The study here provides an agency model to explain the offer of trade credit in an asymmetric environment between the suppliers and the customers. Many theories inform traditional arguments focusing on the existence of the trade credit (e.g. tax theory, transaction cost theory, liquidity theory and product quality theory). One theory studies the adverse selection phenomenon but the moral hazard problem needs exploration. The findings indicate that day of sales outstanding of Tunisian export SMEs relates directly to adverse selection and inversely link to moral hazard measured by provision on bad debts and cost ratio. By testing the traditional models, the study does not confirm tax theory, liquidity theory or transaction cost theory. However, the findings support the product quality theory which is based on ex-ante asymmetric information.

In this paper, we study the heat transfer by Natural convection in a saturated porous medium including viscous dissipation in a vertical conical annular porous medium. Finite Element Method (FEM) has been used to solve the governing partial differential equations. Results are presented in terms of average Nusselt number ( ), streamlines and isothermal lines for various values of Rayleigh number (Ra), Cone angle (CA), Radius ratio (Rr) and Viscous dissipation(ε).

The study was carried out to assess the prevalence of food insecurity and the level of household food access, as household transit from major harvest period to hunger/lean period in Lagos metropolis. Panel data set was gathered from a total of 180 households in three income settlements of Lagos metropolis using questionnaire. Analysis of data was done using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentages; Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and Household Dietary Diversity Scale (HDDS) were used to assess food insecurity and access, while a probit regression model was specified to determine the variables responsible for increasing the probability of household’s being food insecure during the hunger period. The result of the study showed that for the metropolis combined, during the harvest period, households in the metropolis had adequate food access with HFIAS score of 6.45±0.41 which worsened significantly (p <0.01) to an average food access of 12.44± 0.45 during the hunger period. The mean HDDS score also showed that households’ dietary diversity was lower during the hunger period with an average score of 2.54 ± 0.09 from 3.25 ± 0.10 during the harvest period. Households with older heads (p < 0.01), larger sizes (p <0.1) and with experiences of job loss among employed members (p < 0.1) had the propensity of being food insecure, while households with more adult male members (p < 0.05) had the propensity of being food secure.

A numerical study of natural convection in a vertical channel partially filled with a porous matrix is performed. The flow is described using Brinkman-extended Darcy model. The governing equations are solved by using the finite-volume method. The pressure-velocity coupling is provided by the SIMPLER algorithm. The objective of this work is to determine heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics for Prandtl number Pr = 0.71. A parametric study was conducted by varying the thicknesses of the porous layers and Darcy Number for two Rayleigh number Ra = 106 and Ra = 107. The isotherms, streamlines, average Nusselt number and dimensionless temperature are presented for different parametric study.

ConfRate is a website designed to gather tweets regarding various conferences occurring around the corners of world and applying an algorithm to rate them on the sentimental analysis of tweets. When we talk of technolog stack implementation, ConfRate uses Twython; a python based twitter API which connects to twitter on oauth (open authentication) and offers functionality like twitter search.The technique is to use the real time data from the twitter; commonly known as “tweets”. This information is categorized into positive or negative on the basis of the “tweet sentiments”. The Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK) is a powerful tool in Python which identifies tweet sentiments using Bayes classifier. The use of Django 1.3.1 web framework (a python framework) provides a lightweight web server with MVC framework which easily integrates with our python scripts. For designing user interface, html5 using jquery has been used. Finally, the application is deployed on the cloud using AWS (Amazon web services) Elastic Cloud Computer or commonly known as EC2, providing more profitability and reliable browsing and dependability from market perspective.

Good operation of a hybrid system can be achieved only by a suitable control of the interaction in the operation of the different devices. This paper presented a supervisory control system that monitors the operations of PV/Wind-Diesel hybrid power generation system with energy storage. The controller was developed in such a way that it coordinates when power should be generated by renewable energy (PV panels and Wind turbine) and when it should be generated by diesel generator and is intended to maximize the use of renewable system while limiting the use of diesel generator. Diesel generator is allocated only when the demand cannot be met by the renewable energy sources including battery bank. The structural analysis of the supervisory control is described in details through data flow diagrams. The developed control system was used to study the operations of the hybrid PV/Wind-Diesel power system for the three hypothetical offgrid remote health clinics at various geographical locations in Nigeria. It was observed that the hybrid controller allocates the sources optimally according to the demand and availability. From the control simulation, we were able to see the performance of the system over the course of the year to see which mode(s) the system spends most time in, the power supplied by each of the energy sources over the year, and the power required by the load over the year. This is a very useful manner to check how the system is being supplied and which source of energy is the most proficient in supplying the load.

Nicotine is the main ingredient of smoking cessation therapies and electronic cigarettes. New to the market, electronic cigarettes, which are not regulated by Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have been marketed as the safe and alternative approach to cigarette smoking. Although containing significantly fewer amounts of toxic chemicals, electronic cigarettes, as well as other nicotine replacement therapies, still present additional health hazards due to significant nicotine exposure. The effects of nicotine exposure on musculoskeletal health have been extensively studied, but the mechanisms behind these effects are still unknown. Current research, however, suggests that these effects are mediated by the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) of the musculoskeletal system. These receptors, which are activated in the presence of nicotine, undergo conformational changes that eventually alter the ionic permeability of their respective membranes. The results of these actions are linked to changes in cell proliferation, differentiation and microRNA expression.

A new series of 4-(4-Chlorophenyl)-3-chloro-1-{4-[5-(Substituted phenyl)-1-(phenylsulfonyl)-4,5-dihydro-pyrazol-3-yl]phenyl}azetidin-2-one are synthesized by reacting 3-chloro-1-{4-[5-(Substituted phenyl)-4,5-dihydro-pyrazol-3-yl]phenyl}-4-(4-Chlorophenyl)azetidin-2-one with Benzene sulfonyl chloride in presence of pyridine. All these compounds were characterized by means of their IR, 1H NMR, Spectroscopic data and were tested for their antibacterial and antifungal activities by broth dilution method.

The main thesis in this study is anchored on the declaration of Omu (1978, p. 248) and Dare (1997, p. 537) on the performance of post-independence press in Nigeria. While Omu states that the post-independence press in Nigeria “provided a remarkable example of overzealous and irresponsible partisanship”, Dare, quoting one of the architects of modern Nigeria, Anthony Enahoro equally states that “the Nigerian press lacked men of stature as well as the vision to recognize danger and the courage to oppose wrong”. There is no doubt, election periods are usually exciting moments in every democratic society. It is a period for the showing of strength by political parties and candidates from constituency to constituency. It is also a period when the electorate shows appreciation and support to candidates and political parties who had fulfilled their electoral promises. During this period, proprietors of newspapers daily smile to the banks as the sale of newspapers pick up just as advert patronages also increase. However, it is a challenging moment for newsmen as the urge to report unfolding scenario on the political turf could fetch them the wrath of the law. This study focuses on such challenges with special reference to the 2007 and 2011 General Elections in Nigeria. While noting that law is necessary to guarantee orderly conduct of polls and through that ensure a hitch-free civilian-to-civilian transition, the paper notes that Nigerian newsmen are occasionally overzealous and careless in their handling of political issues which fetched some newsmen the wrath of the law. The paper, therefore, recommends the need for training as well as refresher courses to update the knowledge of Nigerian political reporters.

Nigeria is the largest in Africa and the sixth largest oil producing country in the world. The country’s economic strength is derived largely from its oil and gas wealth, which contribute 99 per-cent of government revenues and 38.8 per of GDP (National Budget, 2010). Despite these positive developments, successive Nigerian governments have been unable to use the oil wealth to significantly reduce poverty, provide basic social and economic services her citizens need (Ering and Akpan, 2012). Despite, the huge resources the country has realized from crude oil, Nigeria ranks 156 out of 187 countries on the Global Human Development Index (HDI) in the 2011 Human Development Report released by the United Nation Development Programme. The HDI is a comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living for countries worldwide. The HDI further reveals that non-oil producing countries like Tunisia, Gabon, Egypt, Namibia, South Africa and Togo ranked better than Nigeria on all HDI indicators. It is against this background that Nigerians are opposed to any policy that would further increase their misery index such as the removal of fuel subsidy (Ering and Akpan, 2012). The history of fuel subsidy removal in Nigeria has been a complex subject and oftentimes an emotional debate. This study therefore examines critically the social and psychological effects of fuel subsidy removal on the Nigerian family.