Information Flow along Catfish Marketing Channels in Nigeria: Whither the Role of Mobile Telephony

The objectives of this study were two-folds; examined the use of mobile phone technology to facilitate catfish marketing and identified the determinants of variations in the frequency of mobile phone use for catfish marketing among agents involved in the marketing chain. The study was carried out in Kwara-state, Nigeria. One hundred and forty respondents were stratified and randomly sampled and data was collected through the use of well-designed questionnaires. Descriptive and Poisson regression model were used to analyze the data. The study identified the use of mobile phone along five communication channels used for catfish marketing. Annual income generated from catfish business was significant in explaining variations observed in the frequency of mobile phone use (p</jats:p

Patterns and Drivers of Mobile Telephony for Sustainable Livelihood among Rural Farming Households in Kwara State, Nigeria

Recently, it is acknowledged that mobile phones, as an asset, exhibits multiple functionalities and diverse applications that cut across all forms of capital accumulation necessary for sustainable livelihood. However, empirical result is sparse in Nigeria as to the impact of mobile phones on asset accumulation. This study examined the socio-economic determinants of mobile phone use and intensity of use for sustainable capital formation in among farming households in Kwara state, Nigeria. Specifically, 120 rural farming households were randomly sampled and count data on the number of calls made with respect to livelihood capitals generated. Binary Logistic regression and Zero-Inflated negative Binomial regression models were used in analyzing the data. The study revealed that 73% of the respondents have access to mobile phone use. The study identifies major uses of mobile phone for sustainable livelihood enhancement activities. Significant determinants of mobile phone use are; possession of formal education, household size, age, marital status, annual farm income, diversity of crop cultivated and the number of family members living outside the community (p</jats:p

Scope of partial least-squares regression applied to the enantiomeric composition determination of ketoprofen from strongly overlapped chromatographic profiles

Valuable quantitative information could be obtained from strongly overlapped chromatographic profiles of two enantiomers by using proper chemometric methods. Complete separation profiles where the peaks are fully resolved are difficult to achieve in chiral separation methods, and this becomes a particularly severe problem in case that the analyst need to measure the chiral purity, i.e., when one of the enantiomers is present in the sample in very low concentrations. In this report, we explore the scope of a multivariate chemometric technique based on unfolded partial least-squares regression, as a mathematical tool to solve this quite frequent difficulty. This technique was applied to obtain quantitative results from partially overlapped chromatographic profiles of R- and S-ketoprofen, with different values of enantioresolution factors (from 0.81 down to less than 0.2 resolution units), and also at several different S:R enantiomeric ratios. Enantiomeric purity below 1% was determined with excellent precision even from almost completely overlapped signals. All these assays were tested on the most demanding condition, i.e., when the minor peak elutes immediately after the main peak. The results were validated using univariate calibration of completely resolved profiles and the method applied to the determination of enantiomeric purity of commercial pharmaceuticals.Fil: Padro, Juan Manuel. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Métodos Analíticos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Osorio Grisales, Jaiver. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Métodos Analíticos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Arancibia, Juan Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Rosario. Instituto de Química Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Olivieri, Alejandro Cesar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Rosario. Instituto de Química Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Castells, Cecilia Beatriz Marta. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Métodos Analíticos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Sources of Information as an Essential Correlate in Agricultural News Reportage in Nigerian Dailies

The impact of the print media in agricultural development has been the focal point in the recent times and has received considerable awareness from researchers, planners, politicians and media practitioners of developing countries especially Nigeria. The underlying factors responsible for ways the print media projects agricultural news and the sources responsible for the information are diverse.  Sources of information in news reporting are a pedestal on which print media stand. The individual and public perception and attitudes towards societal issues are a function of knowledge based on available information and it significant that, print media make use of experts who are well grounded in their various fields, to comment or serve as sources for the agricultural and agro-allied news.It is on this view that the study was carried out to investigate the importance attached to the sources used by journalists in reporting agricultural news. The selected Nigerian daily newspapers were the Nigeria Tribune, Punch, the Guardian and Vanguard. The time frames of the study were between January 1st 2000 to December 31st 2004 and this covered five years.  The reason for this is that, the Nigeria agricultural sector was just coming under a new republic and the study equally showed the level of coverage giving to development of agriculture. The content analysis performed on the 128 editions of newspapers revealed that, there is significant difference in the sources used by journalists in reporting agricultural and agro-allied news (The chi-square value is 33.23, P value is 0.0001 when P≤ 0.05). The study also revealed that, there is significant difference in the relevance of areas of specialization of the sources and the topics commented upon (Chi –square value is 29.50, P = 0.0189 when P≤ 0.05). Recommendations have been articulated to enable the newspaper play its expected facilitating role in furtherance of agricultural and rural development of Nigeria, in general. Keywords: Agricultural news; The Tribune newspaper; The Guardian, The Punch, The Vanguard: Reportage; The Expert

Determination of Enantiomeric Compositions of Analytes Using Novel Fluorescent Chiral Molecular Micelles and Steady State Fluorescence Measurements

Novel fluorescent chiral molecular micelles (FCMMs) were synthesized, characterized, and employed as chiral selectors for enantiomeric recognition of non-fluorescent chiral molecules using steady state fluorescence spectroscopy. The sensitivity of the fluorescence technique allowed for investigation of low concentrations of chiral selector (3.0 x 10(-5) M) and analyte (5.0 x 10(-6) M) to be used in these studies. The chiral interactions of glucose, tartaric acid, and serine in the presence of FCMMs poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-tryptophanate) [poly-L-SUW], poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-tyrosinate) [poly-L-SUY], and poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-phenylalininate) [poly-SUF] were based on diastereomeric complex formation. Poly-L-SUW had a significant fluorescence emission spectral difference as compared to poly-L-SUY and poly-L-SUF for the enantiomeric recognition of glucose, tartaric acid, and serine. Studies with the hydrophobic molecule alpha-pinene suggested that poly-L-SUY and poly-L-SUF had better chiral discrimination ability for hydrophobic analytes as compared to hydrophilic analytes. Partial-least-squares regression modeling (PLS-1) was used to correlate changes in the fluorescence emission spectra of poly-L-SUW due to varying enantiomeric compositions of glucose, tartaric acid, and serine for a set of calibration samples. Validation of the calibration regression models was determined by use of a set of independently prepared samples of the same concentration of chiral selector and analyte with varying enantiomeric composition. Prediction ability was evaluated by use of the root-mean-square percent relative error (RMS%RE) and was found to range from 2.04 to 4.06%

Chiral Recognition of Amino Acids by Use of a Fluorescent Resorcinarene

The spectroscopic properties of a chiral boronic acid based resorcinarene macrocycle employed for chiral analysis were investigated. Specifically, the emission and excitation characteristics of tetraarylboronate resorcinarene macrocycle (TBRM) and its quantum yield were evaluated. The chiral selector TBRM was investigated as a chiral reagent for the enantiomeric discrimination of amino acids using steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. Chiral recognition of amino acids in the presence of the macrocycle was based on diastereomeric complexes. Results demonstrated that TBRM had better chiral discrimination ability for lysine as compared to the other amino acids. Partial least squares regression modeling (PLS-1) of spectral data for macrocycle-lysine guest-host complexes was used to correlate the changes in the fluorescence emission for a set of calibration samples consisting of TBRM in the presence of varying enantiomeric compositions of lysine. In addition, validation studies were performed using an independently prepared set of samples with different enantiomeric compositions of lysine. The results of multivariate regression modeling indicated good prediction ability of lysine, which was confirmed by a root mean square percent relative error (RMS%RE) of 5.8%

Participation in Farmers’ Group and House-Hold Food Security in Isokan Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria

The study assessed the importance of participation in farmers’ groups or associations by the rural farmers in reducing household food insecurity among the rural household in Isokan Local Government Area of Osun state of Nigeria. Issue of food security is an on-going research focal point in the recent times and has received considerable awareness from international agencies, research institutions, planners and various national governments. For so many institutions be it government based or non-governmental, the approach of reaching many rural dwellers, who are major susceptible victims of endemic food insecurity, is of major concern. An average farmer, especially in Nigeria belongs to one farmers’ group or the other with the aim of leveraging on the social derived from such group to exit poverty brought upon such due to poor food insecurity. The major operations and tenets practice within the farmers’ groups or associations can be considered as a fundamental in planning intervention programmes for rural farmers. The tenets or practices can be mainstreamed, when understood, into extension strategies, in helping farmers overcome challenges to household food security.The study was carried in Isokan Local government area of Osun state, in south-western Nigeria. A total number of ninety questionnaires were administered to the rural farmers, who belong to farmer’ groups within their localities. The unit of analysis was the household head, the period of research was the month of February, 2012. Seventy-eight per cent of the respondents were male while twenty-one per cent were female. The forty-nine per-cent of the respondents has family size between five and eight people. There was no significant relationship between sex, marital status and participation in farmers’ group,( the chi-square  P≤0.430 and P≤ 0.275 respectively). There was significant relationship with educational level of the respondents and their participation in farmers’ groups (the chi-square value is P≤ 0.0001 ). The same goes for age with chi-square value of 0.335. The study also revealed that, there is significant relationship between farm size cultivation and participation in farmer’s groups. The study revealed further that, there is significant relationship between respondents’ perception of membership of farmers’ group and the effect on the food security of the households, the chi-square value is 32.882.The study revealed that farmers’ groups can be enhanced by empowering them with requisite information and strategies on household food security, as the farmers can be reached using the groups they can repose their trust in. Keywods: Livelihood Activities. Food Security. Rural Farmers. Household

Translation Studies in German as a Foreign Language (GFL) in Africa (Nigeria). A Weapon Against “Waiting Room Dangers”

The importance of translation in Additional Language Learning (ALL) cannot be overemphasized as there exists of late various studies in support of this fact. Extant studies on this issue have dealt with various aspects of translation about language learning in Europe, Canada, Australia and also in the US, although studies in this regard are not limited to these geographical boundaries. Moreover, these studies do not only focus on the impact of translation on ALL but also on various other issues like plurilingualism as it relates to translation in ALL.&nbsp; However, research in this regard are relatively scarce in the African context. As such, many studies done in Africa, particularly in Nigeria are limited in scope when it comes to the relevance of translation in learning German as a Foreign Language (GFL). This study therefore seeks to shed more light on how translation studies in GFL lessons in Nigeria could be useful as a weapon against “waiting room dangers”

Mechanical Properties of Moringa (Moringa oleifera) Seeds in relation to an Oil Expeller Design

Mechanical properties are very important in the design of machines and the analysis of the behaviour of products during agricultural processing. In this research work, the mechanical properties of Moringa were determined as design parameters for the development of an oil expeller for the crop. The properties were the applied force, deformation, stress, energy and Young Modulus. They were determined at peak, break and yield.The average force at peak, deformation at peak, stress at peak and energy to peak were found to be 58.535 N, 5.0990 mm, 49.26 N/mm2 and 0.1344 N.m respectively. The average force at break, deformation at break, stress at break and energy to break were found to be 58.420 N, 5.1241 mm, 49.12 N/mm2 and 0.1357 N.m respectively. The force at yield, stress at yield and energy to yield were found to be 39.000 N, 33.66 N/mm2 and 0.0224 N.m respectively. The Young's modulus was found to be 195.32 N/mm2. These parameters would provide important and essential data for the efficient design of the oil expeller.Keywords: Moringa, Mechanical Properties, Oil, Oil Expeller

Awareness and effects of climate change on cocoa production in Ondo State, Nigeria

According to estimates, the contribution of cocoa, which is the Nigeria’s highest foreign exchange earner among all agricultural commodities, has dropped from 308,000 tonnes in the 70’s to an average of 215,000 tonnes in recent years. This, according to reports, resulted from climate failure, among other factors. In the light of this, this study examined awareness and effects of climate change on cocoa production in Ondo State, the Nigeria’s leading cocoa producing state. Specifically, the study decribed socio-­‐economic characteristics of cocoa farmers in the study area, investigated the awareness and perceived effects of climate change on cocoa production by the farmers and identified the adaptation strategies practised by the farmers. Primary data obtained through a combination of purposive and random sampling techniques of 120 farming households from the six Local Government Areas noted for cocoa production in the state were used for the study. Descriptive statistics involving frequency distribution tables, mean, mode and percentages were used for the analysis. The results revealed that 80.8% of the respondents were aware of climate change. The general effects of climate change experienced by the farmers were excessive rainfall (23.3%), less rainfall (12.5%), irregular rainfall pattern (59.2%), delayed onset of rainfall (5.0%), high temperature (37.5%), drought (5.0%) and variation in sunshine hours (28.3%). The visible effects of climate failure on the farmer cocoa production were pest attack (35.8%), disease attack (44.2%), late ripening of cocoa pod (20.8%), reduced weight of cocoa bean (53.3%) and contaminated cocoa bean (45.0%). This is unfavourable to farmers and the Nigerian economy in general. Therefore, this study calls for dissemination of timely information on sound adaptation strategies to effects of climate change by agricultural development agencies and provision of training by relevant stakeholders to improve the technical knowledge and skills of the farmers on measures to mitigate effects of climate change on cocoa production