bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of rainfall and temperature variability in Kebbi State, Northern Nigeria
Authors: Salisu N. , Ejeikwu E. O. , Ejaro S. P.
Published: August 2024

Rainfall and temperature variability can signal climate change and pose challenges to the sustainability of natural water bodies, food security, and ecosystem services. This study aimed to assess trends in rainfall and temperature variability in Kebbi State from 1993 to 2022. The daily rainfall and minimum and maximum temperatures of Kebbi State were obtained at a spatial resolution of 1 km from fifteen (15) meteorological remote sensing stations on the NASA website. One-way ANOVA, the Mann-Kendal (MK) test and Theli-Sen’s slope estimator were employed to assess the magnitude of the trend. In this study, monthly rainfall was significantly (P<0.05) varied, while in two distinct periods (1998-2003 and 2008-2013) a decrease in the total annual rainfall was recorded across the stations but from 2003-2008, a decrease of -26.93 mm was recorded at SW station, while -19.04 mm and -24.44 mm were recorded at the SW and SE stations, respectively. The maximum monthly average temperature was found to be 42.50°C in April 2022, followed by 41.35°C in 1998, 41.25°C in 2018, and the minimum was recorded at 26.54°C in January 2003. Among the stations, the MK and Sen’s slope reveal a rainfall increase at a rate of +12.37 mm/year and 3.88 mm/year in stations C and B, respectively but decreases at rate of -4.12 mm/year in the station A, while temperature shows increasing trends in all the three stations, at rate of 0.028°C, 0.022°C and 0.016°C per year in stations A, B and C for NW, SW and SE respectively. The findings of this study suggest that climate change has influenced the rainfall and temperature patterns in Kebbi State, which can affect the sustainability of climate-dependent ecosystem components, including biodiversity, groundwater level, food security and other ecosystem services.
Isolation and characterization of lipase producing bacteria in hydrocarbon contaminated sites in Kano Metropolis
Authors: Nande Mas’ud Yusuf
Published: August 2024

Lipase (Triacylglycerol hydrolases EC 3.1.1.3) is an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing lipids into fatty acids and glycerol. It possesses numerous industrial applications such as pharmaceuticals, food, detergents, paper and pulp, agrochemicals, biosurfactants and bioremediation, etc. Many attempts have been made to isolate lipase producing microorganisms since this enzyme is used in many biotechnological processes. This study was aimed at isolation and characterization of lipase producing bacteria in hydrocarbon contaminated soil sites in Kano metropolis. Bacterial isolation was done through serial dilution technique; and screened on tributyrin agar plates for lipase production. A total number of 49 pure bacterial culture were isolated from hydrocarbon contaminated soil samples from the three different hydrocarbon contaminated soil sites; eighteen distinct isolates indicated lipase production after lipase screening. Lipolytic activity assay revealed no significant difference in the lipase hydrolysis capacity (HC) of the isolates. Furthermore, the lipolytic bacteria isolates were characterized by morphological and biochemical tests and identified by molecular tool through sequencing method. Three distinct selected isolates were morphologically characterized as gram-negative, rod and coccus cells and 16S rRNA sequence analysis revealed isolate A4 to have 94.91% similarly to the Pseudomonas spp. (Pseudomonas azotoformans strain LMG 21611), isolate B4 also exibited 87.99% similarity to the Pseudomonas genus (Pseudomonas fluorescens strain PF-7) while isolate C1 showed 97.57% similarity to Acinetobacter genus (Acinetobacter baumannii strain NWPRD). These bacterial strains can be used for the production of lipase enzyme for various industrial applications and bioremediation.
Microbiological assessment of the quality of domestic water consumed in Southern Edo State, Nigeria
Authors: Odiana S. , Akiri-Obaroakpo T.M. , Edosomwan E. U.
Published: August 2024

Water is a critical global resource, its quality paramount for our health. This study evaluated domestic water quality in southern Edo State, Nigeria. Samples (Rain, Bottled, Borehole) were gathered from five communities in Egor, Ikpoba-Okha, Ovia South-west, Orhionmwon, and Oredo LGAs. Parasitological, bacterial, and fungal analyses were conducted. The results showed that heterotrophic bacterial and fungal counts for borehole water collected were all within the WHO/NSCWQ standard for water quality while for feacal coliforms, highest counts (9x103- 15x103) cfu/ml were seen in borehole water samples collected in some communities in Egor Local Government Area and lowest in Ovia South-West Local Government area For rain water samples, heterotrophic bacterial and fungal counts were also within the standard limits used while faecal coliform counts were highest from samples collected from Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area ranging between (9x103-28x103)cfu/ml and lowest (4.00-18.00) x103cfu/ml counts were observed also in Orhionmwon Local Government Area. The heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and faecal coliform counts were all within WHO/NSCWQ standards for bottled water samples analyzed. Parasitic contamination was found in all samples (prevalence: 50.67%), including Ascaris species (25.45%), hookworm ova (36.36%), Giardia lambia cysts (14.54%), and Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts (18.18%). Bacteria isolated included Staphylococcus aureus (36%, 48%, 40%), Enterobacter sp (20% 32%, 12%), Escherichia coli (35%, 40%, 15%), and Pseudomonas spp (36.0%, 32.0%, 13%) from borehole, rainwater, and bottled water, respectively. Contamination sources may include collection media, hygiene practices, and proximity to septic tanks. Stringent hygiene measures are imperative to mitigate pathogenic risks.
Antibacterial effects of leaf extracts from Aloe vera and Cassia tora subjected to varying watering regimes on Salmonella typhi and Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Nathaniel L. K. , Auyo M. I. , Dangora I. I. , Mustapha T.
Published: August 2024

This study was undertaken to investigate the antibacterial activity of A. vera and C. tora subjected to different watering regimes on S. typhi and S. pneumoniae. Leaves from A. vera and C. tora exposed to different watering regimes of Daily (Control), 2, 4 and 8 days was used to prepare methanolic extracts at a concentration of 100, 50, 25, 12.5 and 6.25 mg/ml using double-fold dilution method, using DMSO and Augmentin (625 mg/ml) as negative and positive controls. The antibacterial sensitivity was determined by measuring the zone of inhibition, followed by Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC). The result showed that, on S. typhi, highest zone of inhibition of 21.5 mm and 18.0 mm on S. pneumoniae were observed at 100 mg/ml when C. tora received daily watering. There was no significant difference on the zone of inhibition of the extract across the watering regimes when the concentration was 100 mg/ml. Extract from A. vera resulted in the highest zone of inhibition of 22.3 and 16.8 mm on S. typhi and S. pneumoniae at 100 mg/ml at Daily watering regime. On both pathogens tested, the MIC of C. tora extract was found to be 50 mg/ml on Daily and 2-Day watering regimes, and increased to 100 mg/ml at 4 and 8-Days on S. typhi; while A. vera exhibited 50 mg/ml MIC across the watering regimes on both S. typhi and S. pneumoniae. The MBC was found to be 50 mg/ml of C. tora extract on both test organisms, while in A. vera was much specific at 4-Day watering regime. Both A. vera and C. tora extra
Major postmortem pulmonary histopathological findings in preterm infants in Ethiopia
Authors: Tola Mesfin Asefa , Perez Ramon Portales , Nigussie Assaye K. , Ayele Rahell Hailu , Beyera Tigist Desta , Mamed Messele Bezabih , Gurji Tiruzer Bekele , Gebrehiywot Addisu Alemu , Shumiye Yonas Girma , Bekuretsion Yonas , Gizaw Mahlet Abayneh , Eshetu Beza Alemu , Mekasha Amha , Worku Bogale , Bonger Zelalem Tazu , Kebede Zemene Tigabu , McClure Elizabeth M. , Goldenberg Robert L. , Muhe Lulu M.
Published: August 2024

Background: Respiratory disorders are the leading cause of death in preterm infants. Postmortem lung histological findings may help to  confirm or exclude a clinical diagnosis. This study aims to describe the common postmortem pulmonary histological findings and their  potential contributions to preterm neonatal mortality in Ethiopia.
Methods : A prospective, multicenter, and cross-sectional clinical study  of preterm infants was conducted in five hospitals in three regions of Ethiopia. A total of 4,919 preterm infants were enrolled, and of  these, 3,852 were admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Within 28 days of postnatal age, 1,109 or 29% of those admitted to  the NICU died. Consent was requested from all parents for a complete diagnostic autopsy (CDA) and was obtained in 441 of the preterm  neonates who died. A histopathological examination of representative lung tissues was performed.
Results: On histopathologic  examination of the lungs of these deceased preterm neonates, the major abnormal histological changes observed were hyaline  membrane disease (HMD) in 81.6%, pneumonia in 44.7%, pulmonary hemorrhage or diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) in 39%, and  meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) in 5.9%. A combination of histopathological findings, two or more, were also observed in > 30% of  the preterm lungs.
Conclusion: HMD was the most common pulmonary finding in extremely and moderately preterm infants. The highly  prevalent pneumonia and pulmonary hemorrhage, with the frequently observed HMD, might have significantly contributed to their  deaths. Histopathological findings, beyond confirming a clinical suspicion, can be used as input in the refinement of clinical and  radiological diagnostic parameters to identify respiratory pathologies, particularly pneumonia, in preterm infants.
Clinical characteristics of children with congenital anomalies of kidney and urinary tract and predictive factors for Chronic Kidney Disease in a tertiary hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Adane Mengesha , Shimelis Damte , Lishan Hanna , Abebe Bezaye , Mekasha Amha
Published: August 2024

Background: Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) are the leading causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in  childhood. Determining the clinical course, outcome, and prognostic factors of this heterogeneous group of diseases is important to  provide appropriate management and follow-up. Therefore, we aimed to identify the risk factors of CKD in CAKUT and the differences in  clinical courses between subtypes of CAKUT.
Methods: a retrospective cross-sectional study was done in 134 patient records diagnosed  with congenital kidney and urinary tract anomalies. They were categorized with subtypes of CAKUT and a chi-square test and logistic  regression analysis were done to determine risk factors for CKD and the result is presented in tables.
Results: Among the 134 patients,  males were 107 (79.9%) and the commonest subtypes of CAKUT were posterior urethral valve in 42 (31.3%), ureteropelvic junction  obstruction in 28 (20.9%), multicystic dysplastic kidney in 24 (17.9%). The median age of the study population at the time of diagnosis was  2.5 yrs. Among available 50 prenatal ultrasounds, the most frequent diagnoses were hydronephrosis in 38 patients (28.4%) and MCDK in 9  patients (6.7%). A total of 21(15.7%) patients had CKD and 6 of them (4.5%) progressed to end-stage kidney disease (ESRD). The  multivariate logistic regression analysis identified proteinuria on follow-up as an independent risk factor for CKD. (p=0.004)
Conclusion:  Posterior urethral valve is the commonest congenital anomaly of the kidney and urinary tract and proteinuria is an independent risk  factor for CKD.
A Computational Comparative Analysis of Solar Panel Performance under Outdoor and Indoor Environment
Authors: Olusanya Olamide O. , Adetunji Olusogo J. , Ajibola Charles D. , Olusesi Ayobami T. , Olukoya Bamidele M. , Jongbo Olayinka A.
Published: August 2024

The peculiar problem of unstable power supply in developing countries was a motivating factor for this research work. The problem of power supply is being resolved by renewable energy such as tidal, solar PV-based renewable energy, geothermal and solar renewable energy. The performance of three basic solar panel types kept in an indoor environment with an artificial light source and reflector was compared with the performance under outdoor environment. These solar PV types includes monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and silicon-amorphous which   selected as a sample for the thin-film type of solar panel. Laboratory experiments were set up for these tests.  PWM (pulse width modulation) concept of controlling AC was employed to achieve control for the enclosed indoor experiment. This was used to vary the intensity of the light bulbs placed inside the chamber built for the enclosed indoor environment. Reflectors were placed on the walls of the chamber to achieve better illumination within the chamber:  thereby leading to better output efficiency from the panels being tested. From the obtained results, monocrystalline solar panel gave 25.45V, polycrystalline produced  26.68V  and  Silicon-amorphous  gave  25.49V  for  the  indoor experiment  when  the  highest  obtainable  PWM  voltage  was  250V.  The results obtained for the outdoor readings fluctuate because of the factors militating against PVs. The highest readings obtained for the panels were: 25.78V, 24.56V and 24.08V for monocrystalline, polycrystalline and silicon-amorphous respectively. From these obtained results, the deduction made was that monocrystalline PV has the highest output efficiency under outdoor environment while the polycrystalline PV has the highest efficiency under indoor environment. This paper worked on the comparative analysis of the results obtained for both indoor and outdoor environments
Secure Network Monitoring using Software Defined Networking (SDN) with Ryu Controller
Authors: Amusan Elizabeth A. , Alade Oluwaseun M. , Alabi John J.
Published: August 2024

Secure network monitoring is critical for detecting and combating threats in real-time especially in today's fast changing cybersecurity terrain. Software defined network (SDN) is an approach to network management that provides visibility, programmability and flexibility.  In this work, the implementation of secure network monitoring using the Ryu Controller within a simulated environment created with Mininet on Ubuntu was investigated. Specifically, Mininet was used to set-up a star topology which consists of 8 hosts (h1–h8), including 3 server hosts (h1–h3) and 5 client hosts (h4–h8), along with 1 switch (s1) and a controller. A stateful firewall security measure was implemented leveraging the Ryu Controller's centralized control and programmability. The proposed firewall was evaluated using functional testing such as traffic blocking, malicious packet detection and NAT handling. This work significantly improves resilience against volumetric Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks through even distribution of traffic across network hosts and disallowing unauthorized communications. Experimental results show the effectiveness of SDN-based monitoring in sustaining network availability and continued service. By adopting SDN technologies, the cybersecurity posture of institutions and organizations can be enhanced by improving their threat detection and incidence response capabilities thereby mitigating the risks associated with modern cyber threats and network vulnerabilities. This approach offers valuable insights for future network monitoring and management and future work may explore the integration of advanced machine learning (CTI Analysis) to further enhance network performance
Prediction of Customer Satisfaction in Airline Hospitality services for improved service delivery using Support Vector Machine
Authors: Sobowale Adedayo A. , Osadare Olukemi O. , Soladoye Afeez A. , Sobowale Peace O.
Published: August 2024

The recent entry of Air peace airline service to London and competition resulting from this with other airlines showcased the trending competitiveness in airline industry which might affect the patronage of an airline over others. In line of this, ensuring customer’s satisfaction would enable business growth, sustainability and provision of improved service delivery. Gauging customer satisfaction would help in knowing steps to take to ensure better service delivery but employing traditional approach might be subjected to travel experience, time consumption, inaccurate which would hinder its objective. However, application of Machine learning techniques would give a faster, accurate and concise prediction resulting from historical customer’s reviews. This study aims to employing Support Vector Machine a traditional machine learning classifier for prediction of airline customer’s satisfaction in hospitality services employing an open access dataset comprising of different attributes like age, gender, flight distance among others. This dataset was pre-processed using various pre-processing techniques like normalization using standard scalar, transformation using label encoder, removal of missing values, feature selection using forward-backward feature selection techniques. The well pre-processed dataset was implemented using the SVM classifier with its three kernels for comparative analysis. The study used hold-out evaluation method with 80-20 split and gave average accuracies with Rbf, Linear and poly kernels of 93, 85 and 90% respectively. This study showed that the RBF kernel of SVM gave the best predictive performance with average accuracy, precision and F1-score of 93, 93 and 92% respectively with its good predictive airlines can identify the major factors that contribute to customer’s satisfaction to prioritize to improve service delivery and optimization of staffing at during strategic period. This would enhance customer’s satisfaction and ensure improved good service delivery.
Hybridized LSTM-GRU model for forecasting the Prices of Crude oil
Authors: Soladoye Afeez A. , Falade Mutiu B. , Odeyemi Charity S. , Barkindo Abubakar
Published: August 2024

Fluctuation in crude oil price doesn’t only affect production or transportation but has secondary effect on all ways of life, as increased cost of production would surely lead to increase in the price of produce and increased in cost of transportation, which would in turn increase cost of living, increase poverty and hunger. Owing to this, accurate forecasting of crude oil price through the application of effective and technological driven approach would help the policy makers, industrial decision makers and investors to make informed and strategic policies that would help the government and stakeholders to prevent unplanned economic risk and damage. Conventionally, crude oil price forecasting is being done using traditional methods like Liner regression, generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models, this model most time struggles with the non-linearity and fluctuating nature of the crude oil price. Moreover, this models require additional manual feature selection and extraction which might be time consuming and computationally exhausting. The acceptance and proven accurate performance of deep learning techniques prompted this study to comparatively employ the major variants of Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) namely Long-short term memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Units (GRU) for forecasting of crude oil price owing to their strengths. The famous Brent crude oil price dataset was used for forecasting of crude oil price, while this dataset went through series of preprocessing like data and time conversion, data windowing, transformation, variable selection after which LSTM-GRU model was used for forecasting, this hybridized model gave a better performance when evaluated with Mean Absolute Error of 0.014 which outperformed LSTM and GRU and when compared with existing studies. This shows that hybridized LSTM-GRU is a good model for forecasting of crude oil price as the model leverage the strength of LSTM and GRU on sequential data.
Laminar Natural Convection in Attics of Rooftops with Depressed Walls
Authors: Kamiyo Ola , Dada Abimbola
Published: August 2024

Laminar natural convection in the attics of rooftops with depressed upper walls and heated base wall has been investigated numerically using a finite volume CFD package. Selected roofs referred to as Combination, Clerestory and Butterfly roofs are compared with standard isosceles triangular roof having the same pitch and base length. The results obtained show that the depressed wall distorts the multicellular air movement pattern within the attics. It compressed the cells, thereby reducing their sizes and damping their rotation. The depression brings the upper walls closer to the base wall resulting in further breakdown of the convection cells, distortion of the cell shape, modification of the velocity and temperature distribution, higher air pressure and increased heat transfer rate within the area under the depressed walls. Overall, the mean heat transfer rate along the base wall increases with the depth and length of the depressed wall. It is therefore recommended that roof designers should apply caution with depressed walls in order to minimize heat exchange across the ceiling.
Assessment of Ihima Clay Admixed with Granite Dust and Rice Husk in the Development of Masonry-Fired Brick
Authors: S.A. Akoono , A.A. Barnabas , Y. Audu , J. O. Gaminana
Published: August 2024

Due to the high cost of conventional building materials, alternative and cheaper building materials are sought after for mass housing. Clay is a cheaper and highly available building material; hence, this study focused on the practicality of using Ihima clay in the production of fired masonry bricks. The clay was blended with rice husk and granite dust as additives in a proportion of 5 wt.% for rice husk and constant dosages for granite dust varying at 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt.%. The additives were introduced with the view of obtaining an insulation capacity. Firing was done at 5 ˚C/min until 850 ˚C was attained, after which samples were held for 2 hours in the furnace before being allowed to cool to room temperature. Developed samples were tested for firing shrinkage, porosity, water absorption and wear rate. The outcome showed that increasing the proportion of the granite dust from 5 to 20 wt.% resulted in a linear decline in firing shrinkage, porosity, water absorption, and wear rate.
Properties of Foamed Concrete Produced with Rice Husk Ash as a Partial Replacement for Cement
Authors: Agboola Shamsudeen , Aliyu Abdulraheem , Musa QAbdulhakeem , Abbas Khadijah , Moshood Shabi , Sanusi Abdulmutakabir
Published: August 2024

This study investigated foamed concrete strength characteristics produced with rice husk ash (RHA) as a partial replacement for cement. RHA is used as cement replacement to help reduce the amount of solid waste released into the environment, reduce greenhouse gas release into the atmosphere as a result of cement production, and reduce the amount of cement used in concrete production. The study examined workability, plastic and testing densities, split tensile and compressive strength, and modulus of rupture at an intended design density of 1600 kg/m3. A cube specimen measuring 100 mm was used to measure the density and compressive strength, 100 x 200 mm cylinder specimens were used for splitting strength, and unreinforced beams measuring 100 x 100 x 500 mm were used for the modulus of rupture test. A known-volume container was used to study the plastic's density, and the spread test was used to assess its stability. RHA was added to foamed concrete (FC) at various percentage replacements of 0% (control), 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30% by weight of cement, and cured in a membrane (sealed) curing condition for 7, 14, 28, 56, and 90 days. The findings show that an increase in RHA content reduces the density of foamed concrete in both wet and dry states. The control sample compressive strength value is 15.22 N/mm2, the modulus of rupture value was 2.51 N/mm2, and the split tensile strength was 1.68 N/mm2, at 28 days of curing. The results of this investigation demonstrate that, whereas other percentage levels indicate decreased strength, FC with rice husk ash percentages up to 10% did not significantly differ in strength from the control concrete. The study concluded that FC used for this study has potential for structural applications up to 15% RHA and up to 30% for non-structural purp
Evaluating the Relationship between Curing Time and Compressive Strength in Concrete: A Statistical Analysis
Authors: Akanbi Toyin , Habibu Abubakar , Azare Aliyu , Okah Michael
Published: August 2024

limitations exist in relating curing time and strength through standardized testing methods. These limitations include difficulty replicating real-world variations in curing conditions. Accurately measuring the true curing history of concrete in the field remains challenging, making it difficult to precisely correlate curing time to achieve strength in real-world applications. This study investigated the statistical relationship between curing time and crushing resistance of concrete cubes cured by ponding. Minitab software was used to analyze the data. The compressive strength increased significantly with curing time, as the hydration process between cement and water continued for days after pouring. Data showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.921) between curing days and strength. A polynomial regression model effectively captured this relationship (R-squared = 0.9803, adjusted R-squared = 0.9655). The model suggests that longer curing durations lead to stronger concrete. The fitted equation allows the estimation of compressive strength based on curing time. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) confirmed that curing time significantly impacts compressive strength (p-value < 0.001). The cubic regression equation incorporates linear, curvature, and minor deviation terms to accurately model the strength gain pattern.
Investigating the Effects of Increased Thermal Generation by Unit Commitment Optimization in Hydrothermal Power Systems Using Lagrange Algorithm
Authors: Adesina Lambe M. , Ogunbiyi Olalekan , Jimada-Ojuolape Bilkisu , Issa Lukman O.
Published: August 2024

Optimization assists power utility in operating the system conveniently, meeting customer’s load demand, reducing peak load consumption, and minimizing transmission system losses. It involves determining the best operating levels for electric power plants to meet the needs of a given network. This paper aims to present an optimization analysis of the economic distribution of generated electricity among the various generation units to meet load demand at the minimum possible cost using the Economic Load Dispatched. Nigerian existing hydrothermal network (a deregulated system in 2013) along with the newly added unit (Olorunsogo thermal unit) was used as the case study.  The obtained data from Nigerian power utility were processed via MATLAB to generate the Quadratic Cost Function (QCF) used to model the generator to get the Cost Coefficients. The Lagrange algorithm developed was also applied to the data using MATLAB to have Dynamic Load Scheduling (DLS) for both hydro and thermal plants. The results indicate cost reduction which enhanced the overall performance and reliability of the system. Observation shows that the newly added thermal unit (Olorunsogo Unit) is efficient and cost-effectively operating. Results also show that hydro plants were allocated high loads, and the system’s smooth operation would require bringing the old thermal units such as Afam, Calabar, Egbin, and Sapele plants online to enhance an improvement in generation demand. Other thermal plants like AES, Delta, and Okapi run at lower power implying their uneconomical unit operation implying their uneconomical unit operation
Design and Implementation of a Sensor-Based Machine Overheat Protection System with Alarm Notification
Authors: Akangbe S.A , Ojetoye A. A , Omodeni C. B , Babatunde A. A
Published: August 2024

Machines are electrical and mechanical apparatus with which works are done more easily and faster with greater precision and efficiency, overheating is an undesired rise in temperature during operation that could cause the instrument not to perform maximally, it reduces efficiency and can lead to total breakdown of the apparatus and dangerous to the operator. Provisions are already made for cooling to prevent such occurrence but sometime it becomes inevitable as a result of failure in cooling system. This research provides a way to minimize the effect of overheating with a cooling fan being triggered by micro-controller through a signal from temperature sensor to reduce its impact if it occurs, raising an alarm and notification through short message system (SMS) from sim module, which notify the user and eventual turning OFF of the apparatus if the heating persists beyond a specified limit, thus preventing catastrophic failure of the machine while ensuring safety to the personnel. The result indicated that the designed product detected the overheating and gave appropriate response of attempting to cool the machine, but raised an alarm when the cooling was insufficient and sent an sms to the assigned sim when overheating occurred and eventual switch off. Thus, preserving the equipment and the safety of the operator
The Role of Police Gender Desk in Fighting Gender-Based Violence in Tanzania, a Reflection from Dar es Salaam Region
Authors: Kalumanga Venance
Published: August 2024

The study assessed the role of the Police Gender Desk (PGD) in fighting gender-based violence (GBV) amidst increased cases of GBV in Dar es Salaam region, Tanzania. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques were used where survey, interview, focus group discussion, and documentary review were used as key data collection methods. A total of 70 respondents who are police officers working at PGD were surveyed. The key findings show that common dominating GBV cases that are reported at PGD include battering (22%), family/children neglect (21%), sexual abuse, harassment, and exploitation (17%), property grabbing (16%), manipulation and shameful acts (8%), economic exploitation (7%), psychological torture (5%), and femicide (2%). Moreover, the key challenges reported to face PGD in fighting GBV include; delays in reporting cases (22%), premature withdraw of cases (15%), difficulty in gathering evidence (12%), inadequate professional training (9%), reluctance of victims to open up (10%), limited robust equipment’s (7%), lack of special rooms (8%) etc. The study recommends some improvement of the PGD by fulfilling all the highlighted challenges including provision of technical support and training, improving PGD infrastructure, learning and understanding gender norms that increase GBV, creating awareness among community members on the role of PGD, and fostering peace and justice when dealing with GBV cases for enhancing the sense of equality and community development in the country.
Pattern and Outcome of Lassa Fever cases in Nasarawa State, Nigeria (2017-2022)
Authors: Mathew M. , Ibrahim A.A. , Akpan N.A. , Muhammed F.
Published: August 2024

Background: Lassa Fever (LF), an endemic zoonotic disease requires a 'One Health approach'.
Introduction: A prior study in Nasarawa  state (2013) showed a high seroprevalence range of 10-25%, having a serious impact on the health care system and families with  significant socioeconomic losses to the state which necessitated this study
Methods: This retrospective cross sectional study in Nasarawa State over five years (2017-2022) utilized all secondary data from all the  Local Government Areas.
Results: showed a Case Fatality Rate of 61% indicating high viral virulence, with the highest prevalence over the past 6 years in Keffi LGA.  The trend analysis shows a fluctuating pattern of LF cases with 2 reported deaths of health workers (2021) indicating an evolving  epidemiological pattern of the virus. With 38 LF positives out of 343 cases, high period prevalence of 11%, and increased number of  'suspected' and 'probable' cases, it shows sub-optimal quality of care or presence of other diseases that mimic LF and hence a need to review case definition.
Conclusion: There is a need for increased in-country laboratory testing/diagnostic capacities and events-based  surveillance.
Indications and outcomes of induction of labour among induced women in a tertiary hospital in Southwest Nigeria: a five-year review
Authors: Ayinde M. , Aliu-Ayinde M. , Owonikoko K.M. , Ahmed A. , Adeniyi M.A. , Azees A.S.
Published: August 2024

Background: Induction of labour (IOL) is a common obstetric practice worldwide when the continuation of pregnancy poses a threat to  the well-being of the mother or fetus.
Objectives: This study assessed the indications and outcome of labour induction among induced women in a tertiary hospital in  Southwest Nigeria.
Method: A5-year review of records of all clients that had induction of labour at the facility between January 1, 2012, and December 31,  2016, was conducted, ® and analysis was done using IBM SPSSversion 23. Results were presented in tables and charts using frequencies  and percentages. Chisquare test was used to assess for association between sociodemographic/obstetrics characteristics and the mode  of delivery, with significance level(á) set at 0.05.
Results: A total of 286 women were induced during the period, with 79.0% successfully  achieving vaginal delivery. Postdate pregnancy was the commonest 88 (30.6%) indication for IOL, and majority of 233 (81.5%) of the women had no complications.
Conclusion: The major indication for IOLin this study was postdate pregnancy, and the study observed a  high success rate among women who had IOL, with very few reports of complications in both the mother and fetus.
The predictors of ownership and utilization of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets among caregivers of under-five children in Ekiti State, South-West, Nigeria
Authors: Oluyide O.P. , Odu O.O. , Salami S.K. , Omoyele O.O. , Oyinlola F.F. , Deji S.A. , Usman A. , Balogun M. , Bamgboye E.A.
Published: August 2024

Background - Malaria is a life-threatening disease associated with a high level of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa especially  among children under five years of age. Long-lasting insecticidal Nets (LLINs) ownership and utilization are some of the  proven interventions to reduce the burden of the disease. This paper aims to assess and compare the predictors of ownership and  utilization of LLINs among caregivers of under-five children living in urban and rural settlements in Ekiti State, Nigeria. - This was a cross- sectional comparative study among 800 under-five caregivers. A multistage sampling technique selected 400 caregivers each from urban  and rural settlements. Data were analyzed using Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS) IBM version 23. Univariate analysis was  conducted to summarize the data and inferential statistics were generated using chisquare and binary logistic regression at 95%CI. The  results showed much lower ownership rates in urban (32.3%) than the rural (33.0%). The predictor of ownership of LLINs among  respondents in urban settlements was, obtaining their information about LLINs from health workers, friends as sources of information,  awareness, good knowledge, and having positive attitudes about LLINs. Utilization is better in the rural (78.0%) compared to the urban  (61.2%). The predictor of utilization of LLINs in urban settlements was having positive attitudes towards LLINs while the predictors of the  utilization of LLINs in rural were the number of under-five children with caregivers and positive attitude to LLINs.
Conclusion –Ownership  of LLINs in both settlements was very low and lagged in urban. The utilization was however higher but also lagged in urban.  However, it has not reached the 80% proposed by the National Malaria Control Programme. It is therefore recommended that the Government and partners sustain the free distribution of LLINs throughout the year in the communities to improve ownership and Social  and Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) intervention is necessary to improve utilization.
Utilization of Antenatal Care among Women in Rwamagana District, Rwanda: A Cross-sectional Study Conducted at Health Centers in 2023
Authors: Wabwire Paul Francis , Bushaija Emmy , Uwase Melissa , Iranzi Safari , Iranzi David , Munezero Evelyne , Munezero Belyse , Mulindwa Venuste , Akeem Ayodeji Okesina
Published: August 2024

INTRODUCTION: Optimal utilization of antenatal care (ANC) has been challenging in Rwamagana District. One of the causes is the limited availability of multifaceted information regarding ANC. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the rate of antenatal care utilization in Rwamagana District and the possible influencing factors. 
METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study and through a convenient sampling method, three hundred fifty-three (353) women were selected to participate. A structured questionnaire with multiple-choice questions was used for data collection. 
RESULTS: The majority (79.6% of women) began having ANC early in pregnancy, while 20.1% started having ANC in the second or third trimester. After initiation, 94.4% of the women attended ANC for the remaining trimester(s). Dropout was 3.0%, while the women who skipped the second trimester were 1.7%. Subsequently, 0.4% of the women had no ANC at all from conception up to delivery. Overall, 24.1% had <4 ANC contacts, 66.2% of women received 4 – 7 ANC contacts, and only 9.7% of women had ≥ 8 ANC contacts. The household size (P=0.035), socioeconomic status (P=0.016), place of delivery (P=0.033), and source of ANC information (P=0.013) had a significant association with ANC utilization. 
CONCLUSION: Utilization of ANC has relatively been improved; it was found to be significantly influenced by household size, socioeconomic status, place of delivery, and sources of ANC information.
Efektivitas Efektivitas Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Melalui Program Kewirausahaan Kelompok Usaha Bersama (KUBE) Oleh Dinas Sosial Kabupaten Bintan
Authors: Amalia Dinda , Lestari Andi Karmila , Sukmawati Lilis
Published: August 2024

Pemerintah sudah melakukan berbagai upaya untuk mengentaskan kemiskinan. Salah satu upaya nya adalah dengan melaksanakan pemberdayaan masyarakat melalui program kewirausahaan yang disebut kelompok usaha bersama (KUBE). KUBE dibentuk dengan maksud mampu mengurangi kemiskinan dengan upaya bersama dan kooperatif. Dalam penelitian ini, mengukur efektivitas dilihat dari beberapa indikator yaitu, ketepatan sasaran, sosialisasi program, tujuan program, dan monitoring program. Adapun tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk memahami dan menganalisis bagaimana efektivitas pemberdayaan masyarakat yang dilaksanakan  melalui program Kelompok Usaha Bersama (KUBE) di Kelurahan Sungai Lekop Kecamatan Bintan Timur Kabupaten Bintan. Penelitian ini menggunkan metode kualitatif dan jenis penelitiannya adalah deskriptif dan data diperoleh melalui wawancara langsung bersama informan dan observasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa keefektifan pemberdayaan masyarakat melalui program kewirausahaan Kelompok Usaha Bersama (KUBE) di Kelurahan Sungai Lekop Kecamatan Bintan Timur Kabupaten Bintan menunjukkan hasil yang cukup baik.  Hal ini  dapat dilihat dari empat indikator yang telah terpenuhi walaupun belum dapat dikatakan maksimal.
Pengaduan Masyarakat di Kota Pekanbaru Dalam Perspektif Digital Governance
Authors: Arrijal Abid , Heriyanto Meyzi , Mayarni Mayarni
Published: August 2024

Semakin berkembangnya teknologi digital dikalangan Masyarakat saat ini membuat khususnya pemerintah Kota Pekanbaru memanfaatkan teknologi digital dalam proses pengaduan Masyarakat yang disebut dengan PEKA (Pekan Aduan). Penelitian ini berfokus pada perspektif Digital Governance dalam proses pengaduan Masyarakat di Kota pekanbaru dengan menggunakan metode Kualitatif dan Teknik pengumpulan data berupa wawancara. Aplikasi PEKA telah menjadi platform utama oleh pemerintah pekanbaru dalam menerima berbagai macam aduan yang adatang dari Masyarakat, namun dalam proses pelaksanaannya masih memiliki berbagai kendala mulai dari gangguan jaringan hingga fungsi yang belum maksimal dan jumlah pengguna yang pasif. Digital Governance yang menjadi tolak ukur pelaksanaan penerapan aplikasi PEKA telah mengedepankan konsep digital dalam pelaksanaannya namun masih memiliki beberapa kendala yang harus di tingkatkan.
Analisis Distingsi di Era Digital Society 5.0 Antara Local Preneur, Local Fleuncer & Local Pride pada Local Product Tanaman Purun Kalimantan Tengah
Authors: Ida Bagus Suryanatha  , Selvia Fitriana , Kaharap Yorgen , Ayu Katriani Puspita
Published: August 2024

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meninjau dan mengkaji secara implisit tentang Distingsi yang terjadi antara Local Preneur, Local Fluencer dalam branding Local Pride berbasis Kearifan Lokal. Metode penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan studi kasus. Adapun hasil dari penelitian ini adalah ditemukannya distingsi pada local produk purun dimana dari segi kualitas dan harga masih belum mampu menjangkau barang-barang non-local. Selain itu juga belum banyak influencer lokal yang mengetahui dari merk-merk lokal yang diproduksi oleh local preneur sehingga local pride di Kalimantan Tengah belum terstimulus secara massif.
Safety Assessment on the Safety and Efficacy of Pediococcus ⁠pentosaceus DSM 32292 as a Feed Additive for All Animal Species (RP552)
Authors: Food Standards Agency  , Food Standards Scotland
Published: August 2024

An application was submitted to the Food Standards Agency in March 2021 from Microferm Limited (‘the applicant’) for the new authorisation of an additive (Pediococcus pentosaceus DSM 32292), under the category of ‘technical additive’ and functional group ‘silage additives’. The additive is proposed to be used in all animal species, with a proposed minimum content of 1 x 1010 CFU / g to be applied to silage at a minimum of 5 x 107 CFU / kg.

To support the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) in evaluating the dossier, the Animal Feed and Feed Additives Joint Expert Group (AFFAJEG) and the Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs (ACAF) were asked to review the dossier and the supplementary information from the applicant.

The FSA/FSS concluded, based on the ACAF’s advice, that the additive was correctly identified and characterised, and that the additive can be considered safe for the target species, consumer, and the environment. The additive was identified as potentially harmful by contact with skin or eyes and a respiratory sensitiser.

It was concluded that the additive can be considered efficacious for moderately difficult to ensile forages. No conclusion could be reached on efficacy for difficult to ensile forages.

The views of AFFAJEG and ACAF have been taken into account in the safety assessment which represents the opinion of the FSA and FSS.
Cooperation for Mutual Interests: Reinstating U.S. Influence and Indonesia Green Economy Through Green Investment.
Authors: Angdreas Kevin
Published: August 2024

This article is dissecting the dynamism of environmental sentiment in international political economy that currently on the rise, in particular with the United States and Indonesia. This article explores the United States as a superpower country post-President Donald Trump, and the challenges arise and its response during President Joe Biden presidency. Moreover, this paper further examines Indonesia as a developing country that has a great potential of decarbonization on how to put it into practice, while maintain economic development. Seeing the interests of both countries could cross-cut, the paper analyze the potential of environmental-economic cooperation that can deepen bilateral relation. Three theories apply to put into practice: Green Theory; Green Capitalism; and Corporatism. The findings of the paper largely on how the foreign policy of the United States to be the pioneer in decarbonization can be accommodated by Indonesia. However, the decarbonization in Indonesia, facilitated by the United States does not immediately ignite regressive economic development. Instead, it is an opportunity for Indonesia to start in sustainable green economy. The multilateralism approach of the United States, followed by the opportunity of Green Capitalism and Corporatism by Indonesia  could benefit, deepen, and strengthen relation between both countries.
Keywords: Green Investment, Green Economy, Indonesia, United States, Multilateralism
JEL : F59, P33, Q56
Culture As A Catalyst:
Authors: Komalasari Rita
Published: August 2024

The study aims to examine the effects of performance management in health care via the prism of national culture. The study presents a review synthesis of a research report on performance evaluation. The research method used is narrative review. In today's corporate environment, when firms are increasingly competing worldwide, this is a must. As a result, workers and company executives alike must grapple with how easily rules and procedures created in one country may apply to other nations' operations. Some have argued for worldwide standardization in this field to save money and take advantage of economies of scale. Researchers in international business and cultural studies have suggested that cultural differences influence every company's activity. In contrast, some others have urged adopting organizational procedures when enterprises move across international borders. This article presents a meta-ethnographic synthesis of research on professional contacts with performance evaluation. Forty-four papers were analyzed. The results study show that performance management organizations affect the results of evaluations and give some good ideas for more research. The implication of the result is that performance management organizations have an impact on the outcomes of evaluations.
Keywords: business, health-related, organizational processes, performance management.
JEL: A11, A13
Preliminary System Dynamics Model to Understand the Struggle of Downstream Agro-Industry Development in Aceh, Indonesia
Authors: Mulyati Trisna , Prasetyo Diaz Adi
Published: August 2024

The successful agriculture industrialisation in developing regions is a big challenge which continues to be pursued globally. It is a dynamically complex system with many interplay stakeholders. Properly managing it therefore requires root understanding of the underlying structures and feedback mechanisms that influence the systems behaviour. This study explores the system dynamics modelling approach in Aceh that has been envisioning a progressive downstream agro-industry development for decades after the Tsunami and conflict rehabilitation but with very little success. The findings indicate that the reinforcing loop of numerous efforts is slow and worsened by the strong balancing loop of pressure from agriculture mafia in the system. This particularly includes the massive investment promotion that has caused a shifting of the burden for Aceh due to widespread extortion practice being unaddressed, and thus leading to temporary business establishments or inactive business plans. It is also evident that necessary law enforcement has been mainly ignored. Results from the simulation model have been able to replicate the historical behaviour of stagnant agribusiness growth in the downstream. Three scenarios were simulated in order to recommend policy intervention, which is by looking at the effect of doubled and halved extortion rate. The latter is projected to achieve a more favourable result for Aceh agro-industry development. In order to maintain the balance between economic growth, sustainable use of resources, and minimisation of unintended environmental and social consequences, such intervention is subjected to other policies. 
Keywords: agriculture, agro-industry, industrial development, system dynamics
JEL: C63, O13, Q13