Women and sustainable fisheries exploitation

Sustainability in the extraction of fishery resource need to be proactively upheld if the achichment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be anything to go by in Nigeria and other developing countries. The fishery resource, of the biotic component of the environment, and the main focus of this paper, is renewable resource whose existence if not for adverse environmental factors and natural specialization that occurs over thousands of years, is a continuum. The biological attributes of these fauna and flora render them amenable to usage in manners that still allows their continuous existence for the profit of mankind. Ignorance and the consequent inappropriate harvesting methods and uses of the fishery resource make them prone to abuse, imperilment, and eventual extinction. The influential and important roles of women as fishers, fishmongers. processors, concerned citizens of healthy living and organizers of the end use of the fishery resource put women in a vantage position to influence; thereby, enforcing conservation and sustainability in the extraction of the resource when trained in natural resource management. Consequently, women need to be trained and equipped with knowledge such as basic principles in these areas: biological attributes of the aquatic resources, measures of aquatic resource management, and approaches such as co-management, , communitybased and ecosystem-based approaches to fishery management; including simplified principles embedded within international instruments that form the legal frame work for resource management

Challenges to effective collaboration in cross-cultural virtual teams

Multinational organisations are increasingly adopting geographically distributed cross-cultural virtual teams to accomplish projects. As organisations seek to exploit the benefits of such teams, they may confront a number of challenges. This research explored challenges to effective partnership in cross-cultural virtual teams through an in-depth case study of the Ghana subsidiary of a multinational organisation in the telecommunications industry. It is an interpretive study based on qualitative data from semi-structured interviews. The study finds that temporal, linguistic, and cultural issues present significant challenges to effective teamwork. The paper discusses implications of the findings for the effective management of cross-cultural virtual teams

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of pyruvate kinase M2 isoenzymatic assay in diagnosing colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND: Screening programmes exist in many countries for colorectal cancer. In recent years, there has been a drive for a non-invasive screening marker of higher sensitivity and specificity. Stool-based pyruvate kinase isoenzyme M2 (M2-PK) is one such biomarker under investigation. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of M2-PK as a screening tool in colorectal cancer. METHODS: A literature search of Ovid Medline, EMBASE and Google Scholar was carried out. The search strategy was restricted to human subjects and studies published in English. Data on sensitivity and specificity were extracted and pooled. Statistical analysis was conducted using summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve methodology. RESULTS: A total of eight studies were suitable for data synthesis and analysis. Our analysis showed a pooled sensitivity and specificity for M2-PK to be 79% (CI 73%–83%) and 80% (CI 73%–86%), respectively. The accuracy of M2-PK was 0.85(0.82–0.88). CONCLUSION: Faecal M2-PK assay has a relatively good sensitivity and specificity and high accuracy for screening colorectal cancer

Effects of Particle Size Distribution on Bioremediation of Crude Oil Polluted Sandy Soils

Bioremediation has been proven to be the most effective method of cleaning up oil contaminated soils through the application of nutrients and microorganism. Hence, this research presents the effects of particle size distribution on bioremediation of crude oil polluted sandy soils. Six different soil samples were sieved using the B.S sieve sizes. The sieve sizes were classified into X and Y such that X is fine to coarse sand while Y is very fine to coarse sand according to U.S Bureau and Public Roads Administration (PRA) soil classification system. The soil samples were polluted with escravous sweet crude oil at a uniform rate concentration of 4% under aerobic condition. Treatment commenced after four days using nutrients (N.P.K 15:15:15 fertilizer and cow dung) and microorganism (Pseudomonas). Soil samples were examined for physiochemical and microbial characteristics for a period of 42days. The parameters examined were: moisture content, particle size distribution, total hydrocarbon content, soil pH, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, total heterotrophic bacteria and fungi count. The analysis of the soil characteristics throughout the remediation period showed that total heterotrophic bacteria and fungi counts increased in all the soil samples. THBC was highest in sample G for both fine to coarse sand(X) and very fine to coarse sand (Y) with values of 250cfu x105/g and 298cfu x105/g at least values of coefficient of uniformity(cu) respectively. There was a decrease in nitrogen, phosphorus, organic carbon content, moisture content, pH and total hydrocarbon content.  The result of the study revealed that, the rate of hydrocarbon loss was higher in samples with less coefficient of uniformity values compared to samples of higher coefficient of uniformity (Cu) values, an indication that particle size distribution parameters could be one of the factors affecting bioremediation.The correlation coefficient(r) of Total hydrocarbon content versus Ccoefficient of uniformity for fine to coarse sand(X) is 0.867 while for very fine to coarse sand is 0.923

Formation and evolution of Spinel in aluminum killed calcium treated linepipe steels

Magnesium aluminate (Spinel) inclusions have been observed to cause hook crack in line pipe steels. These inclusions are typically formed during liquid steel processing at the ladle metallurgy furnace (LMF) and subsequently modified by calcium to form less harmful liquid inclusions. Unfortunately, spinel inclusions are still sometimes observed in samples taken from the tundish and coil after calcium treatment. The formation and evolution of spinel inclusions during liquid steel processing at two industrial mini mills was investigated by analysis of lollipop samples taken at different stages of the steelmaking process. The effect of reoxidation on the formation of spinels after calcium treatment was also investigated by thermodynamic calculations and laboratory experiments. The results showed that spinel inclusions are first formed in liquid steel after desulfurization and by the reaction between dissolved aluminum in liquid steel and MgO in the ladle slag. These inclusions were modified by calcium to both liquid and solid calcium aluminates. Also observed after calcium treatment, was the formation of MgO rich and CaS inclusions. During liquid steel transfer to the tundish, evidence of reoxidation and ability of CaS to act as a source of calcium to modify inclusions formed during reoxidation was observed. Analysis of the results from the laboratory experiment showed that with sufficient magnesium in steel (about 4ppm) spinel inclusions can be formed during liquid steel reoxidation. The results also showed that spinel inclusions observed after reoxidation of calcium treated steel are larger in size than those observed prior to calcium treatment. The modification of spinels by calcium and reformation after liquid steel reoxidation was verified by thermodynamic calculations --Abstract, page iv

Oxide inclusion evolution and factors that influence their size and morphology

The evolution of oxide inclusion size distribution and the shape of the distribution during steelmaking and casting and the process variables that influence the inclusion characteristics at different stages were investigated and documented. A statistical method for transforming the 2D size distribution to their actual 3D distributions and the application of a kinetic model to determine nucleation and growth mechanisms were tested. Finally, laboratory experiments were performed to study the effects of preexisting inclusions, steel active oxygen content, and supersaturation on the size and morphology of Al2O3 inclusions. The inclusion size, composition, and morphology following steel deoxidation were found to depend on the steel conditions during deoxidation, and the method/sequence of deoxidant addition. The oxide size distribution evolved from lognormal to fractal and the distribution shape was quadratic or linear on a log-log plot. The distribution shape was preserved on both 2D and 3D analysis and used to identify new and aged inclusion populations. The Schwartz-Saltykov method for converting 2D data to 3D was found to be inadequate and the applied kinetic model could not explain certain observed trends. Finally, results from the laboratory study showed the oxide inclusion transformations from preexisting FeO and MnO\u27SiO2 inclusions to Al2O3 following Al-deoxidation. The reaction of Al with FeO was relatively fast compared to the sluggish reaction with MnO\u27SiO2. Al2O3 dendrites and clusters were observed after Al-deoxidation. The clusters consisted of spheres and dendrites and three possible sources of cluster formation were identified. The size of the spherical Al2O3 were larger with increased FeO size and results showed that increasing supersaturation had the strongest influence on the length of the dendrite --Abstract, page iv

Adaptive Mechanisms of Rural Fishermen Towards Climate Change On Quantity of Fish Caught in Asari-toru Local Government Area of Rivers State Nigeria.

This study investigated the adaptive mechanisms of rural fishermen towards climate change on quantity of fish caught in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. A purposive random sampling techniques was employed in selecting 80 (eighty) respondents in the study area. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and net farm profit analysis. The results showed that majority (96%)of the respondents are male and their mean age ranged between 36-40years with a percentage of 27.6% while 3.5% had fishing experience ranging from 21-25years. Respondents employed building of sea walls, diversification to off-farm activities and restoration of mangroves as means of adapting to climate change. These mechanism employed improved their productivity and profitability with a net profit of N500, 455.1. The major problem encountered (14.9%) was high cost of fishing materials. An integrated approach in problem solving through knowledge of the existing adaptive mechanisms with adequate participation of the people is recommended. Keywords: Adaptive Mechanism, Climate Change, Rural Fishermen, Fishing, Socio-economic Characteristics

The Climate Change Challenge and the Ornamental Fish Stocks of the Upper New Calabar River, Niger Delta Area of Nigeria

As the world braces up for the continuous threats of Climate change related floods, a review of the possible influence of the global challenges of Climate change related floods on  the  composition, diversity and abundance of Ornamental fish fauna of the Upper New Calabar River , a tributary of the Niger Delta Basin (Ibim and Gogo, 2013) was undertaken. This work was aimed at creating urgent awareness towards the status of the Ornamental fish stocks of the New Calabar River, the possible effect of floods on these fishes, and the need to protect and conserve them.  A review of a fifteen –week study on the composition, diversity and abundance of Ornamental fish fauna of the Upper New Calabar River (Ibim and Gogo, 2013), revealed a total catch of 30,055 fishes, having a composition of forty one (41) ornamental fish species belonging to thirty five (35) genera and twenty five (25) families. However, species abundance/score varied amongst the families with a few species high (Hemichromis fasciatus – 20.16%- dominant), but most being very low (Gnathonemus petersii (2.82%  and Aethiomastacembelus nigromarginatus (0.07%) rare). Also, the species diversity was low among all the families except the Cichlids that had nine species.  Also, a review on the effect of global Climate change related floods on fish populations, revealed  a variety of threat situations including,  habitat salinity and ionic content distortion, habitat destruction, introduction of new species, migration of endemic species, fish seed loss, death and even extinction .From this it could be inferred that any such natural disaster in the Upper New Calabar River will have terrible consequences. A review of recommendations were made to stakeholders on how best to mitigate/adapt to the threats of Climate change related floods, to reduce the possible deleterious effects of the impending floods on the already declining ornamental fish stocks of the Upper New Calabar River of the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria. Keywords: Climate change related floods, Upper New Calabar River, Niger Delta Area, Nigeria, Ornamental fish Stock

AWARENESS AND PRACTICE OF CHAT GENERATIVE PRE-TRAINED TRANSFORMERS: A NEW LANGUAGE MODEL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS: THE CASE OF AMBO UNIVERSITY EFL INSTRUCTORS

The introduction of ChatGPT has caused a significant upheaval in the education sector. It is altering the method by which educators obtain information for scholarly and investigative endeavors. This study aimed at exploring awareness and practice of Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer: New Language Model Artificial Intelligence in Higher Institutions: The Case of Ambo University EFL Instructors. Sixteen instructors of English Language and Literature at Ambo University were subjects of the study. Questionnaires and interviews were used as data-gathering instruments. Both probability and nonprobability sampling techniques, simple random sampling and availability sampling, were used in order to collect the necessary data. The collected data was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings of this study indicated that EFL instructors were not familiar with ChatGPT, a new language model in English language teaching. The study also showed that EFL instructors’ practice of ChatGPT was low due to a lack of familiarity with it. Challenges such as lack of awareness about ChatGPT, lack of familiarity with the tools and their functionalities, lack of technology-related resources, lack of personalization, and lack of time to use ChatGPT in the language classroom affected their use of ChatGPT in their EFL classroom. Therefore, effective integration of ChatGPT technology will likely require on-going professional development and a collaborative approach between teachers, administrators, and educational technology experts.