bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treasury Single Account and the Performance of Banking Sector: A Study of Selected Deposit Money Banks in Oyo State, Nigeria
Authors: Oloruntoba Oyedele, , Michael Oyewole, Olabode , Ayo-Oyebiyi G. T.
Published: November 2019

The banking sector in any country plays a fundamental role in increasing the level of economic activity. However, the implementation of treasury single account has been devilled its performance. This study therefore investigates the implication of treasury single account on the performance of Nigerian Deposit Money Banks. Quantitative analysis was used in this research, with data collected by the researchers. Five banks (Zenith Bank, First Bank Plc, UBA, Access Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank) were selected through purposive method. Judgmental sampling technique was also used to select Head of Operation, Accountant and Branch Manager from 10 branches each of the selected bank in Oyo State, Nigeria, totaling 150 respondents as a sample size for the study. Data collection instrument used was a structured questionnaire and data analysis was performed with the aid of Ordinary Least Square method of estimation. Result shows that implementation of Treasury Single Account has significant relationship with closure of branches, withdrawal syndrome from the banking system, liquidity crisis and unemployment crisis in Deposit Money Banks. Subsequently, the study recommends that banks should focus on their core banking operations rather than feeding on government idle funds kept into various accounts by Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Also, banks should sensitize people on the importance of baking culture instead of them keeping their money under their pillow, inside their farms and underground.
Influence of Anthropogenic Activities on the Physico-chemical Characteristics of Open Drainage Channels in Port Harcourt
Authors: Ogbonna David N. , Ogbuku John O. , Kpormon Lucky B.
Published: November 2019

Wastewater and sediment samples from selected locations of the Ntanwogba creek in the metropolitan city of Port Harcourt were collected. Physicochemical parameters were determined using standard analytical procedures. The results of the physicochemical analysis of the wastewater at different locations in this study was reported to have fell short of the recommended limits in terms of the turbidity, BOD5, nitrate, pH, TDS, temperature, DO, COD and chloride concentrations. The pH of the wastewater effluent samples ranged from 6.4–7.4, while sediments ranged from 5.3–5.7, the temperature regime for the samples at all study sites ranged 26.6-29.50C. Similarly, TDS and EC levels from wastewater samples ranged from 375–449 mg/l and 501-812.6 µS/cm, respectively.  BOD5 ranges from 33.6 to 201.6 mg/l while chloride concentrations ranged from 34.30-61.06 mg/l. Similar trends were observed for sediments in all stations. The physicochemical characteristics from both sources were statistically significantly different at p < 0.05, and these values were not within the recommended limits for such effluents throughout the sampling period. The conclusion is that wastewater with a high domestic load has the highest negative impact on water quality in a river which suggests that the water resources has lost it potability. This calls for urgent attention for responsible agencies to ensure proper implementation of waste management policies to sanitize our environment. This is because failure to enforce the regulations might pose severe threat to receiving water bodies/resources.
Assessment of Magnetic Susceptibility of Some Selected Rock Samples from Karu Area, Northcentral Nigeria
Authors: Nyam George Gala , Adeeko Tajudeen Olugbenga , Umar Medina , Abdulkafar Kadiri
Published: November 2019

Magnetic susceptibility is a very sensitive indicator of magnetic minerals present in rock because any slight variation in magnetic mineralogy is usually reflected by a profound change of susceptibility. However, the knowledge of its mineral composition does not provide adequate information about the rock and mineral composition of rock and properties such as magnetic susceptibility determines the property of rock. Six samples of the rocks were obtained at different two quarries site each located at Nyanya and Karu for the assessment of magnetic susceptibility which were measured with an instrument called magnetic susceptibility meter EM2S+. The results obtained shows that limestone has low magnetic susceptibility compared to other rock samples such as pegmatite, quartzite, gneiss, granite, granite gneiss, sand stone in both site and pegmatite has the low magnetic susceptibility compared to other rock samples in Karu. The average magnetic susceptibility of the rock samples from Nyanya and Karu are 4.11 x 10-4 (SI) and 4.99 x 10-4(SI) respectively. In conclusion, the selected rock samples show that granite gneiss > laterite > sand stone > granite > gneiss > quartzite > pegmatite > limestone. Which indicate that limestone has the low magnetic susceptibility than other rock samples, show the present of Felsic materials while granite gneiss has a very high magnetic susceptibility, as a result of the present of large amount of iron and magnesium in it.
Contributions of Adult Vocational Education Programmes to Community Development in Gokana and Khana Local Government Areas of Rivers State, Nigeria
Authors: Gimah Batombari Gbidum
Published: November 2019

The study examined the contributions of adult vocational education programmes to community development in Gokana and Khana Local Government Areas of Rivers State. Adult Vocational education programmes as a practise, is an important element that should not lacking in the community; as the adults constitute the functional human element of the society. Four research questions were used to guide this study. The population of the study was 2822 consisting of members of the unions and associations, of which a sample of 1975 members were drawn from the population. The instrument for data collection was structured questionnaires and the collected data were analysed using simple frequency distributions and mean scores. The findings of the study revealed that adult vocational have contributed to the development of the communities, increase productivity, increase in family income, and self reliance. The study recommends that more vocational education centres should be in all the communities in Gokana and Khana, in order for everyone to benefit from the self-sustaining venture and the participants should adopt the method of each one, teach one.
Comparative Effectiveness of Mastery and Peer-to-Peer Learning Strategies in Improving Junior Secondary Students’ Learning Outcomes in Basic Science
Authors: Animola O. Victor , Bello T. Olufunke
Published: November 2019

The study determined the effectiveness of each of Mastery Learning and Peer-to-peer Learning Strategies on students’ performance in Basic Science. It also examined the effectiveness of the learning strategies in enhancing retention Basic Science concepts; and established their effectiveness in improving students’ attitude to Basic Science. These were with a view to determining a better way of improving the learning outcomes of students in Basic Science. The study adopted the non-equivalent, pre-test, post-test quasi-experimental research design. The study sample consisted of 50 Junior Secondary School two (JSSII) students in intact Basic Science classes selected from Owo Local Government Area in Ondo State, Nigeria. The instruments used for data collection were “Basic Science Achievement Test” (BSAT) and “Students Attitude in Basic Science Questionnaire” (SABSQ). The reliability coefficients of 0.79 and 0.63 were obtained for BSAT and SABSQ respectively. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-test analysis. The results showed that students in the experimental group peer-to-peer Learning Strategy (PLS) gained higher scores than those in the experimental group Mastery Learning Strategy (MLS), with the PLS being the most effective. Also, the result showed that PLS and MLS enhance students’ retention of Basic Science concepts with the retention mean score of students taught using PLS being the greatest. Finally, it was revealed that PLS and MLS showed effectiveness in improving the students’ attitude to Basic Science with PLS as the most effective. The study concluded that the PLS produce significantly better performance and retention of Basic Science by students than MLS; this is an indication that PLS is an effective mode of instruction for Basic Science students. The study recommends that teacher education programmes should emphasize PLS and MLS when in Basic Science class; also teacher should be provided with adequate training to enable them use PLS and MLS in Basic Science classroom so that learners would be guided to learn meaningfully and would be assisted to develop positive attitude towards Basic Science.
Microbial Assessment of Indoor Air Quality of Ventilation Systems
Authors: Stanley H. O. , Onwuna B. , Ugboma C. J.
Published: November 2019

The aim of the study was to compare the indoor levels of airborne bacteria and fungi of air conditioned (AC) buildings and naturally ventilated (NV) buildings using a Supermarket, a Laboratory and an Eatery as a case study. The predominant bacterial isolates were Staphylococcus, Micrococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Bacillus spp., Streptococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., Klebsiella spp. The fungal isolates belong to the genera Penicillium, Aspergillus, Mucor, Trichophyton, Fusarium, Candida and Chaetomium. The levels of airborne bacteria and fungi were determined using settle plate method. In AC buildings the average air levels of bacteria (supermarket: 24.2 CFU m-3; laboratory: 29.2 CFU m-3; eatery: 51.0 CFU m-3 air) were higher than in NV (respectively: 54.3 CFU m-3; 100.7 CFU m-3; 134.3 CFU m-3 air). The average air levels for fungal isolates were higher in the eatery due to presence of poorly maintained AC system (supermarket: 7.8 CFU m-3; laboratory: 11.5 CFU m-3; eatery: 56.7 CFU m-3 air) than in NV (28.6 CFU m-3; 19.6 CFU m-3; 13.5 CFU m-3 air respectively). Findings from this study showed that AC buildings had lower levels of bacterial and fungal contamination compared to buildings with natural ventilation.
Attitudes of Male Undergraduate Students towards Choosing the Female Under/Graduate Students as Marriage Partners within the Hausa-Folk
Authors: Umar Muhammad Mustapha , Sani Abu-Ubaida , Yahaya Sumayya
Published: November 2019

Marriage partner selection, though something very close to us, has not been as simple and straight forward as the name denotes. Rather, it involves a lot of specialty and competence to accomplish. In fact, it has been a very serious and contentious subject of discussion amongst scholars. Various factors determine the selection of marriage partners, which vary from a society to another. This study is set to investigate into the attitude of undergraduate male students towards selection of female graduate and or undergraduate students as marriage partners, with the view of ascertaining if level of females’ education in Northern Nigeria (and especially within the Hausa-folk) is a determining variable for a female to be chosen in marriage. The population of the study consists of all the students of the Department of Educational Foundations, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria, which equals to 560 students. Total number of 226 students are selected as the sampled population. Moreover, questionnaire is used as the research instrument. The instrument was submitted to experts in the departments of Science and Vocational Education, and Educational Foundations respectively for validity check. However, the findings of the study indicate among others that, male undergraduate students have positive attitudes towards the selection of female under/graduate students as marriage partners. Finally, the research upper some suggestions among which one is that, there should be further study on the attitudes of other Hausas of different socio-economic status towards females’ education.
Analysis the Effect of Leadership to Safety Climate, Safety Culture and Safety Performance
Authors: Khasanah Nurul , . Kholil , . Sugiarto
Published: November 2019

In this era of globalisation, occupational safety is the main spotlight in every industry. By implementing a safety management system in the workplace, it is hoped that it can shape the safety climate and positive safety culture, which can be assessed from zero accidents, workforce behaviour and support for the safety of oneself and coworkers.

The main objective of this research was to analyse the effect of leadership on safety climate, safety culture and safety performance. This research was conducted at a plastic packaging manufacturer, PT. Berlina Tbk Tangerang with 133 participants and used the SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) analysis method.

The results of the research analysis showed that leadership, safety climate and safety culture have a simultaneous significant effect on 83% safety performance.
Participation of Rural Women in Income Generating Activities from Agricultural Model Farm Project
Authors: Haque Anwarul , Bhuiyan M. H. , Ali M. S. , Uddin M. N. , Haque M. K. , Rimi T. A.
Published: November 2019

This study was conducted mainly to have an understanding about the participation of rural women in Bangladesh in income generating activities initiated by Agricultural Model Farm (AMF) project of Sabalamby Unnayan Samity (SUS), a famous NGO in Bangladesh. This also explained the relationship between extent of women participation in income generating activities initiated by AMF project of SUS and their selected characteristic. Data were collected from a sample of 90 rural women from 12 selected SUS groups in two unions namely Amtala and Singher Bangla of Sadar upazila of Netrokona district in Bangladesh. Data were collected through interview schedule during 20 April 2008 to 20 May 2008. Majority (47.78 percent) rural women had favorable participation, while 36.67 percent had moderate favorable participation and there was no respondent under unfavorable participation. Findings also indicate that 80 percent rural women had high participation in AMF project activities, (81.11 percent) had medium training exposure. Correlation analysis indicates that the characteristics of the rural women such as age, family size, family farm size, farming experience, duration of involvement with SUS and training exposure had no significant relationship with the extent of participation in AMF project activities. On the other hand farming experience had positive relationship with their participation in income generating activities initiated by AMF project of SUS.
A Study on Effect of Sleep Patterns on Body Fat Mass of School Going Children (8-10- Years Old) in Mumbai City
Authors: Satra Nehal , Sengupta Rupali
Published: November 2019

Aims: To study the effect of sleep patterns on body fat mass of school going children (8-10-year-old) in Mumbai city.

Study Design: Body fat mass was analyzed using Inbody 120 body composition analyzer. Total 388 subjects were selected for the study.

Place and Duration of Study: The period required to carry out study was from November 2018 to March 2019. 388 subjects (male and female) participated from public to private schools in Mumbai city for the study.

Methodology: Total 388 subjects (male and female) participated from 5 schools ranging from public to private school were selected from Mumbai city, (Maharashtra, India). Inbody 120 body composition analyzer was used to assess body fat for the subjects. SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis.

Results: A positive correlation was observed between wakeup timings and body fat mass at p≤0.05 (0.00). However, the habit of snoring showed highly significant difference at p≤0.05 for body fat mass (0.00) and fat free mass (0.00).

Conclusion: It was concluded that sleep patterns had a significant impact on body fat mass. Therefore, the sleep timings and wakeup timings need to be observed for the children in their growing age as it may have deep impact on child’s body type.
Determinants of Community-Based Health Insurance Scheme Enrolment in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review
Authors: Olowe G. T.
Published: November 2019

In developing Nations, the Community-based Health Insurance (CBHI) scheme is a potential approach to increasing access to quality healthcare. It has the potency of generating financial resources for health services; plus improve on the standard of life of the people. Evidence based reports suggest that enrolment into the CBHI is still low, particularly among low income earners of the third world nations. Thus, this study was undertaken to review and help formulate policies by existential evidence on the factors that determines enrolment into the CBHI in developing countries. Study adopted the thematic synthesis of both qualitative and mixed method studies that report the above measure of interest. Study relied on Ovid Medline In-Process and other Non-Indexed citations till present. Study sourced the web of Knowledge, Google Scholar for articles relating to enrolment into CBHI in developing countries. Six studies (qualitative and mixed method studies) reporting qualitative results on the factors determining enrolment into CBHI in developing countries met the inclusion criteria. Quality assessment was carried out on each study and findings were synthesised with the aid of thematic synthesis. Four major themes were identified by interpreting and categorizing the themes across all selected studies; Individual factors, Scheme factors, Service provider factors and Requirement to team up with others before enrolment. In the end, study observed enrolment into CBHI scheme in developing countries to be driven by several factors including age and policy making, most of which positively or negatively influence decisions made by households to enrol or not in the CBHI scheme. Findings from this review are expected to contribute to policy and decision making for health care centres under CBHI scheme in developing countries.
Impact of Monetary Policy on Value of Stock Traded: Short Run and Long Run Evidence from Nigerian Stock Exchange (1987- 2017)
Authors: Umezurike Chinedu Maurice , Ananwude Amalachukwu Chijindu
Published: November 2019

This study examined the effect of monetary policy on value of stock traded in Nigerian Stock Exchange. Specifically, we ascertained the effect of monetary policy rate, liquidity ratio and loan to deposit ratio on value of stock traded using the Autoregressive Distribute Lag (ARDL) based on annual data from 1986 to 2017. Our findings showed that monetary policy rate, liquidity ratio and loan to deposit ratio have no significant effect on value of stock traded. Monetary policy rate maintained a negative relationship with value of stock traded, while liquidity ratio and loan to deposit ratio positively correlated with value of stock traded. We are vehemently of the view that expansionary monetary policy that guarantees adequate liquidity in the economy should be pursued vigorously by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Adequate level of liquidity offers firms’ in the stock market better access to financial resources which will increase their revenue and thus appreciation in their stocks trading.
Evaluation of Destructive e-Banking Users’ Loyalty by Applying RFM
Authors: Maryam Notash , Ali Harounabadi
Published: November 2019

World economy has encountered money laundering phenomenon and its destructive effects on economy of countries over the last decades. Money laundry detection is one of the fields in which data mining tools can be very helpful in detecting it. Nowadays, recognizing credible customers to present banking facilities to them is of high importance. On the other hand, by increasing cheating in banking, detecting the fraud customers is also important. In this study, the decision tree was being trained by providing a fuzzy decision tree and users’ behavioral vectors. The output of fuzzy tree can signify users’ risking behaviors. Some features of customers’ accounts need to be extracted in order to identify the people with high risks. For instance, the variance of money transaction and money transfer can be done. In another part of the study, RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) features and MLP (Multi-Layer Perception) classifications were used to identify the loyal customers. The three-fold features of refreshment, frequency, and shopping amount was completely discussed for every customer, whereby the customers’ scores were established as well. This classification aimed to categorize the credible users of neural networks. The results of current research indicate that the represented techniques possess high precision values, in comparison with previous techniques.
Statistical Evaluation of the Effect of Process Parameters on the Depth of Penetration of Tungsten Inert Gas Arc Cladding Weld in Mild Steel
Authors: Chukwuemeka Ezeliora Daniel , Cyril E. Mbanusi , Patrick S. Aguh
Published: November 2019

The study expressed the statistical investigation in depth of penetration on mild steel cladding weld geometry. The use of analytical tools and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were use to investigate the statistical influence of the mild steel cladding weld process parameters that gives rise to the geometry of the mild steel material. The results portray and express the statistical effects, variations and models of the process parameters and the response parameter in the system the parameters used are significant, while the model developed has a significance value of 0.48%. Finally, the need for this research has shown the essence of statistical investigation and mathematical modeling for depth of penetration on mild steel cladding weld metal geometry which give solutions to the system and more appropriate suggestions that will influence the decision making on mild steel metal utilization.
Chikungunya Virus: An Emerging Threat to South East Asia Region
Authors: Haroon-Or-Rashid Md , Monowar Hossen Patwary Md , Tariquzzaman Md , Imtiaz Ahmed , N. Rubaia Islam Bony M.
Published: November 2019

Chikungunya virus is an alphavirus of the Togaviridae family, positive-strand RNA genome, which was first recorded in Tanzania in 1952 and since then Chikungunya has been reported in Burma, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, West Africa and the Philippines. In the recent decade, Chikungunya is a severe global public health concern. Chikungunya predominantly transmitted by bites of mosquitoes of the Aedes genus (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) the same mosquito that transmits Dengue fever, only female mosquitoes are infective because they require a blood meal for the formation of the egg. Vertical transmission occurs between mother and fetus. The infected Chikungunya mosquitoes can be found for biting throughout daylight hours especially early morning and late afternoon. The Chikungunya viral disease occurs in victims of all ages in both sexes. Following a bite by an infected mosquito, the disease manifests itself after an average incubation period of 2-4 days (range: 3-12 days), predominant clinical features include, high fever, joint pain, rash, myalgia etc. Serum specimen is collected within 5 days for the Reverse Transcriptase- Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT –PCR) to detect the viral RNA and ELISA/ICT detect anti-Chikungunya antibody (IgM and IgG) after 1st weak of infection. Specific treatment and a recognised vaccine are not available for Chikungunya, but symptomatic treatments are available like paracetamol and painkiller for high fever and local pain. Elimination of mosquito habitats is the best way to prevent and control of Chikungunya infection.
Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infections among Patients Attending Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria
Authors: Mohammed K. , Gulma M. Kabiru , Yahaya M. , Spencer T. H. I. , Nataala S. U. , Garba M. K. , Imam A. U. , Aschroft O. F. , Micheal U.
Published: November 2019

Background: Intestinal parasitic infection is one of the major health issue in developing countries particularly in Sub -Saharan Africa. It has been estimated to affect about 3.5 billion people globally and 450 million people are thought to be ill as a result of such infections, the majority being children.

Aims: The study was aimed at determining the prevalence and associated risk factors of intestinal parasitic infections among patients attending Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted among patients attending Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Sokoto state, between May to November 2017.

Methodology: A total of 245 participants were enrolled in the study. Standard parasitological examination was carried out on stool samples using microscopic examination.

Results: Finding revealed that 29 (11.8%) were positive for intestinal parasitic infections. Males  recorded  higher  prevalence  than  the  females  with 19 (11.9%)  and  10 (11.7%),  respectively.

Conclusion: Low level of  education,  occupational  status, poor water supply  were  among the significant  risk  factors  for  these  infections. Prevalence and  intensity  of  parasitic  infections  among  the  study community could be reduce by Creating awareness, level of sanitation, water supply and deworming programme  among  school  children.
Prevalence Rate of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis among Women Attending Abia State Teaching Hospital Aba, Nigeria
Authors: Azike C. A. , Agi V. N. , Uwalaka D.
Published: November 2019

Background: Most women regard any secretion from the vagina as abnormal discharge and the first task for primary health care giver is to confirm whether it is physiological or pathological.

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence rate of Candida infection among women, attending Abia State teaching hospital, Abayi Aba. A structured questionnaire was administered to obtain demographic data.

Methodology: One hundred high vaginal swab samples were collected from both symptomatic and asymptomatic non-pregnant women between ages 15-45 years old. These specimens were analyzed with standard microbiological techniques. The swabs were inoculated on sabouraud dextrose agar and incubated at 37 degrees centigrade for 48hrs. Wet preparation was examined microscopically for presence of yeast cells. Gram staining was also done. Germ tube test was carried out to confirm Candida albicans species.

Results: Of the 100 specimens analyzed, the overall prevalence of Candida species was 57% (n=57). There were 47 symptomatic participants and 53 asymptomatic participants in the study. Of the 47 symptomatic women, 36 had Candida species while 21 out of 53 asymptomatic women had Candida species. The participants were also grouped according to their socio-economic status and the result revealed that traders were most affected with prevalence rate of 35.1% while the housewives were least affected with prevalence rate of 14.0%.

Conclusion: This study recorded higher prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis among both symptomatic and asymptomatic non-pregnant women in Abia State teaching hospital. Regular checkup and good hygiene practice are critical in order to forestall avoidable complications.
Improving Detection of Trichomonas vaginalis Infection among Adult Females in a Resource-poor Setting in Ogoniland, Niger Delta, Nigeria
Authors: Nwokah Easter Godwin , Monday Ziganubari Monica , Azike Chidimma Anthonia
Published: November 2019

Aim: Trichomonas vaginalis infection is a neglected tropical parasitic infection affecting mostly women of child bearing age, especially those of low socio-economic status and those that have poor hygiene lifestyle. Unfortunately, the traditional wet mount microscopy routinely used in the rural health care settings, for the detection of this parasite from clinical specimen, hardly detect this parasite (false negative), thus making the diagnosis of trichomoniasis a huge challenge in the rural settings. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence rate of Trichomonas vaginalis among adult females in Bori, a rural resource-poor setting in Ogoniland, Niger Delta, Nigeria using modified Parasite Concentration-Giemsa staining technique.

Study Design: This was a randomized study of adult females attending Government Health Centers in the Ogoni areas of Rivers State, Nigeria between April and August, 2018.

Methodology: A total of five hundred (500) women, grouped into married (128) and unmarried (372), were enrolled in this study. A structured questionnaire was also administered to the participants for demographic data. Using sterile specula, high vaginal swab samples were collected and analyzed using the wet mount preparation and 10% Giemsa staining of centrifuged specimens.

Results: Results obtained showed that the prevalence rate was 1.8% (9 out of 500 subjects). The sensitivity of wet mount and Giemsa stain methods were 56.2% and 100% respectively while their specificity were 100% and 98.2% respectively. While wet mount detected 0.4%, Giemsa staining method detected 1.8%. Two (1.6%) out of 128 married women examined had T. vaginalis while 7 (1.9%) out of 372 unmarried women examined had T. vaginalis.

Conclusion: Although study recorded a low prevalence, Trichomonas vaginalis infections, exists in rural areas of Rivers State and therefore a source of concern because of its attendant morbidities. Early detection using improved diagnostic methods and in this case, the relatively inexpensive Parasite Concentration-Giemsa staining method, will improve management within the rural setting. A meta screening of more rural communities is advocated.
Molecular Surveillance of Common Peridomestic Wild Birds as Potential Hosts for Selected Zoonotic Viruses within Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Fasuan O. S. , Adeyanju T. A.
Published: November 2019

Wild birds have been known to be carriers and reservoir hosts for many zoonotic viruses. This necessitated this study which is aimed at detecting some zoonotic viruses in the faeces of selected peridomestic wild birds within Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria. Peridomestic wild birds are defined for this study as wild birds that live close to, or are kept close to, human habitations, either for commercial purposes, entertainment purposes or as pets. In carrying this out, faeces and cloacal swabs were collected from 110 birds from the avian families Columbidae, Psattaculidae, Anatidae, Ardeidae, Ploceidae, Phansianidae and Accipitridae across different locations across the city of Ibadan for a period of 12 months and screened for Alphaviruses, Flaviviruses, Rift Valley fever virus and Avian Paramyxovirus (Newcastle Disease Virus) using genus-specific and species-specific primers in a rtPCR method. The amplicons were subjected to 3 – 5% agarose gel electrophoresis for detection of the targeted amplified sequences. None of the targeted viral sequences was detected in the samples, showing the absence of the suspected viruses among the birds screened in this city. It is recommended that further surveillances of other species and genera of birds be continually carried out in order for early detection before potential outbreaks.
Activities of Some Ethnobotanicals from North East Nigeria, against Culicine Mosquitoes
Authors: Ngwamah J. S. , Naphtali R. S.
Published: November 2019

Mosquito borne diseases are the major cause of economic loss due to high morbidity and mortality in Africa. Elimination of culicine vectors using ethnobotanical extracts is one of the best methods for controlling mosquito-borne diseases. The methanolic and petroleum ether extracts of five plants, Azadirachta indica (neem), Hyptis suaveolens (bush tea), Eucarlyptus globulus (pole wire), Citrus senensis (orange), and Ocimumkilimanscharicum (bush scent leaf), were investigated for their effectiveness in control of subfamilies Culicidae mosquitoes’ larvae from June 2017 to October 2017. The results showed that the mortality is concentration dependent. Mortality was recorded for both methanol and petroleum ether extracts. Higher mortalities were observed in the methanolic extracts than petroleum ether extracts. The different plant extracts showed high significant differences (p< 0.05) to each other. Hyptis suaveolens proved to be the most effective treatment agent with 100% mortality observed at both 150 ppm and 200 ppm. The present study has demonstrated larvicidal effects, and the effects were extended pupae emerged from the different treatment which led to the low adult emergence as compared to the control.
WikiLeaks
Authors: Cammaerts Bart
Published: November 2019

This entry addresses the emergence as well as the demise of WikiLeaks as an innovative platform for whistleblowers to leak documents and evidence of wrongdoing. The entry starts by defining the practice of whistleblowing and addressing the digital affordances which led to the emergence and initial success of WikiLeaks. It also deals with the problems raised by releasing an abundance of information. This led WikiLeaks to turn to media partners to increase the impact of the leaked information they received. The leaking of US classified information was not without consequences and led to a counterattack by the US government and by US‐based companies on which WikiLeaks relied for funding and hosting of its content. State and corporate repression in combination with the increasing personality cult surrounding Julian Assange, and the allegations of sexual misconduct against him, have led to the gradual demise of WikiLeaks. Its last high‐profile leak was the e‐mails from the Clinton campaign and the Democratic party during the 2016 US elections.
Communication
Authors: Katz Elihu , Fialkoff Yonatan
Published: November 2019

Communication is a process whereby social actors transfer or share symbolic content via media. The evolution of media has successively shaped societies as oral, scribal, print, electronic, and digital. Academic research on the effects of communication focuses on transmission, integration, persuasion, gratification, and cultivation.
Unanticipated Consequences
Authors: Solinas‐Saunders Monica
Published: November 2019

Social interventions are subject to unanticipated and unintended consequences because gaining comprehensive information about a situation can be costly. In addition, social actors face many challenges due to society's need of immediate intervention to eliminate visible social imbalances. The assessment of negative consequences, however, might lie on the subjectivity of the examiner, as different groups of actors might tend to develop antagonistic views on any given social matter.
Szasz, Thomas S. (1920–2012)
Authors: Cresswell Mark
Published: November 2019

The Hungarian‐born, US‐based psychiatrist Thomas S. Szasz, was the author of
The Myth of Mental Illness
. He was a key figure in the antipsychiatry movement from the 1960s onward. He argued that the concept of mental illness was false and unscientific and that the lawful incarceration of individuals on mental health grounds was morally wrong. His views remain controversial and he has been criticized on philosophical, moral, and sociological grounds.
Fashion
Authors: Aspers Patrik , Godart Frédéric
Published: November 2019

As a sociological phenomenon par excellence, fashion has drawn the attention of prominent social theorists. A simple way to characterize fashion is “being first with the latest.” It is an inherently social and relational phenomenon not restricted to particular domains, although most research on fashion is concerned with dress. Fashion has been economically and socially salient since the Renaissance but its role has been amplified with the emergence of the mass market and product differentiation facilitated by mass production. Fashion is about change but not necessarily innovation, notably because of its cyclical nature – styles from the past get a new life. Fashion cannot be imposed; it emerges via a social process in which actors imitate one another and new fashions are diffused in society. Largely neglected until the mid‐1990s, in the twenty‐first century “fashion studies” have witnessed exciting developments, opening new avenues for research.
Oral History Research
Authors: Santhiago Ricardo
Published: November 2019

Oral history is a polysemic term that refers both to a qualitative research method and to an academic field devoted to promoting and debating this method, especially in its connections to studies on memory, narrative, and subjectivity. As a method, oral history relies on open‐ended interviews with persons who have lived or witnessed events of historical significance, who can convey recollections of their or their communities' past, and whose personal experiences can contribute to the study of social processes. Since oral history's inception, it has been used to generate sources for archival purposes, as a tool for political activism, and as a scholarly resource for the investigation of personal biographies and social memory.
Microwork
Authors: Flecker Jörg , Herr Benjamin
Published: November 2019

Microwork or microtasking is defined as digital work carried out via Internet platforms containing repetitive small tasks. The concept has gained currency in the debates on the Internet economy and the emergence of a global workforce for information processing. It emerged from the combined interest in the developments of the capitalist labor process and the social consequences of technological change. Research on microwork covers a number of different dimensions: the task structure and work demands; the time structures of microwork; the income security; the precarious employment situation; the relationship between clients, platform, and workers; the architecture of microwork platforms; the collective organization of microworkers; and microwork as a means to bring jobs to remote regions and less developed countries. Currently, research focuses on precarity, time structures, and the architecture of platforms with their consequences for power relations between clients, platforms, and workers. Future research may more intensively look at the regulation of microwork in different institutional settings.
Population Aging
Authors: Newbold K. Bruce
Published: November 2019

Continued declines in fertility and mortality have meant a shift toward an older age structure, characterized by a smaller share of children and a larger share of older adults (ages 65 and greater). Given low fertility rates and increasing life expectancies, it is expected that population aging will accelerate in the coming years. This entry provides an overview of population aging, including discussion of how aging is characterized as well as the concerns associated with aging populations.
Boltanski, Luc (1940–)
Authors: Browne Craig
Published: November 2019

Luc Boltanski is one of the most significant and innovative contemporary sociologists and the importance of Boltanski's distinctive orientation to the world is highlighted in this entry, particularly for his rethinking of critique. The long term implications of Boltanski's early collaboration with Pierre Bourdieu and subsequent criticism of Bourdieusian sociology are underlined. Boltanski's book
The Cadre
is shown to prefigure later themes through its account of the contingent formation of a class and the tensions that beset cadres. With Laurent Thévenot, Boltanski initiated a major new sociological approach and how the theory and methodology of pragmatist sociology of critique developed is explained. A number of sociological pragmatism's key conceptions are detailed and various strands of Boltanski's investigations into moral‐political practices noted. It is argued that the book that Boltanski authored with Eve Chiapello,
The New Spirit of Capitalism
, is a landmark text and highlights how change was precipitated by critique and contestation. The main arguments of Boltanski's three most substantial recent books are outlined, noting how this entails an innovative reformulation of critique, an exploration of the links between early spy and detective novels, the state, and sociological reasoning, and an interpretation of the centrality of the enrichment of commodities to contemporary capitalism.
Advertising
Authors: Langman Lauren
Published: November 2019

Advertising is the process through which an organization (or individual) that provides a product or service uses a variety of announcements through signs, billboards, and mass media (that now includes the Internet) to encourage people to purchase those goods or services.
Antiwar and Peace Movements
Authors: Wolff Kristina B.
Published: November 2019

Antiwar and peace movements are social movements that concentrate on issues related to war, armed conflict, and violence. The primary focus is usually a demand for an end to a specific conflict, the abolition of war, and the adoption of nonviolent techniques to solve conflict. Strategies for change have included violent acts such as assassination, self‐immolation, and the destruction of property. The vast majority of people participating in these movements utilize nonviolent tactics. Motivations for resisting war and promoting peace vary; they include concerns over the ideological reasons behind war, the immorality of killing people, violations of human rights, the destruction of lives, the environment, and opposition to continued occupation. Success varies, protests against the Vietnam War (1960s–1970s) in the United States did have an impact on de‐escalating and ending the war. Mass demonstrations in 2010 created significant changes in national governments in the Middle East and northern Africa. In the United States, the Women's March (2017) and March for Our Lives (2018) involved thousands of people around the world standing against violence and oppression. Some results from these marches are increased awareness and accountability for violence against women and people of color as well as new laws restricting access to guns.
Autopoiesis
Authors: Schinkel Willem
Published: November 2019

The concept of autopoiesis was coined by Chilean biologists Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela to describe self‐organizing and self‐reproducing processes in the cells of biological organisms. Literally denoting self (
auto
) production (
poesis
), it denotes the way a biological cell consists of components that are produced by a structure they themselves help to maintain. In sociology, its most famous application has been given by Niklas Luhmann. Luhmann's work from the early 1980s onward is characterized by an “autopoietic turn,” which meant a definitive break away from an action‐oriented theory to a communication‐oriented one. Autopoietic systems, for Luhmann, produce both their structures and their basic components out of the network of those same components.
Anarchism and Urban Planning
Authors: Vanolo Alberto
Published: November 2019

Anarchist ideas have meaningfully influenced human geography, urban planning, and urban studies in general, particularly thanks to the classic contributions of anarchist geographers such Elisée Reclus and Peter Kropotkin. Their ideas about decentralization, autonomy, communitarianism, and nature deeply influenced generations of geographers and planners, as epitomized by the Garden City movement, as well as recent strands of critical scholarship.
Crime, Broken Windows Theory of
Authors: Ranasinghe Prashan
Published: November 2019

The “broken windows” theory significantly reconceptualized the way crime and disorder are thought about, as well as the ways the efforts to attend to these concerns, by way of crime and fear reduction policies, for example, are practiced. Emerging at a particular historical juncture when crime, disorder, and fear were believed to be spiraling out of control and the quality of urban life on the wane, “broken windows” claimed that it was disorder (e.g., panhandlers or rowdy teenagers) that properly explained heightened levels of fear in cities and postulated that if disorder is left unchecked it would spiral into more serious concerns, including violent crime. The popularity of “broken windows” is visible in the order maintenance policing initiatives employed across major North American cities in the 1990s in an effort to tackle crime and disorder.
Discourse
Authors: Keller Reiner
Published: November 2019

“Discourse” refers to concrete microsituations of language usage in interaction as well as to comprehensive and conflictual historical processes of meaning‐making, knowledge production, and circulation of knowledge in societies; to actors, processes, and structures involved; and associated resources and effects of these struggles surrounding the “definition of the situation.” Inspired mainly by French author Michel Foucault, discourse research has established itself in sociology and related disciplines interested in the mechanisms and games of power involved in establishing what is “real” for a particular social group or collective.
Function
Authors: De Nardis Paolo
Published: November 2019

The concept of function applied to human societies, and based on an analogy between social and organic life is quite old. It was commonly used in social philosophy and sociology from the nineteenth century, but the systematic formulation of this concept was made by Émile Durkheim in his 1895 essay,
Rules of Sociological Method
, in which he defined the function of a social institution as “the correspondence between it and the needs of the social organism.” Although also in debt to mathematics (where it is known as interdependence) and to the world of professions, as a contribution to social life, the term function developed its richest capabilities in the fields of biology, architecture/technology, psychology, and sociology/anthropology, in which it is investigated in this entry.
Hidden Curriculum
Authors: Haidet Paul , Teal Cayla R. , Hafferty Frederic W.
Published: November 2019

The hidden curriculum (HC) is a theoretical construct that refers to the unofficial rules, routines, and structures (both social and physical) of environments through which all participants (e.g., students, employees, leaders, etc.) come to learn the behaviors, values, beliefs, and attitudes expected of them. This entry provides a brief tour through the history of the concept in the two fields (sociology and education) where it has garnered the most attention. Using medicine and medical education as an example, it explores several recent developments, such as a shift from systems toward individuals, as well as current efforts that draw from a variety of fields (such as complexity science) to intervene upon learning environments. It concludes with a suggestion for future sociological work on the construct.
Howard, George Elliott (1849–1928)
Authors: Frese Pam
Published: November 2019

George Elliot Howard (October 1, 1849–June 9, 1928) was an important sociologist and legal and social historian. He graduated from the State Normal School at Peru in 1870. He earned his bachelor's degree from the new University of Nebraska in 1876 and then traveled to Munich and Paris to study Roman law and history until 1878. Howard received his PhD from the University of Nebraska in 1894. He taught at Stanford University, Cornell University, and the University of Chicago. Howard became the head of the newly established Department of Political Science and Sociology at the University of Nebraska in 1906. In 1917, he became the seventh president of the American Sociological Society. Howard received an honorary vice presidency from the Institut international de sociologie of Paris for his work in the fields of human welfare, advocacy, social history, and social feminism. Howard retired from teaching in 1924 and died in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1928.