Archives-December 

An investigation was conducted to assess the concentration of heavy metals in sediments in four selected locations along Lagos lagoon comprising Iddo, Makoko, Okobaba and Epe zones and correlate the effect of metal concentrations on benthic microbial population vis a vis the open water bacterial population. Physico-chemical analysis revealed that the pH was generally alkaline for all zones with the sediments and areas along the shoreline being higher. The concentration of lead, Iron and Nickel was more in Makoko. Zinc was more concentrated in Iddo, while the value for copper was more in Okobaba sediments. ANOVA analysis shows that mean measurements for all metals across the four locations for sample A, (0.184) and sample B (0.548) had no significant difference at 95% level of significance. For organic nutrients, ANOVA also showed no significant difference for sample A, (0.190) but significant difference for sample B (0.026) across the four areas at 95% significance. The benthic microbial population (bacteria, coliform and fungi) was less than that of surface water. Okobaba had the highest bacterial mean cfu/ml for water and sediment and highest fungal mean cfu/ml for water and sediment while the mean cfu value for coliform is highest in Iddo for water and sediment. The microorganisms isolated and identified were among others Pseudomonas putida, Citrobacter koseri, Escerichia coli, Enterobacter agglomerans, Neurospora sitophila, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp. The presence of high heavy metals concentrations in sediments and the high nutrient levels increased the BOD and pH thereby reducing the population of benthic microorganisms in the sediments showing that there is high pollution. Heavy metals are of public health significance and pose a threat to the survival of both humans and aquatic life.

Apart from soluble and insoluble pool of glycogen ethanol also affects the third pool of glycogen present at the cell surface level of yeast. ?-glucans which play an important role in the process of yeast flocculation also contribute to this third pool of glycogen in yeast cells as confirmed by amyloglucosidase treatment. Cells grown in the presence of ethanol exhibit higher amount of surface ?-glucans indicating the role of ethanol in enhancing flocculation in yeast. Addition of Ca2+ as well as both Ca2+ and ethanol collectively to yeast culture medium exhibits both increase in cell wall bound insoluble glycogen content and surface ?-glucans. Ethanol action on yeast cells also exhibits rise in the content of cell surface glycoprotein which includes glucomannoproteins and galactomannoproteins present in the outer layer of cell wall. Thus yeast cells exhibit increase in the level of cell wall bound insoluble glycogen, surface ?-glucansas well as surface glycoprotein as a protective measure against ethanol stress. Thus both Ca2+ and ethanol enhance flocculation in yeast cells where the level of flocculence is correlated with the cell surface ?-glucans.

This paper is examined the brunt of private enterprises expenditures in economic growth in Nepal which is well understood and recognised. However, most of the theoretical and empirical research on determining this role has focused on the impact of public investments, implicitly pretentious that recurrent expenditure of the government is more or less irrelevant from the standpoint of economic growth. Using Nepali data, this study not only reiterates the positive impact of public expenditure on economic activity but also highlights that primary recurrent expenditure is about as much important as public investment in enhancing economic activity. This is perhaps because in Nepal government’s development expenditure has more inherent inefficiencies than recurrent expenditures, as prolonged fiscal adversity has stripped that latter to “bare bones” to contain large inefficiencies. However, this also implies that simply creating structures and infrastructure is not enough to accelerate economic growth. Each structure has to be adequately financed for its operation and maintenance to give optimum results, which is done from recurrent spending. As such, this study points to a rethink on the role of private expenditure and its impact on growth, especially the composition of expenditure also.

Intelligent driver systems and vehicle connectivity have made systems like RFID based traffic control systems, automatic collision notification obsolete. In addition to collision notification, cooperative collision avoidance and other applications using connectivity between the vehicle and signalized intersections have emerged. Applications avoiding collisions, enhancing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) are the subject of this paper. The interaction between vehicle and traffic management systems could revolutionize the traffic problems of a crowded metropolitan city. This paper will employ connectivity as an enabling technology for sustaining the vision of smart and green transportation systems.

ABSTRACT Background The Acquired Immune-deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is principally a sexually transmitted disease. Medical scientists agree that Human Immune-deficiency virus (HIV) cause the syndrome. Currently, 80% of HIV positive people in Africa acquired it through sexual intercourse. Ten percent are infected through blood transfusion donated by HIV positive people, and 10% through contact of blood in circulation system with HIV contaminated objects like shaving blades, injection needles and other objects used in piercing the body for medical, cosmetic and other purpose 1.The new face of Human Immune Virus (HIV)/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has earned it a recognition as a social problem due to the associated devastating social and cultural consequences on the individual and the society at large. As such, the pandemic needs to be given adequate social and cultural exploration for the purpose of designing effective prevention programmes. This becomes important, as there may be cultural variations that need to be understood before an effective programme could be designed. Objectives: The main objective of the review was to determine the socio-cultural factors associated with HIV/AIDS transmission. Methods: The review was conducted using PEN-3 Cultural model as a guide, electronic search of published literature using Pub Med database, Medline and data collected from national HIV sero-prevalence sentinel survey 2010. The bulk of the secondary data used in this review was also sourced from the reports of the Federal Ministry of Health, National Agency for the Control AIDS and the National Population Commission of Nigeria. Results: The findings of this review highlighted that gender inequalities, polygamous marriage, early marriage, widow inheritance, multiple sexual practices, alcohol/drug, harmful cultural/traditional practices, stigma and taboo influence HIV/AIDS prevalence in Nigeria. Data from the national sentinel survey was used to produce various graphs to show the trend of HIV/AIDS at national level, state level, urban and rural areas and various age groups. Conclusion: In conclusion HIV/AIDS is a social problem associated with human development process, thus solutions to the problem should focus on the entire development of the society. Necessary to understand are various socio cultural factors of HIV/AIDS highlighted with the view of educating the people.

Stock price forecasting is a prominent phenomenon for investors and other financial information users. Indeed, stock price prediction has been regarded as an interesting yet challenging process in the advanced world of business. Various economical or non economical factors have effected on stock market behavior, hence stock price forecasting is recognized as one of the most complicated subjects in business. In past, statistic-based methods were suggested to solve this problem. In recent decade, nonlinear based fuzzy time series models methods, artificial neural networks, fuzzy neural networks and combined prediction models have been recommended. There have been permanent debates about different methods of forecasting precision among those authors who selected artificial intelligence in forecasting. Therefore comparative analyses are crucial. This study by applying neural networks and minimizing stock price forecasting error designs and provides stock price forecasting model, in comparison to combined artificial neural networks technique. Results show that the combined neural network model forecasts more appropriately and is faster with higher estimation capability in stock price forecasting in relation to single neural networks.

This paper examines the effects and consequences of globalization on the identity of young Iranian. At first we describe concepts of globalization, identity, young and then with the method of analysis and explanation we seek the impact of these cases to know the impact of globalization on the identity component and their influence on Iranian young identity. Globalization is fueling a crisis of identity that challenges distinct form of official identification and facilitate the identification based on traditional value based on local value, identity-based on public value, open, plural and identification based on consumption.

Scaphoid fracture, untreated or badly treated, progresses to non-union. The treatment of scaphoid non-union is surgical. This work aims to discuss and analyze different techniques used in the treatment of scaphoid non-unions and their functional outcomes.Our study focuses on fifteen observations collected of scaphoid non-union in the Rabat Ibn Sina Hospital's department of traumatology-orthopaedic, over a period of six years (2007-2012). The analysis focused on the epidemiological, clinical, radiological data, surgical techniques and post-operative evaluation. The average age is 30 years, with a male predominance. One third of patients are manual workers, the dominant hand is affected in 67% of cases. The average trauma - treatment delay is 50.1 months. All patients presented pain and functional impairment with decreased range of motion. The X-ray made in all patients found, according to the classification of Alnot, 40% stage IIA, stage IIB 46.6%, 6.7% stage IIIB and stage IV 6.7% other. Most of our patients (13 out 15 cases) were treated by the Matti Russe operation, the iliac graft was in 11 cases, and radial in 2 cases. Resection of the first carpal row was performed in 2 cases. The evolution was marked by the disappearance of pain in 12 patients and improvements of motion in 10 patients. The Matti Russe operation is an excellent technique for treatment of scaphoid non-union without necrosis or osteoarthritis, this technique gives good functional results. However, only early diagnosis and adequate treatment of scaphoid fracture before non-union can recover normal mobility and avoid aftermaths.

The novel organotin(IV) complexes such as (p-ClBz)2SnBr2. Phen(2a) and (p-BrBz)2SnBr2. Phen(2b) were synthesized and characterized employing 1H, 13C and 119Sn NMR analyses. The spectral studies revealed the complex formation of 1,10-phenanthroline with p-substituted diorganotin dibromides at normal reaction conditions. Single crystal diffraction of 2a and 2b has confirmed that the tin atom is in regular octahedral geometry with the benzyl group in the equidirectional position. The structures of these compounds have been characterized by FT-IR, FT-Raman techniques. The optimized geometrical parameters, vibrational wavenumbers, corresponding vibrational assignments of the complexes 2a and 2b have been investigated by means of the density functional theory. The vibrational frequencies were calculated and scaled values were compared with experimental FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra. The observed and calculated frequencies are found to be in good agreement. Moreover, the molecular electrostatic potential surfaces of the complexes have been constructed and electronic property such as HOMO and LUMO energies were also performed.

This research examines the concept of self-regulation from student’s perspective among gifted students in Jeddah Saudi Arabia. The discussion in the study is based on the theoretical framework of the emotional intelligence Theory Goleman’s (1995). A total of 150 respondents were involved in the quantitative study comprising of male and female gifted students whereby 10 teachers and 30 gifted students were used for qualitative study. During the analysis and interpretation of the responses gathered from gifted students which is the quantitative data, effect size was used to investigate which of the emotional intelligence element (self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill) would be the best predictor of academic achievement among gifted students in Saudi Arabia. For the qualitative data thematic analysis was used through manual qualitative style to describe the concept of self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills and provide suggestions from the teachers that could be adopted to improve emotional intelligence among gifted students in Saudi Arabia. The findings of the study show the effect of emotional intelligence factors on academic achievement. The study will be significant to teachers of gifted students, educational planners, government, international agencies such as UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP, e t c and nongovernmental organizations by putting into practice the suggestions and recommendations which will help them improve emotional intelligence among gifted students in Saudi Arabia.