National Social Investment Programmes in Nigeria:A Descriptive Analysis of the Socio-Economic Contributions of N-Power Programme in Benue State

This study analysed the socio-economic contributions of N-Power programme amongst the beneficiaries of the scheme in Benue State.Prior to the introduction of N-Power programme,successive administrations in Nigeria have made concerted efforts towards improving the standard of living of the citizenry through the execution of various welfare or social intervention programmes,but not much successes were recorded.Learning from the mistakes of the past regimes,and by way of deliberate state policy,the Buhari’s government initiated a multi-pronged social investment policy,one of which is the N-power programme that came onboard in 2016,which also doubles as the subject of this study.To achieve the goal of this study,a combination of desktop research and survey design was employed.Questionnaires were administered to 390 respondents through a combination of stratified and random sampling techniques.The results of the survey were matched with that of the secondary data obtained through online websites and other related sources.The result indicated that N-Power made positive contributions to the socio-economic life of the beneficiaries in Benue State:specifically,the scheme contributed in poverty eradication,employment generation,skills acquisitions and capacity building.However,some aspect of our findings revealed that the programme has a number of challenges such as:inadequate cash support,delay in monthly cash transfer to beneficiaries,distance participants had to move to their work stations,absence of posting in N-Teach scheme,and lack of adequate working tools amongst others.To salvage this problem the paper recommended the following solutions:expansion of the scheme to cover N-Teach and other aspects,increment in the monthly cash transfer to cushion the high rate of inflation,support for the participants/beneficiaries in transportation and logistics,enrolment of more youth into the various schemes,proper monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the schemes amongst others.

Go-Ahead Element of Domestic Architecture:Socio-Economic and Cultural Characteristics of the Residents in Benin

The domestic architecture of a traditional settlement is greatly influenced by the socio-economic and socio-cultural characteristics of its residents.Benin City which is the focus of the paper is a case of a traditional settlement undergoing domestic architectural evolution with the changing times influenced by factors of growth and development.The paper has examined the effect of socio-economic and socio-cultural characteristics as factors that partly determine the design,style,pattern,space use,organization,location and meaning as well as land use of the domestic architecture of Benin.The study employed the use of questionnaire administered to residents across the cross-section of the city.In the end,descriptive frequency tables were used to analyse the data collected from the residential zones in Benin.The research has been able to corroborate the theory that socio-economic and socio-cultural factors are some of the determinants/elements of domestic architecture of a people.

Telecommunications and Energy Infrastructure Sharing: Technical and Socio-Economic Impact Analysis in a Multi-Operator Environment in Burundi

The sharing of telecommunications infrastructure and power supply equipment is currently an applicable and very common model for grouping signal transmission and reception equipment and their power supply on the same site to ensure coverage of fixed, mobile, Internet and radio and television broadcasting networks. This study consists of producing an inventory of telecommunications and energy infrastructure sharing, focusing on the one hand on analyzing the impacts of active and passive sharing of telecommunications infrastructure from a technical point of view, particularly in terms of legal framework, deployment, coverage and exposure to electromagnetic radiation, and on the other hand on identifying the effects of infrastructure sharing from a socio-economic point of view in a multi-operator mobile telephony environment, by indicating the economic value of the revenue generated as a result of infrastructure sharing. Finally, the results will contribute to identify strategies for ensuring maximum deployment and coverage of the country, and for developing the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector in order to contribute to the digital transformation by digitising services using mobile telephony and the Internet in Burundi.

Research on the Interactive Impact of Transportation Systems on Socio-Economic Development

This paper aims to explore the interactive impact between transportation systems and socio-economic development,employing Structural Equation Modeling(SEM)to analyze data from 31 provincial-level administrative regions in China from 2013 to 2022.It comprehensively considers key indicators from the economic,social,and transportation sectors.The paper constructs a model encompassing 5 latent variables and 15 observed variables.Through in-depth analysis,it reveals the promoting role of transportation systems on economic growth and social development,as well as the demand for transportation system construction and optimization driven by socio-economic development levels.The results indicate that an efficient transportation system can not only directly drive economic growth but also indirectly promote social development by improving social welfare and enhancing quality of life.This paper provides new insights into understanding the complex relationship between transportation systems and socio-economic development and holds significant implications for policymakers in optimizing transportation infrastructure to foster economic and social development.

Socio-Economic and Technical Characteristics of Beef Cattle Breeding in Ndé Division, West Region of Cameroon

Insight is here provided into the socio-economic and technical characteristics of cattle production in the Ndé Division (West Cameroon region). Using a semi-structured questionnaire, information on the activity was assessed following onsite visits and interviewing breeders. Through a random sampling scheme, 110 breeders in the four subdivisions of the Ndé Division were shadowed. The majority (98.18%) of breeders were men aged 20 to 40 and married (91.82%). They belong to the Mbororo ethnic group, having cumulated more than 10 years in the activity. Most respondents (50.91%) did not attend school and earn their living mainly from livestock (78.18%). Cattle were raised for sale and to feed the breeder’s family (77.27%). The main mode of acquisition of animals was through inheritance (81.82%). The cattle breeds were mostly made up of white Fulani (70%), living in private farms using a combination of stake and barbed wires (67.27%) as fences. The combination of natural fodder and cooking salt was used by most breeders (59.09%) as a daily ration. Reproduction was by natural mating (97.07%). Parasites (internal and external) and foot-and-mouth disease were the main diseases reported by the majority of farmers. Self-treatment (50%) was the main prophylactic measure taken by farmers in case of disease symptoms. Cattle herders faced several challenges, such as insufficient pasture (67.27%), agro-pastoral conflicts (76.36%) and diseases (90.91%). Cattle breeding was rather a widespread activity with no particular restriction.

Socio-Economic Characteristics of Three Artisanal Fisheries Communities in the Northern Sudanese Red Sea Coast

Socio-economic characteristics related to fishing gears and boats from three selected small-scale fishers’ communities (Oseif, Dungonab and Mohammed Qol) in the northern part of the Sudanese Red Sea coast were studied. The study was designed to provide base line data and information on the current socio-economic situation, factors that determine the use of fishing gear, types of boats and fishing equipment, challenges facing fishers and the extent to which fishing gear and boats are related with the socio-economic characteristics of the fishers community in the study sites. Fieldwork was carried out during 2016. The study methods included a series of interviews based on questionnaires, field observations and focus group discussions. The results of the study showed that the most common fishing gears are handlines, cast nets and gillnets. The two types of boats used at the study sites are motorized fiberglass and houri (motorized and paddled) with a V-shaped hull. Boat ownership varies among fishers. Each fisher can have several types of gears in different numbers. Target fish species, season, efficiency of gear and fishing location were the main factors determining the use of fishing gear at study sites, respectively. All fishers are men and most have families of at least four people. The majority of fishers are between 21 and 50 years old and work mainly in fishing. They inherited fishing knowledge within the family, and most of them have been working in artisanal fishing for more than 10 years. Fishers have relatively good net incomes compared to other government employers in the study sites. Most fishers work full time in fishing. A small number of fishers work part-time with the possibility of undertaking other income-generating activities such as animal husbandry and seasonal agriculture. The main challenges identified by fishers at the study sites were fish prices, sea surface roughness and high cost of fishing materials, respectively. Most fishers perceived a recent decline in both catch size and abundance.

Upcycling municipal solid waste to sustainable hydrogen via two-stage gasification-reforming

As global municipal solid waste(MSW)quantities continue to escalate,serious socio-environmental challenges arise,necessitating innovative solutions.Waste-to-hydrogen(WTH)via two-stage gasification-reforming(TSGR)presents an emergent technology for MSW upcycling,offering to ease waste management burdens and bolster the burgeoning hydrogen economy.Despite early initiatives to advance TSGR technology,a cohesive and critical analysis of cutting-edge knowledge and strategies to enhance hydrogen production remains lacking.This review aggregates literature on MSW upcycling to hydrogen via TSGR,with a focus on optimizing process control and catalytic efficiency.It underscores technological avenues to augment hydrogen output,curtail catalyst costs,and refine system performance.Particularly,the review illuminates the potential for integrating chemical and calcium looping into TSGR processes,identifying opportunities,and pinpointing challenges.The review concludes with a summary of the current state of techno-economic analysis for this technology,presenting outstanding challenges and future research directions,with the ultimate goal of transitioning WTH from theoretical to practical application.

Methanol steam reforming for hydrogen production driven by an atomically precise Cu catalyst

Plasmon-induced hot-electron transfer from metal nanostructures is being intensely pursed in current photocatalytic research,however it remains elusive whether molecular-like metal clusters with excitonic behavior can be used as light-harvesting materials in solar energy utilization such as photocatalytic methanol steam reforming.In this work,we report an atomically precise Cu_(13)cluster protected by dual ligands of thiolate and phosphine that can be viewed as the assembly of one top Cu atom and three Cu_(4)tetrahedra.The Cu_(13)H_(10)(SR)_(3)(PR’_(3))_(7)(SR=2,4-dichlorobenzenethiol,PR’_(3)=P(4-FC_(6)H_(4))_(3))cluster can give rise to highly efficient light-driven activity for methanol steam reforming toward H_(2)production.

Chemical looping reforming of the micromolecular component from biomass pyrolysis via Fe_(2)O_(3)@SBA-16

To solve the problems of low gasification efficiency and high tar content caused by solid–solid contact between biomass and oxygen carrier in traditional biomass chemical looping gasification process.The decoupling strategy was adopted to decouple the biomass gasification process,and the composite oxygen carrier was prepared by embedding Fe_(2)O_(3) in molecular sieve SBA-16 for the chemical looping reforming process of pyrolysis micromolecular model compound methane,which was expected to realize the directional reforming of pyrolysis volatiles to prepare hydrogen-rich syngas.Thermodynamic analysis of the reaction system was carried out based on the Gibbs free energy minimization method,and the reforming performance was evaluated by a fixed bed reactor,and the kinetic parameters were solved based on the gas–solid reaction model.Thermodynamic analysis verified the feasibility of the reaction and provided theoretical guidance for experimental design.The experimental results showed that the reaction performance of Fe_(2)O_(3)@SBA-16 was compared with that of pure Fe_(2)O_(3) and Fe_(2)O_(3)@SBA-15,and the syngas yield was increased by 55.3%and 20.7%respectively,and it had good cycle stability.Kinetic analysis showed that the kinetic model changed from three-dimensional diffusion to first-order reaction with the increase of temperature.The activation energy was 192.79 kJ/mol by fitting.This paper provides basic data for the directional preparation of hydrogen-rich syngas from biomass and the design of oxygen carriers for pyrolysis of all-component chemical looping reforming.

Research on the Reform of the Process-Tracking Ideological and Political Assessment System in Applied Universities:Taking the Personal Finance Course as an Example

Using the Xi’an Mingde Institute of Technology students as the teaching object and the Personal Finance course as an example,we explore the reform of the ideological and political assessment system of process-tracking courses in applied universities.The article analyzes the feasibility of applying the curriculum ideological and political assessment system in college courses and compares the traditional assessment system.It also proposes that applying curriculum ideological and political assessment to the college curriculum assessment system will help improve students’understanding of the“value guidance”in curriculum ideological and political education and enhance the teaching effect.

Optimizing the sulfur-resistance and activity of perovskite oxygen carrier for chemical looping dry reforming of methane

Perovskite oxides has been attracted much attention as high-performance oxygen carriers for chemical looping reforming of methane,but they are easily inactivated by the presence of trace H_(2)S.Here,we propose to modulate both the activity and resistance to sulfur poisoning by dual substitution of Mo and Ni ions with the Fe-sites of LaFeO_(3)perovskite.It is found that partial substitution of Ni for Fe substantially improves the activity of LaFeO_(3)perovskite,while Ni particles prefer to grow and react with H_(2)S during the long-term successive redox process,resulting in the deactivation of oxygen carriers.With the presence of Mo in LaNi_(0.05)Fe_(0.95)O_(3−σ)perovskite,H_(2)S preferentially reacts with Mo to generate MoS_(2),and then the CO_(2)oxidation can regenerate Mo via removing sulfur.In addition,Mo can inhibit the accumulation and growth of Ni,which helps to improve the redox stability of oxygen carriers.The LaNi_(0.05)Mo_(0.07)Fe_(0.88)O_(3−σ)oxygen carrier exhibits stable and excellent performance,with the CH_(4)conversion higher than 90%during the 50 redox cycles in the presence of 50 ppm H_(2)S at 800℃.This work highlights a synergistic effect in the perovskite oxides induced by dual substitution of different cations for the development of high-performance oxygen carriers with excellent sulfur tolerance.

Using Aspen HYSYS to Develop a Custom Molecule-based Reformer Model

A new continuous catalytic reforming model was configured by using a molecule-based reactor module. Themodel was based on the Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Processing Co., Ltd. continuous catalytic reformer fullmodel, and was reduced to a size of 157 naphtha molecules (C1−C12) that underwent 764 reactions. The new model inheritedthe advantages of the original model, and had better solving performance and flexibility owing to support by the AspenHYSYS environment. Typical commercial plant data were selected for model validation, which showed advantages in theaccuracy of detailed predictions and the range of its application. In addition, the solving time was reduced from minutes toseconds. Therefore, the simplified model proved to be feasible for industrial application.

Influencing factors analysis of hard limestone reformation and strength weakening under acidic effect

Roof disaster has always been an important factor restricting coal mine safety production.Acidic effect can reform the rock mass structure to weaken the macroscopic strength characteristics,which is an effective way to control the hard limestone roof.In this study,the effects of various factors on the reaction characteristics and mechanical properties of limestone were analyzed.The results show that the acid with stronger hydrogen production capacity after ionization(pK_(a)<0)has more prominent damage to the mineral grains of limestone.When pKa increases from−8.00 to 15.70,uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of limestone increase by 117.22%and 75.98%.The influence of acid concentration is manifested in the dissolution behavior of mineral crystals,the crystal defects caused by large-scale acid action will lead to the deterioration of limestone strength,and the strength after 15%concentration reformation can be reduced by 59.42%.The effect of acidification time on limestone has stages and is the most obvious in the initial metathesis reaction stage(within 60 min).The key to the strength damage of acidified limestone is the participation of hydrogen ions in the reaction system.Based on the analytic hierarchy process method,the influence weights of acid type,acid concentration and acidification time on strength are 24.30%,59.54% and 16.16%,respectively.The research results provide theoretical support for the acidification control of hard limestone roofs in coal mines.

Machine learning-driven optimization of plasma-catalytic dry reforming of methane

This study investigates the dry reformation of methane(DRM)over Ni/Al_(2)O_(3)catalysts in a dielectric barrier discharge(DBD)non-thermal plasma reactor.A novel hybrid machine learning(ML)model is developed to optimize the plasma-catalytic DRM reaction with limited experimental data.To address the non-linear and complex nature of the plasma-catalytic DRM process,the hybrid ML model integrates three well-established algorithms:regression trees,support vector regression,and artificial neural networks.A genetic algorithm(GA)is then used to optimize the hyperparameters of each algorithm within the hybrid ML model.The ML model achieved excellent agreement with the experimental data,demonstrating its efficacy in accurately predicting and optimizing the DRM process.The model was subsequently used to investigate the impact of various operating parameters on the plasma-catalytic DRM performance.We found that the optimal discharge power(20 W),CO_(2)/CH_(4)molar ratio(1.5),and Ni loading(7.8 wt%)resulted in the maximum energy yield at a total flow rate of∼51 mL/min.Furthermore,we investigated the relative significance of each operating parameter on the performance of the plasma-catalytic DRM process.The results show that the total flow rate had the greatest influence on the conversion,with a significance exceeding 35%for each output,while the Ni loading had the least impact on the overall reaction performance.This hybrid model demonstrates a remarkable ability to extract valuable insights from limited datasets,enabling the development and optimization of more efficient and selective plasma-catalytic chemical processes.

Reform of Hospitality English Teaching Based on the Educational Concept of Outcome-Based Education(OBE)

The Outcome-Based Education(OBE)educational concept,proposed by renowned American educator Spady,aims to guide students in mastering learning laws and ultimately achieving expected learning outcomes.The application of OBE educational concept in Hospitality English curriculum not only can effectively enhance the learning effect but also promote the reform of the Hospitality English curriculum,thus improving students’learning enthusiasm.Therefore,taking the Hospitality English curriculum as an example,this paper points out the existing problems in the teaching of this course and suggests the reform measures based on the OBE teaching concept,hoping to provide guidelines for related educational work.

A Preliminary Study on the Rural Land System Reform in the Context of Rural Revitalization

With the deepening of reform and opening up,the rural land system has experienced the evolution from contracting to transfer to the current rural revitalization strategy,and has always been closely linked to the well-being of farmers and the vigorous development of the rural economy.The reform of this system is not only a key driving force for rural economic development,but also an important cornerstone for realizing the rural revitalization strategy.Through in-depth analysis of the connotation of rural revitalization and rural land system reform,this study discusses in detail the internal dynamic mechanism of rural land system reform driving rural revitalization,and comprehensively analyzes the current implementation of rural land system reform.On this basis,this study puts forward the strategic concept of promoting the rural land system reform in the context of rural revitalization.Studies have shown that the rural land system reform has mainly played a positive role in the following four aspects in promoting rural revitalization:providing a solid material foundation for rural revitalization,optimizing the allocation of rural resources,promoting the transformation and upgrading of rural industrial structure,and promoting rural social harmony and stability.In the context of the current rural revitalization,the rural land system reform is undoubtedly one of the core issues of China s rural development.In order to further improve this system,we need to continue to optimize and innovate the rural land transfer system,the homestead reform system,and the rural collective construction land market entry system.

Engineering oxygen vacancies on Tb-doped ceria supported Pt catalyst for hydrogen production through steam reforming of long-chain hydrocarbon fuels

Steam reforming of long-chain hydrocarbon fuels for hydrogen production has received great attention for thermal management of the hypersonic vehicle and fuel-cell application.In this work,Pt catalysts supported on CeO_(2)and Tb-doped CeO_(2)were prepared by a precipitation method.The physical structure and chemical properties of the as-prepared catalysts were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,Raman spectroscopy,H_(2)temperature programmed reduction,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.The results show that Tb-doped CeO_(2)supported Pt possesses abundant surface oxygen vacancies,good inhibition of ceria sintering,and strong metal-support interaction compared with CeO_(2)supported Pt.The catalytic performance of hydrogen production via steam reforming of long-chain hydrocarbon fuels(n-dodecane)was tested.Compared with 2Pt/CeO_(2),2Pt/Ce_(0.9)Tb_(0.1)O_(2),and 2Pt/Ce_(0.5)Tb_(0.5)O_(2),the 2Pt/Ce_(0.7)Tb_(0.3)O_(2)has higher activity and stability for hydrogen production,on which the conversion of n-dodecane was maintained at about 53.2%after 600 min reaction under 700℃at liquid space velocity of 9 ml·g^(-1)·h^(-1).2Pt/CeO_(2)rapidly deactivated,the conversion of n-dodecane was reduced to only 41.6%after 600 min.

Controllable synthesis of CuAlO_(2) via solid-phase method and its catalytic performance for methanol steam reforming to hydrogen

This study explores the controllable synthesis of CuAlO_(2) using copper hydroxide and pseudo-boehmite powders as raw materials via a simple solid-phase ball milling method,along with its catalytic performance investigation in methanol steam reforming(MSR).Various catalysts were prepared under different conditions,such as calcination temperature,calcination atmosphere,and heating rate.Characterization techniques including BET,XRD,XPS,SEM and H2-TPR were employed to analyze the samples.The results revealed significant effects of calcination temperature on the phase compositions,specific surface area,reduction performance,and surface properties of the CA-T catalysts.Based on the findings,a synthesis route of CuAlO_(2) via the solid-phase method was proposed,highlighting the importance of high calcination temperature,nitrogen atmosphere,and low heating rate for CuAlO_(2) formation.Catalytic evaluation data demonstrated that CuAlO_(2) could catalyze MSR without pre-reduction,with the catalytic performance of CA-T catalysts being notably influenced by calcination temperature.Among the prepared catalysts,the CA-1100 catalyst exhibited the highest catalytic activity and stability.The findings of this study might be useful for the further study of the catalytic material for sustained release catalysis,including the synthesis of catalytic materials and the regulation of sustained release catalytic performance.

Steam reforming of acetic acid over Ni/biochar of low metal-loading:Involvement of biochar in tailoring reaction intermediates renders superior catalytic performance

Biochar is a reactive carrier as it may be partially gasified with steam in steam reforming,which could influence the formation of reaction intermediates and modify catalytic behaviors.Herein,the Ni/biochar as well as two comparative catalysts,Ni/Al_(2)O_(3) and Ni/SiO_(2),with low nickel loading(2%(mass))was conducted to probe involvement of the varied carriers in the steam reforming.The results indicated that the Ni/biochar performed excellent catalytic activity than Ni/SiO_(2) and Ni/Al_(2)O_(3),as the biochar carrier facilitated quick conversion of the -OH from dissociation of steam to gasify the oxygen-rich carbonaceous intermediates like C=O and C-O-C,resulting in low coverage while high exposure of nickel species for maintaining the superior catalytic performance.In converse,strong adsorption of aliphatic intermediates over Ni/Al_(2)O_(3) and Ni/SiO_(2) induced serious coking with polymeric coke as the main type(21.5%and 32.1%,respectively),which was significantly higher than that over Ni/biochar(3.9%).The coke over Ni/biochar was mainly aromatic or catalytic type with nanotube morphology and high crystallinity.The high resistivity of Ni/biochar towards coking was due to the balance between formation of coke and gasification of coke and partially biochar with steam,which created developed mesopores in spent Ni/biochar while the coke blocked pores in Ni/Al_(2)O_(3) and Ni/SiO_(2) catalysts.

Ethanol steam reforming over Ni/ZSM-5 nanosheet for hydrogen production

Compared to reforming reactions using hydrocarbons,ethanol steam reforming(ESR)is a sustainable alternative for hydrogen(H_(2))production since ethanol can be produced sustainably using biomass.This work explores the catalyst design strategies for preparing the Ni supported on ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts to promote ESR.Specifically,two-dimensional ZSM-5 nanosheet and conventional ZSM-5 crystal were used as the catalyst carriers and two synthesis strategies,i.e.,in situ encapsulation and wet impregnation method,were employed to prepare the catalysts.Based on the comparative characterization of the catalysts and comparative catalytic assessments,it was found that the combination of the in situ encapsulation synthesis and the ZSM-5 nanosheet carrier was the effective strategy to develop catalysts for promoting H_(2) production via ESR due to the improved mass transfer(through the 2-D structure of ZSM-5 nanosheet)and formation of confined small Ni nanoparticles(resulted via the in situ encapsulation synthesis).In addition,the resulting ZSM-5 nanosheet supported Ni catalyst also showed high Ni dispersion and high accessibility to Ni sites by the reactants,being able to improve the activity and stability of catalysts and suppress metal sintering and coking during ESR at high reaction temperatures.Thus,the Ni supported on ZSM-5 nanosheet catalyst prepared by encapsulation showed the stable performance with~88% ethanol conversion and~65% H_(2) yield achieved during a 48-h longevity test at 550-C.