The home video through its offering plays pivotal roles of information, education and entertainment. It has provided knowledge to the viewing audience and directs their attention to issues to think about and/or learn....The home video through its offering plays pivotal roles of information, education and entertainment. It has provided knowledge to the viewing audience and directs their attention to issues to think about and/or learn. Popularly called Nollywood, the home video industry has brought scholars, reporters, reviewer, journalists, investors, and different kinds of people to the country; to investigate, invest, and observe the industry or network with people. Through the portrayals and representations of Nigeria and its people, a lot of people, especially foreigners and Nigerians in the Diaspora have come to understand the socio-economic and political terrain of the nation based on the home videos offerings; thus the need to x-ray the depictions in the Nigerian home video films to ascertain the reality of their Nigerian image from the perspectives. The study was undertaken through content analysis of 50 video films which were televised as programmes on television stations in Lagos and Africa Magic （a cable network station）, within the framework of agenda-setting and cultivation theories. The results reveal that while the home video producers have effectively revealed Nigerians as religious and traditional people, very little has been done to portray the economic and investment potentials of the nation; the nation＇s symbols like flags, coat of arm, currencies amongst others are barely revealed; negative attitudes of get-rich-quick, get-rich-at-all-cost, witchcraft, and fetish practices as well as violence, hooliganism, and ritualism amongst other things are often exaggerated in the films. Following the home video portrayals and representations, it could be imagined that the Nigerian urban environment is as beautiful and rich with predominantly affluent and flamboyant people as are depicted in the home videos. The misrepresentations, overrepresentations, and under-presentations of the nation＇s image in the home video can be very detrimental to the nation＇s socio-economic development especially as the nation＇s destiny is indirectly related to its image. They can further pose challenges to the attitudes and responses of people from other nations to the Nigerian citizens within and outside the country. Furthermore, some Nigerian citizens, especially the youths could aspire to and learn certain lifestyles and attitudes projected in the home videos as acceptable.展开更多
Interspecific crossing was carried out among and between two strains of Clarias gariepinus with mouth malformation and crooked-back traits to determine the source（s） of their deformities and the effects of these mor...Interspecific crossing was carried out among and between two strains of Clarias gariepinus with mouth malformation and crooked-back traits to determine the source（s） of their deformities and the effects of these morphological deformities on their growth and survival. Synthetic ovaprim hormone was used for their inducement at 0.5 mL/kg of the brood stock body weight at FEDAK integrated farm, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Under indoor management, highest mean survival rate was 73% recorded in the hybrid of female mouth malformed C. gariepinus x male crooked back C. gariepinus and the least mean survival rate was 70% recorded in the mouth malformed C. gariepinus parental. Under outdoor rearing crooked back C. gariepinus parental had the highest mean growth rate （11.20 grammes） while the hybrid of the cross between female crooked back C. gariepinus and male with mouth malformed C. gariepinus had the least mean growth rate （8.63 grammes）. High frequency of occurrence of various morphological aberrations （0.92%） was recorded in the mouth malformed C. gariepinus parental and low frequency of occurrence （0.57%） of morphological aberrations recorded in hybrid of female crooked back C. gariepinus x male mouth malformed C. gariepinus. The reoccurrence of some of these morphological deformities in Clarias is a mystery based on their consistent occurrence even under a very good hatchery management. More research works still need to be done in this area of study of Clarias to unravel the mystery behind this morphological imbalance, because the deformities play special roles in discouraging both the farmers and the consumers of this fish.展开更多
The importance of good site progress records in quality assurance; tracking project progress; preparing, analyzing and resolving claims; and placing responsibilities in the event of dispute in building contracts is wi...The importance of good site progress records in quality assurance; tracking project progress; preparing, analyzing and resolving claims; and placing responsibilities in the event of dispute in building contracts is widely recognized. This study engaged Public Building Supervisors in the assessment of site progress record keeping practices in Abuja. A simple structured questionnaire （which mainly assessed the nature and importance of records kept, reasons for keeping them; level of satisfaction with the current approach, challenges and practical ways of improving the practice） was administrated to a hundred of the supervisors, out of which seventy one was properly completed and returned. The results show that all five site progress documents （minutes of progress meetings, day-work sheets, photographs, weekly site records and personal site diaries） found in literature, are in use in Abuja, and have at least a high importance rating （i.e., relative importance index, 0.6 〈 RII 〈 0.8）. Prominent among the reasons for keeping the records are： control of ongoing work （R11 = 0.83） data for estimating future works and terms of contract requirement （each with RII = 0.823）. Though the present record keeping practices were largely assessed satisfactory, 95% of the Supervisors still yearned for improvement. The challenges to the current practice are consistent with those identified in literature and are： continuity consistency, legibility and accountability; in descending order of frequency of occurrence. Computerization, regular inspection of progress documents by assigned supervisors and in-house training of site staff are recommended for improving the record keeping practices.展开更多
OBJECTIVE: To study the role of the synthesis and degradation of collagen at the transcription level during liver fibrogenesis due to schistosomiasis japonica in rabbits. METHODS: New Zealand rabbits challenged by cer...OBJECTIVE: To study the role of the synthesis and degradation of collagen at the transcription level during liver fibrogenesis due to schistosomiasis japonica in rabbits. METHODS: New Zealand rabbits challenged by cercariae of Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) were served as animal models for liver fibrosis. Liver specimens were collected through operations at 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24 and 28 wks after challenge. Type I collagen, type III collagen, type IV collagen, MMP-1 and MMP-9 mRNA levels of liver tissue were detected by RT-PCR + Dot blot. The size of egg granulomas and the degree of liver fibrosis were measured by histopathological examinations. RESULTS: Type I collagen, type III collagen, type IV collagen, MMP-1 and MMP-9 mRNA levels increased simultaneously in the early stage after challenge. Most of them reached their peak at 10 weeks, and compared with normal controls, type I collagen, type III collagen, type IV collagen, MMP-1 and MMP-9 mRNA levels increased by 12.0-, 11.0-, 6.6-, 10.0- and 11.0-fold, respectively, coinciding with the change of egg granulomas, i.e., the change in the inflammatory process. Then both collagen and collagenase mRNA levels decreased. Type I, III and IV collagen mRNA levels declined to 2-fold to 3-fold as compared with normal controls (P 0.05) at 28 wks. This study shows that the synthesis and degradation of collagen keep a dynamic balance at the early stage of schistosomiasis japonica challenge, while at the later stages the quantity of collagen synthesis was higher than that of collagen degradation. CONCLUSIONS: It was confirmed at transcription level that when the quantity of collagen synthesis was higher than that of collagen degradation liver fibrogenesis may be resulted in.展开更多
文摘The home video through its offering plays pivotal roles of information, education and entertainment. It has provided knowledge to the viewing audience and directs their attention to issues to think about and/or learn. Popularly called Nollywood, the home video industry has brought scholars, reporters, reviewer, journalists, investors, and different kinds of people to the country; to investigate, invest, and observe the industry or network with people. Through the portrayals and representations of Nigeria and its people, a lot of people, especially foreigners and Nigerians in the Diaspora have come to understand the socio-economic and political terrain of the nation based on the home videos offerings; thus the need to x-ray the depictions in the Nigerian home video films to ascertain the reality of their Nigerian image from the perspectives. The study was undertaken through content analysis of 50 video films which were televised as programmes on television stations in Lagos and Africa Magic （a cable network station）, within the framework of agenda-setting and cultivation theories. The results reveal that while the home video producers have effectively revealed Nigerians as religious and traditional people, very little has been done to portray the economic and investment potentials of the nation; the nation＇s symbols like flags, coat of arm, currencies amongst others are barely revealed; negative attitudes of get-rich-quick, get-rich-at-all-cost, witchcraft, and fetish practices as well as violence, hooliganism, and ritualism amongst other things are often exaggerated in the films. Following the home video portrayals and representations, it could be imagined that the Nigerian urban environment is as beautiful and rich with predominantly affluent and flamboyant people as are depicted in the home videos. The misrepresentations, overrepresentations, and under-presentations of the nation＇s image in the home video can be very detrimental to the nation＇s socio-economic development especially as the nation＇s destiny is indirectly related to its image. They can further pose challenges to the attitudes and responses of people from other nations to the Nigerian citizens within and outside the country. Furthermore, some Nigerian citizens, especially the youths could aspire to and learn certain lifestyles and attitudes projected in the home videos as acceptable.
文摘Interspecific crossing was carried out among and between two strains of Clarias gariepinus with mouth malformation and crooked-back traits to determine the source（s） of their deformities and the effects of these morphological deformities on their growth and survival. Synthetic ovaprim hormone was used for their inducement at 0.5 mL/kg of the brood stock body weight at FEDAK integrated farm, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Under indoor management, highest mean survival rate was 73% recorded in the hybrid of female mouth malformed C. gariepinus x male crooked back C. gariepinus and the least mean survival rate was 70% recorded in the mouth malformed C. gariepinus parental. Under outdoor rearing crooked back C. gariepinus parental had the highest mean growth rate （11.20 grammes） while the hybrid of the cross between female crooked back C. gariepinus and male with mouth malformed C. gariepinus had the least mean growth rate （8.63 grammes）. High frequency of occurrence of various morphological aberrations （0.92%） was recorded in the mouth malformed C. gariepinus parental and low frequency of occurrence （0.57%） of morphological aberrations recorded in hybrid of female crooked back C. gariepinus x male mouth malformed C. gariepinus. The reoccurrence of some of these morphological deformities in Clarias is a mystery based on their consistent occurrence even under a very good hatchery management. More research works still need to be done in this area of study of Clarias to unravel the mystery behind this morphological imbalance, because the deformities play special roles in discouraging both the farmers and the consumers of this fish.
文摘The importance of good site progress records in quality assurance; tracking project progress; preparing, analyzing and resolving claims; and placing responsibilities in the event of dispute in building contracts is widely recognized. This study engaged Public Building Supervisors in the assessment of site progress record keeping practices in Abuja. A simple structured questionnaire （which mainly assessed the nature and importance of records kept, reasons for keeping them; level of satisfaction with the current approach, challenges and practical ways of improving the practice） was administrated to a hundred of the supervisors, out of which seventy one was properly completed and returned. The results show that all five site progress documents （minutes of progress meetings, day-work sheets, photographs, weekly site records and personal site diaries） found in literature, are in use in Abuja, and have at least a high importance rating （i.e., relative importance index, 0.6 〈 RII 〈 0.8）. Prominent among the reasons for keeping the records are： control of ongoing work （R11 = 0.83） data for estimating future works and terms of contract requirement （each with RII = 0.823）. Though the present record keeping practices were largely assessed satisfactory, 95% of the Supervisors still yearned for improvement. The challenges to the current practice are consistent with those identified in literature and are： continuity consistency, legibility and accountability; in descending order of frequency of occurrence. Computerization, regular inspection of progress documents by assigned supervisors and in-house training of site staff are recommended for improving the record keeping practices.
文摘OBJECTIVE: To study the role of the synthesis and degradation of collagen at the transcription level during liver fibrogenesis due to schistosomiasis japonica in rabbits. METHODS: New Zealand rabbits challenged by cercariae of Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) were served as animal models for liver fibrosis. Liver specimens were collected through operations at 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24 and 28 wks after challenge. Type I collagen, type III collagen, type IV collagen, MMP-1 and MMP-9 mRNA levels of liver tissue were detected by RT-PCR + Dot blot. The size of egg granulomas and the degree of liver fibrosis were measured by histopathological examinations. RESULTS: Type I collagen, type III collagen, type IV collagen, MMP-1 and MMP-9 mRNA levels increased simultaneously in the early stage after challenge. Most of them reached their peak at 10 weeks, and compared with normal controls, type I collagen, type III collagen, type IV collagen, MMP-1 and MMP-9 mRNA levels increased by 12.0-, 11.0-, 6.6-, 10.0- and 11.0-fold, respectively, coinciding with the change of egg granulomas, i.e., the change in the inflammatory process. Then both collagen and collagenase mRNA levels decreased. Type I, III and IV collagen mRNA levels declined to 2-fold to 3-fold as compared with normal controls (P 0.05) at 28 wks. This study shows that the synthesis and degradation of collagen keep a dynamic balance at the early stage of schistosomiasis japonica challenge, while at the later stages the quantity of collagen synthesis was higher than that of collagen degradation. CONCLUSIONS: It was confirmed at transcription level that when the quantity of collagen synthesis was higher than that of collagen degradation liver fibrogenesis may be resulted in.
