability coefficient of 0.86. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics tools of frequency count and simple percentage as well as inferential statistics tools of T-TEST and ANOVA. The findings revealed that there was a significant relationship existing among the main identified barriers (environmental barrier, communication barrier, hearing loss, unemployment and poor sexuality education) to the marital expectations of unmarried persons with hearing impairment. The joint contribution of the independent variables (identified barriers) to the dependent variable (marital expectations) was significant, F = 5.842, P < 0.05, accounting for about 89% of the variance. The relative contribution of the identified barriers to marital expectations of unmarried persons with hearing impairment is as follows: environmental barrier (β = 0.808, t = 5.176, P < 0.05), communication barrier (β = 0.533, t = 3.305, P < 0.05), hearing loss (β = 0.550, t = 2.233, P < 0.05), unemployment (β = 0.431, t = 2.102, P < 0.05), poor sexuality education (β = 0.361, t = 1.985, P < 0.05). Environmental barrier proved to be the most potent contributor to the poor marital expectations among unmarried persons with hearing impairment. Therefore, it is recommended that society dismantles the nagging environmental barrier through positive identification with individuals suffering from hearing impairment. In this connection, members of society should change their negative attitudes and do away with all the wrong notions about the marital ability of individuals with hearing impairment.

Keywords: environmental barrier, hearing impairment, marriage, marital expectations

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Authors: Betek Cecilia Kunseh, Musampa Christopher

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Despite significant investment and important progress, access to safe potable water continues to be one of the most pressing challenges for rural communities in O R Tambo District Municipality. This is coupled with the low income of most residents and government's policy which obliges municipalities to supply basic water usually set at 6 kilolitres per month to each household free of charge. During the research, data was collected from three local municipalities of O. R. Tambo, i.e. King Sabata Dalindyebo, Mhlontlo and Ingquza Hill local municipalities. According to the result, significant differences exist between the sources of water in the different local municipalities from which data was collected. The chi square was use to calculated the differences between the sources of water and the calculated critical value of the District Municipality was 18.77 which is more than the stipulated critical value of 3.84. More people in Mhlontlo Local Municipality got water from the taps while a greater percentage of households in King Sataba Dalindyebo and Ingquza hill local municipalities got their water from the natural sources. 77% of the sample population complained that there have been no improvements in water provision because they still get water from natural sources and even the remaining 33% that were getting water from the taps still have to depend on natural sources because the taps are most of the time broken and it takes a long time to fix them.

Keywords: availability, water, sources, supply

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Authors: Adebiyi Sunday Adeyanju, Kola Benson Ajeigbe, Fortune Ganda

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In the past three decades, there has been a notable increase in the number of firms delisting from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in South Africa. The recent increasing rate of delisting waves of corporate listed firms motivated this study. This study aims to explore the influence of institutional investor perceptions on the financial distress experienced by delisted firms within the South African market. The study further examined the impact of financial distress on the corporate performance of delisted firms. Using the data of delisted firms spanning from 2000 to 2023 and the FGLS (Feasible Generalized Least Squares) for the short run and PCSE (Panel-Corrected Standard Errors) for the long run effects of the relationship. The finding indicated that a decline in institutional investors’ perceptions was associated with the corporate financial distress of the delisted firms, particularly during the delisting year and the few years preceding the announcement of the delisting. This study addressed the importance of investor recognition in corporate financial distress and the delisting wave among listed firms- a finding supporting the stakeholder theory. This study is an insight for companies’ managements, investors, governments, policymakers, stockbrokers, lending institutions, bankers, the stock market, and other stakeholders in their various decision-making endeavours. Based on the above findings, it was recommended that corporate managements should improve their governance strategies that can help companies’ financial performances. Accountability and transparency through governance must also be improved upon with government support through the introduction of policies and strategies and enabling an easy environment that can help companies perform better.

Keywords: delisting wave, institutional investors, financial distress, corporate performance, investors’ perceptions

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Authors: Christopher J. Johnston

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This paper presents the finding of a research study in which novice (first and second year) elementary teachers (grades Kindergarten – six) evaluated various mathematics Virtual Manipulatives, websites, and Applets (tools) for use in mathematics instruction. Participants identified the criteria they used for evaluating these types of resources and provided recommendations for or against five pre-selected tools. During the study, participants participated in three data collection activities: (1) A brief Likert-scale survey which gathered information about their attitudes toward technology use; (2) An identification of criteria for evaluating technology tools; and (3) A review of five pre-selected technology tools in light of their self-identified criteria. Data were analyzed qualitatively using four theoretical categories (codes): Software Features (41%), Mathematics (26%), Learning (22%), and Motivation (11%). These four theoretical categories were then grouped into two broad categories: Content and Instruction (Mathematics and Learning), and Surface Features (Software Features and Motivation). These combined, broad categories suggest novice teachers place roughly the same weight on pedagogical features as they do technological features. Implications for mathematics teacher educators are discussed, and suggestions for future research are provided.

Keywords: mathematics education, novice teachers, technology, virtual manipulatives

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Authors: Mnisi Blessing, Christopher Amoah

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Purpose: The usage of modern technology is widespread in industrialised nations. The issue still pertains to developing countries since they struggle to use technology in the building sector. The study aims to identify the barriers to technology usage in quantity surveying firms. Methodology: Quantity Surveyors were interviewed via Microsoft teams due to the dispersed nature of the participants. However, where the interview was not possible, the interview guide was emailed to the participants to fill in. In all, 12 participants were interviewed out of the 25 participants contacted. The data received were analysed using the content analysis process. Findings: The study's findings demonstrate that quantity surveyors have access to a wide range of technology that significantly enhances their project activities. However, quantity surveying companies are hesitant to use technology for several reasons, including the cost and maintenance associated with it. Other obstacles include a lack of knowledge, poor market acceptance, legal obstacles, and budgetary constraints. Implication: Despite the advantages associated with modern technology applications, quantity surveying firms are not using them, which may ultimately affect their work output. Therefore, firms need to re-examine these obstacles, inhibiting their adoption of technology in the work process to enhance their production. Value of the Paper: The study reveals the main hindrances to technology usage, which may help firms institute measures to address them.

Keywords: barriers, implementation, technology, quantity surveying

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Authors: Olalekan Sunday Alabi, Titus Adeyemi Alonge, Olumuyiwa Idowu Ojo

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Agricultural land suitability analysis and mapping play an imperative role for sustainable utilization of scarce physical land resources. The objective of this study was to prepare spatial database of physical land resources for irrigated agriculture and to assess land suitability for irrigation and developing suitable area map of the study area. The study was conducted at Kampe-Omi irrigation scheme located at Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. Temperature and rainfall data of the study area were collected for 10 consecutive years (2005-2014). Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques were used to develop irrigation land suitability map of the study area. Attribute parameters such as the slope, soil properties, topography of the study area were used for the analysis. The available data were arranged, proximity analysis of Arc-GIS was made, and this resulted into five mapping units. The final agricultural land suitability map of the study area was derived after overlay analysis. Based on soil composition, slope, soil properties and topography, it was concluded that; Kampe-Omi has rich sandy loam soil, which is viable for agricultural purpose, the soil composition is made up of 60% sand and 40% loam. The land-use pattern map of Kampe-Omi has vegetal area and water-bodies covering 55.6% and 19.3% of the total assessed area respectively. The landform of Kampe-Omi is made up of 41.2% lowlands, 37.5% normal lands and 21.3% highlands. Kampe-Omi is adequately suitable for agricultural purpose while an extra of 20.2% of the area is highly suitable for agricultural purpose making 72.6% while 18.7% of the area is slightly suitable.

Keywords: remote sensing, GIS, Kampe–Omi, land suitability, mapping

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Authors: Arthur D. Wiedemann, Christopher Fuller, Kyle A. Pascioni

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With the introduction of electric motors, small unmanned aerial vehicle designers have to consider trade-offs between acoustic noise and thrust generated. Currently, there are few low-computational tools available for predicting acoustic noise emitted by a propeller into the far-field. Artificial neural networks offer a highly non-linear and adaptive model for predicting isolated and interactive tonal noise. But neural networks require large data sets, exceeding practical considerations in modeling experimental results. A methodology known as physics guided machine learning has been applied in this study to reduce the required data set to train the network. After building and evaluating several neural networks, the best model is investigated to determine how the network successfully predicts the acoustic waveform. Lastly, a post-network transfer function is developed to remove discontinuity from the predicted waveform. Overall, methodologies from physics guided machine learning show a notable improvement in prediction performance, but additional loss functions are necessary for constructing predictive networks on small datasets.

Keywords: aeroacoustics, machine learning, propeller, rotor, neural network, physics guided machine learning

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Authors: Haroon Mahmood, Christopher Gan, Cuong Nguyen

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Maturity transformation risk is highlighted as one of the major causes of recent global financial crisis. Basel III has proposed new liquidity regulations for transformation function of banks and hence to monitor this risk. Specifically, net stable funding ratio (NSFR) is introduced to enhance medium- and long-term resilience against liquidity shocks. Islamic banking is widely accepted in many parts of the world and contributes to a significant portion of the financial sector in many countries. Using a dataset of 68 fully fledged Islamic banks from 11 different countries, over a period from 2005 – 2014, this study has attempted to analyze various factors that may significantly affect the maturity transformation risk in these banks. We utilize 2-step system GMM estimation technique on unbalanced panel and find bank capital, credit risk, financing, size and market power are most significant among the bank specific factors. Also, gross domestic product and inflation are the significant macro-economic factors influencing this risk. However, bank profitability, asset efficiency, and income diversity are found insignificant in determining the maturity transformation risk in Islamic banking model.

Keywords: Basel III, Islamic banking, maturity transformation risk, net stable funding ratio

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Authors: Eriba Christopher Inyila, Godwin Egena Oga

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Statecraft appears to be one of the greatest cultural achievements in the history of man’s civilization. The state itself is often portrayed as the supreme community of the citizen’s collective goodness and will. However, history experience reveals that the state has often been held in captivity permanently in the hand of the political class to almost a total exclusion of the labouring class of workers, artisans and peasants. Consequently, the hallmark of the Nigerian state and society in contemporary era is state of permanent crisis characterized by poverty, unemployment and profound insecurity. A lasting solution to this state of anomie is often touted in terms of ethnic, religious and regional integration which border on non-material perception of realities. A neglected aspect of the approach to the study of recurrent problems in contemporary is the materialist conception of realties through class perspectives of the society. The cutting edge of the approach is found in the attempt to reconcile the contradiction between the productive forces and the social relation of production. In other words, the contemporary state is skewed in favour of ownership of properties/commanding height of economy predominantly in the hands of the few monopoly companies to the total exclusion of majority of Nigerian population classified as peasant, workers and artisan. The lopsided situation creates economic and social disequilibria.

Keywords: national development, class, the state, Nigeria

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Authors: Sunday Paul Bako, Augustine Uwanekwu Ezealor, Yahuza Tanimu

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In a study to evaluate the response of indigenous ruderal plants to the metal deposition regime imposed by anthropogenic modification in the Southern Guinea Savanna of north Western Nigeria during the dry and wet seasons, herbaceous plants and samples of soils were collected in three 5m by 5m quadrats laid around the environs of the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company and the banks of River Kaduna. Heavy metal concentration (Cd, Ni, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) in soil and plant samples was determined using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence. Concentrations of heavy metals in soils were generally observed to be higher during the wet season in both locations although the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Concentrations of Cd, Zn, Cr, Cu and Ni in all the plants observed were found to be below levels described as phytotoxic to plants. However, above ‘normal’ concentrations of Cr was observed in most of the plant species sampled. The concentrations of Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn in soils around the KRPC and RKB were found to be above the acceptable limits. Although no hyper accumulator plant species was encountered in this study, twenty (20) plant species were identified to have high bioconcentration (BCF > 1.0) of Cd and Cu, which indicated tolerance of these plants to excessive or phytotoxic concentrations of these metals. In addition, they generally produce high above ground biomass, due to rapid vegetative growth. These are likely species for phytoextraction. Elevated concentration of metals in both soil and plant materials may cause a decrease in biodiversity due to direct toxicity. There are also risks to humans and other animals due to bioaccumulation across the food chain. There are further possibilities of further evaluating and genetically improving metal tolerance traits in some of these plant species in relation to their potential use in phytoremediation programmes in metal polluted sites.

Keywords: bioprospecting, phytoremediation, heavy metals, Nigeria

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Authors: Meena K. Yadav, Rupak Aryal, Michael D. Short, Ben Van Den Akker, Christopher P. Saint, Cobus Gerber

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Illicit drugs are considered as emerging contaminants of concern that have become an interesting issue for the scientific community from last few years due to their existence in the water environment. A number of the literature has revealed their occurrence in the environment. This is mainly due to the fact that some drugs are partially removed during wastewater treatment processes, and remaining being able to enter the environment and contaminate surface and groundwater and subsequently, drinking water. Therefore, this paper evaluates the occurrence of key illicit drugs in wastewater (influent and effluent) samples in 4 wastewater treatment plants across Adelaide, South Australia over a 1 year period. This paper also compares the efficiency of wastewater treatment plants adopting different technologies in the removal of selected illicit drugs, especially in the context of which technology has higher removal rates. The influent and effluent samples were analysed using Liquid Chromatography tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The levels of drugs detected were in the range of mg/L – ng/L in effluent samples; thus emphasising the influence on water quality of receiving water bodies and the significance of removal efficiency of WWTPs(Wastewater Treatment Plants). The results show that the drugs responded differently in the removal depending on the treatment processes used by the WWTPs.

Keywords: illicit drugs, removal efficiency, treatment technology, wastewater

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Authors: Julian Thrash, Douglas Folk, Michael Ciracy, Audrey C. Tseng, Kristen M. Stromsodt, Amber Younggren, Christopher Maciolek

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The cardiopulmonary system is comprised of the heart, lungs, and many dynamic feedback mechanisms that control its function based on a multitude of variables. The next generation of cardiopulmonary medical devices will involve adaptive control and smart pacing techniques. However, testing these smart devices on living systems may be unethical and exceedingly expensive. As a solution, a comprehensive computational model of the cardiopulmonary system was implemented in Simulink. The model contains over 240 state variables and over 100 equations previously described in a series of published articles. Simulink was chosen because of its ease of introducing machine learning elements. Initial results indicate that physiologically correct waveforms of pressures and volumes were obtained in the simulation. With the development of a comprehensive computational model, we hope to pioneer the future of predictive medicine by applying our research towards the initial stages of smart devices. After validation, we will introduce and train reinforcement learning agents using the cardiopulmonary model to assist in adaptive control system design. With our cardiopulmonary model, we will accelerate the design and testing of smart and adaptive medical devices to better serve those with cardiovascular disease.

Keywords: adaptive control, cardiopulmonary, computational model, machine learning, predictive medicine

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Authors: Ryan Vincent Teodoro, Adrian Paul Virador, Jan Christopher Cardenas

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In the field of construction, managerial positions are completely dominated by males. The researchers conducted this study to see if there is a significant difference between the competencies of male and female project managers in the construction field. To see if there is a significant difference, they subdivided the competency of project managers into three components; decision making, organizing skills, and resiliency. The researchers conducted a five-point Likert scale survey of 28 project managers in the construction field, 18 of them are males and 10 are females. The researchers used Cronbach’s alpha to translate the raw scores of the respondents into competency scores. Then, the competency scores are analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U Test to see if there is a significant difference between the male’s and female’s competency scores. A p-value of 0.808 was calculated, which is greater than 0.05, which means that the null hypothesis is accepted. Therefore, the researchers concluded that there is no significant difference between the competencies of male and female project managers in terms of decision making, organizing skills, and resiliency in the construction field in the National Capital Region, Philippines.

Keywords: competency, resiliency, project managers, Mann-Whitney U test

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Authors: Cornelius Arome Omatola, Ropo Ebenezer Ogunsakin, Anyebe Bernard Onoja, Martin-Luther Oseni Okolo, Joseph Abraham-Oyiguh, Kehinde Charles Mofolorunso, Phoebe Queen Akoh, Omebije Patience Adejo, Joshua Idakwo, Therisa Ojomideju Okeme, Danjuma Muhammed, David Moses Adaji, Sunday Ocholi Samson, Ruth Aminu, Monday Eneojo Akor

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Gastroenteritis viruses are the leading etiologic agents of diarrhea in children worldwide. We present data from thirty-three (33) eligible studies published between 2003 and 2023 from African countries bearing the brunt of the virus-associated diarrheal mortality. Random effects meta-analysis with proportion, subgroups, and meta-regression analyses were employed. Overall, rotavirus with estimated pooled prevalence of 31.0% (95% CI 24.0–39.0) predominated in all primary care visits and hospitalizations, followed by norovirus, adenovirus, sapovirus, astrovirus, and aichivirus with pooled prevalence estimated at 15.0% (95% CI 12.0–20.0), 10% (95% CI 6-15), 4.0% (95% CI 2.0–6.0), 4% (95% CI 3-6), and 2.3% (95% CI 1-3), respectively. Predominant rotavirus genotype was G1P[8] (38%), followed by G3P[8] (11.7%), G9P[8] (8.7%), and G2P[4] (7.1%); although, unusual genotypes were also observed, including G3P[6] (2.7%), G8P[6] (1.7%), G1P[6] (1.5%), G10P[8] (0.9%), G8P[4] (0.5%), and G4P[8] (0.4%). The genogroup II norovirus predominated over the genogroup I-associated infections (84.6%, 613/725 vs 14.9%, 108/725), with the GII.4 (79.3%) being the most prevalent circulating genotype. In conclusion, this review showed that rotavirus remains the leading driver of viral diarrhea requiring health care visits and hospitalization among under-five years children in Africa. Thus, improved rotavirus vaccination in the region and surveillance to determine the residual burden of rotavirus and the evolving trend of other enteric viruses are needed for effective control and management of cases.

Keywords: enteric viruses, rotavirus, norovirus, adenovirus, astrovirus, gastroenteritis

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Authors: Rotimi Sunday Ajani, Omowumi Femi-Akinlosotu

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Background: The usually paired human kidneys are retroperitoneal urinary organs with some endocrine functions. Standard text books of anatomy ascribe single value to each of the dimension of length, width and thickness. Research questions: These values do not give consideration to racial and genetic variability in human morphology. They may thus be erroneous to students and clinicians working on Nigerians. Objectives: The study aimed at establishing reference values of the kidney length, width and thickness for Nigerians using the cadaveric model. Methodology: The length, width, thickness and weight of sixty kidneys harvested from cadavers of thirty adult Nigerians (Male: Female; 27: 3) were measured. Respective volume was calculated using the ellipsoid formula. Results: The mean length of the kidney was 9.84±0.89 cm (9.63±0.88 {right}; 10.06±0.86 {left}), width- 5.18±0.70 cm (5.21±0.72 {right}; 5.14±0.70 {left}), thickness-3.45±0.56 cm (3.36±0.58 {right}, 3.53±0.55 {left}), weight-125.06±22.34 g (122.36±21.70 {right}; 127.76 ±24.02 {left}) and volume of 95.45± 24.40 cm3 (91.73± 26.84 {right}; 99.17± 25.75 {left}). Discussion: Though the values of the parameters measured were higher for the left kidney (except for the width), they were not statistically significant. The various parameters obtained by this study differ from those of similar studies from other continents. Conclusion: Stating single value for each of the parameter of length, width and thickness of the kidney as currently obtained in textbooks of anatomy may be incomplete information and hence misleading. Thus, there is the need to emphasize racial differences when stating the normal values of kidney dimensions in textbooks of anatomy. Implication for Research and Innovation: The results of the study showed the dimensions of the kidney (length, width and thickness) have interracial vagaries as they were different from those of similar studies and values stated in standard textbooks of human anatomy. Future direction: This is a preliminary report and the study will continue so that more data will be obtained.

Keywords: kidney dimensions, cadaveric estimation, adult nigerians, racial differences

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Authors: Olatunde Sunday Eludoyin, Charles Obiechina Olisa

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The study examined the spatial interactions between earthworm abundance (EA) and tree growth characteristics in ecological belts of Western Niger Delta, Nigeria. Eight 20m x 20m quadrat were delimited in the natural vegetation in each of the rainforest (RF), mangrove (M), fresh water swamp (FWS), and guinea savanna (GS) ecological belts to gather data about the tree species (TS) characteristics which included individual number of tree species (IN), diversity (Di), density (De) and richness (Ri). Three quadrats of 1m x 1m were delineated in each of the 20m x 20m quadrats to collect earthworm species the topsoil (0-15cm), and subsoil (15-30cm) and were taken to laboratory for further analysis. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Findings showed that a total of 19 earthworm species was found, with 58.5% individual species recorded in the topsoil and 41.5% recorded in the subsoil. The total population ofEudriliuseugeniae was predominantly highest in both topsoil (38.4%) and subsoil (27.1%). The total population of individual species of earthworm was least in GS in the topsoil (11.9%) and subsoil (8.4%). A total of 40 different species of TS was recorded, of which 55.5% were recorded in FWS, while RF was significantly highest in the species diversity(0.5971). Regression analysis revealed that Ri, IN, DBH, Di, and De of trees explained 65.9% of the variability of EA in the topsoil, while 46.9 % of the variability of earthworm abundance was explained by the floristic parameters in the subsoil.Similarly, correlation statistics revealed that in the topsoil, EA is positively and significantly correlated with Ri (r=0.35; p<0.05), IN (r=0.523; p<0.05) and De (r=0.469; p<0.05) while DBH was negatively and significantly correlated with earthworm abundance (r=-0.437; p<0.05). In the subsoil, only Ri and DBH correlated significantly with EA. The study concluded that EA in the study locations was highly influenced by tree growth species especially Ri, IN, DBH, Di, and De. The study recommended that the TSabundance should be improved in the study locations to ensure the survival of earthworms for ecosystem functions.

Keywords: interactions, earthworm abundance, tree growth, ecological zones, western niger delta

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Authors: Sunday Olufemi Adesogan

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The supply of potable water at least is a very important index in national development. Water tariffs depend on the treatment cost which carries the highest percentage of the total operation cost in any water supply scheme. In order to keep water tariffs as low as possible, treatment costs have to be minimized. The University of Ibadan, Nigeria, water supply scheme consists of a treatment plant with three distribution stations (Amina way, Kurumi and Lander) and two raw water supply sources (Awba dam and Eleyele dam). An operational study of the scheme was carried out to ascertain the efficiency of the supply of potable water on the campus to justify the need for water supply schemes in tertiary institutions. The study involved regular collection, processing and analysis of periodic operational data. Data collected include supply reading (water production on daily basis) and consumers metered reading for a period of 22 months (October 2013 - July 2015), and also collected, were the operating hours of both plants and human beings. Applying the required mathematical equations, total loss was determined for the distribution system, which was translated into monetary terms. Adequacies of the operational functions were also determined. The study revealed that water supply scheme is justified in tertiary institutions. It was also found that approximately 10.7 million Nigerian naira (N) is lost to leakages during the 22-month study period; the system’s storage capacity is no longer adequate, especially for peak water production. The capacity of the system as a whole is insufficient for the present university population and that the existing water supply system is not being operated in an optimal manner especially due to personnel, power and system ageing constraints.

Keywords: development, panacea, supply, water

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Authors: Sunday Oladele, Joseph Oluwagbeja Simeon

Abstract:

Subsurface exploration, integrating methods of geotechnics and geophysics, of a planned construction site in the coastal city of Lagos, Nigeria has been carried out with the aim of characterizing the soil properties and their implication for the proposed infrastructural development. Six Standard Penetration Tests (SPT), fourteen Dutch Cone Penetrometer Tests (DCPT) and 2D Electrical Resistivity Imaging employing Dipole-dipole and Pole-dipole arrays were implemented on the site. The topsoil (0 - 4m) consists of highly compacted sandy lateritic clay(10 to 5595Ωm) to 1.25m in some parts and dense sand in other parts to 5.50m depth. This topsoil was characterized as a material of very high shear strength (≤ 150kg/m2) and allowable bearing pressure value of 54kN/m2 to 85kN/m2 and a safety factor of 2.5. Soft amorphous peat/peaty clay (0.1 to 11.4Ωm), 3-6m thick, underlays the lateritic clay to about 18m depth. Grey, medium dense to very dense sand (0.37 to 2387Ωm) with occasional gravels underlies the peaty clay down to 30m depth. Within this layer, the freshwater bearing zones are characterized by high resistivity response (83 to 2387Ωm), while the clayey sand/saline water intruded sand produced subdued resistivity output (0.37 to 40Ωm). The overall ground-bearing pressure for the proposed structure would be 225kN/m2. Bored/cast-in-place pile at 18.00m depth with any of these diameters and respective safe working loads 600mm/1,140KN, 800mm/2,010KN and 1000mm/3,150KN is recommended for the proposed multi-story structure.

Keywords: subsurface exploration, Geotechnical properties, resistivity imaging, pile

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Authors: Devansh Desai, Chamandeep Kaur, Nirmal Kullu, George Christopher

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Study of aerosols has become very important tool in assuming the climatic changes over a region.Spectral and temporal variability’s in aerosol optical depth(AOD) and size distribution are investigated using ground base measurements over Ahmedabad during the months of January(2013) to may (2013). Angstrom coefficient (ἁ) was found to be higher in winter season (January to march) indicating the dominance of fine mode aerosol concentration over Ahmedabad, and the Angstrom coefficient (ἁ) was found to be lower indicating the dominance of coarse mode aerosol concentration over Ahmedabad. The different values of alpha are observed when calculated over different wavelength ranges indicating bimodal aerosol size distribution. Discrimination of aerosol size during different seasons is made using the coefficient of polynomial fit (ἁ1 and ἁ2) which shows the presence of changing dominant aerosol types as a function of season over Ahmedabad. The ἁ2- ἁ1 value is used to get the confirmation on the dominant aerosol mode over Ahmedabad in both seasons. During pre-monsoon about 90% of AOD spectra is dominated by coarse mode aerosols and during winter about 60% of AOD spectra is dominated by fine mode aerosols. This characterization of aerosols is important in assessing the response of different aerosols type in radiative forcing and over climate of Ahmedabad.

Keywords: radiative forcing, aerosol optical depth, fine mode, coarse mode

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Authors: Sunday Nanosi Ndovi, Patrick Albert Chikumba

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In Malawi, smallholder dairy farmers transport unprocessed milk to sell at Milk Bulking Groups (MBGs). MBGs store and chill the milk while awaiting collection by processors. The farmers deliver milk using various modes of transportation such as foot, bicycle, and motorcycle. As a perishable food, milk requires timely transportation to avoid deterioration. In other instances, some farmers bypass the nearest MBGs for facilities located further away. Untimely delivery worsens quality and results in rejection at MBG. Subsequently, these rejections lead to revenue losses for dairy farmers. Therefore, the objective of this study was to optimize routes when transporting milk by selecting the shortest route using time as a cost attribute in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A spatially organized transport system impedes milk deterioration while promoting profitability for dairy farmers. A transportation system was modeled using Route Analysis and Closest Facility network extensions. The final output was to find the quickest routes and identify the nearest milk facilities from incidents. Face-to-face interviews targeted leaders from all 48 MBGs in the study area and 50 farmers from Namahoya MBG. During field interviews, coordinates were captured in order to create maps. Subsequently, maps supported the selection of optimal routes based on the least travel times. The questionnaire targeted 200 respondents. Out of the total, 182 respondents were available. Findings showed that out of the 50 sampled farmers that supplied milk to Namahoya, only 8% were nearest to the facility, while 92% were closest to 9 different MBGs. Delivering milk to the nearest MBGs would minimize travel time and distance by 14.67 hours and 73.37 km, respectively.

Keywords: closest facility, milk, route analysis, spatial transport

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Authors: Kathryn H. Yull, Lina T. Al Kury, Frank Christopher Howarth

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Cardiovascular diseases are frequently reported in patients with Type-1 Diabetes mellitus (DM). In addition to changes in cardiac muscle inotropy, electrical abnormalities are also commonly observed in these patients. In the present study, using streptozotocin (STZ) rat model of Type-1 DM, we have characterized the changes in L-type calcium channel activity in single atrioventricular nodal (AVN) myocytes. Ionic currents were recorded from AVN myocytes isolated from the hearts of control rats and from those with STZ-induced diabetes. Patch-clamp recordings were used to assess changes in cellular electrical activity in individual myocytes. Type-1 DM significantly altered the cellular characteristics of L-type calcium current (ICaL). A reduction in peak ICaL density was observed, with no corresponding changes in the activation parameters of the current. ICaL also exhibited faster time-dependent inactivation in AVN myocytes from diabetic rats. A negative shift in the voltage dependence of inactivation was also evident. These findings demonstrate that experimentally–induced type-1 DM significantly alters AVN L-type calcium channel cellular electrophysiology. The changes in ion channel activity may underlie the abnormalities in the cardiac electrical function that contribute to the high mortality levels in patients with DM.

Keywords: cardiac, ion-channel, diabetes, atrioventricular node, calcium channel

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Authors: Sunday Nathaniel Obasi, Chiamak Chinasa Obasi

Abstract:

Soil characterization and classification provide the basic information necessary to create a functional evaluation and soil classification schemes. Fertility capability classification (FCC) on the other hand is a technical system that groups the soils according to kinds of problems they present for management of soil physical and chemical properties. This research was carried out in Ebonyi state, southeastern Nigeria, which is an agrarian state and a leading rice producing part of southeastern Nigeria. In order to maximize the soil and enhance the productivity of rice in Ebonyi soils, soil classification, and fertility classification information need to be supplied. The state was grouped into three locations according to their agricultural zones namely; Ebonyi north, Ebonyi central and Ebonyi south representing Abakaliki, Ikwo and Ivo locations respectively. Major rice growing areas of the soils were located and two profile pits were sunk in each of the studied zones from which soils were characterized, classified and fertility capability classification (FCC) developed. Soil classification was done using United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Soil Taxonomy and correlated with World Reference Base for soil resources. Results obtained classified Abakaliki 1 and Abakaliki 2 as Typic Fluvaquents (Ochric Fluvisols). Ikwo 1 was classified as Vertic Eutrudepts (Eutric Vertisols) while Ikwo 2 was classified as Typic Eutrudepts (Eutric Cambisols). Ivo 1 and Ivo 2 were both classified as Aquic Eutrudepts (Gleyic Leptosols). Fertility capability classification (FCC) revealed that all studied soils had mostly loamy topsoils and subsoils except Ikwo 1 with clayey topsoil. Limitations encountered in the studied soils include; dryness (d), low ECEC (e), low nutrient capital reserve (k) and water logging/ anaerobic condition (gley). Thus, FCC classifications were Ldek for Abakaliki 1 and 2, Ckv for Ikwo 1, LCk for Ikwo 2 while Ivo 1 and 2 were Legk and Lgk respectively.

Keywords: soil classification, soil fertility, limitations, modifiers, Southeastern Nigeria

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