bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Multi-Temporal Sentinel-1 Dual Polarization SAR Data for Crop Type Classification
Authors: Sivasankar Thota , Sharma Pavan Kumar , Ramya M. N. S. , Venkatesh Pithani , Bairagi G. D.
Published: June 2020

India is one of the highly populated countries, and its economy mainly depends on agriculture. The crop type classification is an essential requirement for ensuring food security, crop monitoring, and to understand the environmental consequences of cultivated ecosystems. This study exploits freely available multi-temporal SAR data for discriminating crop types, such as wheat, gram, and mustard, over Ashok Nagar district, Madhya Pradesh, India. Nine Sentinel-1 dual-polarized data acquired from January 2018 to April 2018 in interferometric wide swath mode are used. Class separability analysis using Bhattacharyya Distance (BD) has been performed for multi-temporal VV and VH backscatter, log-ratio, and Radar Vegetation Index (RVI) to quantify the ability to distinguish temporal profiles of crops. RVI has shown the significant result in class separability analysis in comparison with other parameters. Crop type classification map has been generated using a support vector machine classifier with overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient of 96.32% and 0.95, respectively.
Synergy of Satellite-Derived Drought Indices for Agricultural Drought Quantification and Yield Prediction
Authors: Ladli Dipti , Lal Kanhaiya , Jalem Kiran , Ranjan Avinash Kumar
Published: June 2020

The present study was conducted over Jharkhand state (India) for assessing the drought condition and corresponding yield of paddy (district-level) during Kharif 2018. Vegetation drought indices, namely Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Temperature Condition Index (TCI), Vegetation Health Index (VHI), and vegetation indices (VI) anomaly, were derived from different VI (i.e., NDVI, EVI) to assess the paddy health condition during drought year (2018) and non-drought year (2017). Later, the correlation between the DES-based yield data and derived drought indices (for the year 2017) were made to develop the district-level paddy yield model for the drought year 2018. The key results of the study shown that VCI derived from EVI data was found to be more reasonable to depict the drought condition, wherein ~21% area was under severe drought condition, 43% area under moderate drought condition, and 36% area under no drought condition. In addition, the yield prediction model derived from VCI (EVI-based) was found to be promising for predicting the paddy yield for Kharif 2018 with fair R2 of 0.53.
Comparative Flood Inundation Mapping Utilizing Multi-Temporal Optical and SAR Satellite Data Over North Bihar Region
Authors: Tripathi Gaurav , Pandey Arvind Chandra , Parida Bikash Ranjan , Shakya Achala
Published: June 2020

Floods are investigated to be the utmost frequent and destructive phenomena among all other types of natural calamities worldwide. Thus, flood events need to be mapped to understand their impact on the affected region. The present case study is intended to examine and analyze the flood events occurred in July-August 2019 over the Northern Bihar region situated in Kosi and Gandak river basins. Furthermore, a comparative study was carried out to map the satellite based near real time flood inundation using multi-temporal Sentinel–1A (SAR) and MODIS NRT Flood data (optical and 3-day composite). Optical (MODIS) and Sentinel-1 SAR data were acquired to compare their flood inundation extent and the result shows overestimation in MODIS flood data due to varying spatial resolutions.
Inferring Relationship of Landslides, Tectonics, and Climate
Authors: Jamir Imlirenla , Diwate Pranaya , Kumar Vipin , Chauhan Gambhir Singh
Published: June 2020

Landslides, despite being the surficial impression of climate-tectonic-erosion linkage, are rarely explored in this context in Himalaya. The need for such study becomes more crucial in the evaluation of the regional hillslope denudation budget. We are of the understanding that the distributional pattern of landslides can reveal the relative significance of tectonic and climate. To test this hypothesis, ~ 55 landslides of the Tons River valley, Himalaya along with the tectonic and climate proxies are used in the present study. Steepness index and valley floor width to valley height ratio are used to infer the tectonic regime whereas; Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission based daily rainfall data and swath profile of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index are used to deduce spatial variability in climate. The study revealed the possible existence of a positive feedback system in the Higher Himalaya Crystalline and the simultaneous role of tectonic-climate in the Lesser Himalaya Crystalline. The LHS is found to possess a zone of landslide cluster, possibly due to local fault.
Do Student-Written Responses to Reflection Questions Predict Persistence and Performance in Online Courses?
Authors: Glick Danny , Cohen Anat , Gabbay Hagit
Published: June 2020

Online learning has been recognized as a promising approach to improve learning outcomes in developing countries where high-quality learning resources are limited. Concomitant with the boom in online learning, there are escalating concerns about academic accountability, specifically student outcomes as measured by persistence and success. This chapter examines whether evidence of reflection found in student written responses to a series of skill-building videos predicts success in online courses. Using a text analysis approach, this study analyzed 1,871 student responses to four reflection questions at a large online university in Panama. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore whether student persistence was affected by evidence of words associated with significant learning found in student written responses to a set of reflection questions. The results suggest that evidence of words associated with significant learning found in student written responses to reflection questions significantly predicts student persistence in online courses. A Kruskal-Wallis test found median final course grade differences between students who showed no evidence of significant learning in their written responses, and those using 1-13 words associated with significant learning. These results strongly suggest that persistence and performance in online courses are affected by evidence of reflection found in student written responses to reflection questions. These results suggest that a set of reflection tasks assigned early in the course may prove effective in identifying at-risk students.
The Peril and Promise of Pre-Tests in Informal Massive Open Online Courses
Authors: Janelli Maria , Lipnevich Anastasiya
Published: June 2020

With more than 100,000,000 learners from around the world, massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a popular online learning resource. Because this type of online teaching and learning is relatively young, published MOOC research is not as voluminous as traditional educational research. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is that best practices are not always clear, and there is not much MOOC research upon which to draw for specific instructional design strategies. The opportunity is to harness the power of MOOC platforms themselves to conduct research that examines and identifies effective digital pedagogy. In this chapter, the authors describe some of these challenges and opportunities. Specifically, they draw upon a multivariate experimental research study that examined the effects of pre-tests and feedback on learning and persistence in a MOOC. They offer practical implications that are related to study findings.
Use of Khan Academy and Mathematics Achievement
Authors: Hill Kelli Millwood , Weatherholtz Kodi , Chattergoon Rajendra
Published: June 2020

In summer 2017, Long Beach Unified School District partnered with Khan Academy to support pilot teachers in their implementation of Khan Academy in the classroom. This study examined how the use of Khan Academy in the middle school mathematics classroom relates to student achievement on the mathematics portion of the state standardized assessment. Results indicated that students who used Khan Academy for more than 30 minutes a week, the recommended usage time, scored an additional 22 points (0.20 standard deviation units) on the 2018 mathematics portion of the Smarter Balanced Assessment, compared to students who did not use Khan Academy. Additionally, these results hold true regardless of race/ethnicity, gender, eligibility for free/reduced lunch, or English learner status.
The Impact of a Cohort Model for Online Doctoral Student Retention and Success
Authors: Hoven Debra , Al Tawil Rima , Johnson Kathryn , Pawlitschek Nikki , Wilton Dan
Published: June 2020

Two critical decisions were made in the design of Canada's first fully online doctoral program discussed in this chapter: to create a professional Doctorate in Education rather than a PhD and to enroll students as cohorts each year. The first decision was based on the contemporary need within the field of online higher education for discipline specialists to have a solid background in online education principles and practice. The second decision was made on the basis of literature around benefits for graduate students. However, little sustained research has been carried out on what specific benefits may accrue for doctoral students participating in a cohort-based program in an online environment. This chapter presents and discusses the outcomes of two research studies on a cohort model, to provide insights into some of the personal and other factors identified as early warning indicators of student difficulties and how and when they arise.
Factors associated with the severity of pruritus in patients with terminal chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis in Lima, Peru
Authors: Kossuth Cabrejos Stefano , Silva-Caso Wilmer , Gavino Gutierrez Arquímedes M.
Published: June 2020

The objective of the study is to analyze the factors associated with the severity of pruritus in patients with terminal chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis. The methodology used is based on a cross-sectional study in patients receiving hemodialysis at the Centro Nacional de Salud Renal. Severe pruritus was defined as a score on the visual analogue scale greater than or equal to 7, and the strength of association with the possible risk factors was assessed by calculating prevalence ratios. Regarding the results, 264 patients were included, 59.9% were male, with a mean time on hemodialysis of 10.26 ± 7.14 years. 75% experienced pruritus, of this group, 1 in 3 presented severe pruritus. Hyperphosphatemia and the use of antihistamines were associated with a higher prevalence of severe pruritus (RP 1.71, 95% CI 1.09-267 and RP 2.39, 95% CI 1.51-3.75, respectively). The positive serology for Hepatitis C Virus was described as a protective factor for presenting severe pruritus (RP 0.55, 95% CI 0.33 - 0.89). In conclusion, severe uremic pruritus is a frequent problem in patients with chronic terminal kidney disease who have hyperphosphatemia and treatment with antihistamines independently of the time they have been on hemodialysis.
Testing of Braden Qd Scale for Predicting Pressure Ulcer Risk in The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Puspitasari Jayanti Dwi , Nurhaeni Nani , Waluyanti Fajar Tri
Published: June 2020

Children admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) are at risk for pressure injury due to immobility and the challenge of positioning medical devices. However, a comprehensive instrument to assess pressure injury risk is still finite. This study aimed to test the validity and reliability of the Braden QD Scale. The design used was a Pearson correlation coefficients and Cronbach’s alpha (α). Fifty-one pediatric patients below age 18 who had been bedridden for at least 24 hours were engaged through a consecutive sampling method. The results showed assessments made by using the Braden QD Scale revealed that 88.2% of patients were at risk for a pressure injury. The validity test results of the Braden QD Scale ranged between 0.532 and 0.833. The reliability test results of the Braden QD Scale ranged between 0.756 and 0.834. The sensitivity value is 100%, specificity value is 40%. In general, the study finding suggests that the Braden QD Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for predicting pressure injury risk. Nurses may employ this tool to assess pressure injury risk in pediatric patients.
Feeding Practices for Toddlers with Stunting in Jakarta: A Case Study
Authors: Damanik Sri Melfa , Wanda Dessie , Hayati Happy
Published: June 2020

Stunting represents a child’s failure to thrive. On the basis of the World Health Organization child growth standards, stunting is a height of <−2 SD of the z-score for the child’s age. There are several major causes of stunting. One is the inability to optimize child feeding practices. The aim of this study was to explore the feeding practices that lead to stunting in toddlers in Jakarta. The participants in this study were 15 mothers. Content analysis was the method that was chosen for this study. The data analysis revealed four themes that describe the feeding practices for toddlers with stunting in Jakarta: i) mothers providing instant porridge and ready-to-serve steamed chicken rice; ii) a feeding frequency of small portions only 2- 3 times per day; iii) a lack of diet diversity; and iv) the suboptimal intake of iron-rich foods. The provision of effective education about appropriate feeding practices to pregnant women and mothers with toddlers is expected to reduce the incidence of stunting in Indonesia.
Correlation between Parents’ Self-efficacy and Quality of Life of Children with Cancer Aged 8-12 Years
Authors: Oktaviani Imelda , Allenidekania Allenidekania
Published: June 2020

This study aims to determine the correlation between parents’ self-efficacy and the quality of life of children with cancer aged 8- 12 years. Quantitative research using a crosssectional design was carried out on 39 parents and 39 children with cancer. The participants were selected using a consecutive sampling method. The measurement instruments used were the Self-Efficacy for Parenting Task Index (SEPTI), the Pediatric Quality of Life InventoryTM (PedsQLTM) 4.0 Generic Core Scale, and the PedsQLTM 3.0 Cancer Module in the Indonesian version. Data analysis was performed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results showed that parents’ self-efficacy and the quality of life of children were strongly correlated and that the direction of the correlation was positive (r= 0.680). Parents’ self-efficacy and quality of life children with cancer were also strongly correlated, and the direction of the correlation was positive (r = 0.715). It is recommended that parents and children with cancer ensure the adequate management of cancer treatment.
Appendiceal actinomycosis mimicking appendiceal tumor, appendicitis or inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Sung You-Na , Kim Jihun
Published: June 2020

Appendiceal actinomycosis is very rare and its diagnosis is often difficult even in surgically resected specimens. Here we report two cases of appendiceal actinomycosis confirmed by pathologic examination of surgically resected specimens. Characteristic histologic features included transmural chronic inflammation with Crohn-like lymphoid aggregates and polypoid mucosal protrusion into cecal lumen through fibrous expansion of the submucosa. Chronic active inflammation involved the mucosa of the appendix and cecum around the appendiceal orifice. Crohn’s disease with predominant cecal involvement and inflammatory pseudotumor were considered as differential diagnoses. Careful examination revealed a few actinomycotic colonies in the mucosa, confirming the diagnosis. A high index of suspicion with awareness of the characteristic histologic features might prompt careful inspection for the actinomycotic colonies, leading to the appropriate diagnosis of this rare disease.
Dual Garside structures and Coxeter sortable elements
Authors: Gobet Thomas
Published: June 2020

In Artin–Tits groups attached to spherical Coxeter groups, we give a combinatorial formula to express the simple elements of the dual braidmonoids in the classicalArtin generators. Every simple dual braid is obtained by lifting an

S

-reduced expression of its image in the Coxeter group, in a way which involves Reading’s

c

-sortable elements. It has as an immediate consequence that simple dual braids are Mikado braids (the known proofs of this result either require topological realizations of the Artin groups or categorification techniques), and hence that their images in the Iwahori–Hecke algebras have positivity properties. In the classical types, this requires to give an explicit description of the inverse of Reading’s bijection from noncrossing partitions of the Coxeter element

c

to

c

-sortable elements, which might be of independent interest. The bijections are described in terms of the noncrossing partition models in these types. While the proof of the formula is case-by-case, it is entirely combinatorial and we develop an approach which reduces a uniform proof to uniformly proving a lemma about inversion sets of

c

-sortable elements.
Effect of Electronic-Learning on the Academic Achievement of Basic Science Students in Bayelsa State, Nigeria
Authors: Moses J.B. , Akporehwe N.J. , Agah R.
Published: June 2020

The study investigated the effect of electronic-learning on the academic achievement of basic science students in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. A pretest, posttest, control group, quasi-experimental design was adopted. One hundred and four (104) JS.2 students from two government owned junior secondary schools in Yenagoa Local Government Area were purposely selected for the study. The schools were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The study lasted for five weeks. Three instruments IGELS, IGMLM and BSAT were used for the study. One research question was posed and answered using mean and deviation standard and one null hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The findings revealed that those taught with e-learning had a higher mean (72,33) than those taught with modified lecture method (50.59) with a mean difference of 21.74. E-learning had significant effect on student’s academic achievement in basic science. (f1,101=76.392; p<0.05 partial eta squared=0.558), with an effect size of 55.8%. Finding showed that there was a significant difference in students’ achievement in basic science when taught with e-learning and modified lecture method; the e –learning students performing better. It was recommended that government should provide e-learning materials for schools and train the teachers to acquire the basic skills.

Key Words: Electronic learning, IGELS, IGMLM and BSAT
On Polar Question in Echie and English: A Transformational Approach
Authors: Nwala Michael Alozie
Published: June 2020

The formation of polar question also called a Yes-No question, appears to be language-specific, a situation which makes Echie speakers to find it difficult to accommodate the system of the English language, vice versa. This paper, using the qualitative design and the transformation approach, investigated the structural forms of both languages. The analysis showed great structural differences in both languages: while there is a swop in the position of the subject and the auxiliary in English, there is no such in Echie. In Echie, there are two forms of polar question realization: the resumptive pronoun type and the emphatic construction type. The paper noted that, although, the structural and derivational forms parametrically differ, polar questions exist in both languages and also perform the same syntactic and functional communicative roles.

Key Words: Polar, resumptive, inversion, emphatic, transformation
Mathematical modeling of the transmission dynamics, control and vaccination of schistosomiasis with a variable population size
Authors: Musa S. , Bello N. , Umar A.
Published: June 2020

No Abstract.
Thermogravimetric and dfferential thermal investigation of rice husk cellulose
Authors: Tenimu A.A.
Published: June 2020

No Abstract.
α-Cuts and inverse α - cuts in fuzzy soft sets
Authors: Alkali A.J. , Isah A.I.
Published: June 2020

No Abstract.
Phytochemical and antimicrobial studies of the root bark extracts of Strychnos spinosa Lam
Authors: Ahmad G. , Muhammad A. , Ahmad K.A. , Gbeminiyi A.
Published: June 2020

The phytochemical screening and antimicrobial properties of petroleum ethylacetate and methanol root bark extracts of Strychnos spinosa. The extracts were tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhii, Klebsiella pneumonia and Candidas albicans by Agar well diffusion and micro-dilution methods. The phytochem screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, anthraquinones, glycosides, steroids and terpenoids. The methanol extracts was found to be the most potent against Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia with MIC values of 1.56mg/ml. TheMBC revealed that the extracts were more of bacteriostatic than bactericidal.

Keywords; Phytochemical, Antimicrobial, Strychnos spinosa, Root bark.
Effect of paint industry effluent on the growth performances and biomass production of Telfairia occidentalis Hook (F.)
Authors: Sam S.M. , Etim A.U.
Published: June 2020

No Abstract.
Empirical models for estimation of global solar radiation using the monthly average daily sunshine hours data for Makurdi, Benue State
Authors: Sa’id R.S. , Akor S.I. , Gana U.M.
Published: June 2020

This paper proposes empirical correlation models for estimating global solar radiation using data of sunshine hours for the location of Makurdi in Benue State of Nigeria. The paper suggests extrapolation of the empirical models for other locations with similar climatic conditions. The proposed models are: Linear, Quadratic, Cubic, Exponential, Power and Logarithmic models. Each of the models is based on Angstrom-Prescott equations for estimating global solar radiation. Any of the models can ease the use of sophisticated equipments, which are expensive, delicate and sometimes develop faults during measurement. The results of the models show that the cubic model is the best with slightly higher coefficient of  determination. The coefficient of  determination of each of the models was found to be 0.952, 0.965, 0.967, 0.965, 0.948& 0.924 respectively, while the absolute correlation was found to be unity. Errors evaluated include MBE, RMSE and MPE with minimal values. The percentage diffuse and direct solar radiations, clearness index and the diffuse fraction were also estimated using the models. The results of the estimations done using the proposed models indicate that there is an estimated average annual global solar radiation of 6056MJm-2, monthly value of 505MJm-2 and daily insolation of 16.82MJm-2 sufficient enough for maximum solar radiation exploitation.

Keywords: Solar Radiation, Empirical Models, Diffuse Radiation, Direct Radiation
Effect of extraction methods on the quality of groundnutoil in some small-scale industries in Kano state
Authors: Ahmad R.K. , Kabir M. , Muhammad A.I. , Lawan I. , Ahmad H.K.
Published: June 2020

No Abstract.
Journalism as a profession: the challenges of women in a discriminatory society
Authors: Ogundoyin Olayinka Susan
Published: June 2020

Journalism is one of many professions held in high esteem. The profession, however, is not without its own challenges as women journalists find it difficult to enjoy their career in the face of issues posed by the industry. This study sought to investigate the challenges faced by women journalists in the Nigerian mediascape. It is anchored on the feminist muted group theory (FMGT). The survey research and interview methods were employed to sample 120 women journalists in some Nigerian media outfits. They were purposively selected to respond to the questionnaire and four senior women journalists based on their work experience were interviewed. Four electronic media stations (two television and two radio stations) were considered for the study. Data were analysed through simple percentages and the qualitative data analysed thematically. It was found that women journalists face myriads of challenges, including abuse, sexual harassment and marital issues such as divorce, spending inadequate time with spouse, children and participating less in family functions. In addition, some women are restricted to anchoring less challenging programmes compared to their male counterparts in the industry. Hence, it was recommended that media stations should look beyond sexual stereotyping and assist women journalists to overcome the various challenges by giving them more time to spend with their families and by giving them challenging duties that can boost their selfconfidence and help them attain enviable heights in the profession.

Keywords: Women journalists, Nigerian mediascape, Sexual stereotyping, FMGT, Challenges
Nigeria’s cultural policy implementation: sustaining cultural diversity through cultural resource management
Authors: Ben-Iheanacho Elizabeth O.
Published: June 2020

Nigeria is one of the few African countries with a written cultural policy as well as government established and funded institutions charged with the implementations of this policy. This article interrogates the implementation of the tenets of the policy, given Nigeria’s cultural diversity and the growing demand for tangible, verifiable economic indices of the contributions of the culture sector to both internally generated revenue (IGR) and the gross domestic product (GDP) of the nation. It suggests the need to expand the traditional understanding of cultural resource as land, labour and capital to embrace diverse forms of ‘soft’ cultural capital as assets whose management is critical to individual, community and national economic empowerment. The paper concludes with suggestions on strategies and best practices to enhance Nigeria’s creative economy as integral evidence of continuing implementation of the cultural policy.

Keywords: Cultural policy, Cultural resource management, Cultural diversity, Creative economy
Constraints in the practice of theatre for development in Nigerian tertiary institutions
Authors: Akoh Jimmy Unekwu
Published: June 2020

This paper investigates the constraints of contemporary Theatre for Development (TfD) in Nigeria tertiary institutions. It kick-starts with a discussion on how TfD in Nigeria adapted the South America and other African countries experiences of using drama to mobilize and conscientize people for development and self reliance. However, TfD from the academia is faced with myriads of challenges. This varies from preliminary concerns, to workshops and post-TfD engagements for possible consolidation. It takes a critical look at some of the constraints; identifying their causes and their impacts on the effective practice of TfD as action research. This study has explored, through qualitative processes, the procedures of TfD in Nigeria tertiary institutions and its coordinated effort to catalyze change in target communities. The study interrogated whether the methodologies have caused reasonable individual and community change in behavior to substantially cause development. While it acknowledges that, theatre has always responded to the environment in several ways, the paper proceeds from the evidence of a near absence of follow-up mechanism of TfD practices from the academia. It admits that although there have been efforts by a few scholars to locate the hiatus, there is still a wide critical chasm in planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects. Thepaper then posits that TfD projects from the academia tends to negate the principles of democracy and that the methodology being used inhibit the creative impulse of the practitioners. It proffers the means through which these constraints could be tackled for TfD in Nigeria tertiary institutions to thrive. Anchored on the ‘trans-theoretical model of change theory’ by Prochaska & DiClemente (1983), this paper concludes that TfD practitioners should commit more time to projects and let the methodology be more change-oriented to meet the yearning and aspirations of the targeted communities.

Keywords: Development agencies, CBOs, Theatre workers, TfD, Nigerian tertiary institutions
Women as agents of conflict resolution in Femi Osofisan’s Moroutodun
Authors: Ogakason Rasheed Oshoke
Published: June 2020

Over the years, there have been incidents of class struggle and secessionist agitations especially in developing nations such as Nigeria. This has drawn the attention of the government, security agencies and the ruling class who deem it a threat to the peace and unity of the nation. Many of such agitations are tackled using different strategies to manage the situations especially when it results to crisis and clash of interests leading to destruction of lives and properties. Nigeria, has recorded several incidents of agitations mostly from minority and separatist groups who see themselves as the oppressed and marginalized in the aspects of leadership, governance, power and unequal distribution of the nation’s abundant wealth and resources. The literary world has contributed severally through the works of contemporary African playwrights such as Ngugi wa Thiongo, J.P Clark and Femi Osofisan, who have successfully woven their themes on issues such as conflict, emancipation, oppression and social struggle. This paper is premised on the theory of conflict resolution techniques and dispute management systems and textual analysis as its method. The paper examines the portrayal of women as agents of conflict resolution in Femi Osofisan’s Moroutodun. It further draws the attention to the integral role of women in bringing about peace, positive change and development in the society. The paper concludes that womenshould be given a chance as men to contribute to peace-building and conflict resolution in the society.

Keywords: Women, Agents of conflict resolution, Moroutodun, Femi Osofisan, Nigeria
A syncretic analysis of the duality of dance as art and science
Authors: Iyeh Mariam A. , Onuche Godwin
Published: June 2020

This paper examines the duality of dance as both art and science. It argues on the premise that only the manifestations of dance as an art form has been explored whilst its scientific manifestations have been arguably ignored. It avers that duality is seen in the processes involved in dance choreography. In doing this, it maintains that dance as an art often manifests in the intuition and creativity involved during the creation of dances while dance as science manifests itself during the execution of movements. It argues that the traditional practitioners of dance in Nigeria and Africa are generally aware of the scientific nature of dance, which they adhere to unconsciously while creating dances without knowing it has a scientific posturing. The article insists that intelligence displayed in dance choreographies attests to the above claims. The study uses syncretism and Humphrey-Weidman theory of dance composition as theoretical moorings to contend that the Agbaka dance of the Igala people of Kogi State in North Central Nigeria expresses and displays the scientific nature of dance. Consequently, the dance form is examined from the physiological, psychological and biomechanical perspectives, informing the conclusion that dance practitioners in Nigeria should engage in a conscious exploration and admittance of dance as both art and science.

Keywords: Syncretism, Art, Science, Duality of dance, Biomechanics, Agbaka dance
Heavy Metal Levels in Vegetables and Soil Cultivated with Industrial Wastewater from Different Sites of Chunian and Jamber, District, Kasur
Authors: Hussain A. , Bukhari SM , Andleeb S. , Rehman K.U. , Maqsood I. , Javid A. , Hussain A. , Ali W. , Khalid N. , Iqbal M.J. , Yasin H.
Published: June 2020

In human diet, vegetables play important role to maintain the physiological conditions. Due to anthropogenic activities and pollution, the food items become contaminated. The present study was performed to evaluate the level of heavy metals in the vegetables irrigated with wastewater across Chunian and Jamber, district, Kasur. Level of heavy metals from the study area like Zinc, Lead and chromium in the soil, water and vegetables was compared. The four sites of each city and 10 vegetables e.g. potato, radish, carrot, fenugreek, spinach, tomato, Onion, Turnip, Cauliflower, Pangalo were selected to conduct the experiment. The vegetables were irrigated with industrial wastewater and the concentration of heavy metals was measured by the atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). We concluded that the level of heavy metals was beyond the FAO limits in irrigated water due to industrial waste. In Jamber and Chunian, the level of Zn and Pb was high and beyond the FAO safe limits in the all water sample, the level of Cr was much higher only in the water sample of one site from Jamber. The concentration of zinc was higher in soil samples as compared to lead and chromium. Zn and Pb in vegetables of study area were labeled as priority pollutants but this concentration was within the safe limits set by FAO. However, constant inspection of heavy metals is recommended to avoid accumulation in the food chain and thus avoid human health risks.

Keywords: Atomic absorption spectrophotometer, Heavy metals, Industrial wastewater, Vegetables.
Characterization of Coal obtained from the Sahelian Regions of Nigeria and Niger Republic
Authors: Samaila M.B. , Muhammad B.G. , Adam A.H. , Moumouni A. , Bello S.
Published: June 2020

Coal is the most widely available fossil fuel energy resource. This work was carried out to compare the composition, Sulphur content and combustibility of the Nigerian and Nigerien coal samples. Coal samples were obtained from Enugu, Nigeria, Tahuoa and Agadez of Niger Republic. Results indicated that, coal samples from Tahuoa (RS/T) and coal from Agadez (RS/A) have highest percentage of fixed carbon (71.2% and 61.0% for Tohoua and Agadez respectively), while the coal from Enugu (RS/E), Nigeria, have the least percentage (49.2%) which made them to have high fuel ratio enabling them to be more combustible, as determined by the thermal efficiency test. The study revealed that the coal from Niger is of higher grade with ease of combustion and less smoke as found in the combustibility test.

Keywords: Coal, Sulphur, fuel ratio, carbon content, combustion and thermal efficiency.
Physicochemical Profiles and Water Quality Indices of Surface Waters Collected from Falcorp Mangrove Swamp, Delta State, Nigeria
Authors: Odigie O. , Olomukoro J.O.
Published: June 2020

Surface water samples were collected at a frequency of once monthly for a period of 18 months; February 2013- July 2014, from several points on the Falcorp mangrove swamp, Ijala, Warri, Delta State. The abstracted samples were subjected to several physical and chemical analyses which were conducted in accordance with referenced procedures. The recorded data were subjected to statistical analysis and multivariate analysis using Microsoft excel, SPSS version 16.0 and PAST respectively. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) across the stations; Stations 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively for pH, Temperature, Electrical conductivity, DO, BOD5, TSS, Turbidity, Chloride, Salinity, Sulphate, Nitrate, Hardness, Ca, Ma, Zn, Cd and Pb. There were significant difference (P<0.05) across the 5 stations for the following parameters; TDS, Bi-carbonate, Phosphate, Fe and Cu. The mean concentrations of most of the physical and chemical parameters in the surface water with the exception of pH were below acceptableWHO limits for portable water. The water quality index (WQI) at stations 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 ranged from 8.45-24.9, 8.31-23.95, 8.36-16.26, 8.24-10.11 and 8.43-23.58 respectively. The Principal component analysis (PCA) of the data sets yielded 35 variables under 22 components with Eigenvalues < 1 (PC1-PC6) and >1 (PC7-PC22). There was a positive correlation between pH, water temperature, TDS, EC, TSS, turbidity, Cl, HCO3, salinity, SO4, hardness, Ca, Mg, and Cd whilst a negative relationship existed between DO, BOD5, PO4, NO3, Fe, Zn, Cu and Pb respectively.

Keywords: Physicochemical, surface water, Falcorp, Mangrove swamp
A Review of Air Quality and Concentrations of Air Pollutants in Nigeria
Authors: Abaje I.B. , Bello Y. , Ahmad S.A.
Published: June 2020

This study generally classifies air pollutants on the basis of: primary or secondary, natural or anthropogenic, chemical composition, physical state, and the space scales of their effects. Air pollutants that affect air quality in Nigeria were discussed based on natural and anthropogenic sources. The natural sources include: sand dust, sea spray, volcanic activities, smoke and carbon monoxide from wildfires among others, while the anthropogenic sources include: vehicular emissions, mining activities, industries such as cement companies and quarry factories, agricultural practices and solid waste dumps among others. Some of the atmospheric pollutants that posed greatest threat to human health were equally examined. They include: Sulphur dioxide (SO2) which can react with water vapor (H2O) in the atmosphere to form sulphuric acid (H2SO4) and thus acid rain; particulate matter (PM) with less than 10 μm, particularly fine particles (PM2.5 ) and particles in the fine fraction that are smaller than 0.1 μm (ultrafine particles), can carry toxic chemicals which are linked to cancer; carbon monoxide (CO), even in very small concentrations, can prevent oxygen from being delivered through the body major organs; ozone which is a highly reactive gas causes oxidation of a number of macromolecules within a biological system and produces free radicals that can damage DNA molecules and cause carcinogenesis. Based on the aforementioned, this study recommends that priority should be given to the establishment of air monitoring stations in all urban centers of the country in order to provide accurate and continuous information on air quality.

Keywords: anthropogenic pollutants, atmosphere, particulate matter, pollution
Heavy Metal Status of Major Vegetable Farmsoils in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria
Authors: Ben-Uwabor P.O. , Olawepo G.K. , Ogunkunle C.O. , Fatoba P.O.
Published: June 2020

Soils in developing areas have been confirmed by researchers to be contaminated with heavy metals which are a major category of pollutants.  Previous projects had been carried out to ascertain different levels of heavy metals in soils but this paper targets heavy metals and degree of pollution of major vegetable farm soils in Ilorin metropolis, Kwara State, Northern Nigeria. Therefore, this work aimed at determining the;  concentrations of total heavy metals (HMs) and the pollution index of the major vegetable farm soils. Total cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) in soils were determined by acid digestion and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry method. Data generated were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and mean separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at 5% significance. HMs in soils were: Cd (0.00-4.67), Cu  (1.71-30.08) and Pb (1.29-82.00) mg/kg with pH range of 6.62-9.33 and pollution index range of Cd (0.00-2.90), Cu (0.86- 11.72) and Pb (0.70-14.30). Some soils showed elevated concentration of Cd and Pb higher than the recommended permissible – limit (Cd=1.00 mg/kg, Pb=70.00mg/kg) with pollution index of HMs ranged from low pollution to very strong pollution (0.00±0.00- 14.30±1.77). The study therefore, suggested that there could be a risk of Cd and Pb associated diseases on the consumption of vegetables planted on some of these soils. Keywords: Heavy metal content,  pollution index, vegetable farmsoils, Ilorin metropolis.
Terpene Rich Essential Oil of Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss as Efficient Alternative to Synthetic Chemicals in Management of Callosobruchus maculatus Fabricius
Authors: Ebadollahi A.
Published: June 2020

The application of plant-derived essential oils has been revealed to proficiently insect pest control agents, meaningfully decreasing the side-effects caused by chemical insecticides. In the present study, the toxicity of essential oil isolated from Dracocephalum kotschyi has been assessed against cowpea weevil (Callosobruchus maculatus Fabricius) as one of the most damaging and cosmopolitan insect pest of stored beans. The other objective of current study was to identify the chemical composition of D. kotschyi essential oil as one of the medicinal plants endemic to Iran. Bioassays results revealed sound fumigant toxicity of essential oil, in which a concentration of 16.41 μl/l produced up to 50% insect mortality after 72 h. Increases in concentrations of the essential oil and exposure times augmented the insect susceptibility so that the highest mortality (96.25%) was achieved at a highest tested concentration (44.12 μl/l) after 72 h. A concentration of 44.12 μl/l was enough to achieve the 50% mortality of tested insects within 10.761 h. The 24 h-LC50 value of essential oil was 24.947 μl/l which decreased to 17.794 μl/l after 72 h. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the essential oil exposed terpenes including geranyl acetate, citral, z-citral, methyl geranate, limonene, α-pinene and α-campholenal were the main components. Based on the results of present study, the terpene rich essential oil of D. kotschyi may be  considered as promising alternative to the synthetic chemicals for C. maculatus management.

Keywords: Callosobruchus maculatus, chemical profile, essential oil, Dracocephalum kotschyi, toxicity.
Comparative Study of Positional Accuracies Using Three GPS Receivers
Authors: Nnamani O.J. , Ijaware V.A.
Published: June 2020

The emergence of the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver over the years has afforded the avenue to acquire data from various geospatial locations. This paper analyses and compares the accuracy of point positions collected using three Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers— South H66/H88, Sokkia radian IS, and ProMark 3. A field study was conducted on 5 control points within the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) Campus. The One-way ANOVA test performed for the coordinates obtained from the three GPS receivers at an alpha level of 0.05 using SPSS version 16 reveals no statistically significant difference between the coordinates. Analysis of the result shows that South GPS, Sokkia GPS, and ProMark GPS receivers had horizontal misclosure values of 0.1337, 0.1625 and 0.2425 respectively, making South GPS best in obtaining accurate information onhorizontal positions. For the vertical position, misclosure values of 0.0902, 0.2336, and 0.2771 respectively were obtained for the Three GPS receivers, thereby revealing that Sokkia GPS performed optimally in obtaining heights above the ellipsoid. However, as a combination of horizontal and  vertical positions (3-Dimension), Sokkia GPS performed best while ProMark GPS performed averagely and South GPS performed least. This study shows that any of the three GPS receivers can provide reasonable accurate geographic data. However, a definite conclusion remains that the selection of an optimal GPS receiver in this study for any project will largely depend upon the user’s needs and project requirements as the significant variation observed in the height coordinates should be further investigated.

Keywords: GPS Receivers, Accuracy, Position Determination, GPS Coordinates
Corrosion Inhibition Behaviour of Enantia chlorantha Extract on Pipeline Steel Corrosion in Acidic System
Authors: Ngobiri N.C. , Obi C.
Published: June 2020

The corrosion inhibition capacity of Enantia chlorantha bark (ECB) extract on the corrosion of pipeline steel in an acidic environment was studied using the gravimetric method. The result revealed that weight loss obviously increased with the rise in temperature though trend lines were not parallel. The results obtained from the evaluation showed that the corrosion inhibition efficiency of the extract increased with extract concentrationattaining an efficiency of 89.02% with 2.5 g/L concentration at 30 ºC. The corrosion inhibition efficiency, however, decreased with increase in temperature, while the corrosion rate decreased. The significant achievement in this study was the ability of Enantia chlorantha extract to reduce the corrosion rate constant, increase its surface coverage with consequent longer material half-life in an acidic environment.

Keywords: Inhibition efficiency, surface coverage, plant extract, weight loss, half-life
Collapsing towards Extinction? Trade in Birds Carcasses for Traditional Medicine and the Decline of Vulture Population in Katsina State, Nigeria
Authors: Muhammad N.D. , Mustapha Z.K.
Published: June 2020

Decline in vulture populations have seriously reported in Nigeria as in other habits around the world. Human pressure from poisoning, hunting and trading for traditional medicine are key factors leading to decline of vulture population in northern Nigeria. This study examines vulture trading for traditional medicine as risk factor for the raptors population decline in Katsina with a view to providing baseline information for reviewing conservation policies in the State and Nigeria at large. The study is a survey research involving questionnaire administration and interview of seventy two stakeholders who were sampled using snowball sampling technique as follows: vulture stall owners (n=58) and abattoir employees (n=10) and traditional healers (n= 4). A total of five locations were surveyed based on the understanding that they possess the most specialized fetish markets and important centres of vulture trading in Katsina State. Percentage and mean were used for data analysis. The study found that trading of vulture is proliferating in the area as more than 50% of the stalls were opened between 2016 and 2019. It also revealed that 80% of the fetish stalls are located outside Katsina town for fear of authorities fighting illicit trade of vulture. Also revealed was that prices of vulture vary in space and depend on relationships with customers: a whole vulture costs N21000 (ca. $55.55) which soars as high as N27000 (ca. $75) outside Katsina town and N30000 (ca. $83) in times of scarcity. This study recommended that there is the need to carry out nationwide comprehensive  assessment of trade in avifauna for improving conservation policies and practices in Nigeria.

Keywords: carcasses, fetish stalls, traditional medicine, conservation
Ethnic Pattern of Mushroom Consumption in Delta State Nigeria
Authors: Ihayere C.A. , Igben J.L.
Published: June 2020

This study examines the frequency of mushroom consumption among the various ethnic groups in Delta State, Nigeria. Primary data were obtained from a structured questionnaire administered on a sample of 240 respondents randomly selected from 6 settlements, one each from the six ethnic groups in the study area. The result reveals a variation in the proportion and frequency of mushroom consumption among the various ethnic groups. Urhobo with 12 consumers (30 %) (Very high 1, high 2, Low 3 and very low 6 frequency), Isoko with 14 consumers (35%) (Very high 2, high 4, Low 3 and very low 5 frequency), Itsekiri with 18 consumers (45%) (Very high 0, high 2, Low 4 and very low 12 frequency), Ijaw with 18 consumers (45%) (Very high 1, high 2, Low 4 and very low 10 frequency), Ukwuani with 36 consumers (90%) (Very high 14, high 11, Low 6 and very low 5 frequency), Ibo with 38 consumers (95%) (Very high 17, high 13, Low 6 and very low 2). Mushroom consumption was influenced by the availability of the fungi, which is dependent upon the ecology of the area. Consequently, the study recommends the cultivation of mushrooms to supplement the natural production of the fungi.

Keywords: Mushrooms, Mycophagy, Ecology, Delta State