ISSN:2320-9186
Impact Factor:4.1
ISSN:2320-9186 Impact Factor:4.1
This study examined the management of relief intervention and its effects on flood disaster victims in Kogi State, 2012-2022. This research work is specifically guided by two major theories namely the theory of cause and effect and Disaster behavior preparedness Theory. The study adopted mixed research design. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Quantitative method utilised the administration of questionnaire titled flood disaster and relief intervention management while the qualitative method used in-depth interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs). The findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between flooding disaster and management of relief intervention in Kogi State for the period 2012 to 2022, that there exists different Nature of Management of Relief Intervention for Flooding Disaster in Kogi State namely Cash and Voucher Assistance, Water, sanitation & Hygiene, Emergency Shelter, food items and Household essentials for the period 2012 to 2022 and that there is a significant relationship between flood disaster preparedness and relief intervention management in Kogi State for the period 2012 to 2022. The study recommended that flood disaster preparedness and management be prioritize above relief intervention measures in Nigeria and thus corroborate stakeholders believe that addressing Nigeria’s annual flood disasters through preparedness requires a multifaceted approach involving proactive measures, collaboration among stakeholders, and community engagement. Experts say by adopting a holistic approach to flood preparedness, Nigeria can reduce the impact of annual flood disasters, protect vulnerable communities, and build resilience to future flood events.
This study researches the entrepreneurial gender gap in the Republic of Congo and uncovers the forces behind it. The approach taken is via an original survey with embedded experiments and a representative sample of 400 current and aspiring entrepreneurs whereby we take measurements of gender difference in firm performance, growth intentions, access to finance, networks, and perceived discrimination. To diminish these measures to their causal roots, the design mingles detailed observational data with two randomized vignettes and an information treatment to achieve this. The methods of regression adjustment, propensity-score, and instrumental-variable techniques are used to handle endogeneity whilst experimental variation helps to determine the causal effects of information and perceptions on financing outcomes. The findings indicate that the firms owned by women in Brazzaville are, at first, less productive compared to those owned by men, but the disparity reduces significantly after sectors, the amount of start-up capital, and household constraints are taken into account. The obtained evidence points out information barriers and third-party bias as major reasons and proposes through the policy solutions of information campaigns, subsidized loans, and entrepreneurship training as the most effective ones.
One of the most significant accomplishments that the modern medical science tries to master is the early diagnosis of diseases. Early prognosis can save many lives and lower the cost of treatment, all in all. However, the conventional diagnostic systems mostly rely on the restricted and independent sources of information like pictures or laboratory tests test outcomes. These one- dimensional methods do not represent the complete complexity of the human biology. The approach to multimodal Artificial Intelligence is also a developing research area and offers a holistic approach to combining various types of medical data like Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan, textual medical records, and genomic sequences. This work suggests a full system of disease detection, integrating deep-learning models, transformer model, and genomic sequence encoders to simultaneously process multiple types of medical data. This is aimed at developing a smart, transparent and ethically aware diagnostic system which can be able to detect diseases at their very early stages.
This study explores and identifies the lowland and delta areas within the Municipality of Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Philippines. It also assesses the geolocation characteristics of these areas and their implications on the local communities, focusing on the role of these landforms in water catchment and drainage systems. The lowland areas in Tagoloan are characterized by low-lying topography that functions as catchment zones for water flowing from upstream slopes, ridges, hills, and mountains. The lowlands and deltas serve as water basins where flowing water slows and accumulates, creating marshy or watery landscapes from Bukidnon province, including rivers from Siloo, Malitbog, Tankulan, Maluko, Dalirig, and other upland areas. The local water management strategies preserve and protect lowland and delta areas as critical catchment and natural flood mitigation zones. Develop land-use plans that consider the hydrological functions of these landscapes to minimize flood risks and protect communities. Encourage community engagement and education on the importance of maintaining healthy watershed systems originating upstream. Understanding the hydrological and topographical dynamics of Tagoloan’s lowland and delta areas is essential for sustainable land and water resource management.
This study documents a rare case of a fossilized plant inclusion within a 6-carat specimen of natural Yemeni agate (chalcedony - SiO2 ). Microscopic analysis reveals distinct three-dimensional plant tissue structures with circular cellular patterns. Based on the surrounding strata, the host volcanic rocks are conventionally assigned an apparent age of approximately 30–70 million years ago. However, the specimen's preserved three-dimensional morphology and requirement for rapid silicification are physically incompatible with this lengthy timescale. This exceptional bio-mineral preservation strongly suggests a localized, much more recent formation event tied to active regional volcanism, pointing to an actual age estimation in the range of thousands of years. This specimen offers crucial insights into rapid biological preservation processes and highlights the intersection of paleobotany and gemology.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced organizations to adapt rapidly to a new and uncertain environment, making effective leadership more critical than ever. This paper explores the role of AI-driven digital leadership in enabling organizations to manage this transition effectively, focusing on the ways leadership strategies evolved to maintain organizational resilience. Through the integration of digital tools, leaders were able to make data-driven decisions, manage remote teams, and foster adaptability in the workforce. The study highlights how AI-driven leadership enhanced communication, supported remote work strategies, and promoted organizational agility in response to the pandemic’s challenges. Furthermore, it discusses the importance of empathy, emotional intelligence, and flexibility in leadership during times of crisis. Ethical considerations, such as ensuring transparent decision-making and maintaining trust in digital leadership practices, are also examined. Finally, the paper reflects on the long-term implications of AI in leadership, suggesting that the lessons learned during the pandemic will shape future leadership approaches in an increasingly digital world.
Agriculture globally faces a triple challenge of low productivity, resource scarcity, and climate stress. In Pakistan—where agriculture contributes ~24% of GDP and employs ~37% of the workforce, the sector rebounded by 6.25% in FY2024, yet structural inefficiencies persist. International experiences demonstrate the transformative potential of agricultural technologies (AgriTech). In India’s Indo‑Gangetic Plains, laser land leveling increased wheat yields by 6.7–8.8% while reducing irrigation time by 10–12 hours per hectare; in Pakistan, precision leveling saved 21–25% irrigation water and raised yields 10–22%. High‑efficiency irrigation systems (HEIS), especially drip and sprinkler, increased yields of vegetables and cotton in Punjab by 10–44% while saving 40–68% water, consistent with India’s 30–45% yield gains and 30–40% water savings. In the U.S., subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) elevated processing‑tomato yields by ~16% on average, with commercial yields often exceeding 60 t/acre. China’s integrated soil‑crop system management doubled maize yields to ~13 t/ha relative to farmer practice, while the Netherlands’ greenhouse horticulture routinely achieves 60–70 kg/m² of tomatoes—far above open‑field yields—with water use as low as 4–6 L per kg in closed systems. Across Africa, IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency, 2015) ‑supported drip pilots raised tomato yields 2.8× in Kenya (with 55% less water), tea 4× in Tanzania, and onion +40% in Sudan (International Atomic Energy Agenc, 2015y). Synthesizing these findings, this paper quantifies technology‑specific yield effects, assesses economic implications, and proposes a Pakistan‑specific roadmap for 2025–2030 focused on laser leveling, HEIS, nutrient management, protected cultivation, digital advisory, and cold‑chain investments. Keywords: AgriTech; Pakistan; laser land leveling; drip irrigation; greenhouse; nutrient management; agricultural economics; policy roadmap.
This study conducted in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo among 120 private companies across three (Bagira, IObanda and Kadutu) aimed to assess the effectiveness of female leadership in promoting transparency and accountability, while identifying the socio-cultural challenges encountered. The analysis of results reveals an overall very positive perception of the effectiveness of female leadership in terms of good governance, with the majority of respondents recognizing clear communication, commitment to promises, and fair treatment. However, this effectiveness is significantly tempered by the persistence of socio-cultural and structural challenges such as gender stereotypes, lack of mentorship, and difficulties in balancing private and professional life. Chi-square association tests notably highlighted a statistically very significant dependence between the respondents’ municipality and the perception of these barriers, particularly concerning the frequency of gender stereotypes( Pv= 0.001), the confrontation with a lack of mentorship( Pv=0.013) the perception of policies facilitating work-life balance( p=0.001), the feeling of pay equity( Pv=0.024) personal observation of pay gaps( Pv=0.007) and the availability of mentorship programs( Pv=0.021). This indicates that the impact of female leadership is limited by structural and cultural factors that very geographically. Keywords: Female leadership, Governance, Private compagnies, Transparency, Bukavu.
Abstract: This study explores the application of Cauchy's Integral Theorem and the Residue Theorem in obtaining analytical solutions to classical partial differential equations (PDEs) and linear systems relevant to physics and engineering. By transforming the heat equation, wave equation, damped wave equation, and a first-order RC circuit model into the complex frequency domain, we derive closed-form solutions using contour integration. Each example illustrates the effectiveness of complex analysis in resolving initial value problems with exponential-type inputs or initial conditions. The graphical representations including both 3D and contour plots demonstrate the physical realism of the solutions, such as thermal diffusion, wave propagation, temporal damping, and electrical transient responses. Parameter values are selected to reflect meaningful physical regimes and ensure stability. This work not only confirms existing theoretical results but also extends the utility of Cauchy's theorem beyond traditional wave mechanics. It provides a rigorous, exact alternative to numerical methods, with implications for future research in quantum mechanics, signal processing, and electromechanical systems. The next phase of this work will involve more complex boundary conditions, higher-dimensional analysis, and theoretical validation, positioning complex analysis as a foundational tool for modern applied mathematics.
This study explored the effectiveness of financial management practices in Donor funded climate adaptation projects within the Program for Integrated Development and Adaptation to Climate Change (PIDACC) in Zambia, using the interpretivist philosophical approach. The study sought to understand the lived experiences of 12 participants. Data was gathered from key stakeholders through semi-structured interviews, and was analysed using thematic approach. Thematic analysis revealed that while PIDACC exhibits strengths in budgeting frameworks and financial reporting, it faces significant challenges, including delays in disbursement, weak internal controls, and inefficient procurement and payment systems. The findings identified major gaps in financial-operational alignment, stakeholder coordination, and accountability mechanisms. Recommendations included digitizing financial systems, strengthening internal controls, improving coordination, and streamlining procurement procedures.
This study focuses on the issue of underperformance among Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Bandundu City, Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite their essential role in local economic development, these businesses struggle to grow and contribute effectively to job creation and GDP growth. The analysis is based on a survey conducted among 180 entrepreneurs and employees, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The findings reveal that the main factors behind SMEs’ underperformance in Bandundu include limited access to financing, weak managerial skills, an unfavorable institutional and regulatory environment, and inadequate economic infrastructure. Most surveyed firms operate in the trade and service sectors, with individual ownership structures and low levels of bank participation. In conclusion, the study highlights the need for institutional support, reform of the local financial system, and the strengthening of managerial capacities to enhance SME performance and sustainability in Bandundu.
The 19th century British society as seen through certain canonical eyes like Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, spits too much prejudice towards the women folk with regards to mores, which in reality was the ethical police in the era. These women at the flaw of any one of the mores, were automatically termed as fallen from the Victorian grace and ultimately cut-off to a tragic fate of death, while the male partners in the same crime were preserved to continue with their wayward and chauvinistic lifestyle. This is evident in Dickens’ Oliver Twist through Nancy who meets with doom while Fagin and Bill Sikes, the actual criminals and defaulters, freely roam the streets of London. It is with this regards that Sylvia Townsend Warner, a 20th century writer decides to travel back to the Victorian era via retro fiction in The True Heart, to dialogue with Dickens through his presentation of the fallen women in Oliver Twist. With this return journey to the past, Warner rewrites Dickens’ fallen women, embedding them with agency, voice, autonomy and above all, moral redemption from their fallenness, while creating an elastic world in The True Heart where they are easily absorbed like the men. This dialogic link between Dickens and Warner gives rise to the present paper titled “The Metaphor of the Fallen Woman in Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist and Sylvia Townsend Warner’s The True Heart”. This study is manifest through Julia Kristeva’s Intertextuality and Mikhail Bakhtin’s dialogism, with precision on the feminist revisionist lens of Elaine Showalter, not leaving out Harold Bloom’s anxiety of influence as analytical tools. This research concord to the fact that, Warner’s revisiting and rewriting of the metaphor of the fallen women from Dickens’ presentation in Oliver Twist with a new interpretation, is a means to include the feminine perspective and voice the marginalised, in a society that has always relegated them to the margins of life. Key Words: Metaphor, Fallen Woman, Victorian Mores.
Great Britain that happened to be the first part of the world, to have experienced industrialization which lasted up to the 1840s and consisted of the shift from an agricultural to industrial or machine oriented economy, was afflicted by the adverse effect of this new age. This period marked a great technological advancement, increase in population growth and urbanization, increase in wealth accumulation and undoubtedly crime rates, thus plaguing the Victorian era with social conditions like extreme poverty and injustice as evidenced through some realistic works of the 19th century. It is however paradoxical that, Britain that was the greatest economic power in the world, was hunted with extreme poverty, social injustice, class stratification and dark corridors of crimes. Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist is one of the great works produced during this epoch, that reveals the ordeals of industrialization and its impact in the lives of male orphans like Oliver Twist, ignoring the female orphans. With this, Sylvia Townsend Warner, a 20th century writer, through historical fiction in The True Heart, had to travel back to the Victorian era to include the sufferings of the female orphans that was concealed by patriarchal institutions. Warner’s dialogue with Dickens’ depiction of the effect of industrialization via retro fiction, prompts the present paper titled “The Paradox of Industrialization in Victorian Era as Seen in Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist and Sylvia Townsend Warner’s The True Heart”. This research employed Julia Kristeva’s intertextuality, Mikhail Bakhtin’s dialogism, Jan Assman’s cultural memory and Elaine Showalter’s feminist revisionism, as analytical tools. Since the Victorian era waved aside women and placed men at the centre of interest and focus, feminist revisionist writers like Warner in The True Heart, had to break through the codes and project the image of the female orphans that was faceless in favour of the male orphans as evidenced in Dickens’ Oliver Twist. The endeavour concord to the premise that, Warner through retro fiction in The True Heart dialogues with Dickens’ depictions in Oliver Twist, to protrude the sufferings of the female orphan (Sukey Bond) in the Victorian era, to be worse than that of the male orphan (Oliver Twist). Key Words: Paradox, Industrialization, Victorian, Era.
The development of natural fiber-based composites continues to increase in line with the demand for environmentally friendly materials with high toughness. The mechanical performance of banyan bark fiber as a composite reinforcement is still minimally reported. This study evaluated the effect of three matrix types (vinylester, polyester, and epoxy) and four fiber volume fractions (0%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) on the impact energy absorption capacity of banyan bark fiber composites. The composites were prepared using the hand lay-up method and tested using ASTM D256 standards. The results showed that the matrix type, fiber volume fraction, and their interaction significantly influenced the impact strength (p < 0.05). Epoxy resin had the highest intrinsic toughness, producing the highest impact strengths both in its pure state (7314 J/m²) and in the composite. Increasing the fiber volume fraction to 20% in the epoxy matrix resulted in an energy absorption increase of up to 10,230 J/m², or approximately 39.8% higher than pure epoxy resin, indicating effective energy dissipation mechanisms. Polyester and vinylester matrices showed more moderate increases, primarily due to wetting limitations and less than optimal interfacial bonding quality. Overall, banyan bark fiber demonstrates potential as a sustainable reinforcement, particularly for lightweight applications. These findings open up opportunities for further development through interface optimization and a more comprehensive study of the composite's mechanical properties.
With digitalisation spreading globally at a steady pace, the demand for a range of durable, long lasting and flexible storage systems has been ever clear in recent years. Batteries often end up damaged from daily usage, with a vast majority of batteries using liquid electrolytes, which often lends to problems with dendrite formation, interface instability and mechanical failure. The use of hydrogel polymer electrolytes (HPEs) is a promising cure towards these problems. A gel state of matter shows promise to allow electrolytes to have higher contact with the interface of the electrode that provides high conductivity while absorbing mechanical stresses to keep the battery healthy. Research has shown the self-healing potential of certain hydrogels that could sustain high performance over hundreds of cycles. However, there are still many limitations in its mechanical strength, thermostability and ionic conductivity. Herein, tunable attributes of hydrogels that can increase stability and performance are examined further. This paper looks at the potential property benefits of HPEs over conventional batteries currently in commercial use, as well as its attributes regarding economic and environmental impact for possible future commercialisation of these energy storage devices.
This study investigates the role of the quantity surveyor (QS) in value‑management (VM) workshop processes within construction projects, with a focus on statistical relationships between QS involvement, workshop timing, and value outcomes. Using a cross‑sectional survey of construction practitioners (n = 132) and subsequent statistical analysis (descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression), the research examines how early QS engagement and active cost‐value participation correlate with enhanced value outcomes (measured via cost savings, user value satisfaction, and project scope stability). Findings indicate that earlier QS involvement (before design development) is significantly associated (p < .05) with higher value outcomes, and that QS‑led cost/value trade‑off sessions enhance the effectiveness of VM workshops. Implications are drawn for QS practice, training and workshop structuring, and directions for further research are discussed. Keywords: Value Management, Quantity Surveyor, Construction Projects, Workshop Process, Cost Optimization, Value Engineering, Stakeholder Collaboration, Project Performance.